Leaving Hong Kong tonight, headed for Europe. 13 hour flight into London, followed by a few more hours to get to Lisbon, Portugal. That will kick off 21 straight days of long train rides throughout Europe...excited to be on the move so frequently, needing a shower badly, should be enlightening. My clothing bonfire will take place when I return.
Hong Kong was a cool city. My experience:
Stepped off the bus from the airport and was greeted, nay SHOVED, back onto the bus by 9 or 10 Indians sticking their business cards in my face. "Tailor made suits" "Hashish" "Woman" "Tailor made suits" "Tailor made suits" were among the frenzied cries. Did I mention you can get a tailor made suit if you want? Ok, good. So, you walk down certain streets in the city and because of your foreign look, you get bombarded by "salesman". Making it into a game is the way I liked to deal with it...games I invented:
1) Do Barry Sanders spin moves around extended arms with business cards, including ducking, juke moves, and stiff arms
2) Make loud, odd noises when they start talking to you
3) Silent treatment. I usually would stare at them like I was stoned or something
4) Talk with them. They tell you to follow them into the store, I tell them they can walk with me and hang out with me.
5) Ask them to split the cost of said suits and I will think about it
So, any of these are fun, harmless ways to brush off the most annoying sales pitch in the world.
Other than that, Hong Kong was really cool. Inexpensive to eat, sleep, and purchase goods...which I didn't expect. The skyline in the city is really unbelievable...beautiful as capitalism can be...but hey, sometimes it really is.
There are markets throughout the city, but we went to one that hosted some of the most disgusting sights ever. Here is a list of delictable items on the menu...
Live chickens: Chosen, thrown into boiling pot, packaged and paid for.
Fish heads: Fish still breathing, do not worry.
Ducks with heads on, dead and cooked: What else can I say?
Raw pig snouts: I took a picture that you can look at, and it grosses me out every time
Well, there were other things, but these topped my list.
Also, our hostel was hilarious. The building that it was in should've been condemned, but this is price of backpacking. My bed back home was looking pretty nice in my dreams.
I posted some pictures below of the city, you should check them out...pretty interesting!! From another continent next time you hear from me...home in 30 days...now that is crazy.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Hong Kong Pictures!!
Here are the photos from Hong Kong, I will give you my take of the country in my next blog...for now, just take a look!
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| Hong Kong |
Friday, March 20, 2009
Phuket and Ko Phi Phi pictures!!
These are my pictures from Phuket and the Ko Phi Phi Islands...I really recommend you take a look at them for me!!
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| Phuket |
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| Ko Phi Phi Islands |
I still got it...
So I've been in Phuket for about a week on my own, and have been enjoying the beach and relaxation for sure. I took a day trip yesterday to the islands where they shot the movie "The Beach" with Leo Dicaps. The islands are called Ko Phi Phi; they're real, and they're spectacular. For serious. I will post pictures next. But, I wanted to share an interaction I had with you, just to explain how I am still sexy as hell. And I am going to fast forward the conversation for comedic relief:
Part one: Lunch stop of day trip on the island
Me: Hey man do you have the time?
CJ: No, my watch is still in Phillipino time. Hey are you alone? Come join me and my friend...
Me: Well, I'm going to lay out for a bit...maybe i'll see you later.
(After laying out for 10 minutes, I notice him staring...I mean, staring)
Me: (Meekly waves)
CJ: (of course, waves back)
Me: (Walks over to where CJ is...(I figured I was obligated to?))
Me: Man it's hot out here...I'm sweating
CJ: Yea...(using me as man-candy)
Me: (Notices "friend)
CJ: Hey, this is my friend...
Me: (Notices he is a 68 year old Phillipino man)
Here CJ and I discuss my life and trip...he thinks I am brave for being on a trip alone...after me repeatedly telling him that I am not really alone, but he is persistent. Also, he thinks I am "cool" for working in tennis before I left. Damn I am on a roll here. He also thinks we should meet up later.
