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Mission Impossible: Obtain Chengdu-Lhasa Train Ticket
2008-03-23 06:55:00 ?To repeat ? ad infinitum ? though train tickets are a lot easier to land these days, don’t expect next-day middle-berth hard sleeper miracles for the most popular routes. To wit: expect everyone and their dog to be trying to get on the Chengdu-Lhasa train.? —- Lonely Planet ... More About: Tibet , Train , Mission , Impossible , Ticket
Plotting My Next Move
2008-03-22 19:48:00 By my fourth night in Chengdu I realized the days were flittering by and I had yet to begin arrangements for my Tibet Tourist Permit (necessary for all visitors) or my train ticket to Lhasa. The former was easy to obtain if you have the time (usually a week), while the latter could be ... More About: Move
Rain, Tea, And WiFi At Texas Pete?s
2008-03-22 06:41:00 I awoke from my slumber around noon’ish. Charlie’s couch was quite comfortable, and his sleeping bag kept me sufficiently warm. As Charlie had to fly somewhere for a DJ gig Saturday night, his girlfriend Jody (Chinese) offered to take me out. Our first priority was food ? pork dumplings! ... More About: Rain , Wifi , Texas , Pete
Friday Night Lasers
2008-03-21 06:28:00 After the bus ride from the airport, we walked to a favorite restaurant of Charlie’s which served pork dumplings. A big bowl arrived for each of us, with the dumplings sitting in a pool of red oil. At home, I’d be horrified of such a sight, thinking it was a sign ... More About: Lasers , Night , Friday
Rendezvous With Charlie
2008-03-20 06:22:00 Upon arrival back in Hong Kong, I booked a one-way flight from Shenzhen to Chengdu online for $80 (tax included). Thank you China Southern Airlines! I left Adam to his own devices and took the easy route by hiring a taxi to the airport instead of taking the metro to an airport shuttle ... More About: Charlie , Rendezvous
Shenzhen Sights And Snooker
2008-03-18 19:29:00 I managed another Skype call to Michelle and set up a time to meet her outside a metro stop in her neighborhood. I invited Adam to join us for the day’s excursion. The metro was easy to navigate as there is only one full line operating. Shenzhen has gone from ... More About: Sights , Snooker
Crossing Into Mainland China
2008-03-18 06:27:00 The logistics of taking the train from Hong Kong to the mainland China border (adjacent to the city of Shenzhen) could not have been easier. We passed through immigration almost too quickly, and stepped out of the administrative building to a massive city with practically no signs in English. The Lonely Planet does ... More About: Crossing
Final Thoughts: Macau
2008-03-17 19:10:00 Highlights - walking around town taking in the sights, sounds, and smells meeting and hanging out with John from Turkey touring the casinos: The Wynn (my favorite), Grand Lisboa, MGM Grand and The Sands winning a few dollars at Sic Bo and War meeting the friendly guys from Nepal Discoveries - just because The Lonely Planet says room rates are ... More About: Thoughts , Macau , Final
Farewell Macau
2008-03-17 16:34:00 Our last day in Macau was rather low key. We ran into some Nepali guys who were vacationing in China. They were quite friendly, and spoke fairly good English between them all. I exchanged e-mails with one of them, hoping a little insider help could benefit me in ... More About: Hong Kong , Farewell
Turtle Casserole
2008-03-17 00:03:00 Sleeping late almost every day is one of my favorite aspects of vacation. Even when my bed is as hard as a rock, the ability to schedule one’s day around sleep is wonderful. John had to wake up early to attend to his visa and Adam was still out like ... More About: Turtle , Macau , Casserole
Uprisings In Tibet
2008-03-15 13:10:00 In light of recent events, I am jumping ahead for a moment… Saturday, March 15, 2008 @ 3:15pm I’m sitting on a deck, watching the rain, the sound of electric saws buzzing below at Sim’s Cozy Guest House break the silence. Earlier in the afternoon, upon checking my e-mail, I read a disturbing message from The International Campaign ... More About: Tibet
Lazy By Day, High Rollers By Night
2008-03-15 06:00:00 We all slept until at least noon on Sunday. I got up first because my bed had the consistency of concrete. I couldn’t figure out how to heat up the water for the shower so I skipped one for the first time in weeks. I grabbed a pork dumpling lunch at a ... More About: Night , Macau , High , Lazy
Visiting Macau ? The Las Vegas Of The East
2008-03-14 06:57:00 I passed up several opportunities to visit Las Vegas with friends as I saved for this trip, so I decided to check out the East ern version, Macau , an hour’s ferry ride southwest of Hong Kong with Adam. The side trip would also allow me to earn another stamp in my passport. I’m not big on ...
