Chasing a white rabbit

Over the past 2 months I have been a diligent tourist in Hong Kong, I have seen the Peak and Stanley several times, the star ferry, Lamma island, Peng Chau, Mui Wo, Central to Happy valley on ting tings, Victoria Park, Aberdeen Harbour on a Junk, Nan Lian gardens, the Botanical Gardens, Bird/fish and flower markets and Ikea more than 3 times. In fact when you have weeks stretched before you with little more grounding you than a mobile phone, you are a tourist each time you step out the front door.

So I knew I had to push this task to a new level. A needed to morph into a new type of tourist - And it scared me to my bones. Yep, I decided to face my great fear of the utterly commercial and visit ……Disneyland.

Well not entirely true – I went to the gates! And then on to find the Alice in Wonderland hedge maze in front of the resort – it’s free! I am still that type of tourist.

So Hugo and I jumped on the Mickey Mouse train at Sunny Bay station (I am not kidding) and hurtled through time. In fact I felt like I stepped into that Chevy Chase movie….you know the one, grandma on the roof of the station wagon.

There it was, theme songs blaring down the avenue, Jiminy Cricket recycle bins, Donald duck bronze statues, goofy etc etc….I did find Peter, my favourite childhood anarchist. Meanwhile Hugo drifted along in amazement, only to be cruelly steered in the opposite direction to the gates of fun and onto the resort in search of his mum’s obsession with a hedge maze.

But it was worth it. Chasing a 2 year old through a hedge maze is hilarious. Hugo is a maze cheat – quickly slipping through rabbit holes. Comparatively I moved through it with the grace of a water buffalo. I was less of Alice and more Bridget Jones. But it was the best game of hide and seek ever.

Walking back to the Mickey Mouse train (I am telling the whole truth) I resisted photographing the western family’s adorned in the ears and matching Disney family tee shirts.

Looking at this memorabilia a part of me felt sentimental. But nothing can provoke that childish ecstasy than chasing a white rabbit through the maze.

I wondered that perhaps Disney is timeless for some people. The Little Mermaid music swirled around me as we left the gates A whole new world…… this song now belongs to my dear friend Erin, she regularly performs it after a few wines, with a little less emphasis on the nymph and more on the nympho. And my conclusion, Erin is right, no Disney wannabe will ever steal her thunder.

This place is for a different tourist, not me. I will take the free maze and Erin’s pub mermaid any day!