Saturday, December 31, 2011

New Year's Resolution




You Should Travel to Italy



1) Get a pet wallaby



2) Eat more chocolate



4) Study photograpy



5) Get in shape with surfing


Friday, August 19, 2011

Fodor's Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos

I used Fodor's Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos on my recent trip to New Mexico. I favor the Fodor's series because their "Fodor's Choices" always meet my expectations and their star system helps me decide what to see when I have little time. From this book I discovered the Turquoise Trail, which in turn led me to Madrid, NM, a delightful hamlet with several good shops with reasonable prices. The sidebar essays are quick reads that offer good inside information on the area.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Canyon Road, New Mexico



Funky, yet traditional Canyon Road is home to dozens of art galleries and shops with lots of Native American jewelry, cowboy clothes and ceramics. There's so much that's beautiful, but everything I saw was pricy. I've gotten accustomed to buying crafts in Asia and I can get something lovely for $40 so it's hard to buy something comparable here for $200. Yet I realize the artists here need to earn more to support themselves. At the same time, if supporting oneself means living a block away from Canyon Road where I parked and saw a tiny house on the market for $750K well, I'm not as sympathetic any more.



Still it's fun to browse the shops, though I wish I could take some photos. I don't because it'd be rude and the owners would probably get miffed as the clerk did when I got the cowboy boots shot last week, but that I couldn't resist. It was one of those Dorothy Day, "I prefer to ask forgiveness, than ask permission" moments.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

On Culture: Mistresses in China an South Korea

Asia News Network reports that:

Seoul - The increasing popularity of "ernai," or mistresses among wealthy men is emerging as a problem in Chinese society, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.

Amid the rapid development of the country's economy, large numbers of those fortunate enough to enjoy the prosperity are having affairs with mistresses, making it the symbol of the rich.

"Keeping a mistress is just like playing golf," a man told the New York Times concerning the issue, adding "both are expensive hobbies." Those seeking such liaisons offer lavishing apartments or cars as well as monthly allowances.
However, the public is angered by the trend. Chinese prosecutors believe about 90 percents of governmental executives accused of corruption have mistresses, sometimes more than 10.

In December a government employee allegedly murdered his mistresses and abandoned the body in a river when she asked for $3 million in return for putting end to the relationship.

Zheng Beichin, a lawyer who had defended a mistress, told the New York Times "the nation's elite, including judges and government officials, have little desire to tinker with the status quo."
Meanwhile, a similar phenomenon exists in Korea covertly under the name of "sponsor contract," where rich men provide money and a home to women in return for relationships.

For Travel Writers

If you read much travel writing you're probably aware of the Travelers' Tales Guides, anthologies and chronicles with a wide array of themes. I've just discovered that they have an open submission policy and a webpage full of good articles and information for writers and travelers. Check it out here.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Old Town, Santa Fe



Sunday I arrived in Albuquerque, rented a car and drove up Hwy 25 to Santa Fe. I wandered about the plaza checking out art galleries and jewelry shops. I love the adobe architecture. I imagined that the houses would use something different, that they'd have abandoned tradition, but they haven't.

Around the plaza there's three churches with beautiful architecture and art. St. Francis Cathedral Basilica and San Miguel, the oldest church continually in use in the US are open and free to enter. The Loretto Chapel isn't. It's been bought by a businessman who charges three dollars a head to go into the small chapel. The claim to fame is an unsupported spiral staircase, which is cool, but since it takes about 5 - 10 minutes to see the chapel, I'd say its something of a tourist trap.

One tip: You don't have to feed the meters on Sunday. So find a metered parking space. No reason to pay for parking.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Thursday, July 28, 2011

ETA Blogs

The English Teaching Assistant Program offered by the Fulbright program is a good way to immerse yourself in another culture. Participants assist high school English teachers usually in off the beaten track towns. Thus they're able to see a part of a country few do. They live in the community and participate in school events so they're exposed to the culture much more than those who work at English academies or institutes.