Part 2: Boat ride back to mainland
CJ: (Sits down next to me, squashing my foolproof "Ipod will scare away people who think we're friends strategy"...) (Also brings me a cup of water)
Me: Here you go...(offering water back)
CJ: No, that's for you...do you like it?
Me: Water? Yea water is good
If you don't know this yet, I should come clean. CJ is a man. He is very socially awkward, a little forward, and smothering. His "friend" is creepy and old. I have been uncomfortable from the 2nd minute we knew each other, but I don't know how to avoid him.
CJ: So, we should hang out tonight!
Me: Umm...yea that's cool (this is not smart...)
CJ: Well, (touches hand to my forearm...lingers there for hours...(seconds))
CJ: Here's my room number and my hotel. I'll wait for you tonight.
Me: Sure, umm...how's 9pm...i'll meet up with you.
Breathe easy. I chickened out. I figured that while he most likely wanted to play Scrabble with me, I just wasn't up for a game. And that's all I want to say about that.
Part one: Lunch stop of day trip on the island
Me: Hey man do you have the time?
CJ: No, my watch is still in Phillipino time. Hey are you alone? Come join me and my friend...
Me: Well, I'm going to lay out for a bit...maybe i'll see you later.
(After laying out for 10 minutes, I notice him staring...I mean, staring)
Me: (Meekly waves)
CJ: (of course, waves back)
Me: (Walks over to where CJ is...(I figured I was obligated to?))
Me: Man it's hot out here...I'm sweating
CJ: Yea...(using me as man-candy)
Me: (Notices "friend)
CJ: Hey, this is my friend...
Me: (Notices he is a 68 year old Phillipino man)
Here CJ and I discuss my life and trip...he thinks I am brave for being on a trip alone...after me repeatedly telling him that I am not really alone, but he is persistent. Also, he thinks I am "cool" for working in tennis before I left. Damn I am on a roll here. He also thinks we should meet up later.
Part 2: Boat ride back to mainland
CJ: (Sits down next to me, squashing my foolproof "Ipod will scare away people who think we're friends strategy"...) (Also brings me a cup of water)
Me: Here you go...(offering water back)
CJ: No, that's for you...do you like it?
Me: Water? Yea water is good
If you don't know this yet, I should come clean. CJ is a man. He is very socially awkward, a little forward, and smothering. His "friend" is creepy and old. I have been uncomfortable from the 2nd minute we knew each other, but I don't know how to avoid him.
CJ: So, we should hang out tonight!
Me: Umm...yea that's cool (this is not smart...)
CJ: Well, (touches hand to my forearm...lingers there for hours...(seconds))
CJ: Here's my room number and my hotel. I'll wait for you tonight.
Me: Sure, umm...how's 9pm...i'll meet up with you.
Breathe easy. I chickened out. I figured that while he most likely wanted to play Scrabble with me, I just wasn't up for a game. And that's all I want to say about that.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
More on Bangkok...worth reading...
This is a better breakdown of what Bangkok was like...written in Mark's perspective...I read it and thought it would paint a picture...
As I walked off the plane and into the terminal I stopped flat footed staring at the high glass ceilings, then quickly looked to my left and right recognizing where I was standing, just 2 months ago I was watching New Zealand news and in that exact location a sea of about 8000 demonstrators took over the airport as a demonstration accusing the Thai government of corruption and grenade attacks elsewhere in the city deepened the sense of lawlessness. A quick deep breath, I continued moving towards the exit of the airport and almost immediately a sense of Culture Shock set in as I struggled to find someone that understood my American English pronunciation of sukhumvit road and my accommodation SUK 11. Eventually I booked a bus and for the one hour ride into Bangkok my face was glued to the window in awe. The poverty ridden suburbs were like nothing I have seen in person before. Huts the size of a bedroom were built from sheet metal and Pepsi banner rooftops were holding back the rain. As the bus made its way closer to bangkok I could begin to make out the resemblance of a city, taller buildings, shopping malls, but still a significant amount of poverty.
