Hong Kong Chronicles: A Rollercoaster Ride of Fun and Chaos!

8.00 PM

Hey ho, peeps! 

Welcome back to my blog where I spill all the tea about my epic trip to Hong Kong. Get ready to tag along as I dish out the juicy deets on the crazy streets, the mind-blowing eats, and the jaw-dropping sights of this vibrant city. Grab a snack, kick back, and let's dive into the adventure that was my time in Hong Kong.

And btw, happy Saturday night! So, I actually wrote this blog exactly a week after I got back from Hong Kong. But guess what? Life happened, and I only got around to publishing it today. Yeah, I know, I'm fashionably late to the party. But hey, better late than never, right? 

Last Sunday night at this very hour, I was having a blast in Macau. But look at me now, spending this Sunday night chilling at home, typing away on this ancient, dusty laptop that hasn't seen the light of day in ages. Can you say "upgrade," please? Anyway, I try not to get too distracted by the keyboard keys that are barely holding on. Let's do this!

I got back from Hong Kong last Tuesday, August 8th, 2017. The thing is, my trip was totally unplanned at first. Let me break it down for you. I was supposed to go with my friend, let's call her Mawar, in September. But every time I asked her if she was down for the trip, she was all wishy-washy. I ain't got time to waste on someone who's not committed, you know what I mean? So, last-minute decision, my friend Maher and I decided to seize the moment and plan a vacation on Friday, August 4th.

So, one fine afternoon in June, on the weekend, guess who decides to surprise me with a phone call? Yep, you got it right - Mr. Maher himself! Now, let me tell you, it's not every day this dude dials my number on a weekend. Naturally, I was a bit curious, so I picked up the call, like, 

Gue     : “Halo Mas?”

Maher : “Che, bulan Agustus ini kita (kantor) ada acara gede gak sih?”

Gue     : “Gak ada. Kenapa emang?”

Maher : “Jadi acara kita cuma GB^* aja nih bulan ini?”

Gue     : “Iya. Why?”

*So, we have this annual event at our workplace called the Governing Board (GB) Meeting. It's like a big deal. We're talking VVIPs from all over the world gracing us with their presence. Now, here's the deal: the preparation for this event takes a solid three months and involves pretty much the entire staff. And on the big day, no one, I repeat, NO ONE gets to take a day off, it's a strict no-no, unless you're, like, on your deathbed or something. Once the event is over, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief. Phew!

Maher : “Gue mau ke US lagi nih bulan Agustus”

Gue     : “Ngapain?”

Maher : “Liburan aja”

Gue     : “Berapa lama?”

Maher : “Dua mingguan. Yuk, Che ikut lah”

Gue     : “Hah? US? Gila lo! Gak ada duit gue”

Maher : “Bisa, Che… Makanya lo kurang-kurangin minum kopi 50 ribu, pasti bisa koq”

Gue     : “Gak ada"

Maher : “Lo secure duit buat tiket dulu aja, nanti disana kan kita nginep di tempat Tante gue”

Gue     : “Tetep aja gue harus ada duit. Belum lagi visanya, sulit”

Maher : “Gampaaang" 

Gue berfikir sejenak, koq ini orang ngajak ke US kayak ngajak ke Bandung.

Gue     : “Nggaklah, Mas. Belum bisa gue kalo ke US”

Maher : “Terus lo maunya kemana?”

Gue     : “Gue pengen ke Europe dulu sih tapi kayaknya tabungan gue belom cukup. Asia aja dulu aja kenapa si, gue pengen ke Hong Kong deh”

Maher : “Yahh gue udah pernah, tapi ayok sih”

And that phone call, the conversation didn't just end there. Turns out, the very next day when we're at the office, we picked up right where we left off. We wasted no time and headed straight to our trusty travel agent desk. We were like, "Yo, what's the deal with flight prices?" And guess what? The prices we got were absolutely affordable! I'm talkin' jaw-dropping, wallet-friendly deals. I mean, seriously, they were so good that within two days, we had those tickets in our hands. 

