A lot of my travels for work seem like they are to quite a few vacation destinations. Admittedly, I do my fair share of tourism and exploration in these places where I am working, but a lot of it is some pretty intense work.
So when I say I am going on vacation for two weeks, it seems like it more of the same frome me, some pictures from some places and some experiences, but it is a bit different. I get to do some full time tourism and do some things for more that just a couple hours in the evening after work.
When I flew back from two weeks of work in Bangkok, girlfriend Kristina had just arrived from St. Louis and we managed to meet the the sprawling Hong Kong airport. We spent the next few days around HK, doing a few tourist things including the Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastary, hit up an obscene amount of shopping malls and fun spots.
After this, we went to Macao and secured a suite at the Venetian for two nights. We briefly partook in what the casinos had to offer, but mostly checked out the sites around Macao and enjoyed some fine Portuguese/Asian cuisine.
From there is was back to Hong Kong and a flight to Manila, Philippines the next day. We arrived in Manila then commandeered a taxi to take us through the traffic to central Manila and a cheap hotel. We explored the surronding areas, including Manila Park and the Dr. Jose Rizal memorial and historic Intramuros. Before getting an amazing dinner at local favorite Aristocrat, we enjoyed a gorgeous sunset over Manila Bay.
The next day, it was off to the nearby island of Mindoro and where we stayed on Small Lalaguna beach off Sabang in Puerto Galera. The next four days, I did four scuba dives with Asia Divers which included my first wreck dives in the amazingly clear waters nearby. Kristina occupied her time with a couple dives herself along with some shopping and beach time. I also joined the Puerto Galera Hash House Harriers for a nice jaunt through the surrounding hills and a drink or two with the local pack. (Click on this to view all the photos. I've added more desciptions in the photos themselves.)
We also explored the surrounding beaches with a chartered boat, a chartered tricycle (motorcycle + sidecar) that took us to Tamaraw Falls, along with a couple Jeepney rides.
On the last day, we took the two hour longboat ride back to Batangas and then the two hour bus ride back into Manila for our evening flight back to HK.
We wrapped up vacation with more shopping, tourist stuff along with some visits to some of my favorite places around HK. Finally, Kristina was off and I was back to work (briefly) before the Chinese New Year holidays and an impending return to the US.
Expect a Hong Kong/Asia wrap up in the near future.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Travels in January: Thailand
During the month of January, I had the pleasure of spending over three weeks in the tropical environment of Southeast Asia.
My first trip took me to Bangkok for two weeks on business. While I didn't get to see much in Bangkok itself, I did have the opportunity to explore the ruins and sacred temples around Ayutthaya, about a 1.5 hour ride north of the city. I was grateful to have some local guides as well, a few of my trainees loaded me into a truck in braved the lawless roads and highways of Thailand for the trip.
We explored three main temples.
Wat Mahathat:
Wat Yai Chaimongkol:
Wat Phnan Choeng:
After two weeks of (mostly) work it was back to Hong Kong.
My first trip took me to Bangkok for two weeks on business. While I didn't get to see much in Bangkok itself, I did have the opportunity to explore the ruins and sacred temples around Ayutthaya, about a 1.5 hour ride north of the city. I was grateful to have some local guides as well, a few of my trainees loaded me into a truck in braved the lawless roads and highways of Thailand for the trip.
We explored three main temples.
Wat Mahathat:
Wat Yai Chaimongkol:
Wat Phnan Choeng:
After two weeks of (mostly) work it was back to Hong Kong.
Friday, February 01, 2008
Philippines
After one day in Manila and five in Puerto Galera, back in a frigid Hong Kong. More pictures to come, but in the mean time, here is sunset over Manila Bay, with the Bataan Peninsula to the right.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Shing Mun Redoubt: The Gin Drinker’s Line
Shortly after arriving in Hong Kong, I read a very good book, Hong Kong by Jan Morris. The book itself was a very good look at the current state of things in the city, and deftly related modern events and customs to Hong Kong’s short but tumultuous history. It is in this book that I first learned of the prodigious ruins located in the hills around Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. I had previously explored several of these redoubts including Devil’s Peak, Pinewood Battery and a couple others.
As the Japanese moved in to the New Territories to the North of Hong Kong in 1942-43, the British (along with Scottish and Indian Rajput troops) manned a ridgeline that stretched from the Peal River Delta in the West all the way over to Lei Yue Mun in Southern Kowloon. It is on this ridgeline that most of the ruins and redoubts are found.
In the end, the British troops did not put up much of a fight, giving up the line in a matter of days. There were reports of some fighting and casualties though, as the troops hastily retreated to the temporary safety of Hong Kong Island.
