Okay boys and girls! I've finally uploaded the pics to Flickr. I've also managed to clean them up of duplicates and multiple shots.
Enjoy!
Monday, December 17, 2007
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Follow-up...
Okay. Trip is over. Back to your regularly scheduled programming.
I am still working at getting the pics uploaded to Flickr. I will try to get this done before Christmas. I promise!
Some thoughts:
Hong Kong: It's an interesting place to visit. I think we only got to see some of the main attractions of HK. I'm sure there were other things and places we could have checked out. I wish I had brought along the Lonely Planet. Oh well. Perhaps another time.
Shanghai: First thing I noticed about this city: the smog. I think the sky was gray everyday. It might have been sort of clear in the evening. I'm pretty sure I saw a star out in that smoggy, night sky. Next thing I noticed was the people. They're rude and push a lot. It's every person for themselves. Plus, they cut lines. They just push and shove. I don't know if I could deal with that on a long term basis. I'd probably go postal or bash someone's head in.
Tokyo: What can I say? It's not the first time I've been here. However, it was a definite welcome respite from that chaos that is Shanghai. Back to some semblance of civility and order. A place where people apologized for having to rush past you. A world where people queue up in an orderly fashion. In some ways, it's a little surreal as well.
Anyway... Until my next trip, it's back to some everyday babbling elsewhere. ;)
I am still working at getting the pics uploaded to Flickr. I will try to get this done before Christmas. I promise!
Some thoughts:
Hong Kong: It's an interesting place to visit. I think we only got to see some of the main attractions of HK. I'm sure there were other things and places we could have checked out. I wish I had brought along the Lonely Planet. Oh well. Perhaps another time.
Shanghai: First thing I noticed about this city: the smog. I think the sky was gray everyday. It might have been sort of clear in the evening. I'm pretty sure I saw a star out in that smoggy, night sky. Next thing I noticed was the people. They're rude and push a lot. It's every person for themselves. Plus, they cut lines. They just push and shove. I don't know if I could deal with that on a long term basis. I'd probably go postal or bash someone's head in.
Tokyo: What can I say? It's not the first time I've been here. However, it was a definite welcome respite from that chaos that is Shanghai. Back to some semblance of civility and order. A place where people apologized for having to rush past you. A world where people queue up in an orderly fashion. In some ways, it's a little surreal as well.
Anyway... Until my next trip, it's back to some everyday babbling elsewhere. ;)
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Rockabilly in Yoyogi Park
Get a big amp, some rockin' tunes, some beer and you have a Sunday afternoon at Yoyogi Park!
Outdoor Karaoke, sort of
This guy was REALLY into singing along with whatever was plying. I think it was some David Bowie. Too bad there was too much ambient noise in the way.
Bus ride on Lantau Island to see the bronze Bhudda
According to my Mom, some improvements were made to widen the road since she and bro visited 7 years ago.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Missing baggage and some parting shots
Well, something got left behind in Chicago. :p
I remember picking up BOTH bags in bagage claim and bringing them over to get checked back in for the connecting flight. One made it, the other one didn't. I filed a misplaced baggage report with Air Canada. I guess it didn't make it on the evening flight from Chicago. Let's see if they can find it and bring it home tomorrow. *Fingers crossed*
*UPDATE*
I just checked and it looks like the bag made it here. They just need to contact me for delivery. Yay!
Meanwhile, I got around to uploading the movies and remaining pics from both cameras.
I remember picking up BOTH bags in bagage claim and bringing them over to get checked back in for the connecting flight. One made it, the other one didn't. I filed a misplaced baggage report with Air Canada. I guess it didn't make it on the evening flight from Chicago. Let's see if they can find it and bring it home tomorrow. *Fingers crossed*
*UPDATE*
I just checked and it looks like the bag made it here. They just need to contact me for delivery. Yay!
Meanwhile, I got around to uploading the movies and remaining pics from both cameras.
Tokyo/Chicago: Friday/Saturday
I was a bit too lazy to post an update last night. I slept in and left my room around 11AM. I decided to hit Tokyo station and the Ginza again. I needed to have my watch fixed. I asked the concierge if she knew where I can get my watch battery replaced. She suggested a department store. After I grabbed a couple of onigiri and ate them by the fountain near the Imperial Palace, I walked over to the Ginza.
First, I checked out HMV to see if I can find the Kubrick Edition of a Daft Punk album. No dice. I kept walking. I saw the Seibu department store and went in there. I asked at the information desk about watch repair. The girl directed me to Bic Camera which was a short walk away. I went in and managed to figure out that watches was on the 6th floor. After I got up there, I asked and found the watch repair section. I tried to explain that the battery needed to be replaced. He gave me an estimate of Y1575. That's cool. And it's a 1 hour service. Okay. That should be me time to wander around some more.
I made my way to Yamano Music. There, I found the limited edition Kubrick Daft Punk. They had 3 copies. I bought 2. One for me and one for Frankie. After that I wandered over to the Itoya store. After going up a few floors, I found it to be a tad too crowded and warm. Back down I go. I checked the clock on the mobile. Ooh! It looks like it's time to head back to Bic Camera.
I made my way back to Bic. I got my watch. The final cost was Y1230. Cool. After wandering around Bic a little while I decided that I have had enough and headed back to the hotel. It was still early, so I decided to grab a nap. Later, I sent an email to my friend Wayne. He was still at work. Eventually, I got a call from him. We'll meet by Meguro station and get some dinner. We went to Laxmi for some Indian. afterwards, we said our goodbyes, I gave him back the mobile, gave each other a hug and parted ways.
After I got back, I was busy trying to fit every last thing into my luggage. It was a bit tight, but I manged. Of course, i had to take into account what I needed in the morning.
Saturday:
Got up, showered, finished packing. I went down tow ait for the airport limousine bus. Got to the airport, checked in, got through security, then waited at least a half hour in line to go through customs. Oy. I had wanted to buy some sake. However, because I am transiting in Chicago, I would not be allowed to carry that through security. Well, that just blows. :p
Roughly 10 hours later, I am in Chicago. I guess we got some good tail wind. Now I sit in Terminal 2, Gate E2 waiting for my flight home.
First, I checked out HMV to see if I can find the Kubrick Edition of a Daft Punk album. No dice. I kept walking. I saw the Seibu department store and went in there. I asked at the information desk about watch repair. The girl directed me to Bic Camera which was a short walk away. I went in and managed to figure out that watches was on the 6th floor. After I got up there, I asked and found the watch repair section. I tried to explain that the battery needed to be replaced. He gave me an estimate of Y1575. That's cool. And it's a 1 hour service. Okay. That should be me time to wander around some more.
I made my way to Yamano Music. There, I found the limited edition Kubrick Daft Punk. They had 3 copies. I bought 2. One for me and one for Frankie. After that I wandered over to the Itoya store. After going up a few floors, I found it to be a tad too crowded and warm. Back down I go. I checked the clock on the mobile. Ooh! It looks like it's time to head back to Bic Camera.
I made my way back to Bic. I got my watch. The final cost was Y1230. Cool. After wandering around Bic a little while I decided that I have had enough and headed back to the hotel. It was still early, so I decided to grab a nap. Later, I sent an email to my friend Wayne. He was still at work. Eventually, I got a call from him. We'll meet by Meguro station and get some dinner. We went to Laxmi for some Indian. afterwards, we said our goodbyes, I gave him back the mobile, gave each other a hug and parted ways.
After I got back, I was busy trying to fit every last thing into my luggage. It was a bit tight, but I manged. Of course, i had to take into account what I needed in the morning.
Saturday:
Got up, showered, finished packing. I went down tow ait for the airport limousine bus. Got to the airport, checked in, got through security, then waited at least a half hour in line to go through customs. Oy. I had wanted to buy some sake. However, because I am transiting in Chicago, I would not be allowed to carry that through security. Well, that just blows. :p
Roughly 10 hours later, I am in Chicago. I guess we got some good tail wind. Now I sit in Terminal 2, Gate E2 waiting for my flight home.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Tokyo: Thursday
I tried to sleep in, but I was afraid of missing breakfast. But I did hang around my room until about 11:00 or so. I figure I'd check out Odaiba.
Odaiba. It's an area created from reclaimed land. There are a number of complexes on this piece of land. I visited two of the large shopping malls there. I nearly got lost in one of them by going around in circles (but that was partially my fault). There's a huge, free Toyota car exhibit. Fuji-TV has a building there with a huge sphere that has an observation deck.
One of the shopping malls, called Venus Fort, made my jaw drop when I saw the interior of the place. I had read a description of the place online before I went. It was suppose to evoke an image or feel of Venice. In any case, the main shopping floor was easy enough to navigate. There were a lot of boutiques and designer shops. In one "courtyard" there's this fountain with these statues in it. There were colorful lights making the whole fountain glow. It was actually rather nice. There was a store that sold cute little sweaters and t-shirts for small dogs. Anyway, it looks like there was something for everyone.
Getting to Odaiba is kind of interesting. There's a monorail that runs from Shinbashi to Odaiba. It's a private company so you had to buy tickets separate from JR for it. I opted for the all-day pass for Y800. Afterwards, when I checked out the cost from going from one station to another like I did (to get from one mall to another and back) it was worth it.
Anyway, I managed to kill the entire afternoon in Odaiba. I wonder what I will do Friday, my last full day.
BTW, I won't mentioned what purchases I've made in Odaiba. However, I think a couple of you already know. :p
(Pictures to be posted later.)
Odaiba. It's an area created from reclaimed land. There are a number of complexes on this piece of land. I visited two of the large shopping malls there. I nearly got lost in one of them by going around in circles (but that was partially my fault). There's a huge, free Toyota car exhibit. Fuji-TV has a building there with a huge sphere that has an observation deck.
One of the shopping malls, called Venus Fort, made my jaw drop when I saw the interior of the place. I had read a description of the place online before I went. It was suppose to evoke an image or feel of Venice. In any case, the main shopping floor was easy enough to navigate. There were a lot of boutiques and designer shops. In one "courtyard" there's this fountain with these statues in it. There were colorful lights making the whole fountain glow. It was actually rather nice. There was a store that sold cute little sweaters and t-shirts for small dogs. Anyway, it looks like there was something for everyone.
Getting to Odaiba is kind of interesting. There's a monorail that runs from Shinbashi to Odaiba. It's a private company so you had to buy tickets separate from JR for it. I opted for the all-day pass for Y800. Afterwards, when I checked out the cost from going from one station to another like I did (to get from one mall to another and back) it was worth it.
Anyway, I managed to kill the entire afternoon in Odaiba. I wonder what I will do Friday, my last full day.
BTW, I won't mentioned what purchases I've made in Odaiba. However, I think a couple of you already know. :p
(Pictures to be posted later.)
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Tokyo/Nikko: Wednesday
So I dragged myself out of bed early today. Got some breakfast here at the hotel, then hauled my sleepy ass to the train station. Gotta love taking the bullet train around here. It's quiet and super fast!
So I got to Nikko around 11:30. First off, it was cold. At least I had thought to bring my scarf and gloves just in case. On top of that, at some point, it started to flurry! So needless to say, at times I felt a little cold. :p
I found the bus that would would drop you off by Shinkyo Bridge. From there it was all uphill. I think I climbed up a lot of stairs in Nikko today. First, I needed to go up to where the ticket booth was where you can get a combined ticket to see all of the shrines. However, admission to see the "Sleeping Cat" and Tokugawa Ieyasu's tomb was separate.
