9:32 PM Tuesday
San Francisco, CA, USA
31-Jan-06
Hi y'all....yes, it is me, home again, and three sheets to the wind following a very happy Happy Hour!
Yes, I returned home last night although arrival was about 3 hours late due to heavy fog in Taipei. When we arrived there from Bangkok the fog was forming but the time it was time to take off on my connecting flight after sunset, the fog really had thickened up a lot so we were delayed on the taxiway and runway for nearly three hours. This included a return to the gate to refuel. Dinner was served on the ground at the gate but that was interrupted by a a break in the weather and a hasty move back to the runway for take-off. That flight was very smooth as was the flight from SFO to Taipei on the outbound leg of this journey.
Puzzling to me, again, was the scrutiny that immigration afforded upon my return. Last year I was asked to show my photos from my digital camera. This year they did not seem interested in that but they did inspect my luggage. I do not know what they were looking for or hoped to find. Such idiots! Why can't a single guy go on vacation without all this extra muss and fuss over photos or what I might bring back with me. Certainly if they checked my regular photo website they would see nothing unusual there. If anyone out there reading this should be interested the website can be accessed here and would show nothing illegal or immoral. The only thing that comes to mind is that someone, somewhere, has given the Department of Homeland Security some erroneous information regarding me. If so, it is troubling to say the least.
Anyway, I am home and need to rest up a bit and get my act together. There is a ton of mail here, both snail mail and Email to deal with with as well as financial matters to bring up to date.
More later...
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Sunday, January 22, 2006
On the road (still)
23-Jan-06
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Last day in this city with little to nothing planned. Yesterday I observed and took pictures of the usual Sunday afternoon and evening event known as "Walking Street". I even climbed up on the Thapae Gate and wall for a few photos. I finished off the day's activities with a few gin & tonics at Chez Nous. I returned to the hotel after that and fell asleep very quickly. Today I will arrange for transportation back to the airport tomorrow for my 12:25 PM flight. Once in Bangkok I will have six more nights before returning to the U.S. and this could be the busiest part of the whole vacation as I have one or two dinners planned with a friend from Arizona in addition to one tour and some other events with friends from Bangkok. After all of this I made need another vacation. Ha!
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Last day in this city with little to nothing planned. Yesterday I observed and took pictures of the usual Sunday afternoon and evening event known as "Walking Street". I even climbed up on the Thapae Gate and wall for a few photos. I finished off the day's activities with a few gin & tonics at Chez Nous. I returned to the hotel after that and fell asleep very quickly. Today I will arrange for transportation back to the airport tomorrow for my 12:25 PM flight. Once in Bangkok I will have six more nights before returning to the U.S. and this could be the busiest part of the whole vacation as I have one or two dinners planned with a friend from Arizona in addition to one tour and some other events with friends from Bangkok. After all of this I made need another vacation. Ha!
Saturday, January 21, 2006
On the road, continued
Here I am still in Chiang Mai and this morning using a Thai-English keyboard with several characters in the ÄwrongÄ place. )see what I mean_= ZIKES. Oh well, I will try to continue anzwaz.
Some sort of a bug or indigestion problem has slowed me down a bit. I got through the two days of tours with Ben without too much difficulty however I have not desired to eat much of anything. I feel nauseas when I do try to eat. I do not know what is going on but I hope this problems clear up soon.
I have no plans for today however this is Sunday and each Sunday starting around 3 PM they have what is called "Walking Street". It is one gigantic street fair with all sorts of arts & crafts along with many food booths especially in the temples along the route and since I do not have much of an appetite these days, this may work out fine for me as I can pick and choose a small number of items to eat as I fee inclined.
Tomorrow is my last day here and then I move on down to Bangkok for my final six nights in Thailand.
(to be continued)
Some sort of a bug or indigestion problem has slowed me down a bit. I got through the two days of tours with Ben without too much difficulty however I have not desired to eat much of anything. I feel nauseas when I do try to eat. I do not know what is going on but I hope this problems clear up soon.