One of the most complex series of caves, foxholes and pillboxes is located on a hill called Smuggler’s Ridge overlooking Hong Kong’s highest mountain, Tai Mo Shan. Just below the highest point of this hill, a few steps off the Wilson Trail, one can find the well maintained ruins of the Shing Mun Redoubt, or The Gin Drinker’s Line.
I had done some cursory research via the web on what this system of tunnels looks like, what kind of access your average weekend explorer could get and it looked remarkably easy to get into. The only challenge is getting there, as it is not located very near a train or bus line. So on what would be one of my last free Saturdays that I would spend in Hong Kong, I set out early in the a.m. after a jet lag induced early awakening.
Since I had about seven hours of daylight at my disposal and ample energy, I decided to take the train to the nearest station and hoof it from there. I walked from Mei Foo Station and headed up into the hills. After an hour of walking, I was delighted to find myself at the base of an amazing set of high rise apartments built on the peak of a hill and that were featured in one scene of the iconic movie Koyanisqaatsi, which I had also been meaning to get up here and check out:
Continuing on, I wandered through a few squatter’s villages. It’s pretty crazy to see how people can erect illegal housing in the hills a couple hundred meters from super expensive luxury housing. Posted all over the place are signs that say something like “Warning: Land in this area is subject to landslip during heavy rain and typhoons. Some structures have been designated for clearance…” And yet year after year, these squatters continue to build up their rent free abodes.
Coming over another hill, I found myself at a peak with a reservoir several kilometers to my right and another several kilometers to my left. I knew that the Shing Mun Redoubt was located in the hills above a reservoir, so I had to pick the right one. Thanks to some friendly locals feasting on bowls of noodles in a hilltop ranger station, they pointed me to the correct reservoir. After some more hiking, I was on the McClehose Trail, the 100km hiking trail in the New Territories of HK. Every year, teams of four people set out on the trail and don’t stop walking/running until they finish 18 to 30 hours later. A relay? Nope, the team of four must stay together and finish together. Hardcore!
Soon I reached the Wilson Trail and before long, I reached the entrance of what I had been looking for, unceremoniously marked by this sign:
I explored the tunnels for the next half hour and was delighted to be completely alone, the lone person in a city of 8 million interested in checking out living history on a perfect Saturday in January:
These tunnels were built in the years leading up to the start of World War 2 and were meant to be the last line of defense for any invasions launched by the Japanese from mainland China. The Shing Mun Redoubt consists of intertwining and connecting tunnels. Each one has a unique name, most of which correspond to famous streets in London. You will find on the walls colorful names such as Piccadilly, Oxford, Shaftesbury, Haymarket, Charring Cross, all of which are the original engravings:
The tunnels are surprisingly clean and well kept, as I was expecting garbage and a strong urine smell at least. Some tunnels are dead ends as decades of mud deposits have blocked access. Using the torch I had brought along for this purpose, I ducked through every branch of the complex I could get to, then went above ground. One of the reasons this fortress fell so easily to the Japanese were the shafts that led straight down to the tunnels that were seemingly made for tossing in a grenade:
Finally, I headed back down the Wilson Trail and was soon upon the dangerously low Shing Mun Reservior:
Instead of turning back from whence I came, I got back on the McClehose trail, then scaled the 500m+ Needle Hill, then back down the hill to Sha Tin and a train ride home. In all, this was about a five hour hike and I estimated that I covered about 20km. Due to severe chafing on account of the hike, I was doubtful for the third installment of the King of the Hills Mountain Marathon series the next day. But I managed to get ahold of some much needed Vaseline and finished the tough 14km course on Lantau Island in a blazing 2:06. Well, at least the temperature was blazing if my time wasn’t.
As the Japanese moved in to the New Territories to the North of Hong Kong in 1942-43, the British (along with Scottish and Indian Rajput troops) manned a ridgeline that stretched from the Peal River Delta in the West all the way over to Lei Yue Mun in Southern Kowloon. It is on this ridgeline that most of the ruins and redoubts are found.
In the end, the British troops did not put up much of a fight, giving up the line in a matter of days. There were reports of some fighting and casualties though, as the troops hastily retreated to the temporary safety of Hong Kong Island.
One of the most complex series of caves, foxholes and pillboxes is located on a hill called Smuggler’s Ridge overlooking Hong Kong’s highest mountain, Tai Mo Shan. Just below the highest point of this hill, a few steps off the Wilson Trail, one can find the well maintained ruins of the Shing Mun Redoubt, or The Gin Drinker’s Line.
