Here we are in 2009, preparing for a return trip to the Philippines to see if we can find any more ‘Nemos’. That’s after we swim with the jellyfish in Palau. It seems like a long time since we were snorkeling at the Dauin Reserve and yet it seems like we’ve been constantly on the go. I think putting 20 000 kilometers on the car since mid-May has a lot to do with that.
We drove to Atlanta at the end of May to get a refill on time with the grandkids. A weekend of baby-sitting gives Travis and Wanda a chance to get away with friends for a short break. We have enough energy to get through the week-end (just barely) and it’s a great way to get to know the children. They’ve been a delight since the beginning and it just keeps getting better as they grow and change.
From Atlanta, we motored over to Virginia Beach. Doreen’s sister had finally decided to apply for her US citizenship. The naturalization ceremony was held in Colonial Williamsburg on a gorgeous late spring morning. What a wonderful setting! There was quite a diverse group, representing a multitude of countries. The US is indeed a ‘melting pot’.
We were back in Atlanta at the end of July for a birthday party. With actual birthdays at the end of June and August, the grandkids’ parties get caught up in the July 4th and Labor Day weekends when many of their friends are out of town. So, this year, Wanda decided to split the difference and have one joint party at the end of July. Everybody seemed to have a good time. The kids really enjoyed the idea as it expanded their gift-receiving opportunities. (Of course, there were still family birthday parties for each on the specific day.) What kid wouldn’t go for a second birthday party. We were really impressed with the strides both kids had made with their swimming lessons. They love going to the pool and they’re becoming little fish. Doreen can’t wait to take them snorkeling somewhere.
There aren’t any significant beaches in either Burlington or Atlanta so we took another trip to Virginia Beach instead of coming home. The beaches along the Chesapeake and the Oceanfront don’t rival the beaches of the Caribbean or the South Pacific but the combination of sun, sand and warmth does wonders for one’s psyche.
We were back in Virginia Beach in September for Curtis’ wedding. It was a chance to re-connect with some of Doreen’s family who came for the wedding and to get to know Adrienne. She and Curtis are an interesting couple and seem to bring out the best in each other. We’ve had fun tracking their blogs.
Halloween provided another excuse to visit Atlanta. The kids are currently into ‘Star Wars’ so Doreen made costumes–Princess Laia and Luke Skywalker. She also made a ‘Darth Vader’ costume for herself so she could accompany the kids on their foray through the neighbourhood. The costumes were completed with working ‘light sabers’. To be precise, the light sabers were working until one too many enthusiastic confrontation between the Jedi knights and the ‘Dark Forces’. It’s interesting to note that the kids have no trouble mixing new characters with the old set that Travis had retained in storage (in his Darth Vader case) since he and Stacy engaged in similar play when they were kids.
We did a final swing through Virginia Beach and Atlanta in December so we could have early Christmas celebrations with Bonnie and Dave and Travis and family. Bonnie was off to South Carolina to spend Christmas with her grand-daughter while Travis and family did their annual pilgrimage to St. John’s. We got back to Burlington just in time to join Stacy for a Christmas Eve get-together with Jim’s family and a Christmas dinner at John’s place in Newmarket.
And now 2008 has ended and a new year’s just begun. A couple of months of snow and cold weather to endure but we’ll shorten winter by taking our break to Palau and the Phillipines.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Friday, June 27, 2008
The Saga of the Photo Bank
A few years ago, before our trip to the South Pacific, I bought myself a SmartDisk digital photo bank. It’s basically a 30 gig hard drive with slots for reading various digital cards. It offers a way to backup our pictures during travel and free up the cameras’ cards for additional picture taking. In a package about the size of two decks of playing cards, it is a lot easier to tote around than a laptop. (Of course, it doesn’t do anything other than store photos so it didn’t replace my laptop on this trip.)
I got into a routine of dumping pictures into the Photo Bank as we finished up each country, cleaning up the camera cards for our next outing. That seemed to work well for the first few weeks. However, we took a lot of pictures at the temples in Cambodia and, even though we were only there three days, our cards were nearly full. So, as soon as we settled in at the New Seven Story Hotel in Singapore, I decided it was time for another dump. Only one problem. I can’t find my Photo Bank.
The last time I remember using it was the night in Bangkok when I had copied all our Thailand pictures. I hadn’t used it in Cambodia and couldn’t remember seeing it so I can’t be sure if I left it at the Angkor Holiday Hotel in Siem Reap or at the Sananwan Palace Guesthouse in Bangkok. I sent e-mails to both hotels explaining the problem and asking if the Photo Bank had turned up when the room was cleaned.
The problem is that we’re now into the nomad part of our trip. We leave the next morning for Tioman Island in Malaysia and I don’t know when I’ll get a chance to check my e-mail again. As it turns out, wi-fi is available at the Paya Beach Resort and at a very reasonable rate. No e-mail replies that first night but we’re here for two more days so I’ll hope for the best. Unfortunately, for the rest of our time on Tioman, I’m unable to get on-line as their system is “down”. Now the rate doesn’t seem so reasonable and there’s no offer of reimbursement.
I don’t get back on line again until we’ve checked into the Golden Landmark Hotel in Singapore. No reply from either hotel. So, I fire off another e-mail (a little snarkier this time) asking for a reply even if they found nothing. This time I get a reply from the Angkor Holiday Hotel that they’ve found the Photo Bank in the room safe. They suggest I contact our temple guide, John Teng, to help with its return and John agrees to handle the matter. (In the meantime, I get a response from Bangkok that they found nothing in the room.)
John and I exchange e-mails trying to decide how to arrange the return of my Photo Bank. We’ll be leaving Singapore before he can ship it here and I have no idea how accessible Dumaguete is. We finally decide that the best thing for John to do is hang on to the Photo Bank until our trip ends and we’re on our way home. The only shipping company available in Cambodia is DHL and they’ve told John that it will take three days and cost $89 US. (I’ve already checked out replacements at Sim Lin in Singapore and I could get a similar item for $100 US.) John’s going to pay the costs out of his own pocket and trust us to reimburse him.
John sends me a tracking number so I can follow the progress of the package. It’s picked up in Cambodia on Tuesday morning (adjusting for the date line) but doesn’t leave Cambodia until 2 pm the following day. How can they deliver in three days? It leaves Hong Kong on Thursday night, goes through Wilmington, OH and arrives in Toronto at 8 am on Friday morning. It leaves Toronto at 1 pm on Friday afternoon and, since we’re about an hour outside the city, I’m sitting by my doorstep that afternoon. No such luck.
The package seems to have vanished into thin air. There’s no further record of it on the DHL web site and no answer at any of the phone numbers for DHL. On Monday morning, I check back with the DHL web site and find that the package arrived in Hamilton at 5:30 am Monday morning. Where do you suppose it spent the weekend? The web site also shows that the package left Hamilton at 8 am that morning. Hamilton’s just next door so I should have my Photo Bank by lunchtime. Right!
By that afternoon, I’d had it. An angry telephone call to DHL elicited the response that they don’t work on the weekends and 3 days means “3 working days”. Silly me, I thought three days from Tuesday morning would be Friday morning. I am assured that the package is on the truck. Shortly after I hang up the phone, the doorbell chimes and here’s the smiling DHL delivery person. It’s only taken 8 hours to get a package from Hamilton to Burlington (you could walk to the DHL warehouse from my place in about 90 minutes). It took longer to get the package from Toronto to Burlington than it took to get it from Cambodia to Canada.
Oh, well. At least I’ve got it. When I open the package it is obvious that someone has been checking out its contents. My first thought is “pictures from the area of Thailand - they’re checking for child pornography". Hope they weren’t too disappointed.
Now I just have to get John’s money to him. This is complicated by the fact we have only an e-mail address and web site for him. His family lives in Pnohm Penh and he just rents a room in Siem Reap for sleeping. He doesn’t have a mailing address so we arrange to send him the money through Western Union. I want to send him some extra as a thank-you but John insists on only the actual expenses. Of course, with the exchange rate and the Western Union fee it still costs me over a hundred dollars but the pictures are priceless. It’s a small price to pay for a senior moment.