I have no plans for today however this is Sunday and each Sunday starting around 3 PM they have what is called "Walking Street". It is one gigantic street fair with all sorts of arts & crafts along with many food booths especially in the temples along the route and since I do not have much of an appetite these days, this may work out fine for me as I can pick and choose a small number of items to eat as I fee inclined.
Tomorrow is my last day here and then I move on down to Bangkok for my final six nights in Thailand.
(to be continued)
Thursday, January 19, 2006
On the road
Chiang Mai, Thailand
19:26 Thursday 19-Jan-05
This is my second stop of three here in Thailand this year. Unlike previous vacations where I have started in Bangkok, I will end this one there, having started this time in Pattaya. That was a mixed bag of delights with my main problem being one of knowing little to nothing about the street layouts and the Baht-bus routes. I was staying at a guest house in the "middle of nowhere" (which is an exaggeration) and it took me nearly the entire week I was there to figure out how best to navigate between the guest house, Jomtien Beach, and Central Pattaya. By the time I did it was time to leave. I usually purchase detailed maps of places I visit but this time I did not have one of that city.
On the plus side anyway, Pattaya's night life is very active and possibly better than that of Bangkok. On the negative side, the city, though smaller, seems much more congested with its narrow and twisting streets. I am not a beach person so I did not go swimming but it was pleasant to sit in a deck chair and watch the passing scene. Also, vendors of all types bring you this and that. I did eat lunch on the beach twice but did not partake of the various massage services available. Even a legitimate massage (there aren't any other types available on the beach anyway) was not appealing as I still consider it somewhat of a private affair and I would want to take a shower immediately afterwards to wash off the cream or oil used and that would not be possible under those circumstances.
Now I find myself in Chiang Mai once again, a city I have liked very much in the past but now it has its problems with one of the main streets (Thapae Road) from Thapae Gate to Chang Klang Road torn up for utility work along the curbs and sidewalks. As a result it has become one huge obstacle course. Also, the flooding last August and September disrupted the Mae Ping River substantially and its method of feeding water into the city's ancient moat, part of which is nearly dry now. Other parts are low and muddy. One major plus of being here is that it is cooler than down in Pattaya which was almost unbearable even on the beach.
So today Ben and I went down to Lamphun and to Lampang, two smaller cities to the south and those were very nice. We visited some temples there and took in an elephant show and road a horse & buggy (he called it a "horse cart") through the streets of Lampang. Tomorrow we will go up to Doi Suthep and I hope the atmosphere is clear so I can see Chiang Mai from the top of the mountain, something I could not do four years ago when I first came here. The temple up there is under the King's patronage and is one of the most beautiful in the country.
I am still not sure what I will do once I get to Bangkok although I am scheduled to have dinner with one friend at Cabbages & Condoms (yes, you read that correctly) and at the buffet in the Bayoke Tower, Bangkok's tallest building. Hopefully I can make contact with a couple of others. Pin has been job hunting so I do not know what his schedule will be like but I do know where to find Rick during Happy Hour on Fridays anyway.
So that is the latest from this part of the world for now.
19:26 Thursday 19-Jan-05
This is my second stop of three here in Thailand this year. Unlike previous vacations where I have started in Bangkok, I will end this one there, having started this time in Pattaya. That was a mixed bag of delights with my main problem being one of knowing little to nothing about the street layouts and the Baht-bus routes. I was staying at a guest house in the "middle of nowhere" (which is an exaggeration) and it took me nearly the entire week I was there to figure out how best to navigate between the guest house, Jomtien Beach, and Central Pattaya. By the time I did it was time to leave. I usually purchase detailed maps of places I visit but this time I did not have one of that city.