Some of the shrines that were part of this combined ticket:
- Rinnō-ji Temple
- Futarasan Shrine
- Taiyuin-byō
- Yakushi-dō Hall
Since this was the first time I was visiting Nikko, I took my time to wander around the shrines and temples and where ever else I could go. All the while, I was snapping pictures left, right and center. Yeah, I took an awful lot of photos. I don't think I will strain my iBook too much by trying to upload all of them. I've got extra memory cards in case I need them.
I think I only realized it later on that the Nikko National park "closes" at about 4PM around this time of year.I think by the time I had my fill of all that I could see, it was around 3:00PM. I started to make my way back. Along the way, I stopped by this little souvenir shop that also served some food. So I ordered myself a bowl of yuba soba. Well, that certainly warmed me up! Long enough to make the trek back to the train station.
Since my connectiong train in Utsunomiya was only at 18:32, I decided to just walk it. Now, mind you, it's only about 3:30PM. However, it seems that a lot of shops and businesses were already closed for the day. I know I was visiting Nikko in the off-season, but I didn't think there'd be so few people that the shops wouldn't be open. But then again, I didn't see too many people on the streets either. :p
So I got to the train station. The next train to Utsunomiya was at 16:43. That would get me in at around 17:30. So I'd still have to wait about an hour for the Shinkansen. :p Oh, on top of the that, the station was kinda cold. I ended up buying a bottle of warm tea and a rice ball (onigiri). I found a semi-heated waiting room on the platform and hunkered down to wait for the train.
While waiting for my train, a few Shinkansen passed through the station at full-speed. There are separate tracks for trains that just pass through. It's just amazing to see them fly by like that at such high speeds. I think they hit speeds in excess of 275 kph in any case, they're damn fast! Ohh! something of note. All Shinkansen cars are now non-smoking! :)
Just 2 more full days left in Tokyo. What to do?
So I got to Nikko around 11:30. First off, it was cold. At least I had thought to bring my scarf and gloves just in case. On top of that, at some point, it started to flurry! So needless to say, at times I felt a little cold. :p
I found the bus that would would drop you off by Shinkyo Bridge. From there it was all uphill. I think I climbed up a lot of stairs in Nikko today. First, I needed to go up to where the ticket booth was where you can get a combined ticket to see all of the shrines. However, admission to see the "Sleeping Cat" and Tokugawa Ieyasu's tomb was separate.
Some of the shrines that were part of this combined ticket:
- Rinnō-ji Temple
- Futarasan Shrine
- Taiyuin-byō
- Yakushi-dō Hall
Since this was the first time I was visiting Nikko, I took my time to wander around the shrines and temples and where ever else I could go. All the while, I was snapping pictures left, right and center. Yeah, I took an awful lot of photos. I don't think I will strain my iBook too much by trying to upload all of them. I've got extra memory cards in case I need them.
I think I only realized it later on that the Nikko National park "closes" at about 4PM around this time of year.I think by the time I had my fill of all that I could see, it was around 3:00PM. I started to make my way back. Along the way, I stopped by this little souvenir shop that also served some food. So I ordered myself a bowl of yuba soba. Well, that certainly warmed me up! Long enough to make the trek back to the train station.
Since my connectiong train in Utsunomiya was only at 18:32, I decided to just walk it. Now, mind you, it's only about 3:30PM. However, it seems that a lot of shops and businesses were already closed for the day. I know I was visiting Nikko in the off-season, but I didn't think there'd be so few people that the shops wouldn't be open. But then again, I didn't see too many people on the streets either. :p
So I got to the train station. The next train to Utsunomiya was at 16:43. That would get me in at around 17:30. So I'd still have to wait about an hour for the Shinkansen. :p Oh, on top of the that, the station was kinda cold. I ended up buying a bottle of warm tea and a rice ball (onigiri). I found a semi-heated waiting room on the platform and hunkered down to wait for the train.
While waiting for my train, a few Shinkansen passed through the station at full-speed. There are separate tracks for trains that just pass through. It's just amazing to see them fly by like that at such high speeds. I think they hit speeds in excess of 275 kph in any case, they're damn fast! Ohh! something of note. All Shinkansen cars are now non-smoking! :)
Just 2 more full days left in Tokyo. What to do?
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Tokyo: Tuesday
Okay, I didn't really sleep in too much today, but I did have to do some packing and repacking this morning. My friend has booked me into a hotel for the rest of my stay. His treat. Essentially, with all the ensuing last minute preparations and such for their trip to Hawaii and getting their marriage papers signed and filed, there will be a certain amount of chaos. So, here I am. I am staying at the Prince Park Tower Hotel. I have a view of the Tokyo Tower which is right next door.
Before checking into the hotel this evening, I headed down to Tokyo station to get reserved seat tickets on the shinkansen for tomorrow. The trip to Nikko is in two legs. I take the Shinkansen out to Utsunomiya. I change over to the Nikko line for the rest of the trip. It takes roughly 2 hours.
While I was in the area, I strolled around the Ginza area. I swung by the Sanrio store and picked up a few things. Then I went to the Sony building to see what they had to offer as the latest in something neat. Apparently it's something called the Rolly. I didn't take any pictures of it, but if you Googled it, I'm sure you'll find something. It's a rather amusing piece of entertainment hardware. I guess that's the best way to describe it. After that I continued on to the Apple Store. Along the way, I came across this Christmas Tree display in front of Mikimoto. It's rather nice.
Anyway, that's it for now. :-)
Monday, December 03, 2007
Tokyo: Monday
Sunday (continued)
So after wandering around the flea market, I managed to get through the throng of people on Takeshita Street back to the main drag in front of Harajuku station. I decided to swing by the Meiji-jingu shrine to check things out. Along the long wide path to the shrine there is an entrance to a garden. Granted that this time of year it might not be very floral, but since they charge Y500 to get in, it's probably a nice tranquil respite from the crowds. And it was. There's a nice big pond with koi swimming around. I found myself a bench and just sat and relaxed for a bit. It was quite nice.
Afterwards, I made my way over to the shrine. There seemed to be a few weddings happening that afternoon. I hung around a bit and managed to take a few pictures. It was interesting to watch the processions. Also, when they wedding party was having their photos done, the fixer was busy making sure the kimonos were all neat and straight. I guess they wanted to have the perfect photo.
Next to the Shrine is Yoyogi Park. Yoyogi Park is known for some festive activities on Sundays. Today was no exception. There were at least 4 groups of rockabilly dancers going at it with their music blaring. One of the groups was actually all female. It was amusing to see the pompadours on some of the guys. I think there was one guy who's pompadour was quite tall! At some point, some of the guys joined the girls and they did a number to Greased Lightning. It was quite entertaining. I captured it as a movie on the small camera.
After all of that, we (Wayne had met up with me in Yoyogi) headed down Omotesando. I found a Body Shop and picked up a few things because I was having hair issues. Further down the street, we found Kiddy Land. Ooooh, this was a dangerous place! There were about 6 floors of stuff! Needless to say, I did pick up a few things. I found the Disney Little Taps. They're quite amusing! I also found a couple other interesting items.
Finally, time for dinner. We wanted to go to this Mexican place, but it seems that it was no longer around (not sure what the staying power of restaurants are around Tokyo), so we wandered around a bit. I forget how long we wandered for. Eventually, realizing how hungry we were and not having much luck finding anything along the street we were on, we decided Jamaican jerk sounded good, hailed a cab and went off to Aalaawi in Ebisu. it was good to get some food in the tummy!
Monday (Today)
Today, I felt the after effects of the Jamaican jerk. I really shouldn't have added the extra hot sauce, but it was GOOD! Anyway, it was also a bit of a cloudy and rainy day. Rainy, dreary days just zap the energy out of me. I also didn't know what I wanted to do. So I just chilled in the apartment. I did go out to grab a sandwich to eat. I caught up on some email and took a nice nap in the afternoon.
Later, I met up with Wayne and his friend Keith. We went to this Korean barbecue place. It was interesting to have this thing on the table with hot coals to cook your food. It was all quite good and filling! :-)
Yeah, Monday was a slow day.
So after wandering around the flea market, I managed to get through the throng of people on Takeshita Street back to the main drag in front of Harajuku station. I decided to swing by the Meiji-jingu shrine to check things out. Along the long wide path to the shrine there is an entrance to a garden. Granted that this time of year it might not be very floral, but since they charge Y500 to get in, it's probably a nice tranquil respite from the crowds. And it was. There's a nice big pond with koi swimming around. I found myself a bench and just sat and relaxed for a bit. It was quite nice.
Afterwards, I made my way over to the shrine. There seemed to be a few weddings happening that afternoon. I hung around a bit and managed to take a few pictures. It was interesting to watch the processions. Also, when they wedding party was having their photos done, the fixer was busy making sure the kimonos were all neat and straight. I guess they wanted to have the perfect photo.
Next to the Shrine is Yoyogi Park. Yoyogi Park is known for some festive activities on Sundays. Today was no exception. There were at least 4 groups of rockabilly dancers going at it with their music blaring. One of the groups was actually all female. It was amusing to see the pompadours on some of the guys. I think there was one guy who's pompadour was quite tall! At some point, some of the guys joined the girls and they did a number to Greased Lightning. It was quite entertaining. I captured it as a movie on the small camera.
After all of that, we (Wayne had met up with me in Yoyogi) headed down Omotesando. I found a Body Shop and picked up a few things because I was having hair issues. Further down the street, we found Kiddy Land. Ooooh, this was a dangerous place! There were about 6 floors of stuff! Needless to say, I did pick up a few things. I found the Disney Little Taps. They're quite amusing! I also found a couple other interesting items.
Finally, time for dinner. We wanted to go to this Mexican place, but it seems that it was no longer around (not sure what the staying power of restaurants are around Tokyo), so we wandered around a bit. I forget how long we wandered for. Eventually, realizing how hungry we were and not having much luck finding anything along the street we were on, we decided Jamaican jerk sounded good, hailed a cab and went off to Aalaawi in Ebisu. it was good to get some food in the tummy!
Monday (Today)
Today, I felt the after effects of the Jamaican jerk. I really shouldn't have added the extra hot sauce, but it was GOOD! Anyway, it was also a bit of a cloudy and rainy day. Rainy, dreary days just zap the energy out of me. I also didn't know what I wanted to do. So I just chilled in the apartment. I did go out to grab a sandwich to eat. I caught up on some email and took a nice nap in the afternoon.
Later, I met up with Wayne and his friend Keith. We went to this Korean barbecue place. It was interesting to have this thing on the table with hot coals to cook your food. It was all quite good and filling! :-)
Yeah, Monday was a slow day.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Tokyo: Sunday
Xmas tree @ Tokyo Tower
Okay, before I start with today's adventures, I'll do a quick recap of Friday and Saturday. Also, I will hold off until another time to upload pics. My hard drive has been making more noise than usual, so I don't want to overburden it until after I get home (i.e., try not to make it crash).
Friday
I really didn't do too much on Friday. It was a case of, well, if I went out again I might end up with another 1000RMB mistake due to my poor bargaining and haggling abilities. I can be a hard ass in the office, but when it comes to this sort of thing, well.. I just plain suck at it. So I just chilled.
That evening, we went out with another person (she worked in Montreal before coming to Shanghai and works with Abe). We went to this hot pot place that was across the way from Abe's place. It was quite good, despite the fact we had to wait until about 8:30 for a table and Abe got a number for our reservation around 6PM! Yeesh! Anyway, we each got our own little hot pot with the broth we selected. We got a selection of meats and veggies and other things we can dunk into the simmering water. We were all quite full by the end of it all.
Saturday
We got up early to hail a cab for the airport. My flight was at 9AM. The trip to the airport was an adventure in itself. I really wonder how these people learn to drive. I think lane markers are only a suggestion. These guys just weave in and out of traffic all the time. It's a wonder there aren't more accidents here in Shanghai.