Here are some blogs by ETA's that capture the experience:


Note: I know the authors of the starred blogs* and have read those regularly, the other blogs I've perused. Since the program operates in 65 countries there are bound to be many many more blogs. If you do apply, search for ETA blogs by typing in the country name for the location that interests you.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Where to Stay in Jinan



A budget option, since they don't have a hostel in Jinan, is the Home Inn, a chain with locations throughout China. When I stayed it cost $180 rmb a night and required a 300 rmb deposit. The staff was put off when I showed up. They don't get many foreigners. But I assured them we could do this and we did. All the staff knew a little English and between everyone behind the desk and myself, we managed.

I got a clean room with free wifi. The only drawback was noisy neighbors.



Monday, July 25, 2011

Must See Chicago Event

This is a must-see event in Chicago. For me it rates a lot higher than say The Taste of Chicago.

This coming Saturday, July 30th the Newberry Library celebrates free speech with the Bughouse Square Debates. They'll open with an award for outstanding work for free speech and then offer an afternoon of reasoned, passionate debate on a wide range of topics: religion, politics, arts, education, you name it. Heckling is encouraged and honored. The Dil Pickle Award will go to the best debater.

There is an open soap box so anyone could win this year's Dil.

Travel Tip

When traveling say by bus or train with a group of your friends, don't always sit together. Sometimes split up and converse with some new people. It's a great way to tap into the zeitgeist and great fun to later compare notes on what you've gleaned.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Weekly Photo Challenge: Colorful




Travelers who love to take photos may want to join me in this challenge:

New to The Daily Post? Whether you’re a beginner or a professional, you’re invited to get involved in our Weekly Photo Challenge to help you meet your blogging goals and give you another way to take part in Post a Day / Post a Week. Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

1. Each week, we’ll provide a theme for creative inspiration. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog anytime before the following Friday when the next photo theme will be announced.

2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “Weekly Photo Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use a “postaday2011″ or “postaweek2011″ tag.

3. Subscribe to The Daily Post so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Avoid at all Costs: Marquette House Hostel





I stayed an extra day in New Orleans after my friend had to leave. I figured I should stay in a hostel rather than a hotel to save money and perhaps rub elbows with some fellow travelers. I've had great luck with hostels in Bangkok, Beijing, Boston and Honolulu.

I booked a room at Marquette House New Orleans International Hostel online.

This turned out to be the worst rat hole I've ever stayed in. The room was filthy as was the bathroom. Guests, long gone, had left food containers and wrappers in the dorms and no one cleaned them up. The showers and bathrooms were a mess. The stairs needed repair. I shared a room with a woman from Isreal and profusely apologized that America was not usually so disgusting.

Is someone paying off the city inspectors? I don't know why this fire trap is allowed to remain open. It's a disgrace to NOLA.




Wednesday, July 20, 2011

The Red Capital Club

Mao's favorite watering hole is now a boutique hotel, restaurant, and bar called the Red Capital Club. It's hard to find down a little hutong, but if you're persistent, as we were, you'll find a cab to take you there.

Inside the bar has a comfortable feel as it's full of Mao era kitsch: worker figurines, guns, old leather chairs, posters, Mao pins. The drink menu features signature cocktails inspired by Mao and his cronies. I tried the White Cat Black Cat based on Deng Xiaoping's famous quotation: No matter if it is a white cat or a black cat; as long as it can catch mice. (Actually, that may be a Sichuan proverb that he just used.)

I liked my White Cat Black Cat drink, though it was pricey at 800 rmb. Sometimes I'll break down and splurge.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Fat Wallet

If you love a bargain, Fat Wallet is a website that offers shoppers additional discounts. For example, I needed a hotel room in August and remembered Fat Wallet, but logging in and then going to the hotel's website, I earned a $5 (approx.) rebate.

For travelers Fat Wallet has rebates and coupons for hotels, car rentals, airlines and travel gear.

I have tried this and did get my rebates.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

At the Shanghai Museum









The Shanghai Museum is centrally located and best of all free. Yes, free! You can easily spend hours there viewing this impeccable collection.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

New Orleans Walking Tour



On Thursday Maryann and I missed out on the U.S. Park Department’s free walking tour of the Riverfront. They only take 25 people a day and the line for the 9:30 am tour started at 8:30. We tried again on Sunday and were rewarded with a ticket.

