Four Nights in Bangkok - June 20-23 (Eric)

One last entry about Bangkok and we will be fairly up-to-date. I know "Four Nights" doesn't quite have the same ring as the Murray Head song from Chess, but what can we say. Bangkok was much more interesting than I expected. Yes, it is "crowded, polluted, stinking" as the song suggests, but it is filled with both a "little history" (or a lot depending on your view point) and a remarkable culture that I personally find fascinating. Unlike the voice of the song, Jenny and I were both gripped by the "muddy old river" and the "Reclining Buddha." Again to save time, I will bullet point the highlights and then finish with pictures.

• Bangkok at night (even if you get your "kicks above the waistline") is an experience. It is vibrant and electric even avoiding the party districts. 
• The Thai people are amazingly friendly. The nickname "A Land of a Thousand Smiles" is well deserved, and no, they're not just looking for a tip. Tipping is not expected in Thailand, but it is definitely much appreciated by the locals. 
• Visiting the temples ("a god in every golden cloister") and sights around Bangkok is a must, but be prepared to battle the crowds, especially at the Grand Palace. 
• The Tuk Tuk drivers, suit makers, and other service providers will aggressively try to sell you their products. Scorpions on a stick were one of the more unusual food items for sale (no, I did not try one - sorry to disappoint).
• Ayutthaya, an old capital of Thailand, is a short trip from Bangkok and contains some amazing ruins (if you've seen Mortal Kombat then you've seen them). We had a fabulous tour guide who showed us "everything but Yul Brynner." Our trip included being blessed by a Buddhist monk, a river boat tour, a Buddha head in tree roots, a chicken street, many amazing centuries-old ruins, and a six foot monitor lizard. 
• We did not make it to any "bars" or "massage parlors", but we did have a poolside massage at our hotel, the Riva Surya, which was delightful, but I must warn you if you have never had a Thai massage, the Thai people are quite strong, so you might want to ask them to be gentle. We also had a pleasant experience at Susie Wong's Beer and Buns (not what it sounds like) where we shared a good sandwich and good music with some of the locals. 
• And now pictures...

Shanghai June 16-19 (Eric)

There's so much I would like to write about on our visit to Shanghai, but we are about to go get massages (I know... sucks to be us), but I'm trying to catch up as much as possible. I think I will bullet point a few highlights and then post some pictures.

• Our immigration experience was delightful (no sarcasm here). By the way, if you're going to take advantage of the 144 hour transit visa while visiting China, make sure you print your itinerary. 
• The taxi ride to our friend's building was terrifying. This is the only time I have ever been in a taxi where the driver clearly had no clue where he was going. On route, he was driving 10 mph calling several people to ask for what we assume were directions, then picked up another passenger to help navigate, and finally, came to a dead stop on the freeway while trying to find our destination. All of this managed to double the length of the ride. Luckily, he was apologetic and did not try to overcharge us. 
• Thanks to Kathleen and the other Concordia teachers for being such gracious hosts. 
• The food in Shanghai was amazing and an adventure at times. We did a night market food tour where I ate snake which was literally killed and cleaned before our eyes.  
• The night skyline from the Bund (riverbank) is a must see. 
• The temples are spectacular and a little crowded on incense days (the temples were filled with Buddhist worshippers). 
• If you can squeeze in a trip to a park, it is well worth it to see the plethora of activities that the locals participate in during the day. 
• Now pictures...

Southern Hong Kong - June 15 (Eric)

Going back in time a little over a week (seems longer given the experiences we have been having), we went to the southern parts of Hong Kong island with a visit to Repulse Bay, Stanley, and Aberdeen. This was an interesting experience when compared to Central Hong Kong, a lot less hustle and bustle. Of course, it still has a plethora of shopping options (no escaping from hell). My favorite had to be the H&M that took up half of a historic building. My favorite part of of the trip to this part of Hong Kong was the majestic views of the bays and smaller islands off the coast. To keep this short, I will finish with more pictures and captions. Enjoy!

The majestic views...

The H&M (in Stanley) and the view from the top floor...

Finishing our day with a trip to the Jumbo Floating Restaurant...

 

Greetings from Paradise (Eric)

I am writing this lounging in a deck chair on our balcony at The Surin Hotel in Phuket, so I don't think you will blame me if I keep this short, but I am going to try to catch up to the present while enjoying the amazing view and the sound of crashing waves.

I think I will start in the present because this place is spectacular. Jenny found an amazing hotel tucked away on a semi-private beach. Our room is a beach suite built into the jungle. The above view is what I am seeing from our balcony. It is surreal.

The hotel itself seems to pride itself on spoiling its guests with free dinners, massages, and other activities. I think I could get used to this. It will be hard to leave. Anyway, I am going to finish this post with a few more pictures, and then post about our other adventures to try to keep the blog current. Enjoy!

That's me going for a swim

The view

Greetings from paradise 

Our bathtub area (the whole suite is huge)

Victoria Peak - June 14 (Eric)

I prefer to blog when events are fresh in my mind, but as I mentioned in the previous post, circumstances have gotten in the way. Anyway, I will, to the best of my ability, recreate the day we rode the tram to the top of Victoria Peak.

First of all, if you only had time for one thing in Hong Kong, this would be my top recommendation. The tram ride itself is an adventure as it steeply climbs the hill. Once you get to the top, you are treated to the most amazing views of Hong Kong. This by itself is worth the trip.

Secondly, we bought tickets on the Big Bus tour of Hong Kong which includes the tram ticket and allows you to skip the line which can be quite lengthy at times. The bus tour is also a great way to see the city if time is limited. They provide headphones to listen to an audio description of the sights and history of this one-of-a-kind city. Normally, I find tours like this kind of cheesy, but this one was informative and interesting. It also had a haunting sound track which both Jenny and I still have stuck in our heads.

At the top, there's another mall (I know shocking), but I mention it because it provides shopping and dining experiences with some fantastic views. Believe it or not, there is a Bubba Gump Shrimp at the top of the lookout tower. We ate at a rather touristy place called the Peak Lookout Restaurant. The building itself was unique and did have an amazing view of the other side of Hong Kong Island, but our food had mixed reviews. I really enjoyed the Thai style mussels I ordered, but Jenny's steak sandwich was mediocre at best.

After lunch, I highly recommend what we did next, the Peak Circle Trail. This is a relatively short walk (about an hour) around the peak with majestic views of all sides of the island. It was our favorite part of the Hong Kong experience. To see one amazing view after another was truly a breathtaking experience.

We finished our hike with an Egglet dessert (we had to put the calories we just burned back on somehow) which is the Chinese version of a waffle cone. Jenny described it best by comparing it to Cinnabon -- it smells and looks better than it tastes. 😝
We finished our day with a walk along the harbor and a ride on the Hong Kong Ferris wheel. Both are cool ways to get some remarkable views of the night skyline. And now, pictures...