My first step off the bus and into the city was a bit alarming. The outside air was a smell resembling the inside of a portable toilet at a university football tailgate. Many times I witnessed people urinating into the streets and throwing their trash directly into sewage drains. At one point I walked up a set of stairs that led me to the SkyTrain (similar to the EL in Chicago), I barely ducked under the electrical lines that passed across my face and then stopped to look at the abandoned building within view. The outside walls had been knocked down and the building gutted. All that was left were the graffitied inside walls and hanging electrical lines and the fenced off property was littered with debris and looked as if people were dumping their bags of garbage over the fence to avoid their pickup charges. I looked closer at the ground floor and was shocked to see a child in a lawn chair sweating and exhausted watching his younger friend/brother take over his job of sifting through the rubbish in search of something that might be of value. Again I took a deep breath and continued up the stairs.
At the top of the stairs was a lady in her early thirties holding her recently newborn child in her hands. Their cloths were tattered and torn, and a few steps later I came across her two other children hugging the pavement trying to stay cool with a cup asking for change. Its tough enough when you see a mid aged person asking for coins and food, but when a child is put in the picture it really is distrurbing. I know poverty levels in Thailand are not as high as many other areas but to be their and witness what I saw is something that I can not fully describe without placing you in my shoes.
phhhewww, with that all being said Bangkok truly is in a world of its own. Motorcycles and mopeds dominate the roadways, stray dogs and cats run the sidewalks and vendors line the curbs selling anything from pirated DVD's, fake gucci handbags, and their sisters. Taxis are common to see but the cheapest mode of transportation are called Tuk Tuk's. Their similar in size to a Golf Cart, but their is one wheel in the front and two in the back. No doors or seatbelts just a hand rail for the two passengers to grip. Swerving in and out of traffic and at times driving down the opposite side of the road into on-coming traffic (its okay no road laws), the Tuk Tuk drivers are insane and at one point I was taking my last tour of the city cruising at about 35 mph in the left lane and the driver jerks quickly to our right to avoid the elephant. ''Are you kidding me, are you kidding me'' I shouted ''An elephant down the middle of the street in the city'', at that point I realized it was time to take an actual Taxi CAR.
At night Bangkok comes alive, or something like that! Females are begging tourists to come into their 'massage parlors', ping pong shows are packed with tourists (not explaining that one) and lady boys crowd the streets. The 'Lady Boy' is a surgical phenomenon that dates back in history as easy way for men to avoid the war, and to this day has picked up as a significant way for Thais to make a good living. As one male Taxi Cab driver told me ''Yes, my best friend is now a Lady Boy, I am okay with it, he makes great money''...hard for me to understand, but I guess it goes to show what some people will do to make a living in an area far below the poverty line. Bangkok is in a world of its own, which is why ONLY IN BANGKOK is a coined phrase.
Few Fun Facts:
#1 fact of all time: Lay's Top 3 Potato Chip flavors in Thailand: Seaweed, Hot Spicy Squid, and Garlic Soft Shell Crab...no joke
*Bahts- Thailand currency, 1USD = 35BAHT, my own beachside bungalow was 350 BAHT about 10 USD, very cheap country to travel. Baht, Baht, Baht...what a great word!
*Went to a Maui Thai fight, puts boxing to shame, go to one if you can!
* According to the Thai calender it is year 2552, if you need any more information about the future let me know!