Two weeks later the saga continues. I pick up the mail and there’s a bill from DHL for $30 for custom duties and processing of the package. I phone to complain about the idea of paying duty on an item I bought in Canada two years ago but I’m told that it’s now a Canada Customs and Excise problem and I should talk to them. DHL gives me a phone number to call but all I can get is a recorded message about their backlog and a suggestion that I visit their web site. When I check out the web site, I find that I can send Canada Customs an e-mail but I am not allowed to include any personal information or the e-mail will be automatically rejected. So, I can send them an e-mail about my problem as long as I don’t tell them who I am or specifically what my problem is. I don’t think that will work.
I check out the locations of the various Customs offices in the Burlington area but the only phone number available for any of them is the 800 number which I’ve already tried. I finally decide to drive out to the Hamilton airport to see if I can speak to a real, live Customs agent. I bring with me the documentation to show that I had bought the Photo Bank at Henry’s in Toronto. The lady listens to my story, takes my documentation and goes off to check with her superiors. Fifteen minutes later, she’s back to tell me the problem is the way DHL keyed in the information and I need to get them to fix the problem. She agrees I don’t owe any custom duties but suggests I’ll still have to pay the processing fee to DHL. Like hell!
Now it’s off to the DHL office in Burlington. I insist on speaking to the manager and I go through the routine again and show him the paperwork. He isn’t sure what to do and indicates he’ll forward the information to their head office. He still thinks it’s a Customs and Excise problem. I tell him I don’t care whose problem it is as long as it gets straightened up. I also tell him I have no intention of paying a processing fee for their mistake. I leave it at that.
A month later and I haven’t heard from DHL. Doreen still thinks we’ll be hauled into small claims court. Just think how much hassle I could have saved myself if I’d checked the room safe one last time before we left our hotel room.
I got into a routine of dumping pictures into the Photo Bank as we finished up each country, cleaning up the camera cards for our next outing. That seemed to work well for the first few weeks. However, we took a lot of pictures at the temples in Cambodia and, even though we were only there three days, our cards were nearly full. So, as soon as we settled in at the New Seven Story Hotel in Singapore, I decided it was time for another dump. Only one problem. I can’t find my Photo Bank.
The last time I remember using it was the night in Bangkok when I had copied all our Thailand pictures. I hadn’t used it in Cambodia and couldn’t remember seeing it so I can’t be sure if I left it at the Angkor Holiday Hotel in Siem Reap or at the Sananwan Palace Guesthouse in Bangkok. I sent e-mails to both hotels explaining the problem and asking if the Photo Bank had turned up when the room was cleaned.
The problem is that we’re now into the nomad part of our trip. We leave the next morning for Tioman Island in Malaysia and I don’t know when I’ll get a chance to check my e-mail again. As it turns out, wi-fi is available at the Paya Beach Resort and at a very reasonable rate. No e-mail replies that first night but we’re here for two more days so I’ll hope for the best. Unfortunately, for the rest of our time on Tioman, I’m unable to get on-line as their system is “down”. Now the rate doesn’t seem so reasonable and there’s no offer of reimbursement.
I don’t get back on line again until we’ve checked into the Golden Landmark Hotel in Singapore. No reply from either hotel. So, I fire off another e-mail (a little snarkier this time) asking for a reply even if they found nothing. This time I get a reply from the Angkor Holiday Hotel that they’ve found the Photo Bank in the room safe. They suggest I contact our temple guide, John Teng, to help with its return and John agrees to handle the matter. (In the meantime, I get a response from Bangkok that they found nothing in the room.)
John and I exchange e-mails trying to decide how to arrange the return of my Photo Bank. We’ll be leaving Singapore before he can ship it here and I have no idea how accessible Dumaguete is. We finally decide that the best thing for John to do is hang on to the Photo Bank until our trip ends and we’re on our way home. The only shipping company available in Cambodia is DHL and they’ve told John that it will take three days and cost $89 US. (I’ve already checked out replacements at Sim Lin in Singapore and I could get a similar item for $100 US.) John’s going to pay the costs out of his own pocket and trust us to reimburse him.
John sends me a tracking number so I can follow the progress of the package. It’s picked up in Cambodia on Tuesday morning (adjusting for the date line) but doesn’t leave Cambodia until 2 pm the following day. How can they deliver in three days? It leaves Hong Kong on Thursday night, goes through Wilmington, OH and arrives in Toronto at 8 am on Friday morning. It leaves Toronto at 1 pm on Friday afternoon and, since we’re about an hour outside the city, I’m sitting by my doorstep that afternoon. No such luck.
The package seems to have vanished into thin air. There’s no further record of it on the DHL web site and no answer at any of the phone numbers for DHL. On Monday morning, I check back with the DHL web site and find that the package arrived in Hamilton at 5:30 am Monday morning. Where do you suppose it spent the weekend? The web site also shows that the package left Hamilton at 8 am that morning. Hamilton’s just next door so I should have my Photo Bank by lunchtime. Right!
By that afternoon, I’d had it. An angry telephone call to DHL elicited the response that they don’t work on the weekends and 3 days means “3 working days”. Silly me, I thought three days from Tuesday morning would be Friday morning. I am assured that the package is on the truck. Shortly after I hang up the phone, the doorbell chimes and here’s the smiling DHL delivery person. It’s only taken 8 hours to get a package from Hamilton to Burlington (you could walk to the DHL warehouse from my place in about 90 minutes). It took longer to get the package from Toronto to Burlington than it took to get it from Cambodia to Canada.
Oh, well. At least I’ve got it. When I open the package it is obvious that someone has been checking out its contents. My first thought is “pictures from the area of Thailand - they’re checking for child pornography". Hope they weren’t too disappointed.
Now I just have to get John’s money to him. This is complicated by the fact we have only an e-mail address and web site for him. His family lives in Pnohm Penh and he just rents a room in Siem Reap for sleeping. He doesn’t have a mailing address so we arrange to send him the money through Western Union. I want to send him some extra as a thank-you but John insists on only the actual expenses. Of course, with the exchange rate and the Western Union fee it still costs me over a hundred dollars but the pictures are priceless. It’s a small price to pay for a senior moment.
Two weeks later the saga continues. I pick up the mail and there’s a bill from DHL for $30 for custom duties and processing of the package. I phone to complain about the idea of paying duty on an item I bought in Canada two years ago but I’m told that it’s now a Canada Customs and Excise problem and I should talk to them. DHL gives me a phone number to call but all I can get is a recorded message about their backlog and a suggestion that I visit their web site. When I check out the web site, I find that I can send Canada Customs an e-mail but I am not allowed to include any personal information or the e-mail will be automatically rejected. So, I can send them an e-mail about my problem as long as I don’t tell them who I am or specifically what my problem is. I don’t think that will work.
I check out the locations of the various Customs offices in the Burlington area but the only phone number available for any of them is the 800 number which I’ve already tried. I finally decide to drive out to the Hamilton airport to see if I can speak to a real, live Customs agent. I bring with me the documentation to show that I had bought the Photo Bank at Henry’s in Toronto. The lady listens to my story, takes my documentation and goes off to check with her superiors. Fifteen minutes later, she’s back to tell me the problem is the way DHL keyed in the information and I need to get them to fix the problem. She agrees I don’t owe any custom duties but suggests I’ll still have to pay the processing fee to DHL. Like hell!
Now it’s off to the DHL office in Burlington. I insist on speaking to the manager and I go through the routine again and show him the paperwork. He isn’t sure what to do and indicates he’ll forward the information to their head office. He still thinks it’s a Customs and Excise problem. I tell him I don’t care whose problem it is as long as it gets straightened up. I also tell him I have no intention of paying a processing fee for their mistake. I leave it at that.