So, here's the deal: we wanted to keep our time off work to a minimum, so we chose to fly out from August 4th to 8th. You see, August 8th is ASEAN Day, and my office is closed, so if we left on the 4th (which happened to be Friday), we'd only need to take a two-day leave. We'd chill on Friday and Monday, and then bam, back to work on Wednesday. And let me tell you, we thought five days would be plenty to hit up all the awesome spots in Hong Kong. We had it all planned out, man! We booked our tickets in June to spread out the expenses. The next month, we paid for the hotel. And by the time departure month rolled around, we were just focused on saving up for our living expenses there. It was all about being savvy with our time and cash.

DAY 1

So, the big day finally arrived on Friday, August 4th, 2017. And let me tell you, it was an early bird kind of situation with our flight scheduled at a crazy 4:30 a.m. Who even wakes up at that hour willingly? I dragged myself out of bed at 2.30 a.m., looking like a sleep-deprived zombie, and made my way to the airport. Fast forward to 7:30 a.m., and we touched down in Kuala Lumpur for a two-hour layover. Just enough time to grab a quick snack and stretch our legs. Then, at 9:30 a.m., we hopped on our flight to Hong Kong, ready to rock and roll! 

The flight went great, and we didn't have to wait forever at immigration. After collecting our baggage we headed straight to the Octopus counter. Octopus is a must-have electronic card while you're in Hong Kong. It's used for public transportation like the MTR, trams, buses, and ferries. But it's not just for getting around; you can also use it to pay at restaurants, supermarkets, and more. Once we had our Octopus cards and bought a local SIM card, we were on our way to the hotel via the MTR and made our way to our hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui. By 3 p.m., we were all checked in and ready to tackle the next five days of epic adventures. Oh, and speaking of adventures, don't forget to get yourself an MTR map it's like your secret weapon for navigating the city like locals! 

I've always been terrible at reading maps, but when I'm under pressure, it's like some hidden talent kicks in, and suddenly you're a map-reading pro! In Hong Kong, you can snag a map at the airport near the exits. Or, if you're all about that paperless life, just snap a quick photo of the maps displayed at the MTR stations or browse Google. Armed with our trusty piece of paper containing the MTR map, we kicked off day one with an activity that felt like heaven to me, shopping!

So, we headed to Mong Kok. Let me tell you, Mong Kok is a shopaholic's dream come true and a must-visit spot for tourists in Hong Kong. It's like a shopping haven that's packed to the brim with amazing deals. You name it, they got it. Clothes, bags, shoes, watches, souvenirs, accessories, gadgets you'll find them all here, and at prices that won't break the bank. Well, okay, maybe not super cheap because when you convert the prices to IDR, those t-shirts they sell for around IDR 200-ish, Hong Kong dollars can still add up. And for all you sneakerheads out there, there's a whole street dedicated to sneakers, it's called Sneakers Street. They sell all kinds of kicks, but I gotta admit, I had my doubts when I checked out the shoes there. The prices didn't seem that different from those back home in Indonesia, and I was skeptical about their authenticity. You know, considering how HK or China can rip off anything and everything. So yeah, it's only natural to have some suspicions, right?

see?

On the first day of shopping, I didn't go all out, but I did manage to snag a SUPREME iPhone case that's, like, super hyped right now. Deep down, I wanted to go on a shopping spree and buy all the things, but I didn't wanna go broke and deal with the hassle. After all, it was just the first day, and we still had four more days ahead to consider. Plus, we had plans to shop in other places the following days, so I had to hold back on my shopping desires in Mong Kok.

Mong Kok situation, bawa tas segede dosa

At around 9 p.m., we got invited by Maher's friend, her name is Nita, an Indonesian who had been living in Hong Kong for a while, to check out the city's vibrant nightlife. Now, here's the deal: Hong Kong is split into different islands. Our hotel was in Kowloon, while the place we wanted to visit that night was on Hong Kong Island, just across the water. The distance was super close, and we had the option to take either the MTR or the ferry. We decided to go for the ferry because, come on, it's more exciting and it was a new experience for me to ride a ferry at night in HK. The ferry ride from Kowloon to Hong Kong island only cost us 2 HK dollars and took just 10 minutes. It was a short and sweet journey, plus it was cheaper than taking the MTR. Maher's friend took us to this spot called SEVVA.

SEVVA, man, let me tell you, it's this fancy shmancy restaurant. It's located on the 25th floor of Princes Building, right on Chater Road. If you're into fancy hangouts and sipping on some classy drinks, this place is the bomb. It's like Jakarta's SKYE, you know what I'm sayin'? And let me spill the tea, the view from up there is absolutely stunning. Perfect for all you Instagram fanatics out there, like myself. 