A ranger, who’d come to NOLA from Iowa and knew his stuff, led the tour. He entertained us with a lot of history of this spirited city that has been ruled by the French, the Spanish and the Americans by turn. Among the many facts I learned were:

  • The term Dixie derives from the currency used in NOLA. The bills used to be bilingual and ten dollar notes said “dix.” Hence outsiders called NOLA, Dixieland.
  • No one really wanted to live in NOLA with its mosquitos and humidity so the French “coaxed” prisoners, prostitutes and those unemployed for more than a few days to board a ship for their new homeland.
  • Spaniards who came to NOLA did not bring wives so they wound up marrying French women, who taught their children French thus keeping the language in play during Spanish rule.
  • The for-profit tour companies have lobbied for reducing the number of tours, participants and locales of the Park Service’s tours to ensure they make a profit. Considering that I find most commercial tours disappointing, this irks me. Why not embrace the challenge and provide better tours to ensure success? Considering that the National Park Service’s mission is to preserve wildlife and culture they do have a place in the Big Easy.

Hotel Review : Golden Palace Silver Street

Beijing - Golden Palace Silver Street
With modern, chic rooms and a good location near Wangfangjing shopping street and near a metro station, you’d think this would be an easy recommendation. Yet the “24 hour restaurant” is only open in the morning for what my friends described as a dreadful, disgusting breakfast and few on the staff speak English. So picking up one’s baggage saying, “Mine’s the big, green bag in the corner” can only be deciphered by one of the six people working the desk, make me urge people to go elsewhere.

What cinches it is that the bellboys are in cahoots with the cab drivers who loiter out front and refuse to use their meters. So they’re charging three times the rate to go to nearby stops and an extra 50 rmb to go to the airport. I told one guy that he was disgraceful as I helped a friend out to the main street with her luggage so she could get a fair price.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Dead passengers can't use a flight credit

This article describes a terrible customer disservice. American Airlines refused to issue a refund to a man whose wife died and thus couldn't travel as planned. Whoever first handled this matter was obviously out to lunch.

It makes me not want me to travel with American.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Cadogan's Provence

Cadogan has become my new favorite travel guide. Beth, my former boss, recommended the title and suggested I visit Provence while in France. This guide's strength is the commentary which is often funny and provides just the right amount and kind of facts. Here's a sample:
On Arles
Like Nîmes, Arles has enought intact antiquities to call itself the "Rome of France"; unlike Nîmes it lingered in the post-Roman limelight for another thousand years, producing enough saints for every month on the calendar. . . . Henry James wrote "As a city Arles quite misses its effect in every way: and if it is a charming place, as I think it is, I can hardly tell the reason why." Modern Arles, sitting amidst its ruins, is still somehow charming, in spite of a general scruffiness that seems more intentional than natural.

By the way I really like Arles. It was easy to get around and there was plenty of charm and good food for three days.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Hotel Reviews: China Trip

The West Hotel - Hong Kong
A fine, though small hotel not far from Jordan Station in Kowloon. The rooms are tiny and the prices rather high. Lynda, my roommate in Hong Kong on the tour, stayed at a better hotel with free breakfast for less money for two nights before the tour started.

I’d say the YMCA hotel in Kowloon is better. The rooms are more spacious and the location is closer to the nearest MRT station.

The Olé London Hotel




That accent mark is on the Hotel sign and cards so it’s not my error. I do think they meant Ole, but whatever. It’s a cute hotel with clean, though small rooms. It’s walking distance from the plaza where all the churches and shops are. Also it’s not far from a stop for the free buses to the Venetian Hotel. I’d go back there if I had to stay in Macau, which is an easy day trip from Hong Kong.



Lisa’s in Yangshou
The rooms are clean and pretty nicely decorated. Our rooms looked out to the limestone mountains. the street is quiet, unlike the main drag where one of her other hotels is located. It’s an easy walk to the cafés, shops and bars, but you don’t get all the commotion that comes with the main drag.



