Hong Kong Aviary

Hong Kong is a dazzling city, a feast for all the senses.  It is also incredibly easy to get around, making it a veritable playground for a tourist willing to get out a try a few things.  As part of the home school program I’m implementing with Maggie this month (Grace & James are actually taking the University art course, so they are excused from most of the home school activities for now), we are attempting to get out and explore this amazing city. 

On Monday, November 30, we thought we were going to go to the Science Museum.  But in a wonderful turn of events, Grace and James did not have to go to class and so asked to come along on our adventure.  James had picked up a guidebook and found the Hong Kong Botanical and Zoological Gardens entry describing what sounded like a wonderful adventure that was free.  He plead his case to the girls, convinced us all it was a good plan, and we left the hotel ready for an adventure.

Never let it be said that I have a good sense of direction.  I freely admit that this is one of my weaknesses.  I’m good with landmarks and reading maps, but just going on gut instinct about east vs. west is really not my thing.  So when we got off the subway and had to take a bus to get to the park, it was no surprise that I walked us toward the wrong bus station.  And then also had us get off the bus one stop too soon.  AND then walked us in the exact opposite direction of the Hong Kong Botanical and Zoological Gardens.

But there is lots of good news with this mistake.  The first is that my kids are learning to be ok with making mistakes.  We learn from them, and it gives us the opportunity to try and correct the mistake.  Second, sometimes the mistakes lead to really fun adventures, which was the case on this day.  Instead of finding the Zoo, we found Hong Kong Park, this fabulous oasis of green space in the middle of one of the most bustling urban areas in the world.

Right in the middle of Hong Kong Park is a wonderful aviary.  We entered the netted area (still thinking we might actually be in the zoo, by the way) and found ourselves in a tropical wonderland.  The space is built into the side of a hill, so the elevated boardwalk which served as our path went from the top of the hillside down to what was almost street level.  Every 10 meters or so there was a small platform allowing visitors to view the area on all sides.  As we made our way along the path, we were stunned by the number of birds we saw.  Many were hiding in the trees far off the path.  Several were feeding on the fruits and seeds that had been set out for them.  A brave few ventured onto the railings of the path and even approached visitors hoping for an extra treat.

In reality, the aviary in Hong Kong Park is probably no more spectacular than many aviaries in parks and zoos around the world.  But for us, I think the real joy of the day was finding it by accident, and then being able to delight in the experience so thoroughly.