A month later and I haven’t heard from DHL. Doreen still thinks we’ll be hauled into small claims court. Just think how much hassle I could have saved myself if I’d checked the room safe one last time before we left our hotel room.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
The trip to Burlington or Out of Asia
We got another early start on our last day in Asia with a 6 am wake-up call. The complimentary buffet breakfast provided by Mabuhay Manor hit the spot. (And it was set up in an enclosed room so no worry about more bug bites.) The cab ride to the airport was interesting as Manila seems to come alive early (much earlier than we’d seen in Tokyo). At 6:30 am, the streets were teeming with people going to work. There’s a strange sense of third-world here with tension high as life is tough. Even the cab driver seemed nervous and locked his doors when we stopped at lights.
The line-up for check-in was long and it took us almost 45 minutes to reach the counter. I can’t remember ever going through so many security checks on the way to our departure gate. The JAL flight to Tokyo was uneventful except for the realization that the space provided for each passenger (especially leg room) is not based on a North American model. Even as transit passengers, we had to go through security again at Narita before proceeding to the American Airlines departure counter. Fortunately, our bags have been checked through to LA.
Landed in LA early in the morning, made our way to the Travelodge LAX and tried to stay awake until a reasonable hour that night. With all the time zones we’ve crossed, we’ve been on the go for almost twenty hours but we built in the overnight in LA to help us adjust to this time change and we need to stay awake for a while longer. We had thought (in the planning phase) that we might take the complimentary shuttle to Manhattan Beach to kill some time but it was surprisingly cool in LA and we didn’t bother. I hadn’t thought I’d need my jacket until we landed in Toronto on Saturday night.
Security at the LA airport the next morning was a bit of a problem. Because it was cool in LA and we were expecting it to be even cooler in Toronto, I had dressed in long pants and jacket. I hadn’t worn the long pants since Cambodia and didn’t think to check the pockets. All my carry-on gear went through the scanner without a problem but, when I stepped through the portal, the alarms sounded. Oops, I’d forgotten I was wearing a belt this time. Second time through the portal and again the alarms sounded. Double oops. I’d switched out batteries in my camera while we were visiting the temple ruins at Angkor and the old batteries were in a side pocket of my pants. (I’d wondered where those extra batteries were.) Third time was a charm.
The West Jet flight to Toronto went smoothly and we were on the ground by 8:45 pm. It was surprisingly warm in Toronto (much warmer than LA). There was very little Saturday night traffic during the limo ride to Burlington and we were home by 10 pm. The first order of business is to visit the grocery store so there’ll be some food to eat when we wake up in the morning.
And now we’re home again after two long travel days. Coming east is always harder as we adjust to the time change. And then there’s the mild depression that sets in at the end of any adventure. Lots to catch up on but no energy or enthusiasm for the tasks. It’ll take us a few days to settle in but, inevitably, life’s routines will take over and we’ll fall back into familiar patterns. At least until the next trip. But that probably won’t be until June when we head to Atlanta to spend some time with our grandchildren. In the meantime, we’ll relish the memories of this amazing trip.
The line-up for check-in was long and it took us almost 45 minutes to reach the counter. I can’t remember ever going through so many security checks on the way to our departure gate. The JAL flight to Tokyo was uneventful except for the realization that the space provided for each passenger (especially leg room) is not based on a North American model. Even as transit passengers, we had to go through security again at Narita before proceeding to the American Airlines departure counter. Fortunately, our bags have been checked through to LA.
Landed in LA early in the morning, made our way to the Travelodge LAX and tried to stay awake until a reasonable hour that night. With all the time zones we’ve crossed, we’ve been on the go for almost twenty hours but we built in the overnight in LA to help us adjust to this time change and we need to stay awake for a while longer. We had thought (in the planning phase) that we might take the complimentary shuttle to Manhattan Beach to kill some time but it was surprisingly cool in LA and we didn’t bother. I hadn’t thought I’d need my jacket until we landed in Toronto on Saturday night.
Security at the LA airport the next morning was a bit of a problem. Because it was cool in LA and we were expecting it to be even cooler in Toronto, I had dressed in long pants and jacket. I hadn’t worn the long pants since Cambodia and didn’t think to check the pockets. All my carry-on gear went through the scanner without a problem but, when I stepped through the portal, the alarms sounded. Oops, I’d forgotten I was wearing a belt this time. Second time through the portal and again the alarms sounded. Double oops. I’d switched out batteries in my camera while we were visiting the temple ruins at Angkor and the old batteries were in a side pocket of my pants. (I’d wondered where those extra batteries were.) Third time was a charm.
The West Jet flight to Toronto went smoothly and we were on the ground by 8:45 pm. It was surprisingly warm in Toronto (much warmer than LA). There was very little Saturday night traffic during the limo ride to Burlington and we were home by 10 pm. The first order of business is to visit the grocery store so there’ll be some food to eat when we wake up in the morning.
And now we’re home again after two long travel days. Coming east is always harder as we adjust to the time change. And then there’s the mild depression that sets in at the end of any adventure. Lots to catch up on but no energy or enthusiasm for the tasks. It’ll take us a few days to settle in but, inevitably, life’s routines will take over and we’ll fall back into familiar patterns. At least until the next trip. But that probably won’t be until June when we head to Atlanta to spend some time with our grandchildren. In the meantime, we’ll relish the memories of this amazing trip.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
The clownfish save the day
Are we headed to Dumaguete or Doom-agetti? It certainly appeared to be the latter as we sat in our room on Sunday night and contemplated the disaster which seemed to have overtaken us. It had started badly early that morning–very early. Jet Star Asia had moved our departure time to 6:30 am which meant being at the airport by 4:30 am which meant being up by 4 am to check out of the hotel and get a cab to the airport. It didn’t help that Doreen woke during the night, misread her watch and, in a panic, woke me at 2 am. Not a quality night’s sleep.
We knew from their website that Jet Star Asia had limitations on their carry-on baggage but we didn’t know how serious they were about enforcing those limits. As we waited in the check-in line, several people were turned away and began re-arranging their baggage. Now we were worried. Doreen’s carry-on weighed in at just over 10 kg and mine at 8.2 (the limit was 7 kg). But, when we reached the counter, there were no problems. They took our check-in luggage and didn’t even ask about our carry-ons. Great. Until we went to the security check. They had a scale there and were enforcing the 7 kg limit. We were told the bags would have to be checked. With our checked luggage already gone, we couldn’t even re-arrange things. We finally did move some things around and were able to clear my carry-on and my computer bag. Doreen had to check hers. With no lock on the bag, she was not a happy camper.
The flight to Manila was fine, even if no frills. We weren’t too impressed with the Manila terminal but we managed to find the Cebu Pacific shuttle bus which would take us to the domestic departure area for our next flight. Eventually. We had to wait until there was a full load. Either that or the driver wanted to allow enough shopping time for the young lady who batted her eyes and convinced him to stop at the shopping center to retrieve her along the way.
When we arrived at the domestic terminal, it was complete chaos. We were shuffled from counter to counter until finally being allowed to check-in. Hard to tell if the domestic and international terminals share the same air field. It was a longer bus ride than I’d expected and we seemed to go through part of the city. Because our first flight had been moved to an earlier time and our second flight was late, it was a long, boring wait in a crowded, noisy, hot room with uncomfortable seating. The flight to Dumaguete was fine though the landing was a little scary. It seems the runway is so short that the pilot practically has to put his wheels in the ocean to ensure hitting the runway just past the threshold and allowing enough room for roll-out. Somewhat similar to the short runway in St. Bart’s.
The pick-up from El Dorado was waiting, our bags were there and it looked like we were close to arrival. Wrong. The driver informed us that he’d been instructed to wait in town for some resort guests who’d gone on an excursion to another island. They’d been delayed and wouldn’t get back until 6 pm. The resort is only 20 minutes from town so waiting two hours didn’t make much sense but, to the driver, the boss was the boss. By now, the heavens had opened up and it was pouring. The boss changed his orders and we proceeded to the resort. We weren’t too impressed with what we saw through the rain. The sight of walls with glass-imbedded and spiked tops was reminiscent of San Andres and very depressing. Not much incentive to explore.