The showers are nice and hot and except for one girl at the desk, who may be a relative, all the employees are responsive. the non-responsive girl won’t even look up from her computer games as you talk to her and ask for help. She can somehow get you what you need while IMing or whatever.

Lisa is kind and a go-getter with two other small hotels in town. She took care of our breakfast orders and made sure things ran smoothly (except for that surly teen). The breakfast offerings were Western (good French toast, eggs, pancakes, etc) or Chinese (dumplings) and portions were huge.

I’d definitely go back.

Yet - don't use the laundry service. They promised to have everything done, including drying by the time we left. We were there two days and that should be adequate time to get laundry returned. We were still waiting for ours when we were about to leave. We got back bags of wet laundry. We had to hang it around our compartments on the night train.

Flower Hotel - Chengdu
A beautiful hotel with a great decor, the Flower Hotel is charming -- until you try to deal with the staff. Again, their English was bad as was the breakfast. Just inedible and I like some Chinese breakfast foods like dumplings and some savory breads. But I don’t like them tepid.



Dealing with the staff was a comedy of errors. They woke two friends at 3 am to bring them toilet paper that wasn’t asked for. (Adrienne says they were probably doing a routine check to see if there were prostitutes inside.) When I asked about getting hot water in the afternoon when I wanted to take a shower, I was first told to let the water run. Then when I said it had been running for over 10 minutes, I was told it was being repaired. Huh? How convenient that you just remembered that.



Back to the pretty decor. The bathrooms are enclosed by glass with a shade on one side and strings of beads on the side near the door. That’s beautiful if you’re with someone whom you’re intimate with, but if you’re with a friend, it might not be. There are all these opportunities like when you may be dressing and your roommate who went out for a smoke enters the door giving everyone in the hall more of a glimpse of your body than you’d like. Some real walls would be welcome.



Shanghai - Nanjing Hotel
I forgot to take a picture of this room. It was clean and in a good location right around the corner from a metro station and 100 meters (half a block) from East Nanjing Street. One can easily walk to the Shanghai Museum and the Bund.

The staff spoke English well - the best on the trip, tied with Hong Kong. I didn’t have breakfast there. Outside each morning there were vendors making pancakes filled with meat or veggies. Some friends like them. I think I chose the wrong cart since mine was rather greasy. It is near a few Starbucks, which I craved since I can get Chinese food all the time anyway.

Friday, July 8, 2011

St. Joseph's Parade, 2011



I loved this parade in New Orleans last March. It's so real and natural as opposed to commercial and impersonal. I highly recommend attending this if you're in NOLA when they have it.

Found Treasure of Travel Writing


I recovered this post from the void of cyberspace.* Since Donald Richie, as I stated, is such a remarkable writer on culture, I thought I'd share it here.
Monday, June 30, 2008
By Donald Richie
Donald Richie is one of my favorite writers on Japan. Every Sunday he writes a book review in the Japan Times. Here's this week's

THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF
Having faith in traveling


EXCURSIONS IN IDENTITY: Travel and the Intersection of Place, Gender and Status in Edo Japan, by Laura Nenzi. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 2008, 267 pp., illustrations IX, $57 (cloth)
During Japan's Edo Period (1603-1867), Dr. Laura Nenzi tells us, "physical mobility (traveling along horizontal lines) was tightly regulated and social mobility (traveling along vertical lines) . . . was not always a viable option."

This was because "parameters based on status and gender permeated every facet of one person's life, and to a certain extent travel was no exception." Officials meddled with every major move, and actual checkpoint barriers periodically closed the major roads.

However, what became known as recreational travel changed all this, and altered some of these parameters. By the 19th century, travel had already become a part of consumerism and though religious pilgrimages were often the excuse for travel, the new mantra, suggests the author, was "I buy, therefore I am."

Besides being pious and visiting noted shrines and temples, the new travelers could take advantage of quite a menu, one which in the author's words rested on the relationship between "faith and fun, prayer and play, sacred and profane."