As I walked off the plane and into the terminal I stopped flat footed staring at the high glass ceilings, then quickly looked to my left and right recognizing where I was standing, just 2 months ago I was watching New Zealand news and in that exact location a sea of about 8000 demonstrators took over the airport as a demonstration accusing the Thai government of corruption and grenade attacks elsewhere in the city deepened the sense of lawlessness. A quick deep breath, I continued moving towards the exit of the airport and almost immediately a sense of Culture Shock set in as I struggled to find someone that understood my American English pronunciation of sukhumvit road and my accommodation SUK 11. Eventually I booked a bus and for the one hour ride into Bangkok my face was glued to the window in awe. The poverty ridden suburbs were like nothing I have seen in person before. Huts the size of a bedroom were built from sheet metal and Pepsi banner rooftops were holding back the rain. As the bus made its way closer to bangkok I could begin to make out the resemblance of a city, taller buildings, shopping malls, but still a significant amount of poverty.
My first step off the bus and into the city was a bit alarming. The outside air was a smell resembling the inside of a portable toilet at a university football tailgate. Many times I witnessed people urinating into the streets and throwing their trash directly into sewage drains. At one point I walked up a set of stairs that led me to the SkyTrain (similar to the EL in Chicago), I barely ducked under the electrical lines that passed across my face and then stopped to look at the abandoned building within view. The outside walls had been knocked down and the building gutted. All that was left were the graffitied inside walls and hanging electrical lines and the fenced off property was littered with debris and looked as if people were dumping their bags of garbage over the fence to avoid their pickup charges. I looked closer at the ground floor and was shocked to see a child in a lawn chair sweating and exhausted watching his younger friend/brother take over his job of sifting through the rubbish in search of something that might be of value. Again I took a deep breath and continued up the stairs.
At the top of the stairs was a lady in her early thirties holding her recently newborn child in her hands. Their cloths were tattered and torn, and a few steps later I came across her two other children hugging the pavement trying to stay cool with a cup asking for change. Its tough enough when you see a mid aged person asking for coins and food, but when a child is put in the picture it really is distrurbing. I know poverty levels in Thailand are not as high as many other areas but to be their and witness what I saw is something that I can not fully describe without placing you in my shoes.
phhhewww, with that all being said Bangkok truly is in a world of its own. Motorcycles and mopeds dominate the roadways, stray dogs and cats run the sidewalks and vendors line the curbs selling anything from pirated DVD's, fake gucci handbags, and their sisters. Taxis are common to see but the cheapest mode of transportation are called Tuk Tuk's. Their similar in size to a Golf Cart, but their is one wheel in the front and two in the back. No doors or seatbelts just a hand rail for the two passengers to grip. Swerving in and out of traffic and at times driving down the opposite side of the road into on-coming traffic (its okay no road laws), the Tuk Tuk drivers are insane and at one point I was taking my last tour of the city cruising at about 35 mph in the left lane and the driver jerks quickly to our right to avoid the elephant. ''Are you kidding me, are you kidding me'' I shouted ''An elephant down the middle of the street in the city'', at that point I realized it was time to take an actual Taxi CAR.
At night Bangkok comes alive, or something like that! Females are begging tourists to come into their 'massage parlors', ping pong shows are packed with tourists (not explaining that one) and lady boys crowd the streets. The 'Lady Boy' is a surgical phenomenon that dates back in history as easy way for men to avoid the war, and to this day has picked up as a significant way for Thais to make a good living. As one male Taxi Cab driver told me ''Yes, my best friend is now a Lady Boy, I am okay with it, he makes great money''...hard for me to understand, but I guess it goes to show what some people will do to make a living in an area far below the poverty line. Bangkok is in a world of its own, which is why ONLY IN BANGKOK is a coined phrase.
Few Fun Facts:
#1 fact of all time: Lay's Top 3 Potato Chip flavors in Thailand: Seaweed, Hot Spicy Squid, and Garlic Soft Shell Crab...no joke
*Bahts- Thailand currency, 1USD = 35BAHT, my own beachside bungalow was 350 BAHT about 10 USD, very cheap country to travel. Baht, Baht, Baht...what a great word!
*Went to a Maui Thai fight, puts boxing to shame, go to one if you can!
* According to the Thai calender it is year 2552, if you need any more information about the future let me know!
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