Anyway, we made it to the airport in one piece. Abe helped me with my luggage. I checked in. I gave Abe a hug goodbye. He'll be back in Montreal in a few weeks, so we'll probably get together at some point. I make my way to the gate. Got on the plane and off I go to Tokyo.
After I landed in Tokyo, passed Customs/Immigration and got my bags, I waited for my friend. He was only a few minutes late, but I did get a chance to exchange whatever RMB I had left for some Yen. When my friend did finally arrive, we headed down to the JR office to get my JR Pass and tickets for the Narita Express into town. However, before we got to the JR office, a couple of police officers stopped us and asked for our passports/IDs. We showed them our papers. They took down our information and asked a couple of basic questions like what do we do for a living. Since Wayne spoke Japanese he helped answer their questions.
So, after getting to his place, I threw in a load of wash. Then we headed out to look for some dinner. We walked it over to Ebisu and wandered around a bit before settling on this sushi place. It was quite good. Then, we still had time and grabbed a taxi for Tokyo Tower. It was quite busy there, but since it was a Saturday night, it was to be expected. We went up to the main observation deck then bought the ticket to go to the upper observation deck at 250 meters. I tried to take some shots of Tokyo at night. I think a few of the shots actually came out clear.
Ginza @ Night
Today
Well, I guess I slepted in a bit. Granted, I did go to sleep a bit late. Despite my late start, I did make my way to the antiques flea market at Togo Shrine in Harajuku. I wandered around there for a little while. This little ceramic thing with a dragon on the lid caught my eye. I didn't buy it right away. I wandered around some more. I checked out some obis and kimonos. I just have a hard time parting with my money. Anyway, noticing that some of the vendors were starting to pack up, I went back to look for where I saw the dragon thing. I found it and bought it. Thankfully, it came in a small wooden box.
**Okay, it's 12:45AM and I'm beat. I'll continue in the morning.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Shanghai: Thursday
I suck at bargaining. I really do.
I went over to this market place. One of the big places for fakes. It's literally right at the subway station Shanghai Science & Technology Museum. It's like a maze of small shops selling everything from clothing to jewelry to bags. You name it and they probably sell it.
I was approached by individuals asking if I wanted to see their watches or bags. I said no or ignored them and continued walking. I eventually wandered around and came across one place that seemed to have some decent looking bags. I went in. I looked. And I came away with 3 bags: one was a D&G bag and the other 2 were Prada. Of course, they were fakes. When I mentioned watches to the sales girl she led me through the maze of hallways to another shop that sold scarves and watches. I came away with a Rolex (for my brother) and a pink LV watch that will be a gift for a friend's fiancee.
Something interesting to note when I was in the bag shop. After I initially bought the D&G bag, the sales girl wanted to show me some better stuff. So she opens up one of the shelves to reveal a small stockroom. It barely had room for 2 people but she told me to go in there with her and closed the door. Inside, there were some better looking Coach, LV, Prada and a few other designer label bags. She showed me 2 Prada bags that looked nice. I tried to haggle a bit. I got her down to 560RMB for the 2 Prada bags. The D&G I bought in the shop I paid 175RMB for.
Oh! And how much did I pay for the watches? Too much. I paid 1000RMB for the 2. Abe said I'm allowed at least one such mistake when it comes to bargaining. I guess I just don't have the stomach for it.
It's getting late, but I'll take some pics of the goods and post them later. In the meantime, I think I am done with the shopping for now. At least here in Shanghai. :p
I went over to this market place. One of the big places for fakes. It's literally right at the subway station Shanghai Science & Technology Museum. It's like a maze of small shops selling everything from clothing to jewelry to bags. You name it and they probably sell it.
I was approached by individuals asking if I wanted to see their watches or bags. I said no or ignored them and continued walking. I eventually wandered around and came across one place that seemed to have some decent looking bags. I went in. I looked. And I came away with 3 bags: one was a D&G bag and the other 2 were Prada. Of course, they were fakes. When I mentioned watches to the sales girl she led me through the maze of hallways to another shop that sold scarves and watches. I came away with a Rolex (for my brother) and a pink LV watch that will be a gift for a friend's fiancee.
Something interesting to note when I was in the bag shop. After I initially bought the D&G bag, the sales girl wanted to show me some better stuff. So she opens up one of the shelves to reveal a small stockroom. It barely had room for 2 people but she told me to go in there with her and closed the door. Inside, there were some better looking Coach, LV, Prada and a few other designer label bags. She showed me 2 Prada bags that looked nice. I tried to haggle a bit. I got her down to 560RMB for the 2 Prada bags. The D&G I bought in the shop I paid 175RMB for.
Oh! And how much did I pay for the watches? Too much. I paid 1000RMB for the 2. Abe said I'm allowed at least one such mistake when it comes to bargaining. I guess I just don't have the stomach for it.
It's getting late, but I'll take some pics of the goods and post them later. In the meantime, I think I am done with the shopping for now. At least here in Shanghai. :p
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Shanghai, Wednesday Pt.2
Okay, so after I had my fill of the tower, it was already a little after 5PM and I figure I'd head back.
The subway ride back was a bit of an experience. I hit rush hour. I managed to make my way onto the train. It was pretty packed. People basically push and shove their way on and off the subway cars. It's like an every man (or woman) for himself mentality here. I really don't know if I can deal with this on a long term basis. But, when in Rome...
After I got back to my friend's place, I uploaded the shots I took. Eventually, my friend got back from work. He decided to take me down to the Bund to check out the sights and sounds of Shanghai in the evening.
Near People's Square
The night shots I took with the P5000 as I really didn't not feel like lugging around the D80. I suppose that did limit my control of some of the shots, but since the camera has some manual control, it wasn't too bad. I did try out the night landscape setting on the camera. Not sure how hight the ISO was, but the pics came out better than if I left it on Auto. A bit grainy though. :p
View across from the Bund
View of the Bund
Unfortunately, they had decided to turn off a lot of the lights early last night for some reason. The Pearl Tower should have been lit up more than what you see in the picture. In any case, after that we headed over to this bar/lounge that my friend frequents. It's not a pick-up joint. It's more for folks (mostly foreigners) to relax and have a drink. It's more mature. Anyway, we had a drink and shot the shit. We then grabbed a cab back (the subway closes down early here).
Today, I think I will head over to this "flea market" for knockoffs. I'm not sure if I will find something I like, but maybe I will find something to bring back to friends. I guess we'll have to see what they have. Wish me luck, because I really don't know how good I am at haggling. :p
The subway ride back was a bit of an experience. I hit rush hour. I managed to make my way onto the train. It was pretty packed. People basically push and shove their way on and off the subway cars. It's like an every man (or woman) for himself mentality here. I really don't know if I can deal with this on a long term basis. But, when in Rome...
After I got back to my friend's place, I uploaded the shots I took. Eventually, my friend got back from work. He decided to take me down to the Bund to check out the sights and sounds of Shanghai in the evening.
Near People's Square
The night shots I took with the P5000 as I really didn't not feel like lugging around the D80. I suppose that did limit my control of some of the shots, but since the camera has some manual control, it wasn't too bad. I did try out the night landscape setting on the camera. Not sure how hight the ISO was, but the pics came out better than if I left it on Auto. A bit grainy though. :p
View across from the Bund
View of the Bund
Unfortunately, they had decided to turn off a lot of the lights early last night for some reason. The Pearl Tower should have been lit up more than what you see in the picture. In any case, after that we headed over to this bar/lounge that my friend frequents. It's not a pick-up joint. It's more for folks (mostly foreigners) to relax and have a drink. It's more mature. Anyway, we had a drink and shot the shit. We then grabbed a cab back (the subway closes down early here).
Today, I think I will head over to this "flea market" for knockoffs. I'm not sure if I will find something I like, but maybe I will find something to bring back to friends. I guess we'll have to see what they have. Wish me luck, because I really don't know how good I am at haggling. :p
Shanghai: Wednesday Pt. 1
So, after getting to bed late last night I kinda slept until about 9:30 or so. I still felt tired, but that might have been because I slept too much. My friend had already gone off to work so I figure I'd just take my time during the morning and then head out in the afternoon. I figure I'd hit the Oriental Pearl Tower.
For 135RMB you can visit all the observation decks including the one at 350 meters up. That's pretty high up.
From the main observation deck (about 263 meters):
The Bund
He and a couple other guys were actually outside doing some sort of maintenance.
They canme back in through this access hole in the ceiling of the observation deck.
The building in front is the Jin Mei building. It's one of the tallest. Behind it under construction is going to be the tallest building. According to my friend, there was nothing there 2 years ago. The rate of construction of this thing is a bit scary.
Okay, it's about 1:30AM and I am pooped. I think I wrote enough here to satisfy some of you for now. ;-) I'll post part 2 tomorrow in the morning, whenever I get up. :-)
For 135RMB you can visit all the observation decks including the one at 350 meters up. That's pretty high up.
From the main observation deck (about 263 meters):
The Bund
He and a couple other guys were actually outside doing some sort of maintenance.
They canme back in through this access hole in the ceiling of the observation deck.
The building in front is the Jin Mei building. It's one of the tallest. Behind it under construction is going to be the tallest building. According to my friend, there was nothing there 2 years ago. The rate of construction of this thing is a bit scary.
Okay, it's about 1:30AM and I am pooped. I think I wrote enough here to satisfy some of you for now. ;-) I'll post part 2 tomorrow in the morning, whenever I get up. :-)
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Hong Kong/Shanghai: Tuesday
Well, I set the alarm on my mobile for 5AM. Damn! That's early. :p We packed up whatever was left that needed to be packed. We went down to check out. Luckily a taxi just pulled up in front of the hotel. Traffic was a breeze to the airport. My flight was a Cathay Pacific codeshare with Dragonair so I had to check in with Dragonair instead.
Not really meaning to ditch the folks (their flight is at around 11AM versus my 8AM flight), so I bade them adieu and bon voyage as I proceeded to go through security. Security and customs was a breeze. I found a Travelex where I exchanged most of my HK$ for Yuan. I gotta have cab fare for when I get there. I found the gate but there wasn't much in the way of seats close to the gate, so I just found a spot on the floor and sat. Time to board came around. Seat 41G. An aisle seat. some days I just don't feel like being trapped in a window seat. Just behind my row was a huge tour group. Not exactly sure if they're all from Hong Kong, although it seems that most of them spoke Cantonese. Amusing moment: While waiting for the washroom, someone didn't lock the door but when he was done ended up locking himself in. He struggled for a bit there before he managed to get out.
The flight was overall rather uneventful. I listened to my iPod for a while. They served us breakfast. We had a choice of some western fare or noodles. I opted for the noodles. There was some turbulence along the way but it wasn't too bad. The flight was pretty quick lasting just under 2 hours. I just wished the cab ride went as quickly!
After clearing customs (no problems), and retrieving my bag, I figure the best way to get to where I was going was the cab it. I really did not want to lug my baggage on the Maglev and the subway system. I found the taxi stand no problem. With the address my friend FAX'd me the other day, the taxi driver knew where I wanted to go. It was relatively smooth sailing until we hit some traffic at some point. It was stop and go primarily because there was a traffic light at this part of the road. I thinka bout about 30-45 minutes we reached our destination. The taxi ride cost just 170RMB. After I got out and another fare got into the cab, I showed the suited and name-tagged guy at the door my friend's address. He acknowledged the address, offered to carry my bag and led me to the building. There, another suited man showed me a note and an envelope with my name on it. I guess he left his key for me. After some smiling and nodding, I took the key and my bag and made my way to his apartment.