The room itself was fine–very similar to Octopus Resort in Fiji but without the feeling of hospitality. The Filipino staff are nice enough but nothing stands out–or maybe we’re so tired and hungry that nothing would impress. We’ve been on the go fourteen hours, have had only two snacks in that time, it’s pouring and, again, English is the third language here. We considered whether or not we should cut our losses and head back to Manila in the morning.
The next morning was raining and we waffled on a final decision. The tipping point was that we had no plans for Manila and hadn’t done any preparatory research. So we decided to stay with El Doarado and resign ourselves to a few miserable days before we began the journey home. Maybe Angkor was so fascinating that everything else was going to be anti-climatic. But the sun came out in the afternoon and things began to take on a different outlook.
And then we went snorkeling. The next morning we managed to hook up with a dive group headed to Apo Island, under the expert guidance of Lito who was described on the dive board as “the master of disaster” (I think in reference to a motorcycle accident he’s had last week). The dive group was German so there wasn’t much conversation but the crew were friendly and the trip aboard the catamaran was pleasant and relatively quick. The first spot we stopped was ‘the Chapel’. Off the boat, the water was quite deep but, as we swam toward the shore, things improved noticeably. We drifted down the coastline and the coral was terrific. The fish weren’t anything out of the ordinary, except for a couple of Clark’s anenomefish. We made it back to the boat just before the divers reappeared.
The crew provided fruit and tea/coffee–a nice touch. Before leaving the area, we stopped for an hour so that people could browse the wares the village women had lined up to display. Doreen couldn’t resist a green tee shirt. Then it was off to our second stop–Kan Uran. This was even better. The coral was about as good as I’ve ever seen and the fish were better than earlier. One area in particular drew Doreen’s attention–an area called ‘Clownfish City’. We saw groups of a dozen or more anenomefish and lots of smaller groups–more anenomefish than I’ve ever seen outside an aquarium. Doreen was really frustraated that her camera had died in Singapore. Now, if only they were going back to Apo tomorrow.
Lito suggested we walk down the beach to the Dauin Reserve–about a 20 minute beach walk--where we could snorkel right off the beach. He said the coral was very good. That afternoon we followed his advice and were rewarded with some great snorkeling. The beach isn’t a great beach and the walk wasn’t a great walk but the reserve was a delight. We’d hardly put our faces in the water when we saw two regal angelfish. There were fish everywhere and some very large ones. The coral was terrific. This is what we’d hoped the Similans and Tioman would be like.
We went back the next morning and our second go-round was just as good as the first. Doreen rented a digital camera from the dive shop but the battery wasn’t fully charged and died on her after about eight pictures. They refunded her money when we went back but that didn’t help her get the pictures she wanted. I did get some good shots of the clown anenomefish and some shots of Doreen using her fingers to imitate the anenomes in hopes of luring the fish closer. That didn’t work as well as she hoped but she had fun trying. Then it was back to the resort, rinse off the salt water, finish packing and ride the shuttle to the airport. Things looked better in the sunlight than they’d looked in the rain on our arrival but the area still was depressing and uninviting.
We had a short flight after another long wait in a hot, un-air-conditioned room. Collecting our baggage at Manila’s domestic terminal was a bit chaotic (Manila seems to thrive on chaos). We caught a cab to the hotel and checked in for our last night in Asia. The only place to eat was at the hotel’s pool-side restaurant which turned out to be noisy, splashy and buggy. Besides which, the food wasn’t very good. We had ordered talapia and ended up with the whole fish, head and all. I didn’t know talapia was such a bony fish–the Costco filets are always so nice.
Hopefully, the bed’s comfortable. I need a good night’s sleep as we’ve got a long travel day ahead of us tomorrow. The last five nights at El Dorado haven’t been the most comfortable. The bed was just barely long enough if you lie flat on your back with your head and shoulders on the pillow but, with raised headboard and footboard, there was no room for stretching. I had to sleep on an angle and it resulted in disturbed, uneven rest. (Good thing I’m not as tall as Travis–he’d never fit in this bed.)
We knew from their website that Jet Star Asia had limitations on their carry-on baggage but we didn’t know how serious they were about enforcing those limits. As we waited in the check-in line, several people were turned away and began re-arranging their baggage. Now we were worried. Doreen’s carry-on weighed in at just over 10 kg and mine at 8.2 (the limit was 7 kg). But, when we reached the counter, there were no problems. They took our check-in luggage and didn’t even ask about our carry-ons. Great. Until we went to the security check. They had a scale there and were enforcing the 7 kg limit. We were told the bags would have to be checked. With our checked luggage already gone, we couldn’t even re-arrange things. We finally did move some things around and were able to clear my carry-on and my computer bag. Doreen had to check hers. With no lock on the bag, she was not a happy camper.
The flight to Manila was fine, even if no frills. We weren’t too impressed with the Manila terminal but we managed to find the Cebu Pacific shuttle bus which would take us to the domestic departure area for our next flight. Eventually. We had to wait until there was a full load. Either that or the driver wanted to allow enough shopping time for the young lady who batted her eyes and convinced him to stop at the shopping center to retrieve her along the way.
When we arrived at the domestic terminal, it was complete chaos. We were shuffled from counter to counter until finally being allowed to check-in. Hard to tell if the domestic and international terminals share the same air field. It was a longer bus ride than I’d expected and we seemed to go through part of the city. Because our first flight had been moved to an earlier time and our second flight was late, it was a long, boring wait in a crowded, noisy, hot room with uncomfortable seating. The flight to Dumaguete was fine though the landing was a little scary. It seems the runway is so short that the pilot practically has to put his wheels in the ocean to ensure hitting the runway just past the threshold and allowing enough room for roll-out. Somewhat similar to the short runway in St. Bart’s.
The pick-up from El Dorado was waiting, our bags were there and it looked like we were close to arrival. Wrong. The driver informed us that he’d been instructed to wait in town for some resort guests who’d gone on an excursion to another island. They’d been delayed and wouldn’t get back until 6 pm. The resort is only 20 minutes from town so waiting two hours didn’t make much sense but, to the driver, the boss was the boss. By now, the heavens had opened up and it was pouring. The boss changed his orders and we proceeded to the resort. We weren’t too impressed with what we saw through the rain. The sight of walls with glass-imbedded and spiked tops was reminiscent of San Andres and very depressing. Not much incentive to explore.
The room itself was fine–very similar to Octopus Resort in Fiji but without the feeling of hospitality. The Filipino staff are nice enough but nothing stands out–or maybe we’re so tired and hungry that nothing would impress. We’ve been on the go fourteen hours, have had only two snacks in that time, it’s pouring and, again, English is the third language here. We considered whether or not we should cut our losses and head back to Manila in the morning.
The next morning was raining and we waffled on a final decision. The tipping point was that we had no plans for Manila and hadn’t done any preparatory research. So we decided to stay with El Doarado and resign ourselves to a few miserable days before we began the journey home. Maybe Angkor was so fascinating that everything else was going to be anti-climatic. But the sun came out in the afternoon and things began to take on a different outlook.
And then we went snorkeling. The next morning we managed to hook up with a dive group headed to Apo Island, under the expert guidance of Lito who was described on the dive board as “the master of disaster” (I think in reference to a motorcycle accident he’s had last week). The dive group was German so there wasn’t much conversation but the crew were friendly and the trip aboard the catamaran was pleasant and relatively quick. The first spot we stopped was ‘the Chapel’. Off the boat, the water was quite deep but, as we swam toward the shore, things improved noticeably. We drifted down the coastline and the coral was terrific. The fish weren’t anything out of the ordinary, except for a couple of Clark’s anenomefish. We made it back to the boat just before the divers reappeared.