I had done some cursory research via the web on what this system of tunnels looks like, what kind of access your average weekend explorer could get and it looked remarkably easy to get into. The only challenge is getting there, as it is not located very near a train or bus line. So on what would be one of my last free Saturdays that I would spend in Hong Kong, I set out early in the a.m. after a jet lag induced early awakening.
Since I had about seven hours of daylight at my disposal and ample energy, I decided to take the train to the nearest station and hoof it from there. I walked from Mei Foo Station and headed up into the hills. After an hour of walking, I was delighted to find myself at the base of an amazing set of high rise apartments built on the peak of a hill and that were featured in one scene of the iconic movie Koyanisqaatsi, which I had also been meaning to get up here and check out:
Continuing on, I wandered through a few squatter’s villages. It’s pretty crazy to see how people can erect illegal housing in the hills a couple hundred meters from super expensive luxury housing. Posted all over the place are signs that say something like “Warning: Land in this area is subject to landslip during heavy rain and typhoons. Some structures have been designated for clearance…” And yet year after year, these squatters continue to build up their rent free abodes.
Coming over another hill, I found myself at a peak with a reservoir several kilometers to my right and another several kilometers to my left. I knew that the Shing Mun Redoubt was located in the hills above a reservoir, so I had to pick the right one. Thanks to some friendly locals feasting on bowls of noodles in a hilltop ranger station, they pointed me to the correct reservoir. After some more hiking, I was on the McClehose Trail, the 100km hiking trail in the New Territories of HK. Every year, teams of four people set out on the trail and don’t stop walking/running until they finish 18 to 30 hours later. A relay? Nope, the team of four must stay together and finish together. Hardcore!
Soon I reached the Wilson Trail and before long, I reached the entrance of what I had been looking for, unceremoniously marked by this sign:
I explored the tunnels for the next half hour and was delighted to be completely alone, the lone person in a city of 8 million interested in checking out living history on a perfect Saturday in January:
These tunnels were built in the years leading up to the start of World War 2 and were meant to be the last line of defense for any invasions launched by the Japanese from mainland China. The Shing Mun Redoubt consists of intertwining and connecting tunnels. Each one has a unique name, most of which correspond to famous streets in London. You will find on the walls colorful names such as Piccadilly, Oxford, Shaftesbury, Haymarket, Charring Cross, all of which are the original engravings:
The tunnels are surprisingly clean and well kept, as I was expecting garbage and a strong urine smell at least. Some tunnels are dead ends as decades of mud deposits have blocked access. Using the torch I had brought along for this purpose, I ducked through every branch of the complex I could get to, then went above ground. One of the reasons this fortress fell so easily to the Japanese were the shafts that led straight down to the tunnels that were seemingly made for tossing in a grenade:
Finally, I headed back down the Wilson Trail and was soon upon the dangerously low Shing Mun Reservior:
Instead of turning back from whence I came, I got back on the McClehose trail, then scaled the 500m+ Needle Hill, then back down the hill to Sha Tin and a train ride home. In all, this was about a five hour hike and I estimated that I covered about 20km. Due to severe chafing on account of the hike, I was doubtful for the third installment of the King of the Hills Mountain Marathon series the next day. But I managed to get ahold of some much needed Vaseline and finished the tough 14km course on Lantau Island in a blazing 2:06. Well, at least the temperature was blazing if my time wasn’t.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Friday, January 04, 2008
Sayonara to Asia in 2008
After arriving back in Hong Kong last night after a crazy holidays in St. Louis, I am again off to Bangkok Monday morning. I will be there for two weeks working, then a two week vacation here in Hong Kong and the Philippines, then returning to the US in mid February. We will see how much time I have to post during this time, but in the mean time, please enjoy a low-quality time lapse video taken from my window of the comings and goings in Victoria Harbor at Hung Hom.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Stitch for Christmas
I have a new toy. I got a web cam from my brother and included was some basic photo software that includes Stitch! Basically, what it does is allow you to create panoramas out of multiple photos. I was just messing around with it on some photos I'd already taken and managed to create a decent one. This is a view from Tai Mo Shan, near the summit of Hong Kong's highest mountain.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
(Not Quite) King of the Hills
On November 25th, I joined the first of five winter marathons around the Hong Kong area. The series is called King of the Hills and is organized by an area hasher. Each day consists of a full and half marathon on primarily off road mountain trails.
I ran the first one (half) in Sai Kung in a blistering 2:25. I am skipping this Sunday's run on account of the yearly Santa Hash that's quite a big deal. I should be able to make it to the other ones.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Hip Hop Sketches
flat_hhh_round3_sketches_03_big
Originally uploaded by rigo_crz
Browsing Flickr, I just found this set of amazing sketches of classic Hip Hop artists and groups.
