I was planning to write about the amazing meal I just had but I checked my e-mail first and had quite a shock: an inferno has shut down the bay bridge indefinitly. Bizarre. It is hard to believe. Not sure what else to say other than: wow.
So I guess I will move onto this and that, starting with tonight's meal... First I should note that it has been raining more in the week I've been here in Bangkok than the 10 days or so I spent here last time. No big deal right? Well I was here in the middle of the rain season last year and right now it is supposed to be relatively dry and hot. While it was very hot when I arrived, it has cooled down about 10 degrees and rained extensively, including tonight. Consequently, I ate at a restaurant instead of going to a food stand and doing the "one" routine again (works quite well I have to say).
I chose the restaurant where I met Mr. Japan a couple days ago. Fish sounded quite good to me, so I ordered "Fish in Garlic and Chili Sauce" and a tall Singha beer. I really wasn't expecting too much because the noodles I had the previous night were nothing special. I was merely there to have a roof over my head while I ate. Well I have to say the fish was divine. It really hit the spot. Wasn't too hot and had plenty of garlic. Parfait I have to say. Throw in the the ice cold beer, and I was in heaven. Yes, food is a big reason why I travel...
Other stuff:
1. I bought two airline tickets in the past two days. Yesterday I bought a ticket from Penang Malaysia back to Bangkok on May 12th on Air Asia. Today I bought a ticket from Bangkok to Dhaka that same day, several hours later via GMG Airlines. So I am definitly going to bangladesh now, woo woo.
2. I have to say Bangkok's subway is a pretty good deal. It is slightly cheaper than the Skytrain. The strange thing is police check your bag (well they're supposed to, they kinda do it half-ass) for the subway but not Skytrain. Umm why? They are both modes of public transportation, and the Skytrain a) has more passengers b)longer and more extensive. Not sure about the logic behind that one.
3. If you're ever in Bangkok and want a budget place to stay, I highly recommend Suk 11 Hostel.
Even though it calls itself a hostel, it has rooms with attached bathrooms (although I am staying in the budget dorm room). Wooden interiors, free breakfast, and pretty quiet. Also in central bangkok, and a 2 minute walk to the sky-train, 5-7 minute walk to the subway.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Saturday, April 28, 2007
This and that
Today I went and bought a train ticket to the Thailand-Malaysia border. The arab neighborhood near where I am staying made me miss the Middle East, so I thought I should travel through an area filled with "insurgents." The train line I will be traveling on was shut down for 10 days so the thai gov't could beef up security and make it safer. That being said, no tourists have died on this train ride. I will not be hanging out in the town Sungai Golok for more than the amount of time it takes me to walk to the border.
Anyway, I went to the train station via the BKK subway, first time I have been on the thing. Quite clean, and seemed nice enough. I should note that my cellphone worked while riding the thing. Now why the hell can a cellphone work on BANGKOK's subway but not on any freaking subway in the USA? What the hell is going wrong in the USA? And while we are on the subject, Thais use the same types of cellphones as us Americans. Yes, the developing world is as technology advanced (and in some cases more advanced) than the good ol' USA. Sad times. Americans, we need to get our shit together.
And that is one reason I like the Far East: every country is trying to keep up with its neighbors. The other day Singapore's former PM told citizens that they need to keep paying its gov't employees well to keep singapore on top, and that people can't slack off. I have read articles in the Bangkok Post saying how Thailand needs to form an economic plan to make sure its growth keeps in line with Malaysia, Singapore, et. al. In the US do our leaders ever tell us to work harder to stay on top? No. Do you ever read articles or op-eds in American papers saying, "US needs to keep pace with ____"? No, other than articles of fear about China and India's development. we've become complacent. We think we're #1 but we most definitely are not in many ways. Americans need to wake up to that fact. Alas, our southern neighbor is even more behind us and our northern neighbor is similar to us, so I suppose we are isolated from global reality.
That's my little rant. Those thoughts were going through my head as I was running around Bangkok today. Got price quotes for a one-way to Dhaka. Not as cheap as I was hoping. Oh well. The dollar is weaker than it has in a # of years (previously was 40 baht/dollar, now 34/dollar), so that is one factor.
Highlight of the day was going to a random food stall. Went up to woman, said hello (one of two words i know in thai, woo woo) and just indicated I wanted one. One of what? Uh, one of whatever noodle dish she made. I thought she just had one option, but apparently not. She pointed to some noodles and said in thai (i'm assuming), "This?" and I said, "Hai." Uh Sean, you're in Thailand, not Japan. Oh well. Just a dumb ass farang/gai-jin.
So I was expecting fried noodles. Instead I got chow fun in a sauce akin to hot and sour soup. It had some boc choy and carrots. Was actually quite good and filling, so I was content.
Also enjoyed my time on the Chao Phraya Express. Love riding along the river here. Great mix of modern buildings, temples, and old decrepit shacks.
Ended my "hopping" through Bangkok with a stop in Lumpini Park. The aforementioned Marie told me that at 6 PM, they played the national anthem in the Park and everything stopped. Well I naturally had to see it for myself. I arrived around 5:45 and right at the entrance of the park there was a bunch of people do aerobics to some cheesy dance music. I went further in, walking around the park, and came across 2 other groups. It was fun to watch. And when I mean aerobics, I mean the western kind; I am not talking about Tai Chi or anything like that.
Anyway, I went to the train station via the BKK subway, first time I have been on the thing. Quite clean, and seemed nice enough. I should note that my cellphone worked while riding the thing. Now why the hell can a cellphone work on BANGKOK's subway but not on any freaking subway in the USA? What the hell is going wrong in the USA? And while we are on the subject, Thais use the same types of cellphones as us Americans. Yes, the developing world is as technology advanced (and in some cases more advanced) than the good ol' USA. Sad times. Americans, we need to get our shit together.
And that is one reason I like the Far East: every country is trying to keep up with its neighbors. The other day Singapore's former PM told citizens that they need to keep paying its gov't employees well to keep singapore on top, and that people can't slack off. I have read articles in the Bangkok Post saying how Thailand needs to form an economic plan to make sure its growth keeps in line with Malaysia, Singapore, et. al. In the US do our leaders ever tell us to work harder to stay on top? No. Do you ever read articles or op-eds in American papers saying, "US needs to keep pace with ____"? No, other than articles of fear about China and India's development. we've become complacent. We think we're #1 but we most definitely are not in many ways. Americans need to wake up to that fact. Alas, our southern neighbor is even more behind us and our northern neighbor is similar to us, so I suppose we are isolated from global reality.