But hey, we didn't stick around SEVVA for too long. Nita took us to another spot called Soho, 'cause he happened to have a friend who just opened a new bar there, it's called The Old Man. The location wasn't too far from SEVVA, so we thought, why not? Time for a change of scenery and a new adventure!

Man, let me tell you about The Old Man, it's this hidden gem located in a little alley, but once you step inside, holy moly, it's a whole new level of buzzing! We had to line up just to snag a seat. The street leading from SEVVA to The Old Man was lined with bars, packed with hip Hong Kong locals and tourists alike. Not a single bar had an empty vibe. It got me thinking, you know? If you're looking to start a business in Hong Kong, opening a bar or a cozy wine house would be a hit for sure.

Here's the cool part: the owner of The Old Man is actually Indonesian! He used to be a barista at a hotel in Jakarta, but then he decided to take the plunge and move to Hong Kong. He left his job, opened his own business, and voila, he's living the dream. The concept of the bar was super cool, and the drinks? Oh man, they were top-notch. We got chatting and before we knew it, it was already midnight. We had to hustle to catch the last MTR train since it stops running around 1 a.m., but here's the catch, the walk from The Old Man to the MTR station was quite a trek. And you know me, a lightweight when it comes to drinking, I tried my best to act sober 'cause I didn't wanna embarrass myself being all tipsy and stuff. We finally reached the hotel at 1 a.m. and crashed right away 'cause the next day was the one I had been eagerly waiting for.

Day 2 - Macau.

Yeay! On our second day, we headed to Macau, the Vegas of Asia and the ultimate paradise for gamblers. Initially, I used to think Macau was still part of Hong Kong, but turns out, it's a whole different country. According to an article I read, Macau is located on mainland China, bordering Guangdong Province and situated southwest of Hong Kong. Since it's a different country, we had to bring our passports for immigration at the gate. Macau has its own currency called the Macau Pataca (MOP$), but they generally accept Hong Kong Dollars, so we didn't have to bother with money exchange.

To get there, we took the MTR from Tsim Sha Tsui to Sheung Wan, then made our way to the ferry terminal. We purchased TurboJet ferry tickets right there, costing HKD 177 for a round trip, around 300,000 Indonesian Rupiahs.

The journey took about 45 minutes to an hour, I can't remember exactly, but we finally arrived in Macau. Woo-hoo!

Ferry to Macau

Just like entering Hong Kong, they didn't stamp our passports or anything in Macau. They just gave us a tiny piece of paper as proof of entry, and man, if you lose that paper, it can be a real hassle. You might end up being mistaken for some underground immigrant who swam their way from Hong Kong to Macau! Once we got through immigration, our mission was to find the shuttle bus that would take us to the fancy casinos. And guess what? These shuttle buses are free, courtesy of the casinos, specifically for tourists who want to go sightseeing in Macau.

Our first stop was the legendary Grand Lisboa, which is like a trademark of Macau. Let me tell you, Macau is a tiny, rich, organized, and ridiculously clean country. It'll probably take thousands of years to make Jakarta as clean as Macau. The shuttle bus ride from the ferry terminal to Grand Lisboa took just 15 minutes. And dude, when we arrived, I felt like I was in a whole new world. I mean, I've seen casinos in movies, but seeing them in real life was like... "Is this f*ckin' real?" 

Considering I'm a self-proclaimed Instagram fanatic, I really wanted to capture some epic Instagram stories in that place. But, damn, they had strict rules no photos, no videos, no nothing. And let me tell you, they took security seriously. CCTV cameras were literally every 30 centimeters, and the security guards were no joke. But you know what? Maher, being the rebellious soul he is, couldn't resist sneaking some photos. Unfortunately, he got caught red-handed by the security guard and was told to delete them on the spot. I always thought people who go to casinos were all about keeping things on the down low, you know? But I guess the rules are strict for a reason, especially when there's a lot of money involved.

After finishing up with our photos in front of the casino, we decided to grab a bite at a local restaurant because we were starving and it was already lunchtime. Now, I can't remember the name of the place, but let me tell you, the line was insane. It stretched longer than the immigration queue, man. We stood there, patiently waiting, feeling like we were auditioning for the world's longest waiting game. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, we scored a table and ended up sharing it with a young couple who were on a romantic getaway from Singapore.