Monday, December 10, 2007
A Phrase Worth Using
When used to describe early Rome, the world’s first city to crack one million residents, “Megalopolitan Elephantiasis” means a total loss of human scale (Kotkin, 2005). The phrase was originally coined by Lewis Mumford (The City in History [New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, 1961], p. 237). This source also describes it as “purposeless materialism” and a “penchant for tall buildings, dense housing and mass entertainments that make life frantic and choked”.
By modern standards, Rome could hardly be accused of still having these ills. Obviously ancient Rome and modern Hong Kong have stark differences; I can’t help but think of Hong Kong when I read the above definition of “Megalopolitan Elephantiasis”. (By the way, does anyone else think this is one of the coolest phrases you’ve ever heard?)
Hong Kong most definitely has a penchant for tall buildings, unbelievably dense housing and mass entertainments in the form of horse racing, sporting venues, crazy shopping areas, a sprawling bar/club/brothel scene, not to mention the burgeoning casinos across the water in Macau. I suppose you could describe almost any of the world’s most populous cities in the same way.
Whereas ancient Romans had to deal with less developed sewage and water delivery systems and poor transportation, Hong Kong does not have these issues and in fact has a fantastic transport system. I don’t often get the feeling that my life here is “frantic and choked” when getting out to the beautiful hills and mountains around the city is only a 20 minute train ride away.
Another aspect of Hong Kong that I find particularly interesting is the amount of reclaimed land here. While Japan has revolutionized land reclamation by nearly doubling the size of metropolitan Tokyo, Hong Kong has not done so badly for itself over the years. Early on, it was the old Kai Tak Airport that was built jutting out into Victoria Harbor (actually lengthened during Japanese occupation). When airport traffic outgrew Kai Tak, a massive new island rose out of the sea near Lantau Island to become Hong Kong International Airport, one of the largest on the planet. The famous Peninsula Hotel in Kowloon was formerly directly on the waterfront, but it now separated by a six lane road, an art museum and an office building.
Most notably, reclamation in the Central and Wan Chai districts have provided several square miles of new real estate which is up there with the most valuable properties in the world. The graphic below illustrates just how much of the harbor has been encroached upon. (via Wikipedia, 1842 – Present. The final peninsula pointing into the bay is the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, woohoo!).
Click on the image for the animation
As we speak, massive construction boats are pumping millions of tons of rock, sand and soil into the waterfront between Central and Wan Chai to create a brand new waterfront promenade.
Does Hong Kong have a wicked case of “Megalopolitan Elephantiasis”? It can be debated, but I think stronger candidates would be the exploding Shanghai or Beijing to the North.
By modern standards, Rome could hardly be accused of still having these ills. Obviously ancient Rome and modern Hong Kong have stark differences; I can’t help but think of Hong Kong when I read the above definition of “Megalopolitan Elephantiasis”. (By the way, does anyone else think this is one of the coolest phrases you’ve ever heard?)
Hong Kong most definitely has a penchant for tall buildings, unbelievably dense housing and mass entertainments in the form of horse racing, sporting venues, crazy shopping areas, a sprawling bar/club/brothel scene, not to mention the burgeoning casinos across the water in Macau. I suppose you could describe almost any of the world’s most populous cities in the same way.
Whereas ancient Romans had to deal with less developed sewage and water delivery systems and poor transportation, Hong Kong does not have these issues and in fact has a fantastic transport system. I don’t often get the feeling that my life here is “frantic and choked” when getting out to the beautiful hills and mountains around the city is only a 20 minute train ride away.
Another aspect of Hong Kong that I find particularly interesting is the amount of reclaimed land here. While Japan has revolutionized land reclamation by nearly doubling the size of metropolitan Tokyo, Hong Kong has not done so badly for itself over the years. Early on, it was the old Kai Tak Airport that was built jutting out into Victoria Harbor (actually lengthened during Japanese occupation). When airport traffic outgrew Kai Tak, a massive new island rose out of the sea near Lantau Island to become Hong Kong International Airport, one of the largest on the planet. The famous Peninsula Hotel in Kowloon was formerly directly on the waterfront, but it now separated by a six lane road, an art museum and an office building.
Most notably, reclamation in the Central and Wan Chai districts have provided several square miles of new real estate which is up there with the most valuable properties in the world. The graphic below illustrates just how much of the harbor has been encroached upon. (via Wikipedia, 1842 – Present. The final peninsula pointing into the bay is the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, woohoo!).
Click on the image for the animation
As we speak, massive construction boats are pumping millions of tons of rock, sand and soil into the waterfront between Central and Wan Chai to create a brand new waterfront promenade.