That's my little rant. Those thoughts were going through my head as I was running around Bangkok today. Got price quotes for a one-way to Dhaka. Not as cheap as I was hoping. Oh well. The dollar is weaker than it has in a # of years (previously was 40 baht/dollar, now 34/dollar), so that is one factor.
Highlight of the day was going to a random food stall. Went up to woman, said hello (one of two words i know in thai, woo woo) and just indicated I wanted one. One of what? Uh, one of whatever noodle dish she made. I thought she just had one option, but apparently not. She pointed to some noodles and said in thai (i'm assuming), "This?" and I said, "Hai." Uh Sean, you're in Thailand, not Japan. Oh well. Just a dumb ass farang/gai-jin.
So I was expecting fried noodles. Instead I got chow fun in a sauce akin to hot and sour soup. It had some boc choy and carrots. Was actually quite good and filling, so I was content.
Also enjoyed my time on the Chao Phraya Express. Love riding along the river here. Great mix of modern buildings, temples, and old decrepit shacks.
Ended my "hopping" through Bangkok with a stop in Lumpini Park. The aforementioned Marie told me that at 6 PM, they played the national anthem in the Park and everything stopped. Well I naturally had to see it for myself. I arrived around 5:45 and right at the entrance of the park there was a bunch of people do aerobics to some cheesy dance music. I went further in, walking around the park, and came across 2 other groups. It was fun to watch. And when I mean aerobics, I mean the western kind; I am not talking about Tai Chi or anything like that.
Friday, April 27, 2007
A night out on the town
Picked up my passport today with Bangladesh visa, so that is good to go. I am thinking of arriving in Dhaka on the 10th or 11th. That is assuming I can get a train ticket to/from the Malaysia border next week and chill out on a beach for a few days. If I can't get a ticket, then I might go to Bangladesh sooner.
Ok, last night..
So after checking my e-mail, I was hungry and knew I had to eat, so I went out. I was aware of some restaurant nearby that is always busy and full, so I figured I should check it out.
I get there and all the tables are occupied. One table by the doorway, however, only has one dude sitting at it, so I ask him if I can sit at his table. He says in English, "Sure, of course." I'm thinking, "interesting, random thai dude that speaks ok english." After sitting down, I see he is wearing a MIT t-shirt, so I ask him, "Did you go to MIT?" and he responds, "No, it was a joke of my friend's." Ok then.. A couple minutes later he randomly asks, "Do you like baseball?" At that point i figured he had to be from Japan since the only Asians into baseball are Japanese. Turns out he was an accountant from Tokyo.
So we chatted while we ate. While we were doing so, a French gal I met the previous night came strolling up. I invited her to sit with us, and she did, and then she got some food as well. After we had finished eating, the Japanese guy said, "Do you mind if I invite a friend?" Sure, no problem. So it became 4 of us. We had a couple beers at the restaurant, then had to go since it was closing. Next stop: Cheap Charlies, where a beer costs less than $1.50. There, i preceded to get a little drunk.
Around 10:30, Ms. France (aka Marie) bid us adieu and went back to the hotel. At that point, one of the Japanese guys asked, "would you like to go to another bar I know? The beer is 135 baht [vs. 60 baht where we were] but it is ok. Lots of girls, but you can tell them no." Sure, why not... I was thinking he meant it was a bar where hookers come up to you, and you politely decline their services. Umm no.
Where did he take me then? Well yes, it did have drinking, so I suppose it was a bar. There were two platforms with chicks in glow-in-the-dark bikinis and g-string bottoms. They were "dancing" and trying to look sexy. Meanwhile ugly chicks were in orange polo shirts and white ties serving you drinks. That kind of place bugs me out. I guess my feelings were obvious because both Japanese guys asked, "Do you not like this?" I was like, uh no, not really my scene. Total sketch.
The "highlight" of it was when some two western dudes bought a basket of ping pong balls. When I first saw the balls, i thought, "uh oh, time to see some nasty shit!" since I had heard of the infamous ping pong show (ie girl shoots a ping pong ball out of her vagina). Alas, it didn't happen. No, this ping pong "show" was just the two dudes tossing the ping pongs at the women, who all went crazy to get them. It was pretty lame. That being said, one of the men dissapeared soon afterwards. Maybe one of the ladies did too, but there was so many of them, it was hard to notice.
Regardless, after we finished our beers, we paid the bill and left. I bid my Japanese companions good night and went ahead and crashed into bed and fell asleep.
Ok, last night..
So after checking my e-mail, I was hungry and knew I had to eat, so I went out. I was aware of some restaurant nearby that is always busy and full, so I figured I should check it out.
I get there and all the tables are occupied. One table by the doorway, however, only has one dude sitting at it, so I ask him if I can sit at his table. He says in English, "Sure, of course." I'm thinking, "interesting, random thai dude that speaks ok english." After sitting down, I see he is wearing a MIT t-shirt, so I ask him, "Did you go to MIT?" and he responds, "No, it was a joke of my friend's." Ok then.. A couple minutes later he randomly asks, "Do you like baseball?" At that point i figured he had to be from Japan since the only Asians into baseball are Japanese. Turns out he was an accountant from Tokyo.
So we chatted while we ate. While we were doing so, a French gal I met the previous night came strolling up. I invited her to sit with us, and she did, and then she got some food as well. After we had finished eating, the Japanese guy said, "Do you mind if I invite a friend?" Sure, no problem. So it became 4 of us. We had a couple beers at the restaurant, then had to go since it was closing. Next stop: Cheap Charlies, where a beer costs less than $1.50. There, i preceded to get a little drunk.
Around 10:30, Ms. France (aka Marie) bid us adieu and went back to the hotel. At that point, one of the Japanese guys asked, "would you like to go to another bar I know? The beer is 135 baht [vs. 60 baht where we were] but it is ok. Lots of girls, but you can tell them no." Sure, why not... I was thinking he meant it was a bar where hookers come up to you, and you politely decline their services. Umm no.
