Victoria Peak: A Scenic Vantage Point of Hong Kong's Modern Skyline

A must visit when you're in Hong Kong, Victoria Peak is the most scenic vantage point to appreciate the city's modern skyline and see the beautiful chaos below while you're peacefully up The Peak. Not only is the trip to Victoria Peak a scenic one, it is also historical as you get to ride The Peak Tram - a great way for you to experience, one of Hong Kong's oldest transportation modes.

Ratings:
Attractions: 5/5, great view of Hong Kong's modern skyline especially at night
Food: 3/5, we had a decent dinner at Hong Kong Day restaurant in The Peak Galleria but food wasn't our priority during our visit at Victoria Peak
Prices: 4/5, affordable price for a round trip on the Peak Tram with Sky Terrace 428 - HKD 83.00

Directions to Victoria Peak
Our Victoria Peak Tour was our second stop on our Day 1 of our Hong Kong trip. We came from Ocean Park HK before heading to The Peak so here are the directions from Ocean Park HK to Victoria Peak:

- from Ocean Park ride Ocean Park bus 629
- get off at Admiralty Station - this is the normal stop when going to The Peak Tram because this is the closest train station to it.
- Walk to The Peak Tram (note: Peak Tram Lower Terminus is
at Garden Road near St John's Cathedral

The Peak Tram

We wanted to see the night lights from The Peak so we decided the tour there to be the last item for our Day 1. Because of the spectacular view of Hong Kong skyline at night, most people also choose to go there at night, so The Peak Tram Lower Terminus was very crowded when we arrived.

heavy crowd waiting to board the Peak Tram for a night view

We lined up to get return tickets with the Sky Terrace 428 tour. Get your HKD 83 ready for this. After getting our tickets, we queued up at the end of a very long and twisting line of people. Our waiting was made pleasurable by the old tram models, equipment and photographs that are on display in the station. We got more than enough time to read the history and take pictures.

When the tram finally arrived, it was like a celebrity. Tourists took out their cameras and snapped photos of the tram.

The arrival of The Peak Tram

There were not enough seats to accommodate everyone so you have to make sure that you still have energy to stand for the whole journey. Standing up is no problem at all though because you get to have a better view of the mountainside, the Victoria Harbor, and the night lights as you make your way up the mountain.


It took us around 20 minutes to reach the top and when we stepped out to The Peak Galleria. We just took quick pictures at the wax statues at the entrance of Madame Tussauds because we didn't really plan on visiting the museum. After our quick photo session, we felt our stomachs are already growling having spent the first part of our day in Ocean Park. So, we looked for a place to eat at The Peak Galleria and we found Hong Kong Day.

Hong Kong Day Restaurant
Before going up to the Sky Terrace, we had dinner at Hong Kong Day restaurant in The Peak Galleria.

We ordered Wanton Noodle in  Soup (HKD 25), Fried Rice with Minced Meat and Pan-Fried Egg in Black Bean and Chili Sauce (HKD 36), and Stir-Fried Pork with Rice and Vegetables (HKD 36). The food is decent and the ambiance is good. We wanted to take a break from fast foods having eaten at a fast food in Ocean Park HK.

Wanton Noodle Soup

Stir-Fried Rice with Meat and Vegetables

Fried Rice with Minced Meat and Black Beans in Chili Sauce

Sky Terrace 428

After dinner, we now headed up to the main attraction at the Sky Terrace 428 to admire the Hong Kong skyline from above.They handed out headphones for an audio historical tour of The Peak and it really helped a lot for us to understand the past and present of this place.

The main attraction from this altitude is the lights from below

It really was a breathtaking experience as you marvel at the numerous buildings and lights from below,. The Victoria Harbor, with its waters separating the modern land masses, looks like a peaceful eye of the storm, in the midst of the technological chaos that's happening in the city.

Tips for Wandering Peasants

• if you want to follow our itinerary, you can go to Victoria Peak at night to see the amazing lights of the Hong Kong skyline. You just have to find a place to go in the morning and afternoon - like Ocean Park, which would take you almost all morning and most of the afternoons to explore.
• if you're going at night, you might as well go queue up as early as 4 or 5 pm to avoid the crowd.
• I really recommend going here at night. It feels so calm here during night time and the illuminations from below are a sight to see!
• going here in the morning might save you the hassle of the large crowd at The Peak Tram.

