Sunday, May 31, 2009--Kota Kinabalu to Tenom
Today has been a day of frustration. First, the bus to Tenom was full. Therefore, I had to take a bus to another town 50 km away and transfer to a mini-bus from there to Tenom. That went okay, although I worried about whether the mini-bus would have room for my suitcase. Fortunately, I was about the 3rd passenger to arrive, so there was room. The drive was wonderful, going through Crocker Range National Park with nice mountain views. I actually arrived in Tenom about the same time as the bus, which was leaving 30 minutes later, would have been expected to arrive.
I checked into the second best hotel in town--the Orchid Hotel. The best hotel is far up a hillside. And there has been a great landslide in front of it that makes it look as if the hotel is not far from the edge now. Anyway, who would want to pay more to make that climb? Where I am is a modern building that is a little warn with a few years of age. The rooms and the baths are extra large and VERY clean. It's in the center of town and costs only $14 per night!
As soon as I was at the hotel, I went to the Sunday market here. The guidebook described it as colorful, since I am in a remote area near where tribal people live. There were many people with things from their gardens for sale--wonderful and fresh looking vegetables that are much better looking that what can be found at even a good supermarket such as HEB. A separate section had a huge selection of fish which apparently had been caught overnight. There were several kinds, and all looked big and healthy versus the small fish that are often in markets these days due to overfishing.
While at the market, I bought an ABC--Ais Batu Campur--which is a bit like a snowcone. The bottom of the cup had pieces of corn, beans, and some kind of green matter that was chopped. They put ice in the cup, poured a red drink over it, and added condensed milk. Then they put a lid on it and gave me a large straw that would let anything in it come up through it. I was told to stir it with the straw and then drink. It was delicious--so delicious that I went back for a second one! I also bought some small curry pies. They were like empanadas and were filled with curried potatoes. They were good, too, and spicy!
I went from there to the train station to check on the schedule for tomorrow. Unfortunately, there was no schedule posted. I asked a woman nearby at a bus kiosk about the train. She said, "Train Broken." That was my biggest disappointment of the whole day. The train trip from here to Beaufort is supposed to be one of the great Asian train trips and goes through a canyon.
I've spent most of the rest of the afternoon deciding what to do. To leave town by bus means backtracking where I have already been. My goal is to get into Sarawak or directly to Brunei. I have now learned that I can take a shared taxi tomorrow morning to Sipitang. From there, I can do one of two things: 1) Take mini-buses to eventually get me into Sarawak to the town of Lawas where I can get a ferry to Brunei, or 2) take a ferry to the island of Lebuan where I can catch another ferry to Brunei. I'm thinking I will go to Lebuan using the two-ferry concept. That will be my plan unless I get to Sipitang too late for a ferry to Lebuan. The bad part is that the shared taxis leave between 6:00 and 7:00 tomorrow morning. Yuck!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Harvest Festival
Friday, May 29, 2009--Kinabalu National Park to Kota Kinabalu
The best way to visit Borneo would be in a rental car. Malaysia has one of the better infrastructures in Asia. The highways are nice, and the drivers are not wild. With a rental car, so many more places could be reached so much more easily than waiting for the private mini-buses or the few large buses that connect places. With a car, I could have also visited Poring Hot Springs, built by the Japanese during WWII and now a part of the same Kinabalu National Park (but in another area), while here. But the only way there is by taxi from here at a rather high cost. I met two Chinese visitors yesterday who were frustrated when quoted a price for a taxi there and back.
I stood outside my hotel for 40 minutes waiting for either a bus or a mini-bus going to KK. The first mini-bus that passed was full and would not stop. The next one had no passengers. On the trip back into town, we picked up one person for a short trip. So my return trip to the city was like being in a taxi since I was the only passenger most of the way. The driver went much faster than the one in the large bus had gone coming up here, but the trip was downhill this time.
I ate pork with noodles for my lunch today. It was a big bowl with slices of pork, pork dumplings, slices of pork loaf, and fish balls in it. It was very filling and refreshing.
I needed to get my laundry done. I had tried to leave it before going to the park, but the laundry near my hotel wouldn't open until long after I needed to be on the bus. When I returned today, I went there only to discover that it will be closed over the weekend due to the Harvest Festival. Giving up, I went to 7-ll and bought a small package of laundry soap and did my washing myself. Fortunately, my hotel has a bathtub, and the floor is tile with a drain. That makes it much easier than doing the laundry in the sink and having to worry about everything dripping as it dries. I did a pair of pants, some underwear, some socks, and several shirts.
I was tired, it was hot, and I just wanted to relax. So I stayed in the room the rest of the day and relaxed.
Saturday, May 30, 2009--KK and Penampang
It's the Harvest Festival here in Sabah today and tomorrow. Most people go home to their villages to celebrate, but there is a large festival held for the public in the suburb of Penampang. I got up early today and caught a bus to it.
I really did not know what to expect. For some reason I thought it would be in a big hall. Instead, it was on what we would call a fair grounds at home. In fact, the festival seems to be a bit like the combination of the Folk Life Festival in San Antonio and the State Fair in Dallas.
As I entered the grounds, there was a large contingent of young people dressed alike in polo shirts and dark pants/skirts. They are students of tourism who were there to welcome foreigners and guide them through the grounds. Two of them, a young woman and a young man, approached me and said they would like to be my guides. Like most Asian people having contact with westerners, they have adopted western-style names to make it easier for the visitor. My two guides were Sherry George and Devyn Dalfoeun.
The festival grounds really have three major parts. One consists of examples of the native houses from various parts of the province. There, each tribal group has sent singers, dancers, and musicians dressed in native costume to perform for the public. Another consists of tents that have exhibits by companies that hope to sell their products, both large and upcoming corporations. The third section consists of a row of tent restaurants serving foods.
My guides took me to each of the houses. They made sure I got photos of the performers in their costumes and that I understood where they were from. They explained about the costumes and the culture. The sad part was the answers I kept getting to my questions: Did they make their costumes? No, their grandmothers made them for them. Do they have a silver coin belt buckle like I have seen in the museum? No, but their grandfather does. In other words, it is obvious that the traditional culture which is still being represented is dying out. The young people are not learning to weave or to sew the costumes. They are not making the traditional ornaments. So when their grandparents die and the present costumes wear out, what will they do?
I was happy that the tour was just to orient me to the festival. After seeing each of the native houses and having questions answered, my guides left me. I then spent another 3 hours at the festival grounds going back to see the dancing, the singing, the playing, etc. One unusual house has a cut-away section of the floor. Inside the cutaway is a floor that is suspended on giant cross logs. People go onto the floor and start to bounce. The logs give to the pressure, and the people jump high into the air. Above, there is a suspended toy that goes to the one who jumps high enough to grab it. One of the guides took me into this section. It was surprising to experience the degree of the bounce! I came out wobbly!
One of the tribal groups had a dance similar to the Filipino dance called the tinikling. It was performed only by men or by women rather than together. And it was a bit more complicated using defining squares as well as the bamboo sticks clicking together. At the same time, it was not nearly as fast as the Filipinos dance their dance.
Everyone was friendly at the festival. Many people spoke to me. One dancer insisted that I join her in one of the dances. I'm happy I happened to be here at the right time to experience it.
It was a hot day, however. I had trouble finding ways to stay out of the sun and to stay cool. Some of the raised houses had nice breezes once I was in them. And I drank three glasses of fresh fruit drinks--one of coconut and two made with limes.
When I returned to town around 15:00, I ate lunch. Today, I had sweet and sour fish sprinkled with hot sauce. It was about 4 chunks of boneless fish about the size of a biscuit and about 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) thick. They had been fried and then cooked in the sweet and sour sauce which had nice fresh slices of onion in it. I cannot believe that the meal of all that fish, a plate of rice, a bowl of soup, and a glass of Chinese tea only cost me $1.12 U.S.!
My guides at the festival gave me my dinner which I will eat in my room tonight. It's a small container of inawah, the Malaysian version of ceviche. I had a taste, and then they insisted that I take the rest for having later by myself. It is quite delicious.
Tomorrow, I will leave KK. The Harvest Festival will continue, but one day of it was enough. The buses are running everywhere, so I will catch the early morning bus for Tenom. I am going there to take one of the great train rides of the world between there and Beaufort.
The best way to visit Borneo would be in a rental car. Malaysia has one of the better infrastructures in Asia. The highways are nice, and the drivers are not wild. With a rental car, so many more places could be reached so much more easily than waiting for the private mini-buses or the few large buses that connect places. With a car, I could have also visited Poring Hot Springs, built by the Japanese during WWII and now a part of the same Kinabalu National Park (but in another area), while here. But the only way there is by taxi from here at a rather high cost. I met two Chinese visitors yesterday who were frustrated when quoted a price for a taxi there and back.
I stood outside my hotel for 40 minutes waiting for either a bus or a mini-bus going to KK. The first mini-bus that passed was full and would not stop. The next one had no passengers. On the trip back into town, we picked up one person for a short trip. So my return trip to the city was like being in a taxi since I was the only passenger most of the way. The driver went much faster than the one in the large bus had gone coming up here, but the trip was downhill this time.
I ate pork with noodles for my lunch today. It was a big bowl with slices of pork, pork dumplings, slices of pork loaf, and fish balls in it. It was very filling and refreshing.
I needed to get my laundry done. I had tried to leave it before going to the park, but the laundry near my hotel wouldn't open until long after I needed to be on the bus. When I returned today, I went there only to discover that it will be closed over the weekend due to the Harvest Festival. Giving up, I went to 7-ll and bought a small package of laundry soap and did my washing myself. Fortunately, my hotel has a bathtub, and the floor is tile with a drain. That makes it much easier than doing the laundry in the sink and having to worry about everything dripping as it dries. I did a pair of pants, some underwear, some socks, and several shirts.
I was tired, it was hot, and I just wanted to relax. So I stayed in the room the rest of the day and relaxed.
Saturday, May 30, 2009--KK and Penampang
It's the Harvest Festival here in Sabah today and tomorrow. Most people go home to their villages to celebrate, but there is a large festival held for the public in the suburb of Penampang. I got up early today and caught a bus to it.
I really did not know what to expect. For some reason I thought it would be in a big hall. Instead, it was on what we would call a fair grounds at home. In fact, the festival seems to be a bit like the combination of the Folk Life Festival in San Antonio and the State Fair in Dallas.
As I entered the grounds, there was a large contingent of young people dressed alike in polo shirts and dark pants/skirts. They are students of tourism who were there to welcome foreigners and guide them through the grounds. Two of them, a young woman and a young man, approached me and said they would like to be my guides. Like most Asian people having contact with westerners, they have adopted western-style names to make it easier for the visitor. My two guides were Sherry George and Devyn Dalfoeun.
The festival grounds really have three major parts. One consists of examples of the native houses from various parts of the province. There, each tribal group has sent singers, dancers, and musicians dressed in native costume to perform for the public. Another consists of tents that have exhibits by companies that hope to sell their products, both large and upcoming corporations. The third section consists of a row of tent restaurants serving foods.
