Here I am sitting at AK airport, it's 11.11, I'm super sleepy but have a 27 hour journey in front of me! I hope I sleep some.
:)
But it's exciting, flew up from Wellington, with far too much stuff, got my boarding pass and not long now.
I used fastgate or whatever it's called - it's great - no standing in queues, straight though, through security and then bang - duty free.
Bought some parfum - of course - and now just about to pack up and get ready for my flight! :)
Friday, 15 June 2012
Saturday, 10 October 2009
The slackest...
Well, I think I must be the slackest blogger ever...
Here I am, it's 8.11am, I'm sitting at Sydney Airport having flown over from Singapore, been here since 6am, waiting for my 9.50 flight to Wellington and then, officially, it will be all over.
Oh no!
I really should go back over my blog and see what I have written about - and then fill in the gaps.
I suspect it will be easier if anyone is reading this to just get hhold of me in a few hours and say - Hey Cookie, let's catch up, you can tell me all the goss about your trip, bore me with photos and we'll drink fantastic coffee (god, I miss great coffee - although McCafe has opened in Frankfurt, I was there last Monday, it had been open for 4 days and they served flat whites. I kid you not - probably the only place in all of Europe where you can actually get a flat white - and where it's on the coffee list! Why? I asked and they said that McCafe is Australian owned - hence the flat whites. I also have it on good authority - ie the manager, I was having a chat with her, that the Costas down in the waterfront shopping centre in Portsmouth is going to add flatwhites to it's menu next year. Hush hush though apparently!).
I have just spent 10 minutes pissing about trying to upload a photo - I'm sure there is an easy way; I just can't find it!
Anyway, so here I am sitting at Sydney Airport waiting for my flight and for the hols to be over - and in many ways, back to the real world.
So, what was Singapore like? I really liked it. It's very clean, the food is just fantastic (everything from super cheap to crazy expensive), the people really nice, really restrictive laws (OMG, if I had actually had sex....).
I stayed at the Intercontinental - totally totally OTT! Love it! The room was huge, the bathroom amazing, the bed big enough for 4! Although, I wonder if it's really worth it given that I was either asleep (or awake at 3am) or not there. But still....
Did quite a few of the touristy things - the merlion, the river trip on a bumboat, the Asian Civilisation Museum, saw Raffles (but didn't go in - I've never drunk alone, and figured I didn't really need to go and buy an incredibly expensive pink drink!). I subsequently found out that the Singapore Slings are $28 (or was it $27), they're pre-made and it's all about the tourists!
Hung out in Little India a bit - really liked it there. Bugis where the hotel is - great location - transpires that Singapore is really quite small. The MRT is really easy to use (although there is one station that has two levels of trains - and some escalators go between levels and some from the bottom level all the way to the exit level (ie the top - 3rd - level). Did I spend 5 minutes going up and down trying to get to the middle level - yes....
I did a pile of shopping - there isn't any fake stuff in Singapore really but shopping for Africa - so to speak. Checked out Sim Lam Square - hundreds of electronic stores. And yes, the IPhone 3G-s is available, the official supplied - SingTel - won't sell you one (either out of stock or, if in stock, they only sell it on a plane). The slightly more "dodgy" shops (although I'm not sure if there are any truly dodgy shops in Singapore) will sell you one for about $1000 Singapore - but god knows about whether they're real or not - the cab driver on the way to the airport showed me his "Chinese Official" mini-IPhone - dual sim even. Given the hassles I've had with chinese crap dual sim cellphones, I'm leaning towards spend the money, buy official...
You can also pick up a PS3 slim for about $500 - only draw back is that the warranty is local - anything goes wrong, you're poked in NZ.
I went to Gluttony Lane and sat outside and ate (OMG, have I eaten!).
I went to China Town and did the nightwalking tour - I can now tell you all about prostitution in Singapore and oral sex - it was a great little tour - one guy mysteriously asked for a taxi at the end of the tour, the tour guide said come with her back to the main part of China Town and he took off in the other direction back towards the brothels we'd just been shown.... Lol!
Met Megan and Daniel on the walking tour - Megan is a med student from Wales who was in Wellington (yah!) for 2 months working at A&E at Wgtn Hospital - and to make it an even smaller world, she was also staying at the Intercontinental! Daniel is an Aussie who went to the UK for his OE and had to leave cause his visa ran out. So, the three of us, after the tour had some kai, a little shopping and then a drink and dessert back at the hotel.
It's always the coolest when you randomly meet excellent people as you bop around the planet.
Quickly - the kai we had was in noodle house that the tour guide showed us - the chef made the noodles in front of us (the take the dough, pull, twist, pull twist etc until noodles type of noodles) and then cooked and served - all for a whole $4.50 a dish! The shopping was "odd" as we finished eating about 10/10.30 and all the stalls in ChinaTown were closing up - maybe it's the down season?
The last day, back to ChinaTown - it's very cool there, hung out at the hotel, packed (about 41 kilos - ouch!) and then out to the airport and off to Sydney.
The business class check in at Singapore Airport is really nice - you have a separate room, and you sit down like you're checking into a hotel rather than a plane! But the security is at the plane - not customs. So, you get through customs quickly but then stand with over 300 people trying to get through security into the holding pen for the plane - not very good at all!!
The entertainment system on the plane wasn't working - but it's very nice in the top deck, overate but figured might as well make the most of it, lots and lots of leg room, chatted with a really nice woman who'd just been to fashion week in Paris (she works for an APC mag here in Sydney - Madison or something), and generally just snoozed. Then they got the entertainment system going so I did the only sensible thing - watched Ice Age - the Dinasaurs! Lol - didn't sleep but had tea and biscuits, ordered everything on the breakfast menu and had a shower in Sydney (god, the shower - just divine!). It's not a bad flight - only about 8 hours - the long sector is Asia to the UK.
Was business class worth it - hard to say really. Was it expensive - hell yes. Was the leg room great - hell yes. Is the service nice, the food good etc - hell yes. With stop overs is it worth it - not sure.
Well, there is bound to be lots and lots more stories and thoughts and things - travel is always full of it - but it's not long until my plane so I'm going to pack up and maybe go for a stretch before it's all over.
Best thing - easily the nephews in London - they are just so cool!
Worst thing - spending a day barfing in London (sorry Lee!).
But there we go.....
Another day, another adventure!
Yah! :)
Here I am, it's 8.11am, I'm sitting at Sydney Airport having flown over from Singapore, been here since 6am, waiting for my 9.50 flight to Wellington and then, officially, it will be all over.
Oh no!
I really should go back over my blog and see what I have written about - and then fill in the gaps.
I suspect it will be easier if anyone is reading this to just get hhold of me in a few hours and say - Hey Cookie, let's catch up, you can tell me all the goss about your trip, bore me with photos and we'll drink fantastic coffee (god, I miss great coffee - although McCafe has opened in Frankfurt, I was there last Monday, it had been open for 4 days and they served flat whites. I kid you not - probably the only place in all of Europe where you can actually get a flat white - and where it's on the coffee list! Why? I asked and they said that McCafe is Australian owned - hence the flat whites. I also have it on good authority - ie the manager, I was having a chat with her, that the Costas down in the waterfront shopping centre in Portsmouth is going to add flatwhites to it's menu next year. Hush hush though apparently!).
I have just spent 10 minutes pissing about trying to upload a photo - I'm sure there is an easy way; I just can't find it!
Anyway, so here I am sitting at Sydney Airport waiting for my flight and for the hols to be over - and in many ways, back to the real world.
So, what was Singapore like? I really liked it. It's very clean, the food is just fantastic (everything from super cheap to crazy expensive), the people really nice, really restrictive laws (OMG, if I had actually had sex....).
I stayed at the Intercontinental - totally totally OTT! Love it! The room was huge, the bathroom amazing, the bed big enough for 4! Although, I wonder if it's really worth it given that I was either asleep (or awake at 3am) or not there. But still....
Did quite a few of the touristy things - the merlion, the river trip on a bumboat, the Asian Civilisation Museum, saw Raffles (but didn't go in - I've never drunk alone, and figured I didn't really need to go and buy an incredibly expensive pink drink!). I subsequently found out that the Singapore Slings are $28 (or was it $27), they're pre-made and it's all about the tourists!
Hung out in Little India a bit - really liked it there. Bugis where the hotel is - great location - transpires that Singapore is really quite small. The MRT is really easy to use (although there is one station that has two levels of trains - and some escalators go between levels and some from the bottom level all the way to the exit level (ie the top - 3rd - level). Did I spend 5 minutes going up and down trying to get to the middle level - yes....
I did a pile of shopping - there isn't any fake stuff in Singapore really but shopping for Africa - so to speak. Checked out Sim Lam Square - hundreds of electronic stores. And yes, the IPhone 3G-s is available, the official supplied - SingTel - won't sell you one (either out of stock or, if in stock, they only sell it on a plane). The slightly more "dodgy" shops (although I'm not sure if there are any truly dodgy shops in Singapore) will sell you one for about $1000 Singapore - but god knows about whether they're real or not - the cab driver on the way to the airport showed me his "Chinese Official" mini-IPhone - dual sim even. Given the hassles I've had with chinese crap dual sim cellphones, I'm leaning towards spend the money, buy official...
You can also pick up a PS3 slim for about $500 - only draw back is that the warranty is local - anything goes wrong, you're poked in NZ.
I went to Gluttony Lane and sat outside and ate (OMG, have I eaten!).
I went to China Town and did the nightwalking tour - I can now tell you all about prostitution in Singapore and oral sex - it was a great little tour - one guy mysteriously asked for a taxi at the end of the tour, the tour guide said come with her back to the main part of China Town and he took off in the other direction back towards the brothels we'd just been shown.... Lol!
Met Megan and Daniel on the walking tour - Megan is a med student from Wales who was in Wellington (yah!) for 2 months working at A&E at Wgtn Hospital - and to make it an even smaller world, she was also staying at the Intercontinental! Daniel is an Aussie who went to the UK for his OE and had to leave cause his visa ran out. So, the three of us, after the tour had some kai, a little shopping and then a drink and dessert back at the hotel.
It's always the coolest when you randomly meet excellent people as you bop around the planet.
Quickly - the kai we had was in noodle house that the tour guide showed us - the chef made the noodles in front of us (the take the dough, pull, twist, pull twist etc until noodles type of noodles) and then cooked and served - all for a whole $4.50 a dish! The shopping was "odd" as we finished eating about 10/10.30 and all the stalls in ChinaTown were closing up - maybe it's the down season?
The last day, back to ChinaTown - it's very cool there, hung out at the hotel, packed (about 41 kilos - ouch!) and then out to the airport and off to Sydney.
The business class check in at Singapore Airport is really nice - you have a separate room, and you sit down like you're checking into a hotel rather than a plane! But the security is at the plane - not customs. So, you get through customs quickly but then stand with over 300 people trying to get through security into the holding pen for the plane - not very good at all!!
The entertainment system on the plane wasn't working - but it's very nice in the top deck, overate but figured might as well make the most of it, lots and lots of leg room, chatted with a really nice woman who'd just been to fashion week in Paris (she works for an APC mag here in Sydney - Madison or something), and generally just snoozed. Then they got the entertainment system going so I did the only sensible thing - watched Ice Age - the Dinasaurs! Lol - didn't sleep but had tea and biscuits, ordered everything on the breakfast menu and had a shower in Sydney (god, the shower - just divine!). It's not a bad flight - only about 8 hours - the long sector is Asia to the UK.
Was business class worth it - hard to say really. Was it expensive - hell yes. Was the leg room great - hell yes. Is the service nice, the food good etc - hell yes. With stop overs is it worth it - not sure.
Well, there is bound to be lots and lots more stories and thoughts and things - travel is always full of it - but it's not long until my plane so I'm going to pack up and maybe go for a stretch before it's all over.
Best thing - easily the nephews in London - they are just so cool!
Worst thing - spending a day barfing in London (sorry Lee!).
But there we go.....
Another day, another adventure!
Yah! :)
Tuesday, 6 October 2009
Bye Bye Europe...
The quickest of entries - and yes I know I'm behind - and yes quite a bit has happened since I last updated (somewhere I've started the entry which I was typing on Eurostar - seems soooo long ago!).
But here I am, sitting at Frankfurt airport, it's 11.06pm, I'm in the Cathy Pacific lounge, it's nearly time to go through security and get ready for the plane - and so Europe will come to an end.
The best thing - easily my nephews, they are simply the coolest!
But it's been great seeing new things, eating so much and, especially, catching up with friends - it's the people who really make a place!
Yah!
But now it's looking like a 12 hour journey to Singapore - not that I'm complaining - it is business class - and I have been having a magical time (and yes, if you're interested, the visa bill is sitting at over $13,000 - ouchie!) - and it's just been sooooo cool!
See you all soon - next time I touch down it'll be another country and 6 time zones away - wow!
Byeeeee Europe and the UK!!!
:)
But here I am, sitting at Frankfurt airport, it's 11.06pm, I'm in the Cathy Pacific lounge, it's nearly time to go through security and get ready for the plane - and so Europe will come to an end.
The best thing - easily my nephews, they are simply the coolest!
But it's been great seeing new things, eating so much and, especially, catching up with friends - it's the people who really make a place!
Yah!
But now it's looking like a 12 hour journey to Singapore - not that I'm complaining - it is business class - and I have been having a magical time (and yes, if you're interested, the visa bill is sitting at over $13,000 - ouchie!) - and it's just been sooooo cool!
See you all soon - next time I touch down it'll be another country and 6 time zones away - wow!
Byeeeee Europe and the UK!!!
:)
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Paris - truly a city of love...
No - not that I found love - but it really is a totally beautiful city.
Been here for 2 nights now - star!
Arrived on Monday, on the TGV - I love those trains - sooooo fast.
Then umming and ahhing, major indecision, and eventually we decided to get Paris Visit ticket - 5 days unlimited travel. I'm not sure that I'm going to use it - probably not even close; but there you go. At least all the travel is covered - and there's nothing like zapping the tourists!
