When we last left off, we were lazing about in London, sleeping in until 4pm, staying up all night, living the life of leisure… Yeah, that's changed. I'm typing now from a lovely hotel on the beach in Mykonos, but I don't know when I'll actually post this considering it's about $9 an hour for internet out here!
After a few gorgeously lazy days in London, chilling with Mal and Chris, meeting with Drew and friends, and living a life of leisure, we headed to Gatwick to hop to Athens to begin our Olympic Link touring adventure. Getting into our hotel at around midnight was adventure itself as the streets are poorly labeled and our hotel was in the shadiest of shady areas of the city. The rumors of cabs not going there after dark turned out to be true, and I now know the Greek pronunciation for just about every drug known to man, as it was all offered to me within 5 minutes of arriving in Omonia Square. But once we found our hotel, the front desk guy was helpful enough to order in some moussaka for us that was big and delicious and I burned my tongue fiercely on it.
We slept through my measly Filipino watch alarm and missed our free breakfast (but found out the next morning it was nothing to wake up early for), but we got up around 11a, several hours earlier than our London "mornings" so that was a plus. We hit the streets and Metro, heading to Syntagma Square, where video screens shouted propaganda for some upcoming election. We passed the Parliament building and headed into a huge park where there were playgrounds, post offices, ancient ruins and more.
After wandering across the park, we stumbled into the Olympia Zeus Temple ruins and managed to score a 6 euro student discount to the ancient Greek complex. Wandering around the huge columns was amazing, but I wished we had a guide to tell us more about what we were seeing. There were excavated home plots around the giant temple remains and we wandered for quite a while before heading out to Hadrian's Arch just on the corner, where the ancient gateway separated Athens from Hadrian's land apparently. (Again, a guide would have been handy there.
We broke for lunch at a local cafe nearby where we had interesting but small sandwiches, which was ok as we had dinner later and had learned our lesson after an unexpectedly big lunch in London nearly ruined our Wagamama dinner a night or two earlier. after eating we headed towards the Acropolis and the Parthenon, straying from the path to the museum to accidentally find the entrance. The slopes up the huge hill were mercifully low-grade, and we stopped several times along the way to see ancient theaters and temples. When we reached the top there was a breathtaking panorama view of the city, not to mention amazing Greek ruins, which were partially scaffolded due to ongoing reconstruction efforts. We looked down on Zeus's temple we had just left, and across the rest of the city. It was beautiful and fascinating and well worth the climb.
On the way back, we got a bit lost walking past local shops and cafes and wondered fairly far in the wrong direction before discovering that we had past the metro station only about 2 blocks from our walk's original starting point! We raced to our neighborhood, stopping at a few local stores to try and buy cheap t-shirts and shorts, as the weather prediction had warmed about 10 degrees Fahrenheit in just about every destination we were heading for. Sach and I each scored one plain t-shirt for 5 euro, but that was about it. We got back to our dive hotel, and beat the arrival of our tour group, so we hit the showers. As Sach finished showering, I met Louise and Brooke, 2 other add-ons to the group we were joining in progress, and then we got a call that the group had arrived.
We did our intros and paperwork, and joined the crowd of over 50 at this point (due to 10 new joiners and 10 people getting ready to end in a few day's time) for a short stroll to a delicious dinner. We sat with our tour leader Maggie from Slovakia (but with a mean Aussie accent mixed in) and driver Dines (short from Nadine) and a couple from Brazil and a girl from Mexico City. We met more people along the way and headed to the old town square after dinner. As people split off, we had no clue or direction, until a group announced it's beeline towards the gelato shop, where I ordered 2 overpriced scoops, admittedly mainly to make Soua jealous.
After that, we discovered it was Jamie's birthday the next day, so we tried to rally some troops to go out for drinks. We quickly learned that gathering any group was a hassle, but a guy called Blair declared he was walking up the road and grabbing a drink, and that seemed to spur people to action. Everyone got beers to go, and I snuck off with 2 others to buy out the only mixed bottled cocktails we could find - I had something with gin, lemon and ginseng - as we wandered around town. It was a fun jaunt and we ended at James Joyce, the local Irish pub, where a basic cocktail was 6 euros, and I resorted to drinking someone's leftovers rather than pay for a second. There was a guy playing guitar and singing and we socialized and had fun before deciding to find our way back home since we had a 5.30a departure the next morning!
After a tiny bit of sleep and a lot of tossing and turning, it was 5a, and we packed up, loaded our bags on the bus, scarfed down a rather dull breakfast, and piled onto the bus for the first time for the 40 minute drive to the port. We dropped our stuff at the bottom of the ferry, the headed up the escalator into a rather posh main room for the ferry ride. The waiters were fiendish about people sprawling out to sleep (I'd heard this warning from several people) but one we got underway and there was some spare room, we could sprawl out a bit. I passed out for nearly the entire ride, rocked by turbulent dreams that i've yet to fully analyze.
After the ferry, we were picked up by busses that didn't have room for all of us, so a small group of us waited at the port for the next round of buses to take us to our hotel. We got there and got our room - Sach and I had our own - and got briefly settled before taking a shower and a rest. I woke up and Sach had already wandered, so I met up with some others and headed down to the beach. Met up with the group, bought a liter of wine for 2.50 euros and laid out on lounge chairs chatting with everyone. Got a good buzz and retired back to our rooms for an hour and a half to prepare for our 8p dinner.
And that's where we are now… I'm a bit beach grubby, but fairly well rested and feeling good, getting ready for dinner and who knows what next. There's an excursion to Santorini tomorrow for 76 euros, but I don't know if it's worth the money to try to cram another island in instead or relaxing and enjoying the one I'm on. Sounds like it'll be pretty fast paced from here on out, so some down time is probably best.
Hopefully this will get posted soon, and my next update will be from Athens or Albania - my official country #40 in my travels! More soon! :)
04 October 2009
29 September 2009
Starting out slow...
After a whirlwind September, I was ready to start my trip with some downtime... We DJed in San Francisco Saturday night, and hit a street fair in Berkeley Sunday afternoon, then raced to Sam's house where I packed quickly and headed to the airport. Easy check-in, surprised and lucky to have been bumped to Economy Plus! A few movies (lame) and some sleeping (great) later, I was landing an hour early in London.
My quick landing and exit, plus some miscommunication in London meant I ended up at Mal's house a few hours before her husband Chris expected me. I called him from down the street and made plans to meet at the Southwark Cathedral by the London Bridge tube. Laid down in the park outside their house, did a crossword, then stole internet from the "RossyFamily"'s network to catch up on email, send texts, etc etc.
Walked up to the meeting point, which was quick and easy and it's quite a nice little church and garden. Met up with Chris and little 2-year-old Aldous and walked back as they biked. Got into the house and relaxed a bit. Mal came home and worked on a meal/disaster that did not work out as planned, but was still pretty damn yummy. Took a quick stroll to Tesco, but otherwise slipped in and out of sleep from exhaustion until a knock on the door at midnight when Sach arrived!
He hadn't seen Mal in 13 years, so it was an interesting reunion, and his arrival re-energized me so soon we had finished the wine and were having vodka cocktails and discussing everything from geography to politics to music and more. Suddenly it was 4a and we had to sleeeeeeep! Called home quickly since I've got this California phone number worldwide (925-LOREN-6Q will reach me) and then passed out... for 12 hours!
We woke up at 4p, so our grand bike ride plans were about shot, but the sleep energized me and was well worth it! We'll meet Drew in half an hour for dinner and drinks and catch up, which will be nice. It's great to be in a massive amazing foreign city, but know it well enough to not have to see all the sites, to just be able to hang around and relax!