After thinking the apartment was 603 and not 608, I managed to find myself inside his place. It's a small 2 bedroom apartment. I guess it's the right size for a bachelor. His fridge reeks of bachlordom too! ;-) 2 cans of coffee, a bottle of pepsi, a bottle of Absolut. There were some leftover KFC spicy wings, which I eventually nuked and ate. He had some McD's fries sitting in the microwave as well. there was an assortment of instant noodle packs. Hmm.. I suspect he eats out a lot. But then again, I think it's relatively cheap to eat out here anyway.
In any case, I feel like a shower, but the cleaning lady is here. I'll wait until she's gone. I think my friend is suppose to be back around 6:30PM. We have a lot of catching up to do. Maybe over some food and drink.
Not really meaning to ditch the folks (their flight is at around 11AM versus my 8AM flight), so I bade them adieu and bon voyage as I proceeded to go through security. Security and customs was a breeze. I found a Travelex where I exchanged most of my HK$ for Yuan. I gotta have cab fare for when I get there. I found the gate but there wasn't much in the way of seats close to the gate, so I just found a spot on the floor and sat. Time to board came around. Seat 41G. An aisle seat. some days I just don't feel like being trapped in a window seat. Just behind my row was a huge tour group. Not exactly sure if they're all from Hong Kong, although it seems that most of them spoke Cantonese. Amusing moment: While waiting for the washroom, someone didn't lock the door but when he was done ended up locking himself in. He struggled for a bit there before he managed to get out.
The flight was overall rather uneventful. I listened to my iPod for a while. They served us breakfast. We had a choice of some western fare or noodles. I opted for the noodles. There was some turbulence along the way but it wasn't too bad. The flight was pretty quick lasting just under 2 hours. I just wished the cab ride went as quickly!
After clearing customs (no problems), and retrieving my bag, I figure the best way to get to where I was going was the cab it. I really did not want to lug my baggage on the Maglev and the subway system. I found the taxi stand no problem. With the address my friend FAX'd me the other day, the taxi driver knew where I wanted to go. It was relatively smooth sailing until we hit some traffic at some point. It was stop and go primarily because there was a traffic light at this part of the road. I thinka bout about 30-45 minutes we reached our destination. The taxi ride cost just 170RMB. After I got out and another fare got into the cab, I showed the suited and name-tagged guy at the door my friend's address. He acknowledged the address, offered to carry my bag and led me to the building. There, another suited man showed me a note and an envelope with my name on it. I guess he left his key for me. After some smiling and nodding, I took the key and my bag and made my way to his apartment.
After thinking the apartment was 603 and not 608, I managed to find myself inside his place. It's a small 2 bedroom apartment. I guess it's the right size for a bachelor. His fridge reeks of bachlordom too! ;-) 2 cans of coffee, a bottle of pepsi, a bottle of Absolut. There were some leftover KFC spicy wings, which I eventually nuked and ate. He had some McD's fries sitting in the microwave as well. there was an assortment of instant noodle packs. Hmm.. I suspect he eats out a lot. But then again, I think it's relatively cheap to eat out here anyway.
In any case, I feel like a shower, but the cleaning lady is here. I'll wait until she's gone. I think my friend is suppose to be back around 6:30PM. We have a lot of catching up to do. Maybe over some food and drink.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Hong Kong: Monday, Last Day
Well, it's the last day here in Hong Kong. We didn't do anything too strenuous today. We kind of slept in a bit and only headed out a little after 10AM. We headed out to Sham Shui Po. It's not a huge area. I guess there's a few interesting features of the area. There's an open-air flea market. Along one street there's a whole bunch of stores selling clothing at wholesale prices. We stopped by the Dragon Centre which is yet another multi-level mall. Dad decided to have a therapeutic massage at this place that charged $84HK for 30 minutes. He said he felt good after that. Then we decided to have some food at the food court there.
Afterwards, we made our way back to Mong Kok by way of Yau Ma Tei. Walked around Nathan Road a little bit. Bought a funky mango drink. Went back to the hotel to relax. after watching a movie in the room, I decided to get my bag ready. I did buy a few tops and a few bags, but I was still able to close up my bag with some slack.
Thoughts about Hong Kong? I think the nine days spent here was a bit too long for me. Hong Kong in general is not a very big place. I think we managed to see the major sites. I don't know how many shopping malls we hit. I'm sure there are many bargains still to be found, but I did not really come here to shop. What I did find interesting was seeing how people lived here. It's interesting to see that there is a campaign going on now to make people more aware of the environment and what they can do to become more green. Another observation I made is that people are HUGE football (aka soccer) fans here. It's very easy to find football jerseys here. On the hotel cable there's a channel that's all soccer it seems.
A few things I saw that I thought were interesting: a little, elderly lady yakking away on a cell phone, bamboo scaffolding covering an entire building, people carrying around 2 cell phones for some reason. In any case, there's quite a few sights I saw that were interesting. Sometimes, it would just seem too awkward to take photos of them all.
Anyway, on to the next destination tomorrow morning...
Afterwards, we made our way back to Mong Kok by way of Yau Ma Tei. Walked around Nathan Road a little bit. Bought a funky mango drink. Went back to the hotel to relax. after watching a movie in the room, I decided to get my bag ready. I did buy a few tops and a few bags, but I was still able to close up my bag with some slack.
Thoughts about Hong Kong? I think the nine days spent here was a bit too long for me. Hong Kong in general is not a very big place. I think we managed to see the major sites. I don't know how many shopping malls we hit. I'm sure there are many bargains still to be found, but I did not really come here to shop. What I did find interesting was seeing how people lived here. It's interesting to see that there is a campaign going on now to make people more aware of the environment and what they can do to become more green. Another observation I made is that people are HUGE football (aka soccer) fans here. It's very easy to find football jerseys here. On the hotel cable there's a channel that's all soccer it seems.
A few things I saw that I thought were interesting: a little, elderly lady yakking away on a cell phone, bamboo scaffolding covering an entire building, people carrying around 2 cell phones for some reason. In any case, there's quite a few sights I saw that were interesting. Sometimes, it would just seem too awkward to take photos of them all.
Anyway, on to the next destination tomorrow morning...
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Hong Kong: Sunday
Argyle St. as seen from Mong Kok Station
Today we went out to Tai Po (aka Tai Po Market on the train map). We have two cousins who live out there. I think Tai Po is out in the New Territories region of Hong Kong. This is north of Kowloon. It was about a 20 minute ride on the commuter train from Mong Kok station.
We met with the one cousin who owns and runs a gold jewelry store. My mom wanted to trade in the one bracelet I have for a new one. So I looked at what they had. After trying on a few, I settled on one I like. I think the value of the new one was slightly higher than the old one, so we ended up paying just $645HK (the difference) for the new one.
We then went over to this huge multi-level indoor market to grab a bite to eat. On the ground floor you had the meats and fish. On the next level you had dry goods and produce. On the upper level, you had a huge food court area. It was hard to find a table, but my cousin managed to find something in front of one eatery.
After we finished eating, we met up with my other cousin and her daughter who drove us out to where my mother's older sister (cousins' mother) was buried. It was in a slightly out of the way area. We had to sort of negotiate with the locals for a parking spot. Then it was a winding, weather-worn path down to the tomb (I guess that was the best way to describe it). It wasn't really a cemetery like the one where my grandfather is buried. This looked more to be an older burial place. There didn't seem to be too many tombs there. In any case, after brushing away fallen leaves and other debris, flowers were placed in from of the tomb. Respects were paid to the "landlord" (I'll need to read up on some of the burial traditions), incense sticks were lit and we paid our respects to my aunt. My cousin bought a lot of paper money and other items to burn for her mother. It took a while to burn it all. We had to make sure the flames were all out before we left.
Some plant with huge melons or fruit my Mom wanted me to take a picture of.
While we were waiting for all the symbolic paper gifts to burn my cousin made reservations for us to have dim sum at a country club she belongs to. So, after fire went out we made our way back. Along the way, Joanne (cousin's daughter) asked one of the old ladies tending the gardens nearby if she had any green vegetables to buy. I don't know what kind of greens they were, but she said she did and for $10HK she picked a bag full of greens. My cousin brought the greens with us to the restaurant and asked them to cook it for us. They turned out to be quite tasty. Gotta love fresh picked green vegetables.
I think by now my brother and I have eaten more than enough for today. After we made our way back to my one cousin's store, we said our goodbyes. Before heading back to the train station, we meandered through some of the market areas. After we got back to Mong Kok station, we took the long way back to the hotel and wandered through the Ladies' market again. Still the same wares. Nothing new. Got myself this frosty mango drink along the way... I think we're chillin' before heading back out again. I'm pretty pooped though. All that food and whatnot. :p
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Hong Kong: Saturday
Today we got up relatively early to head out towards Hung Hom (by taxi this time) to meet up with family friends for dim sum. Along the way, I took a photo of an example of bamboo scaffolding. Bamboo is still the material of choice when it comes to scaffolding.
After dim sum, the older folks went off to do their thing while myself, bro and the older daughter of the family headed off on our own. We decided to check out the Times Square shopping mall on HK Island. The stores are pretty much the same as the other malls we've been to. This place, however, is on 8 levels. But, each level is relatively small, ergo the many levels. Space being such a valuable commodity, the only way to expand is upwards! When we had our fill of that, we hopped onto one of the trolleys (a still heavily used relic from the olden days) to make our way from east to west to where the series of moving walkways and escalators that led up and up the hillside. It all ended at Conduit Road. Really, there's not much once you get up there. So, we made our way back down. I was getting a bit tired, so we made our way to the IFC Mall and had a bit of a late lunch there.
Afterwards, we went to the Elements shopping center (yet another one!). It's a relatively new mall. It's rather nice as well. Something interesting we learned from Theresa (daughter of family). In Hong Kong, people tend to want to buy the latest and greatest. The outlets that we've seen carry end of season or end of run items. This would explain by there really isn't that huge of a draw to those outlet centers like the one we saw at Tung Chung station when we went to see the Buddha. Hmm. Also, it seems that people here are really into the big name brands like Louis Vuitton, Coach, Gucci, etc. Almost every mall we've been to there were at least one of these high end shops on the premises.
Anyway... By now it was getting late in the day. I think we were going to go out for dinner. So Theresa came back with us. Mom convinced her to go out to dinner with us. We found some place on Nathan Rd. for supper. It wasn't bad. So far it's been hard to find any really bad food here.
So now, I am pooped. My feet are weary from about 6 hrs of walking. I think all the walking is compensating (I hope!) for the all the food! :-p
After dim sum, the older folks went off to do their thing while myself, bro and the older daughter of the family headed off on our own. We decided to check out the Times Square shopping mall on HK Island. The stores are pretty much the same as the other malls we've been to. This place, however, is on 8 levels. But, each level is relatively small, ergo the many levels. Space being such a valuable commodity, the only way to expand is upwards! When we had our fill of that, we hopped onto one of the trolleys (a still heavily used relic from the olden days) to make our way from east to west to where the series of moving walkways and escalators that led up and up the hillside. It all ended at Conduit Road. Really, there's not much once you get up there. So, we made our way back down. I was getting a bit tired, so we made our way to the IFC Mall and had a bit of a late lunch there.
Afterwards, we went to the Elements shopping center (yet another one!). It's a relatively new mall. It's rather nice as well. Something interesting we learned from Theresa (daughter of family). In Hong Kong, people tend to want to buy the latest and greatest. The outlets that we've seen carry end of season or end of run items. This would explain by there really isn't that huge of a draw to those outlet centers like the one we saw at Tung Chung station when we went to see the Buddha. Hmm. Also, it seems that people here are really into the big name brands like Louis Vuitton, Coach, Gucci, etc. Almost every mall we've been to there were at least one of these high end shops on the premises.
