We are in Bangkok. Made it at 6am this morning. We were supposed to be here at 10:30pm last night. Tired.
We took the new airport train part way to our hotel then took a taxi from the train stop. So we are now at the JL Bangkok Hotel, which has free wi-fi and a free American breakfast. We got off at the wrong stop for our hotel so had quite a long taxi ride to get here. Cost almost 3 dollars!
We've been sleeping off and on today Mostly venturing forth to find food. Tonight we at in one of the small Sois (streets) that seem to be turned over mostly to food stalls in the evening. A bowl of pork dumpling soup was 40 baht of about $1.33. We love the street food here.
We forgot how heavily polluted Bangkok is. You can taste the pollution. But, it's still a lot more fun than Topeka.
Sherry Skyped us this morning. We are amazed that she can be in San Diego and we can be in our room in Bangkok and we can see and talk with each other. We tried again this evening but the connection was bad so it didn't work. The only downside to Skype was that when Sherrie called Jim had to put on his pants since he was in his undies and she could see us in the room.
The Haneda airport has the most wonderful toilets in the public restrooms, They are called "Shower Toilets". They wash and dry you automatically. All you do is press the buttons on the wall next to the toilet. Press the wash button and a stream of water is aimed at your bottom. Let go and it stops. Then press the button for the warm air and it dries your bottom. A wonderful system.
Also, at the Haneda airport we heard the little golf carts that are used to take disabled or late passengers to their gates. As one went pass, it was playing "Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's off to work we go" to warn people to get out of it's way.
Since we brought the net book computer we can listen to the same radio stations that we do at home. As Jim is typing this we are listening to big band music from KCEA in the San Francisco bay area. Just like at home.
Coming back from dinner we checked out the local movies near us. The closest multiplex is showing "Twilight, Part 4" on four screens, Puss in Boots", "Happy Feet 2" and "Immortals". "Immortals" is being shown in 3D. Think we will pass on the movies right now. None sound good.
We were able to pick up our home phone messages and hear them on the computer. So, no need to call home to see if anybody called us. We just log on.
This morning we saw an advertising sign for HSBC that said "Holland earns more exporting soy sauce than Japan." Never thought of Holland as even making soy sauce let alone being a large exporter. Wonder how that got started?
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
In Tokyo
Took a longtime to figure out how to post this note. Everything was in Japanese. Apparently Google read my Internet Service Provider as being in Japan and then sent only Japanese characters to me. Finally figured it out. Hope that when we do get to Thailand Google will still be in English.
We are at the Tokyo Haneda airport. An airport we never knew existed until tonight. A quite a nice airport. This mornings flight from Kansas City to Chicago went well, and we arrived on time in Chicago. Then however things started going awry. First the flight to Tokyo was delayed half an hour. Then it was delayed more. Then we boarded and t was delayed more. We left 2 1/2 hours late. Since we only had an hour to make our connecting flight to Bangkok, by the time we arrived in Tokyo, it had left without us, and about twenty other people headed for Bangkok. As we got off the plane we were sent to the customer service tables set up just for our flight to Tokyo. We found the right table and were told that there was a flight leaving in five hours from the Haneda Airport in Downtown Tokyo and a bus would take us there. But, first we had to claim our luggage. So, the bags were claimed and we walked in mass to our waiting bus. After a seventy-five minute bus ride we checked in at the All Nippon counter for our boarding passes. We received them and are now waiting for our after midnight flight. We will be arriving in Bangkok 7 1/2 hours late, making it a 32 hour flight from Kansas City to Bangkok.
The flight from Chicago was bumpy going over Canada. On two separate occasions the pilot announced "Flight Attendants, take your seats" and then we bounced. After Canada, the flight remained calm. The plane was an old one. The televisions were on the top of the cabin. Every other flight we've taken for the past few years had the televisions in the seat backs.
Also, as we were taxiing from the gate in Chicago we noticed a lot of flashing lights at the end of one of the runways. When we looked closer it was the airport fire department and buses. We watched as a commuter plane landed and the parade of fire fighting vehicles moved out, following the small plane.