More updates soon hopefully! On to Athens in 2 days!
My quick landing and exit, plus some miscommunication in London meant I ended up at Mal's house a few hours before her husband Chris expected me. I called him from down the street and made plans to meet at the Southwark Cathedral by the London Bridge tube. Laid down in the park outside their house, did a crossword, then stole internet from the "RossyFamily"'s network to catch up on email, send texts, etc etc.
Walked up to the meeting point, which was quick and easy and it's quite a nice little church and garden. Met up with Chris and little 2-year-old Aldous and walked back as they biked. Got into the house and relaxed a bit. Mal came home and worked on a meal/disaster that did not work out as planned, but was still pretty damn yummy. Took a quick stroll to Tesco, but otherwise slipped in and out of sleep from exhaustion until a knock on the door at midnight when Sach arrived!
He hadn't seen Mal in 13 years, so it was an interesting reunion, and his arrival re-energized me so soon we had finished the wine and were having vodka cocktails and discussing everything from geography to politics to music and more. Suddenly it was 4a and we had to sleeeeeeep! Called home quickly since I've got this California phone number worldwide (925-LOREN-6Q will reach me) and then passed out... for 12 hours!
We woke up at 4p, so our grand bike ride plans were about shot, but the sleep energized me and was well worth it! We'll meet Drew in half an hour for dinner and drinks and catch up, which will be nice. It's great to be in a massive amazing foreign city, but know it well enough to not have to see all the sites, to just be able to hang around and relax!
More updates soon hopefully! On to Athens in 2 days!
28 September 2009
Arrived
Hi, I'm in London. In a park. Stealing internets. Having fun.
Just arrived and almost out of battery on the laptop, so that's all for the updating for now, but more soon! :)
Just arrived and almost out of battery on the laptop, so that's all for the updating for now, but more soon! :)
20 February 2009
Back in Manila!
So, I'm chilling in a very posh hotel called the Pan Pacific in Malate, Metro Manila. My new dive buddy Chris has let me chill in his room, so while he's taking a nap, I'm catching up on days with practically no internet. We're off to say goodbye to our co-divers now then planning a night of partying. I'll try to update in an hour or two with a few stories about my last week of scuba joy!
19 February 2009
Scuba Diving in the Philippines.
Dear god it's beautiful here. That's really about all that needs to be said right now. I may try to work on a picture post tonight, if I can stay awake long enough! No internet except in the lobby of this resort though, so it'll be a bit tough...
18 February 2009
Too small an update.
I've got a draft saved of the epic story of my trip to Baras, but it's not finished after a few days of spotty internet, so I decided to write a quick update instead for now. After a week or so in the Philippines, and a long weekend in Taiwan, I've now joined the Philippines Board of Tourism for a weeklong trek to some scuba diving hot spots to learn about the joy of diving here! This morning we did our first 2 dives, but rain and cold slowed us from a third dive. it was cool because we dove off a tiny island (Balicasag) off the coast of a small island (Panglao) off the coast of Bohol, a bigger, but still fairly small island! And so far the diving is fantastic! Just a few meters offshore, there was a massive wall dropping off and covered in all sorts of interesting life! I went down 130 feet and still didn't hit the bottom!
Loving this trip so far, of course! The diving is great, the food is great, the sightseeing is great... It's so lucky to get to see some of the allure that would draw tourists to this country that I've grown to love so much even having never seen the tourist side of it. Manila was a fun time, and of course Baras was. I needed more time in Taiwan, but I saw some familiar faces, took a load of pics at the Lantern Festival, and even got a souvenir pillow from my favorite underground lounge!
Anyway, internet is a bit slow tonight and I'm paying six times the amount I normally do out here for an hour's worth of connection, so I'll cut this off now. Suffice to say, life is good out here! :)
Loving this trip so far, of course! The diving is great, the food is great, the sightseeing is great... It's so lucky to get to see some of the allure that would draw tourists to this country that I've grown to love so much even having never seen the tourist side of it. Manila was a fun time, and of course Baras was. I needed more time in Taiwan, but I saw some familiar faces, took a load of pics at the Lantern Festival, and even got a souvenir pillow from my favorite underground lounge!
Anyway, internet is a bit slow tonight and I'm paying six times the amount I normally do out here for an hour's worth of connection, so I'll cut this off now. Suffice to say, life is good out here! :)
15 February 2009
Finally An Update on the Beginning of My Trip!
So, as usual, I'm failing to find time to blog, even though I've been very purposefully avoiding jam-packed days and keeping too busy... Hm, where was I then...
After my first day in the Philippines, I spent the second day doing absolutely nothing all day in Marikina. Woke up just in time for my free breakfast, but was disappointed when they assumed I wanted American food and gave me a ham and cheese omelet, when I later discovered the local menu that day was Longinisa, sweet fat sausages I haven't had in a year or two! Boo! After that I extended my stay another night, greeted the like 30 people constantly working in this massive hotel in the middle of nowhere, then went back to bed. I was trying to meet up with Ahris, but she got stuck working on the opposite side of Metro Manila, which is several hours away. I decided to use the day to catch up on some emails and bits of work...
The next morning I woke up again for my breakfast, this time convincing them to feed me the Filipino meal and getting my beloved tocino. Then I checked out and set off on my adventure to use public transportation to make my way to small-town Baras, 2 hours away. The front desk guys at the hotel sent me 2 blocks down where I caught a jeepney (the local busses are basically like aluminum jeeps, stretched out and decorated super-ornately) to a train station called Katipunan where across the street connecting jeepneys head all over the place. I see one to Tanay (the bigger town past Baras) as I cross the street, but I'm too far to catch it. After waiting over an hour, watching hundreds of jeepneys go buy without seeing one going more than halfway to Baras, I'm getting discouraged and thinking I may take one to Antipolo, partway there and hope for better luck there.
I smell yummy food, so I peek my head around a corner I've been next to the whole time while waiting and discover it's just a little nook with 2 food stands. I buy an apple juice and the workers there are fascinated by me, asking me all about what I'm doing there. So I tell them I missed the only jeepney I saw to Tanay and they tell me to connect in Antipolo, just as I was thinking. They flag down the next FX (air-conditioned SUV bus thingy, costs a bit more, but not bad) to Antipolo, talk to the driver, and load me into the back! Wished I'd gotten hungry or thirsty sooner!! 15 minutes later we pass several stopped jeepneys to Tanay, they load me onto one and I'm on my way! A mom is smiling at me as her young son struggles to stay awake, but after a nap, he's awake and ecstatic about the scenic views coming down the hill Antipolo sits on. I get dizzy craning my neck, twisting myself upside down to see out the low windows, hoping I'll recognize the buildings at the edge of town in enough time to pay my fare, gather my bag and jump off in the right place!
Soon, a familiar road block, and a shop where I get my favorite cheesebread, and it's all coming back to me. We round a corner and in the late afternoon, the local street food vendors are just setting up at the intersection I'm looking for. I tap on the roof of the jeepney and he stops for a few seconds for me to jump out the back. I heft my bag onto my shoulder and smile at the locals, already a few saying "Hey Joe!" to greet the odd American in town. I walk up the block, wondering who I'll see first, since only a few people know I'm coming. halfway to Bill's house where I'm staying, 2 cute little girls, maybe 7 years old, are playing on a trike (motorcycle with a sidecar, the main form of taxi around here) as a father watches. They see me and remember me, shouting "Laurence! Laurence!" as I walk by. Nobody realizes there's a difference between Loren and Laurence in this country. I smile huge; it's so cool to be recognized by random kids playing in the street!