Does Hong Kong have a wicked case of “Megalopolitan Elephantiasis”? It can be debated, but I think stronger candidates would be the exploding Shanghai or Beijing to the North.
Friday, December 07, 2007
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Wanchai H3, Setting the Trail
Fei Ngo Shan.
If you are ever in Hong Kong, make your way over to the East side of Kowloon and have a look at a few places. One of those is Devil's Peak, see the previous post. The other is Fei Ngo Shan.
Tonight, I had the opportunity to set the trail for the Wanchai Hash House Harriers. Lost in Space, the hareraiser for this run, had recruited me for this particular mission, imploring me to pick out a good trail, find a nice restaurant for the On On and make all of the above somewhat interesting. So I had a fantastic spot in mind. On the East side of HK Island, there is a great area call Chai Wan. It's quite suburban, many mountains and trails, graveyards which are quite interesting in HK, pretty much the perfect place to set a trail. Perfect in every way...
Except that we ran there the week before. Two weeks ago, when Haggis said that he was setting next week's run in Chai Wan, I had a moment of panic, followed by the necessary feeling of wanting to explore somewhere new. So I got on google maps. Pretty much every run needs to be adjacent to an MTR (subway) Station. I found a station with an abnormal amount of green around it: Choi Hung. Choi Hung?
I woke up at 7:15 on Sunday A.M. and left the house to set this running trail. I momentarily thought about watching the Nets/Sixers game on at 8:30, but luckily gave it up (although VC with 24 off the bench would've been fun to see). I got out there, threw down the trail all along the way, through fences, up hills, around corners, over rises, up rivers, everywhere that I had previously planned out. The trail here consists of flour, plus red and green chalk. The day before, I had nearly stepped on some kind of 6ft black snake and reluctantly continued on.
So on this night, my job was to give the runners a brief explanation of the trail and set them off the the right direction. Also, I had to organize satisfactory alcohol drinking for 30 of my closest friends in Hong Kong. Hence the reason for early arrival; I was dutifully assisted by Twin Peaks, and we managed to carry 6 slabs of beer up the (236) stairs to the start. (1 slab = 24 beers).
As the pack returned to the start, I was relieved to hear retorts of 'Good trail' and 'Nice Rambos' and 'Well Done'. I'd managed to get it done, set an interesting trail through some unexplored (by the WH3) parts of Hong Kong. After a fantastic circle with quite a few awards handed out to yours truly, Caligula knew of a nice place to get some food and drink.
We walked to the grub and had a great feast for relatively cheap too. It is pretty nice when your hash works out and people are generally satisfied with the evening. It's even better when I hear the random hasher say, "Good trail, I'd never really seen any of those trails before." Truly a phrase rarely uttered in this corner of China.
On on to the next well done trail.
If you are ever in Hong Kong, make your way over to the East side of Kowloon and have a look at a few places. One of those is Devil's Peak, see the previous post. The other is Fei Ngo Shan.
Tonight, I had the opportunity to set the trail for the Wanchai Hash House Harriers. Lost in Space, the hareraiser for this run, had recruited me for this particular mission, imploring me to pick out a good trail, find a nice restaurant for the On On and make all of the above somewhat interesting. So I had a fantastic spot in mind. On the East side of HK Island, there is a great area call Chai Wan. It's quite suburban, many mountains and trails, graveyards which are quite interesting in HK, pretty much the perfect place to set a trail. Perfect in every way...
Except that we ran there the week before. Two weeks ago, when Haggis said that he was setting next week's run in Chai Wan, I had a moment of panic, followed by the necessary feeling of wanting to explore somewhere new. So I got on google maps. Pretty much every run needs to be adjacent to an MTR (subway) Station. I found a station with an abnormal amount of green around it: Choi Hung. Choi Hung?
I woke up at 7:15 on Sunday A.M. and left the house to set this running trail. I momentarily thought about watching the Nets/Sixers game on at 8:30, but luckily gave it up (although VC with 24 off the bench would've been fun to see). I got out there, threw down the trail all along the way, through fences, up hills, around corners, over rises, up rivers, everywhere that I had previously planned out. The trail here consists of flour, plus red and green chalk. The day before, I had nearly stepped on some kind of 6ft black snake and reluctantly continued on.
So on this night, my job was to give the runners a brief explanation of the trail and set them off the the right direction. Also, I had to organize satisfactory alcohol drinking for 30 of my closest friends in Hong Kong. Hence the reason for early arrival; I was dutifully assisted by Twin Peaks, and we managed to carry 6 slabs of beer up the (236) stairs to the start. (1 slab = 24 beers).