Anyway... By now it was getting late in the day. I think we were going to go out for dinner. So Theresa came back with us. Mom convinced her to go out to dinner with us. We found some place on Nathan Rd. for supper. It wasn't bad. So far it's been hard to find any really bad food here.
So now, I am pooped. My feet are weary from about 6 hrs of walking. I think all the walking is compensating (I hope!) for the all the food! :-p
Friday, November 23, 2007
Hong Kong: Friday
The day started off a bit slow. I'm still pretty wiped from all the walking that we've done. So this morning, my brother and Mom went out for a walk. Bro brought back some oranges, one of which I had. Later on, we decided to take the commuter train to the area of Hung Hom. From what I quickly read in Wikipedia, it's originally designated as a residential area. There is some shopping. There's plenty of restaurants. I think the main draw would the the department store built in the shape of a cruise ship.
We found the Whampoa Gourmet Place. There were a number of establishments there but not all of them were open just yet (it's not quite 11:30AM when we got there). There was one place that was open and that's where we went for some food. The restaurant we ended up at seemed to specialize in some Sichuan dishes. We settled on a sampling of noodles in 4 different broths, a dish of greens and mushrooms, a beef dish, and some more of those Shanghai dumplings. It was quite a bit of food for less than $300HK.
After we ate we walked around a bit. My Mom wanted to find some shopping mall that was supposed to be pretty big. After we quickly strolled around the Metropolis mall next to the train station we grabbed a taxi to head over to Tsim Sha Tsui East. There were some shopping arcades and whatnot, but nothing close to what my Mom recalled. Since there were a number of office towers there, there were plenty of restaurants and many types of eateries in the area. I think by this point it was nearing 2PM. We decided to catch the subway back to the hotel and chill.
Tsim Sha Tsui East
When we got back we stopped by the optician to pick up some glasses we ordered 2 days ago. I got 2 new pairs of glasses for a total of $900HK. Compare that to over $500 a PAIR back home! They're not bad. They look kinda trendy.
Anyway, after chilling for a little while (Mom and bro went to walk around the area again), we went out for some dinner. Dad yammered with the doorman downstairs who recommended a place on Nathan Road in Yau Ma Tei. So we walked. We managed to find the place. It was on the 3rd floor. (Something to make note of. In places like HK and Japan where space is at a premium, it's not unusual to find restaurants on upper floors.) This place seems rather nice. Mom ordered some dishes: a clay pot dish with taro and chicken, another clay pot dish with dumplings, an appetizer dish with various meats, a dish with these ribs and some sort of sweet, fried round thing, and half a crispy chicken. Individual cups of green tea was served after dinner. All of this for about $420HK.
After that relatively big dinner, we went out walking around the Ladies' Market looking at some knock-offs and stuff. My brother found a couple of silk blouses to give as gifts. My mom found little slippers for my sister's kids. Me, I found some tempura nori snacks at a Japanese snack shop along the way. :D
Tomorrow will be interesting. We'll be meeting with the family we know here for some dim sum. Mom will be heading off to do some shopping with the mom of that family. My brother and I will go along with the older daughter to check out what is considered the Rodeo Drive of Honk Kong. Uh oh! ;-)
We found the Whampoa Gourmet Place. There were a number of establishments there but not all of them were open just yet (it's not quite 11:30AM when we got there). There was one place that was open and that's where we went for some food. The restaurant we ended up at seemed to specialize in some Sichuan dishes. We settled on a sampling of noodles in 4 different broths, a dish of greens and mushrooms, a beef dish, and some more of those Shanghai dumplings. It was quite a bit of food for less than $300HK.
After we ate we walked around a bit. My Mom wanted to find some shopping mall that was supposed to be pretty big. After we quickly strolled around the Metropolis mall next to the train station we grabbed a taxi to head over to Tsim Sha Tsui East. There were some shopping arcades and whatnot, but nothing close to what my Mom recalled. Since there were a number of office towers there, there were plenty of restaurants and many types of eateries in the area. I think by this point it was nearing 2PM. We decided to catch the subway back to the hotel and chill.
Tsim Sha Tsui EastWhen we got back we stopped by the optician to pick up some glasses we ordered 2 days ago. I got 2 new pairs of glasses for a total of $900HK. Compare that to over $500 a PAIR back home! They're not bad. They look kinda trendy.
Anyway, after chilling for a little while (Mom and bro went to walk around the area again), we went out for some dinner. Dad yammered with the doorman downstairs who recommended a place on Nathan Road in Yau Ma Tei. So we walked. We managed to find the place. It was on the 3rd floor. (Something to make note of. In places like HK and Japan where space is at a premium, it's not unusual to find restaurants on upper floors.) This place seems rather nice. Mom ordered some dishes: a clay pot dish with taro and chicken, another clay pot dish with dumplings, an appetizer dish with various meats, a dish with these ribs and some sort of sweet, fried round thing, and half a crispy chicken. Individual cups of green tea was served after dinner. All of this for about $420HK.
After that relatively big dinner, we went out walking around the Ladies' Market looking at some knock-offs and stuff. My brother found a couple of silk blouses to give as gifts. My mom found little slippers for my sister's kids. Me, I found some tempura nori snacks at a Japanese snack shop along the way. :D
Tomorrow will be interesting. We'll be meeting with the family we know here for some dim sum. Mom will be heading off to do some shopping with the mom of that family. My brother and I will go along with the older daughter to check out what is considered the Rodeo Drive of Honk Kong. Uh oh! ;-)
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Hong Kong: Thursday (later)
We took the subway out to Hong Kong Island and got off at Central station. We spent a little bit of time strolling through the mall at the IFC. Nothing spectacular there really. After that, we made out way to the small park where there is a cenotaph dedicated to those who died during World War II and some even between 1914-1918. I should look up the history of Hong Kong during that period.
We then went to find the way to the tram that would take us up to Victoria's Peak. We eventually found this walkway/bridge network that brought us to the Peak Tramway. For $48HK, we got a round trip ticket and access to the rooftop terrace. It's quite the view from up there. I also discovered that Dad was afraid of heights. He avoided getting too close to the side.
We strolled around the area before taking the tram back down. Then we made our way to the pier to catch the ferry back. The boat ride cost just $1.70HK for a 9 minute trip back to Tsim Sha Tsui. We then went back to the Harbour City Mall for my Mom to look for something for my cousin's kids. There is a Sanrio store there, so she got a couple of hair clips. I looked at the Tokodoki Le Sportsac bags but the designs they had did not appeal to me. I liked the one I saw the other day at the Sogo department store. After we were done at the mall, we went over to Sogo to look at the bags. The one I wanted was still there. Yay! So I bought that plus a matching small zippered pouch. :-D
After the damage was done, we caught the subway back to the hotel. Mom called my cousin and we'll be meeting her towards 7PM. She got here a little early and we went to the restaurant located in the hotel (but not run by the hotel) for dinner. It was a nice dinner, really. We started with some nice barbecued pork. It was quite tender. We had some sort of soup with shark's fin in it. There was a Shanghai specialty called xiao leung bao. There was some prawn dish that was tasty, but I find a bit annoying to eat because it was shell on. Sweet and sour pork (of all things) was also served. Peking duck was ordered. The crispy skin served with nice thin pancakes along with celery, green onions and hoisin sauce. A green vegetable was also ordered. I have no idea what it's called in english but it's quite nice and served in some sort of crab sauce. It's really not as bad as it sounds. The sauce did not have an overwhelming taste to it.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Hong Kong: Thursday Morning
Nothing too exciting this morning other than maybe a few observations to make.
I'll need to read up a bit on the social structure of Hong Kong, but one thing I have noticed here is that it's at times very visible to see the haves and have-nots here. The other evening I caught part of a documentary called Hong Kong Stories. The installment I saw was about the homeless here in Hong Kong. It's rather sad to see but it's also comforting to know that there are organizations that try to help those in need and who want to be helped. There's this thing about pride and saving face here in Asia. So it's interesting to see that there are those who try to save face by seeking the help they need to get back on their feet.
This morning as we took a walk around the area after breakfast, I noticed a few things. There were those who seemed obviously down and out. I saw one man picking through the garbage for anything salvageable. Another man keeping up with his oral hygiene by brushing his teeth near a phone booth. I've seen a number of people around who seem quite a bit less well off than others. A few times we have seen crippled men begging for change in the middle of the street. It's really sad to say. It makes you wonder what sort of social assistance is available at all here. Like I said, I think I would need to read up on this some more.
Anyway, about head out shortly for Hong Kong Island.
I'll need to read up a bit on the social structure of Hong Kong, but one thing I have noticed here is that it's at times very visible to see the haves and have-nots here. The other evening I caught part of a documentary called Hong Kong Stories. The installment I saw was about the homeless here in Hong Kong. It's rather sad to see but it's also comforting to know that there are organizations that try to help those in need and who want to be helped. There's this thing about pride and saving face here in Asia. So it's interesting to see that there are those who try to save face by seeking the help they need to get back on their feet.
This morning as we took a walk around the area after breakfast, I noticed a few things. There were those who seemed obviously down and out. I saw one man picking through the garbage for anything salvageable. Another man keeping up with his oral hygiene by brushing his teeth near a phone booth. I've seen a number of people around who seem quite a bit less well off than others. A few times we have seen crippled men begging for change in the middle of the street. It's really sad to say. It makes you wonder what sort of social assistance is available at all here. Like I said, I think I would need to read up on this some more.
Anyway, about head out shortly for Hong Kong Island.
Hong Kong: Wednesday
(NOTE: Speed improved so I managed to upload a few images.)
My Mom got a call last night from her friend who was vacationing here as well. The plan is to have dim sum this morning. So we met up with her this morning and went to the hotel restaurant for dim sum.
Afterwards, we decided to head down to Tsim Sha Tsui. We checked out the Avenue of Stars. There was a life-sized statue of Bruce Lee. There were stars along this waterside walk with the names of various Hong Kong stars and directors. Some have handprints and signatures with them. I took pics of the ones I recognized, like Jackie Chan and Jet Li.
Jet Li
Jackie Chan
After that we found ourselves at a HUGE mall full of upscale boutiques and shops. Think of a high end designer and the store is probably there. It was an L-shaped mall on 3 levels. Simply HUGE.
When we got done walking around that, we got back out onto the street and walked around a bit some more. Next to Kowloon Park is a row of more boutiques. So we walked along Nathan Road up until Hillwood Road at which point we crossed to the other side of Nathan and headed back down it.
I think by this time it was nearing 5PM. We had taken a late lunch at a place called Macau restaurant soon after we got out of the mall. We headed back to the Avenue of Stars. I was hoping that with the sun starting to set that we'd see some of the neon lights lit up across the water on the Hong Kong side. Some of the lights were lit up but not all yet. As we strolled along the Avenue, we saw a classic Sampan sail by. I managed to take a few shots of it.
After all this walking, we grabbed to subway back to Mong Kok. We were pretty tired and not too hungry, so we picked up a few buns to munch on as a light dinner. My mom and brother afterwards went out to stroll through the "Ladies' Market" in search of more bargains. Then, after they came back, my brother went off on his own to stroll some more. My feet are killing me, otherwise I would have gone out with him as well.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Hong Kong: Tuesday
Today we made the trek out to see the huge Buddha on Lantau Island. Getting there was half the fun! We had to take the subway all the way out with one change along the way. From there we had to catch a bus to the Buddha. The bus ride took about 45 minutes. I took a short movie of the ride as we had front row seats on the ride out. However, I can't seem to offload it from the camera to this machine.
Well, we finally made it there. That thing is quite a ways up.