I round the final corner and see Rakhad hanging laundry out front. She's maybe 13 now, and she looks up in complete surprise, wondering what the hell I'm doing there, and runs to tell her mom. Soon I'm hugging everyone hello and settling right in to the relaxed but somehow bustling life of small-town Baras! It's around 5p and they immediately cook me some food and get me settled in. Within a half hour I'm triple booked for my first evening! I walked with Jhomari to the internet shop up the road and meet 2 of her friends, making plans to meet them for a drink later. Then on the way back to the house, I meet Hector, another relative of the family living next door. He invites me over to join some of the town elders for some GSM Blue (gin essentially). Then Rey shows up with Razelle and they invite me to join for a swim at Wells, the local resort.
I finish dinner and mosey next door to have some shots with Hector and his friends. It's been a while since I had straight shots and it's pretty tough! I even chased with local water the first time instead of safe mineral water, so I did a few more shots figuring the alcohol will kill whatever else I just drank! An old retired boxer in his 70s showed up and he was so lively and energetic and hilarious! I could barely keep up with him, he shouted excitedly, his muscles bulged on his arms more than mine ever will, and he ended just about every sentence with "baby!" but pronounced "be-BAY!" like the Scottish Fat Bastard in Austin Powers! It was hilarious! Jezrel is playing in the street, and I gave her my camera to go play, then eventually pulled her over the fence to sit with me while I drank with the boys. She's like the daughter I never had, and it's so adorable how she runs to sit with me and hold my hand whenever I'm around.
Finally it's time to go and meet up at the pool. Rey and Jhomari take us on motorcycles, Jho's friends from the internet shop come to meet me, Rey invited a few girls and tried to fix me up with one, Razelle and Jezrel joined, and Rasul came later to shoot pool in the shop afterward whilst everyone sang Karaoke and drank. It was freaking cold in the pool, so we only spent a few minutes in there, and then headed to the lobbyish area for all the other activities. Jezrel fell asleep so I laid her down on a couch, then Jho fell asleep, and I was fading fast. Rey disappeared and a few of the girls got too drunk. So we decided to call it a night at 2a and I headed back to sleep after a long long day.
The next day I slept in quite a bit, and then relaxed at home for a while, ate my tocino of course... Finally we decided to head in to Tanay and do some shopping. I realized that my international cell phone was more than just a communications device. I had used it as my alarm clock and my calculator as well! So I figured I could find a cheap watch and calculator at the markets. Plus I had heard there was a new mini-mall there, so I wanted to check it out. As we were walking to catch a Jeepney, Jhomari mentioned that Max came by to see me that morning before I woke up. I had told him I may need a ride to the airport in 2 days for my flight to Taiwan, but I hadn't connected with him yet. We decided to take a walk to his house and make plans before Tanay.
We walked up a road and up a hill I hadn't been up for a few years, since the first time I was in the Philippines. At the top of the hill sat the 400-year-old church where Bill and Reyna were married. What I never saw though was behind it was an elementary school, where Jezrel is in 3rd grade, and a road between leading further up the hill. Near the top of that road was Max's house, and we dropped in and sat on his couch for a while chatting. We made plans to party it up later that night. Suddenly Max asks "do you want to see my pet monkey?" I blink at him. "What?! You seriously have a pet monkey?! Why didn't anyone tell me this?!?!?!"
We weave out his back door and there on a tree and on a leash - a pet monkey! He's making this tongue-smacking sound like he had just ate peanut butter and was trying to get it off the roof of his mouth. He did that almost constantly. I asked if it was mean or friendly and Max said it was friendly and pet it a few times. I had thought he was growling and baring his teeth at us, but I guess he was smiling, because he started doing it again as soon as Max pet him. I spent about 10 minutes staring, asking questions, taking pictures, and telling Max how jealous I was. Seriously, how awesome is that?!
After that we headed back down the hill and caught a jeepney into Tanay. We checked out the new mini-mall and the discount store didn't have any watches I liked, but we went by the supermarket and I bought some toilet paper - not a common household item in all households out here, but definitely something I would thank myself later for supplying. At checkout, I spotted a few little mini-restaurants that bigger, western-style grocery stores have out here and decided a snack was in order. Jhomari and Rasul weren't hungry, so I ordered what looked like a pork and noodle dish, but ended up being soup. As I was eating, Corey, Jhomari's cute girlfriend showed up out of nowhere. The first time I met her out here she was super-shy and didn't talk to me. The second time, she opened up and was a lot more friendly (and flirty, hehe). This time she was back to shy though, but it was still nice to see her.
We headed over to the regular market and within a few minutes I had my calculator and new sunglasses. Walking through the markets is always a treat and I played with all the goodies for sale and chatted with all the vendors. We wandered back to the meat section which is a wild experience for a first timer, but I'd seen it before and gladly bought some tocino and pork to replace all that I ate. Then on the way home, after giving up on my watch quest, I finally spotted one for 3 dollars and I was set! We headed home, ate dinner, relaxed. I was supposed to gather people to party, but in the end I was exhausted and passed out early, which was just as well since the next night was insane!
More on that later though, sine our group has just arrived back at the resort and I've got half an hour to wolf down dinner before my massage! Wish me luck! :)
After my first day in the Philippines, I spent the second day doing absolutely nothing all day in Marikina. Woke up just in time for my free breakfast, but was disappointed when they assumed I wanted American food and gave me a ham and cheese omelet, when I later discovered the local menu that day was Longinisa, sweet fat sausages I haven't had in a year or two! Boo! After that I extended my stay another night, greeted the like 30 people constantly working in this massive hotel in the middle of nowhere, then went back to bed. I was trying to meet up with Ahris, but she got stuck working on the opposite side of Metro Manila, which is several hours away. I decided to use the day to catch up on some emails and bits of work...
The next morning I woke up again for my breakfast, this time convincing them to feed me the Filipino meal and getting my beloved tocino. Then I checked out and set off on my adventure to use public transportation to make my way to small-town Baras, 2 hours away. The front desk guys at the hotel sent me 2 blocks down where I caught a jeepney (the local busses are basically like aluminum jeeps, stretched out and decorated super-ornately) to a train station called Katipunan where across the street connecting jeepneys head all over the place. I see one to Tanay (the bigger town past Baras) as I cross the street, but I'm too far to catch it. After waiting over an hour, watching hundreds of jeepneys go buy without seeing one going more than halfway to Baras, I'm getting discouraged and thinking I may take one to Antipolo, partway there and hope for better luck there.
I smell yummy food, so I peek my head around a corner I've been next to the whole time while waiting and discover it's just a little nook with 2 food stands. I buy an apple juice and the workers there are fascinated by me, asking me all about what I'm doing there. So I tell them I missed the only jeepney I saw to Tanay and they tell me to connect in Antipolo, just as I was thinking. They flag down the next FX (air-conditioned SUV bus thingy, costs a bit more, but not bad) to Antipolo, talk to the driver, and load me into the back! Wished I'd gotten hungry or thirsty sooner!! 15 minutes later we pass several stopped jeepneys to Tanay, they load me onto one and I'm on my way! A mom is smiling at me as her young son struggles to stay awake, but after a nap, he's awake and ecstatic about the scenic views coming down the hill Antipolo sits on. I get dizzy craning my neck, twisting myself upside down to see out the low windows, hoping I'll recognize the buildings at the edge of town in enough time to pay my fare, gather my bag and jump off in the right place!