My guides took me to each of the houses. They made sure I got photos of the performers in their costumes and that I understood where they were from. They explained about the costumes and the culture. The sad part was the answers I kept getting to my questions: Did they make their costumes? No, their grandmothers made them for them. Do they have a silver coin belt buckle like I have seen in the museum? No, but their grandfather does. In other words, it is obvious that the traditional culture which is still being represented is dying out. The young people are not learning to weave or to sew the costumes. They are not making the traditional ornaments. So when their grandparents die and the present costumes wear out, what will they do?
I was happy that the tour was just to orient me to the festival. After seeing each of the native houses and having questions answered, my guides left me. I then spent another 3 hours at the festival grounds going back to see the dancing, the singing, the playing, etc. One unusual house has a cut-away section of the floor. Inside the cutaway is a floor that is suspended on giant cross logs. People go onto the floor and start to bounce. The logs give to the pressure, and the people jump high into the air. Above, there is a suspended toy that goes to the one who jumps high enough to grab it. One of the guides took me into this section. It was surprising to experience the degree of the bounce! I came out wobbly!
One of the tribal groups had a dance similar to the Filipino dance called the tinikling. It was performed only by men or by women rather than together. And it was a bit more complicated using defining squares as well as the bamboo sticks clicking together. At the same time, it was not nearly as fast as the Filipinos dance their dance.
Everyone was friendly at the festival. Many people spoke to me. One dancer insisted that I join her in one of the dances. I'm happy I happened to be here at the right time to experience it.
It was a hot day, however. I had trouble finding ways to stay out of the sun and to stay cool. Some of the raised houses had nice breezes once I was in them. And I drank three glasses of fresh fruit drinks--one of coconut and two made with limes.
When I returned to town around 15:00, I ate lunch. Today, I had sweet and sour fish sprinkled with hot sauce. It was about 4 chunks of boneless fish about the size of a biscuit and about 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) thick. They had been fried and then cooked in the sweet and sour sauce which had nice fresh slices of onion in it. I cannot believe that the meal of all that fish, a plate of rice, a bowl of soup, and a glass of Chinese tea only cost me $1.12 U.S.!
My guides at the festival gave me my dinner which I will eat in my room tonight. It's a small container of inawah, the Malaysian version of ceviche. I had a taste, and then they insisted that I take the rest for having later by myself. It is quite delicious.
Tomorrow, I will leave KK. The Harvest Festival will continue, but one day of it was enough. The buses are running everywhere, so I will catch the early morning bus for Tenom. I am going there to take one of the great train rides of the world between there and Beaufort.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Planning Travel in Borneo
Tuesday, May 20, 2009--Kota Kinabalu
I slept from 21:00 until 8:30 this morning! I guess it is a combination of the heat, my diet, and the time change that is making me tired. To be able to sleep, however, I had to use earplugs. It sounds as if there are no police on duty downtown during the night. Car drivers, who are so often in traffic jams during the daytime, seem to want to drag race down the streets all night long!
I feel so much better after getting my hair cut yesterday. I look better, too. I no longer have those hairs curling around at the back of my neck and tickling my ears!!
I went to the Tourist Office and made travel plans for the next few days. I adjusted what I had originally intended to do because of the upcoming 2-day Harvest Festival Holidays (May 30-31). Instead of going far away to Sandakan which is known for its Orang-Utan sanctuary (among with caves and with diving that do not interest me), I have decided to go to a nearby national park for two days and then return for the Harvest Festival. I have seen Orang-Utans in zoos, and I began to think about it; a sanctuary wouldn't be like seeing them in the wild. It just wasn't worth an 8-hour bus trip (each way) to go there.
I went to a Chinese restaurant recommended by the owner of my hotel. I had sweet and sour pork with rice and Chinese tea. A couple of the pieces of pork were boney, but 2/3 of it was boneless and delicious!
In the evening, I walked to the pier where the boats leave for the nearby islands which are part of a national park. Then I walked along the seawall where there is a sunset view. I found another mall being built! Guess that means more failure at the 4-5 malls that already exist in this city of only about 400,000 people!
Wednesday, May 27--Kota Kinabalu to Mt. Kinabalu National Park
I rushed to leave the hotel this morning. The tourist office had told me where to catch the bus I needed, but they had neglected to tell me there were only 2 buses per day. In reading my guidebook last night, I realized that I had to leave at 8:00 or 12:30; well, the latter would be too late.
I packed my backpack with supplies for two days and put everything else in my suitcase to leave at the hotel. As I rushed out of the hotel, I discovered two blocks away that I had left my pocket cash in my dirty pants in the suitcase. I rushed back. The lady at the hotel wanted to call me a taxi, but I refused. Rushing, I made it to the bus stop about 8 blocks away at 7:56! Later, I realized that in the rush I forgot to switch my flashlight and a snack bar to my backpack in case I needed them. Oh, well.
The trip into the mountains was wonderful. It's two hours from KK to the national park. At first, we traveled along the coast and saw much nicer parts of KK, including the university here, than the area downtown where I have been. Then we twisted and winded up mountain roads. A few other tourists--two French people and two native English speakers--were on the bus. The rest of the passengers were natives.
The driver left us tourists off at the entrance to the park. I had picked up a brochure at the tourist office for a place that sounded new. It was not in my guidebook. The lady at my hotel had telephoned and made a reservation for me. The bus driver and attendant knew nothing about a place with that name. It was supposed to be about 1 km south of the entrance to the park, so I walked looking for it. When I was sure I had gone more than 1 km, I stopped at a nice looking place and asked about the place I wanted. No one new there knew it, and they told me I was already 2 km from the park entrance. They showed me a room they had and gave me their rate (about 86 ringgets). I told them I would consider coming back, but I felt I should try to find the other place due to my reservation there. I walked back toward the park. I asked 2-3 places along the way. No one knew it. When I got to the park, a man at a restaurant told me it was beside the car wash just around the curve and pointed back int he direction from which I had come. I walked back again. When I got there, it was a shack. The room was depressing with a horrible looking mattress on the bed. I told the man that I thought I would go elsewhere. I started walking back toward the better place I had seen. But there was a nice place about 1.5 km from the park, so I looked there. It was only 73.50 ringgets and was just as nice as, if not nicer than, the other place. So I checked in there.
The name of my place is the Fairy Garden Resort. My room is big with clean, beautiful, wooden floors. There is a TV, but all the places here have only local TV. The best feature is a balcony overlooking layers of green mountains.
One thing that sold me on this hotel was the restaurant. It smelled so good and was filled with a busload of people when I checked in. After putting my things in the room, I went down for lunch and had one of the best meals I have had since arriving in Borneo--Dry Curry Chicken Rice. It was slices of white meat in a curry sauce with onions, garlic, and hot red peppers with a portion of rice on the side. I drank Chinese tea with the meal. (Chinese tea is very good and is much cheaper than any other drink. A hot glass of Chinese tea costs about 6 cents U.S., whereas canned soft drinks and bottles of water cost about 60-75 cents U.S.)
Being tired and knowing that I had the next day to see the park, I sat on the balcony and read from my book for a while. That was a wise decision, because soon clouds appeared and it began to rain. I was nodding by then, anyway, so I went inside for a deep sleep--my first nap which I hope won't cause me to want one every day.
In the evening, I went back downstairs to the restaurant and ate Roasted Chicken Rice. It was a quarter of a chicken which had been roasted and then maybe fried to give it a crispy exterior. It had been chopped into several pieces with the bones still there. A brown sauce was poured over the top. Rice was on the side. It was another great meal.
Thursday, May 28, 2009--Kinabalu National Park
It was sunny when I got up this morning. I had a great view of the scraggly-toothed top of Mt. Kinabalu and got a photo. I'm so glad I did, because soon clouds were hovering around the top and remained there for the rest of the day.
Again, I faced the fact that foreigners must pay more than locals in Malaysia now. The admission charge for me was 5 times that for Malaysian citizens. Since I was here, I paid the price, but I have decided there is no need to visit Malaysia again considering this policy which I find objectionable.
After viewing exhibits relating to the history of the park and the natural resources found within the park, I spent 2 hours hiking trails. They were a bit sloppy from the rain from the night before. It wasn't bad, though. In most areas, the water had run off or had soaked enough for the ground to be only spongy. There were a few areas with standing water, however, that made me have to be creative in finding ways down the path without getting my shoes wet. Because I was in the mountains, the temperatures were nice. There was lush, green growth everywhere, water dripping everywhere, insects and butterflies everywhere, and the smell of rotting greenery. During the entire 2 hours of hiking, I did not see anyone. I did see one fresh shoe print from someone who had also been on the trail earlier. My last trail was one that was steep. That one tired me out and caused me to breathe heavily and perspire. It also caused a couple of insects to fall in love with the smell of the gel on my hair. I got rid of the first one rather easily because of being on a level area and being able to run while waiving my hands around my head. The second one was more persistent, and I couldn't run because of the steepness of the trail.
I returned to the hotel around noon. I had seen enough of the park. I had another great lunch--this time beef with spring onions, ginger slices, and garlic served with rice.
It was good that I returned, for the clouds and the rain also returned. I sat on the balcony with the rain falling and read more from my book. Unfortunately, I became sleepy again and eventually went inside for another nap. It's becoming a habit!
For dinner, I returned to my favorite dish of the past two days--Dry Curry Chicken Rice. I have to use Google to see if I can find a recipe for that one!
I slept from 21:00 until 8:30 this morning! I guess it is a combination of the heat, my diet, and the time change that is making me tired. To be able to sleep, however, I had to use earplugs. It sounds as if there are no police on duty downtown during the night. Car drivers, who are so often in traffic jams during the daytime, seem to want to drag race down the streets all night long!
I feel so much better after getting my hair cut yesterday. I look better, too. I no longer have those hairs curling around at the back of my neck and tickling my ears!!
I went to the Tourist Office and made travel plans for the next few days. I adjusted what I had originally intended to do because of the upcoming 2-day Harvest Festival Holidays (May 30-31). Instead of going far away to Sandakan which is known for its Orang-Utan sanctuary (among with caves and with diving that do not interest me), I have decided to go to a nearby national park for two days and then return for the Harvest Festival. I have seen Orang-Utans in zoos, and I began to think about it; a sanctuary wouldn't be like seeing them in the wild. It just wasn't worth an 8-hour bus trip (each way) to go there.
I went to a Chinese restaurant recommended by the owner of my hotel. I had sweet and sour pork with rice and Chinese tea. A couple of the pieces of pork were boney, but 2/3 of it was boneless and delicious!
In the evening, I walked to the pier where the boats leave for the nearby islands which are part of a national park. Then I walked along the seawall where there is a sunset view. I found another mall being built! Guess that means more failure at the 4-5 malls that already exist in this city of only about 400,000 people!