It was a bit of a climb up but I managed to make it up. I think those weeks of cardio I have been doing paid off!
After that we had a vegetarian meal by the monastary.
It was quite good. It was also rather filling for 4 people.
After the Buddha, we checked out the outlets at the mall that's by the subway station. Some interesting stuff, but didn't find anything that caught my eye or had the right size. Oh well.
Well, we finally made it there. That thing is quite a ways up.
It was a bit of a climb up but I managed to make it up. I think those weeks of cardio I have been doing paid off!
After that we had a vegetarian meal by the monastary.
It was quite good. It was also rather filling for 4 people.
After the Buddha, we checked out the outlets at the mall that's by the subway station. Some interesting stuff, but didn't find anything that caught my eye or had the right size. Oh well.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Hong Kong: Monday
The morning started off slow. My brother was right in that things don't get going until late in the morning. Until after 10AM, it's mostly school kids and office workers running around to get to where they're going. So for breakfast we wandered around a bit and found a place that served congee (rice porridge) and some other stuff. This place was not far from the hotel and we found it after walking around the area for about 30 minutes.
Afterwards, we went back to our rooms to digest. We were suppose to meet a family friend to bring us to the cemetery where my Dad's father is buried. It was a bit of a hike to get to because it's in an area a bit north of where we were. I'm guessing that this is in the New Territories areas. Because space is such a valuable commodity, this cemetery is terraced. My brother was telling me that these days, plots can go for quite a bit of money.
Afterwards, we headed back to take a break at the hotel. Then it was out to the Ladies's Market to check out the knockoffs and other bargains. My brother got himself a nice Tag Heuer watch and Louis Vuitton wallet for $80. We popped into an electronics store and I found myself a nice 18-200mm VR lens for $200 less than back home. It looks like the prices of some things are definitely less here.
I think tomorrow we will visit this big Buddha statue on Lantau Island. :-)
Afterwards, we went back to our rooms to digest. We were suppose to meet a family friend to bring us to the cemetery where my Dad's father is buried. It was a bit of a hike to get to because it's in an area a bit north of where we were. I'm guessing that this is in the New Territories areas. Because space is such a valuable commodity, this cemetery is terraced. My brother was telling me that these days, plots can go for quite a bit of money.
Afterwards, we headed back to take a break at the hotel. Then it was out to the Ladies's Market to check out the knockoffs and other bargains. My brother got himself a nice Tag Heuer watch and Louis Vuitton wallet for $80. We popped into an electronics store and I found myself a nice 18-200mm VR lens for $200 less than back home. It looks like the prices of some things are definitely less here.
I think tomorrow we will visit this big Buddha statue on Lantau Island. :-)
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Dateline: Kowloon, Hong Kong
Well, after flying from Chicago to Hong Kong for approximately 15 hours, I'm finally here. Aside from a few bumps of turbulence along the way the flight was relatively uneventful, save for the toddler who sat right behind my Dad and was bawling his eyes out every once in a while.
For the first half of the flight, I found it difficult to fall asleep. I listened to my iPod until it ran out of juice. :p I tried to read a little of the book I brought with me, "Heat" by Bill Buford. The flight took us up and around the North Pole. I managed to dig out my camera for this shot of the screen.
After we got in my Mom called some family friends. We met up with them at the hotel. After we freshened up, we went to this restaurant that seemed to specialize in seafood or something. In any case, it was pretty good!
Pretty tired this evening after dinner. My brother and my parents went out for a walk around the area. The shopping here is open until pretty late. The hours here are quite different. My bro says that other than school kids and businessmen, nothing really openes up here until around 11AM. It might have something to do with the climate.
Anyway, I'm off to bed shortly. Maybe I'll write something more significant later. :)
For the first half of the flight, I found it difficult to fall asleep. I listened to my iPod until it ran out of juice. :p I tried to read a little of the book I brought with me, "Heat" by Bill Buford. The flight took us up and around the North Pole. I managed to dig out my camera for this shot of the screen.
After we got in my Mom called some family friends. We met up with them at the hotel. After we freshened up, we went to this restaurant that seemed to specialize in seafood or something. In any case, it was pretty good!
Pretty tired this evening after dinner. My brother and my parents went out for a walk around the area. The shopping here is open until pretty late. The hours here are quite different. My bro says that other than school kids and businessmen, nothing really openes up here until around 11AM. It might have something to do with the climate.
Anyway, I'm off to bed shortly. Maybe I'll write something more significant later. :)
Monday, June 11, 2007
Roman Shoes
It's been a couple of weeks since I was in Rome, but I figure it would be a good idea to try to record what I remember of the trip. I did try to keep a written journal during the trip as I was not always able or had the time to login and make an entry to this site.
One of the things that popped into my head today was, just how did the people of ancient Rome manage to get around without developing so many blisters on their feet? I was thinking about this because most of the blisters I got were from walking around Rome. Granted that I walked a lot that one day, but the shoes I wore were not new!
The day we did all of that walking we had met as a group around 8:30AM. We took the subway to where the Spanish Steps were. This was the start of our orientation walk. (Our Intrepid group leader had that previous night gone out to map out the route for our walk!) We spent about 15 minutes there to take photos and whatnot. Afterwards, we continued our walk. I don't remember exactly where we went, but I think I had most of the sites marked on the map that I still have (somewhere). I will have to check it and post it here later.
After we did our orientation walk, which took up pretty much the entire morning, we stopped at some place near Piazza de Venezia (I think). We rested our weary feet and discussed what some of us planned to do next. Being one of 3 solo travellers, I figure I'd try to stick with some of the folks.
The mother/daughter duo decided to head off in one direction. The two sisters also decided to go off in another direction. The rest of us decided to tackle a hill that was across the river for a view of Rome. Thus we split into 3 groups and took off in different directions.
We consulted the map to see what the best way to where we wanted to go was. We knew we wanted to head towards Trastevere. I remembered the route I took to meet the instructor for the cooking course. The way to Trastevere was not far from there. Plus, the others would get to see the ruins that doubles as a cat sanctuary. So away we went.
We managed to find our way to Trastevere. Our group leaster had mentioned that there would be plenty of trattorias and such along the way. We didn't see any at first. At some point, after walking some distance, I pulled out my Lonely Planet Rome to check out where we were exactly and where the eateries might be. By this point I think the decision was made to backtrack somewhat.
Eventually, we found a place on a corner. It turned out to be a place that was also listed in the Lonely Planet. We decided to acquire some sustenance here before we continued on our trek.
(to be continued)
One of the things that popped into my head today was, just how did the people of ancient Rome manage to get around without developing so many blisters on their feet? I was thinking about this because most of the blisters I got were from walking around Rome. Granted that I walked a lot that one day, but the shoes I wore were not new!
The day we did all of that walking we had met as a group around 8:30AM. We took the subway to where the Spanish Steps were. This was the start of our orientation walk. (Our Intrepid group leader had that previous night gone out to map out the route for our walk!) We spent about 15 minutes there to take photos and whatnot. Afterwards, we continued our walk. I don't remember exactly where we went, but I think I had most of the sites marked on the map that I still have (somewhere). I will have to check it and post it here later.
After we did our orientation walk, which took up pretty much the entire morning, we stopped at some place near Piazza de Venezia (I think). We rested our weary feet and discussed what some of us planned to do next. Being one of 3 solo travellers, I figure I'd try to stick with some of the folks.
The mother/daughter duo decided to head off in one direction. The two sisters also decided to go off in another direction. The rest of us decided to tackle a hill that was across the river for a view of Rome. Thus we split into 3 groups and took off in different directions.
We consulted the map to see what the best way to where we wanted to go was. We knew we wanted to head towards Trastevere. I remembered the route I took to meet the instructor for the cooking course. The way to Trastevere was not far from there. Plus, the others would get to see the ruins that doubles as a cat sanctuary. So away we went.
We managed to find our way to Trastevere. Our group leaster had mentioned that there would be plenty of trattorias and such along the way. We didn't see any at first. At some point, after walking some distance, I pulled out my Lonely Planet Rome to check out where we were exactly and where the eateries might be. By this point I think the decision was made to backtrack somewhat.
Eventually, we found a place on a corner. It turned out to be a place that was also listed in the Lonely Planet. We decided to acquire some sustenance here before we continued on our trek.
(to be continued)
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Pictures! Finally!
Well, I just got back yesterday evening after a delayed flight out of Amsterdam. The rest of the trip since Asti has been rather uneventful.
The weather at Lake Como could have been better. It was wet and cold for the most part. I had spent most of the full day we had in the area at Bellagio. Unfortunately, there were no George Clooney sightings. There weren't any guided tours happening due to the weather. At the tourist information office they gave us a few pamphlets to go by. We used the 1 hour self-guided tour to orient ourselves to this little town.
At some point in our little walk, we come upon a small church next to the municiple building. Our fearless group leader decided to go have a peek inside. We saw him go into the church. Then he quickly came out of there with a strange look on his face. Apparently, he walked in on a funeral that was just getting ready to start! Oooops!!
After that we decided to check out some of the shops in the town. Along the way, we come across a shop that had some designer (i.e., D&G) watches. One of the girls wanted to check them out. Our group leader also wanted to see what they had as well since he's been shopping around for a watch. while looking over the watches they had, he found one that he rather liked. We asked him if was sure he would buy that one. He said yes. Then one of the guys told the salesperson that we would take it. we essentially got our group leader the watch as a token of our appreciation. We had earlier discussed what to give him as a tip for all he's done on the trip for us. The cost of the watch was pretty much in line with what we agreed to put in as cash. So it worked out pretty well! And our intrepid group leader was quite happy and beside himself with this gift! :)
After we were done with Lake Como, we were off to Venice. To get to Venice, we had to take the train back to Milan and then catch anothe train to Venice. It was a long journey. :-p
In Venice, we had some time to walk around a bit. In a rather round about manner, we managed to find our way to piazza San Marco. By then it was getting a bit late so we caught the vaporetto back to the area close to the hotel so we could freshen up before dinner.
Dinner was at a trattoria recommended to our group leader. He had never been to it before so he had to ask for directions to find it. The place was nice and the food was good albeit a little higher in price. This was our last dinner as a group. The next day, everyone would start to go off on their seperate ways.
During the dinner, there were some toasts and some confessions. Our intrepid group leader confessed that he was 22 years old as he proclaimed to be in the beginning. Instead, he was really 20 years old! As well, this wasn't his fourth Intrepid tour, it was actually his FIRST! Well! For his first tour, he did a pretty good job of it! There were a few times when we wondered why he needed to figure out how to get somewhere, but I guess we just didn't think too much about it! In any case, we had a few laughs and more to drink. At the end of it wall, on the way back we decided to sing that old Dean Martin classic "That's Amore". I think we sang it on one of the bridges near the trattoria. No one really paid attention to us, which is just as well, because I must confess that I did not join in on the singing. :) Call me a coward!
So the next day, I had the whole day as well as a few other people. So we all decided to head over to San Marco first. When we finally found our way there (after a detour to Murano island), we found the piazza flooded. I guess a lot of the tourists found it to be quite the spectacle to see the piazza flooded like that. Thankfully I was wearing these sandals that are meant for both wet and dry environments, so I waded around the flooded piazza a bit. After that, we decided to make our way back on foot to the train station. One couple was staying at a hotel that evening not far from where I was going to stay. Another couple needed to get their stuff and make their way to the airport.
We got to the hotel and saw that a few others have not come back yet to get their stuff. So we hung around to wait for them. When they came, we said our goodbyes before we took our stuff and went to our respectful hotels. That evening, I just grabbed a sandwich from a shop just downstairs from the hotel for dinner. The next morning, after breakfast, I caught the train back to Rome. In Rome, I had hoped to get in touch with the group leader for dinner, but it seems that he's been committed to some other events. Oh well. I was pretty tired and I needed to strategically repack my things. I had some trouble falling asleep, but eventually I did. In the morning, I got up early and caught the train to the airport.