Soon, a familiar road block, and a shop where I get my favorite cheesebread, and it's all coming back to me. We round a corner and in the late afternoon, the local street food vendors are just setting up at the intersection I'm looking for. I tap on the roof of the jeepney and he stops for a few seconds for me to jump out the back. I heft my bag onto my shoulder and smile at the locals, already a few saying "Hey Joe!" to greet the odd American in town. I walk up the block, wondering who I'll see first, since only a few people know I'm coming. halfway to Bill's house where I'm staying, 2 cute little girls, maybe 7 years old, are playing on a trike (motorcycle with a sidecar, the main form of taxi around here) as a father watches. They see me and remember me, shouting "Laurence! Laurence!" as I walk by. Nobody realizes there's a difference between Loren and Laurence in this country. I smile huge; it's so cool to be recognized by random kids playing in the street!
I round the final corner and see Rakhad hanging laundry out front. She's maybe 13 now, and she looks up in complete surprise, wondering what the hell I'm doing there, and runs to tell her mom. Soon I'm hugging everyone hello and settling right in to the relaxed but somehow bustling life of small-town Baras! It's around 5p and they immediately cook me some food and get me settled in. Within a half hour I'm triple booked for my first evening! I walked with Jhomari to the internet shop up the road and meet 2 of her friends, making plans to meet them for a drink later. Then on the way back to the house, I meet Hector, another relative of the family living next door. He invites me over to join some of the town elders for some GSM Blue (gin essentially). Then Rey shows up with Razelle and they invite me to join for a swim at Wells, the local resort.
I finish dinner and mosey next door to have some shots with Hector and his friends. It's been a while since I had straight shots and it's pretty tough! I even chased with local water the first time instead of safe mineral water, so I did a few more shots figuring the alcohol will kill whatever else I just drank! An old retired boxer in his 70s showed up and he was so lively and energetic and hilarious! I could barely keep up with him, he shouted excitedly, his muscles bulged on his arms more than mine ever will, and he ended just about every sentence with "baby!" but pronounced "be-BAY!" like the Scottish Fat Bastard in Austin Powers! It was hilarious! Jezrel is playing in the street, and I gave her my camera to go play, then eventually pulled her over the fence to sit with me while I drank with the boys. She's like the daughter I never had, and it's so adorable how she runs to sit with me and hold my hand whenever I'm around.
Finally it's time to go and meet up at the pool. Rey and Jhomari take us on motorcycles, Jho's friends from the internet shop come to meet me, Rey invited a few girls and tried to fix me up with one, Razelle and Jezrel joined, and Rasul came later to shoot pool in the shop afterward whilst everyone sang Karaoke and drank. It was freaking cold in the pool, so we only spent a few minutes in there, and then headed to the lobbyish area for all the other activities. Jezrel fell asleep so I laid her down on a couch, then Jho fell asleep, and I was fading fast. Rey disappeared and a few of the girls got too drunk. So we decided to call it a night at 2a and I headed back to sleep after a long long day.
The next day I slept in quite a bit, and then relaxed at home for a while, ate my tocino of course... Finally we decided to head in to Tanay and do some shopping. I realized that my international cell phone was more than just a communications device. I had used it as my alarm clock and my calculator as well! So I figured I could find a cheap watch and calculator at the markets. Plus I had heard there was a new mini-mall there, so I wanted to check it out. As we were walking to catch a Jeepney, Jhomari mentioned that Max came by to see me that morning before I woke up. I had told him I may need a ride to the airport in 2 days for my flight to Taiwan, but I hadn't connected with him yet. We decided to take a walk to his house and make plans before Tanay.
We walked up a road and up a hill I hadn't been up for a few years, since the first time I was in the Philippines. At the top of the hill sat the 400-year-old church where Bill and Reyna were married. What I never saw though was behind it was an elementary school, where Jezrel is in 3rd grade, and a road between leading further up the hill. Near the top of that road was Max's house, and we dropped in and sat on his couch for a while chatting. We made plans to party it up later that night. Suddenly Max asks "do you want to see my pet monkey?" I blink at him. "What?! You seriously have a pet monkey?! Why didn't anyone tell me this?!?!?!"
We weave out his back door and there on a tree and on a leash - a pet monkey! He's making this tongue-smacking sound like he had just ate peanut butter and was trying to get it off the roof of his mouth. He did that almost constantly. I asked if it was mean or friendly and Max said it was friendly and pet it a few times. I had thought he was growling and baring his teeth at us, but I guess he was smiling, because he started doing it again as soon as Max pet him. I spent about 10 minutes staring, asking questions, taking pictures, and telling Max how jealous I was. Seriously, how awesome is that?!
After that we headed back down the hill and caught a jeepney into Tanay. We checked out the new mini-mall and the discount store didn't have any watches I liked, but we went by the supermarket and I bought some toilet paper - not a common household item in all households out here, but definitely something I would thank myself later for supplying. At checkout, I spotted a few little mini-restaurants that bigger, western-style grocery stores have out here and decided a snack was in order. Jhomari and Rasul weren't hungry, so I ordered what looked like a pork and noodle dish, but ended up being soup. As I was eating, Corey, Jhomari's cute girlfriend showed up out of nowhere. The first time I met her out here she was super-shy and didn't talk to me. The second time, she opened up and was a lot more friendly (and flirty, hehe). This time she was back to shy though, but it was still nice to see her.
We headed over to the regular market and within a few minutes I had my calculator and new sunglasses. Walking through the markets is always a treat and I played with all the goodies for sale and chatted with all the vendors. We wandered back to the meat section which is a wild experience for a first timer, but I'd seen it before and gladly bought some tocino and pork to replace all that I ate. Then on the way home, after giving up on my watch quest, I finally spotted one for 3 dollars and I was set! We headed home, ate dinner, relaxed. I was supposed to gather people to party, but in the end I was exhausted and passed out early, which was just as well since the next night was insane!
More on that later though, sine our group has just arrived back at the resort and I've got half an hour to wolf down dinner before my massage! Wish me luck! :)
09 February 2009
Back in PI!
So I've spent 2 days in Marikina, a suburb of Manila. There's not much to do here which was a good start for me. (OK, the world's largest pair of shoes is here, but otherwise...) Caught up on a few things, especially sleep. Already had my favorite food in the world, tocino, twice! Went to a few bars and clubs and restaurants and grocery stores, but mostly sat around with Arhis and her extended family, playing guitar, pounding beats on boxes, playing with picture frames, eating, and being goofy.Lost my international cell in the back of a cab on the riverfront, so getting in touch with people will be tough.
My flight got delayed to Taiwan Friday, so I won't be able to job-hunt as much as I had hoped, but I'll still try to a bit. And I'll still be able to go out and play at night! :) Hopefully I'll connect with friends from last time and make some new ones, and have a great time. I'll have to post up the directions to the hostel I'm staying in - they're hilarious!
I'm an hour late checking out of my hotel now, better run. Hope I don't get charged an extra night! More to come! :)
My flight got delayed to Taiwan Friday, so I won't be able to job-hunt as much as I had hoped, but I'll still try to a bit. And I'll still be able to go out and play at night! :) Hopefully I'll connect with friends from last time and make some new ones, and have a great time. I'll have to post up the directions to the hostel I'm staying in - they're hilarious!
I'm an hour late checking out of my hotel now, better run. Hope I don't get charged an extra night! More to come! :)
31 January 2009
Leaving Quito Already!
So, there was no time to blog on this trip. So incredibly exhausting... So many pictures and stories to tell though. Ecuador is fun stuff. My flight is boarding right now as a message from the Quito airport. I'll dump pics and blog soon. Only 7 days until my next trip! :)
26 January 2009
25 January 2009
Ecuador!