As the Edo Period matured (if that is the word) into an age when money mattered more than pedigree, travel generated its own economic power. Thus the pilgrimage, far from being a mere act of faith, became an enterprise that required a monied infrastructure to pay for the advertising, the lodgings, the making and marketing of all those amulets and charms.

Landscape (something to look at and admire rather than something to simply tramp through) was invented, and citizens flocked to gaze at Mount Fuji, not as an object to avoid by going around it, but as a presence that was to be thought beautiful and, eventually, divine.

And when the traveling crowds got too big, they could go see the miniature Fujis that, Disney-like, spotted old Edo. The most famous of these imitations was in Meguro. It was only 12 meters tall but visitors admired the blend of the sacred, the leisurely, and the convenient.

The Japanese discovered many reasons for travel, once travel had become a possibility. Among these one of the most interesting to the modern mind (at least, to this modern mind) is what we would now call sex tourism. Though there were eventually many guides to various venues, there is also one literary monument. This is Jippensha Ikku's 1814 "Tokaidochu Hizakurige" translated into English as "Shank's Mare."

In its picaresque pages the two friends Kita and Yaji make a mock pilgrimage, the real purpose of which is to eat and drink a lot and to enjoy the other sensual pleasures as well. Every pretty girl is noted and the Tokugawa military checkpoint at Hakone is barely acknowledged.

Ikku quotes the old proverb that "shame is thrown aside when one travels," and Kita and Yaji go out of their way to illustrate this. Their travels are punctuated by their realizing it on a purely physical level and in the form of instant gratification.

And they knew just where to go, since by this time brothels and baths loomed large on travel maps and cruise guides. As Dr. Nenzi informs us: "To the erotic traveler, interaction (and intercourse) with local prostitutes served a purpose similar to what lyrical or historical recollections did for the educated and what the acquisition of material objects did for other wayfarers in the age of commercialism." And it is true that sex makes a memorable souvenir. Or, as phrased by the author: "Intercourse, like the recovery of historical and lyrical precedent, or like shopping, facilitated the seizure of the unfamiliar."

Nenzi is an academic and manages to squeeze out most of the juice before presenting the pulp, but, on the other hand, such a dry delivery benefits the text in that, by contrast as it were, it beckons the salacious (this reviewer among them) to re-imagine the pleasurable dimensions of free travel in straight-laced Tokugawa times.


*It's magically cached after my cyber attack.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Summer of China in Milwaukee


I went with a friend to the Milwaukee Museum of Art for their The Emperor's Private Paradise exhibit which features furnishings, sculptures, decorative arts and paintings from the Qing dynasty when Emperor Qianlong ruled (from 1736-1796).

We were able to join the noon time gallery talk which greatly enhanced the experience. I learned about this wise yet ruthless ruler, who presided over the largest country at it's zenith in terms of wealth and power. (Who knows what the future will bring?)

I also learned about the symbolism like the three friends of winter (bamboo, pine and plum trees) and how the Chinese painters learned to do trompe l'oeil from the Jesuits who went to China in the 18th Century. The gallery itself had life size photos on the walls of the gardens and buildings in which the articles were kept so that you really felt you were in the Forbidden Palace.

I wish I could have taken some photos, but that's forbidden.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Road Trip




You Take the Road Less Traveled



You see companionship and loyalty as what's most important in life.

You live a life of leisure. You take your time in every aspect of life and enjoy it to the fullest.

You're willing to take a few risks in life. You may not take the road no one travels, but you're happy to take the road less traveled.

You are able to find a fairly healthy balance between work and play. You work when you need to, but you never let yourself burn out.

You could have owned an indie bookstore or boutique in another life.




I'd love the indie bookstore -- a generation ago pre-Amazon. A boutique sounds good too.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Great Freebies

Who doesn't like saving money? Travel can be expensive, though we live in an era where it's remarkably affordable.

Lonely Planet, guide publisher extraordinaire has created a list of the world’s best free attractions:

The Kensington High Street Roof Gardens, London. Keep in mind its popularity means it’s frequently closed for special events, this spectacular set of gardens covers 1.5 acres.