In Indonesia, we do have moments of sharing tables, but usually not in fancy restaurants. It's more common in street food places, like those selling ayam penyet or whatnot. I remember once eating at Sambel Plecing Tanah Abang. It was super crowded, and I ended up sitting face-to-face with a total stranger. Man, it was hella awkward. Needless to say, I never went back there again.

Man, the weather was scorching hot, and guess what? I totally forgot to put on sunscreen. Within just two days, my skin got roasted like a BBQ. Ouch! So, we decided to seek refuge at the nearest Starbucks to cool off and, hey, might as well grab some tumbler for my friends while we're at it.

It was around 3 p.m., and we were facing a bit of a dilemma. Here's the thing: our ferry back to Hong Kong was scheduled for 5 p.m., which meant if we were late and missed the ferry, we'd have to buy another ticket. But, you know, we didn't want to miss out on exploring a bit more. However, being the two individuals who hate losing out, we decided it was better to play it safe and be on time for the ferry instead of risking it. Sure, there were flexible return tickets available, but they were pricier, and we didn't want to spend extra for that. Since we still had a couple of hours left, we really wanted to check out The Venetian Macau in Taipa. It's also a casino, but the architecture there is supposed to be amazing, and you can even ride those Venice-style gondolas. But unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to make it there, so we chose to head back earlier. So, yeah, our ferry ticket was set for 5 p.m., but it was totally cool to leave earlier, as long as it wasn't too much earlier.

After we got back to Tsim Sha Tsui, we decided to grab some late-night grab at good ol' McDonald's. Turns out, American restaurants were cheaper than the local ones. Once we finished our meal, we headed straight back to the hotel. We took a little breather, chilled for a bit, and then took a refreshing shower. After that, we mustered up the energy to cross over to Hong Kong Island for The Peak Tram adventure. Let's go!

The Peak Tram is like a cable train that can carry dozens of people, and they say it's the steepest cable train in the world. The purpose of taking the tram is to get a bird's-eye view of Hong Kong Island. Let me tell you, that tram ride is no joke, it's a steep, 360-degree ascent. The actual ride only lasts for about 7 minutes, but the queue? Man, that was the longest queue I've ever encountered in my entire life. It was not only long, but also twisty and turny. We waited for approximately 2 hours just to hop on that 7-minute tram ride. But once we reached the top, everything was totally worth it because there were so many exciting places to explore.

We entered a mall filled with souvenir shops and all sorts of goodies. As we went up a few floors, we stumbled upon Madame Tussauds. The entrance fee was HKD 190. Now, I used to be super interested in Madame Tussauds, but I gotta say, it's probably more fun in other countries. The Madame Tussauds in Hong Kong had a lot of Mandarin celebrities that I wasn't familiar with.

Next, we visited a 3D painting exhibition, and man, it was a blast! The paintings were so interactive and mind-bending. Here's one of them:

After having a great time at the exhibition, we stepped outside and admired the breathtaking view of Hong Kong from high above. It was truly mesmerizing to see the cityscape sprawled out beneath us.

Honestly, Hong Kong is cool and all, but gotta be real with you, those tall buildings didn't really blow my mind. They kinda reminded me of Sudirman-Thamrin in Jakarta when you see 'em from up high. But Hong Kong is way more organized than Jakarta, no doubt about that. After a whole day of roaming around Macau, my feet were dead tired when we finally made it to The Peak. And guess what? The line for the tram ride back was just as insane as the one going up.

DAY 3 - Shenzhen

Our sole mission in Shenzhen was simple: shop till drop! We were beyond pumped for it. Bright and early, we rolled out of bed, grabbed some breakfast, and headed straight to the money changer to exchange our Hong Kong Dollars (HKD) for Renminbi (RMB), or as we know it, Yuan the Chinese moolah. We hit the road around 10 a.m., and boy, the journey was a wild ride. We hopped on the MTR from Tsim Sha Tsui to Tsuen Wan on the red line, switched to the green line heading to Tiu Keng Leng, got off at Kowloon Tong, and switched again to the light blue line towards Lo Wu. Phew! Can you feel the brain cells sizzling? 'Cause we sure did.