...Yeah, that's where I am. In Quito to be exact. It's been a long long day, that I'll have to tell the story of sometime, but definitely not right now. It's sleepy time in South America. Facebook and MySpace and email are all not working on this wireless access tonight, but hopefully tomorrow I'll get better internet. Goodnight for now!
02 November 2008
Last Post From Abroad...
...but not the last post about *being abroad*! I definitely discovered that it's much easier to blog and post pics and stuff whilst traveling when you have your own computer with you. And I'm definitely getting an EEE PC before my next big trip. Then I'll be posting galore! :)
I'm in my favorite net cafe off Khoa San Road in Bangkok now, fresh in off the sleeper train from Chumporn after taking a ferry from Ko Tao there. Had a blast in Ko Tao, did some great scuba diving, met some interesting people, drank too much and got a great massage. About all you could need really.
Today we're of to the Grand Palace and Reclining Buddha, as Sach hasn't seen them, then maybe a little shopping on Khoa San, and abusing our former hotel's pool facilities, we'll take showers and clean up before our long flight home. I tried to convince some awesome girls in Taipei to come say hello for my one hour layover there, but I'm guessing that's not gonna work.
But soon enough I'll be back home in Sacramento, and then I expect to see all of you out and about... Taco Tuesday, Second Saturday, etc. etc... Time to run. More stories and pictures coming soon!
I'm in my favorite net cafe off Khoa San Road in Bangkok now, fresh in off the sleeper train from Chumporn after taking a ferry from Ko Tao there. Had a blast in Ko Tao, did some great scuba diving, met some interesting people, drank too much and got a great massage. About all you could need really.
Today we're of to the Grand Palace and Reclining Buddha, as Sach hasn't seen them, then maybe a little shopping on Khoa San, and abusing our former hotel's pool facilities, we'll take showers and clean up before our long flight home. I tried to convince some awesome girls in Taipei to come say hello for my one hour layover there, but I'm guessing that's not gonna work.
But soon enough I'll be back home in Sacramento, and then I expect to see all of you out and about... Taco Tuesday, Second Saturday, etc. etc... Time to run. More stories and pictures coming soon!
30 October 2008
Taipei (Finally)
So, I've got about 15 minutes that I'm going to attempt to write about Taipei with. Wish me luck!
I left off on the bus from Taichung at 5a, bleary-eyed and sleepless, realizing I had no clue if there were many stops in Taipei, or where I was going anyway. I slept briefly, then watched Oceans 13, though I couldn't figure out the sound. When we pulled into a random stop on teh street, the nice lady across the aisle from me (did I mention how posh Taiwan buses are? One seat per side, big, cushy armchairs for everyone) says, "OK" and nods to me, so I get off. Immediately, there are taxis waiting and I show my paperwork and hope they understand the address I just gave them to the hotel. He seems confused, but we pull up to the hotel only a few minutes later! Score!
I cehck in to the hotel and try to figure out if John has arrived yet. I'd booked him a transfer, but had no way of knowing if he was picked up or not. Finally I spot his bag tucked behind the counter, but no one knows where he is. I step out and survey the block, thinking WWJG - Where Would John Go... Strolling up teh block, I hear a shout, and the answer is obvious: 7-11. There he is in front of one, trying to get a SIM card. We chat for a bit, head back to the hotel, try to get on the day tour that day and fail, discover we can't check in for 5 more hours and decide to set off and see some city on our own. After a brief stroll, we head back to the hotel to get a map and directions to internet cafes, metro systems, and general info on where the hell we are! Now we can set out!
Man, out of time already! More updates soon!
OK, more updates, as promised!
We walked up the block, and stopped in a really high-end internet cafe. Each computer had a private booth and you could watch movies, read books, etc there. We quickly figured out we couldn't afford it, but the girl working there was hilarious! She was like anime! When she couldn't think of how to say something in English, she would smile big and scrunch up her eyes and wave her arms around and jump up and down and make noises! She quickly became my new favorite person in Taiwan, haha! Even though we didn't use the internet services, she ended up telling us most of the info we were after (like where to go out at night) and even looked up addresses and stuff for us. It was cool!
We headed out, found the metro system, and figured out how to work it. Since Taipei 101 wasn't on the tour we had set for the next day, we headed straight there. Walking from the metro station was a fair distance, and we ran into so much stuff! Starting with some simple street vendors, we crossed through a shopping area of classy stores, then found them setting up a street fair, complete with giant balloon arch urging people to not be depressed and to have a good attitude! We wondered what was going on, and then spotted a big warehouse door opening that we wondered into.
Having no clue what we just walked into, we discovered booths of people displaying products at some sort of convention. We walked to one booth and they were giving out rice samples! We walked 2 more down and were given another rice sample, as they told us about the region it was grown in, etc. A few more stalls down, more rice... We had wandered into a RICE CONVENTION!!!
Out of time again, more soon...
I left off on the bus from Taichung at 5a, bleary-eyed and sleepless, realizing I had no clue if there were many stops in Taipei, or where I was going anyway. I slept briefly, then watched Oceans 13, though I couldn't figure out the sound. When we pulled into a random stop on teh street, the nice lady across the aisle from me (did I mention how posh Taiwan buses are? One seat per side, big, cushy armchairs for everyone) says, "OK" and nods to me, so I get off. Immediately, there are taxis waiting and I show my paperwork and hope they understand the address I just gave them to the hotel. He seems confused, but we pull up to the hotel only a few minutes later! Score!
I cehck in to the hotel and try to figure out if John has arrived yet. I'd booked him a transfer, but had no way of knowing if he was picked up or not. Finally I spot his bag tucked behind the counter, but no one knows where he is. I step out and survey the block, thinking WWJG - Where Would John Go... Strolling up teh block, I hear a shout, and the answer is obvious: 7-11. There he is in front of one, trying to get a SIM card. We chat for a bit, head back to the hotel, try to get on the day tour that day and fail, discover we can't check in for 5 more hours and decide to set off and see some city on our own. After a brief stroll, we head back to the hotel to get a map and directions to internet cafes, metro systems, and general info on where the hell we are! Now we can set out!
Man, out of time already! More updates soon!
OK, more updates, as promised!
We walked up the block, and stopped in a really high-end internet cafe. Each computer had a private booth and you could watch movies, read books, etc there. We quickly figured out we couldn't afford it, but the girl working there was hilarious! She was like anime! When she couldn't think of how to say something in English, she would smile big and scrunch up her eyes and wave her arms around and jump up and down and make noises! She quickly became my new favorite person in Taiwan, haha! Even though we didn't use the internet services, she ended up telling us most of the info we were after (like where to go out at night) and even looked up addresses and stuff for us. It was cool!
We headed out, found the metro system, and figured out how to work it. Since Taipei 101 wasn't on the tour we had set for the next day, we headed straight there. Walking from the metro station was a fair distance, and we ran into so much stuff! Starting with some simple street vendors, we crossed through a shopping area of classy stores, then found them setting up a street fair, complete with giant balloon arch urging people to not be depressed and to have a good attitude! We wondered what was going on, and then spotted a big warehouse door opening that we wondered into.
Having no clue what we just walked into, we discovered booths of people displaying products at some sort of convention. We walked to one booth and they were giving out rice samples! We walked 2 more down and were given another rice sample, as they told us about the region it was grown in, etc. A few more stalls down, more rice... We had wandered into a RICE CONVENTION!!!
Out of time again, more soon...
27 October 2008
Downtime
So, SixQ.Net was down for a few days. Apparently the spammers attacked my domain and my hosts shut me down without warning. Jerks. But I'm back up now. If you emailed me anything in the last 3 or 4 days though, I didn't receive it, so please resend it!