As the pack returned to the start, I was relieved to hear retorts of 'Good trail' and 'Nice Rambos' and 'Well Done'. I'd managed to get it done, set an interesting trail through some unexplored (by the WH3) parts of Hong Kong. After a fantastic circle with quite a few awards handed out to yours truly, Caligula knew of a nice place to get some food and drink.
We walked to the grub and had a great feast for relatively cheap too. It is pretty nice when your hash works out and people are generally satisfied with the evening. It's even better when I hear the random hasher say, "Good trail, I'd never really seen any of those trails before." Truly a phrase rarely uttered in this corner of China.
On on to the next well done trail.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Hacked Hardware
Up until now in Hong Kong, I've used a very cheap cel phone, quite thick, not a lot of features and generally outdated. But yesterday, Sunny, my coworker, worked some hacker magic and somehow unlocked my TMobile phone that I use in the states. I am now recieving calls to my HK number with my US phone. As a bonus, it's not a contractual thing like in the US, I pay as I go.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Thanksgiving Bullets
The American holiday of Thanksgiving is a work day in Hong Kong. A turkey dinner would have really hit the spot, but I settled for a steaming bowl of spicy beef ramen at my local Ajisen. Not a whole lot going on, just a few thoughts rollin' around in ol' duder's head lately:
-In Thailand, I purchased a less than reputable copy of the movie Babel. Apparently it was burned from a Thai DVD, as some of the graphic scenes were edited or blurred out. Plus, every time someone drank alcohol or smoked something, a Thai warning appeared at the top of the screen. Until I can find out a proper translation, I will assume it is something like, "Please refrain from emanating the behavior you see displayed here. These are professional actors whose questionable morals allow them to act in such a way. Shame on you for watching them. Long live the King."
-Following the NBA via the internet is not the best, but it's better than nothing. We are at the point of the season where the talking heads offer their biggest surprises/disappointments of the season so far. My dad, brother and I each offered analysis of the upcoming season a few weeks back and my pick was none other than the Orlando Magic. I flipped on ESPN World this morning and NBA Fast Break was on. A segment where the commentators picked the biggest surprises so far came on and Jamal Mashburn picked, yes, the Orlando Magic. As of today, they are 10-3. They stayed with the Spurs in San Antonio today, but couldn't keep up in the 4th quarter.
-A week from Sunday, the Wanchai Hash Hourse Harriers will set off on a run on a trail that I've set. I am the nominated Hare. I was slightly stressed last week when both of the locations I was planning on running in were used very recently in trails we ran, so me recycling them on my run is not an option. So I flipped on Google maps and picked a subway station with a lot of green around it: Choi Hung.
- Choi Hung: A few hours of work wrapped up and I left my house and got a bus out to the area. I had been out here a few days earlier and inspected some good trails. It gets dark around 6pm these days, so when I hopped up on a rise and followed a trail up into the trees, it was only about 4:45 and I had plenty of time. Although I was on the slopes on Fei Ngo Shan, a 600 meter peak overlooking Kowloon and the Harbor, I had no intention of going up. I expected to follow the trail, cut across a contour path/catchwater and head down another trail. Funny things happen when climbing. The higher you go, the closer you get to the top. Turning around means you have to follow the same path you just came up. So I go up, and up, getting near the top, over a rise, still more to go, going. Then I am on the ridge, and it's 5:20 with a stiff breeze. I can see the sun setting over Lantau Island to the West and Sai Kung's to the East, the skyscrapers of Central right over there. But the sun's going down and the path down is steep. I head along the ridge path for a while looking for another trail down. There is a satellite/electrical tower at the very top. I expect there to be a road leading up to it, and I will take the boring but safe road route down. Once I get up to the tower, I find a helicopter pad, no road. Uh oh. They built all this with no roads. So my only option is a steep path down in the accelerating dark. This way, no, another dead end. 5:25. Here it is, going down. Don't bust ankle, you'll never get down. The tops of the high rises getting closer. I hear traffic, closer. Dead tired. I am regretting not bringing water. Legs like jelly. I hit the tree line. Concrete steps, then there it is, a cistern with clean mountain water. 5:45.
-Tomorrow evening, I will go to the Hong Kong Indian Club to enjoy some Lawn Bowling. I had no idea what this was until two days ago. Teams are divided by nationality and another Sepo Yank was needed to complete the American team, so I stepped up. I will dutifully sip a brew, puff a cigar, and enjoy a fine white collar sport with some fellow khakied gentlemen. Cheers.
-Monday morning I will be heading to the company office in Guangzhou for some meetings and training. After so much time in Hong Kong, I can't wait to go to mainland China.