Location





Useful Links and Info
The Peak website
The Peak tickets and rates

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Mango Tree Bistro: Terrific Thai Food at Trinoma

If you're in Trinoma and got a sudden craving for Thai food, go to Mango Tree Bistro for a delectable experience. Thai foods have always been my favorite ever since I first tasted Khao Kluk Kapi - fried rice with shrimp paste, meat, spices and green mango. It was just an explosion of flavor and it instantly became one of my favorite foods.

Ratings:
Food:  5/5, the taste is very authentic
Prices: 4/5, reasonable prices for dishes that are good for sharing
Place: 5/5, the place is very spacious and stylish

The Food
We got a large order of Khaopad Gai (Php 380). It is made up of stir-fried rice, with chicken, tomatoes, cucumber and lemongrass. We really liked this and we're surprised that the serving size is more than enough for us. In fact, I think four people could share a large order of this dish. Squeezing a lime over it and adding condiments such as chili powder and fish sauce makes it taste even more like an authentic Thai food.

Khaopad Gai (Php 380) - large order for sharing by 3-4 persons

Of course, our dinner at a Thai restaurant won't be complete without Thailand's most popular street food - Pad Thai. So, we ordered Mango Tree Bistro's Phad Thai Goong (Php 420) - stir-fried rice noodles with prawns, tofu, eggs, peanuts, chili and bean sprouts. This is surprisingly good and the flavor is very rich because of the sauce. I liked the way it was presented - with the eggs scrambled in a mesh over the noodles, and the peanuts and bean sprouts on the sides. It tastes so good that the two of us wolfed down an order that was supposed to be shared by three or four persons.

Phad Thai Goong (Php 420) - for sharing by 3-4 persons

The Place

Located near the entrance at Trinoma Garden Restaurants, Mango Tree Bistro is quite spacious. It is dark-themed with black couches, tables and chairs, and stylish lighting.

With this kind of space, you can have your lunch meetings here. When we came in for dinner, they were playing jazz music which I really liked. In fact, there's a song that caught my attention - a bossa nova version of Guns n' Roses' Patience by Sixth Finger.

The staff are also attentive. We got our order within ten minutes upon ordering. This place is really cozy and is good for quiet and relaxing dinners.

Tips for Wandering Peasants

• an order can usually be shared by two to three persons if you're not big of an eater.
• their Pad Thai is really good!
• I heard their sticky Mango sticky rice - Khao Niew Ma Muang (Php 250) is really good. Maybe this is why the restaurant is named after this fruit after all.

Location
Mango Tree Bistro TriNoma
3/F Trinoma Mall, EDSA cor. North Ave. Quezon City

Trinoma Branch is near the entrance at Trinoma Garden Restaurants which at the corner of North and Mindanao Avenues.
Other Branches:
Mango Tree The Fort
7th Avenue, Bonifacio High Street Central, Global City, Taguig

Mango Tree Bistro Greenbelt
Ground Floor, Greenbelt 5, Makati City

Useful Links and Info
Mango Tree Bistro PH website
Menu from Official Website 
Menu with prices from zomato.com

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Roadhouse Manila Bay: Good Food and The Blues at Mall of Asia

If you're like me who enjoys blues music, good food, and a pint of beer, then there's a place you can go to enjoy all three all at once - Roadhouse Manila Bay. This bar is a biker enthusiast's haven with their big bikes parked and on display outside the restaurant. But don't be scared, you won't be seeing big bearded, tattooed, bandana-wearing men inside, only good food and good music.

Ratings:
Food: 5/5, food and drinks are great.
Prices: 3/5, prices are kinda steep for my kind but the serving amount justifies it.
Place: 5/5, cool wall decorations, autographed guitars, and posters of rock icons along with good music for a perfect setting for rock and blues music.
Service: 4/5, although the place was crowded every time we visit, we did not have any qualms with the service.

The Food
We always order their Bacon Mushroom Burger (Php 350), draft beer (22 oz - Php 195), Mojito (Php 205) or Margarita (Php 280).