So, there were two options to get to Shenzhen: either get off at Lo Wu Station or Lok Ma Chau Station. But here's the deal, my friend: since Shenzhen is like a whole different country (yep, it's in China now, not Hong Kong), you gotta have a visa to enter. Now, if you already scored a China visa back in your home country, you can roll through any station. But since we opted for Visa on Arrival (VoA), we had to get off at Lo Wu Station as it's the only station providing VoA services. Once we cleared immigration, we headed up to the next floor to join the line for VoA. It was a long wait, but not Peak Tram long, if you catch my drift.

So, Maher got queue number 131 and yours truly got 132. But guess what? When we entered into the waiting area, they were still serving number 70. Dafuq! It was gonna be a while, and we were antsy  to go shopping. The VoA fee was around RMB 166 or roughly Rp. 330,000. And get this, getting a visa back in Jakarta would cost us more, like around Rp. 550,000 for a regular single entry. Yeah, it's a bit of a wallet-squeezer. 

Finally, number 131 was called, which meant it was Mas Maher's turn to approach the counter for the VoA process. Meanwhile, I anxiously waited in my seat, feeling a mix of hope and nerves. For some reason, I suddenly got this uneasy feeling, probably because I had read on a travel blog that many people had their visas rejected. My anxiety heightened as I watched Mas Maher engage in a heated argument with the officer inside the counter.

And there it was, number 131 was up, and it was Maher's time to shine at the counter for the VoA. Meanwhile, I anxiously waited in my seat, feeling a mix of hope and nerves. For some reason, I suddenly got this uneasy feeling, probably because I had read on a travel blog that many people had their visas rejected. My anxiety heightened as I watched Maher having a bit of a showdown with the officer behind the counter. 

AND WHAT?! 

HIS VISA GOT REJECTED!

That's a major facepalm moment! I couldn't believe it when I heard what happened to Maher. It's just so frustrating. Can you believe they rejected his visa because his new passport didn't have enough stamps? I mean, seriously? Just because he doesn't have a stamp collection on his passport doesn't mean he hasn't traveled anywhere. Give the guy a break! He even tried explaining that he had been to Shenzhen before, but they wanted some sort of proof, which he stupidly left in his old passport back at the hotel. If I were in his shoes, I'd probably be tempted to pull my hair out and scream into a pillow.

So, it was my turn to hand over my passport and things took a weird turn. The officer asked, "Are you guys together?" I said yes, and then he started examining my passport and then something strange happened that left us wondering till this day. In Maher's case, they only wanted his old passport, but now that I was up, the officer changed his tune and dropped a bombshell on us. He said we both needed to apply for a visa at the Chinese Embassy in Jakarta. Like, what?! We were taken aback by this sudden change in requirements. It was totally unexpected and left us completely confused. It was as if they were playing a prank on us or something. We were left there, scratching our heads and wondering why on earth they had suddenly switched up the rules.

WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?

Dude, seriously, I mean, what's the point of having this service if they're still gonna make us apply for visas in Jakarta? It's freaking frustrating, man! We were so angry and drained after our visa got rejected. The officers were so cold and their reasons made no freaking sense to us. It's like they were just making things up on the spot. We felt like we were being treated unfairly and discriminated.

Right after we've got rejected

In the midst of our disappointment, we sluggishly searched for the exit to head back to Hong Kong. Our hopes of scoring some cheap shopping in Shenzhen were shattered. Bye China... Bye Felicia!

On the journey back to Hong Kong, I decided to text one of my Chinese buddies who happened to be heading home to Beijing. I spilled the beans about our visa rejection. He tried his best to cheer me up and said:

And to top it all off, one of the reasons for our rejection was nothing more than a petty revenge. We couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Back at the hotel, we were still annoyed about the whole currency exchange ordeal. What were we supposed to do with all those RMB now? We had no choice but to convert them back to HKD. I wasn't really in the mood to go anywhere anymore, but it would be such a waste to just stay cooped up in the hotel. I mean, if I wanted to sleep, I could've just done that at home, right? So, after browsing through some touristy spots in Hong Kong, we finally decided to head to Lantau Island and take the Ngong Ping 360 cable car ride.