Arrived at the hotel, our room wasn't ready so went for a walk. OMG - this really is like a blow by blow account of what we did - funny! Not.
I'll summarise - walk, lunch, hotel, Rue de Rivoli, looked at the Louvre (not in, outside), found the Information Centre, booked a trip for Tuesday, returned to the hotel, Ji went out for a walk, I had a snooze, Ji came back, she didn't want dinner, I went out and caught up with Carl - at the Cafe de Industrie.
Eating is so, umm, Parisian, here. The dessert I had was magnificient - it was this little chocolate cake, slight warm but the inside when you ate it turned to pure liquid chocolate in your mouth. It wasn't liquid, but turned liquid - just stunning.
Wandered back to the hotel and bed.
The next morning I was up very very early - eek; given that it's 10.45am and we're still mucking about in the hotel. But off to Cityrama, onto the bus and on the road to Reims (pronounced "Reince" - don't ask me why!). Just me; Ji didn't want to go. We stopped firstly at Mumm and had a tour of the House - wow - all that champagne, all those tunnels, all that history - and yes, we got to taste a bit. Having seen how they actually make it, I can see why it's soooo expensive.
All the grapes must be picked by hand. (Apparently at Moet et Chandon - which I went to later - they bring in 3000 pickers for 2 weeks to pick the grapes!). Then it's made into wine. Then it's blended (if an ordinary year) or a vintage made (if a special year). Then it's bottled. Then the bottles sit. For ordinary champagne, by law, 15 months, for both Mumm and Moet, it's 30 months. For vintage, by law 30 (or 36 - I can't remember!) months f0r Mumm and Moet, it's 5 years. Moet leaves Dom Perignon for 10 plus years! Then all the bottles are turned and eventually verticle so the sediment is in the neck. At Mumm, they said 90% of bottles are turned by machine, 10% vintage is still down by hand - 40,000 bottles turned a day! Not sure at Moet. Then the neck frozen, the sediment expelled (pressure, pressure, pressure), sugar and a top of of wine added (more sugar for the sweeter wines), and then finally you have champagne.
Voila - thus why so expensive! The rumour in the UK is that with global warming, eventually it'll be too hot in Champagne to make champagne - but we wait and see.
After Mumm (who were Germans), it was off to the centre of Reims (did you know the WWII ceasefire was signed there?), to the cathedral which is where every king of France was crowned - in a 7 hour ceremony. Go figure. A stunningly beautiful cathedral - but unfortunately the stone is slowly dissolving - they're trying to protect it (lastest is silicon) but no-one is sure whether it will work. It has more statutes on it than any other church in France!
A wander around Reims - a very pretty city - go go! Then on the bus to Moet et Chandon - founded in 1743. This house in in Epernay - which is really in the middle of the Champagne district - and it's a truly typical and beautiful area - hills, vines, vines, little villages in the middle of vines! The first Moet passed the House on to his son, his son was a friend of Napoleon (thus why imperial champagne!) - who bought the original church where Dom Perignon lived/prayed/did religious things and it's still privately owned by Moet et Chandon. We drove past the village. Then there was a third son and the fourth generation was a daughter - she married a Chandon - thus Moet et Chandon. The House is the home built by the second Moet - and it's beautiful. Across the road you could see 3 buildings and the formal french garden (public life), the House has an informal english garden (private life). One of the building is a private restaurant for "important clients" - far, wouldn't mind eating there! Then into the caves, there are 3 levels of tunnels at Moet - the bottom one was only completed in the early 1900's - took 90/100 years to build - it was all tunneled by hand - the entire complex. And bottles... And bottles... and bottles... of champagne. We saw lots of Dom Perignon - their premier label. Sigh - didn't managed to secret a bottle though! Lol! And then tasting (only a glass - and I think I liked Mumm more). A look around the shop (the Japanese were happily shopping!) and then back to Paris.
Yah!
A beauitful day (expensive - 106 euros - about $230NZ but there you go!).
Then moroccan for dinner - Carl joined us. A walk to his appartment - saw that. Then a walk back to the hotel - with some weird guys who "suddenly" came out of an alley and followed us across the road - don't know what was up there. But Paris at night is beautiful.
Today - breakfast first, then I be thinking the left bank, Tour Montparnesse, have a look at the Eiffle Tower and maybe head up to Montmatre!
See you soon!
Been here for 2 nights now - star!
Arrived on Monday, on the TGV - I love those trains - sooooo fast.
Then umming and ahhing, major indecision, and eventually we decided to get Paris Visit ticket - 5 days unlimited travel. I'm not sure that I'm going to use it - probably not even close; but there you go. At least all the travel is covered - and there's nothing like zapping the tourists!
Arrived at the hotel, our room wasn't ready so went for a walk. OMG - this really is like a blow by blow account of what we did - funny! Not.
I'll summarise - walk, lunch, hotel, Rue de Rivoli, looked at the Louvre (not in, outside), found the Information Centre, booked a trip for Tuesday, returned to the hotel, Ji went out for a walk, I had a snooze, Ji came back, she didn't want dinner, I went out and caught up with Carl - at the Cafe de Industrie.
Eating is so, umm, Parisian, here. The dessert I had was magnificient - it was this little chocolate cake, slight warm but the inside when you ate it turned to pure liquid chocolate in your mouth. It wasn't liquid, but turned liquid - just stunning.
Wandered back to the hotel and bed.
The next morning I was up very very early - eek; given that it's 10.45am and we're still mucking about in the hotel. But off to Cityrama, onto the bus and on the road to Reims (pronounced "Reince" - don't ask me why!). Just me; Ji didn't want to go. We stopped firstly at Mumm and had a tour of the House - wow - all that champagne, all those tunnels, all that history - and yes, we got to taste a bit. Having seen how they actually make it, I can see why it's soooo expensive.
All the grapes must be picked by hand. (Apparently at Moet et Chandon - which I went to later - they bring in 3000 pickers for 2 weeks to pick the grapes!). Then it's made into wine. Then it's blended (if an ordinary year) or a vintage made (if a special year). Then it's bottled. Then the bottles sit. For ordinary champagne, by law, 15 months, for both Mumm and Moet, it's 30 months. For vintage, by law 30 (or 36 - I can't remember!) months f0r Mumm and Moet, it's 5 years. Moet leaves Dom Perignon for 10 plus years! Then all the bottles are turned and eventually verticle so the sediment is in the neck. At Mumm, they said 90% of bottles are turned by machine, 10% vintage is still down by hand - 40,000 bottles turned a day! Not sure at Moet. Then the neck frozen, the sediment expelled (pressure, pressure, pressure), sugar and a top of of wine added (more sugar for the sweeter wines), and then finally you have champagne.
Voila - thus why so expensive! The rumour in the UK is that with global warming, eventually it'll be too hot in Champagne to make champagne - but we wait and see.
After Mumm (who were Germans), it was off to the centre of Reims (did you know the WWII ceasefire was signed there?), to the cathedral which is where every king of France was crowned - in a 7 hour ceremony. Go figure. A stunningly beautiful cathedral - but unfortunately the stone is slowly dissolving - they're trying to protect it (lastest is silicon) but no-one is sure whether it will work. It has more statutes on it than any other church in France!
A wander around Reims - a very pretty city - go go! Then on the bus to Moet et Chandon - founded in 1743. This house in in Epernay - which is really in the middle of the Champagne district - and it's a truly typical and beautiful area - hills, vines, vines, little villages in the middle of vines! The first Moet passed the House on to his son, his son was a friend of Napoleon (thus why imperial champagne!) - who bought the original church where Dom Perignon lived/prayed/did religious things and it's still privately owned by Moet et Chandon. We drove past the village. Then there was a third son and the fourth generation was a daughter - she married a Chandon - thus Moet et Chandon. The House is the home built by the second Moet - and it's beautiful. Across the road you could see 3 buildings and the formal french garden (public life), the House has an informal english garden (private life). One of the building is a private restaurant for "important clients" - far, wouldn't mind eating there! Then into the caves, there are 3 levels of tunnels at Moet - the bottom one was only completed in the early 1900's - took 90/100 years to build - it was all tunneled by hand - the entire complex. And bottles... And bottles... and bottles... of champagne. We saw lots of Dom Perignon - their premier label. Sigh - didn't managed to secret a bottle though! Lol! And then tasting (only a glass - and I think I liked Mumm more). A look around the shop (the Japanese were happily shopping!) and then back to Paris.
Yah!
A beauitful day (expensive - 106 euros - about $230NZ but there you go!).
Then moroccan for dinner - Carl joined us. A walk to his appartment - saw that. Then a walk back to the hotel - with some weird guys who "suddenly" came out of an alley and followed us across the road - don't know what was up there. But Paris at night is beautiful.
Today - breakfast first, then I be thinking the left bank, Tour Montparnesse, have a look at the Eiffle Tower and maybe head up to Montmatre!
See you soon!
Monday, 28 September 2009
Sunday, 27 September 2009
The last night in Avignon...
27 August - 9.30pm, The Sentinal is playing on tv in french, I feel like a snooze and really should sort out getting some photos up.
Only prob is that they are a complete mess - ie I've taken so many I have no idea what is what! Lol!
Well, let's see.
The last full day in Nimes we did the only sensible thing - we dropped off that stupid Europcar car. They said they wouldn't charge us for the nat.sav and the first day (ie the day that we were driving on a dangerous car or not driving because we'd been told not to by the Gendarmarie!). That left only 3.30pm until 10am the next morning - it will be very interesting to see what the final bill is.
In any event, I've got the address for a complaint, got the head office address and will be complaining to the Gendarmie about Europcar, suggesting they should investigate the company for giving advice that, with 2 gendarmes standing there, we should just drive off.
Anyway, it was a different woman at the Europcar desk when we dropped the car off and she knew all about it - obviously news travels fast.
As they say in the sunscreen song, all my advice is based on my own meandering experience - and my experience is do not rent from Europcar!
So, having dropped the car off we wandered into town, looked into an old church - it's kind've true but still breathtaking what they say - you've seen one church, you've seen them all. But they still are spectacular, and I can see why they were built - to instill a sense of awe into the population and keep up the power of the church. They certainly are very cool, and peaceful, inside - no traffic noise!!
Then to the arena - the most perfectly preserved arena in the world. It was stunning. The commentary was rather disturbing - the putting to death of criminals etc. I discovered that it's a Hollywood myth that most gladitor fights resulted in the death of the loser. Not. Apparently the person paying for the games had the power to decide live (thumb in closed fist) or die (open hand - thumb out - not down!) and if he decided death, he had to reimburse the gladiator school from which the gladiator came - which was, of course, too expensive - so in 90% of cases both gladiators lived to fight another day.
However, the animal fights were full on, and apparently at midday was the execution of the condemned prisoners. Most people left the Arena for this (bar the true sadiest who got off on it and the poorest who didn't want to give up their seats!). The putting to death though consisted of condemned fighting condemned both to the death, being tied up to a post and letting the animals eat you alive etc.
Pretty gruesome really.
The Arena though is amazing and it's still used for concerts and bull fights. 2 bull fights a year - and in Nimes (ie France; they also have them in Arles and maybe other places), the bulls are put to death in the Arena. In Portugal, apparently, the bulls live after the fights but, according to the YHA manager, they're put to death afterwards anyway - so don't think the Portuguese are any better!
After that it was lunch - I love the outdoors dining here - it's soooo relaxed. Ji is a vegetarian (she'll eat fish but not eggs) so that's a bit of a challenge - but we get there! France is all about meat!
Then meandering around Nimes, to the Maison Carre (half covered in scaffolding) but we went in for the 3d film - very impressive. Then more meandering about, bought some dinner (from a wonderful delicatessan - not cheap but nice!) and me some glace fruit (basically fruit soaked in sugar for months until it's just pure decadence - only ever seen it in France but wow..... Walked back to the hostel via the gardens - very pretty, lots of statues and more roman ruins - they're kind've everywhere there.
Dinner at the hostel, chatting the Andy the deputy-manager; he's been there for 17 years, was there when I stayed 8 years ago and we were talking about how he's dealth with a few things on his list - but not all. So he's dealt with attempted suicide and a death in the town - but not a dead body at the hostel yet.
Sleep, then the van to the station (nice - door to door!), bought a ticket and off to Avignon. Soooo much less hassle on the train - and nice trains here.
Off the train, to the hotel, dumped our bags and off for a walk around Nimes. It was Saturday and a sale day - so all full on. One can certainly shop here - and the style - wow. But, spending kiwi dollars doesn't make it that cheap. Maybe if one was earning euro it would be - but nice to window shop all the same.
We went to Les Halles, watched a cooking demonstration - I've got the recipe - absolute yum! Looked around all the food halls, bought a tart (a pissadarie - or however that's spelt) - Ji bought a tart at a boulangarie outside - where I got a Paris Brest - nothing like calories for lunch! We then wandered to the Place de l'Horlage and munched out watching the world (mostly tourists) wander by.
I then went and slept for nearly four hours - this cold ain't going nowhere and is no blocking the old sinuses - probably a little infection but all good!
Then up, a shower, found Ji and we went wandering through the town having a look.
Then double triple and super yah but Antony and Nico from Marseille (or Marianne next to Marseille) turned up - I met them the last time I was here and they came up with a friend of theirs for dinner and a catch up - most stunning excellent. So there we were in our mix of english and french just chatting away under the sky eating dinner and drinking a nice rose. What more can a boy ask for really? :)
It was great to catch them and I'm now trying to convince them to come to kiwiland on a working holiday! I also told them to invite me to their PACS (the french civil union!) so who knows - if my friends in NZ won't be having them for me, I'll see if I can't swing one in France!
But the evening was over all to quickly and they wandered off.
Today, was really just walking around, having a look. It's been just beautiful here; for example, at 18.33 tonight it was still 30degrees! I have the phone somewhere to prove it!