Wednesday, May 27--Kota Kinabalu to Mt. Kinabalu National Park
I rushed to leave the hotel this morning. The tourist office had told me where to catch the bus I needed, but they had neglected to tell me there were only 2 buses per day. In reading my guidebook last night, I realized that I had to leave at 8:00 or 12:30; well, the latter would be too late.
I packed my backpack with supplies for two days and put everything else in my suitcase to leave at the hotel. As I rushed out of the hotel, I discovered two blocks away that I had left my pocket cash in my dirty pants in the suitcase. I rushed back. The lady at the hotel wanted to call me a taxi, but I refused. Rushing, I made it to the bus stop about 8 blocks away at 7:56! Later, I realized that in the rush I forgot to switch my flashlight and a snack bar to my backpack in case I needed them. Oh, well.
The trip into the mountains was wonderful. It's two hours from KK to the national park. At first, we traveled along the coast and saw much nicer parts of KK, including the university here, than the area downtown where I have been. Then we twisted and winded up mountain roads. A few other tourists--two French people and two native English speakers--were on the bus. The rest of the passengers were natives.
The driver left us tourists off at the entrance to the park. I had picked up a brochure at the tourist office for a place that sounded new. It was not in my guidebook. The lady at my hotel had telephoned and made a reservation for me. The bus driver and attendant knew nothing about a place with that name. It was supposed to be about 1 km south of the entrance to the park, so I walked looking for it. When I was sure I had gone more than 1 km, I stopped at a nice looking place and asked about the place I wanted. No one new there knew it, and they told me I was already 2 km from the park entrance. They showed me a room they had and gave me their rate (about 86 ringgets). I told them I would consider coming back, but I felt I should try to find the other place due to my reservation there. I walked back toward the park. I asked 2-3 places along the way. No one knew it. When I got to the park, a man at a restaurant told me it was beside the car wash just around the curve and pointed back int he direction from which I had come. I walked back again. When I got there, it was a shack. The room was depressing with a horrible looking mattress on the bed. I told the man that I thought I would go elsewhere. I started walking back toward the better place I had seen. But there was a nice place about 1.5 km from the park, so I looked there. It was only 73.50 ringgets and was just as nice as, if not nicer than, the other place. So I checked in there.
The name of my place is the Fairy Garden Resort. My room is big with clean, beautiful, wooden floors. There is a TV, but all the places here have only local TV. The best feature is a balcony overlooking layers of green mountains.
One thing that sold me on this hotel was the restaurant. It smelled so good and was filled with a busload of people when I checked in. After putting my things in the room, I went down for lunch and had one of the best meals I have had since arriving in Borneo--Dry Curry Chicken Rice. It was slices of white meat in a curry sauce with onions, garlic, and hot red peppers with a portion of rice on the side. I drank Chinese tea with the meal. (Chinese tea is very good and is much cheaper than any other drink. A hot glass of Chinese tea costs about 6 cents U.S., whereas canned soft drinks and bottles of water cost about 60-75 cents U.S.)
Being tired and knowing that I had the next day to see the park, I sat on the balcony and read from my book for a while. That was a wise decision, because soon clouds appeared and it began to rain. I was nodding by then, anyway, so I went inside for a deep sleep--my first nap which I hope won't cause me to want one every day.
In the evening, I went back downstairs to the restaurant and ate Roasted Chicken Rice. It was a quarter of a chicken which had been roasted and then maybe fried to give it a crispy exterior. It had been chopped into several pieces with the bones still there. A brown sauce was poured over the top. Rice was on the side. It was another great meal.
Thursday, May 28, 2009--Kinabalu National Park
It was sunny when I got up this morning. I had a great view of the scraggly-toothed top of Mt. Kinabalu and got a photo. I'm so glad I did, because soon clouds were hovering around the top and remained there for the rest of the day.
Again, I faced the fact that foreigners must pay more than locals in Malaysia now. The admission charge for me was 5 times that for Malaysian citizens. Since I was here, I paid the price, but I have decided there is no need to visit Malaysia again considering this policy which I find objectionable.
After viewing exhibits relating to the history of the park and the natural resources found within the park, I spent 2 hours hiking trails. They were a bit sloppy from the rain from the night before. It wasn't bad, though. In most areas, the water had run off or had soaked enough for the ground to be only spongy. There were a few areas with standing water, however, that made me have to be creative in finding ways down the path without getting my shoes wet. Because I was in the mountains, the temperatures were nice. There was lush, green growth everywhere, water dripping everywhere, insects and butterflies everywhere, and the smell of rotting greenery. During the entire 2 hours of hiking, I did not see anyone. I did see one fresh shoe print from someone who had also been on the trail earlier. My last trail was one that was steep. That one tired me out and caused me to breathe heavily and perspire. It also caused a couple of insects to fall in love with the smell of the gel on my hair. I got rid of the first one rather easily because of being on a level area and being able to run while waiving my hands around my head. The second one was more persistent, and I couldn't run because of the steepness of the trail.
I returned to the hotel around noon. I had seen enough of the park. I had another great lunch--this time beef with spring onions, ginger slices, and garlic served with rice.
It was good that I returned, for the clouds and the rain also returned. I sat on the balcony with the rain falling and read more from my book. Unfortunately, I became sleepy again and eventually went inside for another nap. It's becoming a habit!
For dinner, I returned to my favorite dish of the past two days--Dry Curry Chicken Rice. I have to use Google to see if I can find a recipe for that one!
Monday, May 25, 2009
HOT in Borneo
Saturday, May 24, 2009--Kota Kinabalu
KK, as Kota Kinabalu is known here, has a Sunday market that is popular. It's not really for tourists, so that makes it better. Many people go to shop for pets, plants, food products, gifts, etc. It is on a street just a couple of blocks from my hotel. I spent the morning wandering the market. Mainly, I just watched the people, since I wasn't interested in buying anything. The children here are so cute; most were dressed up for their day at the market with their finest clothing and had their hair set in place with gel or with pins. I enjoyed watching them admire the toys, interact with the pets, etc. And the parents, of course, loved seeing me admiring their children.
Tourism here is limited. It's off the more followed routes in Asia. That's rather nice. I saw tourists, but the market was not overwhelmed with them the way that some are in places like Thailand. Most that I have seen are young backpackers, and there are many backpacker places with cheap rooms and even dormitory rooms where a bed is bought for an even cheaper price.
I'm staying in my usual small hotel--Pantai Inn. It wasn't my first choice, but the e-mails and the phone calls to the place I wanted didn't work. The phone was answered at Pantai, and that was important since I was arriving here at almost midnight and wanted a reservation in advance. I only made a reservation for two nights, and I am glad, too. It's a nice enough hotel, but there are two problems--a construction site across the street where piling are being pounded into the ground and very small ants in the hotel room. I have already checked with the hotel I wanted, the May Plaza which is nicer, quieter and slightly cheaper and has a room where I can move tomorrow when my reservation at the Pantai has ended.
The temperatures here are HOT!! It's taking a bit of adjustment. But I won't let that hinder my wanderings. I went to a cyber cafe to update the blog, but found it almost as limiting as the experiences in Canada. It was coin-operated, and I found myself having to rush and do less due to the fact that I was running out of the appropriate size of coin. (Today, I am at one with unlimited use--pay at the end--and with nice new keyboards that make typing much easier and less frustrating!) Then I found a place for a late lunch. It was a delicious noodle soup with a coconut juice base. It had shrimp in it. And it had something else that looked suspicious!! I considered it a don't-ask-don't tell ingredient, since it looked suspicious. It was loop-shaped slices of something that was smooth on the outside and somewhat "hairy" on the inside. It wasn't tough like squid, but they may have been what it was, since shrimp were also in the dish. Of course, it could have been slices of intestine, too.
I bought a big bottle of water and returned to the room. Time zone changes plus the fact I had not slept well at the sauna at Inchon meant I was very tired. I went to sleep at 17:30.
Monday, May 25, 2009--KK
Because I went to bed so early, I awoke early--at 4:00. I just lay in bed and read. I am still going through my guidebook to try to decide what to do here. Also, I have started the first of the novels that I brought with me.
By 8:00, I was packed and ready to leave for my new hotel. Checkout at the Pantai was smooth and check-in at the May Plaza was just as smooth. In fact, they jut let me leave my bags at the hotel and start my wanderings for the day with the understanding that I would return and check-in in the afternoon after they had cleaned the rooms where guests were leaving.
I decided to make it one of my walking/exploring days. Because of the heat, I knew I needed to get started early, but that didn't really help. It was already HOT! I walked to the State Museum. Unfortunately, not all the route was on my map, so I made a wrong turn on one street and went out of my way about half a kilometer (quarter mile) before having to turn around and backtrack. By the time I got to the museum, I was thirsty, since there had been no stores along the route selling water. A small restaurant was across the street, so I went there to have Chinese iced tea to refresh myself and to wait for the 10:00 opening of the museum.
Unfortunately, Malaysia has joined the ranks of countries that gouge tourists by having them pay a much greater amount for entry to tourist attractions than locals pay. The museum cost me 7.5 times what locals pay. I've let the museum, my hotel, and the tourist office know that I think that is a problem that will eventually hurt tourism here. The hotel owner seemed surprised at the difference and concerned; he agreed that it would eventually have a negative effect on his business.
I paid the price for the museum, however, since it is about the only thing to see here. It is a nice museum with photographs of the history of KK and the province of Sabah, exhibits of the native costumes of this area, natural history exhibits of the animals and sea life of the area, etc. The the side of the museum is a wonderful Heritage Village that is included in the price. It has examples of the various types of native houses from the province--bamboo houses, long houses, thatched huts, etc. Some are clustered around a lake, and others are built up a hillside. Inside most of the houses are women producing native crafts that are for sale in the museum store.
On the same grounds is a building with science exhibits and an art gallery with native paintings and weavings. There was no admission charge for it because there has been major water damage from a roof leak. Many of the paintings were stacked against the stairwell walls in the center of the building. It is sad to see the damage--ceiling and lighting fixtures just collapsed. But I saw what I could and appreciated what I did see.
After 3 hours at the museum, I went back across the street to the local restaurant and had lunch. They had a buffet where one chooses a limited number of items. I choose to pay for 4 items and chose the pickled green mango, a leafy green with fish cake, curried chicken, and a chicken dish with a dark sauce. It was served with Chinese tea and rice. Although it was a cold buffet, the food was tasty and good. I ate it all and drank two glasses of the iced tea.
Nearby the museum is the State Mosque, one of the largest and prettiest mosques in Malaysia. It has a wonderful golden dome and a golden turret on top of its tower. I could part of it from the museum, so I walked to it before returning to town.
It was a long, hot walk back into town from there, since it was in the middle of the afternoon. I stopped at a couple of malls buying a 1.5 liter Pepsi Max at one. KK has many failed malls. It's rather sad to see. They do well with the personally-owned kiosks in the middle of the mall, but many of the formal shops are closed and unoccupied. This is a poor region overall, I think.