We arrived there around 4:30 PM, only to find out that the place was about to close. We bought the cable car tickets, which cost HKD 190 for a one-way trip. Unfortunately, we couldn't get return tickets since the last cable car departure was at 6 PM.

The iconic attraction there is the Big Buddha. Technically, it's similar to other Buddha statues in different countries, but it's a shame that we couldn't get up close to it after coming all the way there. Unfortunately, we couldn't go up because it was already closing time and access to the Big Buddha was closed. So, we could only admire it from below and quickly snap some photos.

Man, we really messed up with our timing there. Going in the late afternoon was a big mistake. There were so many awesome spots around Big Buddha that we could've checked out if we had more time. If I ever make it back to Hong Kong, I'll definitely give this place another shot, but I'll skip the cable car this time. And since we only bought a one-way cable car ticket, we had to take the bus to get back to the MTR station. Our bus was number 23, and it was the last one, meaning if we missed it, we would have had to take a taxi, which would've cost us a fortune because the distance was so far.

So we headed towards the parking area to find our bus. Turns out, the bus left earlier than expected! We were the last passengers to get on, and if we had been just one minute late, we would've been left behind. Can you imagine? And it was only half past 7! Lesson learned: always be on time, especially when it's the last bus of the day!

Man, it was a long journey, about an hour from Ngong Ping to the MTR Station. But once we got there, we didn't head straight home. We made a pit stop at Citygate, this mall right next to the station. It's not as big as those fancy malls in other part of the city, it's more like Kuningan City in Jakarta. They had a bunch of sneaker stores, and they were on sale! And the best part? They were legit, bro! No shady stuff like at Sneakers Street. I mean, seriously, I didn't want to end up with fake shoes like the ones you find at Taman Puring, you feel me?

We went in and out of those stores, but in the end, I didn't buy anything. I was torn because I didn't really need more sneakers. Eventually, we ended up getting some clothes and shoes. One of the things I bought was a Bathing Ape t-shirt, and guess what? They still had some for under 2 million. Since I didn't have one yet, I thought, why not grab one? As long as the price makes sense for a piece of clothing.

You know, when I observed those Hong Kong hypebeasts, their style was so simple, casual, and basic. It's all about rocking a t-shirt, shorts, and sneakers, whether you're a guy or a girl. And most of them were sporting brands like Supreme, Bathing Ape, Champion, LEGO, or CDG. It's a bit boring, to be honest. It's just not my style to hang out in a t-shirt all the time. But you know what? I gave it a try, and surprisingly, it felt pretty comfortable. But I still prefer seeing those fashionable teens in Bangkok.

DAY 4 - Disneyland

So, the next day, Monday, August 7, 2017, was the day I had been waiting for my entire life, we were finally going to Disneyland! We bought our Disneyland tickets in Jakarta after doing some serious price comparisons. Eventually, we found one from one travel agent for 950 thousand, while the others were just way too overpriced.

We reached Disneyland around 9:30 in the morning. We purposely picked a Monday, thinking it would be less crowded. But guess what? Turns out everyone else had the same brilliant idea! It was jam-packed with people, and the lines were ridiculously long... like, seriously, forever long! But hey, we didn't let that dampen our spirits. We were determined to make the most of our Disneyland adventure, no matter what!

We spent the whole frickin' day at Disneyland, going round and round, and man, did we get roasted by the sun. I was dead tired and ready to collapse. The heat was intense, like being in a sauna. I was legit worried I might pass out. After buying all sorts of Disneyland souvenirs (again), we called it quits around 5 p.m. But before we could make our grand exit, what do we see? Another damn line, stretching out for ages. I was like, "What the heck is this?" Turns out, people were waiting to take pics with Mickey and Minnie Mouse. The line was snaking around, twisting and turning. Yeah, I get it, you gotta get that classic Disney snap, but I was so done with lining up. But guess what? Right next to them, there was another line, not as crazy long. People were lining up to snap shots with Goofy and Pluto. So, we thought, fuck it, let's hop in that line with whatever energy we had left.