I took the free boat across the Rhone and walked up the Isle de la Barthelasse taking lots of photos and enjoying the sun. There was a sports festivall on so lots of kinds trying out different things (including the coolest blow up climbing tower for little people!).
Back over the bridge to town, caught up with Ji, went to the Musee Louis Vouland were I couldn't take photos in the main museum - which was full of the most beautiful old furniture and things - including the most exquiste chinese bed - just amazing. There was also a special exhibition of mirrors - which I never really thought of as art - but there were some really really cool mirrors - andI was allowed to take photos!
Then some lunch (chinese - quite nice actually, outside, far too much but lots more vegetarian options! Then another nana=nap; not that I really slept more rested.
Then I wandered off to find the choir that wasn't - go figure. I've just worked out where it was - I was at the right place - but I needed to go into the church! Bugger! So instead I went for a wander - Ji was off having a rest by this stage - found another church (lots here) where vespers was being sung - rather nice - then found Ji, more chinese for dinner (it was nice and sitting outside is wonderful - it's soooo relaxing!).
Then back to the hotel, partly packed, cleaned the icecream off my pants (oh, did I forget to mention - yesterday I had melon and grapefruit icecreams - yum - so I had to repeat today - mango and coconut were today's flavours. We won't talk about the price (yep - 4 euros which is about $9 NZ for 2 scoops of ice cream - but it was really really good!).
Tomorrow though - c'est Paris! The city of love. Of romance. Of beauty. Sigh...
Hehe!
Lol - let's see if we miss our train! Hopefully not - TGV here we come! Yah!
Only prob is that they are a complete mess - ie I've taken so many I have no idea what is what! Lol!
Well, let's see.
The last full day in Nimes we did the only sensible thing - we dropped off that stupid Europcar car. They said they wouldn't charge us for the nat.sav and the first day (ie the day that we were driving on a dangerous car or not driving because we'd been told not to by the Gendarmarie!). That left only 3.30pm until 10am the next morning - it will be very interesting to see what the final bill is.
In any event, I've got the address for a complaint, got the head office address and will be complaining to the Gendarmie about Europcar, suggesting they should investigate the company for giving advice that, with 2 gendarmes standing there, we should just drive off.
Anyway, it was a different woman at the Europcar desk when we dropped the car off and she knew all about it - obviously news travels fast.
As they say in the sunscreen song, all my advice is based on my own meandering experience - and my experience is do not rent from Europcar!
So, having dropped the car off we wandered into town, looked into an old church - it's kind've true but still breathtaking what they say - you've seen one church, you've seen them all. But they still are spectacular, and I can see why they were built - to instill a sense of awe into the population and keep up the power of the church. They certainly are very cool, and peaceful, inside - no traffic noise!!
Then to the arena - the most perfectly preserved arena in the world. It was stunning. The commentary was rather disturbing - the putting to death of criminals etc. I discovered that it's a Hollywood myth that most gladitor fights resulted in the death of the loser. Not. Apparently the person paying for the games had the power to decide live (thumb in closed fist) or die (open hand - thumb out - not down!) and if he decided death, he had to reimburse the gladiator school from which the gladiator came - which was, of course, too expensive - so in 90% of cases both gladiators lived to fight another day.
However, the animal fights were full on, and apparently at midday was the execution of the condemned prisoners. Most people left the Arena for this (bar the true sadiest who got off on it and the poorest who didn't want to give up their seats!). The putting to death though consisted of condemned fighting condemned both to the death, being tied up to a post and letting the animals eat you alive etc.
Pretty gruesome really.
The Arena though is amazing and it's still used for concerts and bull fights. 2 bull fights a year - and in Nimes (ie France; they also have them in Arles and maybe other places), the bulls are put to death in the Arena. In Portugal, apparently, the bulls live after the fights but, according to the YHA manager, they're put to death afterwards anyway - so don't think the Portuguese are any better!
After that it was lunch - I love the outdoors dining here - it's soooo relaxed. Ji is a vegetarian (she'll eat fish but not eggs) so that's a bit of a challenge - but we get there! France is all about meat!
Then meandering around Nimes, to the Maison Carre (half covered in scaffolding) but we went in for the 3d film - very impressive. Then more meandering about, bought some dinner (from a wonderful delicatessan - not cheap but nice!) and me some glace fruit (basically fruit soaked in sugar for months until it's just pure decadence - only ever seen it in France but wow..... Walked back to the hostel via the gardens - very pretty, lots of statues and more roman ruins - they're kind've everywhere there.
Dinner at the hostel, chatting the Andy the deputy-manager; he's been there for 17 years, was there when I stayed 8 years ago and we were talking about how he's dealth with a few things on his list - but not all. So he's dealt with attempted suicide and a death in the town - but not a dead body at the hostel yet.
Sleep, then the van to the station (nice - door to door!), bought a ticket and off to Avignon. Soooo much less hassle on the train - and nice trains here.
Off the train, to the hotel, dumped our bags and off for a walk around Nimes. It was Saturday and a sale day - so all full on. One can certainly shop here - and the style - wow. But, spending kiwi dollars doesn't make it that cheap. Maybe if one was earning euro it would be - but nice to window shop all the same.
We went to Les Halles, watched a cooking demonstration - I've got the recipe - absolute yum! Looked around all the food halls, bought a tart (a pissadarie - or however that's spelt) - Ji bought a tart at a boulangarie outside - where I got a Paris Brest - nothing like calories for lunch! We then wandered to the Place de l'Horlage and munched out watching the world (mostly tourists) wander by.
I then went and slept for nearly four hours - this cold ain't going nowhere and is no blocking the old sinuses - probably a little infection but all good!
Then up, a shower, found Ji and we went wandering through the town having a look.
Then double triple and super yah but Antony and Nico from Marseille (or Marianne next to Marseille) turned up - I met them the last time I was here and they came up with a friend of theirs for dinner and a catch up - most stunning excellent. So there we were in our mix of english and french just chatting away under the sky eating dinner and drinking a nice rose. What more can a boy ask for really? :)
It was great to catch them and I'm now trying to convince them to come to kiwiland on a working holiday! I also told them to invite me to their PACS (the french civil union!) so who knows - if my friends in NZ won't be having them for me, I'll see if I can't swing one in France!
But the evening was over all to quickly and they wandered off.
Today, was really just walking around, having a look. It's been just beautiful here; for example, at 18.33 tonight it was still 30degrees! I have the phone somewhere to prove it!
I took the free boat across the Rhone and walked up the Isle de la Barthelasse taking lots of photos and enjoying the sun. There was a sports festivall on so lots of kinds trying out different things (including the coolest blow up climbing tower for little people!).
Back over the bridge to town, caught up with Ji, went to the Musee Louis Vouland were I couldn't take photos in the main museum - which was full of the most beautiful old furniture and things - including the most exquiste chinese bed - just amazing. There was also a special exhibition of mirrors - which I never really thought of as art - but there were some really really cool mirrors - andI was allowed to take photos!
Then some lunch (chinese - quite nice actually, outside, far too much but lots more vegetarian options! Then another nana=nap; not that I really slept more rested.
Then I wandered off to find the choir that wasn't - go figure. I've just worked out where it was - I was at the right place - but I needed to go into the church! Bugger! So instead I went for a wander - Ji was off having a rest by this stage - found another church (lots here) where vespers was being sung - rather nice - then found Ji, more chinese for dinner (it was nice and sitting outside is wonderful - it's soooo relaxing!).
Then back to the hotel, partly packed, cleaned the icecream off my pants (oh, did I forget to mention - yesterday I had melon and grapefruit icecreams - yum - so I had to repeat today - mango and coconut were today's flavours. We won't talk about the price (yep - 4 euros which is about $9 NZ for 2 scoops of ice cream - but it was really really good!).
Tomorrow though - c'est Paris! The city of love. Of romance. Of beauty. Sigh...
Hehe!
Lol - let's see if we miss our train! Hopefully not - TGV here we come! Yah!
Thursday, 24 September 2009
24 September 2009. The day from hell...
OMG, today (now yesterday - my battery died before I could finish!) was seriously a day from hell - it was so terrible that it's actually just bizarrely funny - although really not funny.
Got up and had breakfast at the YHA - all good; no worries at all.
Few hassles with the lock up - we have to keep changing room here - but all good really; no worries at all.
Then, Ji and I decided to leave and head to Orange.... And so it all started. Our plan was to go to Orange, have a look, see the theatre (which we did eventually, it's absolutely fantastic!), go to the Pont du Gard, have a look, then up to Uzes before returning to Nimes.
Life was sweet - the sat-nav got us a bit lost getting out of Nimes, but we go there eventually. One the autoroute (that's important), a pay one - heading happily towards Orange.
We then get to the toll booth at Orange. No probs. Drive up. There's a truck immediately to the left of us, it had to back out of it's lane as it was too tall. Next to that was a police car - The Gendarmaire de Autoroute - ok, that's the gendarmes - you know, the national police force - the big guys.
We pay, go through and the gendarmes pull us over - still in the exist space of the autoroute. Huh we go.
We get out. They get out. Two gendarmes. They realise we're tourists. That's cool. They were nice.
Oh, but did we know that the two front tires on the car were bald, that it was dangerous and that we could not drive it anymore? Oh, yes, you know - that blue piece of paper - an Immbolisation Notice. They also gave us a ticket. Oh, but they said it was Europcar's problem - could we give them the contract. Did we have the contract - no; it was back at the hostel. So, they say to ring Europcar. Do I have credit on my phone - nope. Can I go get credit - nope. Can we drive the car - nope.
Fuck.
So Ji gets her phone (my global roaming phone was back at the hostel). She rings the Europcar helpline.
Guess what the guy says - oh, can the car still drive? Yes. So then just drive off.
He didn't quite explain what we were supposed to say to the two Gendarmes who were standing there. I guess we could've just said - please don't shoot us, but you've said we can't drive but Europcar said we could so we're just taking off.
Ji asked the Europcar guy on the helpline if he could talk to the Gendarmes.
The Europcar guy did the only sensible thing (not really - I'm being sarcastic) - he hung up on Ji.
So there we are, stopped, two gendarmes, a rental car we can't drive, can't get hold of Nimes Europcar, I have no phone credit and Europcar's advice is to just drive away and then they hang up on us.
Like hello? Hello? Hello?
So Ji rings back Europcar helpline - what else could we do?
Yes - Ji got her german cellphone and rang Europcar back again. This time she got a different guy who, as welll as saying just drive away, at least agreed to talk to one of the gendarmes.
They had a chat (on Ji's cellphone) and then the gendarme said to us that we had to get hold of Nimes Europcar, get the contract number (it's still not clear why either of the Europcar guys on the phone could not simply look up the contract number in their computer!), get hold of Orange Europcar and they would swap the car for one which we could drive.
The gendarmes then left - although who knows if they were sitting around the corner to see if we also drove off. We didn't - although we did drive the 10 metres to the parking space which they said we could.
So, there we are in Orange. No car. Can't get hold of Nimes and not actually sure we were. So we walk into town. Find the tourist office. Get a map. Get directions to SFR shop (the cellphone shop from where I got my prepay sim). Walk to the SFR shop. It's closed. It's lunch time. Get lunch (horse burger - stronger than beef - not sure I like it!!). Back to the SFR shop. Can I buy a top-up. Nope, their machine isn't working. Great. The guy says that we can get it from a tabac around the corner (that was the limit of the directions). Find the tabac. Buy a top up. Ring Nimes Europcar. Ring Nimes Europcar. Ring Nimes Europcar - I think I rang 6 or 7 times during the day without getting someone.
Did I leave messages? Yes. Were they in French. Yes. Were they in English. Yes. Is the woman who works there english? Yes. Did I leave my telephone number? Yes. Did anyone ever ring back? Don't be silly - of course not.
So Ji and I decide that what else can we do but go find the Orange Europcar. So off we walk again. Along the walk I keep trying the Nimes Europcar and, wow, eventually, the phone is answered.
I explain what's happened. The woman is suitably appalled. She says that's terrible. She says to go to the Orange Europcar. They'll change the car. No, she doesn't need to ring them. No, she doesn't need us to ring her back. We did at least get the contract number out of her.
So, we arrive at Orange Europcar. We explain the situation. The guy there says that well, unless he has a car in reserve he can't give us another one.
What? And we're supposed to do what then?
He then misunderstands my bad french (yes, he spoke good english). He thinks the car is looked up in the Gendarmes garage. So he says the only sensible thing (remember that sarcasm thing) - oh, there is nothing he can do. If the car is locked up and can't be driven, how can he drive it from there.
What? Again. And we're supposed to do what then?
Yes, Europcar gives us a dangerous car. The cops say the car cannot be driven. Europcar say they can't do anything.
Like we're supposed to do what - oh, maybe just leave the car parked in the parking spot until it rusts and joins the great cosmos?
So, I get out my cellphone, I ring the woman in Nimes and ask her to talk to the guy in Orange to sort it out.
On my cellphone, of course.
By this stage, Ji and I are seriously off in lala land wondering what the hell is going on.
Whatever Europcar Nimes said to Europcar Orange, Europcar Orange say that they will swap the car - but the car they give us hasn't been cleaned, they're sorry about that.
Not sorry that they weren't going to do anything. Not sorry that nobody at Europcar wanted to get on the phone and sort things. Not sorry that they'd given us a car that the France Gendarmarie has said couldn't be driven on the road. Not sorry that the advice from Europcar car was to just drive away. But sorry that the replacement car wasn't clean.
So they drive us back to the car, get us to drive the car back to the Europcar depot and then bring out the other car.
The Orange Europcar guy didn't want any of the police paper work. We went back to the police (as they said to) - interestingly, they'd been watching the two gendarmes that morning stop us and knew all about the tourists and the tires. But they didn't want the blue piece of paper either. They said to take it to the Orange Europcar.
We gave up.
We left.
We just drove away (oh, well, walked away - you couldn't drive to the Gendarme office (you'd be back on the autoroute) so we had to walk - they said we could but needed to just be careful - walking along the entry to an autoroute.....