When I finally, landed here and went through customs, the guy asked where I went. I said Italy.
He asked, "By yourself?"
Me: "Yes."
Him: "What was the purpose of your trip?"
Me: "Vacation"
Him: "What did I buy?"
Me: "Some shirts, chocolates, books, bags."
Him: "What brand of bags?"
Me: "Mandarina Duck."
Him: "Mandarina Duck? Is that an expensive brand?"
Me: "Not really, about $200."
Him: "Okay."
And away I went. I managed to escape. He neglected to ask how many bags I bought! ;-) Shhhhhhh!!!
For pics, the good, the bad and the ugly, you can find them here.
The weather at Lake Como could have been better. It was wet and cold for the most part. I had spent most of the full day we had in the area at Bellagio. Unfortunately, there were no George Clooney sightings. There weren't any guided tours happening due to the weather. At the tourist information office they gave us a few pamphlets to go by. We used the 1 hour self-guided tour to orient ourselves to this little town.
At some point in our little walk, we come upon a small church next to the municiple building. Our fearless group leader decided to go have a peek inside. We saw him go into the church. Then he quickly came out of there with a strange look on his face. Apparently, he walked in on a funeral that was just getting ready to start! Oooops!!
After that we decided to check out some of the shops in the town. Along the way, we come across a shop that had some designer (i.e., D&G) watches. One of the girls wanted to check them out. Our group leader also wanted to see what they had as well since he's been shopping around for a watch. while looking over the watches they had, he found one that he rather liked. We asked him if was sure he would buy that one. He said yes. Then one of the guys told the salesperson that we would take it. we essentially got our group leader the watch as a token of our appreciation. We had earlier discussed what to give him as a tip for all he's done on the trip for us. The cost of the watch was pretty much in line with what we agreed to put in as cash. So it worked out pretty well! And our intrepid group leader was quite happy and beside himself with this gift! :)
After we were done with Lake Como, we were off to Venice. To get to Venice, we had to take the train back to Milan and then catch anothe train to Venice. It was a long journey. :-p
In Venice, we had some time to walk around a bit. In a rather round about manner, we managed to find our way to piazza San Marco. By then it was getting a bit late so we caught the vaporetto back to the area close to the hotel so we could freshen up before dinner.
Dinner was at a trattoria recommended to our group leader. He had never been to it before so he had to ask for directions to find it. The place was nice and the food was good albeit a little higher in price. This was our last dinner as a group. The next day, everyone would start to go off on their seperate ways.
During the dinner, there were some toasts and some confessions. Our intrepid group leader confessed that he was 22 years old as he proclaimed to be in the beginning. Instead, he was really 20 years old! As well, this wasn't his fourth Intrepid tour, it was actually his FIRST! Well! For his first tour, he did a pretty good job of it! There were a few times when we wondered why he needed to figure out how to get somewhere, but I guess we just didn't think too much about it! In any case, we had a few laughs and more to drink. At the end of it wall, on the way back we decided to sing that old Dean Martin classic "That's Amore". I think we sang it on one of the bridges near the trattoria. No one really paid attention to us, which is just as well, because I must confess that I did not join in on the singing. :) Call me a coward!
So the next day, I had the whole day as well as a few other people. So we all decided to head over to San Marco first. When we finally found our way there (after a detour to Murano island), we found the piazza flooded. I guess a lot of the tourists found it to be quite the spectacle to see the piazza flooded like that. Thankfully I was wearing these sandals that are meant for both wet and dry environments, so I waded around the flooded piazza a bit. After that, we decided to make our way back on foot to the train station. One couple was staying at a hotel that evening not far from where I was going to stay. Another couple needed to get their stuff and make their way to the airport.
We got to the hotel and saw that a few others have not come back yet to get their stuff. So we hung around to wait for them. When they came, we said our goodbyes before we took our stuff and went to our respectful hotels. That evening, I just grabbed a sandwich from a shop just downstairs from the hotel for dinner. The next morning, after breakfast, I caught the train back to Rome. In Rome, I had hoped to get in touch with the group leader for dinner, but it seems that he's been committed to some other events. Oh well. I was pretty tired and I needed to strategically repack my things. I had some trouble falling asleep, but eventually I did. In the morning, I got up early and caught the train to the airport.
When I finally, landed here and went through customs, the guy asked where I went. I said Italy.
He asked, "By yourself?"
Me: "Yes."
Him: "What was the purpose of your trip?"
Me: "Vacation"
Him: "What did I buy?"
Me: "Some shirts, chocolates, books, bags."
Him: "What brand of bags?"
Me: "Mandarina Duck."
Him: "Mandarina Duck? Is that an expensive brand?"
Me: "Not really, about $200."
Him: "Okay."
And away I went. I managed to escape. He neglected to ask how many bags I bought! ;-) Shhhhhhh!!!
For pics, the good, the bad and the ugly, you can find them here.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Dateline: Asti
Arrived in Asti yesterday evening after a 3.5 hour train ride from Levanto. At some point a whole bunch of kids boarded our train car. It got a little noisy. If it weren't for my iPod I probably would have screamed. But it was all good. The hotel we're staying at is just steps away from the train station, so that was a huge convenience. As well, the hotel is fairly new so the rooms were well appointed and comfy. You actually had room to manoeuvre in the bathroom versus what we had in Levanto.
Today we went to the Luca Ferraris vineyard and winery. It was about a half hour bus ride from Asti. After being given a small tour of the facilities, we had a wine tasting session. I think we tried about 5 different types of red wines they make as well as a moscato d'Asti. Yummm! I really like the sweetness of that one. Some of the folks in the group made some purchases of bottles of some of the wines. I asked to have a case of 6 bottles (2 of 3 kinds) shipped home. I left my address and email so they can let me know if it would be possible to ship back and how much it would cost.
After the wine tasting, we had lunch at a nearby restaurant. For 15 euros we were treated to a 5 course meal. The antipasto was a plate of local cheese made with both cow and sheep's milk served on a small bed of greens and topped with a preserve made from grapes and some chopped walnuts. The piatti primo was a lovely penne dish with a light sauce that had tuna and breadcrumbs(?) in it. The piatti secundo was thin slices of veal and a vegetable caponata. Then there was a cheese course where we sampled 4 different cheeses of the region. For the dolci, it was a custard/mousse like dessert made with chocolate and almonds. It was all quite delicious. The meal was served with some local wines. This was quite a feast for a lunch!! I was quite full after all of this!
Afterwards, we got to visit the studio of a local artist. Some of his works graced the bottle labels of some of the wine we had. He also designed a huge glass piece for a church in Torino. This was a nice little treat.
Soon it was time to catch the last bus back to Asti. Our group leader wasn't sure where the bust stop was so he had to ask a few people. We eventually found the stop and the bus arrived more or less on time.
Right now, some of the folks decided to go do some shopping. I decided to pass on that and get some rest and maybe take a nap. But before I take a nap, I figure I'd do some updating here since this internet point is just around the corner from the hotel.
It's interesting to note that some of these internet points are also western union locations. As well, it seems like cheap long distance calls can be made from these places. I first noticed this in Lucca that a lot of non-Italians were making use of these cheaper LD rates to call home.
Tonight, I might join the others in search of dinner. We have an early start tomorrow morning. We will be catching a train to Milan where we will have a few hours for some quick sightseeing and shopping. Afterwards, it's off to Lake Como.
At this point, I'd like to control how much shopping I will do between now and the end of the trip. My bag is already fairly full, but I think I have devised a way to make it from Rome to the airport at the end. I hope to visit the Murano glass factory and museum while I am in Venice. I might make a few purchases there as well. So I really need to conserve baggage space. I also would like to avoid having to buy another piece of luggage for all of this stuff!!!
Anyway...
Today we went to the Luca Ferraris vineyard and winery. It was about a half hour bus ride from Asti. After being given a small tour of the facilities, we had a wine tasting session. I think we tried about 5 different types of red wines they make as well as a moscato d'Asti. Yummm! I really like the sweetness of that one. Some of the folks in the group made some purchases of bottles of some of the wines. I asked to have a case of 6 bottles (2 of 3 kinds) shipped home. I left my address and email so they can let me know if it would be possible to ship back and how much it would cost.
After the wine tasting, we had lunch at a nearby restaurant. For 15 euros we were treated to a 5 course meal. The antipasto was a plate of local cheese made with both cow and sheep's milk served on a small bed of greens and topped with a preserve made from grapes and some chopped walnuts. The piatti primo was a lovely penne dish with a light sauce that had tuna and breadcrumbs(?) in it. The piatti secundo was thin slices of veal and a vegetable caponata. Then there was a cheese course where we sampled 4 different cheeses of the region. For the dolci, it was a custard/mousse like dessert made with chocolate and almonds. It was all quite delicious. The meal was served with some local wines. This was quite a feast for a lunch!! I was quite full after all of this!
Afterwards, we got to visit the studio of a local artist. Some of his works graced the bottle labels of some of the wine we had. He also designed a huge glass piece for a church in Torino. This was a nice little treat.
Soon it was time to catch the last bus back to Asti. Our group leader wasn't sure where the bust stop was so he had to ask a few people. We eventually found the stop and the bus arrived more or less on time.
Right now, some of the folks decided to go do some shopping. I decided to pass on that and get some rest and maybe take a nap. But before I take a nap, I figure I'd do some updating here since this internet point is just around the corner from the hotel.
It's interesting to note that some of these internet points are also western union locations. As well, it seems like cheap long distance calls can be made from these places. I first noticed this in Lucca that a lot of non-Italians were making use of these cheaper LD rates to call home.
Tonight, I might join the others in search of dinner. We have an early start tomorrow morning. We will be catching a train to Milan where we will have a few hours for some quick sightseeing and shopping. Afterwards, it's off to Lake Como.
At this point, I'd like to control how much shopping I will do between now and the end of the trip. My bag is already fairly full, but I think I have devised a way to make it from Rome to the airport at the end. I hope to visit the Murano glass factory and museum while I am in Venice. I might make a few purchases there as well. So I really need to conserve baggage space. I also would like to avoid having to buy another piece of luggage for all of this stuff!!!
Anyway...
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Dateline: Levanto
For our last evening in Lucca, we planned a bit of a potluck type of dinner. Since the apartment I was in had a huge dining table in the basement we would have the dinner there. For my part, I would prepare a simple pasta dish making a tomato sauce similar to the one shown in the cooking course in Rome. As well, I was going to make the ricotta dessert too. The challenge was to find all of the ingredients. I had no problems finding most of the ingreidents. The only thing missing was the chocolate and the almonds for the dessert. The other women in the group who were shopping for other foodstuff managed to find some chocolate and almonds. Yay! The dessert was saved. Some of the items that were brought for the dinner were a selection of olives, marinated eggplants, anchovies and some salami. There was also a nice greek salad that one of the women made. Along with my pasta dish, there was also some nice lasagne picked up from a local market. For dessert, there were a couple of types of tarts and the ricotta dessert. Of course, we went through a few bottles of vino! In fact, weàve been having a few bottles of vino every night since we got together!
Yesterday, after we got into Levanto, we caught a ferry that took us to Portovenerre. On the way, the ferry stopped at 4 of the 5 Cinque Terre villages. The only one it did not stop at was Corniglia because it did not have a port. In Portovenerre, we had a chance to walk around and check out the sites. Later, after getting back to Levanto, we had signed up for a little pesto making lesson. We were shown how to make pesto the traditional way with mortar and pestle. We tried pest made with a blender and pest made the other way. Guess which tastes better! :) Then, right after that, we went for dinner.