I'm taking some downtime now as well, relaxing on the beautiful Thai island of Koh Samui, with literally nothing planned! It's a pretty great feeling really.
I think it's about time to go to lunch, so unfortunately, I can't write much of an update. But, my stomach is 1000% better now that I'm off of Balinese food and onto Thai food, so life seems much smoother now. I'll try this evening to add more to this blog, but I think we're going out tonight! :)
I'm taking some downtime now as well, relaxing on the beautiful Thai island of Koh Samui, with literally nothing planned! It's a pretty great feeling really.
I think it's about time to go to lunch, so unfortunately, I can't write much of an update. But, my stomach is 1000% better now that I'm off of Balinese food and onto Thai food, so life seems much smoother now. I'll try this evening to add more to this blog, but I think we're going out tonight! :)
25 October 2008
Short Update
Tomorrow I leave Bali and head to Thailand. I've got my stomach in a knot from some iffy food days ago. I've run out of conditioner and left my gel in the Philippines, so my hair's a mess. I've got a fair bit of bug bites and sunburn. My main camera broke finally. Battered as always, but having a great time! :)
I'm going to squeeze in one last massage before dinner, and relax for the final evening with my Intrepid tour. I think I'll just write a novel when I get home. But stay tuned just in case!
I'm going to squeeze in one last massage before dinner, and relax for the final evening with my Intrepid tour. I think I'll just write a novel when I get home. But stay tuned just in case!
23 October 2008
Too Far Behind!
So, I've been in Bali for like 6 days or something. I've got so many stories to write at this point that it's almost pointless to write this blog. I've got the story of Taipei, the story of the Philippines in Baras, and in Angeles City, the story of Malaysia - and what a story THAT is - and then all the adventures I've had here.
But internet access is rare out here, so it looks like this blog won't be full of those stories. Besides, it's 15 minutes to dinner, and just about happy hour too, so, no time to scribble notes now! I'm logging all this in my head, despite losing my notebook in Malaysia (maybe I'll get it back, beer-soaked and all).
This has been a wild and crazy trip. I'm exhausted, but it was all worth it. More stories to come... :)
But internet access is rare out here, so it looks like this blog won't be full of those stories. Besides, it's 15 minutes to dinner, and just about happy hour too, so, no time to scribble notes now! I'm logging all this in my head, despite losing my notebook in Malaysia (maybe I'll get it back, beer-soaked and all).
This has been a wild and crazy trip. I'm exhausted, but it was all worth it. More stories to come... :)
15 October 2008
The Story of Taichung
So, it's funny how our time in the Philippines is always all about relaxing and chilling out and no plans, but we always seem to end up with no time to get anything done. Been meaning to write tons of stories, but never seem to get the time to just lay here and type. I'll try to throw together a brief post on Taichung now while trying to upload some pics to flickr!
Well... I arrived in Taipei at 6a and strolled leisurely through baggage and customs. I really only needed to be to Taichung by 5p or so, leaving me 11 hours to accomplish a 3 hours task, so no point in rushing... After clearing customs I found an info desk, discovered the bus station was in the airport, just around the corner, and there was a free internet stand on the way! I spent about an hour catching up on emails and stuff, just 'cuz I could, then headed to the bus station and got my ticket with 5 minutes to spare. I waited outside for a few then tried to set the clocks on my phone and camera. I went back inside to check the clock in there and the staff thought I was lost, so they radioed someone to walk me out to my bus just as it was arriving, ha!
The busses in Taiwan are super-posh - frilled curtains, seats like plush easy-chairs, TV screens (I watched Oceans 13 on my way back to Taipei!) and I heard stories of Videoke on some busses even! I napped most of the way down and then tried to figure out the map as I realized we were in Taichung, much more quickly than expected. I got off at Sogo, a fancy department store, and wandered the streets a bit, looking for a way to contact Heidi, who was at work, but I would be staying with for 2 days. I wandered into a shop to ask about a payphone and bought a camera case for $1, then had some confusing point and gesture and smile conversations with the staff and gave up.
Watched the opening ceremonies of Sogo; it was wild! The big clock in front had 16 panels which flipped around into moving dolls like the Glockenspiel in Munich, while playing "It's a Small World". Then 4 women in kimonos came out and walked and talked in unison, then backed into the store and signaled everyone to enter. It was like the opening of the Wonka factory!
I spotted a 7-11 so I went for water and found a payphone outside. It only took prepaid cards, but I found one in 7-11, so I finally called Heidi, but it just rang and rang. My cellphone didn't seem to work either, so I wandered to a net cafe and figured I'd catch her online, which I did 1 minute before my time ran out. I raced back to the payphone, got Heidi on the phone and got directions to give to a cab driver, so I finally was able to meet up with her at around noon!
We chatted for a while and went for lunch at a cafe nearby and just caught up and chilled until she had to go back to work. I relaxed at her apartment, took a long shower and watched some TV, then fell asleep only a few minutes before Heidi was to get home.
The next chunk of hours were a surreal blur. I apparently slept through her ringing the doorbell and having the manager let her into her 23rd floor apartment eventually. I woke up slightly and saw her napping too, so I went back to sleep. This continued for hours and hours, me not knowing if I was napping for 1 hours or 50, until I finally woke up fully aware that it was definitely late at night now. I got up and thought maybe we could go hit the town now, well-rested and all... Then I looked out the window and notice the streets were EMPTY. I checked the time and it was 5a! I had slept for 12 hours! I tinkered around
online a bit, fixing a thing or two on SixQ.Net, and then crawled back into bed and slept for a few more hours! I guess I really needed the rest!
That morning, when we finally arose and laughed about how we both conked out, we headed down to a corner breakfast shop where I had dan bing, which was like a bacon and cheese omelet wrapped in a crepe and eaten with the most addictively yummy sweet sauce! We met a guy there from Germany Heidi knew and chatted a while and tried to bum a ride up to a monkey park sorta place, since Heidi's scooter is little and might not make it up the hills to the park. Sadly that fell through, but we still had a fun day!
We putted around looking for some shades for me and a spare/new helmet. not much luck on either, but we wandered to the market area to stroll around. I love Asian markets! We walked around and people watched - the kids hang out there like mallrats! - and I'd say hi to people and they'd giggle. In a back alley I found my shades - some imitation BluBlockers for $2. We ended up getting hungry and were right down the street from a special treat: The Modern Toilet.
Oh yes, I snuck a few pictures to give you an idea, but this was a bathroom-themed restaurant! The chairs were all toilets with fancy covers, the tables were 2 sinks with a slab of glass over them. There were showers and faucets on the walls and urinals filled with marbles and stuff in the hallways, plus loads of trippy mirrors and decorations. Meals were severd in miniature toilets with the base being little open-flame stoves and the bowl being, well, a bowl of food. Side dishes were served with covers shaped like poop, and some drinks were served in urinals. I paid an extra $1 and got my drink in a portable urinal with a straw in it. I got a lemon & kumquat drink, that had a pit still floating in it, so you can imagine the realism here! Some dishes were served in bathtubs, but I didn't get one. Dessert? chocolate and coffee soft-serve ice cream served coiled in a miniature squat toilet! It was amazing!!
