Author: michaelb119

Thai’d and Towed Part 1

So here’s a few tips for the uninitiated in Bangkok culture.  First, don’t wing it.  Unlike most cities I’ve visited where I pick a point where there is something I want to see and take it from there, this is not a good idea in Bangkok.  It’s not anything close to a walkable city.  It is so huge and vast that what may seem close on a map is pretty far away.  It’s hot and humid (and this is the “cool season”).  Add to the fact that you never seem to know what street you are on (and neither does anyone else, it seems), plus it being nearly impossible to cross driveways, let alone streets, and you get a pedestrian free-for-all.

Second, if you are going to hire a taxi driver to be your all-day guide, it’s a good idea to make sure his English vocabulary consists more than “good,” “happy,” “massage,” and “toilet.”

Third, you will not get very far very quickly in a taxi on the streets of Bangkok with traffic jams and drivers that basically do whatever they want.  Los Angeles, I have seen your future and your future is Bangkok.

And most important, make sure that when the taxi driver parks his taxi, he is fairly certain that it will still be there when you both get back.  That’s right.  Make sure it doesn’t get towed away.  Which it did.  Gone.

Let’s start at the beginning.  Got to Bangkok between 1 and 2AM.  Took a taxi to the hotel.  This is what $60 a night in Bangkok gets you:

Oh, and throw in wifi (not great, but serviceable) and free breakfast (and I mean full-on breakfast).  Not bad for $60 a night.
I got ready to start the day, thinking of heading to the Grand Palace.  I asked the front desk about tours of the area and next thing I know, I’ve hired one of the taxis to show me around for the day for 400 bahts (about 14 bucks).  For the entire day.  Even if he ditched me half way through, it was worth driving around in an air conditioned vehicle to get the lay of the land.  Two issues with that statement.  Most of the day is sitting in traffic and there is no way to get the lay of the land.  But the driver, Mr. Coke…yes, Mr. Coke…was very friendly and told me where we would go, first being the Grand Palace.  That was after I was able to convince him I did not need him to drive me to Chiang Mai, that I already had a train ticket (“You need train ticket?”  “No, I have train ticket.” “We stop train station for ticket.” “No, I have train ticket.  All okay.”).

Mr Coke!

And then we went back to the taxi.  Or so we thought…

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Final Sydney Images

My first trip to Oceania was truly something to remember and know that I look forward to returning to it some day.  People are unbelievably friendly and there is never a shortage of things to do.  Here are some final images of Sydney.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Blue Mountains

For my last full day in Sydney, I took the day-long Blue Mountain tour.  I originally planned to do this on Monday, but because of the rain, I put it off.

The tour bus picked my up at the Marriott near the loft at an un-godly 7:20AM.  The driver and tour guide, Michael, was full of information and wit.  He really made it enjoyable and made a couple of detours off the itinerary so we could get the best views of the mountains.  Why called Blue Mountains?  The mist of the eucalyptus trees gives the area a blue tint in the sunlight.  Even though it was kinda overcast, you could still see the bluish tint.

The first stop, however, was at Featherdale Wildlife Park, a zoo with indigenous birds, animals, and reptiles.  I would finally get to see kangaroos and koalas up close.

Wallaby

Too cute!

You asked for me in a picture.  What’s better than with a koala!

Kangaroo

Penguins again!

Safe in November in Australia

Yes, I have to–“That dingo stole my baby!”

Tasmanian Devil

Feeding time
After lunch, it was on to tour the Blue Mountains.  There was a lot of fog at the first stop, so our guide Michael made a detour off the beaten path for a better view.  Then it was on to Scenic World where you could either take a rail car and/or tram up and back.  Or walk 1000 steps up and down.  Uh, rail car down and tram up.  The rail car was a really weird seating arrangement.  You sat in and down with a cage over the top of you.  The cage sloped down over the right hand seat and I would have had to duck to not hit it.  Suddenly, it speeds down the hillside through a dark tunnel.  Good thing for the cage because you really need to hold on to something.  It was lots of fun but a bit disorienting.  Once down the mountainside, you were in a 4-season rain forest with a boardwalk that explains the history of the area, especially for its coal mining.

The final part of the itinerary was a boat ride back to Sydney from the Olympic Park area, a section of Sydney rebuilt for the 2000 Olympics.  Fortunately, a smooth ride since I forgot the dramamine.  But before, Michael had time to give us a demo on throwing a boomerang.

widestass.com

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Penzance By Way of the Caribbean

What is a visit to Sydney without taking in a show at the Opera House.  There are several theatres in the Opera House, but I figured it would be best to see the Opera Theatre.  One of the current productions is Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta, The Pirates of Penzance.  Now I guess when a Disney franchise like Pirates of the Caribbean takes in a billion dollars or two or more, there is bound to be some influence on other types of productions.  The actor who played The Pirate King channeled his inner Johnny Depp, but also created a delightful character that was very much his own.  Never having seen this before, I can’t compare it to past production.  And given there are over 100 years worth, there are plenty to which to compare.  But it was certainly an enjoyable evening and worth having gone.

jumpboobs.com

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Bondi Beach

Haven’t posted in a few days. Need to catch up.  I had to spend a good day at one of the iconic beaches – Bondi Beach.  If you’ve ever seen movie scenes or pictures of the quintessential Australian beach, this is it.  It was a bit chilly for beach weather but that doesn’t stop the hearty and crazy.  The area could use some sprucing up, although that is part of its charm and you can walk along the beach and cliffside to some of the other beaches.  A special “Sculpture By the Sea” exhibit was showing with various sculptures planted along the walk.  I didn’t make it all the way to Bronte Beach, which was my goal, as the rains came.  Not hard but steady enough.

Pictures from the beach walk:

Bondi Icebergs – Swimming Club

Sculpture By The Sea Exhibit

Rock formations along the cliff walk

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Over the Bridge

My walking journey continued up the stairs to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and across to Milson’s Point.  One side of the bridge is for cyclists, the other for pedestrians and joggers.  And there are a lot of joggers.  The famous landmark in Milson’s Point is Luna Park, an amusement park opened in 1935.  It wasn’t open at the time but still cool to see close up.  And then, the long journey back.

Start of walk across

View of Opera House

Skyline view
Almost across

City View from Milson’s Point

Luna Park entrance

Opera House at dusk – coming back across
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On The Rocks

Next to the Sydney Harbour is an area known as The Rocks, the historic area of Sydney.  There are lots of restaurants, craft shops, galleries, cafes and pubs.  This is probably my favorite part of the city so far.

Lowenbrau Restaurant – yes, that Lowenbrau – had lunch here

Oldest Pub in Sydney
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The Sound of Music

Just beyond the Gardens, I finally reached the Sydney Harbour and the Opera House.  Obviously, the centerpiece of the Harbour is the Opera House and Bridge, but there are several restaurants and cruise ships depart from here.  However, Darling Harbour offers more entertainment value.  So not knowing when I might get back here for another visit, I decided I had to see a show at the Opera House (when in Rome, and all).  There are actually several theatres here as well as a concert hall.  Had to go for the Opera Theatre which is playing The Pirates of Penzance.  I’ve never been to an opera and given this is actually an operetta, probably a good way to start.

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