When I returned, I had walked 26,445 steps. That's a lot in this heat. I was tired. I relaxed in the room and read for a while. Then I went to get a haircut. What a relief it is to have my long hair gone. It was really bothering me, but I had waited to get it cut because I enjoy the experience of getting haircuts in various countries. The man who cut it spoke no English, but he did a good job. With the tip, it was $2.81 U.S.!
Back at the room, I just relaxed and read until I felt I needed to sleep at 21:00.
KK, as Kota Kinabalu is known here, has a Sunday market that is popular. It's not really for tourists, so that makes it better. Many people go to shop for pets, plants, food products, gifts, etc. It is on a street just a couple of blocks from my hotel. I spent the morning wandering the market. Mainly, I just watched the people, since I wasn't interested in buying anything. The children here are so cute; most were dressed up for their day at the market with their finest clothing and had their hair set in place with gel or with pins. I enjoyed watching them admire the toys, interact with the pets, etc. And the parents, of course, loved seeing me admiring their children.
Tourism here is limited. It's off the more followed routes in Asia. That's rather nice. I saw tourists, but the market was not overwhelmed with them the way that some are in places like Thailand. Most that I have seen are young backpackers, and there are many backpacker places with cheap rooms and even dormitory rooms where a bed is bought for an even cheaper price.
I'm staying in my usual small hotel--Pantai Inn. It wasn't my first choice, but the e-mails and the phone calls to the place I wanted didn't work. The phone was answered at Pantai, and that was important since I was arriving here at almost midnight and wanted a reservation in advance. I only made a reservation for two nights, and I am glad, too. It's a nice enough hotel, but there are two problems--a construction site across the street where piling are being pounded into the ground and very small ants in the hotel room. I have already checked with the hotel I wanted, the May Plaza which is nicer, quieter and slightly cheaper and has a room where I can move tomorrow when my reservation at the Pantai has ended.
The temperatures here are HOT!! It's taking a bit of adjustment. But I won't let that hinder my wanderings. I went to a cyber cafe to update the blog, but found it almost as limiting as the experiences in Canada. It was coin-operated, and I found myself having to rush and do less due to the fact that I was running out of the appropriate size of coin. (Today, I am at one with unlimited use--pay at the end--and with nice new keyboards that make typing much easier and less frustrating!) Then I found a place for a late lunch. It was a delicious noodle soup with a coconut juice base. It had shrimp in it. And it had something else that looked suspicious!! I considered it a don't-ask-don't tell ingredient, since it looked suspicious. It was loop-shaped slices of something that was smooth on the outside and somewhat "hairy" on the inside. It wasn't tough like squid, but they may have been what it was, since shrimp were also in the dish. Of course, it could have been slices of intestine, too.
I bought a big bottle of water and returned to the room. Time zone changes plus the fact I had not slept well at the sauna at Inchon meant I was very tired. I went to sleep at 17:30.
Monday, May 25, 2009--KK
Because I went to bed so early, I awoke early--at 4:00. I just lay in bed and read. I am still going through my guidebook to try to decide what to do here. Also, I have started the first of the novels that I brought with me.
By 8:00, I was packed and ready to leave for my new hotel. Checkout at the Pantai was smooth and check-in at the May Plaza was just as smooth. In fact, they jut let me leave my bags at the hotel and start my wanderings for the day with the understanding that I would return and check-in in the afternoon after they had cleaned the rooms where guests were leaving.
I decided to make it one of my walking/exploring days. Because of the heat, I knew I needed to get started early, but that didn't really help. It was already HOT! I walked to the State Museum. Unfortunately, not all the route was on my map, so I made a wrong turn on one street and went out of my way about half a kilometer (quarter mile) before having to turn around and backtrack. By the time I got to the museum, I was thirsty, since there had been no stores along the route selling water. A small restaurant was across the street, so I went there to have Chinese iced tea to refresh myself and to wait for the 10:00 opening of the museum.
Unfortunately, Malaysia has joined the ranks of countries that gouge tourists by having them pay a much greater amount for entry to tourist attractions than locals pay. The museum cost me 7.5 times what locals pay. I've let the museum, my hotel, and the tourist office know that I think that is a problem that will eventually hurt tourism here. The hotel owner seemed surprised at the difference and concerned; he agreed that it would eventually have a negative effect on his business.
I paid the price for the museum, however, since it is about the only thing to see here. It is a nice museum with photographs of the history of KK and the province of Sabah, exhibits of the native costumes of this area, natural history exhibits of the animals and sea life of the area, etc. The the side of the museum is a wonderful Heritage Village that is included in the price. It has examples of the various types of native houses from the province--bamboo houses, long houses, thatched huts, etc. Some are clustered around a lake, and others are built up a hillside. Inside most of the houses are women producing native crafts that are for sale in the museum store.
On the same grounds is a building with science exhibits and an art gallery with native paintings and weavings. There was no admission charge for it because there has been major water damage from a roof leak. Many of the paintings were stacked against the stairwell walls in the center of the building. It is sad to see the damage--ceiling and lighting fixtures just collapsed. But I saw what I could and appreciated what I did see.
After 3 hours at the museum, I went back across the street to the local restaurant and had lunch. They had a buffet where one chooses a limited number of items. I choose to pay for 4 items and chose the pickled green mango, a leafy green with fish cake, curried chicken, and a chicken dish with a dark sauce. It was served with Chinese tea and rice. Although it was a cold buffet, the food was tasty and good. I ate it all and drank two glasses of the iced tea.
Nearby the museum is the State Mosque, one of the largest and prettiest mosques in Malaysia. It has a wonderful golden dome and a golden turret on top of its tower. I could part of it from the museum, so I walked to it before returning to town.
It was a long, hot walk back into town from there, since it was in the middle of the afternoon. I stopped at a couple of malls buying a 1.5 liter Pepsi Max at one. KK has many failed malls. It's rather sad to see. They do well with the personally-owned kiosks in the middle of the mall, but many of the formal shops are closed and unoccupied. This is a poor region overall, I think.
When I returned, I had walked 26,445 steps. That's a lot in this heat. I was tired. I relaxed in the room and read for a while. Then I went to get a haircut. What a relief it is to have my long hair gone. It was really bothering me, but I had waited to get it cut because I enjoy the experience of getting haircuts in various countries. The man who cut it spoke no English, but he did a good job. With the tip, it was $2.81 U.S.!
Back at the room, I just relaxed and read until I felt I needed to sleep at 21:00.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Back in Asia
Note: I'm so glad to be able to write a decent account on the blog. In Canada there are few cyber cafes because everyone has his/her own computer. I had to rely on the hotel having a computer, and usually they had a 15-minute limit on usage. I was always in a rush. Then Wednesday, I had a big problem. I first got on a computer at the library in Whistler to update the blog. When I tried to post, however, the settings considered it to be an illigal move, and I lost everything I had typed in my 15 minutes. Then at the hotel, I paid for using a computer and it froze up on me when I tried to post. Fortunately, it came to life again before my time was up. But how frustrating!! Now I am in Malaysia suffering the common problem of cyber cafes--a poor keyboard with keys that stick and result in missing letters! I'm sure you can figure it out if a word misses a letter or two. Right?!!
Thursday and Friday, May 21-22--Flying from Vancouver to Seoul
Wes left the hotel room at 5:30 and returned the rental car. I stayed in bed and slept until 8:30. I hadn't slept well all night, though. Partially it was due to a pillow that was too big. But mostly it was due to just the stress of worrying about the long trip today.
Check in at the airport went smoothly. But the women at Air Canada was not happy that I am a U.S. citizen and using a ticket purchased in Thailand without my having residence or a passport for there. She is a real stickler for rules and would have loved to have voided my ticket if she had had the right. No one else has ever complained over the years.
I could only check my bag to Inchon. I'm actually going to Kota Kinabalu. When I purchased my ticket, it included a connecting flight about 3 hours after my arrival here. But Asiana Airlines has changed their flight schedules so that they only fly to KK 4 times per week now. So I have to spend 27 hours in Korea. That means I must pick up my bag and go through immigration. I don't have enough empty space in my passport for those 2 stamps they will insist in putting in there!
____
Although night never came, it is now the next day (due to the International Date Line) and I am in Korea. The flight went well. I had plenty of room, and the plane had an advanced entertainment system which allowed us to watch any movie starting at any time from their menu. I saw four films to pass the time (along with eating 3 meals). I saw Easy Virtue (2 1/2 stars out of 4), Revolutionary Road (4 stars), Wendy and Lucy (2 1/2 stars), and Honey, I'm in Love (2 stars).
We had to fill out a health form and go through a temperature screening at the airport due to H1N1 flu. It reminded me of the SARS days.
I looked for alternatives to spending 27 hours in the terminal. Town is just too far away (50 minutes) to consider going in and out just to sleep. The nearby hotels are too expensive just for a night of sleep. I checked with the airline to see if they have an agreement with a nearby hotel to offer a "distressed passenger" discount, since their schedule change is what caused this mess. They don't. So I decided to stay in the sauna in the airport. They have private rooms and a large common sleeping room. A 24-hour pass is just $16.00 U.S.
Spending Update: I spent $824.47 over 11 days for an average of $74.95 per day in Canada. It would have been much more expensive if Wes hd not been sharing costs. Hotels and ferries were the biggest expenses.
Saturday, May 23, 2009--Inchon to Kota Kinabalu
I was up about 5:30 in the sauna, but I went to sleep at 21:00 last night. It's a time adjustment problem. One man snored during part of the night, but generally I slept okay.
After bathing and reading in the sauna and lounge, I went back to the common room at 9:30 and slept another 2 hours. Now I feel much better. Read the TIME 100 edition of TIME magazine, and re-read my guidebook infomation for Sabah, the province I will visit first on Borneo.
The check-in for the flight here went well, too. Airports seem to have solved the problems with lines everywhere. (Maybe not in India yet!!)
The flight to KK was 4 hours and 15 minutes long. I'm TIRED. Got my luggage first, however, and was at my hotel about 35 minutes after landing. Had H1N1 screening again here.
Thursday and Friday, May 21-22--Flying from Vancouver to Seoul
Wes left the hotel room at 5:30 and returned the rental car. I stayed in bed and slept until 8:30. I hadn't slept well all night, though. Partially it was due to a pillow that was too big. But mostly it was due to just the stress of worrying about the long trip today.
Check in at the airport went smoothly. But the women at Air Canada was not happy that I am a U.S. citizen and using a ticket purchased in Thailand without my having residence or a passport for there. She is a real stickler for rules and would have loved to have voided my ticket if she had had the right. No one else has ever complained over the years.
I could only check my bag to Inchon. I'm actually going to Kota Kinabalu. When I purchased my ticket, it included a connecting flight about 3 hours after my arrival here. But Asiana Airlines has changed their flight schedules so that they only fly to KK 4 times per week now. So I have to spend 27 hours in Korea. That means I must pick up my bag and go through immigration. I don't have enough empty space in my passport for those 2 stamps they will insist in putting in there!