After leisurely lunch, we headed back to the scooter and cruised around town for a bit, stopping at a lovely Confucian temple in the middle of the city, a quiet sanctuary where we found what appeared to be a fashion shoot and another couple taking wedding pics. Tired from our adventures, we headed home to relax and regroup before a night out. Heidi needed to chat with a friend online, so I headed downstairs and scored us some fried chicken and drinks and mixed a cocktail and did a crossword puzzle. Eventually we caught a cab across town to a club that usually had DJs and dancing, but tonight was chill with tables and posh ambience. We settled into a booth and ordered a few vodkas and a snack, listening to mostly The Cure's Mixed Up album and talking and having a good time. We got a bit buzzed, but decided to call it a night since it was already very late and I had a 5a bus to catch.
As we were about to grab a cab home, the loud, drunk people at the table next to us came stumbling out. One of them tripped and fell over the marquee, crashing it to the ground and causing quite a scene. We laughed and said they needed the cam more than us, so we walked down the street to a little shop where we picked up a little bottle of rye whiskey and mixer and headed home to chill, have one last cocktail and pack up to go.
By about 5a, I finally stumbled out of Heidi's place and caught a cab to the bus/train station. I went ot the counter and said "bus to Taipei" and he handed me a ticket for an hour from then, and charged me $375 Taiwan Dollars. I was a bit confused, so I wandered around and found a tunnel to the bus station. Turns out I just bought a train ticket! I walked to the bus station and asked about the bus. It was $260 and leaving in 7 or 8 minutes. I ran back to the train station and said, "wrong ticket. Not bus. I don't want!" and the guy handed me my cash back without pause. Easy enough, I raced back to the bus as it pulled up, hopped on, wrote a short paragraph in my trusty notebook of an essay I want to write about traveling, then drifted off to sleep with the hopes that one of the nice people who said hello while boarding would wake me up at the right station when the time came...
And that was pretty much Taichung. It's not the most action-packed story to tell, but the city has a great vibe, lively and friendly and fairly easy to deal with everything, and talking to Heidi, she made it sound so easy to live and work there, I started thinking about my long-dime fantasy of permanently drifting around the world for a few years picking up work as I go. I think the time is coming. Maybe I hope...
Now I've got to shower, pack up and wait for my ride to Angeles for my flight in the morning to Malaysia! I hope to have more updates soon, 'cuz the story of Taipei is a great one, and I've got loads of pictures to share. I did manage to upload a few while typing this, so Check them out!
Well... I arrived in Taipei at 6a and strolled leisurely through baggage and customs. I really only needed to be to Taichung by 5p or so, leaving me 11 hours to accomplish a 3 hours task, so no point in rushing... After clearing customs I found an info desk, discovered the bus station was in the airport, just around the corner, and there was a free internet stand on the way! I spent about an hour catching up on emails and stuff, just 'cuz I could, then headed to the bus station and got my ticket with 5 minutes to spare. I waited outside for a few then tried to set the clocks on my phone and camera. I went back inside to check the clock in there and the staff thought I was lost, so they radioed someone to walk me out to my bus just as it was arriving, ha!
The busses in Taiwan are super-posh - frilled curtains, seats like plush easy-chairs, TV screens (I watched Oceans 13 on my way back to Taipei!) and I heard stories of Videoke on some busses even! I napped most of the way down and then tried to figure out the map as I realized we were in Taichung, much more quickly than expected. I got off at Sogo, a fancy department store, and wandered the streets a bit, looking for a way to contact Heidi, who was at work, but I would be staying with for 2 days. I wandered into a shop to ask about a payphone and bought a camera case for $1, then had some confusing point and gesture and smile conversations with the staff and gave up.
Watched the opening ceremonies of Sogo; it was wild! The big clock in front had 16 panels which flipped around into moving dolls like the Glockenspiel in Munich, while playing "It's a Small World". Then 4 women in kimonos came out and walked and talked in unison, then backed into the store and signaled everyone to enter. It was like the opening of the Wonka factory!
I spotted a 7-11 so I went for water and found a payphone outside. It only took prepaid cards, but I found one in 7-11, so I finally called Heidi, but it just rang and rang. My cellphone didn't seem to work either, so I wandered to a net cafe and figured I'd catch her online, which I did 1 minute before my time ran out. I raced back to the payphone, got Heidi on the phone and got directions to give to a cab driver, so I finally was able to meet up with her at around noon!
We chatted for a while and went for lunch at a cafe nearby and just caught up and chilled until she had to go back to work. I relaxed at her apartment, took a long shower and watched some TV, then fell asleep only a few minutes before Heidi was to get home.
The next chunk of hours were a surreal blur. I apparently slept through her ringing the doorbell and having the manager let her into her 23rd floor apartment eventually. I woke up slightly and saw her napping too, so I went back to sleep. This continued for hours and hours, me not knowing if I was napping for 1 hours or 50, until I finally woke up fully aware that it was definitely late at night now. I got up and thought maybe we could go hit the town now, well-rested and all... Then I looked out the window and notice the streets were EMPTY. I checked the time and it was 5a! I had slept for 12 hours! I tinkered around
online a bit, fixing a thing or two on SixQ.Net, and then crawled back into bed and slept for a few more hours! I guess I really needed the rest!
That morning, when we finally arose and laughed about how we both conked out, we headed down to a corner breakfast shop where I had dan bing, which was like a bacon and cheese omelet wrapped in a crepe and eaten with the most addictively yummy sweet sauce! We met a guy there from Germany Heidi knew and chatted a while and tried to bum a ride up to a monkey park sorta place, since Heidi's scooter is little and might not make it up the hills to the park. Sadly that fell through, but we still had a fun day!
We putted around looking for some shades for me and a spare/new helmet. not much luck on either, but we wandered to the market area to stroll around. I love Asian markets! We walked around and people watched - the kids hang out there like mallrats! - and I'd say hi to people and they'd giggle. In a back alley I found my shades - some imitation BluBlockers for $2. We ended up getting hungry and were right down the street from a special treat: The Modern Toilet.
Oh yes, I snuck a few pictures to give you an idea, but this was a bathroom-themed restaurant! The chairs were all toilets with fancy covers, the tables were 2 sinks with a slab of glass over them. There were showers and faucets on the walls and urinals filled with marbles and stuff in the hallways, plus loads of trippy mirrors and decorations. Meals were severd in miniature toilets with the base being little open-flame stoves and the bowl being, well, a bowl of food. Side dishes were served with covers shaped like poop, and some drinks were served in urinals. I paid an extra $1 and got my drink in a portable urinal with a straw in it. I got a lemon & kumquat drink, that had a pit still floating in it, so you can imagine the realism here! Some dishes were served in bathtubs, but I didn't get one. Dessert? chocolate and coffee soft-serve ice cream served coiled in a miniature squat toilet! It was amazing!!
After leisurely lunch, we headed back to the scooter and cruised around town for a bit, stopping at a lovely Confucian temple in the middle of the city, a quiet sanctuary where we found what appeared to be a fashion shoot and another couple taking wedding pics. Tired from our adventures, we headed home to relax and regroup before a night out. Heidi needed to chat with a friend online, so I headed downstairs and scored us some fried chicken and drinks and mixed a cocktail and did a crossword puzzle. Eventually we caught a cab across town to a club that usually had DJs and dancing, but tonight was chill with tables and posh ambience. We settled into a booth and ordered a few vodkas and a snack, listening to mostly The Cure's Mixed Up album and talking and having a good time. We got a bit buzzed, but decided to call it a night since it was already very late and I had a 5a bus to catch.
As we were about to grab a cab home, the loud, drunk people at the table next to us came stumbling out. One of them tripped and fell over the marquee, crashing it to the ground and causing quite a scene. We laughed and said they needed the cam more than us, so we walked down the street to a little shop where we picked up a little bottle of rye whiskey and mixer and headed home to chill, have one last cocktail and pack up to go.