Ji and I then went to the Roman Theatre in Orange - fantastic!
Drove back to Nimes.
Did we get stopped by the cops again? Maybe the Municipal Police?
What do you think?
Yes, of course we did. Just as we left the autoroute at Nimes - flashing blue lights. Three cops. Identity cards. They were checking out the car. The contract (we got another copy in Orange). The tickets.
It transpires that all they were interested in is that Ji was driving with the lights on highbeam.
By this stage is really was tooooooo much.
We've decided that we're going to return the car today.
I'm going to make an official complaint.
I'm going to say that we don't want to pay for the car at all.
I'm contemplating complaining to the Gendarmie d'autoroute about Europcar's advice that we should just drive off. Maybe Europcar needs to be investigated by the police if that's their advice.
Who knows what will happen. Except that we will no longer have a Europcar car.
And my suggestion to you if you read this is really really simple - NEVER EVER EVER hire a car from Europcar. Full stop.
Lol!
Well, it's nearly 9.50am, time to go do something (like get rid of this headache I've still got).
:)
Yah though - Anthony and Nico from Marseille are coming up to Avignon on Sunday to say hi!
We have accommodation booked in Avignon.
I have my health.
I have gorgeous friends.
I ate cake yesterday.
It's sunny, and cool, and beautiful.
I have the most star nephews!
Can one ask for any more really?
Got up and had breakfast at the YHA - all good; no worries at all.
Few hassles with the lock up - we have to keep changing room here - but all good really; no worries at all.
Then, Ji and I decided to leave and head to Orange.... And so it all started. Our plan was to go to Orange, have a look, see the theatre (which we did eventually, it's absolutely fantastic!), go to the Pont du Gard, have a look, then up to Uzes before returning to Nimes.
Life was sweet - the sat-nav got us a bit lost getting out of Nimes, but we go there eventually. One the autoroute (that's important), a pay one - heading happily towards Orange.
We then get to the toll booth at Orange. No probs. Drive up. There's a truck immediately to the left of us, it had to back out of it's lane as it was too tall. Next to that was a police car - The Gendarmaire de Autoroute - ok, that's the gendarmes - you know, the national police force - the big guys.
We pay, go through and the gendarmes pull us over - still in the exist space of the autoroute. Huh we go.
We get out. They get out. Two gendarmes. They realise we're tourists. That's cool. They were nice.
Oh, but did we know that the two front tires on the car were bald, that it was dangerous and that we could not drive it anymore? Oh, yes, you know - that blue piece of paper - an Immbolisation Notice. They also gave us a ticket. Oh, but they said it was Europcar's problem - could we give them the contract. Did we have the contract - no; it was back at the hostel. So, they say to ring Europcar. Do I have credit on my phone - nope. Can I go get credit - nope. Can we drive the car - nope.
Fuck.
So Ji gets her phone (my global roaming phone was back at the hostel). She rings the Europcar helpline.
Guess what the guy says - oh, can the car still drive? Yes. So then just drive off.
He didn't quite explain what we were supposed to say to the two Gendarmes who were standing there. I guess we could've just said - please don't shoot us, but you've said we can't drive but Europcar said we could so we're just taking off.
Ji asked the Europcar guy on the helpline if he could talk to the Gendarmes.
The Europcar guy did the only sensible thing (not really - I'm being sarcastic) - he hung up on Ji.
So there we are, stopped, two gendarmes, a rental car we can't drive, can't get hold of Nimes Europcar, I have no phone credit and Europcar's advice is to just drive away and then they hang up on us.
Like hello? Hello? Hello?
So Ji rings back Europcar helpline - what else could we do?
Yes - Ji got her german cellphone and rang Europcar back again. This time she got a different guy who, as welll as saying just drive away, at least agreed to talk to one of the gendarmes.
They had a chat (on Ji's cellphone) and then the gendarme said to us that we had to get hold of Nimes Europcar, get the contract number (it's still not clear why either of the Europcar guys on the phone could not simply look up the contract number in their computer!), get hold of Orange Europcar and they would swap the car for one which we could drive.
The gendarmes then left - although who knows if they were sitting around the corner to see if we also drove off. We didn't - although we did drive the 10 metres to the parking space which they said we could.
So, there we are in Orange. No car. Can't get hold of Nimes and not actually sure we were. So we walk into town. Find the tourist office. Get a map. Get directions to SFR shop (the cellphone shop from where I got my prepay sim). Walk to the SFR shop. It's closed. It's lunch time. Get lunch (horse burger - stronger than beef - not sure I like it!!). Back to the SFR shop. Can I buy a top-up. Nope, their machine isn't working. Great. The guy says that we can get it from a tabac around the corner (that was the limit of the directions). Find the tabac. Buy a top up. Ring Nimes Europcar. Ring Nimes Europcar. Ring Nimes Europcar - I think I rang 6 or 7 times during the day without getting someone.
Did I leave messages? Yes. Were they in French. Yes. Were they in English. Yes. Is the woman who works there english? Yes. Did I leave my telephone number? Yes. Did anyone ever ring back? Don't be silly - of course not.
So Ji and I decide that what else can we do but go find the Orange Europcar. So off we walk again. Along the walk I keep trying the Nimes Europcar and, wow, eventually, the phone is answered.
I explain what's happened. The woman is suitably appalled. She says that's terrible. She says to go to the Orange Europcar. They'll change the car. No, she doesn't need to ring them. No, she doesn't need us to ring her back. We did at least get the contract number out of her.
So, we arrive at Orange Europcar. We explain the situation. The guy there says that well, unless he has a car in reserve he can't give us another one.
What? And we're supposed to do what then?
He then misunderstands my bad french (yes, he spoke good english). He thinks the car is looked up in the Gendarmes garage. So he says the only sensible thing (remember that sarcasm thing) - oh, there is nothing he can do. If the car is locked up and can't be driven, how can he drive it from there.
What? Again. And we're supposed to do what then?
Yes, Europcar gives us a dangerous car. The cops say the car cannot be driven. Europcar say they can't do anything.
Like we're supposed to do what - oh, maybe just leave the car parked in the parking spot until it rusts and joins the great cosmos?
So, I get out my cellphone, I ring the woman in Nimes and ask her to talk to the guy in Orange to sort it out.
On my cellphone, of course.
By this stage, Ji and I are seriously off in lala land wondering what the hell is going on.
Whatever Europcar Nimes said to Europcar Orange, Europcar Orange say that they will swap the car - but the car they give us hasn't been cleaned, they're sorry about that.
Not sorry that they weren't going to do anything. Not sorry that nobody at Europcar wanted to get on the phone and sort things. Not sorry that they'd given us a car that the France Gendarmarie has said couldn't be driven on the road. Not sorry that the advice from Europcar car was to just drive away. But sorry that the replacement car wasn't clean.
So they drive us back to the car, get us to drive the car back to the Europcar depot and then bring out the other car.
The Orange Europcar guy didn't want any of the police paper work. We went back to the police (as they said to) - interestingly, they'd been watching the two gendarmes that morning stop us and knew all about the tourists and the tires. But they didn't want the blue piece of paper either. They said to take it to the Orange Europcar.
We gave up.
We left.
We just drove away (oh, well, walked away - you couldn't drive to the Gendarme office (you'd be back on the autoroute) so we had to walk - they said we could but needed to just be careful - walking along the entry to an autoroute.....
Ji and I then went to the Roman Theatre in Orange - fantastic!
Drove back to Nimes.
Did we get stopped by the cops again? Maybe the Municipal Police?
What do you think?
Yes, of course we did. Just as we left the autoroute at Nimes - flashing blue lights. Three cops. Identity cards. They were checking out the car. The contract (we got another copy in Orange). The tickets.
It transpires that all they were interested in is that Ji was driving with the lights on highbeam.
By this stage is really was tooooooo much.
We've decided that we're going to return the car today.
I'm going to make an official complaint.
I'm going to say that we don't want to pay for the car at all.
I'm contemplating complaining to the Gendarmie d'autoroute about Europcar's advice that we should just drive off. Maybe Europcar needs to be investigated by the police if that's their advice.
Who knows what will happen. Except that we will no longer have a Europcar car.
And my suggestion to you if you read this is really really simple - NEVER EVER EVER hire a car from Europcar. Full stop.
Lol!
Well, it's nearly 9.50am, time to go do something (like get rid of this headache I've still got).
:)
Yah though - Anthony and Nico from Marseille are coming up to Avignon on Sunday to say hi!
We have accommodation booked in Avignon.
I have my health.
I have gorgeous friends.
I ate cake yesterday.
It's sunny, and cool, and beautiful.
I have the most star nephews!
Can one ask for any more really?
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Finally...
Well, finally here I am sitting outside at the YHA in Nimes over two weeks since I wrote anything - and it's hard to imagine how much has happened - and also how little has happened! Lol!
It's pretty late so I'm not going to write too much here - and it'll take me a while to remember everything that has happened.
I also have dozens and dozens of photos which I guess I should at some stage sort and post.
But very quickly:
HK to London - HK was amazing. The trip to London was a trip to London - all very weird on the plane as they make you sleep; when it's daylight and you don't really want to sleep - odd!!
London - into London (Sarah my sister picked me up - yah) and hanging out there. Very cool as within a couple of hours arriving (on the Tuesday) I was outside my nephew Daniel's school picking him up! Very cool. Andrew was a bit slow to warm up - who is this strange man he is thinking - but after Daniel saw me, Andrew kind've realised that I was ok - and now we get on a like a house on fire.
In London some highlights were - my nephews - easy-peasy. Went bike shopping with them, dinners, hanging out, the aquarium (really good in London - go) and just generally being Uncle Mike. Priscilla - yes, saw the stage show - and Jason Donovan. What an amazing show - just absolutely stunning!! :) Buckingham Palace with Michael, Sue, Liz and Sharon - wow tour. The inside is really really impressive!!
In London some not highlights were getting a cold - which I still have the vestigives of over a week later - and spending a whole day in bed with a cold and throwing up (food poisoning I think) - and it was apparently the last of the perfect summer days - bummer!
London, especially the nephews, was very cool (and not literally - was quite warm really - touch wood but so far I've not had a single day with rain!).
After London it was Glasgow - catching the whisper jet (that's what they used to called) from London City Airport - sweet - and up to Glasgow.
Fantastic to see Helen again, meet her son (Aidan - he's got the sweetest little accent), Nicole (daughter), Mark (husband), Helen's parents, Helen's brother (Jules) and his wife (Kirsty) and their kids. She took them out of school for a day and we all hung out together - went to the Glasgow Museum - it was really impressive; a beautiful old building. And Glasgow, I reckon, is a beautiful city - although I didn't (and by all accounts won't) get to see Drumchappe!!
Also had a stunning lunch with Helen and Mark in Glasg0w (in a little village outside Glasgow) - yummy and the best coffee ever in the UK - courtesy of the Australian who made it! :)
Then in a plane (huge huge security queues - bar, touch wood, London City, security at UK airports is major suckee!) down to Gatwick, pissing about there trying to find the train (it's not very well laid out - where the ticket office is etc), then on the train and down to Portsmouth. Picked up by Sharon's son James, out to dinner that night (fantastic chinese meal!), the next day was over to the Isle of Wight (wow - a tip for the wise - garlic ice cream is really horrible!), then the Saturday to Liz's pub (I forget the name right now - duh) for fish and chips - Andrea (rather jet lagged!!) was there by that stage - yah - and then the party that night - yah! Not sure wha the poms thought of the hongi!).
Next day (Sunday) was a 5 pound bus trip to London - free wifi but I kind've slept - and felt gross. Caught up with Deb, thought I had a tooth absess, found Ji, went donkey riding with the nephews - well, they rode the donkey - most very very cool.
Then out to Gatwick - waited an hour for the bloody bus to the hotel.
Next morning up - the most horrific queue for Easyjet to check in - just horrible!). Finally checked in (I'm talking 1 1/2 hours!), then security, then plane, then Montpellier.
:)
France!
It was sunny and warm.
And the hotels were all full. I found out later because of a bee conference. Go figure.
Finally found somewhere (it's kind've stressful when you don't have somewhere to sleep) and then off exploring Montpellier - what a nice city! Did the walking tour, dinner, sleep (until after 10am!), breakfast, the cathedral, the old town, the Odyseum (odd but cool), a moroccan meal - yum - and then more sleep - well, broken sleep.
Then up this morning, more breakfast, a train to Nimes (god, the french train system - nice trains but trying to get a ticket - what a hassle - icky!).
Then, Nimes, picked up the car (Lol - I'm not driving, Ji is as she's from Germany); we have a sat nav system - very cool.
Then to the Tour Magna - very very cool, it's been much hotter here today - yah! Into the town, a bit of looking around and shopping, some food for dinner and then back to the YHA.
Which is where I am now, waiting for my laundry to dry - hehe
I'll have to fill in more details in due course - but how all very cool!
It's pretty late so I'm not going to write too much here - and it'll take me a while to remember everything that has happened.
I also have dozens and dozens of photos which I guess I should at some stage sort and post.
But very quickly:
HK to London - HK was amazing. The trip to London was a trip to London - all very weird on the plane as they make you sleep; when it's daylight and you don't really want to sleep - odd!!
London - into London (Sarah my sister picked me up - yah) and hanging out there. Very cool as within a couple of hours arriving (on the Tuesday) I was outside my nephew Daniel's school picking him up! Very cool. Andrew was a bit slow to warm up - who is this strange man he is thinking - but after Daniel saw me, Andrew kind've realised that I was ok - and now we get on a like a house on fire.
In London some highlights were - my nephews - easy-peasy. Went bike shopping with them, dinners, hanging out, the aquarium (really good in London - go) and just generally being Uncle Mike. Priscilla - yes, saw the stage show - and Jason Donovan. What an amazing show - just absolutely stunning!! :) Buckingham Palace with Michael, Sue, Liz and Sharon - wow tour. The inside is really really impressive!!
