Winterland

For the first time in weeks, I just stayed in the apartment, mainly due to the snow storm that hit the city. I estimate that around 8 inch worth of snow came. The whole apartment complex was covered with snow. It was unbelievable. It looked real nice (I felt like I was in a movie set) but that's about it. It was too cold to handle that after a minute or two, you'd begin to hate it.

Here are some pictures I took:

Zion National Park

One thing I really like about Salt Lake is that some of the best national parks in the world are just a few hours drive away. Over the past few years, I have been to Arches (4 times), Bryce, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone (twice). A few weeks ago, I went to Zion which is famous for its red/cream canyons, towering cliffs, and rivers. It was a 5-hour drive and it was worth it. We did not see the park at its finest (that would be during fall season), we did not even see the famous "Narrows" due to the very cold river which we dared to cross but failed, but I can imagine how beautiful it could be during fall. I will definitely go back to this place.

Here are some pictures I took:

Las Vegas part 7

Since it was my 7th time in Las Vegas, I hoped that the trip would be a lucky one for me. Alas, for the 7th time, I did not win in the slot machine, not even a dollar. But just like in my other trips, Vegas again has something new to offer. Planet Hollywood recently opened this year. It was formerly Aladdin hotel. There is also a new hotel called Trump which is now offically the blandest hotel in the strip. And there's the new musical 'The Producers' and the magic show featuring Hans Klok and the great Pamela Anderson, both of which I watched and enjoyed.

This is Planet Hollywood.



These ones are from the Bellagio garden.





These were taken in Hoover Dam, one of the 7 wonders of the modern world!

Hong Kong

We spent the first day at happiest place on earth - Disneyland in Lantau island. I have wanted to come here since I was younger. I remember back in grade school, I saw some pictures of Disneyland in an encyclopedia we have at home. It was dreamlike to finally see it person after all these years.




We decided to splurge and stay at Disneyland Hollywood hotel.. but for 1 night only. It was a bit expensive but it was worth it.

Here's the Disney Parade. It was fun to see all the Disney characters, as if they are real.









There is no better souvenir than this, a photo op with the Disney cast.




This is probably the one I enjoyed the most - Lion King Festival. This is a like a mini version of the Lion King musical that I watched back in New York.






And finally, here is the vibrant fireworks display against the picturesque Sleeping Beauty castle. The use of popular Disney tunes made this even more overwhelming.



On our second day, we went to Kowloon to check-in on a cheaper hotel. This is a typical sight in Kowloon. It looks just like every Chinatown I have been to.

We later on crossed the Vicoria harbour to reach Hong Kong island where the financial district is located.

We went back late in the afternoon to Kowloon to visit Avenue of Stars - the Asian version of Hollywood boulevard. In here are plaques, handprints and statues that pay tribute to Chinese stars like...



The Avenue of Stars is also a good spot to see the grand Hong Kong island skyline and to watch the Symphony of Lights.




We later went back to Hong Kong island to get to The Peak to catch this spectacular view of the city. We caught the Tram on the way down. All the buildings seem to tilt because of 27 degree gradient of the tram.



The next and last day was spent on Ocean Park in Hong Kong island. This place is huge and is perched on the mountain. Amazing.

It rain hard in the afternoon but I was able to catch this ride before they had to stop all outdoor activities.




Even if it rained, there are still a lot of indoor sights to check out. Example is the Jellyfish aquarium.



Here's Atoll Reef, the biggest aquarium I have seen.


These were taken at Shark aquarium



This is probably the best place yet that I have been in Asia. All the sites I visited here is remarkable. No day is wasted, despite the rain. There are even still more places to see that we missed like the Giant Buddha and Wetland Park. I can't wait to go back. I will probably stay for a week next time with my family. But before that can happen, I have to save up. The trip is not cheap:

10,900 Airfare
750 Airport User's Charge
1,620 Terminal fee
2,155 One night at Disneyland Hollywood hotel*
1,495 One night at YWCA hotel in Kowloon
7,900 1300 HKD Pocket money (transpo, food, & entrance fees)**
======
24,820 TOTAL

*We reserved 2 rooms that can accommodate 8 people. There were only 7 of us so each one paid higher than expected
**shopping excluded