-In Thailand, I purchased a less than reputable copy of the movie Babel. Apparently it was burned from a Thai DVD, as some of the graphic scenes were edited or blurred out. Plus, every time someone drank alcohol or smoked something, a Thai warning appeared at the top of the screen. Until I can find out a proper translation, I will assume it is something like, "Please refrain from emanating the behavior you see displayed here. These are professional actors whose questionable morals allow them to act in such a way. Shame on you for watching them. Long live the King."
-Following the NBA via the internet is not the best, but it's better than nothing. We are at the point of the season where the talking heads offer their biggest surprises/disappointments of the season so far. My dad, brother and I each offered analysis of the upcoming season a few weeks back and my pick was none other than the Orlando Magic. I flipped on ESPN World this morning and NBA Fast Break was on. A segment where the commentators picked the biggest surprises so far came on and Jamal Mashburn picked, yes, the Orlando Magic. As of today, they are 10-3. They stayed with the Spurs in San Antonio today, but couldn't keep up in the 4th quarter.
-A week from Sunday, the Wanchai Hash Hourse Harriers will set off on a run on a trail that I've set. I am the nominated Hare. I was slightly stressed last week when both of the locations I was planning on running in were used very recently in trails we ran, so me recycling them on my run is not an option. So I flipped on Google maps and picked a subway station with a lot of green around it: Choi Hung.
- Choi Hung: A few hours of work wrapped up and I left my house and got a bus out to the area. I had been out here a few days earlier and inspected some good trails. It gets dark around 6pm these days, so when I hopped up on a rise and followed a trail up into the trees, it was only about 4:45 and I had plenty of time. Although I was on the slopes on Fei Ngo Shan, a 600 meter peak overlooking Kowloon and the Harbor, I had no intention of going up. I expected to follow the trail, cut across a contour path/catchwater and head down another trail. Funny things happen when climbing. The higher you go, the closer you get to the top. Turning around means you have to follow the same path you just came up. So I go up, and up, getting near the top, over a rise, still more to go, going. Then I am on the ridge, and it's 5:20 with a stiff breeze. I can see the sun setting over Lantau Island to the West and Sai Kung's to the East, the skyscrapers of Central right over there. But the sun's going down and the path down is steep. I head along the ridge path for a while looking for another trail down. There is a satellite/electrical tower at the very top. I expect there to be a road leading up to it, and I will take the boring but safe road route down. Once I get up to the tower, I find a helicopter pad, no road. Uh oh. They built all this with no roads. So my only option is a steep path down in the accelerating dark. This way, no, another dead end. 5:25. Here it is, going down. Don't bust ankle, you'll never get down. The tops of the high rises getting closer. I hear traffic, closer. Dead tired. I am regretting not bringing water. Legs like jelly. I hit the tree line. Concrete steps, then there it is, a cistern with clean mountain water. 5:45.
-Tomorrow evening, I will go to the Hong Kong Indian Club to enjoy some Lawn Bowling. I had no idea what this was until two days ago. Teams are divided by nationality and another Sepo Yank was needed to complete the American team, so I stepped up. I will dutifully sip a brew, puff a cigar, and enjoy a fine white collar sport with some fellow khakied gentlemen. Cheers.
-Monday morning I will be heading to the company office in Guangzhou for some meetings and training. After so much time in Hong Kong, I can't wait to go to mainland China.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Back to Turtle Island
After a week of work in suburban Bang Na, I left the offices of my client at 5:30 Friday and after a two hour, 200 Baht (~6 dollar) taxi ride to the Bangkok city center highlighted by a 14 minute red light (no malfunction, no joke; welcome to Bangkok!).
I hopped on a double-decker luxury bus for the seven hour overnight ride due south to the ferry terminal at Chumporn. Chumporn sits on the Gulf of Thailand, where ferries move tourists and locals alike to the scenic islands of Ko Tao, Ko Phangan and Ko Samui. Due to my budgetary constraints, familiarity with the place and the super accessible dive sites, Ko Tao was my destination.
Now I am by no means a salted seaman; I am by now a veteran of quite a few ferry rides here in Hong Kong, the Mediterranean, New Zealand, Japan, Korea and various other areas. Some of these ferry rides were quite rough, but never have I been more seasick than I got on the two hour ferry from Chumporn to Ko Tao. Whether it was the movie with Dane Cook/Jessica Simpson working in Costco playing on the boat or the massive bouncing waves, we may never know. I joined a few like minded tourists doubled over the rail in the back of the boat miserably hacking up a lung waiting to spot the island.
A bit of rain fell as I jumped in the back of a pickup and hitched a ride to the accommodation I had arranged. I was told that it had rained pretty much the last 14 days in Ko Tao and that was pretty evident by the flooded roads, the rutted out paths and general massive erosion. Because of this, I was worried about the prospects for decent diving and enjoyment of this tropical paradise.
