Disney Hong Kong’s main attraction: Charlie!

We’ve had a great day in Disneyland HK (ending the trip as we began). Those of you considering transit through LA to go to Disneyland should reconsider. HK Disney is great, particularly for little kids. Smaller, but so are the queues, it is much cheaper all round with the Kiwi $ and you don’t have to get fingerprinted and eyeballed to get in!!

Much to our surprise, Charlie was one of the main attractions. Seems they don’t have so many blond visitors to the park. In fact, at one point, we had so many people want to have their picture taken with Charlie that we were considering setting up next to Mickey and Minnie Mouse to save the congestion we were creating everywhere we went. Charlie, to his credit, dutifully hugged and kissed all his fans, and Jamie, to his credit, was very proud of his little brother-star and told everyone his name was Charlie John Hayward Le Comte. Photo evidence is needed to show the scale of this insanity – see below.

This woman had about 10pics with Charlie taken by her man in various poses – he loved her (Charlie that is).

Another random who just picked up Charlie and had a pic taken – bizzare

It wasn’t just the punters who were taken by blondie, it was the staff.

Hong Kong Underground

London Hong Kong

Hello folks – this is the little lady making another rare appearance on the blog.

The trip from London to Hong Kong tried its best to be a disaster, but we definitely pulled it off in the end. We were delayed making our connecting flight to Frankfurt and watched our three hour stop over turn into five minutes from the time we touched down to the time the flight to Kong Kong departed. With a child under one arm and cabin bag in the other we ran like crazy kids and made it before the flight closed. They couldn’t guarantee our luggage would come with us, but we got on all the same and settled down for ten hours of fun (actually the kids were great – much sleeping was done once we made a little tent for them to sleep under). As it happened, only one bag didn’t make the flight and it was the very big heavy hockey bag with stuff we didn’t need (what the hell is in that bag?) so it was fantastic that the airline would deliver to the hotel the next day.

Two things were immediately apparent when we arrived. Paul is a big fan of Hong Kong. Mix Asian efficiency with English signposting and Paul is in heaven. After a the man had directed us off the train with his white gloves; a woman had kindly ushered us through the ‘urgent’ queue at immigration because Charlie let out a screech that upset the punters; a random gentleman appeared from nowhere to show us the way to hotel shuttles; and we were informed in three ways that one of our bags did not make the flight; Paul was grinning from ear to ear and declaring Hong Kong the easiest place to visit. I must admit that I agree.

The other thing that was immediately apparent was the fact that Charlie’s blond hair attracts rather a lot of attraction. In fact, it caused a commotion and more than once we had to retrieve him from his adoring fans. But more of that in the Disney entry to follow…

Tibet

Hong Kong Airport

The view from our 32nd floor executive suit room.

This is how they slept last night, while I was on the couch and Janine squished on the edge of the bed.

Happy Anniversary Baby

So we were only away for 6 months all up, but we managed to have all 4 birthdays, xmas and now our wedding anniversary all abroad.

We started the trip on the second day in LA at Disneyland for Jamie’s birthday on the 4th of July (when Charlie was still essentially a baby), and we have ended the trip with our second to last day away in Hong Kong at Disneyland on our Wedding Anniversary. Kinda strange that we get back to NZ and there are no celebrations within the Hayward-Le Comte Whanau/Clan until Jamie’s birthday in July.

It was a great day in Disneyland, but we’ll save that for another post.

As for our wedding anniversary, we both would have forgotten if it wasn’t for Janine’s mum sending us a txt (thanks Jan). Apart from it being a boys day out, we had a great day and we are now spending the evening (our last away) with the best part of a bottle of Duty Free Baileys to drink – without the boys.

Love ya babe, 9 years and looking forward to the next 90. We need to get back to Scotland to say hi to the folk who we stayed with to get married.

Hampton Court Palace

There’s not a lot of point trying to describe this place. It’s one of my favorite buildings and grounds in the world. On our second to last day in London we managed to get the two families in the cars and down to the Palace (only 5 min drive), in what was a stunning blue sky day. We didn’t spend the $2389 kiwi dollars to get into the place, but a walk around the gardens is more than enough for the morning anyway.