Where did he take me then? Well yes, it did have drinking, so I suppose it was a bar. There were two platforms with chicks in glow-in-the-dark bikinis and g-string bottoms. They were "dancing" and trying to look sexy. Meanwhile ugly chicks were in orange polo shirts and white ties serving you drinks. That kind of place bugs me out. I guess my feelings were obvious because both Japanese guys asked, "Do you not like this?" I was like, uh no, not really my scene. Total sketch.
The "highlight" of it was when some two western dudes bought a basket of ping pong balls. When I first saw the balls, i thought, "uh oh, time to see some nasty shit!" since I had heard of the infamous ping pong show (ie girl shoots a ping pong ball out of her vagina). Alas, it didn't happen. No, this ping pong "show" was just the two dudes tossing the ping pongs at the women, who all went crazy to get them. It was pretty lame. That being said, one of the men dissapeared soon afterwards. Maybe one of the ladies did too, but there was so many of them, it was hard to notice.
Regardless, after we finished our beers, we paid the bill and left. I bid my Japanese companions good night and went ahead and crashed into bed and fell asleep.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Thais like their action movies!
I am presently sitting adjacent to a common room with a tv in it. Some of the staff- all ladies- are watching a rather "interesting" action movie that was probably made in the late eighties, early 90s. Well they were really into it, cheering, gasping, etc. Made it much more entertaining. Alas, it has just ended.
Anyway, I shall be getting my visa for India on May 1st. Apparently India does not have May 1 as a holiday. Lots of countries do, but apparently not India nor Thailand. As for Bangladesh, I shall be picking up that visa tomorrow, insha'allah.
People are puzzled about me going to Bangladesh. I have to say I am a bit too. It'll make for an experience. I'm SO enthusiastic about it that I am looking into taking a week-long vacation to some malaysian islands after getting my india visa. we shall see.
Anyway, not much going on here. I met a french woman last night that made me feel a little dumb. She whipped through these puzzles in a matter of minutes. Me? I would rather not say. After she did them I inquired, "Engineer huh?" Indeed that was the case.
Presently raining with thunder and lightening. It rained for a bit last night, cooled things down. Hope the same happens tonight, would be nice.
That's about all to report.
Anyway, I shall be getting my visa for India on May 1st. Apparently India does not have May 1 as a holiday. Lots of countries do, but apparently not India nor Thailand. As for Bangladesh, I shall be picking up that visa tomorrow, insha'allah.
People are puzzled about me going to Bangladesh. I have to say I am a bit too. It'll make for an experience. I'm SO enthusiastic about it that I am looking into taking a week-long vacation to some malaysian islands after getting my india visa. we shall see.
Anyway, not much going on here. I met a french woman last night that made me feel a little dumb. She whipped through these puzzles in a matter of minutes. Me? I would rather not say. After she did them I inquired, "Engineer huh?" Indeed that was the case.
Presently raining with thunder and lightening. It rained for a bit last night, cooled things down. Hope the same happens tonight, would be nice.
That's about all to report.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
In Bangkok and last bit about Japan
Arrived in Bangkok last night. Flight went fine. By the time I got through customs and picked up baggage, it was midnight, so I had to take taxi to hotel. It was an amusing way to be welcomed back to Bangkok.
Supposedly the taxi line at the airport is legit. You go up to a guy at a desk, tell him where you want to go. He writes it on a piece of paper, gives you a receipt, puts a reciept in his pile. well when it is my turn, I tell him where I want to go. He says, "hey, is it ok if you go there for 400 baht, inclusive of toll road fees?"
"Everything?" I ask.
"Yup, everything, no extra fees."
I figure why not. I remember reading on the hotel's website that it should be around 375 baht if you go during "normal" hours. Throw in the post-midnight cost, and 400 doesn't sound bad.
So he doesn't give me the receipt nor puts it in the pile. He walks me to a car that looks pretty ghetto compared to the other taxis, and says something to the driver, and away we go- no meter running of course. Welcome back to Bangkok Sean.
Naturally the whole time I was thinking "Ok, this guy is going to BS me when we get there. There is no way he'll just take the 400 and be content. this is too good to be true." Well it turned out to be perfectly fine, no problems whatsoever. He even drove down the little drive way to the place I'm staying- Suk 11. I am in a dorm room for 250 baht (umm, between 5-10 dollars/night). Has A/C and seems reasonably clean. The showers make me miss Japan though.
Ok, so that brings me to Japan. I have like 10 things to write about but I don't know if I can write about it all in the 32 minutes I have, so let's get to it:
1. Bikes
China might be known for its bike riders but Japan is pretty crazy about bikes itself. What drove me nuts about them is the riders rode on the sidewalks. It was annoying having to walk down the sidewalk, fearful of some stupid bike coming from behind you and nicking you. It only happened once or twice, but it was still frustrating not knowing what was going to happen.
2. Escalators
In Tokyo, when you stand on the escalator, you get on the left side. In Osaka? The right side. Yes, w/in the same country, there are two different methods of escalator etiquette. And everywhere else? Uh oh, it is ugly. Japan orderly? Not when it comes to escalators in mid-sized cities. Kyoto Station was a prime example. In a hurry to get to your train? Best not get on that escalator cause you won't be able to move ahead.
3. Hair styles
when I was in Korea, this "fad" was just beginning: dudes getting perms. In Japan, it was even more prevelant. I am sad to say it is even in Thailand now. Fellas, you look stupid, ok? Cut out the perm crap. Thanks. Oh, and I'm not talking full-on fros here, just perms to make your hair "wavy".
4. Money
The japanese love their coins. Smallest bill? 1,000 yen, or about 10 dollars. They have a coin for about 5 dollars. I had so many coins that I was seriously considering investing in a coin purse. Alas, now I'm in Thailand, which is a little more sensical about its coins. Apparently Japan isn't alone in its coin addiction. I was whining about it to an Aussie and he said it was similar there. That's a shame.
5. Mos Burger
This is a Japanese fast-food chain. The place rocks. Basically their "signature" item is a hamburger with a tomato and some salsa-like sauce on top, with onions. It might not sound so good, but it is. Their fries aren't very greasy either. I think they should open some up in the States.
6. Convience Stores
They're everywhere in Japan, but that's true in most East Asian countries. What was my breakfast more times than not? A packaged meal from 7-11. Gourmet stuff.