The next few days could not have turned out better weather-wise. Saturday, the day I arrived, I spent the afternoon doing two dives with my instructor James from the UK. He reviewed my basic scuba skills then we had a nice fun dive at White Rock. After a baking hike over the mountain ridge to a secluded beach for a swim the next morning, I was out on the boat again, this time with another Brit Simon, highlighted by a cool swim through (basically swimming through an underwater tunnel).
My third and final day of diving on Monday consisted of a couple more dives with James in some choppy water. We submerged to thirty meters and saw some pretty nice sea life. Overall, the water was cloudier than it had been when I visited here about the same time of year two years ago. It could have been due to the rain, or the sea currents, or any number of factors. I also had wanted to fit in a night dive, but that was cancelled due to lack of visibility in the water. In any case, it was great to get back underwater and regain some skills I first learned two years ago.
In the evenings, I generally found a good restaurant to relax in, happy to pull up a pillow mat/bean bag, eat some Pad Thai and entertain myself watching pirated DVDs publicly shown at the restaurant before turning in early for a ten hour nap.
On rainy Tuesday morning, I hopped back in the back of the truck, got to the ferry terminal and the thankfully calmer seas. A short ride to Ko Samui and one of the coolest airports in the world (think outdoors, breezy, supremely laid back with free snacks and drinks). I flew back to Bangkok in time for my return flight to Hong Kong. A nice autumn getaway.
Click on this to see my Flickr set of photos from the weekend.
I could not be happier that I have found in Hong Kong medicine to help me treat all of the 87 mosquito bites that I recieved courtesy of my flying friends of Southern Thailand: MOPIDICK!!!
I hopped on a double-decker luxury bus for the seven hour overnight ride due south to the ferry terminal at Chumporn. Chumporn sits on the Gulf of Thailand, where ferries move tourists and locals alike to the scenic islands of Ko Tao, Ko Phangan and Ko Samui. Due to my budgetary constraints, familiarity with the place and the super accessible dive sites, Ko Tao was my destination.
Now I am by no means a salted seaman; I am by now a veteran of quite a few ferry rides here in Hong Kong, the Mediterranean, New Zealand, Japan, Korea and various other areas. Some of these ferry rides were quite rough, but never have I been more seasick than I got on the two hour ferry from Chumporn to Ko Tao. Whether it was the movie with Dane Cook/Jessica Simpson working in Costco playing on the boat or the massive bouncing waves, we may never know. I joined a few like minded tourists doubled over the rail in the back of the boat miserably hacking up a lung waiting to spot the island.
A bit of rain fell as I jumped in the back of a pickup and hitched a ride to the accommodation I had arranged. I was told that it had rained pretty much the last 14 days in Ko Tao and that was pretty evident by the flooded roads, the rutted out paths and general massive erosion. Because of this, I was worried about the prospects for decent diving and enjoyment of this tropical paradise.
The next few days could not have turned out better weather-wise. Saturday, the day I arrived, I spent the afternoon doing two dives with my instructor James from the UK. He reviewed my basic scuba skills then we had a nice fun dive at White Rock. After a baking hike over the mountain ridge to a secluded beach for a swim the next morning, I was out on the boat again, this time with another Brit Simon, highlighted by a cool swim through (basically swimming through an underwater tunnel).
My third and final day of diving on Monday consisted of a couple more dives with James in some choppy water. We submerged to thirty meters and saw some pretty nice sea life. Overall, the water was cloudier than it had been when I visited here about the same time of year two years ago. It could have been due to the rain, or the sea currents, or any number of factors. I also had wanted to fit in a night dive, but that was cancelled due to lack of visibility in the water. In any case, it was great to get back underwater and regain some skills I first learned two years ago.
In the evenings, I generally found a good restaurant to relax in, happy to pull up a pillow mat/bean bag, eat some Pad Thai and entertain myself watching pirated DVDs publicly shown at the restaurant before turning in early for a ten hour nap.
On rainy Tuesday morning, I hopped back in the back of the truck, got to the ferry terminal and the thankfully calmer seas. A short ride to Ko Samui and one of the coolest airports in the world (think outdoors, breezy, supremely laid back with free snacks and drinks). I flew back to Bangkok in time for my return flight to Hong Kong. A nice autumn getaway.
Click on this to see my Flickr set of photos from the weekend.
I could not be happier that I have found in Hong Kong medicine to help me treat all of the 87 mosquito bites that I recieved courtesy of my flying friends of Southern Thailand: MOPIDICK!!!
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