A digital signage with the words, “Travelling makes

you realize how small a space you occupy” kept flashing

in a crowded port one humid afternoon. It eventually
caught my attention and put a smile on my face though
my baggage was painfully heavy.

I have been to different places but the feeling I felt on our

way to Mactan International Airport was exceptional. I
didn’t know if I was nervous or excited or if there was
even a term for what I was feeling. I was restless and .
foolishly smiling at every sight of the airport. It was a first to me. Same as the trip, it was my first
to travel abroad and I made sure that every moment will be worth the nostalgia

November of the previous year when we booked the ticket bound to Macau. It was the seat
sale that totally pushed us to seize the moment. Our flight was set on the last week of February of
this year. My friends and I agreed to do a 5-day trip since we will be touring Macau on our way too.
We dismissed the idea of getting in a tour package since one of my best friends had visited the
countries twice in the past already. This trip was a backpacker trip and adventure was written all
over it. The idea made me more restless and tingles in my stomach made me giggle, I felt like a kid
once more.

A quarter after noon of February 25, 2019, we touched down in Macau International Airport.
The trip was so brief I did not even sleep a wink. It was the first half of the year and we were told
that the weather will be most likely humid so we dressed like so. However as we went down the
plane, nobody warned us about the temperature that greeted us. It was exactly the opposite of
what we were told. All of us were wearing shorts so I did not really know how we managed to get
inside the airport with the freezing cold embracing us. By the time we reached the immigration
booth, we felt numb throughout our extremities. We were shivering while answering the
immigration officer, all the while thinking how wrong our outfits were and given that we have
planned a 5-day trip, it will surely be the longest 5 days of our lives with the wrong outfits at hand.

Then moment we went out of the airport, he smile on my face was extremely from ear to
ear. Looking at the place that I only saw in a picture became a reality. I was so sure the joy and
excitement I felt that afternoon was captured in the pictures that we took. Macau is an elegant
mixture of class and culture and every building you see confidently boast of different brands of
service. On our way to the Ruins of St. Paul, alleys revealed themselves as colourful as the Chinese
shops that filled them. The ruins were filled with different tourists from various countries, you
would know that the place was really sought for. We took a couple of shots and took our lunch. We
had to hurry and roam Macau as fast as we can if we wanted to catch our 7 pm trip to Hong Kong
via ferry.
 The venetian and Parisian were also attractions that left us in awe. Art and luxury were
blended together in these places. Expensive items were casually displayed, quite different from the
locks and keys that come with our displays at home. The trip from the airport to the ruins and to the
hotels happened so fast, I did not know how much pictures we have taken already. I thanked the
smartphones for their camera features that are only at the mercy of its storage capacity. At 6 pm we
were on our way to the ferry port bound to Hong Kong but I was worrying at the same time, can my
phone take some more pictures? It was just half of a day and one fifth of our intended 5-day trip.
Well, I hope so.

We finally reached our accommodation at 9 in the evening. After two exchanges of trains
and a 5-minute hike from the station, we were ready to rest but only for a bit because we were
hungry too. The first half an hour we spent in Hong Kong was allotted in buying the essentials like
the Octopus card that was worth HKD150. Hong Kong has an amazing railway system that you can
take to visit the places that complete your exhilarating trip. From one train to the other, Octopus
card serves as your pass. Also, it can be used in purchasing food and other things, basically the card
is your wallet that can also be reloaded when you run out of funds. Already, I am falling in love with
the place for its convenience. The first dinner proved to be a challenge. Our palates were not
cooperating with the taste of their cuisine. We were having a hard time looking for a meal that our
palates will agree so, we surveyed streets and stalls hoping to find the food that will fill us. Three
blocks later, we stopped stunned with the happiest eyes, we chorused “JOLLIBEE!!!!!” I never
thought I could ever be happier to see the familiar bee in the area. For the rest our stay, we
frequented the fast food shop because they served food that our palates approved of.

The next day was the day I never thought I will ever have. We planned to stay the whole day
at Disneyland to get the best of the trip. We left early at seven in the morning. The trains were
already filled during this time. People were busy going about their days yet you can still observe the
organized flow of the train stations. You can go through your trains comfortably and still enjoy your
personal space. English signs and announcements helped a lot too. It gave us a good direction on
what and where to go during the whole trip. Disneyland was spectacular. The entrance felt like a
portal to my childhood days with Mickey Mouse and the gang.