Back at the hotel, Maher was still up for going out to dinner in Hong Kong. That guy's energy was another level, I swear. I, on the other hand, had zero appetite. All I needed was sleep. But just to be safe, I grabbed a cup noodle from Seven Eleven before heading back to the hotel. In case I got hungry in the middle of the night, I could whip up a quick meal. 'Cause let's be real, once I'm all cozy in bed, there's no way I'm stepping out again. Turns out, I only managed to sleep for only 2 hours. Around 11-ish, I woke up and checked my phone. And what do I see? Maher was out having a blast with his buddies, dining at some fancy place at the Peninsula. Ugh, I regretted not joining them. And then, to top it off, I got hit with a sudden hunger pang. I thought I could satisfy my cravings with the noodles I bought earlier. At first, I thought it was some local noodle brand 'cause the packaging was all in Mandarin, and I couldn't read it. But after taking a closer look, there was an English translation, and it turned out to be Samyang noodles. Damn it! I couldn't eat that stuff. The last time I had Samyang noodles, I ended up with three days of diarrhea. No thanks, I didn't want to risk getting sick. 

DAY 5 – LAST DAY

On our last day in Hong Kong, the plan was to go for a jog in Victoria Park, you know, that famous park where lots of Indonesian peeps hang out. I was curious to check it out, but guess what? I had to stay back and deal with the ultimate struggle: packing. Man, I had so much stuff! My suitcase was on the verge of exploding. Seriously, it was jam-packed to the point where I couldn't even squeeze in a bottle of shampoo. But hey, thank goodness I had some sewing skills. I whipped out a needle and thread and managed to stitch it back together, sorta like a DIY suitcase repair job. It's not perfect, but hey, at least it won't burst open when it goes through the baggage handling.

Before we hit the airport, we had a little time to stroll around the hotel area. And guess what? We discovered some spare HKD in our wallets, leftover from our epic Goyard shopping spree. We were practically prepared for a six-month supply of Indomie back home in Jakarta! Right nearby our hotel, there were these cool cosmetic stores like SASA and Bonjour, so we decided to splurge on some perfumes. But hold up, we were a bit skeptical about the authenticity of the stuff. So, Maher, being the cautious dude he is, straight-up asks the salesperson, "Is this authentic?" as he points to a display of Calvin Klein perfumes. And you won't believe it, the salesperson goes all out and yells, "ARE YOU CRAZY!?"

Oh man, that was quite an intense moment! The salesperson sure knew how to take offense, haha! But hey, as customers and tourists, it's only natural for us to ask and make sure we're not getting ripped off, right? In the end, we ended up buying perfumes there, and guess what? They were priced at a sweet HKD 700, while back in Jakarta they would cost us around 1.5 million! 

After that, we decided to swing by 1881 Heritage, this fancy shopping spot that screamed luxury. The architecture there was absolutely stunning, giving off major French vibes. Sadly, since it was still early in the morning, the shops weren't open yet, so we settled for some photos outside instead. It was like a mini trip to France, minus the croissants and berets, haha!

After that, we swung by Victoria Harbor, then headed back to the hotel and bounced to the airport.

The 3.5-hour journey from Hong Kong to Kuala Lumpur had us stuck in transit for what felt like ages. We were basically stranded at KLIA, clueless about what to do. Going outside the airport wasn't an option since we didn't have enough time. So, we resorted to aimless at the airport.

Shooting The Terminal 2 di KLIA

And just like that, our journey comes to an end. We hopped on a plane at 9 am, flew back to our beloved Soekarno Hatta Airport, and landed at 11 am. It feels good to be back on home turf, with a mix of exhaustion and contentment filling our hearts.

I wanna give a big shoutout to:

Big man upstairs for blessing us up with this epic 5-day adventure in good health. Mom, dad, and the fam for sending their prayers our way. My bosses for giving me the green light on that sweet leave. Mas Maher, you're the ultimate travel buddy I've had so far. Holiday Inn, you were our home away from home for 5 nights. Malaysian Airlines, your food was surprisingly tasty, but that's about it. Shoutout to the cool peeps in Hong Kong and Macau who showed us the routes and kept us on track. Much love to Mbak Nita, Maher's friend, for taking us to some seriously cool spots and putting up with our endless photo ops. Mas Agung, thanks for keeping the drinks flowing. The Old Man, you know how to rock it! Puput, you saved my hair game with that borrowed straightener. Acum, you're a lifesaver with that borrowed power bank for my IG stories. And a big shoutout to Windes for lending me a lock for my jam-packed suitcase. Lastly, Shirke, thanks a million for picking me up at the airport at the middle of the night, man. May the force be with you! 💕