The Bacon Mushroom Burger, aside from the juicy burger, bacon and mushroom, has thick cut fries and salad on the sides. Downing these down with your favorite beer or cocktails while listening to the beat of live blues music is a perfect way to unwind.

Their Happy Hour Promo is at 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM everyday. It's a buy one take one on SMB Draft Beer or a bucket of beer for only Php 360 (regular price for a bucket is Phph 595).

The Place

Roadhouse Manila Bay is located in the bay area of Mall of Asia where you can perfectly view the iconic Manila Bay sunset. The restaurant is set up as music bar with a small stage on one corner of the room. On the walls are cool decorations, autographed guitars, and posters of rock icons. Some of my favorites are the signed guitars by Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd, and the posters of Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Jimi Hendrix.

The bands start performing at around 8:30 PM. My favorite performer here is the Bleu Rascal and they usually perform on Friday nights. They play covers of classic blues songs but they also have their original compositions which are just as good as the classics. The guitar skills of the lead guitarist and vocalist is excellent. They actually won top prize at the Cotai Jazz and Blues Festival Competition in Macau.

Watch them below perform the classic Johnny B Goode:


Tips for Wandering Peasants

• Happy Hour Promo is at 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM everyday. It's a buy one take one on SMB Draft Beer or a bucket of beer for only Php 360 (regular price for a bucket is Phph 595).
• If you're after the bands, they start performing at 8:30 PM
• Roadhouse is located in the part of Mall of Asia where you can perfectly view the iconic Manila Bay sunset.

Location


Useful Links and Info
Roadhouse Manila Bay website
Band schedule
Menu from zomato.com

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Juju Eats: A Delicious Way To Eat Your Greens

Who said healthy foods are boring? Well, that's a thing of the past now because nowadays, most people are health-conscious and the food industry has adapted to our needs that eating salads has now become interesting. Juju Eats is one of the best restaurants in Metro Manila dedicated to serving healthy, delicious food.

Ratings:
Food: 5/5, healthy and delicious food. Lots of options on the menu.
Prices: 4/5, whole order is kinda steep, but they server half orders if you're on a tight budget.
Place: 5/5, their branch at Rockwell Business Center in Ortigas is very neat, spacious and well-lighted

The Food
My favorite here is the Crispy Catfish Wrap (Php165). It is a salad made from crispy catfish, basil, green mango, cilantro, cashew nuts, green papaya, red onion, balsamic dressing enclosed in your choice of wrap - regular or whole wheat (for additional of Php 10). I opt to go with the wrap because I would like to add some carbohydrates in my diet, but if you want to cut on the carbs, you can order half the salad, which is around Php 135-190. A whole order of salad (no wrap) ranges from Php 205-355. I like my food spicy so I was really glad to see two kinds of hot sauce (Sriracha and Tabasco) in this restaurant.

Crispy Catfish Wrap - Php 165

Sriracha vs. Tabasco

Of course, a meal won't be complete without dessert. We ordered Mango Chia Pudding. This dessert is also healthy, mainly because of the Chia seeds which are fiber-rich. In addition to the Chia seeds, Mango Chia Pudding also has fresh mango, coconut milk and sugar.

Mango Chia Pudding

What's great about a salad bar is that you can customize your meal. You can pick your own ingredients. Just follow the 5 simple steps they have on their menu: Size + Base + Freebies + Extras + Dressing.

The Place

Their branch in Rockwell Business Center is really spacious, and well-lighted. The place is also clean and spotless. Aside from the food they serve from their menu, they also have a fridge where you can purchase healthy juices - Juju Cleanse, desserts, and salads in a cup.

Tips for Wandering Peasants

•  a half order of salad will do the job especially if you're on a diet, which is why you would want to be here right? To cut on the calories.
• if you don't like vegetables, this place might make you change your mind. They have a wide selection of tasty veggies on their menu.

Location
There are several branches of Juju Eats in Metro Manila which you can see here.
The branch we visited is in Rockwell Business Center in Ortigas Avenue, beside the The Medical City.