The crew provided fruit and tea/coffee–a nice touch. Before leaving the area, we stopped for an hour so that people could browse the wares the village women had lined up to display. Doreen couldn’t resist a green tee shirt. Then it was off to our second stop–Kan Uran. This was even better. The coral was about as good as I’ve ever seen and the fish were better than earlier. One area in particular drew Doreen’s attention–an area called ‘Clownfish City’. We saw groups of a dozen or more anenomefish and lots of smaller groups–more anenomefish than I’ve ever seen outside an aquarium. Doreen was really frustraated that her camera had died in Singapore. Now, if only they were going back to Apo tomorrow.
Lito suggested we walk down the beach to the Dauin Reserve–about a 20 minute beach walk--where we could snorkel right off the beach. He said the coral was very good. That afternoon we followed his advice and were rewarded with some great snorkeling. The beach isn’t a great beach and the walk wasn’t a great walk but the reserve was a delight. We’d hardly put our faces in the water when we saw two regal angelfish. There were fish everywhere and some very large ones. The coral was terrific. This is what we’d hoped the Similans and Tioman would be like.
We went back the next morning and our second go-round was just as good as the first. Doreen rented a digital camera from the dive shop but the battery wasn’t fully charged and died on her after about eight pictures. They refunded her money when we went back but that didn’t help her get the pictures she wanted. I did get some good shots of the clown anenomefish and some shots of Doreen using her fingers to imitate the anenomes in hopes of luring the fish closer. That didn’t work as well as she hoped but she had fun trying. Then it was back to the resort, rinse off the salt water, finish packing and ride the shuttle to the airport. Things looked better in the sunlight than they’d looked in the rain on our arrival but the area still was depressing and uninviting.
We had a short flight after another long wait in a hot, un-air-conditioned room. Collecting our baggage at Manila’s domestic terminal was a bit chaotic (Manila seems to thrive on chaos). We caught a cab to the hotel and checked in for our last night in Asia. The only place to eat was at the hotel’s pool-side restaurant which turned out to be noisy, splashy and buggy. Besides which, the food wasn’t very good. We had ordered talapia and ended up with the whole fish, head and all. I didn’t know talapia was such a bony fish–the Costco filets are always so nice.
Hopefully, the bed’s comfortable. I need a good night’s sleep as we’ve got a long travel day ahead of us tomorrow. The last five nights at El Dorado haven’t been the most comfortable. The bed was just barely long enough if you lie flat on your back with your head and shoulders on the pillow but, with raised headboard and footboard, there was no room for stretching. I had to sleep on an angle and it resulted in disturbed, uneven rest. (Good thing I’m not as tall as Travis–he’d never fit in this bed.)
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Singapore, we hardly knew ya
And that goes double for Malaysia. We had an uneventful flight to Singapore and a quick taxi ride to the New Seven Story Hotel. (Their literature tells us the hotel opened in 1953 and has been in the same place ever since.) But the room was nice and the people were great. They’re going to store our extra bags while we’re on Tioman Island so we spent some time re-sorting our luggage. We’re flying Berjaya Air and, according to their website, they have very strict weight limitations for luggage (checked luggage can’t be more than 10 kg) and we never travel light.
Check-in the next day was a unique experience. Berjaya flies out of the old airport (out in the boonies) which is next to a military airfield–sort of like Torbay years ago. We go to the desk and present our passports and tickets. We are then directed to go sit in the green room until we are called. There are already a half dozen people waiting there and we eventually get called. All our luggage (check-in and carry-on) gets scanned and then we are finally able to approach the check-in desk. We receive our boarding passes and proceed to Malaysian immigration and further security screening. We then were directed to the departure lounge, which was an old Quonset hut.
The flight was more than an hour late, it was pouring and thunder was rumbling. I went looking for someone to find out what was going on but there was no one around. Turned out, the people who checked us in were now out on the apron acting as ground crew for the plane which had finally arrived. Then they unloaded and loaded luggage. Talk about multi-tasking. The plane was an old prop plane. It reminded me of going to university in Prince Edward Island in the late 50's and flying with Maritime Central Airways. Watching the outside air seep into the plane through the seams and immediately turn to fog was kind of surreal.
But it got up and down without any problems and we were on Tioman Island in Malaysia. The Paya Beach Resort people were waiting with their boat and, after a short ride, we were settled in our room. One of the couples that arrived with us (there were two) also speak English so we’re already ahead of the game. Richard and Robin are from Adelaide, Australia. He’s a dentist who (along with a Chinese colleague) also sponsors a free clinic in East Timor. The beach is nice but not too long–short walks only. The food is different but we’re only here for a few days and we’ll manage.
We did a snorkel trip the next day. The first stop at Renggis Island was very good with some excellent coral. The only drawback was a strong current which kept us from circling the small island. Our second stop was to be the Marine Reserve and we were really looking forward to this. What a disappointment. I don’t think I’ve ever snorkeled a poorer reserve. There was very little coral and mostly large, grey, aggressive fish–the kind that flock to sites where people feed the fish. The main attraction seemed to be a series of three large platforms from which people could jump into the water. We swam off looking for something other than sand but the visibility was very poor and there was little worth seeing. We did see some small sting rays so it wasn’t a total waste. We did another snorkel in the afternoon at the north end of the resort beach around the point which becomes an island at high tide. This was so much better than the marine reserve.
When we went for breakfast the next morning, the tide was really out. It’s no wonder this area is not noted as a good swimming beach–too many rocks, too low water. Doreen had decided that she wanted to see some of the Malaysian countryside so we’re not flying back to Singapore. Instead, we’re taking a fast ferry to Tanjung Gemok on the Malaysian mainland and then a bus to the city state. Just before the ferry arrived, it started to pour. Didn’t matter as the ferry is an enclosed boat with no outside seating. We sat up front and froze as the A/C was cranked. We did get to watch the latest Rambo movie. You couldn’t hear the dialogue over the noise of the ferry but you could hear the explosions. I’m not sure if they settled on Chinese, Malay or Tagalog for the captions but it really didn’t matter as all are equally indecipherable.
The bus from Discovery Tours was waiting, complete with driver and tour guide. The tour guide’s only commentary related to where the clean restrooms were at the two stops we made and instructions for getting through Malaysian and Singaporean customs. It rained sporadically so, even sitting up front, we didn’t see much. The on-line information had said this was a three-hour trip but they obviously weren’t counting the border-crossing time. We arrived in Johor at the height of traffic and it took a couple of hours to get out of Malaysia and into Singapore.
The bus driver was nice enough to drop us at the Golden Landmark Hotel so that solved one problem. It’s a nice hotel, probably the best we’ve stayed at since Tokyo. We had a room on the 15th floor with a great view of the surrounding area. We could see the New Seven Story Hotel from our window so we decided to walk there to collect our left luggage. We presented our tags and they opened the room where we’d left our bags. No bags!! Wait, they have a second room upstairs. Maybe the bags have been moved there. Some feelings of dread until the bags are found. It’s so close we decided to forego a cab and walked back with the bags in tow.
We just couldn’t work up any enthusiasm for Singapore. Maybe it was because we weren’t supposed to be here. We had originally planned a week in Palau where we wanted to snorkel in Jellyfish Lake. This has been on our list ever since we first read about it years ago. But Asian Spirit dropped its flight from Manila to Palau after we’d put our original package together and we were left with a lot of free time in this area before our flight home. We split the time between Singapore, Tioman and Dumaguete. Or maybe it’s because Singapore seems to be a more Westernized city than Tokyo or Seoul. There certainly are more Western-style fast food outlets and we’ve seen more over-weight people here than we have anywhere else on this trip.
We did get to do some shopping and ride the underground train. I checked with the Canon regional headquarters about the concerns I was having with my camera and underwater housing but, since we weren’t staying around for 7-10 days, they could offer little help. We browsed the Sim Lim shopping complex–six floors of electronics with cheap prices but with a catch–a no-return policy. In the afternoon, we went to another electronics outlet, the Funan–more upscale, more expensive. So we went back to Sim Lim and I bought an attachment to cut down sun glare when I use my housing. Doreen bought a new battery for her camera as she’s been having problems with battery life.