____
Although night never came, it is now the next day (due to the International Date Line) and I am in Korea. The flight went well. I had plenty of room, and the plane had an advanced entertainment system which allowed us to watch any movie starting at any time from their menu. I saw four films to pass the time (along with eating 3 meals). I saw Easy Virtue (2 1/2 stars out of 4), Revolutionary Road (4 stars), Wendy and Lucy (2 1/2 stars), and Honey, I'm in Love (2 stars).
We had to fill out a health form and go through a temperature screening at the airport due to H1N1 flu. It reminded me of the SARS days.
I looked for alternatives to spending 27 hours in the terminal. Town is just too far away (50 minutes) to consider going in and out just to sleep. The nearby hotels are too expensive just for a night of sleep. I checked with the airline to see if they have an agreement with a nearby hotel to offer a "distressed passenger" discount, since their schedule change is what caused this mess. They don't. So I decided to stay in the sauna in the airport. They have private rooms and a large common sleeping room. A 24-hour pass is just $16.00 U.S.
Spending Update: I spent $824.47 over 11 days for an average of $74.95 per day in Canada. It would have been much more expensive if Wes hd not been sharing costs. Hotels and ferries were the biggest expenses.
Saturday, May 23, 2009--Inchon to Kota Kinabalu
I was up about 5:30 in the sauna, but I went to sleep at 21:00 last night. It's a time adjustment problem. One man snored during part of the night, but generally I slept okay.
After bathing and reading in the sauna and lounge, I went back to the common room at 9:30 and slept another 2 hours. Now I feel much better. Read the TIME 100 edition of TIME magazine, and re-read my guidebook infomation for Sabah, the province I will visit first on Borneo.
The check-in for the flight here went well, too. Airports seem to have solved the problems with lines everywhere. (Maybe not in India yet!!)
The flight to KK was 4 hours and 15 minutes long. I'm TIRED. Got my luggage first, however, and was at my hotel about 35 minutes after landing. Had H1N1 screening again here.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Exploring Whistler
Tuesday, May 19, 2009--Hope to Lillooet
We drove through mountains in the area of the Canadian Gold Rush today. We made several stops:
Yale--This is a town that was the largest settlement west of Chicago and north of San Francisco during the Gold Rush with 30,000 inhabitants. Today there are 250. There isn't much to the town, but there is a nice long board with photos and a history of the community. The only worthwhile building remaining is a very nice and quaint church.
Alexandra Bridge--This is a suspension bridge on the old roadway which has been abandoned. It has a nice design and is now part of a park with hiking trails. The bridge was named after Alexandra, the Danish princess who became the queen of England.
Hell's Gate--The whole trip today was through Fraser Canyon. The Fraser River narrows here to its narrowest, and the flow of water is greater than that of Niagara Falls. There is a tourist trap that has been constructed to take people down to the river on a cable car for $17. We just looked from above!
Ashcroft/Casche Creek--We took a side trip which took us into the desert mountains. They were dry, but there were beautiful purple wildflowers blooming on the mountain sides. These two towns were only 4 km apart. They are nice, simple towns, but they are rather poor. It is a tribal area of British Columbia.
Lillooet--This was our stop for the night. It is an okay town in a beautiful setting with a river through it and snow-capped mountains around it. We walked the main street seeing the historical sights. Then we bought food to cook in our room which was an apartment with a full kitchen and two bedrooms.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009--Lillooet to Whistler to Vancouver
We took the back road between Lillooet and Whistler. It was a wonderful twisting and winding road through the mountains which were snow-capped and even had a fresh dusting of snow on the trees at the top to give a lacy look from the roadway. There were beautiful lakes, and it was a very remote area. It was one of the nicest roadways we have taken in terms of scenery.
Whistler will be home to the 2010 Winter Olympics. It is a very new and very nice town. To me, however, it lacks character. Although the buildings are of nice design and of high quality construction, there just seems to be something missing in terms of character. Maybe it's just that there must be some time for them to age.
From Whistler, we followed the Sea to Sky Highway back to Vancouver. It is under construction the whole way so that it will be in shape for the Olympics. It's a beautiful drive, but would be nicer without all the detours that keep one from looking across at the scenery being passed. We stopped in Squamish on the way. It's a commuter town about 30 minutes from Vancouver. Nice, but nothing special.
We just missed the worst of the Vancouver rush hour traffic. That's good, because we had to go through downtown to get to our hotel in the airport area. Still, there were long delays along one part of the roadway.
We had real problems getting gas to fill the tank for returning the rental car tomorrow. The stations are all full service, so the attendants try to work fast. First, we spent all our last Canadian dollars to get rid of them. Then we put gas in with a credit card. When it clicked off, we drove off only to find that the tank still did not register full. The back-flow from the fast pour had caused it to click too early. So we had to return again to get more gas so the tank would be full!!!
There's a Costco just a block from our hotel, so we went there to have dinner and look around. We had nothing special planned for this last evening, because Wes' flight is at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow.
Note: I will be traveling and will not arrive in Malaysia until almost midnight on the 23rd of May (due to the international date line and time eaten up making air connections). Therefore, I cannot be on the computer again until the 24th (or maybe the 25th). Don't be worried about there being no entries.
We drove through mountains in the area of the Canadian Gold Rush today. We made several stops:
Yale--This is a town that was the largest settlement west of Chicago and north of San Francisco during the Gold Rush with 30,000 inhabitants. Today there are 250. There isn't much to the town, but there is a nice long board with photos and a history of the community. The only worthwhile building remaining is a very nice and quaint church.
Alexandra Bridge--This is a suspension bridge on the old roadway which has been abandoned. It has a nice design and is now part of a park with hiking trails. The bridge was named after Alexandra, the Danish princess who became the queen of England.
Hell's Gate--The whole trip today was through Fraser Canyon. The Fraser River narrows here to its narrowest, and the flow of water is greater than that of Niagara Falls. There is a tourist trap that has been constructed to take people down to the river on a cable car for $17. We just looked from above!
Ashcroft/Casche Creek--We took a side trip which took us into the desert mountains. They were dry, but there were beautiful purple wildflowers blooming on the mountain sides. These two towns were only 4 km apart. They are nice, simple towns, but they are rather poor. It is a tribal area of British Columbia.
Lillooet--This was our stop for the night. It is an okay town in a beautiful setting with a river through it and snow-capped mountains around it. We walked the main street seeing the historical sights. Then we bought food to cook in our room which was an apartment with a full kitchen and two bedrooms.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009--Lillooet to Whistler to Vancouver
We took the back road between Lillooet and Whistler. It was a wonderful twisting and winding road through the mountains which were snow-capped and even had a fresh dusting of snow on the trees at the top to give a lacy look from the roadway. There were beautiful lakes, and it was a very remote area. It was one of the nicest roadways we have taken in terms of scenery.
Whistler will be home to the 2010 Winter Olympics. It is a very new and very nice town. To me, however, it lacks character. Although the buildings are of nice design and of high quality construction, there just seems to be something missing in terms of character. Maybe it's just that there must be some time for them to age.
From Whistler, we followed the Sea to Sky Highway back to Vancouver. It is under construction the whole way so that it will be in shape for the Olympics. It's a beautiful drive, but would be nicer without all the detours that keep one from looking across at the scenery being passed. We stopped in Squamish on the way. It's a commuter town about 30 minutes from Vancouver. Nice, but nothing special.
We just missed the worst of the Vancouver rush hour traffic. That's good, because we had to go through downtown to get to our hotel in the airport area. Still, there were long delays along one part of the roadway.
We had real problems getting gas to fill the tank for returning the rental car tomorrow. The stations are all full service, so the attendants try to work fast. First, we spent all our last Canadian dollars to get rid of them. Then we put gas in with a credit card. When it clicked off, we drove off only to find that the tank still did not register full. The back-flow from the fast pour had caused it to click too early. So we had to return again to get more gas so the tank would be full!!!
There's a Costco just a block from our hotel, so we went there to have dinner and look around. We had nothing special planned for this last evening, because Wes' flight is at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow.
Note: I will be traveling and will not arrive in Malaysia until almost midnight on the 23rd of May (due to the international date line and time eaten up making air connections). Therefore, I cannot be on the computer again until the 24th (or maybe the 25th). Don't be worried about there being no entries.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Exploring Vancouver Island
Friday, May 15, 2009--Victoria to Port Alberni
We drove out of Victoria to explore part of the island north from there. We made several brief stops. In Duncan, we stopped to see the totem poles that are scattered around the downtown area. In Chemainus, we walked the downtown area to see the murals it is famous for. Both were nice small towns.
One of the fun stops was in Coombs. It is a small village that became popular when some hippies built a foodstore with grass on the roof and put goats up there to eat the grass. The highway sign says, "See goats on the roof." The store is fascinating for such a rural area. It has lots of groumet foods and is somewhat of a combination of Sun Harvest and Trader Joe's.
Our stop for the night was Port Alberni. It's a rather depressed community in the middle of the island, but several things were happening--a cinema had films, a theater was having a play festival, a rugby match was being held between two neighboring teams. Wes and I went to the park and watched the rugby match until it started to get dark.
Saturday, May 16, 2009--Port Alberni to the West Coast with a Return to the East Coast and a Ferry Trip
The other day was the LONG walking day. Today was the LONG driving day. We headed westward from Port Alberni to see Tofino and Ucluelet on the west coast. This area is known for the rugged seaside and for trails along it. We went to a market in Tofino, wandered around the town, took a tour of their quaint church, etc. Then we went to Ucluelet which we liked better. There was a wonderful trail through the rain forest and along the seaside. Also, we thought that the waterfront here was prettier than that in Tofino.
From there, we drove all the way across the island to Courtney, knowing that the last ferry of the night for the mainland would leave at 19:15. We went by the tourist office and got them to help us get a reservation for the night across on the mainland. Then we went to a park to see the end of their Highland Games competition. There was a massed bagpipe band playing when we arrived--probably 125 bagpipers playing together. It was exciting. Then we watched the pole tossing event which ended the competition for the day.
The ferry took us back to the mainland. We bought sandwiches at a supermarket to eat on it for our dinner. We were exhausted after reaching the other side, and just checked into our motel and went to bed.
Sunday, May 17, 2009--Powel River to Burnaby
We had stayed in a motel in the Powel River area overnight. The coast from there to Vancouver is known as the Sunshine Coast, and we had a wonderful day of sunshine for driving it. It took most of the day because of two ferries we had to take. Each of them really slowed us down. Also, the timing of the ferries made it difficult for us to be able to stop and explore along the way. Anyway, the drive was anti-climactic for us--not really what we expected. I guess we thought it would be somewhat like the Bir Sur drive in California. Here, however, we mainly saw trees. There were no dramatic mountains, and there were seldom views of the water.
We drove across Vancouver and checked into a hotel in Burnaby so we would be on the eastern side of town for our departure tomorrow. We went to a nearby park and walked a trail that took us through a wetlands area with lots of birds.