Final Thoughts: Hong Kong
2008-03-13 06:40:00 If Kuta in Bali felt like a culture shock at first, then Hong Kong felt like a culture A-bomb. After a day or two, I started to feel comfortable. If you’ve been to a few big cities (NYC, London, Paris, Rome, etc) then it’s not too hard to get the hang of finding ... More About: Thoughts , Final
Indian Visa And Last Night In Hong Kong
2008-03-12 19:38:00 I returned to the Indian consulate Friday morning to pay my Visa fee and drop off my passport. It was brought to my attention that I could only obtain a 3-month (versus 6-month) Visa abroad which went into effect immediately, thus limiting my time in India until May 29. I was offered the ... More About: Hong Kong , Night , Hong
World?s Largest Outdoor Seated Bronze Buddha
2008-03-12 06:32:00 Day 5 in Hong Kong was dedicated to taking the MTR to Lantau Island, home of Po Lin, a Buddhist monastery containing Tian Tan Buddha statue, the world’s largest outdoor seated bronze Buddha (apparently there is a bigger one indoors somewhere). Adam and I took the MTR to Lantau Island, and then waited in a 2-hour ... More About: World , Bronze , Outdoor
Escalators, Victoria Peak, Dance Mania, And A Light Show
2008-03-11 06:20:00 After our shopping spree the previous day, Adam and I headed to Hong Kong Island for some touristy sightseeing. First on my list was the Mid-Levels Escalator, the world’s longest, transporting people 800 meters uphill past restaurants, bars and shops in the SoHo district. After 20 minutes of riding the series of escalators, we were ... More About: Dance , Show , Victoria , Light
Electronics Shopping At The Golden Computer Center
2008-03-10 06:16:00 Adam had offered to help me find and buy an Asus laptop, so we headed north on Nathan Road in a taxi to The Golden Computer Center , a giant collection of electronics shops. The lower floor was dedicated to video games, while the upper contained computers and TV’s. The Center was not the place to go ... More About: Shopping , Electronics , Hong Kong
Contemplating My Nepal Trek
2008-03-09 06:14:00 Buying a new toy was only one of the thoughts on my mind during my time in Hong Kong. Reaching mainland Asia meant I needed to start thinking about what I was going to do for a trek in Nepal . April, the second best time to go in terms of weather, was quickly approaching. Initially, I ... More About: Trek
Trains, Visas, And Laptops
2008-03-08 06:09:00 I pried myself out of bed early to drop off my Visa application at the Indian consulate on Hong Kong Island. The errand afforded me my first trip on the Mass Transit Rail (MTR). I bought an Octopus card which is a renewable debit card for Hong Kong’s public transit system, as well ... More About: Laptops , Trains , Visas
Getting My Bearings
2008-03-07 06:05:00 I awoke the next morning to the comings and goings of those in the hostel room. The bathroom was very tiny ? a square with a toilet, small sink, and hand-held shower head. You wash yourself standing right next to the toilet. The setup didn’t bother me to my surprise, maybe because I had gotten ... More About: Hong Kong
Touchdown In Hong Kong
2008-03-06 06:58:00 In the early evening, I arrived parched and famished in Hong Kong . After passing immigrations and customs, and collecting my bag, I bit the bullet and grabbed dinner at Burger King in the terminal. If I haven’t mentioned it previously, flying with the discount Australian airline Jetstar (and it’s Asian contingent) has meant ... More About: Touchdown
Final Thoughts: Singapore
2008-03-05 06:51:00 My memories of Singapore will be forever tied to the variety of delicious foods available, and Ian’s hospitality. Many people will claim you can see the city in a day, however I found 4 days to be far too short to truly get a feel for the life and culture of this wonderful city/country. Highlights ... More About: Thoughts , Final
Sayonara Singapore
2008-03-04 06:58:00 Ian saw me off to the train on his way to work. He was entirely too generous with his time and money. While hostels aren’t particularly expensive in Singapore , I saved quite a bit of money by staying with him when you factor in the internet, laundry, food, and transportation costs. ...
Hello Malaysia, Goodbye Malaysia
2008-03-03 06:57:00 The next day, I joined Ian on a short trip across the border to Singapore for a travel fair sponsored by Malaysia Air. Despite high hopes for cheap fairs, the event was a dud, and we got lunch and a few shirts at a nearby mall. The prices were super cheap ... More About: Goodbye
School Daze, Crab A La Bourdain, And Durian
2008-03-02 06:55:00 On my second full day in Singapore , I ran an errand with Ian to his alma mater, the National University of Singapore. It was fun to walk through the halls, and eat in the cafeteria, with all the students. It brought back memories from my own college years. Afterwards, I opted for ... More About: School , Crab , Durian
Merlion, Snakes, And Singapore Slings
2008-03-01 06:51:00 After a comfortable sleep, I spent some time on my federal/state taxes. It was a luxury to have access to Ian’s computer with fast broadband connection after so many slow sessions in Indonesia. Ian has a PhD, and seems like a regular Renaissance man. He works at night based on ... More About: Snakes , Singapore
Couchsurfing Singapore
2008-02-29 06:41:00 During the first part of the flight to Singapore , there was frequent turbulence and flashes of lightning through the clouds. Initially, I was engrossed in a conversation with the Australian women next to me who was on her way to do the Everest Base Camp trek in Nepal by ...
Odds And Ends After 3 Months Of Travel
2008-02-28 07:35:00 Here I am, 3 months into my long-awaited trip around the world. Hard to believe I’ve made it so far. More than anything, I feel a sense of great accomplishment for making this experience a reality. Dreaming big, working hard, sacrificing multiple trips to Las Vegas, and punching through my fears ... More About: Travel , Indonesia , Odds , Ends , Months
Final Thoughts: Indonesia
More articles from this author:2008-02-27 19:24:00 I am leaving Indonesia a changed person. I can feel it, though you may not be able to see it on here. I’m less naive, more assertive, a slightly better negotiator (with still a long way to go), and more in touch with my emotions, which often felt amplified. It feels bittersweet to ... More About: Thoughts , Final 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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