In London some not highlights were getting a cold - which I still have the vestigives of over a week later - and spending a whole day in bed with a cold and throwing up (food poisoning I think) - and it was apparently the last of the perfect summer days - bummer!
London, especially the nephews, was very cool (and not literally - was quite warm really - touch wood but so far I've not had a single day with rain!).
After London it was Glasgow - catching the whisper jet (that's what they used to called) from London City Airport - sweet - and up to Glasgow.
Fantastic to see Helen again, meet her son (Aidan - he's got the sweetest little accent), Nicole (daughter), Mark (husband), Helen's parents, Helen's brother (Jules) and his wife (Kirsty) and their kids. She took them out of school for a day and we all hung out together - went to the Glasgow Museum - it was really impressive; a beautiful old building. And Glasgow, I reckon, is a beautiful city - although I didn't (and by all accounts won't) get to see Drumchappe!!
Also had a stunning lunch with Helen and Mark in Glasg0w (in a little village outside Glasgow) - yummy and the best coffee ever in the UK - courtesy of the Australian who made it! :)
Then in a plane (huge huge security queues - bar, touch wood, London City, security at UK airports is major suckee!) down to Gatwick, pissing about there trying to find the train (it's not very well laid out - where the ticket office is etc), then on the train and down to Portsmouth. Picked up by Sharon's son James, out to dinner that night (fantastic chinese meal!), the next day was over to the Isle of Wight (wow - a tip for the wise - garlic ice cream is really horrible!), then the Saturday to Liz's pub (I forget the name right now - duh) for fish and chips - Andrea (rather jet lagged!!) was there by that stage - yah - and then the party that night - yah! Not sure wha the poms thought of the hongi!).
Next day (Sunday) was a 5 pound bus trip to London - free wifi but I kind've slept - and felt gross. Caught up with Deb, thought I had a tooth absess, found Ji, went donkey riding with the nephews - well, they rode the donkey - most very very cool.
Then out to Gatwick - waited an hour for the bloody bus to the hotel.
Next morning up - the most horrific queue for Easyjet to check in - just horrible!). Finally checked in (I'm talking 1 1/2 hours!), then security, then plane, then Montpellier.
:)
France!
It was sunny and warm.
And the hotels were all full. I found out later because of a bee conference. Go figure.
Finally found somewhere (it's kind've stressful when you don't have somewhere to sleep) and then off exploring Montpellier - what a nice city! Did the walking tour, dinner, sleep (until after 10am!), breakfast, the cathedral, the old town, the Odyseum (odd but cool), a moroccan meal - yum - and then more sleep - well, broken sleep.
Then up this morning, more breakfast, a train to Nimes (god, the french train system - nice trains but trying to get a ticket - what a hassle - icky!).
Then, Nimes, picked up the car (Lol - I'm not driving, Ji is as she's from Germany); we have a sat nav system - very cool.
Then to the Tour Magna - very very cool, it's been much hotter here today - yah! Into the town, a bit of looking around and shopping, some food for dinner and then back to the YHA.
Which is where I am now, waiting for my laundry to dry - hehe
I'll have to fill in more details in due course - but how all very cool!
Monday, 7 September 2009
Very quickly and very early.... HK Airport
Well, here I am at Hong Kong Airport. It's about 6.52am local time. I was up at 4am local time. Checked out, to the airport ($230 HK - not bad and no traffic at that time of the morning), checked in and it was so early that security hadn't even opened yet! Duh - doesn't open until 6am - and neither really does anything else.
Oh, well, there we go!
Hong Kong was amazing - it's hard to think that I was only here for 60 hours - the amount I packed in - amazing hotel, full on shopping, people, food (amazing amounts of stunning food), Victoria Peak (wowser amazing - make sure you pay to go up to the look out thing!), the convention centre, Stanley Bay, Causeway Bay, seafood so fresh I picked it from the tank!, noodles, thai, HK style breakfast, the light show (the city at night looking across the harbour is truly, truly stunning), Kwoloon Park and so on.
Just start!
They've just called my plane so better log off and get going!
Pictures and details (lol - so I don't forget!) to come!
Sunday, 6 September 2009
A quickie before breakfast... HK
Hong Kong Rocks.
Full stop.
The hotel I'm staying in is simply divine! You will absolutely love it. I absolutely love it.
A jetlagged Cookie who only slept for 4 hours last night is about to have a shower and get a bit to eat before hitting the day - so will update the blog later.
But wow... wow... wow....
:)
Saturday, 5 September 2009
5 September 2009
After getting to bed after 11pm, and getting some sleep, I got up, showered, shaved, slapped my face and made it to Wellington Airport.
And so my holiday 2009 started....
Checked in - nice. Coffee with Moon (you may know him as Alex!!) and Aaron - nice. Mojo coffee is nice!
Then into the lounge - very civilised, very early and no 100mls Boss - please, there I was wanting to spend money and no go! It had to wait until Sydney.
Onto the plane - must admit, the bypassing the queue to get on the plane when I'm
half asleep and wondering what's up is kind've nice - nice!
And the flight was great. Sat next to Susu, a policy specialist from UNICEF who was in Wellington for a conference on child trafficing. What a stunning person - we spent a chunk of the 3 1/2 hours flight chatting (ok, about 2 1/2 hours of chatting is a chunk - but is it most of the time?). Anyway, what an interesting person. She's from Myanmar and has personally interviewed Ang Sang Sui Kyi. What was also interesting is that, from her perspective, it should be Myanmar and not Burma. As part of her doctoral thesis, she set out the name history of Myanmar - and basically when the British came in 1840 (something) they came up from the Indian Ocean and the first people they came across were the Burme (or however it's spelt). The Brits mispronounced it and called the country Burma - whereas it was Myanmar for centuries; basically there is no ethnic group of "Myanmars" so it's a name to cover all the groups who live in the country.
Bizarrely - the junta actually gave back the country it's historic name.
Anyway - after much food, much chatting, more food (and yes, champagne to start and feijoa smoothies throughout - I'm going to put on even more weight), into Sydney we arrived. Off the plane, through security, Boss 100mls acquired, into the lounge, a nice hot shower and I'm now sitting in the sun, watching planes land and drinking lots of water! Classic.
And yes, I did see 2 A380s - a Singapore Airlines one and an Emirites one. Big planes.
Onwards and upwards as they say!
Tuesday, 22 April 2008
A very special entry...
I am now back home.
It's Tuesday, 22 April 2008.
My sister, my brother-in-law and my two nephews are on a plane back to London.
I'm writing this at 11.47pm and they will have been in the air for 17 minutes.
I was in AK saying goodbye. I took them to the airport; their last drive in NZ.
I can still see my two super-gorgeous special nephews waving goodbye; the youngest just giving me the biggest smile. I miss them. Very very much. Safe journeys my beautiful little men.
Safe journeys to Matt and Sarah too - come back safe! Soon!!
:)
Monday, 17 December 2007
Not that I have anything particular to say...
Well, it's not as though I have anything particularly exciting to say.
I rang TelstraClear today and got my epg sorted. Oh, so exciting.
I forgot where I met Conrad. OMG, how pathetic.
I missed going for a swim. OMG how fattening.
I can't work out why Helen is fucking it up so much - I mean please Helen - stop mooning about with .... and get focused. Mind you - the Greens have bit to answer for too...
I had pasta for dinner. With diet lemonade. Does one offset the other?
I've had my hit of Heroes and want more. I've got dishes to do, sleep to be had and shirts to iron. OMG - my life is so not a soap opera and so needs things to happen.
Mind you.... I do know some things... But, oh well, as David Hartnell says - my lips are sealed...
And yes, I realise that this isn't the way to get people to read my blog. I need to either write witty, insightful enteries or purely salacious gossipy terribly paparazzi articles.....
Yes, well - we shall see....
Instead my dishes call....
I rang TelstraClear today and got my epg sorted. Oh, so exciting.
I forgot where I met Conrad. OMG, how pathetic.
I missed going for a swim. OMG how fattening.
I can't work out why Helen is fucking it up so much - I mean please Helen - stop mooning about with .... and get focused. Mind you - the Greens have bit to answer for too...
I had pasta for dinner. With diet lemonade. Does one offset the other?
I've had my hit of Heroes and want more. I've got dishes to do, sleep to be had and shirts to iron. OMG - my life is so not a soap opera and so needs things to happen.
Mind you.... I do know some things... But, oh well, as David Hartnell says - my lips are sealed...
And yes, I realise that this isn't the way to get people to read my blog. I need to either write witty, insightful enteries or purely salacious gossipy terribly paparazzi articles.....
Yes, well - we shall see....
Instead my dishes call....
Saturday, 15 December 2007
The First For a While...
Although I'm not sure that I'm inspired to be a blog writer, nor am I particularly inspired to get out of the moshpit today and do anything - that may however be another story - I have this fine day in December been introduced to The Paul World. Maybe the closest thing to this is Tales of the City but kiwi'ised. But, as I felt the need to point out certain things in relation to The Paul World (including other things as references to not diddle, not wee wee, not wangdang etc) which may somehow end up with people linking back to this blog, it got me thinking that the last thing I really wanted people to read about on my blog was my barfing for hours on a plane from Bangkok to Sydney. Although, they too may not want to read this drivel; but too late I guess if they've got this far.
Anyway, without further ado - I bid you adieu - I really need to move my fat ass today....
Although, yes, I have had a shower, put on some laundry, hung out some laundry, drunk coffee (and this is a little test - but I guess that's the thing that must be done every morning in The Paul World).
Anyway, without further ado - I bid you adieu - I really need to move my fat ass today....
Although, yes, I have had a shower, put on some laundry, hung out some laundry, drunk coffee (and this is a little test - but I guess that's the thing that must be done every morning in The Paul World).
Monday, 6 August 2007
Sydney Barfing....
It's 7.20am Sydney time, I've arrived.
I'm sleepy. Full of a cold.
Spent the flight from Bangkok to Sydney (upstairs - yah) throwing up and sitting on the toilet. Too much information. Lol - not a pleasant flight. Power chucking at 40,000 feet - it rocks!
They even wore rubber gloves when they collected my iced face towels (yah - they felt just wonderful) - feel isolation!
But the leg room was wonderful. And they gave me a electrolite drink to replace to the fluids. So, they do look after you!
And a couple of hours here, had a lovely shower, and about to tempt a cup of tea!
OMG - it's really coming to an end! Sent a txt to my sister and apparently my nephew Daniel still asks after Mike when he sees a plane - cause I went on one!
Fab.
:)
Mmm... Do I need to barf again?
I'm sleepy. Full of a cold.
Spent the flight from Bangkok to Sydney (upstairs - yah) throwing up and sitting on the toilet. Too much information. Lol - not a pleasant flight. Power chucking at 40,000 feet - it rocks!
They even wore rubber gloves when they collected my iced face towels (yah - they felt just wonderful) - feel isolation!
But the leg room was wonderful. And they gave me a electrolite drink to replace to the fluids. So, they do look after you!
And a couple of hours here, had a lovely shower, and about to tempt a cup of tea!
OMG - it's really coming to an end! Sent a txt to my sister and apparently my nephew Daniel still asks after Mike when he sees a plane - cause I went on one!
Fab.
:)
Mmm... Do I need to barf again?
And so it ends...
Well, almost...
I'm sitting at Bangkok Airport, with a cold, not particularly looking forward to spending 12 hours on planes but what can one do!!
So, it's hard to believe that it's been 7 weeks that I've not been at work!
What else did I do in Bangkok? Well, surprising not a lot - it's been rather blobby here really.
I did things like:
Go to the movies and see Harry Potter - it's ok and a lot darker than the first films;
Hung out a bit at the night markets (crap and later discovered that the better night markets at at some park - I can look up the name if you're interested);
Become more disinterested/disenchanted/dis-something/dis-everything in the sex industry (let's just say there were arguments, disagreements and sometimes people have to agree to disagree);
Chatuchuk Markets - which was just massive. Apparently there are in excess of 50,000 stalls - and it seems to just go on and on and on... It's pretty amazing really. Clothes, souvenirs, household items, food, animals, decorations (pictures etc) - it's all there. A lot is "fixed price" and who knows whether it's meant or not - but we arrived around midday and it was so hot and stuffy I don't think people were particularly interested. Didn't find the wet market, didn't see half of it really - but it was huge. They've pulled down a whole section of it and are building a big mall - so I guess it's being cleaned up. Although when that happens who knows where the thais will shop - apparently the average weekly income here is about 1500 baht - that's about $75 a week. So, we are incredibly incredibly wealthy by comparison. At Chatuchuk I saw an old woman who was selling tissues for 10 baht - that would've been her only source of income; it really is heartwrenching (and yes I did buy some for 20 baht - no change).
Shopping - did a bit of shopping but got kind've sick of it. The prices are impossible to work out (is it fixed price or not) and whether the good are originals or not (everything is an original!) is impossible too - I spend most of the "shopping time" in the MBK Centre - it should be real but it's hard to tell - impossible actually. There is just sooooo much - it really is consumption, consumption, consumption. The other difficult is that a Thai XL is different from a Cookie X, as is Thai 36 - I tried on a pair of jeans that should've fitted - but I couldn't even get them up my legs - go figure (pity too - they were quite nice!). The shopping is over the top though, clothes are pretty good (if you can get them to fit and you can get around that it's all hot weather gear and we live in a cold weather environment) but electronic stuff is way more expensive (get it in Germany - cheap cheap!). The night markets are not good - to the extent that there was one guy trying to sell me DVDs and I inquired about how much; he stold me, I said that I off to dinner first he then started yelling "f... you" as I walked away - it was quite aggressive here compared to Phuket.
The heat - it's really oppressive, maybe not helped by getting a cold. But seeing the size of the aircon ducts on the MBK Centre you can see how much heat is being pumped into an already hot atmosphere. And being over airconditioned is as bad.