On the plus side anyway, Pattaya's night life is very active and possibly better than that of Bangkok. On the negative side, the city, though smaller, seems much more congested with its narrow and twisting streets. I am not a beach person so I did not go swimming but it was pleasant to sit in a deck chair and watch the passing scene. Also, vendors of all types bring you this and that. I did eat lunch on the beach twice but did not partake of the various massage services available. Even a legitimate massage (there aren't any other types available on the beach anyway) was not appealing as I still consider it somewhat of a private affair and I would want to take a shower immediately afterwards to wash off the cream or oil used and that would not be possible under those circumstances.
Now I find myself in Chiang Mai once again, a city I have liked very much in the past but now it has its problems with one of the main streets (Thapae Road) from Thapae Gate to Chang Klang Road torn up for utility work along the curbs and sidewalks. As a result it has become one huge obstacle course. Also, the flooding last August and September disrupted the Mae Ping River substantially and its method of feeding water into the city's ancient moat, part of which is nearly dry now. Other parts are low and muddy. One major plus of being here is that it is cooler than down in Pattaya which was almost unbearable even on the beach.
So today Ben and I went down to Lamphun and to Lampang, two smaller cities to the south and those were very nice. We visited some temples there and took in an elephant show and road a horse & buggy (he called it a "horse cart") through the streets of Lampang. Tomorrow we will go up to Doi Suthep and I hope the atmosphere is clear so I can see Chiang Mai from the top of the mountain, something I could not do four years ago when I first came here. The temple up there is under the King's patronage and is one of the most beautiful in the country.
I am still not sure what I will do once I get to Bangkok although I am scheduled to have dinner with one friend at Cabbages & Condoms (yes, you read that correctly) and at the buffet in the Bayoke Tower, Bangkok's tallest building. Hopefully I can make contact with a couple of others. Pin has been job hunting so I do not know what his schedule will be like but I do know where to find Rick during Happy Hour on Fridays anyway.
So that is the latest from this part of the world for now.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Up, up and away, part two
Monday morning at 12:15 AM I will be leaving on EVA Air for Thailand for 3 weeks. I hope that my health holds out. I had a scare last night when my wildly fluctuating blood pressure shot up to 178/105. That is the highest reading ever for both systolic and diastolic. I went to the ER at nearby St. Francis Hospital to check on things and they confirmed that indeed my blood pressure was high at that point but it seemed to drop a little while I was there. The doctor thought that this spike may have been triggered by anxiety over the details of this vacation. Since I was exhibiting no outward symptoms he felt that I would be fine but he told me I should see my doctor upon return anyway. What a way to begin a vacation! I have never had a cloud hanging over any other journey so I hope this is just nervousness or anxiety which has triggered the high bp readings.
During these next three weeks I will post some things to this site if and when I have time. For now, I am out of here.
During these next three weeks I will post some things to this site if and when I have time. For now, I am out of here.
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Saturday blogs
A couple of good letters to the editor caught my attention this morning. One reader wrote: "If, as Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson suggested Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was divine punishment for "dividing God's land'' -- is Robertson's dementia also a divine punishment? If so, for what?"
Another reader gave the answer: "I believe Pat Robertson's insanity is God's punishment for a lifetime of sanctimonious hatred."
To which I say: A-men.
Another reader gave the answer: "I believe Pat Robertson's insanity is God's punishment for a lifetime of sanctimonious hatred."
To which I say: A-men.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Up, up and away
D-day is almost here. That is, after waiting several long months, my vacation time in Thailand is now only a few days away. This will be my fifth visit to Bangkok, my fourth to Chiang Mai, but my first to Pattaya which is where I will being this journey. I will end it in Bangkok which is normally where I begin the vacation. After much rainy weather here in the Bay Area it appears that we will have a dry Sunday so I can push or pull my suitcases down to BART without much fear of rain. A week earlier that would not have been possible. Today, in fact, was the first day in nearly a month with a completely blue sky. Hallelujah!
While our weather has not been unusually cold for this time of the year, it will still be nice to get to a warm climate where I can just wear a short sleeve shirt or t-shirt, even late at night. This is the dry and "cool" season there so I don't expect daytime temperatures in Pattaya or Bangkok to go over 90 degrees and they will be a few degrees cooler in Chiang Mai where morning lows are now close to San Francisco temperatures of around 60 degrees.