My best experience, however, was in Hiroshima. After a night out on the town, this dude wanted to get a snack before going back to the hostel. He said, "ok, time to use up my coins!" and just poured them all out onto the table. Well the bizarre part is the cashier apparently knew quite a bit of English: "Wow, that is a lot of coins you have. Mind if I count them for you?" She then proceeded to count them all in English. We ended up having a brief conversation. I think she spoke better english than any japanese person I came across during my trip. Why she's working the graveyard shift at some random store is beyond me.
5. Maybe Tokyo isn't so big after all
Sunday was my last full day in Japan. I got to my hostel around 1:30 PM. After dropping off my stuff, I figured I would go take one last tour of the city. Well I had just walked through Shibuya and was headed to Harajuku via an earth-day fair and Yoyogi Park, when I hear someone call out "Sean! Hey there!" I turned my head and it was Dave, a guy I met in Hiroshima. He then introduced me to his friend Tim. Ended up hanging out with them and a few others in the park. Had Mexican for dinner. It was all right. El Torito, the chain restaurant. Afterwards, had a couple tall beers walking through Shinjuku. It was a really nice evening, around 60 degrees.
Well then the following day, i was walking through Roppongi, since I hadn't seen it yet, and who do I run into? No, not dave. No, I saw Tim and Chris, one of the others in the group. Yup, over 20 million people in the Tokyo area and I run into people twice w/in 24 hours. Fun times.
6. Earth Day
Just in case you're wondering, Earth Day fairs in Japan are pretty much the same as they are back in America. As Chris said, "This makes me feel like I'm at home [in seattle]." Yeah, all kinds of hippy crap. Peace signs, all that good stuff. At first I didn't smell incense, and thought, "well that makes sense. guess they just stick to using that at temples." Alas, about 10 minutes later, I got to the "incsense" area. Joy.
Best t-shirt of the day: some chick had a shirt that said "Kill All Hippies." This was at the fair. Can't get any better than that.
Oh, one big difference between USA and Japan fairs: Lots of people were drinking beer at the Tokyo one. I didn't smell any pot. Total flip-flop of American version.
7. Akihabara
This area is the electronics area of Tokyo. Nerd central. seriously. The first time I walked through it, I didn't really care. The 2nd time though? For some reason I felt really uncomfortable being there. It wasn't the electronics that did it, but all the comic crap, porn here and there (porn pops up in random places in Japan), and I don't know, just general atmosphere.
Speaking of porn, only in Japan would I be able to look across the aisle on the bullet train and see some dude looking at a porn magazine.
So there you go, a quick summary of things in Japan. Didn't take as long as I expected, woo hoo. 12 minutes to spare.
What's next for me? Trying to get a visa for India and Bangladesh. Looks like the former will be a bit more time consuming than I expected. Should have gotten it in SF. Oh well, should have, could have, would have- right dad?
Cheers.
Supposedly the taxi line at the airport is legit. You go up to a guy at a desk, tell him where you want to go. He writes it on a piece of paper, gives you a receipt, puts a reciept in his pile. well when it is my turn, I tell him where I want to go. He says, "hey, is it ok if you go there for 400 baht, inclusive of toll road fees?"
"Everything?" I ask.
"Yup, everything, no extra fees."
I figure why not. I remember reading on the hotel's website that it should be around 375 baht if you go during "normal" hours. Throw in the post-midnight cost, and 400 doesn't sound bad.
So he doesn't give me the receipt nor puts it in the pile. He walks me to a car that looks pretty ghetto compared to the other taxis, and says something to the driver, and away we go- no meter running of course. Welcome back to Bangkok Sean.
Naturally the whole time I was thinking "Ok, this guy is going to BS me when we get there. There is no way he'll just take the 400 and be content. this is too good to be true." Well it turned out to be perfectly fine, no problems whatsoever. He even drove down the little drive way to the place I'm staying- Suk 11. I am in a dorm room for 250 baht (umm, between 5-10 dollars/night). Has A/C and seems reasonably clean. The showers make me miss Japan though.
Ok, so that brings me to Japan. I have like 10 things to write about but I don't know if I can write about it all in the 32 minutes I have, so let's get to it:
1. Bikes
China might be known for its bike riders but Japan is pretty crazy about bikes itself. What drove me nuts about them is the riders rode on the sidewalks. It was annoying having to walk down the sidewalk, fearful of some stupid bike coming from behind you and nicking you. It only happened once or twice, but it was still frustrating not knowing what was going to happen.
2. Escalators
In Tokyo, when you stand on the escalator, you get on the left side. In Osaka? The right side. Yes, w/in the same country, there are two different methods of escalator etiquette. And everywhere else? Uh oh, it is ugly. Japan orderly? Not when it comes to escalators in mid-sized cities. Kyoto Station was a prime example. In a hurry to get to your train? Best not get on that escalator cause you won't be able to move ahead.
3. Hair styles
when I was in Korea, this "fad" was just beginning: dudes getting perms. In Japan, it was even more prevelant. I am sad to say it is even in Thailand now. Fellas, you look stupid, ok? Cut out the perm crap. Thanks. Oh, and I'm not talking full-on fros here, just perms to make your hair "wavy".
4. Money
The japanese love their coins. Smallest bill? 1,000 yen, or about 10 dollars. They have a coin for about 5 dollars. I had so many coins that I was seriously considering investing in a coin purse. Alas, now I'm in Thailand, which is a little more sensical about its coins. Apparently Japan isn't alone in its coin addiction. I was whining about it to an Aussie and he said it was similar there. That's a shame.
5. Mos Burger
This is a Japanese fast-food chain. The place rocks. Basically their "signature" item is a hamburger with a tomato and some salsa-like sauce on top, with onions. It might not sound so good, but it is. Their fries aren't very greasy either. I think they should open some up in the States.
6. Convience Stores
They're everywhere in Japan, but that's true in most East Asian countries. What was my breakfast more times than not? A packaged meal from 7-11. Gourmet stuff.