Today, we went to Manarola and walked from there to Corniglia. It was about a 30'45 minute walk. By then it was late morning and the sun was getting to be quite hot. Shade was a valuable commodity! We hung around Corniglia and got a bite to eat before catching the trian to Varnazze. Some of the others decided to make the walk to Varnazze instead. We strolled around Varnazze checked out the sites for a bit. Then around 4:30 a few of us caught the train back to Levanto. I rested a bit before coming to this internet point to check on emails and such. :)
Yesterday, after we got into Levanto, we caught a ferry that took us to Portovenerre. On the way, the ferry stopped at 4 of the 5 Cinque Terre villages. The only one it did not stop at was Corniglia because it did not have a port. In Portovenerre, we had a chance to walk around and check out the sites. Later, after getting back to Levanto, we had signed up for a little pesto making lesson. We were shown how to make pesto the traditional way with mortar and pestle. We tried pest made with a blender and pest made the other way. Guess which tastes better! :) Then, right after that, we went for dinner.
Today, we went to Manarola and walked from there to Corniglia. It was about a 30'45 minute walk. By then it was late morning and the sun was getting to be quite hot. Shade was a valuable commodity! We hung around Corniglia and got a bite to eat before catching the trian to Varnazze. Some of the others decided to make the walk to Varnazze instead. We strolled around Varnazze checked out the sites for a bit. Then around 4:30 a few of us caught the train back to Levanto. I rested a bit before coming to this internet point to check on emails and such. :)
Monday, May 21, 2007
Dateline: Lucca
Okay, so after traipsing about in Firenze, we took the train to Lucca. In Lucca, they have these apartments for Intrepid travellers here. I'm sharing an apartment with a mother/daughter duo from Oz. The place is really nice. The kitchen looks like it was recently remodelled. And there is a basement with a huge dining table. Great for a gathering of the travellers for a dinner.
Today we took the train over to Pisa for the morning. Aside from the tower and the cathedral next to it, there really wasn't much to Pisa. This afternoon most of us rented a bike and cycled along the wall that surrounds Lucca. It was a very pleasant ride.
Tomorrow is a free day in Lucca. I will probably wander around the town and take some photos here and there. :-)
Today we took the train over to Pisa for the morning. Aside from the tower and the cathedral next to it, there really wasn't much to Pisa. This afternoon most of us rented a bike and cycled along the wall that surrounds Lucca. It was a very pleasant ride.
Tomorrow is a free day in Lucca. I will probably wander around the town and take some photos here and there. :-)
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Dateline: Florence
Made to Rome in one piece and wallet intact. Found first night's hotel which really isnt much to write home about. Was really too tired to do much other than wander around the general vicinity of the Termini and look for food. Found a supermarket and picked up a few nibbles.
Day 2: I checked out and hauled my stuff to the meetup hotel (about a 10-15 minute walk). Then after catching my breath for a little bit, I made my way over on foot to meet the woman for the cooking class. We went over to the nearby fish monger and picked up some octopus. Then over to the nearby market place to get the rest of the ingredients for what we were going to make. On the menu were:
- Antipasto of fennel, blood oranges and oven-roasted olives.
- 1st course of rigotoni with tomato sauce and fried eggplant.
- 2nd course of octopus braised with onion, cherry tomtoes and some marsala wine
- Dolce was fresh buffalo ricotta mixed with dark chocolate and toasted almonds on fresh strawberries.
The cooking class was fun and informative.
That evening, met up with tour group and went out for dinner (more food!). the next day, we did an orientation walk of Rome. Since we started relatively early, we got to see some sites with very few tourists (such as the Spanish Steps). In the afternoon, we were pretty much on our own. We decided to go up to Gianocolo for the view of Rome from a hilltop. Afterwards, we went to the Colosseum and then walked back. For dinner, some of us went to Hostaria da Bruno (found in Lonely Planet).
Yesterday, we got up early to go over and get in line for the Vatican Museum. Unfortunately, while getting in the metro, one of the travellers had his wallet pinched! Not a great start to the day. When we got over to the line-up, the group leader took the couple over to the carbinieri to report the theft. Otherwise, the rest of the day was relatively uneventful, but this even kind of put a damper to things.
After all that, we got our bags from the hotel and caught a train to Florence. After checking in, we did a walk around the town and then up another hill for a view of Florence. Florence is more scenic.
And that brings us to today. This morning I went to the Ufizzi Museum and took my time strolling through the galleries. Then I met up with a few of the other travellers for lunch. Then I visited the Duomo (but didn't climb it). It was rather nice. Then I went over to the Mandarina Duck and bought (wait for it) 2 bags and a wallet). I won't mention what they cost. :-p
And here I am updating this. Will be heading back to the hotel soon to meet up with a few others to head over to some artisan/crafts fair.
Ciao!
Day 2: I checked out and hauled my stuff to the meetup hotel (about a 10-15 minute walk). Then after catching my breath for a little bit, I made my way over on foot to meet the woman for the cooking class. We went over to the nearby fish monger and picked up some octopus. Then over to the nearby market place to get the rest of the ingredients for what we were going to make. On the menu were:
- Antipasto of fennel, blood oranges and oven-roasted olives.
- 1st course of rigotoni with tomato sauce and fried eggplant.
- 2nd course of octopus braised with onion, cherry tomtoes and some marsala wine
- Dolce was fresh buffalo ricotta mixed with dark chocolate and toasted almonds on fresh strawberries.
The cooking class was fun and informative.
That evening, met up with tour group and went out for dinner (more food!). the next day, we did an orientation walk of Rome. Since we started relatively early, we got to see some sites with very few tourists (such as the Spanish Steps). In the afternoon, we were pretty much on our own. We decided to go up to Gianocolo for the view of Rome from a hilltop. Afterwards, we went to the Colosseum and then walked back. For dinner, some of us went to Hostaria da Bruno (found in Lonely Planet).
Yesterday, we got up early to go over and get in line for the Vatican Museum. Unfortunately, while getting in the metro, one of the travellers had his wallet pinched! Not a great start to the day. When we got over to the line-up, the group leader took the couple over to the carbinieri to report the theft. Otherwise, the rest of the day was relatively uneventful, but this even kind of put a damper to things.
After all that, we got our bags from the hotel and caught a train to Florence. After checking in, we did a walk around the town and then up another hill for a view of Florence. Florence is more scenic.
And that brings us to today. This morning I went to the Ufizzi Museum and took my time strolling through the galleries. Then I met up with a few of the other travellers for lunch. Then I visited the Duomo (but didn't climb it). It was rather nice. Then I went over to the Mandarina Duck and bought (wait for it) 2 bags and a wallet). I won't mention what they cost. :-p
And here I am updating this. Will be heading back to the hotel soon to meet up with a few others to head over to some artisan/crafts fair.
Ciao!
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Walls and such
Earlier when I was logged in, I was reading the latest entry from Matthew Good. To some degree I can relate to what he's saying. But I guess depending on the person, the reactions could vary. I suppose I came across my "wall" last October when I decided to make my trip to Japan. I had previously visited Japan twice with my ex. I suppose it was difficult at times because I would be walking in areas in Tokyo where we had been before. I think Kyoto was maybe a bit more emotional. I remember so many things and parts about the city. Maybe it's because it's a very navigable city. Or maybe we had explored so much of it before given that we had spent nearly 2 weeks there in Spring of 2005. In any case, I think I would go back again. Perhaps later this year when/if I go to Hong Kong with my folks. I'll have to visit Tokyo again with renewed eyes and mind. It will most likely be a solo trip again, but hey, why wait? When you're ready to go, go. And I guess one should try not to let bad memories get in the way of making new and better ones.
Almost there!
Currently sitting in Schiphol airport. The flight over took less than 6 hours due to a tail wind. The flight to Rome is only at 10:45AM. Ergo, I am sitting here checking on email and a few things. I think the hotel I'm at the first night has terminals. Will give a more complete first day update then. :-)
Monday, May 14, 2007
Countdown
In just a few hours, I will be heading for the airport. The airport is about a 10-15 minute taxi ride from my place, depending on traffic. It will cost me abour $25. My flight is scheduled to take off at around 6:55PM. I think I need to be at the airport at least 3 hours before my flight. I think. In any case, I think I will call for a cab around 3:30PM.
I think I am making myself anxious for no reason. I keep thinking about whether or not I've forgotten to pack anything. I worry if I packed too little or too much. Why am I getting a bit anxious about this trip? Maybe it's because I am going somewhere I've never been to before on my own. In the past, my trips have been with my ex, or for work, or some place I've been to before.
Anyway, about two and a half hours to go.
I think I am making myself anxious for no reason. I keep thinking about whether or not I've forgotten to pack anything. I worry if I packed too little or too much. Why am I getting a bit anxious about this trip? Maybe it's because I am going somewhere I've never been to before on my own. In the past, my trips have been with my ex, or for work, or some place I've been to before.
Anyway, about two and a half hours to go.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Bound for Italia!!
Well, I had decided about 2 months ago to just go ahead and plan my vacation. I wasn't totally sure yet where I had wanted to go. There was an interesting trip to Costa Rica with GAP Adventures. Then I started to look towards Europe. Eventually, I decided on a trip with Intrepid Travel. La Dolce Vita.
La Dolce Vita seems like a nice trip to get an initial taste of Italy, albeit mostly in the northern part. The trip stars in Rome and then onward to Florence. After taking in Florence, we would head to Lucca with a day trip to Pisa. From Lucca, it's on to Cinque Terre where we would enjoy the quaint little villages that make up Cinque Terre. On the way to Piedmont, a stopover in Milan for a few hours. Then, after enjoying some vino in Piedmont and maybe some truffles it's off to the Lakes District and Lake Como. After enjoying the beauty that is Bellagio, we head off to our last stop, Venice.
This tour covers 15 days. However, I decided to arrive in Rome a day early. With this extra day, I decided to sign up for a cooking course through Blu Aubergine. I'm really looking forward to that. At the end of the tour in Venice, I decided to spend the night there before catching the train back to Rome. One last night in Rome and then it's back to Montreal.
This will be in total 18 days of vacation in Italy. :)
I can't promise that I will be able to update this blog on a daily basis. I will not be lugging my iBook around Italy. If I happen upon an Internet cafe, then I will try to make a quick blog entry. Otherwise, I will have to record everything the old-fashioned way: pen and paper!!! :)
La Dolce Vita seems like a nice trip to get an initial taste of Italy, albeit mostly in the northern part. The trip stars in Rome and then onward to Florence. After taking in Florence, we would head to Lucca with a day trip to Pisa. From Lucca, it's on to Cinque Terre where we would enjoy the quaint little villages that make up Cinque Terre. On the way to Piedmont, a stopover in Milan for a few hours. Then, after enjoying some vino in Piedmont and maybe some truffles it's off to the Lakes District and Lake Como. After enjoying the beauty that is Bellagio, we head off to our last stop, Venice.
This tour covers 15 days. However, I decided to arrive in Rome a day early. With this extra day, I decided to sign up for a cooking course through Blu Aubergine. I'm really looking forward to that. At the end of the tour in Venice, I decided to spend the night there before catching the train back to Rome. One last night in Rome and then it's back to Montreal.
This will be in total 18 days of vacation in Italy. :)
I can't promise that I will be able to update this blog on a daily basis. I will not be lugging my iBook around Italy. If I happen upon an Internet cafe, then I will try to make a quick blog entry. Otherwise, I will have to record everything the old-fashioned way: pen and paper!!! :)
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