On hindsight, I would suggest that visitors to British Columbia should go to Vancouver and when they go to Vancouver Island should restrict themselves to Victoria and the drive westward from Victoria to Port Renfro to see the wild coastal area. Then they should drive back toward Victoria and take the ferry back to Vancouver. I would suggest skipping the rest of Vancouver Island and skipping the Sunshine Coast north of Vancouver Island. The rest of the time in B.C. would be better spent visiting the mountainous area and the wine growing district north and east of Vancouver.
Monday, May 18, 2009--Burnaby to Hope
We left Burnaby and headed for Fort Langley as our first stop. What a great choice that was. When we arrived, they were setting up for their May Day (also known as Victoria Day) Parade. The town is a quaint town. We walked among the parade entries seeing them as they lined up. Then we walked through the quaint town. A band was playing in front of the Town Hall, so we stayed there and listened to the music and watched the people until the parade arrived. There was a HUGE crowd. And the parade was a long one with old cars, horses, old tractors, floats, bagpipe bands, marching bands, live music bands on floats, dancers, acrobats, Renaissance Festival people, people dressed as pioneers, scouts, etc. It couldn't have been better.
We were also lucky that the fort was open for free today. Along with many of the other parade watchers, we went there. They had Maypoles up and had the children performing Maypole dances. They had people in appropriate costumes demonstrating barrel making, blacksmithing, etc. We toured the old fort buildings. We saw a young boy find a piece of gold as he panned in a slouth. It was fun.
We drove over back roads continuing eastward. We stopped at a park. We went into a tea room. Eventually we arrived at Hope and got a room for the night. We hiked a trail that followed an old railroad route and had lots of tunnels. We walked the downtown area seeing the statues made from logs using chainsaws.
Overall, it was one of our better days on the trip. Tomorrow, we will head up into the mountains.
We drove out of Victoria to explore part of the island north from there. We made several brief stops. In Duncan, we stopped to see the totem poles that are scattered around the downtown area. In Chemainus, we walked the downtown area to see the murals it is famous for. Both were nice small towns.
One of the fun stops was in Coombs. It is a small village that became popular when some hippies built a foodstore with grass on the roof and put goats up there to eat the grass. The highway sign says, "See goats on the roof." The store is fascinating for such a rural area. It has lots of groumet foods and is somewhat of a combination of Sun Harvest and Trader Joe's.
Our stop for the night was Port Alberni. It's a rather depressed community in the middle of the island, but several things were happening--a cinema had films, a theater was having a play festival, a rugby match was being held between two neighboring teams. Wes and I went to the park and watched the rugby match until it started to get dark.
Saturday, May 16, 2009--Port Alberni to the West Coast with a Return to the East Coast and a Ferry Trip
The other day was the LONG walking day. Today was the LONG driving day. We headed westward from Port Alberni to see Tofino and Ucluelet on the west coast. This area is known for the rugged seaside and for trails along it. We went to a market in Tofino, wandered around the town, took a tour of their quaint church, etc. Then we went to Ucluelet which we liked better. There was a wonderful trail through the rain forest and along the seaside. Also, we thought that the waterfront here was prettier than that in Tofino.
From there, we drove all the way across the island to Courtney, knowing that the last ferry of the night for the mainland would leave at 19:15. We went by the tourist office and got them to help us get a reservation for the night across on the mainland. Then we went to a park to see the end of their Highland Games competition. There was a massed bagpipe band playing when we arrived--probably 125 bagpipers playing together. It was exciting. Then we watched the pole tossing event which ended the competition for the day.
The ferry took us back to the mainland. We bought sandwiches at a supermarket to eat on it for our dinner. We were exhausted after reaching the other side, and just checked into our motel and went to bed.
Sunday, May 17, 2009--Powel River to Burnaby
We had stayed in a motel in the Powel River area overnight. The coast from there to Vancouver is known as the Sunshine Coast, and we had a wonderful day of sunshine for driving it. It took most of the day because of two ferries we had to take. Each of them really slowed us down. Also, the timing of the ferries made it difficult for us to be able to stop and explore along the way. Anyway, the drive was anti-climactic for us--not really what we expected. I guess we thought it would be somewhat like the Bir Sur drive in California. Here, however, we mainly saw trees. There were no dramatic mountains, and there were seldom views of the water.
We drove across Vancouver and checked into a hotel in Burnaby so we would be on the eastern side of town for our departure tomorrow. We went to a nearby park and walked a trail that took us through a wetlands area with lots of birds.
On hindsight, I would suggest that visitors to British Columbia should go to Vancouver and when they go to Vancouver Island should restrict themselves to Victoria and the drive westward from Victoria to Port Renfro to see the wild coastal area. Then they should drive back toward Victoria and take the ferry back to Vancouver. I would suggest skipping the rest of Vancouver Island and skipping the Sunshine Coast north of Vancouver Island. The rest of the time in B.C. would be better spent visiting the mountainous area and the wine growing district north and east of Vancouver.
Monday, May 18, 2009--Burnaby to Hope
We left Burnaby and headed for Fort Langley as our first stop. What a great choice that was. When we arrived, they were setting up for their May Day (also known as Victoria Day) Parade. The town is a quaint town. We walked among the parade entries seeing them as they lined up. Then we walked through the quaint town. A band was playing in front of the Town Hall, so we stayed there and listened to the music and watched the people until the parade arrived. There was a HUGE crowd. And the parade was a long one with old cars, horses, old tractors, floats, bagpipe bands, marching bands, live music bands on floats, dancers, acrobats, Renaissance Festival people, people dressed as pioneers, scouts, etc. It couldn't have been better.
We were also lucky that the fort was open for free today. Along with many of the other parade watchers, we went there. They had Maypoles up and had the children performing Maypole dances. They had people in appropriate costumes demonstrating barrel making, blacksmithing, etc. We toured the old fort buildings. We saw a young boy find a piece of gold as he panned in a slouth. It was fun.
We drove over back roads continuing eastward. We stopped at a park. We went into a tea room. Eventually we arrived at Hope and got a room for the night. We hiked a trail that followed an old railroad route and had lots of tunnels. We walked the downtown area seeing the statues made from logs using chainsaws.
Overall, it was one of our better days on the trip. Tomorrow, we will head up into the mountains.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Sunny Day in Victoria
Thursday, May 14, 2009--Victoria, BC
The sun was out all day, so we were on the go exploring the city. We walked a total of 32,345 steps!
We started the day at the British Columbia Museum which the guidebook highly recommended. There was a special exhibit of items loaned from the British Museum that traced the history of mankind throughout the ages. All the items on display were excellent representations of the arts and crafts of the various peoples. We spent two hours seeing that. Because our ticket was good for the whole day, we came and went taking a lunch break to explore part of town and to eat in a Chinatown restaurant. Among the other exhibits at the museum that were especially nice were the ones about the native peoples, the ones showing the development of the various areas of commerce after the arrival of westerners, the natural history exhibits of animals (including a wooly mammouth), etc. We also saw a film at the Imax theater about a man from Morocco who left on a pilgrimage to Mecca and ended up traveling all over the world before returning home 30 years later. His name was Ibn Battuta.
We took a tour of the provincial capitol after leaving the museum, a very nice building that has been restored within recent years so that it looks new. Then we walked across the street to tour the Empress Hotel which was designed by the same architect.
Many of our steps were put on by two outings from the downtown area. One was northward to an area with the governor's home, an art gallery, and a home that is like a castle. The other was to the Fishermen's Wharf area with small stands selling seafood and piers lined with very nice houseboats.
The sun was out all day, so we were on the go exploring the city. We walked a total of 32,345 steps!
We started the day at the British Columbia Museum which the guidebook highly recommended. There was a special exhibit of items loaned from the British Museum that traced the history of mankind throughout the ages. All the items on display were excellent representations of the arts and crafts of the various peoples. We spent two hours seeing that. Because our ticket was good for the whole day, we came and went taking a lunch break to explore part of town and to eat in a Chinatown restaurant. Among the other exhibits at the museum that were especially nice were the ones about the native peoples, the ones showing the development of the various areas of commerce after the arrival of westerners, the natural history exhibits of animals (including a wooly mammouth), etc. We also saw a film at the Imax theater about a man from Morocco who left on a pilgrimage to Mecca and ended up traveling all over the world before returning home 30 years later. His name was Ibn Battuta.
We took a tour of the provincial capitol after leaving the museum, a very nice building that has been restored within recent years so that it looks new. Then we walked across the street to tour the Empress Hotel which was designed by the same architect.
Many of our steps were put on by two outings from the downtown area. One was northward to an area with the governor's home, an art gallery, and a home that is like a castle. The other was to the Fishermen's Wharf area with small stands selling seafood and piers lined with very nice houseboats.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Ferry to Victoria
Wednesday, May 13, 2009--Vancouver to Victoria
The forecast was for a 70% chance of rain today, so we were lucky. It finally rained, but not until later in the day.
We had reserved a rental car from a Thrifty office that was only 2 blocks from our hotel. After breakfast, we checked out and went to there. Fortunately, a woman at the tourist office had marked a map for us related to the route to get to the ferry landing. We followed it and arrived 9 minutes before a scheduled departure. We were the last car allowed on the boat. And the next ferry wasn't until 2 hours later. Thank goodness we didn't have to wait.
There was a large family on the ferry with musical instruments. For an hour of the 1 1/2 hour passage, they played Celtic music to entertain the passengers. I could tell it was not usual, because the staff from the boat kept looking in the room where they were playing and smiling. It was so nice to be entertained on our way across.
The passage among the Gulf Islands was very nice. We were so close to the shores on both sides. We could easily see the homes and imagine the lives of the people living there.
After arriving on Vancouver Island, we took a back scenic road to Buchart Gardens. It is the major tourist site on the island. There still were only a few sprinkles, so we thought we should stop and see the gardens then. Why return that direction only for that? They were gorgeous. This is the time of the year for tulips, daffodils, chestnut trees, rhododendrums, etc. There were so many beautiful colors of flowers, and they were mixed in different combinations. There was even a dogwood tree in bloom. It took almost 2 hours to see the gardens including watching everyone else who was there to see them, too, including the Japanese group that was so happy to see the Japanese section, the old people who were happy to be able to get into the gardens via wheelchairs, etc.
We crossed to the shore and took another scenic route into Victoria. We passed the University of Victoria campus, went through neighborhoods with wonderful homes that had gardens that were a match for those we had just seen, saw the rocky coast, etc. It was a nice drive.
Our hotel is filled with older people. It's one of the older hotels in the city--a historical landmark. It's nice, though. But it cannot compare the luxury we enjoyed in Vancouver. It's only about 2/3 the price of the hotel in Vancouver, too.
We drove through the center of town tonight, but we will wait until tomorrow to really explore it. The weather has now deteriorated, so we will stay inside this evening and hope for better skies tomorrow morning. Also, it is too cold to be outside. We were runnign the heater and the defroster in the car.