I could attest that the whole Disneyland cannot be covered in a day. There were rides and
shops all over the place. My face was just an image of happiness. We took shots with Mickey and
Minnie Mouse. There were princesses too! I was never bothered with the long queue. All I thought
was how the moment became a reality. There were various rides from a simple boat ride into the
“It’s a small world” house to the adrenaline pumping Toy story “RC Racer” ride. There are plenty of
options whichever you prefer. I would recommend you all try all the rides because PHP3,405.00 for
the whole Disneyland tour does not come cheap.

The following day, we immersed in the culture of Hong Kong. The trip to the 10, 000
Buddhas Monastery through Ngong Ping 360 was breathtaking. The place was different from the
view of the city. It has scenic view of the mountains and sea. Ngong Ping 360 enabled us to view
the whole landscape from above as it is a cable car ride. The ride itself already offered a sight to
behold. The Monastery was another level. The whole place exuded religion and you can
immediately feel the solemn atmosphere as you stroll around the place. No one is allowed to be
noisy so you really feel detached from everything that worries you. The gentle wind was blowing
cool air that added to the already holy vibe in the area. The ride back was still through the cable ride
so the whole view becomes hard to forget.
 Just as we thought that our trip was done. We were taken aback when we realized that
landmarks within the city were worthy of the trip in itself. Early the next day, we took a hike all over
the city towards the pier bound to Central. On our way, we took snaps of the city’s clock tower and
just ahead we strolled along the Avenue of the Stars. The place is characterized with neatness and
beauty as you see landscapes carefully laid in. The Avenue of Stars offered different comforts as it has
seats fronting the sea and pubs and hotels along the whole avenue. We eventually reached the pier
bound to the next island, Central. The island has a different vibe. It has more buildings and the tallest
of them. Central presents more of the economic side of Hong Kong. A variety of banks were seen
along streets and prestigious shops stood side by side. But in the outskirts of the island, it gave us the
opportunity to see the place in a larger scale. Through the Peak tram, we journeyed the other side of
Central. The trip was so steep, I was briefly nauseated. By the time we reached the peak, there was
already a long queue waiting. The top of the hill bore the famous Madame Taussad’s Wax Figures. We
wandered the museum and found it interesting. The wax figures ranged from presidents to pop artists
to superheroes. All figures were exact replicas of the characters or artists that they were copied from.
At the very top of the building was an observatory area. This area was literally breathtaking! The
tourists made it hard for us to take a picture. The whole place gives an overlooking view of Central.
The buildings looked so grand as they stood and the landscapes put life in the city. Who knew there
was something like this in another place? I had only smiles and laughs the whole trip. The splendour of
the place stuck in my mind. We ended the day watching the Symphony of Lights by the Avenue of the
Stars. Our trip was as colourful as the lights paraded the skies..
The last day of our trip inevitably arrived. The time we packed our bags was extremely
bittersweet. The memories that we made during the trip were those that we will surely cherish. The
trip was not solely focused on the place but with each other’s company. The laughs and smiles we
shared in every place as we took snaps will be the ones to remind us that at some point of our lives, we
painted Hong Kong’s town red. We left our accommodation in the chilly morning breeze. As we
briskly walked towards the harbour, I kept glancing in every street that we passed, saddened by
leaving the wonderful place. Surely, I will have to visit again. We board the ferry bound to Macau and
right on the very moment we reached our seats, our eyes closed to a snooze. The time we arrived in
Macau, we hastily went to the airport and took the first meal that day. We were expected to arrive in
Mactan after noon.

After half an hour since our plane took off, I stared longingly through the window to the vast
landscape below. My mind just kept replaying all the places we have been to and the poses we did as
we took pictures and all the faces we met throughout the trip. My heart was so full and my mind was
serenely contented with this unique experience. I have resolved that indeed travelling makes one’s
soul happy. It is addictive in every way, the new things one could behold and even the cultures that
one may experience is something worth the anticipation. Then, as if in a quick flashback, I
remembered the signage, “Travelling makes you realize how small a space you occupy”. In my seat I
realized, the many opportunities travelling can offer and silently thought, which place next?