My best experience, however, was in Hiroshima. After a night out on the town, this dude wanted to get a snack before going back to the hostel. He said, "ok, time to use up my coins!" and just poured them all out onto the table. Well the bizarre part is the cashier apparently knew quite a bit of English: "Wow, that is a lot of coins you have. Mind if I count them for you?" She then proceeded to count them all in English. We ended up having a brief conversation. I think she spoke better english than any japanese person I came across during my trip. Why she's working the graveyard shift at some random store is beyond me.
5. Maybe Tokyo isn't so big after all
Sunday was my last full day in Japan. I got to my hostel around 1:30 PM. After dropping off my stuff, I figured I would go take one last tour of the city. Well I had just walked through Shibuya and was headed to Harajuku via an earth-day fair and Yoyogi Park, when I hear someone call out "Sean! Hey there!" I turned my head and it was Dave, a guy I met in Hiroshima. He then introduced me to his friend Tim. Ended up hanging out with them and a few others in the park. Had Mexican for dinner. It was all right. El Torito, the chain restaurant. Afterwards, had a couple tall beers walking through Shinjuku. It was a really nice evening, around 60 degrees.
Well then the following day, i was walking through Roppongi, since I hadn't seen it yet, and who do I run into? No, not dave. No, I saw Tim and Chris, one of the others in the group. Yup, over 20 million people in the Tokyo area and I run into people twice w/in 24 hours. Fun times.
6. Earth Day
Just in case you're wondering, Earth Day fairs in Japan are pretty much the same as they are back in America. As Chris said, "This makes me feel like I'm at home [in seattle]." Yeah, all kinds of hippy crap. Peace signs, all that good stuff. At first I didn't smell incense, and thought, "well that makes sense. guess they just stick to using that at temples." Alas, about 10 minutes later, I got to the "incsense" area. Joy.
Best t-shirt of the day: some chick had a shirt that said "Kill All Hippies." This was at the fair. Can't get any better than that.
Oh, one big difference between USA and Japan fairs: Lots of people were drinking beer at the Tokyo one. I didn't smell any pot. Total flip-flop of American version.
7. Akihabara
This area is the electronics area of Tokyo. Nerd central. seriously. The first time I walked through it, I didn't really care. The 2nd time though? For some reason I felt really uncomfortable being there. It wasn't the electronics that did it, but all the comic crap, porn here and there (porn pops up in random places in Japan), and I don't know, just general atmosphere.
Speaking of porn, only in Japan would I be able to look across the aisle on the bullet train and see some dude looking at a porn magazine.
So there you go, a quick summary of things in Japan. Didn't take as long as I expected, woo hoo. 12 minutes to spare.
What's next for me? Trying to get a visa for India and Bangladesh. Looks like the former will be a bit more time consuming than I expected. Should have gotten it in SF. Oh well, should have, could have, would have- right dad?
Cheers.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Rail pass, Osaka, Kyoto
Yesterday I left Hiroshima after a quick walk-through one last time. The weather was perfect, unlike the previous two days so I had to get a couple photos for proof that the sun does come out in Hiroshima.
After that, I hopped onto the bullet train again. I LOVE the rail pass. Basically I just flash it, the ticket people nod, and I am on my way. There seems to be a bullet train that I can catch every 30 minutes or so. I also had no idea how extensive the train system here in Japan is. The bullet trains are just one small component. THere are trains that seem to go EVERYWHERE. If you can`t get to it via train, then you must be going somewhere pretty isolated. Well on Honshu at least. I do not think Hokkaido and Kyushu have as many train lines. Best 250 bucks I have spent on this trip by far.
So the train I hopped onto went as far as Osaka. I was thinking I would stop in Kobe and check it out, but then I got an urge to return to Osaka, which was where I first saw Japan. I got off there, and took the subway into Namba, which is pretty central, and a big shopping area. I strolled around, reminising and remembering my previous visit there. Namba is a massive station with tons of exits. The first time I was there, I was looking for exit 10 to find the Korean consulate and I couldn`t seem to do it for the life of me. I became super nervous and worried I wouldnt find the consulate in time and my trip would be a failure. Thankfully I found it in time.
This time, I found the consulate in like 2 minutes. Of course it helped that I already knew where it was. Looks like they have changed the set-up a bit though. I went into the basement, but now it looks as though you go through the main entry-way for visa services. The holiday inn across the street is no longer there either.
Anyway, I continued on down and ended up at this shopping mall on top of the rail station. Apparently it was the grand opening of the place. Yesterday was literally the first day it was open. I didnt know this until i saw some signs saying as much. Before that, I was really puzzled why so many people were at the mall mid-day on a week-day. Well, that explained it.
After having my fun in Osaka, I hopped onto a train to Kyoto. An illustration of how awesome the train system is here- I missed the first one but caught one 5 minutes later and there were a couple soon after the one I took.
When I got to Kyoto 30 minutes later, I took a bus. Nothing like riding a bus at rush hour. Fun times. Managed to get off in the right place (unlike today when I was returning from sight seeing) and found my hotel- a ryokan off a main street. It really is pretty cool, although a bit rustic. Dimly lit, hard-wood floors. Pretty sweet set-up though. French receptionist was a bit of a dick though. He pronounced my name `seen.` yeah, what a tool.
As for kyoto? Well yes, it has lots of temples. It has lots of cool small alleys. Lots of tourists. Lots of japanese people in stores speaking english. Well besides the woman in the post office. I am very familiar with post offices now. I have gone to one every day since i have been here, either to mail something or to get money. FYI, the Japanese postal service has the highest amount of bank deposits in the world of any financial institute. Or it did, not sure if it is still number 1.
After that, I hopped onto the bullet train again. I LOVE the rail pass. Basically I just flash it, the ticket people nod, and I am on my way. There seems to be a bullet train that I can catch every 30 minutes or so. I also had no idea how extensive the train system here in Japan is. The bullet trains are just one small component. THere are trains that seem to go EVERYWHERE. If you can`t get to it via train, then you must be going somewhere pretty isolated. Well on Honshu at least. I do not think Hokkaido and Kyushu have as many train lines. Best 250 bucks I have spent on this trip by far.
So the train I hopped onto went as far as Osaka. I was thinking I would stop in Kobe and check it out, but then I got an urge to return to Osaka, which was where I first saw Japan. I got off there, and took the subway into Namba, which is pretty central, and a big shopping area. I strolled around, reminising and remembering my previous visit there. Namba is a massive station with tons of exits. The first time I was there, I was looking for exit 10 to find the Korean consulate and I couldn`t seem to do it for the life of me. I became super nervous and worried I wouldnt find the consulate in time and my trip would be a failure. Thankfully I found it in time.
