Ocean Park- A fun day at our nearby recreational center.

This blog will take you to Ocean Park, a real tourist attraction that is just a couple of miles from our apartment. We have talked of going before, but just didn't get to it. I have included my journal entry for the day that summarizes what we did.

September 26. Today was Ocean Park Day. About 10 a.m. we caught bus 72 for Ocean Park. Sister Trinidad was at the bus stop to meet us. The day was sunny and hot. As a senior, we got in free. We paid for Sister Trinidad. She hasn’t been to the park since 1995, and it has changed a lot. They have rides, animal habitats such as the Panda, porpoises, seal lions, goldfish. A gondola ride takes visitors from the bottom area to the top of a mountain. They also have an express tunnel ride and an escalator. The Pandas were sleeping, though we did see some in the outside area. They also had some red panda that were crosses between pandas and raccoons. They were really cute. We bought several souvenirs including a walking panda and a hand puppet red panda. We had some food along the way. It was a long day. We couldn’t find our 72 bus to come home, so Sister Trinidad went with us on her green bus #5 that went through Causeway Bay. It took about 30 minutes, but she came to see our apartment

The following description of Ocean Park was taken from the Internet.

Ocean Park has now grown to about 35 attractions and rides. The park has won several awards, including The World's Seventh Most Popular Amusement Park and 33rd Most Visited Tourist Attractions in the World by Forbes.[1][2][3]
In fiscal year 2007/2008, Ocean Park received 5.03 million visitors awarding it the position of the world's number 15 theme park by annual attendance.[4] This figure is well ahead than that of rival Hong Kong Disneyland's 4.5 million visitors. Covering an area of 870,000 square metres of land, the park is separated by a large mountain into two areas, The Summit (Headland) and The Waterfront (Lowland) respectively. The areas can be reached by a 1.5km long cable car system, a shuttle bus, or the Ocean Express (train). As the Headland comprises of several hills, visitors can also opt to take the world's second longest outdoor escalator.[3]The theme park currently has 35 rides and other attractions such as aquariums. Besides housing two roller coasters, Ocean Park also features a Giant panda exhibit, a jelly fish and Chinese sturgeon aquarium, as well as a four-story aquarium displaying more than 2,000 fish .

We took lots of pictures. The following ones were some of the best to describe our five hour visit.

The park has two areas. The lowland and the Summit. These rides were on the summit. We looked at them from afar, but for this visit, we didn't venture onto them. There is one admission price for the park and that gets you into everything. You just have lines for some of the more popular rides. It is a big park, so it doesn't seem as crowded as the size of the crowd might indicate. We were on a Saturday, so it was pretty busy.

This view of the dolphin pool includes the rides in the distance.

We didn't try this bungee jump, but it looked like a lot of fun.

This is the balloon in the lowland that takes visitors up for a view of the surrounding area. It is tethered (see below) so only goes up a few hundred feet. When the winds are swirling, it is grounded. We were going to go later, but the winds had picked up so we'll have to wait another visit.

The basket holds about 25 people who stand around the edge.

One of the unique ways to get from the lowland to the summit is a gondola ride. About 100 cars that can hold up to six in each are on a continuous cable that takes park attendees up the mountain and over to the summit. It is about 3/4 of a mile. An escalator and a underground train also makes the trip, as does a trail with hundreds of steps.

Dressed as missionaries even on a "P" day.

Sister Trinidad Samuel was our guide today. She is a very special woman who has been the domestic servant of a church family for over twenty years. At the present time, President Andersen is serving as the mission president in Mongolia, and Sister Trinidad is watching their beautful home just about a mile up hill from Ocean Park.

We are on the gondola looking out at the beautiful view below.

This is the harbor of Aberdeen. In the center of the bay is the floating Jumbo restaurant we visited in May. (see earlier blog).




Do I look relaxed?

Quite a system of transportation

This is the entrance to the train that transports 600 visitors to the top in less than three minutes. While you go, the ceiling of the cars displays vivid colored pictures of fish, reef, water etc.

The tower circle platform goes up on the pole with about 50 visitors on board. The line was 30 minutes long when we got there, so we didn't take the ride. I'm sure it was another great view. This ride was on the summit, so it was already pretty high to start with.

One of the features of ocean Park is 4-5 giant pandas (I never did get an exact number). They are housed in their own building with climatic controls. They eat bamboo sprouts. We went in twice to see them, but they were pretty quiet both times. We took a couple of pictures.


The walking Panda mascot was very popular with the tourists.

Picture is fuzzy, but the bear is resting today.

The gold fish display is amazing. Over three hundred different species of gold fish. They are divided into five categories as described on this sign. Some have fins, some have multiple tails, some eyes are bulging. They are descendants of the carp family. You can read the description if you zoom on the picture.

Does this one remind you of "Finding Nemo"

This was an amazing little animal, the red panda. It is a cross between a raccoon and a panda. Notice the long tail and the panda-like face. They were much more active than the pandas were.

We watched the dolphin show. It reminded us of Hawaii and San Diego.

The entire park is decorated for Halloween. Scores of figures, pumpkins, a haunted spook alley which we avoided. It will be a month-long party. See the manikins in front of the store. All kinds of costumes and halloween items for sale.

They have a live show for children with the characters singing and dancing for the children. One area of the park, Whiskers Paradise, is for children up to 12. Rides, games, playground. Something for everyone.

Trash goes into the tree's mouth and aluminum cans in the knot in the trunk.

A fun ending to a day at Ocean Park. We wish we could bring all you grandchildren and great grandchildren. I'm sure we would have more fun watching you ride and play.