The best way to get to the Disneyland-like Ocean Park is to catch a bus at Star Ferry terminal, which with a admission combo ticket costs 174 Hong Kong dollars. The bus ride is pretty quick, and when I walked through the front gate I felt the rush of excitement I usually get when visiting amusement parks. Even though my two guide books had warned me to start the day early to avoid the crowds by 11:30 it didn’t seem crowded at all yet. Perhaps it was the light drizzle and overcast sky, or that it was still early March.

Instead of offering a blow by blow description of every ride, shop and restaurant they offer at Ocean Park I'll just jot down some of my impressions. The park is interesting in many ways. It's built on the steep slope of hillsides that hug the ocean coastline. They pipe in awful Asian pop instrumentals along the walkways which had me moving quickly from destination to destination. The food is not overpriced: McDonald’s costs the same amount here as in the city. All the rides' narratives are in Chinese, so you can't understand a word of what is being said by the cartoon characters. And the people here including the kids all scream politely.

One of the first rides I went on is the Skyride, thinking it would be a simple way to get to the roller coaster. In fact, it’s a necessity, as the larger half of Ocean Park is about a mile away over a mountain. The view on the Skyride is spectacular as it glides over a steep cliffside by the water. I was worried the pictures taken from inside the plastic confines of the carriage wouldn't do justice to the amazing views.

The Dragon is the major roller coaster at Ocean Park, but I managed to boeard the ride within five minutes. It's not that exciting of a coaster ride, but the views of the ocean below make it a great experience. At one point you look like you are just flying out over the ocean before banking around a curve. I know I’m getting old because the ride is pretty mild and I still felt sick afterwards.

There are a number of themed areas like the amusement parks back in the States. The Pacific Pier area features California sea lions and otters lazily drifting about, and an observation tower ride that really did offer spectacular views. The Middle Kingdom is an ancient Chinese themed area that was supposeduly a highlight of the park, but most of it was under construction when I visited. There is a popular shark aquarium and atoll reef exhibit, and some rather active panda bears. There are a number of other sights and attractions at Ocean Park, but the best reason to visit is that you'll get to see Chinese families interacting as they normally would, not as restauranteers and shopowners.