This time, I found the consulate in like 2 minutes. Of course it helped that I already knew where it was. Looks like they have changed the set-up a bit though. I went into the basement, but now it looks as though you go through the main entry-way for visa services. The holiday inn across the street is no longer there either.
Anyway, I continued on down and ended up at this shopping mall on top of the rail station. Apparently it was the grand opening of the place. Yesterday was literally the first day it was open. I didnt know this until i saw some signs saying as much. Before that, I was really puzzled why so many people were at the mall mid-day on a week-day. Well, that explained it.
After having my fun in Osaka, I hopped onto a train to Kyoto. An illustration of how awesome the train system is here- I missed the first one but caught one 5 minutes later and there were a couple soon after the one I took.
When I got to Kyoto 30 minutes later, I took a bus. Nothing like riding a bus at rush hour. Fun times. Managed to get off in the right place (unlike today when I was returning from sight seeing) and found my hotel- a ryokan off a main street. It really is pretty cool, although a bit rustic. Dimly lit, hard-wood floors. Pretty sweet set-up though. French receptionist was a bit of a dick though. He pronounced my name `seen.` yeah, what a tool.
As for kyoto? Well yes, it has lots of temples. It has lots of cool small alleys. Lots of tourists. Lots of japanese people in stores speaking english. Well besides the woman in the post office. I am very familiar with post offices now. I have gone to one every day since i have been here, either to mail something or to get money. FYI, the Japanese postal service has the highest amount of bank deposits in the world of any financial institute. Or it did, not sure if it is still number 1.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
ok, so then
Toilets: they rock. They have some high quality technology here in the land of the rising sun. The suckers are heated. Sit down and you are in for a very nice surprise. In addition, they have a control panel on the side so if you want your rear to be washed, it can be done. Talk about service. The heating thing though, they need to start doing that to toilets in America.
Escalators: Being smart, the Japanese (and I found them in Korea too) realized why waste power on an escalator when no one is using it? Therefore, they have a sensor to detect if anyone is approaching the escalator. When it senses someone approaching, it begins moving. When it doesn't sense someone, it doesn't move. Pretty smart if you ask me.
Yellow fever: it came up in convo last night at dinner. I said something along the lines of, "yeah, kinda sad i'll be leaving Japan. There goes the eye candy.|"
Aussie chick: there aren't hot women in america?
(Turn red): umm yeah there are. I meant where I'm going
Whenever I talk to an asian chick, such as the one last night, I try to hide my yellow fever. As if it really matters. for some reason it does.
I think i had more to write but I had another fun night. Went out, grabbed some dinner- blocking on the food we had- then hit a few bars. I really didn't plan to check out the night life as much as I have but the prices are reasonable and i'm still within my budget. Fun times.
Escalators: Being smart, the Japanese (and I found them in Korea too) realized why waste power on an escalator when no one is using it? Therefore, they have a sensor to detect if anyone is approaching the escalator. When it senses someone approaching, it begins moving. When it doesn't sense someone, it doesn't move. Pretty smart if you ask me.
Yellow fever: it came up in convo last night at dinner. I said something along the lines of, "yeah, kinda sad i'll be leaving Japan. There goes the eye candy.|"
Aussie chick: there aren't hot women in america?
(Turn red): umm yeah there are. I meant where I'm going
Whenever I talk to an asian chick, such as the one last night, I try to hide my yellow fever. As if it really matters. for some reason it does.
I think i had more to write but I had another fun night. Went out, grabbed some dinner- blocking on the food we had- then hit a few bars. I really didn't plan to check out the night life as much as I have but the prices are reasonable and i'm still within my budget. Fun times.
unrelated and related
Ok, I have 6 minutes of internet time at the present moment. Once that is up, I am off to dinner with a fellow american and an aussie. So, let's begin.
Unrelated to trip: the warriors can clinch a play-off berth with a win in their last game. Why am i so excited? I am not a fan of the NBA. Maybe because the last time the warriors were in the play-offs I was a freshman in high school. Just in case you aren't aware how old I am, that was 13 years ago.
Related: It is freaking COLD here in Hiroshima. I toured around the a-bomb sites today and had my fun, then said screw this, I need to get inside. What did I do? Went to starbucks, nursed a mocha while writing a certain someone a letter, and people-watched. The japanese have an interesting way of dressing. Well many dress quite conservatively and look like they'd be in a gap ad. Others though? Let's just say I wasn't aware how many asian women had such long legs. They're not afraid to show them off. It really is mind-blowing what some of the women here wear. And the guys? Well I've seen a lotta wanna be gangstas. Interesting hairdos too. Anyway, it was quite enjoyable just staring out the window in starbucks looking at people passing by. The clientele wasn't half-bad either. Lots of gaijn there such as myself though. Not a big surprise given the circumstances.
Ok, i'm down to a minute...
Coming up later: toilets! escalators! yellow fever! I know you can't wait!
Unrelated to trip: the warriors can clinch a play-off berth with a win in their last game. Why am i so excited? I am not a fan of the NBA. Maybe because the last time the warriors were in the play-offs I was a freshman in high school. Just in case you aren't aware how old I am, that was 13 years ago.
Related: It is freaking COLD here in Hiroshima. I toured around the a-bomb sites today and had my fun, then said screw this, I need to get inside. What did I do? Went to starbucks, nursed a mocha while writing a certain someone a letter, and people-watched. The japanese have an interesting way of dressing. Well many dress quite conservatively and look like they'd be in a gap ad. Others though? Let's just say I wasn't aware how many asian women had such long legs. They're not afraid to show them off. It really is mind-blowing what some of the women here wear. And the guys? Well I've seen a lotta wanna be gangstas. Interesting hairdos too. Anyway, it was quite enjoyable just staring out the window in starbucks looking at people passing by. The clientele wasn't half-bad either. Lots of gaijn there such as myself though. Not a big surprise given the circumstances.
Ok, i'm down to a minute...
Coming up later: toilets! escalators! yellow fever! I know you can't wait!
