Hong Kong...

We just got back from a wonderful week in Hong Kong. What a great city! Living in Shanghai has skewed our perspective on quite a few things. For instance, Hong Kong (population more than 7 million) seemed like a quaint little city, and we were shocked every time we saw a car use its blinkers. Greg and I did a double take when we saw a car stop for a pedestrian, and cars everywhere followed recognizable traffic rules! The air quality was wonderful, and it was also really nice to see the ocean again. All in all, it was just a great week, and a welcome break that I didn't even realize I needed from mainland China. I guess it is a natural result of our lifestyle, but every new place we visit prompts a discussion of whether or not it would be a good place to live. Hong Kong has (rather surprisingly to me) gone onto the "green light" list.

We spent the first couple of days of our vacation at Hong Kong Disney. This park is smaller than the Anaheim Disneyland, but most of it is directly copied from the original. There were some moments it was obvious we weren't in Anaheim though, like at the snack vendor where the sign read: Water, Sodas, Popcorn, Squid!

Here are some Disneyland pics...

Conor enjoyed the characters, but Ryan was freaked out by the huge mice wearing human clothes... I think he thought there was something unnatural about them! When Piglet came by to pose with Conor Greg had to point out that Conor was eating a hot dog... Piglet didn't stick around long after that.

Ryan really enjoyed Its a Small World...

And this one is of the whole family in Micky's House

We also went to Ocean Park, a sort of aquarium/amusement park built rather awkwardly on one of the many peaks in Hong Kong. The entrance to the park and some of the attractions are at the bottom of the peak, and to get to the top you have to either take a bus or ride in a ski-lift type tram. The tram was an attraction in itself actually, with some of the most spectacular views of Hong Kong.

The escalator went between two areas of rides, a necessary part of a park on the side of a mountain! Ryan is looking out on the tram, you can see the park below in the first picture, and Hong Kong in the second. Conor loved the "Frog Hopper" ride, and made friends with the little boy next to him. The last picture is from the sign at the carousel that we just though was funny.