By about 5a, I finally stumbled out of Heidi's place and caught a cab to the bus/train station. I went ot the counter and said "bus to Taipei" and he handed me a ticket for an hour from then, and charged me $375 Taiwan Dollars. I was a bit confused, so I wandered around and found a tunnel to the bus station. Turns out I just bought a train ticket! I walked to the bus station and asked about the bus. It was $260 and leaving in 7 or 8 minutes. I ran back to the train station and said, "wrong ticket. Not bus. I don't want!" and the guy handed me my cash back without pause. Easy enough, I raced back to the bus as it pulled up, hopped on, wrote a short paragraph in my trusty notebook of an essay I want to write about traveling, then drifted off to sleep with the hopes that one of the nice people who said hello while boarding would wake me up at the right station when the time came...
And that was pretty much Taichung. It's not the most action-packed story to tell, but the city has a great vibe, lively and friendly and fairly easy to deal with everything, and talking to Heidi, she made it sound so easy to live and work there, I started thinking about my long-dime fantasy of permanently drifting around the world for a few years picking up work as I go. I think the time is coming. Maybe I hope...
Now I've got to shower, pack up and wait for my ride to Angeles for my flight in the morning to Malaysia! I hope to have more updates soon, 'cuz the story of Taipei is a great one, and I've got loads of pictures to share. I did manage to upload a few while typing this, so Check them out!
13 October 2008
Quick note from the Philippines
Hoping to catch up tomorrow, but we're partying it up tonight after a few amazing days in Taiwan. The Philippines is HOT! We're burning up here, but we have A/C for the first time, so that's quite nice. Tomorrow we will feast on Tocino and maybe rent a pool to swim in for the evening. Gearing up for Malaysia and the constant movement of Bali and Thailand, but definitely looking forward to a few relaxing days. we meant to relax in Taiwan, but we didn't actually go to sleep at night the entire time we were there!
So much to tell... I'll write more soon!
ps. Jezrel says hi! :)
So much to tell... I'll write more soon!
ps. Jezrel says hi! :)
10 October 2008
The Adventure Begins at your Doorstep part 2
...so I'm at security in the airport, a few minutes to boarding time of my flight, frantically emptying my pockets and my bag searching for my passport, which is nowhere to be found. I'm not freaking out, but already starting to plan where I could sleep for the night, how I can change my ticket to one day later, how to get to the passport office, how much of my budget will be sucked away on a new same-day passport.
I walk quickly back to the check-in desk, texting Michelle to wait, she may have my passport! The desk is deserted, but a woman comes running out thinking I'm very late to check in. I ask if anyone's turned in a passport, or if I left it there. She runs to the back to check around for me when suddenly a man in a T-shirt says, "Excuse me! Um, did you maybe lose a passport?!" I say "Yeah!! Did you find it?" He asks my name and nods and says to come with him. He jogs off and I consider telling him about how I don't believe in running, but think better of it.
Suddenly I'm sprinting across the long terminal back to the wrong wing I tried to check in at earlier while this guy is telling me how he found the passport on the ground and turned it in to the staff. It must have fallen out of my pocket when I went there, or when I picked up my water and banana earlier, or something. But I get to teh gate panting while he flags down the staff and tells them I belong to that passport he turned in. I fill out some paperwork claiming it, they match me to my picture, and off I go again, running to the security gate to my now-boarding flight! I thank the man and his family profusely and think about offering a cash reward but realize I have too little to give, so it would seem almost rude to offer $5 for saving my entire trip. Once through security I try to spot him to give him my card and offer to try and discount any future travel, but I didn't see him again.
And that's how I managed to get on a 13.5 hour flight out-of-breath, stinky and drenched in sweat! Next stop, Taipei!
But more on that later...
I walk quickly back to the check-in desk, texting Michelle to wait, she may have my passport! The desk is deserted, but a woman comes running out thinking I'm very late to check in. I ask if anyone's turned in a passport, or if I left it there. She runs to the back to check around for me when suddenly a man in a T-shirt says, "Excuse me! Um, did you maybe lose a passport?!" I say "Yeah!! Did you find it?" He asks my name and nods and says to come with him. He jogs off and I consider telling him about how I don't believe in running, but think better of it.
Suddenly I'm sprinting across the long terminal back to the wrong wing I tried to check in at earlier while this guy is telling me how he found the passport on the ground and turned it in to the staff. It must have fallen out of my pocket when I went there, or when I picked up my water and banana earlier, or something. But I get to teh gate panting while he flags down the staff and tells them I belong to that passport he turned in. I fill out some paperwork claiming it, they match me to my picture, and off I go again, running to the security gate to my now-boarding flight! I thank the man and his family profusely and think about offering a cash reward but realize I have too little to give, so it would seem almost rude to offer $5 for saving my entire trip. Once through security I try to spot him to give him my card and offer to try and discount any future travel, but I didn't see him again.
And that's how I managed to get on a 13.5 hour flight out-of-breath, stinky and drenched in sweat! Next stop, Taipei!
But more on that later...
08 October 2008
The Adventure Begins at your Doorstep.
So, here's how this trip started (because my travel adventures begin the second I book a trip, ha!):
I race out of work and walk to the train station, hop on the Amtrak to Richmond, barely staying awake already. Switch to BART and head to downtown San Francisco instead of the airport, as a last minute meeting with Michelle seems possible. Wander the streets a bit, calling and texting John and Sach about things I forgot, and calling and texting to various countries to set up rides and meetings, etc., until Michelle finds me and I hop into her car. We're late (go figure) so after driving towards the show we were going to try and pop into for an hour, we decide to go straight to the airport. We park, thinking of going in for some tea for her and breakfast for me, but that doesn't sound too appealing in an airport terminal. Instead I go check in and grab a coupla waters and a banana (cuz i'm oh-so-healthy)and head back to the parking lot, where we chat and catch up for an hour.
Finally it's time to go and I race into the terminal to get to the gate and wait to board. I went to the wrong wing first, and discovered I get to trek yet again across the airport to check in. Nothing like working up a sweat before boarding a 13.5 hour flight! I pause at the top of security to dump all my pocket stuff into my bag, pull out my boarding pass and my passpor--- um, wait. OK, tickets, boarding pass, notepad, pen, pencil, camera, phone, old passport... NO PASSPORT!!! Hmmm...
(OUT OF TIME... will continue the saga later!)
I race out of work and walk to the train station, hop on the Amtrak to Richmond, barely staying awake already. Switch to BART and head to downtown San Francisco instead of the airport, as a last minute meeting with Michelle seems possible. Wander the streets a bit, calling and texting John and Sach about things I forgot, and calling and texting to various countries to set up rides and meetings, etc., until Michelle finds me and I hop into her car. We're late (go figure) so after driving towards the show we were going to try and pop into for an hour, we decide to go straight to the airport. We park, thinking of going in for some tea for her and breakfast for me, but that doesn't sound too appealing in an airport terminal. Instead I go check in and grab a coupla waters and a banana (cuz i'm oh-so-healthy)and head back to the parking lot, where we chat and catch up for an hour.
Finally it's time to go and I race into the terminal to get to the gate and wait to board. I went to the wrong wing first, and discovered I get to trek yet again across the airport to check in. Nothing like working up a sweat before boarding a 13.5 hour flight! I pause at the top of security to dump all my pocket stuff into my bag, pull out my boarding pass and my passpor--- um, wait. OK, tickets, boarding pass, notepad, pen, pencil, camera, phone, old passport... NO PASSPORT!!! Hmmm...
(OUT OF TIME... will continue the saga later!)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