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
My goodness
Presently in hiroshima. Spent the evening with 3 Aussies and another american at the japanese equivelent to a tapas bar. We got a bunch of small dishes and a lot of beer. I am totally blocking on the japanese term for that kind of place due to the two large bottles of Kirin that I consumed tonight. It is further proof that Japan is no more expensive than the west. We each put in 20 bucks or so, and we each had 2 big bottles of beer and shared about 10 dishes.
Anyhoo... Yesterday I left Tokyo and stopped over in Himeji to check out the castle there. First off, the bullet train, as I'm sure you would suspect, is quite nice and efficient. Have to say it provides a very pleasant ride. Secondly, I was suprised to see cherry blossoms. In Tokyo I saw hardly any, so I assumed I wouldn't see any south of it, since the general rule of thumb is the further south you go, the warmer the climate, and therefore earlier blossom season. Well I don't know if that was the case this year, but fortunately there were still lots of blossoms south of Tokyo, including around Himeji castle. Anther surprise for me was to see the interior of the castle to be wood. The reason that suprised me was the outside is all stone and whatnot, it hardly looks like it would have a wooden interior. The last suprise for me was it had 6 floors. Quite a climb to the top of the castle.
After visiting Himeji, I took another train to Hiroshima. I arrived at the hostel, checked in, and saw there were a total of 8 beds in the room I was staying in. It was completely empty and devoid of people. So was the "common room." I was pissed. Why? Because a big reason I decided to "slum" it and stay at hostels was to meet fellow travelers. It didn't seem like that was happening for me. I went totally solo in Tokyo (until the last night, when I met a dude from Singapore who drove me nuts) and it looked like it was going to be the same in Hiroshima. So I decided to go out for a bit.
When I came back, there were a couple people in the common room, so I figured I would get a beer and chill with them. Well I set a trend as far as the beer drinking goes. By the end of the night, a handful of others were drinking and the common room was quite packed. I ended up staying up until 12:30 chatting away, and today explored Miyajima with the aforementioned 3 aussies. We also went to a town called Iwakuni, which I had never heard of prior to last night. It had a rather unique bridge. Oh, and white snakes. That I didn't have any interest in seeing, so I didn't. The aussies did however. Their enthusiasm confirmed my decision.
Got back to Hiroshima in the evening. Receptionist told us of all you can drink, all you can eat place. We were obviously down with that. Alas, that place was closed due to remodeling. To fill that "void" we settled for the place mentioned above. It ended up being quite pleasant and enjoyable. I suppose I should elaborate and explain HOW it was, but uh, just trust me, it was.
So tomorrow I aim to actually check out Hiroshima itself. I have yet to see Peace Park and the A-bomb building. Tomorrow, inshallah. Going through the city via train and street cars, I find it to be quite pleasant. It is close to the sea and apparently 6 rivers run through the city. I look fwd to exploring it more.
There you go, a quick recap of the past couple days.
Anyhoo... Yesterday I left Tokyo and stopped over in Himeji to check out the castle there. First off, the bullet train, as I'm sure you would suspect, is quite nice and efficient. Have to say it provides a very pleasant ride. Secondly, I was suprised to see cherry blossoms. In Tokyo I saw hardly any, so I assumed I wouldn't see any south of it, since the general rule of thumb is the further south you go, the warmer the climate, and therefore earlier blossom season. Well I don't know if that was the case this year, but fortunately there were still lots of blossoms south of Tokyo, including around Himeji castle. Anther surprise for me was to see the interior of the castle to be wood. The reason that suprised me was the outside is all stone and whatnot, it hardly looks like it would have a wooden interior. The last suprise for me was it had 6 floors. Quite a climb to the top of the castle.
After visiting Himeji, I took another train to Hiroshima. I arrived at the hostel, checked in, and saw there were a total of 8 beds in the room I was staying in. It was completely empty and devoid of people. So was the "common room." I was pissed. Why? Because a big reason I decided to "slum" it and stay at hostels was to meet fellow travelers. It didn't seem like that was happening for me. I went totally solo in Tokyo (until the last night, when I met a dude from Singapore who drove me nuts) and it looked like it was going to be the same in Hiroshima. So I decided to go out for a bit.
When I came back, there were a couple people in the common room, so I figured I would get a beer and chill with them. Well I set a trend as far as the beer drinking goes. By the end of the night, a handful of others were drinking and the common room was quite packed. I ended up staying up until 12:30 chatting away, and today explored Miyajima with the aforementioned 3 aussies. We also went to a town called Iwakuni, which I had never heard of prior to last night. It had a rather unique bridge. Oh, and white snakes. That I didn't have any interest in seeing, so I didn't. The aussies did however. Their enthusiasm confirmed my decision.
Got back to Hiroshima in the evening. Receptionist told us of all you can drink, all you can eat place. We were obviously down with that. Alas, that place was closed due to remodeling. To fill that "void" we settled for the place mentioned above. It ended up being quite pleasant and enjoyable. I suppose I should elaborate and explain HOW it was, but uh, just trust me, it was.
So tomorrow I aim to actually check out Hiroshima itself. I have yet to see Peace Park and the A-bomb building. Tomorrow, inshallah. Going through the city via train and street cars, I find it to be quite pleasant. It is close to the sea and apparently 6 rivers run through the city. I look fwd to exploring it more.
There you go, a quick recap of the past couple days.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Sunburned in Tokyo
You know, now that I am traveling, I really dont give much thought to what I eat. For instance, for lunch, I got a really greasy bowl of ramen. Had I been back home I would have thought, ewww, this is gross. This isn't healthy and will get me fat. Today though? Well I did say ewww, too much grease but simply for aesthetic reasons.
What did I get after i ate that greasy ramen? An ice cream bar. I haven't had ice cream in ages. What did I get after going out for a couple beers tonight? A pack of cookies. Yeah, travel=junk food time. I figure if I am going to walk 10 hours in a day, I can afford to eat some crap. Anyway, my days summary:
Thanks to jet lag, I was up early this morning. I woke up around 6, but forced myself to stay in bed until 8. After showering and whatnot, I left my hotel around 830. I did not return until around 630. What did I do during those 10 hours? Walk for nearly all of it. So what did I discover?
Sensoji Temple is all right. It is within walking distance of where I am staying. Lots and lots of tourists. Rather disorienting walking around hearing Chinese instead of Japanese. Not sure why, but it was.
