4 August 2008

Ocean Park

Monday 28th was the hottest and most polluted day while we were in Hong Kong; it is also the day we spent at Ocean Park. A great family park, we went on a balloon ride, a sky star (chairlift) ride, walked down three levels of an indoor aquarium (atoll reef) to discover the different sealife that lives at different levels, watched an acrobatic performance by some of Hong Kong's youth, and saw some real life pandas....they were soooo cute!!! After lunch, Carolyn and I headed home to leave the husbands and the kids enjoy the rides...that's when Alvan took the Kung fu photos!!
And the winner is ...
Gotta love a panda eating bamboo
And a cute sitting panda..
And a cute girl with a panda hat!!
Whitney & Rachel at entrance of the park
Action shot
Another action shot...
Rules you don't see until you're too close to the ride to pull out!!
look at all those gondolas
look at the panda pavillion
here we go...up, up and away, in my beautiful, my beautiful balloon
look at all those stairs
Kung Fu David
Kung Fu Alvan

The Venetian

Carolyn, Rachel, Whitney and I whisked off for a night of pure indulgence at the Venetian Hotel in Macau on Thursday 24th July. The Venetian is a 5 star luxury hotel, that is absolutely enormous. I think we walked at least 5 kms when we first got there, just trying to find our way around (without going through the casino). We caught the "Cotai Jet" (a hydro ferry) from Hong Kong Harbour to Macau...the seats were like airline seating..only bigger and more comfortable. Then we caught a shuttle bus from the port to the hotel, it took us a while to find the main entrance to check in at the big main lobby we'd seen on the website. Have a look for yourself: www.venetianmacao.com We stayed in a Bella Suite, Whitney & Rachel shared one bed and Carolyn and I shared the other. Swimming pools, bubble baths, luxury robes & slippers, chocolate & non-alcholic sparkling grape juice, a gondola ride which included an impromtu performance by the gondalier, the best most pampering manicure I've ever had, a full buffet breakfast, and late night girl talk....thanks girls for a wonderful time, memories to last a lifetime!!
Whitney & Rachel on the Cotai Jet
Carolyn & Rachel on the Gondola
Whitney & Rachel on "their bed"
Karen & Whitney and Isabella (the gondolier)
Above: A view of the venetian from the food court Below: The three "Mask" ateers