Managed to go for my first swim in 7 weeks - lol! It was the pool at the hotel which is part of the Olympic Club which is apparently one of the best gyms in Bangkok - managed to swim 70 lengths. Funny! Thought I was going to sink though! Was told, too, that the showers in the Olympic Club have a sign that if more than one person is found in a shower cubicle they will cancel your membership. A sign of the Bangkok mentality. It's a nice pool though, nice hotel and really handy to the skytrain - which is great.
Met some German guy who ended up showing us a very cool restaurant down in Patpong (Bug and Bee) and we spoke for ages - he lives here and I think he was enjoying having some Europeans to talk to. As we read in a mag in Phuket, the Thai people are naturally reticent and shy; if they come up to you in the street it's for a reason (ie money) and it's really hard to actually meet Thai people on a friendship level. Having said that, generally people were really lovely, a smile goes a long long way - as does quietly quietly gently gently....
Ate far too much - I've put on disgusting amounts of weight and so the philosophy of "eat whatever" is going to have to stop! Although the food is very nice here - and you can eat very cheaply. One night we went to a great restaurant called Sphinx - took a bit of finding (which doesn't sound that much of a hassle until you're wandering down little alleys, it's stinking hot and if you ask directions people want a tip. But we found it and I can thoroughly recommend it!
I did suit shop. Enough said. Lol!
Looked around. Saw a different Bangkok this time I think.
Generally though I enjoyed Thailand - maybe though, and I never thought I'd say this, after 7 weeks, I think I'm ready to come home (and to sleep a little bit - I'm due back on Wednesday at work - if anyone is reading thing, I might either be late or not there for long! And my experience of Bangkok was different this time. Why? Many reasons - ask me about them.
So, my big holiday is now drawing to a close. I've been away and turned 40, discovered a few things (some things really shouldn't be discussed on a public blog now should they), certainly decided that lieflat beds on planes are really nice, completely miss my nephews, think that new things to see are great but it's even better catching up with friends whom I've not seen for like ever but it was like it was only yesterday that we last saw each other, eaten some wonderful wonderful food, kind've gotten over Haagen Daaz (it's nice but so expensive for what it is), found that one can burn by a pool even if it's cloudy, climbed mountains, saw ancient castles, roman ruins, palaces and towers, walls and torture chambers, went on trains and gondolas and sleds, played in snow, had barbecues, spoke different languages, didn't send nearly enough postcards and far too many txts and just enjoyed myself! Did I mention loved hanging out with my nephews? And friends? But all in all it has been a rather most excellent time. Have spent silly amounts of money, seen some amazing things and discovered that the world is a pretty magical place!
Well, I might go have a drink of water and think about meandering to the plane...
Home here I come...
I'm sitting at Bangkok Airport, with a cold, not particularly looking forward to spending 12 hours on planes but what can one do!!
So, it's hard to believe that it's been 7 weeks that I've not been at work!
What else did I do in Bangkok? Well, surprising not a lot - it's been rather blobby here really.
I did things like:
Go to the movies and see Harry Potter - it's ok and a lot darker than the first films;
Hung out a bit at the night markets (crap and later discovered that the better night markets at at some park - I can look up the name if you're interested);
Become more disinterested/disenchanted/dis-something/dis-everything in the sex industry (let's just say there were arguments, disagreements and sometimes people have to agree to disagree);
Chatuchuk Markets - which was just massive. Apparently there are in excess of 50,000 stalls - and it seems to just go on and on and on... It's pretty amazing really. Clothes, souvenirs, household items, food, animals, decorations (pictures etc) - it's all there. A lot is "fixed price" and who knows whether it's meant or not - but we arrived around midday and it was so hot and stuffy I don't think people were particularly interested. Didn't find the wet market, didn't see half of it really - but it was huge. They've pulled down a whole section of it and are building a big mall - so I guess it's being cleaned up. Although when that happens who knows where the thais will shop - apparently the average weekly income here is about 1500 baht - that's about $75 a week. So, we are incredibly incredibly wealthy by comparison. At Chatuchuk I saw an old woman who was selling tissues for 10 baht - that would've been her only source of income; it really is heartwrenching (and yes I did buy some for 20 baht - no change).
Shopping - did a bit of shopping but got kind've sick of it. The prices are impossible to work out (is it fixed price or not) and whether the good are originals or not (everything is an original!) is impossible too - I spend most of the "shopping time" in the MBK Centre - it should be real but it's hard to tell - impossible actually. There is just sooooo much - it really is consumption, consumption, consumption. The other difficult is that a Thai XL is different from a Cookie X, as is Thai 36 - I tried on a pair of jeans that should've fitted - but I couldn't even get them up my legs - go figure (pity too - they were quite nice!). The shopping is over the top though, clothes are pretty good (if you can get them to fit and you can get around that it's all hot weather gear and we live in a cold weather environment) but electronic stuff is way more expensive (get it in Germany - cheap cheap!). The night markets are not good - to the extent that there was one guy trying to sell me DVDs and I inquired about how much; he stold me, I said that I off to dinner first he then started yelling "f... you" as I walked away - it was quite aggressive here compared to Phuket.
The heat - it's really oppressive, maybe not helped by getting a cold. But seeing the size of the aircon ducts on the MBK Centre you can see how much heat is being pumped into an already hot atmosphere. And being over airconditioned is as bad.
Managed to go for my first swim in 7 weeks - lol! It was the pool at the hotel which is part of the Olympic Club which is apparently one of the best gyms in Bangkok - managed to swim 70 lengths. Funny! Thought I was going to sink though! Was told, too, that the showers in the Olympic Club have a sign that if more than one person is found in a shower cubicle they will cancel your membership. A sign of the Bangkok mentality. It's a nice pool though, nice hotel and really handy to the skytrain - which is great.
Met some German guy who ended up showing us a very cool restaurant down in Patpong (Bug and Bee) and we spoke for ages - he lives here and I think he was enjoying having some Europeans to talk to. As we read in a mag in Phuket, the Thai people are naturally reticent and shy; if they come up to you in the street it's for a reason (ie money) and it's really hard to actually meet Thai people on a friendship level. Having said that, generally people were really lovely, a smile goes a long long way - as does quietly quietly gently gently....
Ate far too much - I've put on disgusting amounts of weight and so the philosophy of "eat whatever" is going to have to stop! Although the food is very nice here - and you can eat very cheaply. One night we went to a great restaurant called Sphinx - took a bit of finding (which doesn't sound that much of a hassle until you're wandering down little alleys, it's stinking hot and if you ask directions people want a tip. But we found it and I can thoroughly recommend it!
I did suit shop. Enough said. Lol!
Looked around. Saw a different Bangkok this time I think.
Generally though I enjoyed Thailand - maybe though, and I never thought I'd say this, after 7 weeks, I think I'm ready to come home (and to sleep a little bit - I'm due back on Wednesday at work - if anyone is reading thing, I might either be late or not there for long! And my experience of Bangkok was different this time. Why? Many reasons - ask me about them.
So, my big holiday is now drawing to a close. I've been away and turned 40, discovered a few things (some things really shouldn't be discussed on a public blog now should they), certainly decided that lieflat beds on planes are really nice, completely miss my nephews, think that new things to see are great but it's even better catching up with friends whom I've not seen for like ever but it was like it was only yesterday that we last saw each other, eaten some wonderful wonderful food, kind've gotten over Haagen Daaz (it's nice but so expensive for what it is), found that one can burn by a pool even if it's cloudy, climbed mountains, saw ancient castles, roman ruins, palaces and towers, walls and torture chambers, went on trains and gondolas and sleds, played in snow, had barbecues, spoke different languages, didn't send nearly enough postcards and far too many txts and just enjoyed myself! Did I mention loved hanging out with my nephews? And friends? But all in all it has been a rather most excellent time. Have spent silly amounts of money, seen some amazing things and discovered that the world is a pretty magical place!
Well, I might go have a drink of water and think about meandering to the plane...
Home here I come...
Friday, 3 August 2007
It's sadness...
Kia ora all,
After a bit of a break - funny - ok after nearly 6 weeks away I'm getting really ready to come home.
I miss my little nephews in England like crazy - I've got some of the coolest photos of them and every time I look at them I think, wow - I really want to pop around for a cuppa and a play in the park...
So, a very quick snapshot of what's what.
Well, I'm in Bangkok.
Flew from London to Helsinki - BA. Stopped in Helsinki. Finland looks lovely - the thing that struck me the most was the trees - there are so many and everywhere - huge pine trees that you see in postcards!
So stopped at the airport for a bit - not that anything happened - you know, sitting in an airport, hanging around, la la la la. Then on to the Finnair flight to Bangkok.
I'm telling you - business class rocks - and it's the leg room! I fairly managed to sleep for nearly 6 hours - maybe tired and maybe just cause I could stretch out!
But it was nice, chatted with the wonderful Emma from Australia who was on the same flight (she flew from Italy, to Paris to Helsinki to Bangkok - go figure!) and then arrived in Bangkok!
:)
Went to the baggage claim. One bag came through. Hmm... Odd that the other one didn't. Still didn't come through. Why would one make it and not the other? Why would the one with the nappies (yes, I'm bringing a bag of nappies back - go figure) make it but the one with clothes wouldn't? Yes. There's the nice lady from luggage queries. Yes, I've only got one bag and the other isn't here. Yes, here's the tag. Oh, you're looking it up on the computer. Oh, it never left London. I see. So two bags checked in at the same time, one got on the plane to Helsinki and then to Bangkok. The other had a little rest in Bangkok? (I didn't actually say those last two sentences to her!). They were really nice, could tell me where my bag was, gave me a little pack (so I scored a free Finnair teeshirt) and said that it was on a plane from Heathrow and they'd courier it to my hotel - which they did and it arrived about 9pm that night. So all up a very good thing - apart from my not having any shorts or sandles with me - and it's hot here in Thailand!!
Hung at the airport, Peter turned up, on the Thai Airways plane to Phuket (they still feed you on Thai Airways), Phuket airport (which was great for me - no checked luggage - the nappies are in storage at Bangkok) and then a taxi to the hotel. Checked in. A lovely refreshing drink, a cold towel. Then taken to our room, overlooking the sea - just wonderful!
I can so recommend the Amari Coral Beach Resort - it was just stunning. Two amazing pools, wonderful views, great restaurants, fantastic cocktails, a private jetty with a bar on it for drinks to watch the sunset, over the top breakfasts, more pools, food, drinks - it was just magical. And it was about 10 minutes walk from Patong (more on that later) so it's really close but it's really quite.
It was the low season so although there were a lot of tourists around, it wasn't too busy. Having said that, the Amari was operating at 85-95% capacity! It employs 282 staff, of which 29 are gardeners! Go figure!
But, let's see, what did I do in Phuket. Ate thai food, drunk caiprihias (or however they're spelt - and I can't pronounce them!), went on a day boat trip up to Phanaga (something like that) national park where we stopped at James Bond Island (which is really small, and full of little tourist shops selling shells which you can't bring back to NZ without a CITES certificate which, of course, they don't have!), then to two more island where we got in little three person canoes (Peter and I and the guide who paddled) and went into the islands - it was just amazing. The first he took us into this cave that I though was impossible (trust me, lie flat on the boat), the second island he took us into the inside of the island (it was hollow) and the entrance was so narrow I had to twist onto my side as my shoulders were too wide to get through the gap - and I don't have any shoulders!!). It was just amazing!! (oh, and on the way back out the tide had dropped so no probs getting back out). The second island (hollow in the middle) was so quite and peaceful - until some noisy louts arrived - don't know which country they were from but what tossers. It was a mangrove forest on the inside - just stunning.
Then it was lunch on the boat, followed by an hour on a tropical island having a swim and a play in the canoe. Most very very excellent.
The next day sat around the pool - a whole day of doing nothing - just great, and sunburnt.... Yep - I'm kind've red (it's toning down a bit) and waiting for the peeling to start - at least it's not as sore as it was!! Even here, when it's cloudy, the sun can be a killer!! Lol!
Umm, another day we hired a car and driver and drove around the bottom part of Phuket, past Karon and Kata Beach (nicer beaches than Patong but I think our resort was the best place to stay easilty), to the look out where I had a photo taken with a sea eagle - what a magnificent bird, the pistol range (fired a .45 - wow! Useless though - 57%!!), saw snakes (obligatory photo with a python), monkeys (obligatory photo with a monkey), then a jewellery shop (of course) and yes, if you ask nicely I'll show you my emerald earing, the cashew nut factory (lots of cashews - and it was interesting to see how labour intensive it is to produce them - and thus why they are so expensive) and finally the butterfly park (with insects - huge spiders which were icky but the butterflys were just awesome!).
All that for a price of 600 baht - which is about $30. The guy (in a brand new aircon car) said that as it's the off season we were his first job in 3 days - whether it's true I don't know but as you walk down Patong Beach all these guys ask if you want a taxi - so that's what we did - just got him from the beach. At 600 baht (which is nothing) we didn't even bother bargaining and actually paid him 1000 baht (we took an hour longer than we originally said) - which was a whole $25NZ each for Peter and I for 5 plus hours of personal tours. Poverty sucks, it's really hard here, I figure that people are only trying to make a buck and far out - $25 dollars for so much is nothing from the wealth of a western nation.
The nightlife/sex industry - I might write another blog entry about that. Let's just say:
1. Yes, I did go to gogo bars. No, they were completely cras and sad. In so many ways.
2. Yes, it's completely exploitive and just gutting that young guys, who have nothing but their bodies, have no other options or ways of eating, than to wear virtually nothing and parade around like cattle hoping to be bought by foreigners.
3. Yes, the "old white men" and the "young thai boys/girls" are everywhere - maybe I didn't notice it as much last time. Or maybe, having gone to some gogo bars, I'm just more aware of how something it is - I'm not sure how to describe it.
4. I'm not sure what the answer is though - but it's actually pretty sick.
Enough on that at the moment.