We are at the Tokyo Haneda airport. An airport we never knew existed until tonight. A quite a nice airport. This mornings flight from Kansas City to Chicago went well, and we arrived on time in Chicago. Then however things started going awry. First the flight to Tokyo was delayed half an hour. Then it was delayed more. Then we boarded and t was delayed more. We left 2 1/2 hours late. Since we only had an hour to make our connecting flight to Bangkok, by the time we arrived in Tokyo, it had left without us, and about twenty other people headed for Bangkok. As we got off the plane we were sent to the customer service tables set up just for our flight to Tokyo. We found the right table and were told that there was a flight leaving in five hours from the Haneda Airport in Downtown Tokyo and a bus would take us there. But, first we had to claim our luggage. So, the bags were claimed and we walked in mass to our waiting bus. After a seventy-five minute bus ride we checked in at the All Nippon counter for our boarding passes. We received them and are now waiting for our after midnight flight. We will be arriving in Bangkok 7 1/2 hours late, making it a 32 hour flight from Kansas City to Bangkok.
The flight from Chicago was bumpy going over Canada. On two separate occasions the pilot announced "Flight Attendants, take your seats" and then we bounced. After Canada, the flight remained calm. The plane was an old one. The televisions were on the top of the cabin. Every other flight we've taken for the past few years had the televisions in the seat backs.
Also, as we were taxiing from the gate in Chicago we noticed a lot of flashing lights at the end of one of the runways. When we looked closer it was the airport fire department and buses. We watched as a commuter plane landed and the parade of fire fighting vehicles moved out, following the small plane.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Packing
Today we packed for our tip. The goal is to have each suitcase weigh 10 kilos (22 pounds) or less since that is the carry-on weight limit for most flights in Asia. We each take one suitcase and then Laura takes the cameras and I take the computer.
It's much easier to pack for SE Asia than for the Arctic since we will mostly be wearing warm weather clothes, and only a light jacket, at the most. We figure we can buy whatever we need over there. Especially since so much of what we buy here is made there.
This will be Jim's first trip without his Rick Steves' "Europe Through The Back Door" bag. He broke down and bought a 21" wheeled suitcase. But, it's convertible and has straps so that he can put it on his back if necessary. Old habits die hard.
A large part of the weight of Jim's suitcase is guide books. We tried downloading a guide book to Laura's Nook, and found it almost impossible to use effectively. The Nook is good for reading from the beginning to the end, but not for jumping around, trying to figure out where to go. So, we are still packing guide books. Jim is also packing some novels to read, which he leaves behind after reading. Here the advantage is to the nook, especially with the free Nook book every Saturday in Asia, Friday in the U.S due to the time zone difference.
We each are within the 10 kilo weight limit.
It's much easier to pack for SE Asia than for the Arctic since we will mostly be wearing warm weather clothes, and only a light jacket, at the most. We figure we can buy whatever we need over there. Especially since so much of what we buy here is made there.
This will be Jim's first trip without his Rick Steves' "Europe Through The Back Door" bag. He broke down and bought a 21" wheeled suitcase. But, it's convertible and has straps so that he can put it on his back if necessary. Old habits die hard.
A large part of the weight of Jim's suitcase is guide books. We tried downloading a guide book to Laura's Nook, and found it almost impossible to use effectively. The Nook is good for reading from the beginning to the end, but not for jumping around, trying to figure out where to go. So, we are still packing guide books. Jim is also packing some novels to read, which he leaves behind after reading. Here the advantage is to the nook, especially with the free Nook book every Saturday in Asia, Friday in the U.S due to the time zone difference.
We each are within the 10 kilo weight limit.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Furnace, Part 2
The new furnace, air conditioner and water heater are in. Not sure if I will get used to having the vent pipe being made of PVC. The air conditioner will have to recharged in the spring since it's barely above freezing and they like the temperature to be at least 70 degrees when they recharge it.
One of the men installing the new furnace also installed the original one in 1978. He's now retired and works part time for Lower, Inc., the company who installed both the original and the replacement.
Laura is teaching her last classes today. It is getting close to time to leave. Been reading on Myanmar and the more I read the more interesting it sounds. Finding lots of interesting places to go to in a country that's been off the tourist map, and is still off the ATM map. Myanmar has a two price policy where tourists pay more than locals for entrance fees, the train and whatever. There, the "Tourist Tax" is institutionalized by the government. So, it's not the locals trying to overcharge you, it's the government.