The forecast was for a 70% chance of rain today, so we were lucky. It finally rained, but not until later in the day.
We had reserved a rental car from a Thrifty office that was only 2 blocks from our hotel. After breakfast, we checked out and went to there. Fortunately, a woman at the tourist office had marked a map for us related to the route to get to the ferry landing. We followed it and arrived 9 minutes before a scheduled departure. We were the last car allowed on the boat. And the next ferry wasn't until 2 hours later. Thank goodness we didn't have to wait.
There was a large family on the ferry with musical instruments. For an hour of the 1 1/2 hour passage, they played Celtic music to entertain the passengers. I could tell it was not usual, because the staff from the boat kept looking in the room where they were playing and smiling. It was so nice to be entertained on our way across.
The passage among the Gulf Islands was very nice. We were so close to the shores on both sides. We could easily see the homes and imagine the lives of the people living there.
After arriving on Vancouver Island, we took a back scenic road to Buchart Gardens. It is the major tourist site on the island. There still were only a few sprinkles, so we thought we should stop and see the gardens then. Why return that direction only for that? They were gorgeous. This is the time of the year for tulips, daffodils, chestnut trees, rhododendrums, etc. There were so many beautiful colors of flowers, and they were mixed in different combinations. There was even a dogwood tree in bloom. It took almost 2 hours to see the gardens including watching everyone else who was there to see them, too, including the Japanese group that was so happy to see the Japanese section, the old people who were happy to be able to get into the gardens via wheelchairs, etc.
We crossed to the shore and took another scenic route into Victoria. We passed the University of Victoria campus, went through neighborhoods with wonderful homes that had gardens that were a match for those we had just seen, saw the rocky coast, etc. It was a nice drive.
Our hotel is filled with older people. It's one of the older hotels in the city--a historical landmark. It's nice, though. But it cannot compare the luxury we enjoyed in Vancouver. It's only about 2/3 the price of the hotel in Vancouver, too.
We drove through the center of town tonight, but we will wait until tomorrow to really explore it. The weather has now deteriorated, so we will stay inside this evening and hope for better skies tomorrow morning. Also, it is too cold to be outside. We were runnign the heater and the defroster in the car.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
44,986 Steps/Approx. 20 miles!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009--Vancouver
It's been a LONG day! The weather was beautiful, so we stayed out walking all day long.
We started by going to the nearby Sutton Place Hotel where a friend will be staying soon. Then we went to Heritage Square to see a group of old houses that have been restored and maintained as the city has grown into a cluster of high-rise buildings. From there, we explored the West End, a very nice neighborhood that has small shops and restaurants with lots of homes and apartments around them for the residents of the area.
We walked over the big bridge to Granville Island, discovering only after we were on it that we could not go down to Granville Island! Instead, we had to overshoot it and walk back to it. There should be an elevator or steps for pedestrians!
Granville Island has many galleries and shops and a very large market. We saw some of the art, especially that produced by the students at Emily Carr University. We wandered through the boat market. We walked through the food market. Then we sat in the sunshine looking toward the skyline of Vancouver. From there, we walked further down the island to a small restaurant that serves fish caught only by local fishermen. There, we had fish and chips on their outdoor patio.
We returned to town by the Burrard Bridge, an older bridge that has lots of character and was designed to be much like the gates of cities in Europe. We walked to the waterfront stopping by a gallery that had a painting I liked and that would be nice in my living room. The only problem was the cost--$27,000 U.S.!
We entered Stanley Park and walked along the edge of it to see the views back toward the city. Then we walked along the north side to the statue of the Woman in a Wetsuit, which is a rip-off of the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen. From there, we walked a trail through the park back toward town.
We were so tired that we decided to head to Costco and eat a snack so we wouldn't have to go back out later this evening. We bought some trail mix for our trip in the car that starts tomorrow, and we snacked on hotdogs since we were still not very hungry after our big breakfast and late lunch.
It's 19:30, and we have just returned to the hotel. My pedometer shows that we have walked 44,986 steps since leaving the room this morning. That's approximately 20 miles of walking. We are both tired and ready to stay in the room for the rest of the night. But what a beautiful day it was with sunshine and temperatures in the low 60s F. It was a day made for walking!
It's been a LONG day! The weather was beautiful, so we stayed out walking all day long.
We started by going to the nearby Sutton Place Hotel where a friend will be staying soon. Then we went to Heritage Square to see a group of old houses that have been restored and maintained as the city has grown into a cluster of high-rise buildings. From there, we explored the West End, a very nice neighborhood that has small shops and restaurants with lots of homes and apartments around them for the residents of the area.
We walked over the big bridge to Granville Island, discovering only after we were on it that we could not go down to Granville Island! Instead, we had to overshoot it and walk back to it. There should be an elevator or steps for pedestrians!
Granville Island has many galleries and shops and a very large market. We saw some of the art, especially that produced by the students at Emily Carr University. We wandered through the boat market. We walked through the food market. Then we sat in the sunshine looking toward the skyline of Vancouver. From there, we walked further down the island to a small restaurant that serves fish caught only by local fishermen. There, we had fish and chips on their outdoor patio.
We returned to town by the Burrard Bridge, an older bridge that has lots of character and was designed to be much like the gates of cities in Europe. We walked to the waterfront stopping by a gallery that had a painting I liked and that would be nice in my living room. The only problem was the cost--$27,000 U.S.!
We entered Stanley Park and walked along the edge of it to see the views back toward the city. Then we walked along the north side to the statue of the Woman in a Wetsuit, which is a rip-off of the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen. From there, we walked a trail through the park back toward town.
We were so tired that we decided to head to Costco and eat a snack so we wouldn't have to go back out later this evening. We bought some trail mix for our trip in the car that starts tomorrow, and we snacked on hotdogs since we were still not very hungry after our big breakfast and late lunch.
It's 19:30, and we have just returned to the hotel. My pedometer shows that we have walked 44,986 steps since leaving the room this morning. That's approximately 20 miles of walking. We are both tired and ready to stay in the room for the rest of the night. But what a beautiful day it was with sunshine and temperatures in the low 60s F. It was a day made for walking!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Arriving and Exploring Vancouver
Sunday, May 10, 2009--San Antonio to Vancouver via Denver
My friend Lyn made a brunch for Jack, Drew, and me. We had about 6 cold salads with crusty garlic bread and wine. Then we had coffee with chocoate cookies. It was so tasty and just right as a send-off for the trip.
Jack and Drew drove me to the airport where everything went so smoothly. I already had my boarding passes, so all I had to do was check my one bag. I went downstairs and talked to one of the Volunteer Ambassadors for a while to pass the time. Then I went to the gate.
Both flights were on time, and I had great seating in the Economy Plus sections. The knee room was so nice.
It was drizzling when I arrived. After being asked LOTS of questions by immigration, it took an extra long time to get my bag. Then I ran into a bit of a problem trying to get cash. The first machine would not let a card be inserted. The second machine took my card, but after humming over and over again sent the card back out saying the transaction was canceled. Since all the ATMs at the airport were operated by the same RCB company, I realized I needed another plan. There was a 7-11, and inside it was an ATM for another company. It worked.
Taking the bus to town went smoothly. I waited only a moment for the airport bus, then it took only a few seconds to transfer to the downtown bus at the Airport Station. The bus dropped me off just across the street from my hotel. It was about 20:30 at the time.
The hotel was much nicer than I expected. It is very stylish and seems newly remodeled. There are nice paintings, comfortable comforters, chocolates on the bed, a flat-screen TV, etc.
This trip was scheduled 5 years ago. Unfortunately, that was the trip when Arne had his stroke. After he died, I had to take his remains back to Denmark. It's a nice area. I think he would have enjoyed being here.
Wes arrived about 1:00 having had no problems himself on his flights. We visited briefly, then went to bed.
.
Monday, May 11, 2009--Vancouver
It was raining this morning. In fact, the forecast calls for a 60% chance of rain every day this week. Wes had not brought an umbrella, so buying him one was our first task after having breakfast--scrambled eggs with bacon, juices, coffee, muffins, cereals, etc.
We wandered the downtown area seeing the waterfront with all the sea planes coming and going, the Gastown area with its old storefronts, Chinatown, two old train stations, etc. We stopped at the downtown Costco (only 7 blocks from our hotel) to have a hotdog for lunch.
Because of the rain, we went to the Imax in the afternoon and bought a discount ticket for seeing two features back-to-back. We saw Space Station 3-D and Under the Sea 3-D. Both were very good films. I thought that Under the Sea was especially well made, though. The fact that Tom Cruise narrated the Space Station film bothered me; I would have preferred an unknown voice.
The sun was out when we left the theater. We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the downtown shopping area. Vancouver seems like a very big city. It is filled with highrise apartment buildings that all seem brand new, and the residents of all those apartments suppurt block after block of stores.
My friend Lyn made a brunch for Jack, Drew, and me. We had about 6 cold salads with crusty garlic bread and wine. Then we had coffee with chocoate cookies. It was so tasty and just right as a send-off for the trip.
Jack and Drew drove me to the airport where everything went so smoothly. I already had my boarding passes, so all I had to do was check my one bag. I went downstairs and talked to one of the Volunteer Ambassadors for a while to pass the time. Then I went to the gate.
Both flights were on time, and I had great seating in the Economy Plus sections. The knee room was so nice.
It was drizzling when I arrived. After being asked LOTS of questions by immigration, it took an extra long time to get my bag. Then I ran into a bit of a problem trying to get cash. The first machine would not let a card be inserted. The second machine took my card, but after humming over and over again sent the card back out saying the transaction was canceled. Since all the ATMs at the airport were operated by the same RCB company, I realized I needed another plan. There was a 7-11, and inside it was an ATM for another company. It worked.
Taking the bus to town went smoothly. I waited only a moment for the airport bus, then it took only a few seconds to transfer to the downtown bus at the Airport Station. The bus dropped me off just across the street from my hotel. It was about 20:30 at the time.
The hotel was much nicer than I expected. It is very stylish and seems newly remodeled. There are nice paintings, comfortable comforters, chocolates on the bed, a flat-screen TV, etc.
This trip was scheduled 5 years ago. Unfortunately, that was the trip when Arne had his stroke. After he died, I had to take his remains back to Denmark. It's a nice area. I think he would have enjoyed being here.
Wes arrived about 1:00 having had no problems himself on his flights. We visited briefly, then went to bed.
.
Monday, May 11, 2009--Vancouver
It was raining this morning. In fact, the forecast calls for a 60% chance of rain every day this week. Wes had not brought an umbrella, so buying him one was our first task after having breakfast--scrambled eggs with bacon, juices, coffee, muffins, cereals, etc.
We wandered the downtown area seeing the waterfront with all the sea planes coming and going, the Gastown area with its old storefronts, Chinatown, two old train stations, etc. We stopped at the downtown Costco (only 7 blocks from our hotel) to have a hotdog for lunch.