Went to some bars (ordinary bars), a very very good club in Patong - but it was empty as it's the off season, saw an amazing drag show, ate more, lounged around lots and didn't really buy anything.
Then it was off to Bangkok. And I'm here.
Yep - last night went out with Peter to the gay boy district. The whole sex industry thing is offputting - it's exploitation of disempowered people by wealthy foreigners. I do not accept the argument, which has been given to me, that it's consensual and the only that these young guys or girls can earn a buck. There must be a better way. Full stop.
Maybe, having turned 40, I'm slowly growing up. OMG - I'm 40!! Sorry - little panic attack there!! Ha ha!!
Went to a club - DJ Station - not bad, average music and although I got in in shorts and sandels (go figure) and being in a bouncy club (a nightclug like anywhere else in the world!) in sandels with lots of bopping people - not good!! I need sneakers!
Yes, I've ordered some suits - yes you can buy them very cheaply here (although I paid a bit more and bought some lovely italian material - assuming it's true what he told me), it's possble to get 2 suits (2 trousers each suit) and 5 shirts for about $900 NZ. Like I said, I've paid a bit more, but also am getting another shirt and an argyll jacket (for my kilt - they've got the picture of the jacket so who knows what it will look like when it's made!!).
I'm now mucking about in the hotel room, about to go for a walk, see a bit more of Bangkok (which is a lot hotter and "stuffier" than Phuket - no sea breezes) and maybe do a bit of shopping - it never ends here!.
Be good and be excellent!
Yah!! :)
After a bit of a break - funny - ok after nearly 6 weeks away I'm getting really ready to come home.
I miss my little nephews in England like crazy - I've got some of the coolest photos of them and every time I look at them I think, wow - I really want to pop around for a cuppa and a play in the park...
So, a very quick snapshot of what's what.
Well, I'm in Bangkok.
Flew from London to Helsinki - BA. Stopped in Helsinki. Finland looks lovely - the thing that struck me the most was the trees - there are so many and everywhere - huge pine trees that you see in postcards!
So stopped at the airport for a bit - not that anything happened - you know, sitting in an airport, hanging around, la la la la. Then on to the Finnair flight to Bangkok.
I'm telling you - business class rocks - and it's the leg room! I fairly managed to sleep for nearly 6 hours - maybe tired and maybe just cause I could stretch out!
But it was nice, chatted with the wonderful Emma from Australia who was on the same flight (she flew from Italy, to Paris to Helsinki to Bangkok - go figure!) and then arrived in Bangkok!
:)
Went to the baggage claim. One bag came through. Hmm... Odd that the other one didn't. Still didn't come through. Why would one make it and not the other? Why would the one with the nappies (yes, I'm bringing a bag of nappies back - go figure) make it but the one with clothes wouldn't? Yes. There's the nice lady from luggage queries. Yes, I've only got one bag and the other isn't here. Yes, here's the tag. Oh, you're looking it up on the computer. Oh, it never left London. I see. So two bags checked in at the same time, one got on the plane to Helsinki and then to Bangkok. The other had a little rest in Bangkok? (I didn't actually say those last two sentences to her!). They were really nice, could tell me where my bag was, gave me a little pack (so I scored a free Finnair teeshirt) and said that it was on a plane from Heathrow and they'd courier it to my hotel - which they did and it arrived about 9pm that night. So all up a very good thing - apart from my not having any shorts or sandles with me - and it's hot here in Thailand!!
Hung at the airport, Peter turned up, on the Thai Airways plane to Phuket (they still feed you on Thai Airways), Phuket airport (which was great for me - no checked luggage - the nappies are in storage at Bangkok) and then a taxi to the hotel. Checked in. A lovely refreshing drink, a cold towel. Then taken to our room, overlooking the sea - just wonderful!
I can so recommend the Amari Coral Beach Resort - it was just stunning. Two amazing pools, wonderful views, great restaurants, fantastic cocktails, a private jetty with a bar on it for drinks to watch the sunset, over the top breakfasts, more pools, food, drinks - it was just magical. And it was about 10 minutes walk from Patong (more on that later) so it's really close but it's really quite.
It was the low season so although there were a lot of tourists around, it wasn't too busy. Having said that, the Amari was operating at 85-95% capacity! It employs 282 staff, of which 29 are gardeners! Go figure!
But, let's see, what did I do in Phuket. Ate thai food, drunk caiprihias (or however they're spelt - and I can't pronounce them!), went on a day boat trip up to Phanaga (something like that) national park where we stopped at James Bond Island (which is really small, and full of little tourist shops selling shells which you can't bring back to NZ without a CITES certificate which, of course, they don't have!), then to two more island where we got in little three person canoes (Peter and I and the guide who paddled) and went into the islands - it was just amazing. The first he took us into this cave that I though was impossible (trust me, lie flat on the boat), the second island he took us into the inside of the island (it was hollow) and the entrance was so narrow I had to twist onto my side as my shoulders were too wide to get through the gap - and I don't have any shoulders!!). It was just amazing!! (oh, and on the way back out the tide had dropped so no probs getting back out). The second island (hollow in the middle) was so quite and peaceful - until some noisy louts arrived - don't know which country they were from but what tossers. It was a mangrove forest on the inside - just stunning.
Then it was lunch on the boat, followed by an hour on a tropical island having a swim and a play in the canoe. Most very very excellent.
The next day sat around the pool - a whole day of doing nothing - just great, and sunburnt.... Yep - I'm kind've red (it's toning down a bit) and waiting for the peeling to start - at least it's not as sore as it was!! Even here, when it's cloudy, the sun can be a killer!! Lol!
Umm, another day we hired a car and driver and drove around the bottom part of Phuket, past Karon and Kata Beach (nicer beaches than Patong but I think our resort was the best place to stay easilty), to the look out where I had a photo taken with a sea eagle - what a magnificent bird, the pistol range (fired a .45 - wow! Useless though - 57%!!), saw snakes (obligatory photo with a python), monkeys (obligatory photo with a monkey), then a jewellery shop (of course) and yes, if you ask nicely I'll show you my emerald earing, the cashew nut factory (lots of cashews - and it was interesting to see how labour intensive it is to produce them - and thus why they are so expensive) and finally the butterfly park (with insects - huge spiders which were icky but the butterflys were just awesome!).
All that for a price of 600 baht - which is about $30. The guy (in a brand new aircon car) said that as it's the off season we were his first job in 3 days - whether it's true I don't know but as you walk down Patong Beach all these guys ask if you want a taxi - so that's what we did - just got him from the beach. At 600 baht (which is nothing) we didn't even bother bargaining and actually paid him 1000 baht (we took an hour longer than we originally said) - which was a whole $25NZ each for Peter and I for 5 plus hours of personal tours. Poverty sucks, it's really hard here, I figure that people are only trying to make a buck and far out - $25 dollars for so much is nothing from the wealth of a western nation.
The nightlife/sex industry - I might write another blog entry about that. Let's just say:
1. Yes, I did go to gogo bars. No, they were completely cras and sad. In so many ways.
2. Yes, it's completely exploitive and just gutting that young guys, who have nothing but their bodies, have no other options or ways of eating, than to wear virtually nothing and parade around like cattle hoping to be bought by foreigners.
3. Yes, the "old white men" and the "young thai boys/girls" are everywhere - maybe I didn't notice it as much last time. Or maybe, having gone to some gogo bars, I'm just more aware of how something it is - I'm not sure how to describe it.
4. I'm not sure what the answer is though - but it's actually pretty sick.
Enough on that at the moment.
Went to some bars (ordinary bars), a very very good club in Patong - but it was empty as it's the off season, saw an amazing drag show, ate more, lounged around lots and didn't really buy anything.
Then it was off to Bangkok. And I'm here.
Yep - last night went out with Peter to the gay boy district. The whole sex industry thing is offputting - it's exploitation of disempowered people by wealthy foreigners. I do not accept the argument, which has been given to me, that it's consensual and the only that these young guys or girls can earn a buck. There must be a better way. Full stop.
Maybe, having turned 40, I'm slowly growing up. OMG - I'm 40!! Sorry - little panic attack there!! Ha ha!!
Went to a club - DJ Station - not bad, average music and although I got in in shorts and sandels (go figure) and being in a bouncy club (a nightclug like anywhere else in the world!) in sandels with lots of bopping people - not good!! I need sneakers!
Yes, I've ordered some suits - yes you can buy them very cheaply here (although I paid a bit more and bought some lovely italian material - assuming it's true what he told me), it's possble to get 2 suits (2 trousers each suit) and 5 shirts for about $900 NZ. Like I said, I've paid a bit more, but also am getting another shirt and an argyll jacket (for my kilt - they've got the picture of the jacket so who knows what it will look like when it's made!!).
I'm now mucking about in the hotel room, about to go for a walk, see a bit more of Bangkok (which is a lot hotter and "stuffier" than Phuket - no sea breezes) and maybe do a bit of shopping - it never ends here!.
Be good and be excellent!
Yah!! :)
Friday, 27 July 2007
At Heathrow...
Well, here I am sitting at the departure lounge at Heathrow Airport - my time in Europe is basically over.
It was really really horrible to say bye to Daniel and Andrew (and Sarah) - my nephews. We had a coffee and Andrew was just lying in my arms yabbering away saying baby stuff and Daniel was being a 2 2/3 year old full of energy! They are most cool.
Actually, the worstest thing about holidays is the saying bye bye to people knowing that I won't be able to pop in for a cuppa next week, or to just do stuff like sitting on a bus and a train with my nephew. It was very cool yesterday when we went to Bluewater - a big shopping complex (like really big - it went on and on and on and on) and on the way back Daniel and I caught a bus, then a train - and it was just pretty cool. He's a very cool little kid.
What else did I get up to? Can't remember if I wrote about Scotland - and I guess I shouldn't be so lazy and should really go back and look at earlier entries of blogs but lets say:
Helen and Mark are really cool. Fantastic hosts - my friends really are the bestest. Their daughter Nicole is just an absolute honey!!
We did lots - like shopping, the Falkirk Wheel, Stirling Castle (which is much more important than Edinburgh Castle - Stirling was at a river - can't remember the name - that had one crossing right below the castle and it split the Scottish lowlands from the highlands - and whoever controlled the castle controled Scotland. Edinburgh just sits on a hill full of tourists, the Tussochs (national park), a cruise on Lake Katrine on a real steam boat - which is going to stop using coal next year so it's possibly the last time I will ever actually be able to go on a working coal fired steam boat, Loch Lomond, more food, Glasgow, kilt shops, very most excellent curry shops (NZ curry maybe isn't as good - but it's not that bad!), recipes for paneer and lots of coffees and hanging out with my friends.
Scottish people are very cool and very friendly! Not sure though if they understand my accent!! He he!
Then it was time to say bye - again - it's not fun - and on the train to Glasgow and then down to London. Virgin trains are ok, the service is great - but really the French and Swiss trains just rock - the French cause they're so fast as so smooth, the Swiss because the views are just out there!!
London was most excellent - playing with nephews, having dinner with Marcus (yah for the gin and the indian food carrier things - the name of which has slipped my mind) and Nick and Deb (Deb - come back home!! - and say hi to Caro!) in Brick Lane - good curry (well I thought so - although apparently it's difficult to know where in Brick Lane does good stuff) but a run down area, some drugged out guy giving me grief but fab fab. It's so cool how, having not seen people for years, we just fall back into a patter of catching up - yah, I'm telling you, my friends rock!
Then the last day here yesterday, getting slowly out of bed (Lee - ta so much for your hospitality - actually, ta to everyone for their hospitality!), getting picked up by Sarah and Daniel, then over to Bluewater - train rides both ways - and then dinner and packing - with a slight hiccup as I forgot I had domestic internal flights in Thailand so not sure what to do with the extra luggage I was going to bring back for my other new nephew due to be born in August. Something will work out.
Then this morning it was up and journeys to Heathrow - passing a smash up on the M25 - ouch. And then coffee, cuddles and bye byes to my nephews and sister.
And now here, waiting for my plane to Helsinki and then more waits and then another flight to Bangkok and then another flight to Phuket - it's actually, let me think - from check in to arrival at Phuket is about 24 hours to Phuket. From home London to hotel Patong Beach though adds another 3 hours - so about 27 hours in total. OMG - will I sleep at all!! Eeek!
Anyway, I think I'll go find the loo (too much info but there you go), a quick bite and then off to my flight.
Bye London. Bye Scotland. Bye Europe....
It was really really horrible to say bye to Daniel and Andrew (and Sarah) - my nephews. We had a coffee and Andrew was just lying in my arms yabbering away saying baby stuff and Daniel was being a 2 2/3 year old full of energy! They are most cool.
Actually, the worstest thing about holidays is the saying bye bye to people knowing that I won't be able to pop in for a cuppa next week, or to just do stuff like sitting on a bus and a train with my nephew. It was very cool yesterday when we went to Bluewater - a big shopping complex (like really big - it went on and on and on and on) and on the way back Daniel and I caught a bus, then a train - and it was just pretty cool. He's a very cool little kid.
What else did I get up to? Can't remember if I wrote about Scotland - and I guess I shouldn't be so lazy and should really go back and look at earlier entries of blogs but lets say:
Helen and Mark are really cool. Fantastic hosts - my friends really are the bestest. Their daughter Nicole is just an absolute honey!!
We did lots - like shopping, the Falkirk Wheel, Stirling Castle (which is much more important than Edinburgh Castle - Stirling was at a river - can't remember the name - that had one crossing right below the castle and it split the Scottish lowlands from the highlands - and whoever controlled the castle controled Scotland. Edinburgh just sits on a hill full of tourists, the Tussochs (national park), a cruise on Lake Katrine on a real steam boat - which is going to stop using coal next year so it's possibly the last time I will ever actually be able to go on a working coal fired steam boat, Loch Lomond, more food, Glasgow, kilt shops, very most excellent curry shops (NZ curry maybe isn't as good - but it's not that bad!), recipes for paneer and lots of coffees and hanging out with my friends.