One of the men installing the new furnace also installed the original one in 1978. He's now retired and works part time for Lower, Inc., the company who installed both the original and the replacement.
Laura is teaching her last classes today. It is getting close to time to leave. Been reading on Myanmar and the more I read the more interesting it sounds. Finding lots of interesting places to go to in a country that's been off the tourist map, and is still off the ATM map. Myanmar has a two price policy where tourists pay more than locals for entrance fees, the train and whatever. There, the "Tourist Tax" is institutionalized by the government. So, it's not the locals trying to overcharge you, it's the government.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Furnace
While we are gone we have two legislators staying in our home. One of the things that we do to get it ready for them to stay and for us to leave is to have the furnace checked and placed under a service contract. Monday morning it was time for the furnace's checkup. It failed! Our 35 year old furnace was rusting and cracking and in need of replacement. But, not a health hazard. So, we weren't going to die of CO2 poisoning. But, what to do?
After gnashing of teeth, saying "why now" "why me" and stressing, we decided to go ahead and replace the furnace. That however, brought up the question of what to do with the old air conditioner, which was followed by the question of what to do with the 13 year old water heater. So, with the furnace people looking like they had won the lottery, we broke down and agreed to replace all of them: the furnace, water heater and air conditioner. They will be installed Wednesday. Hope the legislators enjoy them.
After gnashing of teeth, saying "why now" "why me" and stressing, we decided to go ahead and replace the furnace. That however, brought up the question of what to do with the old air conditioner, which was followed by the question of what to do with the 13 year old water heater. So, with the furnace people looking like they had won the lottery, we broke down and agreed to replace all of them: the furnace, water heater and air conditioner. They will be installed Wednesday. Hope the legislators enjoy them.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Skype
After writing the last post, I began to wonder why we didn't have Skype and use it. Well, now we do. Laura is lauradalrymple1 and Jim is jamesaharrs1. The first call we made was to Laura's son Rick, who actually answered! It works!
Last night we went to a WWII USO show at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library. That got me to thinking about WWII and the Malaysian Peninsula, where the Japanese attacked and invaded several hours before attacking Pearl Harbor. An opportunity lost that cost many lives.The Japanese landed at Kota Bahru, Malaysia, and Pattani and Songkhla, Thailand. Yet no alarm was raised at Pearl Harbor. Kota Bahru has a nice small museum about the invasion and the British troops that were overrun.
Last night we went to a WWII USO show at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library. That got me to thinking about WWII and the Malaysian Peninsula, where the Japanese attacked and invaded several hours before attacking Pearl Harbor. An opportunity lost that cost many lives.The Japanese landed at Kota Bahru, Malaysia, and Pattani and Songkhla, Thailand. Yet no alarm was raised at Pearl Harbor. Kota Bahru has a nice small museum about the invasion and the British troops that were overrun.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Getting Ready
I just set up our home phone number to give us our phone messages over the internet so we can answer our messages, if necessary, while we are in Asia. This got me to thinking about when we went to Africa in 1990 and the only way to stay in touch was either by mail, or go to the airport and use the AT&T phone to call home collect.
Now, as soon as we arrive in a new country, if we are going to stay for a few days, we buy sim cards and put them in our phones and can call anywhere. Sometimes, like in Malaysia, it was cheaper to call the US from Malaysia, 6 cents per minute, than to use our prepaid cells within the US, 10 cents per minute. And, we can call even cheaper with Skype. Sure that I could somehow arrange to have our local calls forwarded to my cell in Asia. But, don't think that would work as most of the calls would come during the night there due to the time difference. Besides, unlike Laura, I hate the telephone.
Now, as soon as we arrive in a new country, if we are going to stay for a few days, we buy sim cards and put them in our phones and can call anywhere. Sometimes, like in Malaysia, it was cheaper to call the US from Malaysia, 6 cents per minute, than to use our prepaid cells within the US, 10 cents per minute. And, we can call even cheaper with Skype. Sure that I could somehow arrange to have our local calls forwarded to my cell in Asia. But, don't think that would work as most of the calls would come during the night there due to the time difference. Besides, unlike Laura, I hate the telephone.
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