I don’t know if it was coincidence or if we somehow angered the gods, but Doreen’s new battery didn’t work out for her. It wouldn’t charge properly and, when she tried it in her camera, the camera died on her. Worse, her two old batteries couldn’t revive the camera. We went back to Sim Lim the next day and got a refresher in Singaporean business. Yes, her old batteries were dead. Yes, her camera was dead. No, they wouldn’t take back the new (now useless battery). But, they would give her a trade-in if she bought a new camera. We’ll wait until we’re back in North America.
Saturday was my birthday and we decided to celebrate with high tea at Raffles. It was great. I was surprised at the quantity and variety of food available. It definitely wasn’t just scones and tea–more like an early dinner. We had some pictures taken. That night we headed to the wine bar at Parkview Square. This is the most opulent office building I’ve ever seen. It was built about eight years ago by a Hong Kong businessman who spared no expense. The courtyard features fountains and statues of artists (Chopin, etc.), politicians (Sun Yat Sen, Lincoln, Churchill, etc.) and similar famous figures from history. The lobby where the wine bar is situated must have cost at least a million dollars alone. What a setting. Of course, the prices reflected the setting. We had two glasses of Grigio Chianti Classic and it cost us just under $60 (the bottle probably cost $15 at the LCBO). But it was an experience. And, hey, a guy only turns 67 once. A nice way to end our stay in Singapore.
Check-in the next day was a unique experience. Berjaya flies out of the old airport (out in the boonies) which is next to a military airfield–sort of like Torbay years ago. We go to the desk and present our passports and tickets. We are then directed to go sit in the green room until we are called. There are already a half dozen people waiting there and we eventually get called. All our luggage (check-in and carry-on) gets scanned and then we are finally able to approach the check-in desk. We receive our boarding passes and proceed to Malaysian immigration and further security screening. We then were directed to the departure lounge, which was an old Quonset hut.
The flight was more than an hour late, it was pouring and thunder was rumbling. I went looking for someone to find out what was going on but there was no one around. Turned out, the people who checked us in were now out on the apron acting as ground crew for the plane which had finally arrived. Then they unloaded and loaded luggage. Talk about multi-tasking. The plane was an old prop plane. It reminded me of going to university in Prince Edward Island in the late 50's and flying with Maritime Central Airways. Watching the outside air seep into the plane through the seams and immediately turn to fog was kind of surreal.
But it got up and down without any problems and we were on Tioman Island in Malaysia. The Paya Beach Resort people were waiting with their boat and, after a short ride, we were settled in our room. One of the couples that arrived with us (there were two) also speak English so we’re already ahead of the game. Richard and Robin are from Adelaide, Australia. He’s a dentist who (along with a Chinese colleague) also sponsors a free clinic in East Timor. The beach is nice but not too long–short walks only. The food is different but we’re only here for a few days and we’ll manage.
We did a snorkel trip the next day. The first stop at Renggis Island was very good with some excellent coral. The only drawback was a strong current which kept us from circling the small island. Our second stop was to be the Marine Reserve and we were really looking forward to this. What a disappointment. I don’t think I’ve ever snorkeled a poorer reserve. There was very little coral and mostly large, grey, aggressive fish–the kind that flock to sites where people feed the fish. The main attraction seemed to be a series of three large platforms from which people could jump into the water. We swam off looking for something other than sand but the visibility was very poor and there was little worth seeing. We did see some small sting rays so it wasn’t a total waste. We did another snorkel in the afternoon at the north end of the resort beach around the point which becomes an island at high tide. This was so much better than the marine reserve.
When we went for breakfast the next morning, the tide was really out. It’s no wonder this area is not noted as a good swimming beach–too many rocks, too low water. Doreen had decided that she wanted to see some of the Malaysian countryside so we’re not flying back to Singapore. Instead, we’re taking a fast ferry to Tanjung Gemok on the Malaysian mainland and then a bus to the city state. Just before the ferry arrived, it started to pour. Didn’t matter as the ferry is an enclosed boat with no outside seating. We sat up front and froze as the A/C was cranked. We did get to watch the latest Rambo movie. You couldn’t hear the dialogue over the noise of the ferry but you could hear the explosions. I’m not sure if they settled on Chinese, Malay or Tagalog for the captions but it really didn’t matter as all are equally indecipherable.
The bus from Discovery Tours was waiting, complete with driver and tour guide. The tour guide’s only commentary related to where the clean restrooms were at the two stops we made and instructions for getting through Malaysian and Singaporean customs. It rained sporadically so, even sitting up front, we didn’t see much. The on-line information had said this was a three-hour trip but they obviously weren’t counting the border-crossing time. We arrived in Johor at the height of traffic and it took a couple of hours to get out of Malaysia and into Singapore.
The bus driver was nice enough to drop us at the Golden Landmark Hotel so that solved one problem. It’s a nice hotel, probably the best we’ve stayed at since Tokyo. We had a room on the 15th floor with a great view of the surrounding area. We could see the New Seven Story Hotel from our window so we decided to walk there to collect our left luggage. We presented our tags and they opened the room where we’d left our bags. No bags!! Wait, they have a second room upstairs. Maybe the bags have been moved there. Some feelings of dread until the bags are found. It’s so close we decided to forego a cab and walked back with the bags in tow.
We just couldn’t work up any enthusiasm for Singapore. Maybe it was because we weren’t supposed to be here. We had originally planned a week in Palau where we wanted to snorkel in Jellyfish Lake. This has been on our list ever since we first read about it years ago. But Asian Spirit dropped its flight from Manila to Palau after we’d put our original package together and we were left with a lot of free time in this area before our flight home. We split the time between Singapore, Tioman and Dumaguete. Or maybe it’s because Singapore seems to be a more Westernized city than Tokyo or Seoul. There certainly are more Western-style fast food outlets and we’ve seen more over-weight people here than we have anywhere else on this trip.
We did get to do some shopping and ride the underground train. I checked with the Canon regional headquarters about the concerns I was having with my camera and underwater housing but, since we weren’t staying around for 7-10 days, they could offer little help. We browsed the Sim Lim shopping complex–six floors of electronics with cheap prices but with a catch–a no-return policy. In the afternoon, we went to another electronics outlet, the Funan–more upscale, more expensive. So we went back to Sim Lim and I bought an attachment to cut down sun glare when I use my housing. Doreen bought a new battery for her camera as she’s been having problems with battery life.
I don’t know if it was coincidence or if we somehow angered the gods, but Doreen’s new battery didn’t work out for her. It wouldn’t charge properly and, when she tried it in her camera, the camera died on her. Worse, her two old batteries couldn’t revive the camera. We went back to Sim Lim the next day and got a refresher in Singaporean business. Yes, her old batteries were dead. Yes, her camera was dead. No, they wouldn’t take back the new (now useless battery). But, they would give her a trade-in if she bought a new camera. We’ll wait until we’re back in North America.
Saturday was my birthday and we decided to celebrate with high tea at Raffles. It was great. I was surprised at the quantity and variety of food available. It definitely wasn’t just scones and tea–more like an early dinner. We had some pictures taken. That night we headed to the wine bar at Parkview Square. This is the most opulent office building I’ve ever seen. It was built about eight years ago by a Hong Kong businessman who spared no expense. The courtyard features fountains and statues of artists (Chopin, etc.), politicians (Sun Yat Sen, Lincoln, Churchill, etc.) and similar famous figures from history. The lobby where the wine bar is situated must have cost at least a million dollars alone. What a setting. Of course, the prices reflected the setting. We had two glasses of Grigio Chianti Classic and it cost us just under $60 (the bottle probably cost $15 at the LCBO). But it was an experience. And, hey, a guy only turns 67 once. A nice way to end our stay in Singapore.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
The temples are awesome
If the temple ruins at Angkor aren’t on your ‘bucket list’, you’ll be missing one of the world’s greatest destinations. It didn’t have quite the same metaphysical tone as Uluru, but the size, variety and intricacy of the Cambodian sites are mind boggling. How people centuries ago could have conceived, much less constructed, such wonders is difficult to fathom. Having seen the results in Cambodia, we now want to see the sites in Egypt, in Mexico and central America as well as Machu Picchu in Peru, Stonehenge in England and others to be named later. Oh, to be young and rich.