Getting away for three weeks will be great as usual and I look forward to seeing my friends there. I will also take a couple of side trips out of Chiang Mai with Ben to Doi Suthep and Lampang/Lampuhun and at least one out of Bangkok with Poj to the ancient capital at
Ayutthaya. In Pattaya I expect to vegetate for six nights. Or is the correct term "beach bum"? Actually, not being a beach person I may spend more time inland at such places as the Sri Racha Tiger Zoo and Ripley's World of Entertainment. My hotel, actually a guest house,
has its own private sauna area so I may use that a lot as well.
The downside of this is the thirteen hour flight from San Francisco to Taipei. From there it is another three hours down to Thailand which is not bad following the layover in Taipei although there is really not much to do there as one is still inside the secure areas. Also, it is fairly early in the morning so not all the vendors in that area are open while I am waiting for my connecting flight. Oh, the hardship of it all! hahaha Anyway, I am not sure what, if anything, I will post to this site for the rest of the month. My daily schedules are still pretty much up in the air except for the previously mentioned tours.
So this concludes this post for now.
While our weather has not been unusually cold for this time of the year, it will still be nice to get to a warm climate where I can just wear a short sleeve shirt or t-shirt, even late at night. This is the dry and "cool" season there so I don't expect daytime temperatures in Pattaya or Bangkok to go over 90 degrees and they will be a few degrees cooler in Chiang Mai where morning lows are now close to San Francisco temperatures of around 60 degrees.
Getting away for three weeks will be great as usual and I look forward to seeing my friends there. I will also take a couple of side trips out of Chiang Mai with Ben to Doi Suthep and Lampang/Lampuhun and at least one out of Bangkok with Poj to the ancient capital at
Ayutthaya. In Pattaya I expect to vegetate for six nights. Or is the correct term "beach bum"? Actually, not being a beach person I may spend more time inland at such places as the Sri Racha Tiger Zoo and Ripley's World of Entertainment. My hotel, actually a guest house,
has its own private sauna area so I may use that a lot as well.
The downside of this is the thirteen hour flight from San Francisco to Taipei. From there it is another three hours down to Thailand which is not bad following the layover in Taipei although there is really not much to do there as one is still inside the secure areas. Also, it is fairly early in the morning so not all the vendors in that area are open while I am waiting for my connecting flight. Oh, the hardship of it all! hahaha Anyway, I am not sure what, if anything, I will post to this site for the rest of the month. My daily schedules are still pretty much up in the air except for the previously mentioned tours.
So this concludes this post for now.
Great Move
The news that Ted Koppel will have a new program on The Discovery Channel after being with ABC for years is good news and now if CBS could only name Aaron Brown (formerly of CNN) as it permanent replacement for Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News I would be very happy.
Monday, January 02, 2006
I can't believe I drank the whole thing...
I really did a number on myself New Year's Eve. I was drinking gin & tonic when I should have just had beer. As a result, I do not remember midnight, even if I was still at the club, but perhaps I left early. I remember someone asking me "Are you feeling okay". This happened twice and then I recall someone helping me to my feet and walking me towards the front door. I do not know if that was to get some fresh air or a way of saying that I should leave. I am so embarrassed. I have never done that in all my years of going out for New Year's Eve celebrations. Now I wonder, out of curiosity sake anyway, if I can find any reliable eye witnesses to what happened so that they can fill in the blanks in my own mind. I certainly hope that I did nothing to embarrass myself or others during my "blank period". The bartender during Happy Hour on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays was working late Saturday night and might be able to tell me something but I do not know if I could face him or another drink again. Ouch!
Hurricane Zeta?
Well, not quite yet but tropical storm Zeta is drifting around the Atlantic Ocean. Epsilon did not really develop to intensely but even so, this has been a most unusual year. The hurrican season officially ended on the 30th of November but the storms keep developing. Weird...really weird!
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