Scottish people are very cool and very friendly! Not sure though if they understand my accent!! He he!
Then it was time to say bye - again - it's not fun - and on the train to Glasgow and then down to London. Virgin trains are ok, the service is great - but really the French and Swiss trains just rock - the French cause they're so fast as so smooth, the Swiss because the views are just out there!!
London was most excellent - playing with nephews, having dinner with Marcus (yah for the gin and the indian food carrier things - the name of which has slipped my mind) and Nick and Deb (Deb - come back home!! - and say hi to Caro!) in Brick Lane - good curry (well I thought so - although apparently it's difficult to know where in Brick Lane does good stuff) but a run down area, some drugged out guy giving me grief but fab fab. It's so cool how, having not seen people for years, we just fall back into a patter of catching up - yah, I'm telling you, my friends rock!
Then the last day here yesterday, getting slowly out of bed (Lee - ta so much for your hospitality - actually, ta to everyone for their hospitality!), getting picked up by Sarah and Daniel, then over to Bluewater - train rides both ways - and then dinner and packing - with a slight hiccup as I forgot I had domestic internal flights in Thailand so not sure what to do with the extra luggage I was going to bring back for my other new nephew due to be born in August. Something will work out.
Then this morning it was up and journeys to Heathrow - passing a smash up on the M25 - ouch. And then coffee, cuddles and bye byes to my nephews and sister.
And now here, waiting for my plane to Helsinki and then more waits and then another flight to Bangkok and then another flight to Phuket - it's actually, let me think - from check in to arrival at Phuket is about 24 hours to Phuket. From home London to hotel Patong Beach though adds another 3 hours - so about 27 hours in total. OMG - will I sleep at all!! Eeek!
Anyway, I think I'll go find the loo (too much info but there you go), a quick bite and then off to my flight.
Bye London. Bye Scotland. Bye Europe....
Thursday, 26 July 2007
Almost time to go...
A very quick update.
Yep, I forgot things in Berlin.
Yep, I had a stunning time in Glasgow - the weirdest thing is that I'm not going to be able to pop around to Helen and Mark's next week to say hi and have a cuppa.
London is great - food, friends, hanging with my nephews (who are just so so cool), baggage questions - don't ask.
Tomorrow though, it's over and Thailand here I come....
:) and :( - I'll miss my nephews - they are very very cool!!
Yep, I forgot things in Berlin.
Yep, I had a stunning time in Glasgow - the weirdest thing is that I'm not going to be able to pop around to Helen and Mark's next week to say hi and have a cuppa.
London is great - food, friends, hanging with my nephews (who are just so so cool), baggage questions - don't ask.
Tomorrow though, it's over and Thailand here I come....
:) and :( - I'll miss my nephews - they are very very cool!!
Saturday, 21 July 2007
The high road...
I've taken the high road and am now happily esconsced in Glasgow in Scotland - having sadly left Germany and Ji behind....
Berlin - what a fantastically brilliant city in so many ways.
One of the things I am discovering about this blog is that, after a couple of days have passed, it's hard to remember all the things which have happened - because so much happens. It's kind've amazing how much you can pack into a day!!
Berlin was hot - in so many many ways... But temperature wise it was hot. Yah - some serious heat at last (although there was some on earlier parts of the trip I guess!!) - and this seemed to make the days, the people and the place more relaxed and langued - except my sister who didn't like the heat at all...
I did all kinds of things in Berlin - and as a suggestion for anyone who is going there - do one of the walking tours first - it'll give you a brilliant overview and insight into the city and where things are. Also, stay in Mitte - the historical part seems to mostly be in the old East Berlin.
The walking tour showed me all kinds of interesting things: where Berlin started (did you know that in Germany they pick the starting date of a city by the oldest document/reference that has been found to the city - so in Berlin it's something like 1239 - even if it's been around longer than that), one of the last beach bars, how to tell old East Berlin from West Berlin (generally the trams, the pre-fab buildings and pedestrian crossing lights (although they are now been used in West Berlin), the museum island, the monument to war (with a very powerful sculpture in it of a mother holding her dead son), Humboldt University where Marx studied, Einstein taught and 29 Noble Prize winners have come from, the prettiest square in Berlin, Checkpoint Charlie (where the guard post is not the original and a fence had to be put up to stop the woman who owns the Checkpoint Charlie museum from putting up crosses - she's been voted the most embarrassing Berliner for a few years running apparently), the SS torture prison - which I went back to, Hitler's bunker where he died (it's now marked by a sign which was totally unexpected when it went up), the Wall (there's not much left now), the Holocaust memorial (which is very very must go see), the Brandenburg Gate, the hotel where the gloved one dangled his baby, the Reichstag (the dome of which was closed for cleaning). Woven into the tour was a stunningly informative commentary - so very worth it.
One of the things that struck me about Berlin is that it's really easy to forget that not only is there the whole history of East/West Berlin but there was the Nazis before hand.
What else do I do in Berlin? Well, visited the gay museum (which was ok'ish - mostly gay history about Berlin, although it did have Maplethorpes's photo of William Burroughs standing in a William Tell pose (which is how Burroughs, out of it on LSD, had previously tried with his wife - unfortunately, he missed the apple). Had currywurst - I came, I currywursted, I left. More food. The DDR museum (on the history of East Berlin) - interesting but didn't really play up how the DDR was the most perfect police state to date, it did mention how things weren't available, but how there was employment, everyone had what they needed (do you really need a plasma screen?). It didn't, however, explore the psychology of what it must have been like to have been in East Berlin seeing the west and freedom but not being able to get there.
Which reminds me of the holocaust memorial - it is amazing - huge blocks on uneven ground that you walk through and it gives a sense of disorientation. But, controversial as it's only to the jews - what about the gays, the gypsies, the others murdered? So Berlin has agreed to two more memorials - one for the gays and the other for the gypsies. This has got Berliners asking - when is enough enough? The other controversy is that the anti-graffiti coating on the blocks is made by some company that has some connection to IG Farben - which made zyklon b which was the gas used to gas the victims of the holocaust. I also thought it ironic that the memorial is diagonally across the road from Hitler's bunker where he committed suicide.
Anyway, the history of East/West Berlin is fascinating - you've got to wonder at the psyche of people who have to wall in people so that they can't leave. You've also got to wonder about the wall in Berlin - and how that's what the jews are doing in Israel to the Palestinians. Yet the jews don't seem to get that they are creating a ghetto - which is what they were put in 60 years ago...
There was more food in Berlin, the Altes Museum seeing things which were thousands of years old (Greek and Roman), Nephretiti (or however that's spelt), amazing old papyrus, chocolate, cakes, meandering, wandering, looking, checking out, caiprihinias (which are great when it's hot - addicted to the brown sugar I think) and then it was leaving....
So on Friday it was a last wander around and then out to Berlin Tegel airport to catch the plane to Stansted and then to Glasgow. Sweet. Checked in sweet. Had a last chat to Ji. Sweet. Said goodbye to Ji. Sad. Passed through security. Searched. Again. But sweet. Then waited. And waited. And waited. And waited for Air Berlin to fly the spare part needed from Munich to Berlin to fix the plane. And waited. And three hours late left Berlin. Arrived in London. Told that we were booked on Easy Jet the next day and had a hotel for the night. Opps. Didn't they tell us in Berlin? Opps. No trains or other planes, Heathrow had been shut, the weather had been abysmal earlier in the day. No real problems for us (it was the Hilton) but meant I couldn't see Helen and Mark, and meet Nicole, until the next day (today) and for the people travelling to weddings in Glasgow it was a major bummer. The weather though in the UK has been abysmal and the mechanical fault in Berlin was just life...
So a hotel for the night where I got reminded how expensive things are in pounds. Sure, 7 dollars for a glass of wine in a restaurant in NZ is cheap - 7 pounds though convered to about $20 dollars is like ouch. Or 3 pounds for a cup of coffee (about $9NZ) in the restaurant.. Double ouch.
So be it though.
This morning is was EasyJet to Glagow - interesting, most cramped seats ever, a scramble to get on the plane (no allocated seating) - but we got here safely. To be met by Mark. Who told us how two weeks ago there was a terrorist attack at Glasgow airport! Go figure.
And finally I got to see my friend Helen and meet her beautiful daugher Nicole! Yah!
I've just been called for food - so better go!!
Yah!
ps. Just a thought - the pedestrian lights here in Glasgow have a seconds countdown so you know how long before they turn green and you can cross the road. Most excellent... :)
Berlin - what a fantastically brilliant city in so many ways.
One of the things I am discovering about this blog is that, after a couple of days have passed, it's hard to remember all the things which have happened - because so much happens. It's kind've amazing how much you can pack into a day!!
Berlin was hot - in so many many ways... But temperature wise it was hot. Yah - some serious heat at last (although there was some on earlier parts of the trip I guess!!) - and this seemed to make the days, the people and the place more relaxed and langued - except my sister who didn't like the heat at all...
I did all kinds of things in Berlin - and as a suggestion for anyone who is going there - do one of the walking tours first - it'll give you a brilliant overview and insight into the city and where things are. Also, stay in Mitte - the historical part seems to mostly be in the old East Berlin.
The walking tour showed me all kinds of interesting things: where Berlin started (did you know that in Germany they pick the starting date of a city by the oldest document/reference that has been found to the city - so in Berlin it's something like 1239 - even if it's been around longer than that), one of the last beach bars, how to tell old East Berlin from West Berlin (generally the trams, the pre-fab buildings and pedestrian crossing lights (although they are now been used in West Berlin), the museum island, the monument to war (with a very powerful sculpture in it of a mother holding her dead son), Humboldt University where Marx studied, Einstein taught and 29 Noble Prize winners have come from, the prettiest square in Berlin, Checkpoint Charlie (where the guard post is not the original and a fence had to be put up to stop the woman who owns the Checkpoint Charlie museum from putting up crosses - she's been voted the most embarrassing Berliner for a few years running apparently), the SS torture prison - which I went back to, Hitler's bunker where he died (it's now marked by a sign which was totally unexpected when it went up), the Wall (there's not much left now), the Holocaust memorial (which is very very must go see), the Brandenburg Gate, the hotel where the gloved one dangled his baby, the Reichstag (the dome of which was closed for cleaning). Woven into the tour was a stunningly informative commentary - so very worth it.
One of the things that struck me about Berlin is that it's really easy to forget that not only is there the whole history of East/West Berlin but there was the Nazis before hand.
What else do I do in Berlin? Well, visited the gay museum (which was ok'ish - mostly gay history about Berlin, although it did have Maplethorpes's photo of William Burroughs standing in a William Tell pose (which is how Burroughs, out of it on LSD, had previously tried with his wife - unfortunately, he missed the apple). Had currywurst - I came, I currywursted, I left. More food. The DDR museum (on the history of East Berlin) - interesting but didn't really play up how the DDR was the most perfect police state to date, it did mention how things weren't available, but how there was employment, everyone had what they needed (do you really need a plasma screen?). It didn't, however, explore the psychology of what it must have been like to have been in East Berlin seeing the west and freedom but not being able to get there.
Which reminds me of the holocaust memorial - it is amazing - huge blocks on uneven ground that you walk through and it gives a sense of disorientation. But, controversial as it's only to the jews - what about the gays, the gypsies, the others murdered? So Berlin has agreed to two more memorials - one for the gays and the other for the gypsies. This has got Berliners asking - when is enough enough? The other controversy is that the anti-graffiti coating on the blocks is made by some company that has some connection to IG Farben - which made zyklon b which was the gas used to gas the victims of the holocaust. I also thought it ironic that the memorial is diagonally across the road from Hitler's bunker where he committed suicide.
Anyway, the history of East/West Berlin is fascinating - you've got to wonder at the psyche of people who have to wall in people so that they can't leave. You've also got to wonder about the wall in Berlin - and how that's what the jews are doing in Israel to the Palestinians. Yet the jews don't seem to get that they are creating a ghetto - which is what they were put in 60 years ago...
There was more food in Berlin, the Altes Museum seeing things which were thousands of years old (Greek and Roman), Nephretiti (or however that's spelt), amazing old papyrus, chocolate, cakes, meandering, wandering, looking, checking out, caiprihinias (which are great when it's hot - addicted to the brown sugar I think) and then it was leaving....
So on Friday it was a last wander around and then out to Berlin Tegel airport to catch the plane to Stansted and then to Glasgow. Sweet. Checked in sweet. Had a last chat to Ji. Sweet. Said goodbye to Ji. Sad. Passed through security. Searched. Again. But sweet. Then waited. And waited. And waited. And waited for Air Berlin to fly the spare part needed from Munich to Berlin to fix the plane. And waited. And three hours late left Berlin. Arrived in London. Told that we were booked on Easy Jet the next day and had a hotel for the night. Opps. Didn't they tell us in Berlin? Opps. No trains or other planes, Heathrow had been shut, the weather had been abysmal earlier in the day. No real problems for us (it was the Hilton) but meant I couldn't see Helen and Mark, and meet Nicole, until the next day (today) and for the people travelling to weddings in Glasgow it was a major bummer. The weather though in the UK has been abysmal and the mechanical fault in Berlin was just life...
So a hotel for the night where I got reminded how expensive things are in pounds. Sure, 7 dollars for a glass of wine in a restaurant in NZ is cheap - 7 pounds though convered to about $20 dollars is like ouch. Or 3 pounds for a cup of coffee (about $9NZ) in the restaurant.. Double ouch.
So be it though.
This morning is was EasyJet to Glagow - interesting, most cramped seats ever, a scramble to get on the plane (no allocated seating) - but we got here safely. To be met by Mark. Who told us how two weeks ago there was a terrorist attack at Glasgow airport! Go figure.
And finally I got to see my friend Helen and meet her beautiful daugher Nicole! Yah!
I've just been called for food - so better go!!
Yah!
ps. Just a thought - the pedestrian lights here in Glasgow have a seconds countdown so you know how long before they turn green and you can cross the road. Most excellent... :)
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