.....with unbelievable difficulty, Devin was able to sort out my mess and get me back into the blog again. Part of my problem was that the new blog program required Picasa Photo files which I didn't have. Anyway, I'm back with a vengeance now. Rather than post photos in the original blog posts, I've just added some of them below.......
Thailand was kind of a disappointment this trip. I was there two weeks and only had one true "free" day for myself and the weather wasn't particularly nice that day. I did take a trip across the city that day that included trains, boats, and Thai taxis.
Thailand
This is the Queen's Park Hotel--I've stayed here before and it has a really nice centralized location. In the foreground is a park named in honor of the Queen.
This is the elevated Bangkok light rail. They had added several lines since I was last here. Fifty feet from my hotel entrance I could board it and take it almost completely across the city to the Chao Praya River taxis in about thirty minutes for less than a dollar. Believe me, you can't drive or take a taxi across Bangkok in thirty minutes.
This is a Thai river taxi--a nicer one. These are a little more expensive than the long, narrow taxis that will take you almost anywhere for less than a dollar. This one was still reasonable and was a converted rice barge. No telling what the age was of this boat--the original ones were constructed of teak wood and literally last forever. I took this one up river to the Imperial Palace and switched to a mass-transit water taxi for the rest of the trip.
The famous--or infamous--Thai "Tuk Tuk"--an aluminum cab wrapped around a 175cc motorcycle. There are probably hundreds of thousands of them in Thailand and are really cheap sources of transportation--although they are not without risk.
The Chao Praya River is the major river in Thailand and runs through Bangkok. For less than one dollar, you can take one of these water taxis the length of the city.
Temple of Dawn on the Chao Praya River with Buddhist monks in the foreground. These were very young boys--Thai Buddhism has a tradition of taking in orphaned boys and training them to become monks--or they can chose otherwise if they want.
Hong Kong
I stayed at one of the tallest hotels in Hong Kong--the L' Hotel Nina--and was on the top floor (87th). These photos were taken from the suite. Not bad!!!
This was home for the week I worked here. My room was on the top floor of the tallest building--however there was a penthouse above me. Can't imagine the rates for the penthouse suite.
In 1999, Great Britain returned control of Hong Kong to China. There was, however, a Fifty Year Transition Period in which the Chinese would allow Hong Kong to administer itself. Even under British administration, Hong Kong was always Chinese--as evidenced in the two photos below.
Yes you, American--they drive on the other side of the road here. The pedestrian crosswalks all had this reminder when crossing the street. Actually, there is a very good reason the message is also in Chinese--Mainland China also drives on the right side like we do. Probably going to be one of those issues in the Fifty Year Transition Period.........
You know gas prices are high when you have to guard the gate to the refinery with a 18th century cannon!!!!!
Macau
Macau was a day trip I almost passed up because of the logistics--train, boat, taxis--but turned out to be the highlight of this entire job. I wish I could have spent two or three days there. The United Nations has appropriately listed Macau as a World Heritage Site. From Hong Kong, it was a one-hour boat trip on this speed craft that reached speeds of up to 65 MPH.
My guidebook listed Macau as "Venice without the canals," which made no sense to me until I got here. This is pure European (Portuguese) influence at the historic Leal Senado Square.
St. Dominic Square in the historical district.
Despite the Portuguese influence, Macau is, and has always been, Chinese. This side street shows that Chinese influence. The Haagen Dazs ice cream shop shows the pervasive influence of globalization, however. And yes, there was a Starbucks in the historic district.
Like Rome, Macau is a city of fountains--no doubt a vestige of the Portuguese colonial influence.
All that remains today of the ancient St. Paul's Cathedral is the front facade and a few underground rooms. Structurally intact today, visitors can actually go up to the second level in the back on a walkway to view down into the square.
The old and the new......ancient cannons stand guard over a modernistic skyscraper.
The Fortaleza do Monte (Monte Fort) was created above the St. Paul Cathedral to protect the Jesuits and the harbor from foreign invasions. Today the interior of the fort contains a fantastic museum of Macau history.
Suvi, Fiji
The sun would set across the harbour and behind the mountains from our hotel. Every evening, for about thirty minutes, this was the view.
Although Suvi is located on a harbour, the water was still beautiful. Away from the city, along the coast, the beaches varied from trashed out to the turquoise blue pristine waters you see in the travel brochures. This photo was taken from the patio of my hotel room.
A tropical island, Fiji is covered with beautiful gardens. The beauty of the island, however, is diminished by the abject poverty found outside the two larger cities.
Presidential guard wearing the traditional sulu--a very common sight in Fiji. Businessmen wear them with coats and ties, police wear them, and probably close to 50% of the men on any given day are in them.
British colonial influence in the architecture of Suvi.
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