Useful Links and Info
Juju Eats Website
Check out the wide variety of options on their menu
Menu (with prices) from zomato.com

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Burzillian Nation: Monster Burger in Sta. Rosa Laguna

With tight competition among burger joints in Metro Manila, you wouldn't think about going to a province to enjoy a good, affordable burger. Amid the line of car wash/repair shops and other automotive services in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, there's an obscure but good burger place. The restaurant is aptly named Burzillian Nation because it is quite known for its giant, sinful burgers.

Ratings:
Food: 4/5, generous serving, great taste.
Place: 3/5, if you're not familiar with the area, you might miss it. It's near an auto shop, and emission testing center but the restaurant itself is homey and looks to be a fine place to a hangout with friends.
Prices: 5/5, very affordable prices given the generous serving
Service: 4/5, it wasn't crowded when we went so we got good service

The Food
The most popular burger here is, of course, the Giant Burzilla Burger (Php 450). It is so big that it can be shared by four people. We were not that hungry when we went here so we just asked the waiter that aside from the Giant Burzilla Burger , what their bestsellers are. In the end, we ordered CBM Deluxe (Php 150), Hellboy Jerome (Php 150), Fresh Fries (Php 75), and a pitcher of House Blended Red Tea (Php 85).

CBM Deluxe (Cheese Bacon Mushroom) is overflowing with bacon bits, mushrooms, vegetables, and of course, a thick burger patty. The bun is large and has a texture of pandesal. The Hellboy Jerome burger, on the other hand is their spicy kind. It has the same thick burger patty, chili con carne, and jalapeno. Because of the loose meat like bacon and chili con carne, both burgers are sloppy but in a good way, and they come with potato strings for sides. The burgers are great overall because of its great taste, affordability and big serving.

CBM Deluxe

Hellboy Jerome burger

The Fresh Fries are cut larger than the usual ones. It came in a creative pot-like container and with a dip.

Fresh Fries

House Blended Red Tea

There are also a lot of other dishes they server. They have pasta, wraps, rice meals, sausages, and salads. I have already set my sights on the Pan-Seared Bulalo in our next visit.

UPDATE - Nov 2015:

We've now tried Pan-Seared Bulalo and it was heaven. This could be the reason why we would keep on visiting this place in the future. The beef is tender and what I liked most about it is the gravy. The gravy tastes like the steak sauce that comes with the sizzling plates in mall food courts but is thicker and richer. I also liked the sides of minced carrots, green peas and corn kernels.

Pan-seared Bulalo

We also tried Burzillian Nation Bacon and Egg Burger. It is topped with a sunny side up which would be a messy way to eat it but in a good way. 

Bacon and Egg Burger

The Place
Despite the colorful banner along the road, people who are not familiar with the area might have a hard time locating this restaurant because the area it is in is lined with automotive shops.

The restaurant itself looks bare maybe because it is still fairly new. What I liked is the menu drawn with colored chalks on a blackboard.

Tips for Wandering Peasants

• starve yourself before going here so you can try their Giant Burzilla burger
• check out the Location section below for directions on how to locate the place

Location

Here's a detailed directions to this place for those who are not familiar with Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
1. From South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), take Sta. Rosa Exit
2. Take Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road going to Paseo de Sta. Rosa. Go straight down this road and you will see McDonald's on your side of the road, and Petron on the other side.
3. Drive straight until you see Hyundai Sta. Rosa on the other side of the road. Burzillian Nation is directly in front of this.


Useful Links and Info
Facebook page
Menu

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Ocean Park Hong Kong: Rainforest, Polar Adventure, Panda Village and Grand Aquarium

Rainforest

After exploring Thrill Mountain, which you can read in Part 1 of this story, we then explored Rainforest and got ourselves wet in The Rapids. The Rapids is like Raging River, which we rode earlier that day. The Rapids though is a little larger and more challenging than the Raging River. It imitates the twists and turns of Amazon River.

The Rapids

Polar Adventure

South Pole Spectacular

Polar Adventure may sound very far from Rainforest but in Ocean Park, Polar Adventure is just a few steps away from a Rainforest. This was our next stop and we headed straight to South Pole Spectacular. The main attraction here are the penguins. These aquatic birds are adorable especially when they jump to the water for a swim.