Because of the rain, we went to the Imax in the afternoon and bought a discount ticket for seeing two features back-to-back. We saw Space Station 3-D and Under the Sea 3-D. Both were very good films. I thought that Under the Sea was especially well made, though. The fact that Tom Cruise narrated the Space Station film bothered me; I would have preferred an unknown voice.
The sun was out when we left the theater. We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the downtown shopping area. Vancouver seems like a very big city. It is filled with highrise apartment buildings that all seem brand new, and the residents of all those apartments suppurt block after block of stores.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
I'm Off!!!
It's 10:07 Sunday morning, May 10. I have finished everything that needs to be done here at the house except the 2-3 last-minute items such as shutting off the water to the final toilet and taking out the trash. I am expected at my friend Lyn's home at 11:00 to have Mother's Day Brunch with her, her daughter Christa, and our friends Jack and Drew. We will eat and visit leisurely. Then about 1:30 someone in that group will drive me to the airport.
I have already checked in for my flights. I'll be in economy plus, so there will be plenty of leg room. As usual, I have one small 22 inch bag to check (43 lbs/19 kg) and my small backpack to carry on. Most of my weight, as usual, is books. I have 10 books in the suitcase and 4 more in the backpack. As I travel along the way, both will get lighter and I will have more space. Right now, the suitcase is bulging! But I haven't yet opened up the expansion compartment, so it doesn't have to be so tight. Tightness, however, keeps things from juggling around inside. When I get to the airport, all I will have to do is check in my bag, watch security check it, then go to the gate. My flight is at 15:45.
Now to get dressed and do those final chores.... Then I'll literally be off on my trip. Hope Wes makes it today, too. Two years ago when he was meeting me in Anchorage, there were problems with his flights that kept him from coming until a day later. If all goes well, I will be at our hotel around 21:30 to 22:00 and he will be there around 01:00 in the morning.
Note: Canada, being an advanced country, will be a difficult place for me to update the blog. The richer the country, the fewer places there are for people to have computer access away from home. Therefore, during the first 11 days of the the trip, I may not be able to post often. When I do, it may also be with limited time, since it will probably be from a computer at a public library with restrictions on computer use.
I have already checked in for my flights. I'll be in economy plus, so there will be plenty of leg room. As usual, I have one small 22 inch bag to check (43 lbs/19 kg) and my small backpack to carry on. Most of my weight, as usual, is books. I have 10 books in the suitcase and 4 more in the backpack. As I travel along the way, both will get lighter and I will have more space. Right now, the suitcase is bulging! But I haven't yet opened up the expansion compartment, so it doesn't have to be so tight. Tightness, however, keeps things from juggling around inside. When I get to the airport, all I will have to do is check in my bag, watch security check it, then go to the gate. My flight is at 15:45.
Now to get dressed and do those final chores.... Then I'll literally be off on my trip. Hope Wes makes it today, too. Two years ago when he was meeting me in Anchorage, there were problems with his flights that kept him from coming until a day later. If all goes well, I will be at our hotel around 21:30 to 22:00 and he will be there around 01:00 in the morning.
Note: Canada, being an advanced country, will be a difficult place for me to update the blog. The richer the country, the fewer places there are for people to have computer access away from home. Therefore, during the first 11 days of the the trip, I may not be able to post often. When I do, it may also be with limited time, since it will probably be from a computer at a public library with restrictions on computer use.
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Travel Itinerary for 2009
I will be departing on May 10 for my travels for the year. I will complete Around-the-World Trip IX and then will commence Around-the-World Trip X while I am gone. The following itinerary covers my travels from both trips until I return to Texas in October.
May 10--San Antonio to Vancouver via Denver
UA 7571 SAT-DEN 15:49--17:07
UA 281 DEN-YVR 18:12--20:09
Eleven days for travel around BC--Vancouver, Vancouver Island and Whistler as major areas of exploration
May 21--Vancouver to Seoul Inchon
AC 63 YVR-ICN 12:15--15:40+1
May 23--Seoul Inchon to Kota Kinabalu (Flight was originally scheduled for the 22nd to coordinate with the arrival in Seoul, but fewer scheduled flights per week now require me to wait one day in Seoul)
OZ 757 ICN-BKI 18:45--23:05
Twenty-two days to travel throughout the provinces of Sabah and Sarawak and in the Sultanate of Brunei
June 14--Kuching to Kuala Lumpur
AK 5205 KCH-KUL 11:55--13:35
Will spend one night in Kuala Lumpur visiting a friend there.
June 15--Luala Lumpur to Bangkok
AK 742 KUL-BKK 13:40--14:45
Four days in Bangkok to see my dentist and buy my new ATW air ticket
June 19--Bangkok to Phnom Penh
FD 3616 BKK-PNH 14:50--16:00
Ten days to explore Cambodia--mainly Phnom Penh and Siem Reap (location of Angkor Wat)
June 29--Phnom Penh to Bangkok
FD 3617 PNH-BKK 16:30--17:40
Four more days in Bangkok to return to my dentist and to enjoy the city--massage, films, etc.
Note: The remaining dates for flights are all temporary until I finalize my new ATW ticket while in Bangkok
July 2--Bangkok to Delhi
TG 315 BKK-DEL 17:45--20:45 (Most Likely)
or
TG 323 BKK-DEL 7:30-10:30
Eighteen days to visit Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Amritsar and maybe to go to Jaipur and Agra.
July 20 (Late night of July 19)--Delhi to Istanbul
TK 1071 DEL-IST 4:20-8:40
Will depart Istanbul that evening of July 20 via train for Thessaloniki in Greece and will spend the next few weeks as follows with the number of days in each place being only an estimate:
Thessaloniki 3-4 days
Macedonia 6 days
Albania 7 days
Serbia 3 days
Bulgaria 8 days
Romania (Coastal) 5 days
Moldova 5 days
Romania (Central) 3 days
Sept. 3--Bucharest to Copenhagen
SK 1782 OTP-CPH 13:35--15:05
Will have 10 days to see my friends in Copenhagen and to say good-bye to the city, since this will be my last ATW trip and, therefore, my last time to visit the city for many years.
Sept. 13--Copenhagen to Casablanca via Lisbon
TP 503 CPH-LIS 8:30--11:05
TP 228 LIS-CMN 14:55--17:40
Eight days to explore Morocco--mainly Fes and Marrakesh after a brief stop in Casablanca
Sept. 22--Casablanca to Lisbon
TP 229 CMN-LIS 16:05--18:35
Will arrive in Lisbon too late for a connecting flight to my next destination, so will sleep at the airport
Sept. 23--Lisbon to Caracas
TP 121 LIS-CCS 11:10--14:50
Nineteen days to explore Venezuela
Oct. 12--Maracaibo to Aruba
RV 300 Mar-AUA 14:10--15:40
Four days to enjoy the beaches and towns of Aruba
Oct. 16--Aruba to Charlotte
US 874 AUA-CLT 16:45--20:53
Will arrive in Charlotte too late for a connecting flight to San Antonio, so I will sleep at the airport
Oct. 17--Charlotte to San Antonio
US 315 CLT-SAT 9:45--12:10
Arrival will be 157 days after departure for the trip and travel will have included 17 countries (Canada, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia, India, Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Denmark, Morocco, Venezuela, and Aruba)
May 10--San Antonio to Vancouver via Denver
UA 7571 SAT-DEN 15:49--17:07
UA 281 DEN-YVR 18:12--20:09
Eleven days for travel around BC--Vancouver, Vancouver Island and Whistler as major areas of exploration
May 21--Vancouver to Seoul Inchon
AC 63 YVR-ICN 12:15--15:40+1
May 23--Seoul Inchon to Kota Kinabalu (Flight was originally scheduled for the 22nd to coordinate with the arrival in Seoul, but fewer scheduled flights per week now require me to wait one day in Seoul)
OZ 757 ICN-BKI 18:45--23:05
Twenty-two days to travel throughout the provinces of Sabah and Sarawak and in the Sultanate of Brunei
June 14--Kuching to Kuala Lumpur
AK 5205 KCH-KUL 11:55--13:35
Will spend one night in Kuala Lumpur visiting a friend there.
June 15--Luala Lumpur to Bangkok
AK 742 KUL-BKK 13:40--14:45
Four days in Bangkok to see my dentist and buy my new ATW air ticket
June 19--Bangkok to Phnom Penh
FD 3616 BKK-PNH 14:50--16:00
Ten days to explore Cambodia--mainly Phnom Penh and Siem Reap (location of Angkor Wat)
June 29--Phnom Penh to Bangkok
FD 3617 PNH-BKK 16:30--17:40
Four more days in Bangkok to return to my dentist and to enjoy the city--massage, films, etc.
Note: The remaining dates for flights are all temporary until I finalize my new ATW ticket while in Bangkok
July 2--Bangkok to Delhi
TG 315 BKK-DEL 17:45--20:45 (Most Likely)
or
TG 323 BKK-DEL 7:30-10:30
Eighteen days to visit Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Amritsar and maybe to go to Jaipur and Agra.
July 20 (Late night of July 19)--Delhi to Istanbul
TK 1071 DEL-IST 4:20-8:40
Will depart Istanbul that evening of July 20 via train for Thessaloniki in Greece and will spend the next few weeks as follows with the number of days in each place being only an estimate:
Thessaloniki 3-4 days
Macedonia 6 days
Albania 7 days
Serbia 3 days
Bulgaria 8 days
Romania (Coastal) 5 days
Moldova 5 days
Romania (Central) 3 days
Sept. 3--Bucharest to Copenhagen
SK 1782 OTP-CPH 13:35--15:05
Will have 10 days to see my friends in Copenhagen and to say good-bye to the city, since this will be my last ATW trip and, therefore, my last time to visit the city for many years.
Sept. 13--Copenhagen to Casablanca via Lisbon
TP 503 CPH-LIS 8:30--11:05
TP 228 LIS-CMN 14:55--17:40
Eight days to explore Morocco--mainly Fes and Marrakesh after a brief stop in Casablanca
Sept. 22--Casablanca to Lisbon
TP 229 CMN-LIS 16:05--18:35
Will arrive in Lisbon too late for a connecting flight to my next destination, so will sleep at the airport
Sept. 23--Lisbon to Caracas
TP 121 LIS-CCS 11:10--14:50
Nineteen days to explore Venezuela
Oct. 12--Maracaibo to Aruba
RV 300 Mar-AUA 14:10--15:40
Four days to enjoy the beaches and towns of Aruba
Oct. 16--Aruba to Charlotte
US 874 AUA-CLT 16:45--20:53
Will arrive in Charlotte too late for a connecting flight to San Antonio, so I will sleep at the airport
Oct. 17--Charlotte to San Antonio
US 315 CLT-SAT 9:45--12:10
Arrival will be 157 days after departure for the trip and travel will have included 17 countries (Canada, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia, India, Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Denmark, Morocco, Venezuela, and Aruba)
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