Outdoor Art, Buenos Aires: Buenos Aires has a number of distinctive neighborhoods, famous for public art. Besides the well-known La Boca, Caminito and Calle Lanín areas, Buenos Aires’ official tourism site offers downloadable maps and itineraries to help you find more.

St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican. One of the planet’s most significant Catholic sites, St Peter’s Basilica can also hold 60,000 people – making it the largest interior of any Christian church in the world. And for art buffs, it contains works by Michelangelo, Raphael and Bramante, among many others.

US Capitol, Washington DC. A tour is usually free, and The U.S. Capitol is no exception. Be on the lookout for statues of famous residents, plus some stunning alabaster architecture.

Smithsonian, Washington DC. The world’s largest museum and research complex is home to a series of free attractions, including the Air and Space Museum, the American History Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the National Zoological Park.

Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris (Notre Dame), Paris. One of the world’s famous sites, Notre Dame took over 200 years to build. Free English language tours run on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 2pm and Saturdays at 2:30pm. Extra Paris freebie: if you’re in the neighborhood after 6pm on Fridays, or on the first Sunday of the month (or you can prove that you’re under 26 years old), cross the river and avail yourself of the free entry to the mammoth Louvre Museum.

Source: “What are the world’s best free attractions? Lonely Planet, June 2, 2011. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/north-america/travel-tips-and-articles/76674?affil=lpemail

Monday, June 20, 2011

No Reservations

Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations is the top of the line in television's travel programming. Bourdain has a point of view and writes well. Right there that puts him a cut above Rick Steves and others who seem to think every destination is hunky dory. Anyone who's traveled has favorites and has been to hell holes. Bourdain isn't afraid to say when he's had a bad time. His acerbic wit heightens the entertainment.

He travels all over, Asia, South America, Europe and I assume Africa. Along the way, this former chef focuses on good food and drink. He eats at street stalls, restaurants and in people's homes. He always has a local epicure lead him to the specialties and show how dishes are prepared. With Bourdain you get the straight dope on the food, drinks and ambiance. You see Bourdain rub elbows with down to earth people in the know.

Bourdain has visited restaurants in Bali and Chicago that I've been to and his take rings true.

If you can't roam the world, turn to the travel channel and live vicariously through Bourdain. His new season begins July 11th and he'll visit Cuba, Macau and Naples.

Inside a Church in France

Sunday, June 19, 2011

White Temple, Chiang Rai



If you go to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand, I suggest you push on further after awhile and go to Chiang Rai. You'll have to take a bus or fly, but that's not hard. It's worth it. Chiang Rai is quieter and a bit off the tourist trail. There are lots of temples to see. I'd say the most impressive is this modern temple: The White Temple.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Air Asia

Air Asia is a great carrier. They have wonderful sales, e.g. this winter I got tickets from Korea to Malaysia for $220 and from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok for just $20. To put this in context, realize that it usually costs $450+ just to fly from Seoul to Beijing. Kuala Lumpur is a seven hour fly, like going to Europe from North America.

You do have to pay extra for checking a bag, meals, pillows and pillows, but you still save.

The check in agents were pleasant and I received good service. JetStar and Air Asia are my favorite ways to travel.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

I've Got to Get to Latin America, Africa, Australia




Your Travel Profile:



You Are Very Well Traveled in Western Europe (64%)

You Are Very Well Traveled in Asia (63%)

You Are Well Traveled in the Southern United States (54%)

You Are Well Traveled in the Midwestern United States (50%)

You Are Well Traveled in the Western United States (47%)

You Are Somewhat Well Traveled in Eastern Europe (40%)

You Are Somewhat Well Traveled in Southern Europe (33%)

You Are Somewhat Well Traveled in the Northeastern United States (29%)

You Are Mostly Untraveled in Canada (20%)

You Are Mostly Untraveled in the United Kingdom (13%)

You Are Untraveled in Africa (0%)

You Are Untraveled in Australia (0%)

You Are Untraveled in Latin America (0%)

You Are Untraveled in New Zealand (0%)

You Are Untraveled in Scandinavia (0%)

You Are Untraveled in the Middle East (0%)


Monday, June 13, 2011

Overnight Trains




I really like traveling by train in Asia where I've had good experiences traveling up and down Thailand, Malaysia and China. Yet not all trains are the same and sometimes obtaining a ticket can be complex.