Arctic Fox Den

Interconnected with the South Pole Spectacular is the Arctic Fox Den. It was my first time to see an arctic fox and I was so amazed by their ability to withstand the frigid temperature with their small bodies. Their heavy fur and bushy tails seem enough for them to keep warm. I was actually waiting for one of them to howl or bark but I was disappointed and to this day, I still don't know what the fox sounds like. :)

North Pole Encounter

Also interconnected with Arctic Fox Den and South Pole Spectacular is the North Pole Encounter. The walruses are the main attraction here. It's quite a sight to see the walrus swimming back and forth in its aquarium. The walrus dives into the water then goes back up and breaks water on its back.

Amazing Asian Animals 

From Polar Adventure, we made our way back to the cable car station to go down to The Waterfront, or the Lower section of the park. There was a thunderstorm that day so our effort to queue up to the cable cars were wasted because the operation of the cable cars were suspended. So, along with the crowd, we made our way to Ocean Express. Ocean Express is a train shuttle built in the likeness of a submarine and inside are video screens on the ceiling that displays virtual aquatic animals and plants which would give you the underwater feeling. 

Upon getting off from the Ocean Express, we headed to Giant Panda Adventure. This panda pavilion houses the Red Panda, the Giant Panda and the Chinese Giant Salamander. When we read the review, this is one of the most recommended sights here at Ocean Park. I hadn't had a nice view of the Giant Panda though because he was just sitting there way back in his cage napping and hugging what seems to be a trash can or a stool. The Red Panda was amazing for me, because they seem rare. I thought that Pandas were only the black and white kind until I saw the Red Panda.

Grand Aquarium

Our last stop here at Ocean Park was at the Grand Aquarium. It is quite near the Entrance/Exit gate of the park so it was a nice way to end our day here. Grand Aquarium would make you experience walking on the ocean floor without getting wet. Once you enter the building, you would instantly feel at one with the marine animals. My favorite spot here is the gigantic swirl tank that is full of milkfish. The fishes glitter in the light and it was such a sight to see. Aside from the swirl tank, I enjoyed walking under the aquarium and viewing the fishes and sharks from below. Among the fishes, there are also other marine animals such as the leafy seadragon. 

Location
 

Useful Links and Info
Official Website
Facebook Page
Download Ocean Park Map here

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Ocean Park Hong Kong: Marine World, Adventure Land and Thrill Mountain

Ocean Park is one of the oldest attractions in Hong Kong. When we were planning our Hong Kong trip last summer, Ocean Park was one of the places we considered crossing out due to budget constraint. Luckily, we got discount vouchers and were glad to have visited the place because it turned out to be one of the most memorable places we visited in Hong Kong because the area of the place alone was overwhelming. Also, because Ocean Park is so big, we had lots of experience to share so we're going to split this story into two parts. This one here is Part 1.

Ratings
Attractions: 5/5, like I said, the place is overwhelmingly huge. Rides, marine animals and an spectacular view of the harbor makes our visit here memorable
Food: 4/5, we only ate at the fast foods
Prices: 4/5, we got discount vouchers and paid only HKD 258 for admission (around PHP 1,500). Normal price for adult is HKD 345 (PHP 2,054).

Directions to Ocean Park Hong Kong
Our Hotel was located in Mong Kok, and we were able to ge to Ocean Park via the directions below:
- Walk to Mongkok Station (Tsuen Wan Line) [RED Line] service runs every 5 mins
- Ride train (4 stops)
- Get off at Admiralty Station, walk to Admiralty West Bus Terminus
- Ride Bus 629 from Admiralty West to Ocean Park Entrance

Fare - Adult: HKD 10.6, Child: HKD 5.3.

Look for the sign for bus 629

Double decker Bus 629 stops right at the park entrance

We arrived too early that the park wasn't opened yet, so we had lots of time to take pictures of the attractions at the Entrance area. In the entrance area, there's garden art, a fountain, and a map of the place which kept us busy while we planned our route as we only allotted half of the day for this trip.

park map at the entrance

Time to go inside!

Cable Car

Ocean Park Hong Kong is quite a huge park. We never thought that it could be that big, we were so overwhelmed by the size of it (total of 91 hectares).