After a rather uneventful overnight in Bangkok at the Sananwan Palace, we left early so we could have plenty of time to wait at the Bangkok Airport. The Sananwan is no palace but they did a good job with airport pick-up and delivery. It’s an older place, all angles and with a family residence feel. There was a/c in the bedroom only and the shower was part of the w/c–no separate stall, water everywhere. The flight to Siem Reap was delayed an hour or so but we finally got off the ground. Though the flight lasted only an hour, we were served a lovely boxed breakfast. Talk about an efficient crew.
Efficient isn’t the word that comes to mind for our passage through Cambodian customs. First off the plane, we were the last to make it to the baggage carousel. Some confusion as to what forms needed to be filled in when and where. Guess we should have opted for the e-visas. In any event, we’re finally here and the guide we’ve hired, John Teng, is waiting with a driver to take us to the hotel. He’s already had to set the Angkor Holiday Hotel straight as they had us arriving tomorrow.
It’s hard to say enough good things about John. He came highly recommended and fully lived up to his billing. Hiring him may be the best decision we’ve made this trip. He’s very good with English, very knowledgeable about the ruins and the area and very passionate about the future of his country. He made our time in Siem Reap a wonderful experience.
We drove first to the South Gate of Angkor Thom–the road lined on one side with gods and on the other side with demons. What an opening. We continued on to explore the three levels of the Bayon, with its 54 towers and 216 faces of Buddha. It is a magnificent temple and the detail in the carvings is awesome. Simply amazing workmanship. The same amazing detail was visible at the ‘Terrace of the Elephants’ and the ‘Terrace of the Leper King’. You could spend a week on just this one area. We exited through the Victory Gate.
Our next stop was the temple at Ta Prohm, where the most outstanding features are the tree roots which are somewhat holding the temple together. We entered through the west gate and walked through to the east gate. Restoration is clearly an ongoing process and there are jumbles of large rocks everywhere. It was interesting to hear John explain just what an international effort is involved with the French doing this, the Japanese doing that, the Koreans, the Germans, and on and on. Of course, it is such a colossal job that it requires that kind of commitment from the world at large.
We started the next day at 5:30 so we could watch the sun rise at Angkor Wat. (Us and hundreds/thousands of others). We stayed at Angkor Wat until about 6:45 am and then drove out to Banteay Srei. This is a very small but beautiful temple built in the late 900's. John’s timing was perfect–as we were leaving the site, the crowds started to arrive. On the way back, we stopped to visit the Land Mine Museum, a tribute to the tragedy that befell Cambodia during and after the Vietnam War. Canada’s flag is proudly displayed in recognition of its role in developing the museum and in promoting the international effort to ban land mines. After our mid-day break, John took us back to Angkor Wat so we could explore it in the afternoon light. This temple is magnificent. John kept us moving and we spent an enthralling two hours wandering from one fantastic sight to another, equally beautiful and compelling.
We managed to do the dinner and show at the Koulon II just down the street from our hotel. The show was interesting and the dancer’s costumes (especially the women’s) brought to life some of the carvings of apsaras we’d seen on the temple walls. But, two consecutive 5 am mornings take their toll, at any age, and we crashed early.
On Sunday morning, we didn’t start until 8:30 so we had a relaxing breakfast. (Saturday, the hotel had provided us with a boxed breakfast and we ate in the car as we drove out to Bantrey Srei.) John took us to the local market–the real, local market–not the ‘Old Market’ promoted in the tourist literature. What an experience. It was like a large food market combined with a large WalMart. Very different from our market experiences in Tokyo and Seoul but just as vibrant and chaotic. Very similar to our experience in Port Vila, Vanuatu but much larger in scope. Everybody in Siem Reap seemed to be here shopping and there were motor bikes and bicycles parked everywhere outside.
After the market, we visited the Roulous group of temples. These were the first temples built in the area (they date from the 800's) but were later abandoned for the Angkor area. Preah was the first clay block temple and Bakong, the first sandstone temple. Our last stop for the morning was Lolei, a very small temple in very poor condition but with an active Buddhist monastery. That afternoon, we started at the North Gate of Preah Khan. It looked like a small temple but the more gates we went through the larger it seemed to grow. Lots of doors and windows. Even an afternoon rain shower couldn’t diminish our enthusiasm.
Our last stop was at Phnom Bakheng, the site of the first temple in Angkor. It is on a hill but the trek isn’t too difficult. The ancient Khmer had cut the top off the mountain so that the base for the temple was bedrock. The climb up the temple steps from level to level was harder than the hike up the hill, with narrow risers on a steep slope. Coming down was just as, if not more, dangerous. But the view from the top was worth it–just to see the towers of Angkor Wat rising from the jungle and to realize that you couldn’t even see the vast complex at Angkor Thom. There were lots of people gathering along the western edges of the temple to wait for the sunset but, since the temples lie to the east, we didn’t join them and headed down the hill, drove back to the hotel and said our farewells to John and Giwa, our driver. They’ve both done an excellent job and made this a remarkable experience.
We checked out the ‘Old Market’ in the morning as we killed time before heading to the airport. Not a patch on John’s market. Got to experience the perils of being a pedestrian in a city where pedestrian traffic is low man on the totem pole. They don’t seem to have any parking along the streets so cars, scooter, tuk tuks, etc. all park on the sidewalk and you have to navigate around them. We took a tuk tuk back to the hotel. The flight to Singapore is taking us through Danang but we won’t get to set foot on Vietnam soil as we are restricted to the plane during the layover. At least in Hong Kong, we got to walk around the airport before re-boarding (but, I guess it would be incorrect to say we touched the ground in Hong Kong).
After a rather uneventful overnight in Bangkok at the Sananwan Palace, we left early so we could have plenty of time to wait at the Bangkok Airport. The Sananwan is no palace but they did a good job with airport pick-up and delivery. It’s an older place, all angles and with a family residence feel. There was a/c in the bedroom only and the shower was part of the w/c–no separate stall, water everywhere. The flight to Siem Reap was delayed an hour or so but we finally got off the ground. Though the flight lasted only an hour, we were served a lovely boxed breakfast. Talk about an efficient crew.
Efficient isn’t the word that comes to mind for our passage through Cambodian customs. First off the plane, we were the last to make it to the baggage carousel. Some confusion as to what forms needed to be filled in when and where. Guess we should have opted for the e-visas. In any event, we’re finally here and the guide we’ve hired, John Teng, is waiting with a driver to take us to the hotel. He’s already had to set the Angkor Holiday Hotel straight as they had us arriving tomorrow.
It’s hard to say enough good things about John. He came highly recommended and fully lived up to his billing. Hiring him may be the best decision we’ve made this trip. He’s very good with English, very knowledgeable about the ruins and the area and very passionate about the future of his country. He made our time in Siem Reap a wonderful experience.
We drove first to the South Gate of Angkor Thom–the road lined on one side with gods and on the other side with demons. What an opening. We continued on to explore the three levels of the Bayon, with its 54 towers and 216 faces of Buddha. It is a magnificent temple and the detail in the carvings is awesome. Simply amazing workmanship. The same amazing detail was visible at the ‘Terrace of the Elephants’ and the ‘Terrace of the Leper King’. You could spend a week on just this one area. We exited through the Victory Gate.
Our next stop was the temple at Ta Prohm, where the most outstanding features are the tree roots which are somewhat holding the temple together. We entered through the west gate and walked through to the east gate. Restoration is clearly an ongoing process and there are jumbles of large rocks everywhere. It was interesting to hear John explain just what an international effort is involved with the French doing this, the Japanese doing that, the Koreans, the Germans, and on and on. Of course, it is such a colossal job that it requires that kind of commitment from the world at large.