I like the feel of a train ride and the possibility of good conversation with fellow travelers.

In Thailand, it's easy to get a ticket. The main station is easily accessible by the metro and the agents speak English. You can easily get tickets without much advance notice. The second class cars have bunks that are roomy enough and have curtains that give you some privacy.

The Malaysian service connects with Thailand and Singapore. Again it's easy to get tickets and you can even buy them online now. The trains from Kuala Lumpur can get you to Butterworth, near Penang or to Singapore overnight saving you on accommodations. It's an efficient, affordable system that provide a fun experience.



In China getting a ticket is harder. You can't buy a ticket more than 5 days in advance and you can't buy a ticket that originates in another city. So if you're in Beijing, you can purchase a Beijing - Shanghai ticket, but you can't buy the Shanghai - Xi'an ticket till you're in Shanghai. There are agencies online that will buy all the tickets for you, but the commissions seem excessive to me and delivery and payment are problematic. Credit card acceptance isn't widespread.

Another problem is travel agencies. I've gone to agencies in Beijing looking for a ticket to Jinan. I knew there were several trains a day to Jinan and wanted one for an average Wednesday, not a holiday time. The agent said there were no tickets available for days. He could sell me an airline ticket. "Yeah, I bet you can," I thought. I walked out and went to the south train station where I got a ticket myself. There were loads available. I saved $70. I lived in China and knew the ways of some merchants. Most travelers don't have time to mess around so I suggest working with your hotel or hostel to avoid such problems.

The easy route is to book through your hotel or hostel. Usually, the booking fee is 5 rmb. The second class bunks going between Shanghai and Beijing are fine. The restrooms will get dirtier as the ride goes on, but they aren't horrible. The bunks are three high and the lower bunks are more expensive. Sometimes there are video monitors in every section. They're blaring some ads. Look around for a volume control. You can turn these off.

The routes between Shanghai and Chengdu or Chengdu or Chongqing and Chengdu have second class cars that are quite old. Here you might want to splurge on first class. Those first class cars are on par with the Shanghai/Beijing route. It's all a matter of your comfort level. There are fast trains and flights between the eastern coast cities and the west, but they are pricier.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Jinan's Famed Buddha



On Thousand Buddha Mountain there may or may not be a 1000 figures of the Englightened one, but there are hundred easily. This is the most iconic. A must-see if you're in Jinan.

From Bill in Dhaka

The second of the two major religious holidays, Eid-ul Azha, is two days away. I can hear a goat bleating in my neighbor's yard. Our street is in the middle of a cattle (Brahmin bulls, goats, and a few sheep) bazaar set up for the occasion. We have a bird's eye view of the scene from our fourth floor balcony: neighbors haggling with a herdsmen in headscarves; men pushing carts loaded with snacks; a balding beggar, barefoot and dressed like St. John the Baptist, bearing a large shimmering metal bowl; a man shouldering a hoe with shallow basket looped around its neck; pairs of men carrying buckets of water suspended from a bamboo pole; a fairly steady stream of jangling pedicycle rickshaws, etc.

It isn't always this picturesque, but, in general, the streets are a feast for the senses. Dickens would have had a field day, what with the squalid tea stands; dingy curbside eateries; sidewalk displays of garments, toys, colored cloth, and household articles; shoe repair stands, brightly daubed rickshaws and trucks, colorful flowing saris.

There is never a dull moment here. Appliances or utilities suddenly won't work. People misunderstand what you say--or misunderstand each other and argue about it. During the worst of the hot and humid summer weather the electricity can go off almost as often as every other hour in the day time in some districts of the city, including the one where BACHA is located. Last spring the border patrolmen staged a mutiny and it looked like a civil war might develop; it was quelled, though, and the country appears to be stable.