There are actually two sections of the Ocean Park: The Waterfront (Lowland), and The Summit (Headland). These two are connected via their cable car system, or via the Ocean Express railway.
We actually tried to ride both - the cable car on the way up; and the Ocean Express railway down since there was a thunderstorm and the cable car's operations were suspended.

The best way to go that we have decided is to explore The Summit first then go down to The Waterfront in the afternoon and then head out to our next stop for the day.

So, the first thing we did upon entering the park (aside from taking pictures, of course), is to queue up at the Cable Car Station. The line was already long when we got there despite that the park had just opened up.

The way to the Cable Car Station offers lovely sights of an old Hong Kong street replica. There were rickshaws, stone-paved street, old posters of advertisements, and a street-market scene.

Cable car station

long line, so queue up early

It was a majestic ten-minute ride with a view of the harbor from the cable car. Each cable car can carry up to 6 passengers.

view of the summit

view of the harbor

Marine World 

Ocean Park Tower

Stepping out of the cable car, we went straight ahead to the area called Marine World. The first ride we tried was the Ocean Park Tower. This is a a viewing room that gently rotates 360 degrees as it rises up to the height of 72 meters. This one also offers stunning views of the park and the surrounding mountains and waters.

Ocean Park Tower

One of my favorite views from the tower is the view of the park. This was actually helpful for us to get our bearings and find ourselves on the map :).

Check out our video of the view from Ocean Park Tower:

Shark Mystique

After enjoying the view from Ocean Park Tower, we then went to Shark Mystique. From the Ocean Park Tower, it was a 5-minute walk on a downward-sloped path to Shark Mystique. It is located at the back of McDonald's. There's a nice set of rickety houses on stilts, depicting fishermen's seaside residences.

In here, we were face to face with a terrifying Great White Shark and the mysterious Sting Ray. It's amazing to see hundreds of fishes swimming with the sharks. I waited for a nice angle to take a photograph of the shark showing its nasty grin. It's kinda looking straight at us, as if it was posing for the camera. Every time it swims towards us, I remember this movie poster of Finding Nemo in which a shark is showing his deadly teeth.

There's also an interactive display that shows the shark's anatomy. The kids will surely love it and at the same time, they will learn on the different parts of the shark's body.

Ocean Theatre
We enjoyed Shark Mystique so much that we missed much of the "Ocean Wonders" show at the Ocean Theatre. When we got to the Ocean Theatre, the show was already wrapping up but fortunately, we caught a few glimpses of the dolphins' exhibition. Then, it was time to feed them up. Their trainers got them some fishes and fed them.

Adventure Land

After having lunch at the fast foods near Shark Mystique, we then walked to Adventure Land the next section of The Summit that we would explore. We passed by the Veterniary Centre and this place makes you feel that the marine animals are well taken care of. We checked out the place and found dolphins playing with floating boards. They seem to be smiling because of genuine fun :)

The first real thrill ride that we experienced here though, was the Mine Train. It is modeled like a Western American mining carts. What made the ride more thrilling was the fact that this ride was located at the side of the mountain and the sudden drops felt like you're being dropped from the summit.

We also rode the Raging River in which we climbed into a "log" boat and snaked through the narrow channels up to the top, then from there a little drop which could leave you drenched if you got unlucky.

Thrill Mountain
Thrill Mountain is where the most extreme rides in Ocean Park Hong Kong are located. There's Hair Raiser, Whirly Bird, Rev Booster, and The Flash. What amazed us most was The Flash. It somersaults 360 degrees and will leave you seeing the stars. We didn't try any of these rides, though, We weren't that brave enough :(

Check out The Flash below, and see if you're adventurous enough to take those 360 turns:    


Tips for Wandering Peasants

• if you have the time, allocate one whole day to explore Ocean Park Hong Kong. It is so huge and half-day is not enough to fully experience all they have to offer
• if you have limited time, a half-day trip is feasible but you should come early, explore The Summit first, then The Waterfront in the afternoon
• most of the exciting rides are located at The Summit, especially at Thrill Mountain

Location
 

Useful Links and Info
Official Website
Facebook Page
Download Ocean Park Map here

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