Ueno Park was pretty nice. It reminded me of Central Park. Why? simply because it was massive. Thats about it really.
Turns out there are many parks in Tokyo. It was a pleasant surprise.
Where would I live in Tokyo? Harajuku. And no, not because young people dress all weird and whatnot. Personally I think that is a reason NOT to live there. No, I liked it because it was really clean, seemed a little quirky, just had this lively atmosphere.
Most disappointing area so far? Shinjuku. very busy, but bland. That being said, I got a quite a view of Tokyo from the 45th floor of the Tokyo Metro Govt Building. Even though it was sunny today, the view was rather unimpressive due to pollution or haze (one of the two, maybe both).
What did I get after i ate that greasy ramen? An ice cream bar. I haven't had ice cream in ages. What did I get after going out for a couple beers tonight? A pack of cookies. Yeah, travel=junk food time. I figure if I am going to walk 10 hours in a day, I can afford to eat some crap. Anyway, my days summary:
Thanks to jet lag, I was up early this morning. I woke up around 6, but forced myself to stay in bed until 8. After showering and whatnot, I left my hotel around 830. I did not return until around 630. What did I do during those 10 hours? Walk for nearly all of it. So what did I discover?
Sensoji Temple is all right. It is within walking distance of where I am staying. Lots and lots of tourists. Rather disorienting walking around hearing Chinese instead of Japanese. Not sure why, but it was.
Ueno Park was pretty nice. It reminded me of Central Park. Why? simply because it was massive. Thats about it really.
Turns out there are many parks in Tokyo. It was a pleasant surprise.
Where would I live in Tokyo? Harajuku. And no, not because young people dress all weird and whatnot. Personally I think that is a reason NOT to live there. No, I liked it because it was really clean, seemed a little quirky, just had this lively atmosphere.
Most disappointing area so far? Shinjuku. very busy, but bland. That being said, I got a quite a view of Tokyo from the 45th floor of the Tokyo Metro Govt Building. Even though it was sunny today, the view was rather unimpressive due to pollution or haze (one of the two, maybe both).
Friday, April 13, 2007
Flight over and first evening in Tokyo
Right now I am drinking my 2nd bottle of Pocari Sweat for the evening. How many times have I had Pocari Sweat before tonight? Umm no more than 5. Why am I drinking it? Because I have no interest in soda and I do not have the courage to try something new tonight.
So my flight over went all right. I upgraded to economy plus and the seat next to me was empty so I was quite content space-wise. The flight attendents minus one were very polite. United actually impressed me. FYI: check in online for Intl. flights. It saves you LOTS of time. There was one woman in front of me to check baggage, as opposed to the 100 people in line to check-in for everything. I said to her, uh, is this it? She told me she couldnt believe it either.
This japanese keyboard is a bit weird, so my puncuation is a little screwy.
Tokyo... Well.. It is too early to say anything. I wandered around the area of my hotel (which I found quite easily thankfully) and memories of Korea came back. It is like Korea but not. That is all I can say at this point.
I made 3 mistakes today. 1 of them wasnt embarrasing at all (I was about to buy a ticket to tokyo from the airport, then realized I needed to get yen), one was slightly embarassing (apparently the japanese line up on the opposite side of the escalator than the rest of the world), and one somewhat embarrasing mistake. I chose a tonkatsu restaurant simply because well, I can read tonkatsu and knew it is something I like (pork cutlet). So I go in, sit down, and get all ready to order for the first time. Dude comes up to me and says something in Japanese and Im like uhhhh what? He then points to the machine by the entrance. Turns out you buy a ticket from the vending machine and then hand it to the waiter. For us ignorant types, there are picture descriptions as well. It is a pretty sweet set-up I have to say.
It isn:t the only restaurant to have it either. Afterwards, I noticed it in a couple other places. Certainly makes it easier for us gaijin.
So my flight over went all right. I upgraded to economy plus and the seat next to me was empty so I was quite content space-wise. The flight attendents minus one were very polite. United actually impressed me. FYI: check in online for Intl. flights. It saves you LOTS of time. There was one woman in front of me to check baggage, as opposed to the 100 people in line to check-in for everything. I said to her, uh, is this it? She told me she couldnt believe it either.
This japanese keyboard is a bit weird, so my puncuation is a little screwy.
Tokyo... Well.. It is too early to say anything. I wandered around the area of my hotel (which I found quite easily thankfully) and memories of Korea came back. It is like Korea but not. That is all I can say at this point.
I made 3 mistakes today. 1 of them wasnt embarrasing at all (I was about to buy a ticket to tokyo from the airport, then realized I needed to get yen), one was slightly embarassing (apparently the japanese line up on the opposite side of the escalator than the rest of the world), and one somewhat embarrasing mistake. I chose a tonkatsu restaurant simply because well, I can read tonkatsu and knew it is something I like (pork cutlet). So I go in, sit down, and get all ready to order for the first time. Dude comes up to me and says something in Japanese and Im like uhhhh what? He then points to the machine by the entrance. Turns out you buy a ticket from the vending machine and then hand it to the waiter. For us ignorant types, there are picture descriptions as well. It is a pretty sweet set-up I have to say.
It isn:t the only restaurant to have it either. Afterwards, I noticed it in a couple other places. Certainly makes it easier for us gaijin.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
I'm adios
5 hours from now I will be boarding a plane to take me to Tokyo. Hard to believe the day has finally arrived. I'm a little edgy right now. A friend asked me this morning if I was excited. At this moment, not really. It comes and goes.For instance, yesterday I went to get my rail pass over in San Francisco. When I stepped into the travel agency and saw all these brochures on Japan, the excitement came. When I held the rail pass "exchange order" I got a nice little adrenaline rush. It also helped that Jordan, who was accompanying me, was pumped up. When I was browsing a brochure and came across a map of the Tokyo JR system, that really got her going. I was like yup, that's where I'll be in about 24 hours.
Got my haircut yesterday (as illustrated in the pic to the right). Told the woman to do it really short because I wouldn't be there for awhile. "What, you don't like coming to us?" she said. Well yeah, but obviously I couldn't tell her that. And plus, "No, I'm not going to be around for awhile so I need it that way."
"oh, well, I guess that's ok then." Better be.
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