With a population of more than 150 million people in an area the size of Wisconsin, Bangladesh is very crowded and it can be difficult to find a quiet spot. Traffic is steadily growing more congested. Air pollution is not as serious in Dhaka as in Beijing because of the heavy use of natural gas for fuel. There is a lot of poverty, with many people coming into the city and crowding the job market and systems of exploitation entrenched.

The people are very hospitable, fond of poetry (and other art forms), quite emotional, prone to jealousy and gossip, and, on the surface at least, respectful of foreigners. I was probably a guest at someone's home or wedding reception more times in my first three months in the country than in three years in Korea.

The food is similar to Indian food with rice as the chief dish. It is spicey, but can be served without the hot peppers if you request it. We love the chicken kebabs, rice with a certain sauce, and flavored bread at a local restaurant. The national fish, which we have eaten as dinner guests, is very flavorful. I like the sweetened yogurt There seem to be quite a few ethnic restaurants around and at the "megashops" (small supermarkets) most all of the imported food items you would want.

I find Bangladesh full of challenges and interest. I am happy here because I feel I am living my dream: a life of adventure and of service to those in need.

Tips for Travel in China



Here's a post I wrote for another service in which I give people tips for traveling in China. China is a marvelous country, but it can get confusing. Take a look.

Review: Udee Hostel, Bangkok

Udee Hostel, part of the International Hostel group, is a sleek, modern, friendly place in a residential neighborhood. The rooms are the best I've stayed in for a hostel. Both the single rooms and the dorms are spotless and this hostel won a cleanliness award. Downstairs by reception is an open air terrace where you can watch cable TV, read one of the many English books or magazines, eat or drink. A simple breakfast is free: tea, juice, cereal, toast and fruit. It's not far from the Skytrain. I'm going back next week for Chinese New Year. There are coin laundry machines and a rooftop patio.

During my first visit I shared a room with an interesting woman from Indonesia who'd just quit her job as a reporter for the Jakarta Post and was studying Thai for a month. She already spoke English and Chinese well.

Prices: Dorm bed - 350 Baht (so $12) Single room 1100 Baht (so $37ish).

Members get a 10% discount and you can charge your lodgings, but there's a 3% surcharge.

Bangkok has several beautiful looking hostels with high ratings (90% and up).

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Solo Travel

This winter I traveled to Malaysia, Thailand and Nepal on my own. I've done some solo traveling through Europe years ago, where I recall having more hassles as a woman.

In Nepal I really never felt on my own. It was so easy to meet people at every stage. At the farmstay, people just clicked and I loved learning about their treks and travels. Also I met some people with very interesting jobs like the Aussie woman who works designing and implementing environmental law and Katie who’s an architect specializing in green architecture. Some of the sustainable architecture is just mind blowing.

Then at the conference it was easy to meet people as my previous time in Japan was a tie in. Finally, on Sunday I took my computer to the lounge for cocktail time and got talking with a man from Kentucky and his Thai companion. I gained lots of insight into Thai politics, at least from the Red Shirt angle.

In Beijing I shared a hostel room with a woman and her daughter from New Zealand near Christchurch. Their home suffered no damage, they’d learned and they did give someone permission to let others with housing problems live in their home. The daughter was adorable, about 10 years old. She was writing a fantasy novel and read out several of the 12 pages she had so far. The mother had lived in Japan, mainly in Tokyo and was a Japanese translator. Her work brought her to China and she decided to make the trip extend beyond her conference.



You Are Europe



You are old fashioned, a true romantic, and an idealist. You sometimes wish you could freeze time and that the world would stop changing.

You appreciate quality over quantity, and you try your best to live the good life.

You appreciate good art, good food, good wine, and good company more than most people you know.

You remember and honor the past. You believe that culture should be preserved and appreciated.


Beijing's Hutongs #1




Southeast of Qianmen Square is one of my favorite places to wander in Beijing. I usually stay at a small hostel there. It's far from plush, but has a decent restaurant and a lovely neighborhood to wander around. In China a lot of the hostels have hotel room options, so you can share the loo down the hall or you can share a dorm room.