We started the next day at 5:30 so we could watch the sun rise at Angkor Wat. (Us and hundreds/thousands of others). We stayed at Angkor Wat until about 6:45 am and then drove out to Banteay Srei. This is a very small but beautiful temple built in the late 900's. John’s timing was perfect–as we were leaving the site, the crowds started to arrive. On the way back, we stopped to visit the Land Mine Museum, a tribute to the tragedy that befell Cambodia during and after the Vietnam War. Canada’s flag is proudly displayed in recognition of its role in developing the museum and in promoting the international effort to ban land mines. After our mid-day break, John took us back to Angkor Wat so we could explore it in the afternoon light. This temple is magnificent. John kept us moving and we spent an enthralling two hours wandering from one fantastic sight to another, equally beautiful and compelling.
We managed to do the dinner and show at the Koulon II just down the street from our hotel. The show was interesting and the dancer’s costumes (especially the women’s) brought to life some of the carvings of apsaras we’d seen on the temple walls. But, two consecutive 5 am mornings take their toll, at any age, and we crashed early.
On Sunday morning, we didn’t start until 8:30 so we had a relaxing breakfast. (Saturday, the hotel had provided us with a boxed breakfast and we ate in the car as we drove out to Bantrey Srei.) John took us to the local market–the real, local market–not the ‘Old Market’ promoted in the tourist literature. What an experience. It was like a large food market combined with a large WalMart. Very different from our market experiences in Tokyo and Seoul but just as vibrant and chaotic. Very similar to our experience in Port Vila, Vanuatu but much larger in scope. Everybody in Siem Reap seemed to be here shopping and there were motor bikes and bicycles parked everywhere outside.
After the market, we visited the Roulous group of temples. These were the first temples built in the area (they date from the 800's) but were later abandoned for the Angkor area. Preah was the first clay block temple and Bakong, the first sandstone temple. Our last stop for the morning was Lolei, a very small temple in very poor condition but with an active Buddhist monastery. That afternoon, we started at the North Gate of Preah Khan. It looked like a small temple but the more gates we went through the larger it seemed to grow. Lots of doors and windows. Even an afternoon rain shower couldn’t diminish our enthusiasm.
Our last stop was at Phnom Bakheng, the site of the first temple in Angkor. It is on a hill but the trek isn’t too difficult. The ancient Khmer had cut the top off the mountain so that the base for the temple was bedrock. The climb up the temple steps from level to level was harder than the hike up the hill, with narrow risers on a steep slope. Coming down was just as, if not more, dangerous. But the view from the top was worth it–just to see the towers of Angkor Wat rising from the jungle and to realize that you couldn’t even see the vast complex at Angkor Thom. There were lots of people gathering along the western edges of the temple to wait for the sunset but, since the temples lie to the east, we didn’t join them and headed down the hill, drove back to the hotel and said our farewells to John and Giwa, our driver. They’ve both done an excellent job and made this a remarkable experience.
We checked out the ‘Old Market’ in the morning as we killed time before heading to the airport. Not a patch on John’s market. Got to experience the perils of being a pedestrian in a city where pedestrian traffic is low man on the totem pole. They don’t seem to have any parking along the streets so cars, scooter, tuk tuks, etc. all park on the sidewalk and you have to navigate around them. We took a tuk tuk back to the hotel. The flight to Singapore is taking us through Danang but we won’t get to set foot on Vietnam soil as we are restricted to the plane during the layover. At least in Hong Kong, we got to walk around the airport before re-boarding (but, I guess it would be incorrect to say we touched the ground in Hong Kong).
Monday, April 7, 2008
Elephants, elephasnts, elephants
Her name wasn’t Babar, but rather Bumbam. We went with Sairung Elephant Trekking through Khao Lak Land Discovery and found that the group consisted of just us, Bumbam and her mahout, Dam. It was a wonderful experience though Bumbam did not seem fully committed to the adventure. At 35 years old, she should be in the prime of her life but I don’t think she took more than nine steps in a row before stopping to browse. At one point, she stopped to relieve herself–I think it was raining at the time (and I certainly hope so as we did get sprinkled and I don’t fancy the alternative.) It was fun feeding her bananas after her exercise.
This was our second day after the Similan excursion. We had spent the first day relaxing around the pool at the Briza and walking the beach–nicer than the beach at the Suwan Palm. The Briza is a four-star resort (well above our usual choice) but they were offering a very good Internet deal as part of their soft opening. They had originally opened about two months before the tsunami hit this area and they’ve been in repair mode ever since. They opened too late to take advantage of the high season this year so they’re trying to catch up to the competition. We enjoyed the luxury though we avoided the dining room except for the breakfasts which were included in the room deal and one dinner on the day we checked in after the cruise. There are a lot of good restaurants around that offer more reasonable prices.
After the elephant trek, our guide from Land Discovery, Pa Chuck, took us to see Rainbow Falls. Some local kids were having a great time sliding down the rocks into the pool at the bottom of the falls. We then had an early Thai lunch at the restaurant at the bottom of the trail. While eating, we were surprised by Adrian and Sandra, the British couple from the cruise. They, too, had been elephant trekking and visiting the waterfall. We talked for a while and arranged to meet that night for dinner at Jo’s Seafood. We had a great meal and talked about our travels and our kids. They love to travel as much as we do and, from England, they’ve been able to do quite a bit. (Is my envy showing?)
We spent our last full day sunning by the pool and following the elephants from the tourist attraction across the road from the hotel. It seems they work the elephants in the morning and then take them down to the beach area via a back route where they leave them overnight (suitably hobbled, of course, or the elephants would probably wander off and scare the tourists on the beach). Rain shortened the afternoon and we decided to take a taxi into Khao Lak proper for a final dinner. Doreen also wanted to do some shopping.
The next morning we went looking for the elephants before breakfast and found them coming up the back road to get ready for another day of work. There’s nothing like an elephant to raise one’s spirits. Then, a final breakfast at the Briza, a little sun and a taxi ride to Phuket Airport. We have an overnight in Bangkok before heading to Cambodia and the temples at Angkor Wat.
This was our second day after the Similan excursion. We had spent the first day relaxing around the pool at the Briza and walking the beach–nicer than the beach at the Suwan Palm. The Briza is a four-star resort (well above our usual choice) but they were offering a very good Internet deal as part of their soft opening. They had originally opened about two months before the tsunami hit this area and they’ve been in repair mode ever since. They opened too late to take advantage of the high season this year so they’re trying to catch up to the competition. We enjoyed the luxury though we avoided the dining room except for the breakfasts which were included in the room deal and one dinner on the day we checked in after the cruise. There are a lot of good restaurants around that offer more reasonable prices.
After the elephant trek, our guide from Land Discovery, Pa Chuck, took us to see Rainbow Falls. Some local kids were having a great time sliding down the rocks into the pool at the bottom of the falls. We then had an early Thai lunch at the restaurant at the bottom of the trail. While eating, we were surprised by Adrian and Sandra, the British couple from the cruise. They, too, had been elephant trekking and visiting the waterfall. We talked for a while and arranged to meet that night for dinner at Jo’s Seafood. We had a great meal and talked about our travels and our kids. They love to travel as much as we do and, from England, they’ve been able to do quite a bit. (Is my envy showing?)
We spent our last full day sunning by the pool and following the elephants from the tourist attraction across the road from the hotel. It seems they work the elephants in the morning and then take them down to the beach area via a back route where they leave them overnight (suitably hobbled, of course, or the elephants would probably wander off and scare the tourists on the beach). Rain shortened the afternoon and we decided to take a taxi into Khao Lak proper for a final dinner. Doreen also wanted to do some shopping.
The next morning we went looking for the elephants before breakfast and found them coming up the back road to get ready for another day of work. There’s nothing like an elephant to raise one’s spirits. Then, a final breakfast at the Briza, a little sun and a taxi ride to Phuket Airport. We have an overnight in Bangkok before heading to Cambodia and the temples at Angkor Wat.
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