Happy New Year!

The iPhone doesn't quite capture the fireworks as well as we hoped, but here's the view of the goings on in Bangkok from our balcony on New Year's...

Hong Kong (part II)

 
For our last day in Hong Kong, we took Eliana to Hong Kong Disney. It's mercifully smaller than the American Disneys and one day was about all we needed. We took the subway out to the Sunny Valley station and then transferred to a tricked out Disney train car for the last leg of the trip.

Rather than Cinderella's castle, Hong Kong Disney features Sleeping Beauty's castle...a not very important distinction unless you take a bunch of pictures of it.

Eliana's got her princess fix.

 

She even got pictures with them as they stood in awkward poses beside her.

We also posed in old-timey cars and in front of cartoon candy cane homes and fairy tale statues.

Shane alternated between sleep and overstimulation.

We went on rides, like the Mad Hatters' Tea Party.

 

Dumbo.

The Orbitron.

 

Eliana went on Space Mountain, her first roller coaster, and didn't seem to like it. Here's the 'after' shot.

 

Carousel.

 

Small World. Shane seemed simultaneously enthralled and disturbed.

 

We played bongos.

Eliana ate cotton candy.

And Shane was transfixed by bubbles.

Finally, we finished the night with some fake snow on Main Street and the fireworks show.

Hong Kong (part I)

In honor of the king's birthday, we had a holiday weekend and decided to haul the family up to Hong Kong. I had stopped through once before for less than 24 hours and Sam and the kids had never been. We were there a little over 2 days and we packed a lot in...

We took the peak tram up its steep ascent to Victoria Peak.

 

We saw the city and its sights.

 

After a long wait on the stairs, we ate dim sum at Maxim's City Hall. It was worth it, as everyone coming down the stairs told us.

 

We ate Chinese baked goods for breakfast street-side.

 

We ate warm egg tarts (hat tip to Pablo for the recommendation).

We sampled the local transportation, from tram to train to ferry to escalator.

We left Shane on the street to fend for himself.

We spent a morning at Hong Kong Park and its amazing aviary.

 

Eliana fetishized candy.

(gummy eggs)

 

We took arty pictures of ourselves.

 

We met up with our friend, Dan, who Eliana made play with her (Dan was a good sport).

We watched the light show from across the harbor.

 

We took a few more random shots.

 

And then we went to Disneyland...