Roger and Alan

Finally after much telephone tag we were able to borrow Sarah’s car again and head off to see some dear friends of Mum and Dad’s, Roger and Alan. They live in Chessington (Surrey) on the southern edges of London and the theory is that we should have got there in about half an hour. But once again, what the hell is with all of those roads. Not only are they are complete mess, you can be driving down a stretch of road and suddenly without warning or reason it’s a different name, and of course don’t mention those daft road signs, but we got there.

Unfortunately the boys weren’t in the best form, which is a real shame as this was a ball of a visit. Roger and Alan are both long time entertainment industry people which is how Mum met them. Roger is Cliff Richard’s tour manager or something along those lines and met the folks down under years back. Their house is amazing and I can see why they loved mum’, it’s just like her house!!!

The back yard garden is amazing to say the least, words and unfortunately my photos don’t do it justice. The bought the property with an asphalt tennis court out the back, which the ripped up and have planted in the most intricate garden with a maze like path that takes you all around the place. The boys loved it, and Janine was once again in gardening heaven.

The visit was all too short as they are the greatest guys and I would have loved to have spent much longer there, without the boys that is (as Janine would testify).

So thanks Roger and Alan, it was a great all to short visit and we can’t wait to get back to your place again soon. Sorry the pic of the xmas tree, the boys moving is a bummer, I am still to work out the camera and the flash is just too bright.

1066 and all that

With Charlie successfully rescued from the clutches of the evil bathroom, we were able to continue the rest of our trip around the south (albeit a small trip).

Brighton was it’s beautiful cold and bleak looking self (think Coldplay’s iconic Yellow video). We headed off east towards Kent but ended up only making a b-line to Battle. Because we still haven’t managed to decipher the road signs, which show both London and Hastings (opposite directions) on the same arrow, we managed to get lost a couple of times.

We did however get to Battle and found a nice tea shop for some much needed sustenance for the kids, whom have decided that car travel just isn’t their thing anymore (much more fun in trains, planes, sky trains, tubes, undergrounds, buses and sea buses). [for those who didn’t know Battle is where the fight was not Hastings, some 10miles north of Hastings].

Just after parking the car we came across a Military wedding leaving the church with a small guard of honor. It was very cute, and believe it or not the guy giving the command to raise swords actually said “up diddly up”!!! The car they left in was a stunning rattle trap car.

As we were playing the poor kiwi traveller we didn’t fork out to go into the Abbey and Battle Grounds, but went for an awesome short ramble along a ‘public footpath’ (the coolest things) around the back of the battle field, taking a route that the invading Normans would have. It was stunning English Countryside at it’s best and was just beautiful.

Back into the car and off to London and back to Hampton, with only a small thing of the M25 counter clockwise at rush hour to negotiate. Actually it wasn’t too bad, just the speeds are incredible and the sheer volume of traffic was impressive. We even found our way to the M3 and then onto the A316, but then had to give up and ring Sarah for the exit and directions, something that is difficult at speed.

A great short trip out to the coast and one we’ll do again and again I hope.

Notice I got the kiss – not bad eh.

Abbey Entrance (sneak over the gate view).

Sarah & Bruce

As pointed out by Ingrid, this blog has been remiss in not showing our mates in London.

Sarah and Janine go back to high school days, and when Sarah was in the Royal Ballet in Wellington and Janine was doing her PhD at Victoria in Wellington, they were flatmates. I also appeared on the scene and we lived together as a cosy little trio for years.

Sarah moved to London to teach dance and met an awesome Brit, Bruce. He comes from the theatre background. They have 2 boys Sam and Ben, whom get along with our boys just a little too well – rough and tumble.

they have been wonderful hosts, and it’s been a lot to ask for giving up their house to be invaded for such a long time by us Kiwis. Jamie sleeps in with Sam and Charlie is in with Janine and I, and it’s all going great – that is if Sam and Jamie could stop being so manic.

By the way Charlie loves Ben and gives him little kisses all the time.