Thailand - Final Thoughts

This is the final word I’ll have on Thailand for the moment, just to try and wrap up the experience. We spent most of our last days on the beach but we took one trip around the island on Thursday to see what we could. It rained on Thursday so we felt it would be a good time to spend the time in a van driving around the island but unfortunately for us, the rain never seemed to let up. We started at the nearby Big Buddha and then went around to various other spots we selected from all of the information we could find on the web. Our driver, Dan was a pleasant guy that we had met previously. He gave us a lot of information about each area and Thailand as a whole. The temples or Wats were nice and much different than we were used to seeing in China but with the heavy rains, it never really had the impact that perhaps it might’ve had otherwise. As we drove around the island, we noticed the change in scenery from the heavily populated, more modern tourist areas of the island to the more local flavor of the southern side of the island. We rode through a rubber plantation and saw the taps on the trees for getting the rubber from the trees. It is similar to getting sap from trees to make maple syrup. Unfortunately for the farmers that sapped these trees, with the rain, no one would purchase the sap because it was degraded from the water. We also saw a palm tree plantation to get coconuts. It was much different as we rode around the island to see the rather remote Southern end of the island to the more densely populated and modern Northern end of the island. Dan gave us an offer to come to Thailand and stay in his home village with his family anytime we want to come back and experience the real Thailand. It sounded interesting but it wasn’t something that we could do with the kids. Take away the TV. Computer, PSPs and other games and the kids would be like meth addicts going through withdrawals…not pleasant. Although it rained practically the whole day, we still got to see many of the sights we wanted to see (at a much quicker pace).

The next two days would be back to the beach to enjoy the sun and surf. What else did we do, we rode on go karts. At the track, there were two speed options, 35 kph and 60 kph. We chose the 35 kph because it seemed the 60 kph would be a lot more speed than needed and I didn’t want the kids to be killed on a go kart track in Thailand. It was an interesting track surrounded by palm trees. While we rode, they were knocking coconuts out of the trees to keep them from dropping on people as they went by. It is a real problem for people around here and they have to ensure to keep the trees coconut free to prevent someone from being killed by one of these things. We had to wear helmets for the track which made it even more fun to ride. We started on the track and it was okay, the speed wasn’t too much but there was little in the way of tread on the tires so you would slide around the corners. While we were getting used to the speed, I would pass the kids and then slow down to keep us together and there was a lot of passing back and forth. However, Jacob then put on his game face and once he passed, it was all over. He kept the pedal down and rode like a madman. The pictures Tammy took show how serious he was in his quest to win the cup (the coconut cup). Warren somehow managed to take a turn to the left on a right hand turn and went off the course. I slowed down to be sure he was okay and he was laughing as the track workers all ran over to get him back on the course. It didn’t slow Jacob down at all and as I was slowing down to get ready to turn in on the final lap, he zipped on past me with a very nice laugh and a comment that I couldn’t hear due to my helmet but I’m sure it was some trash talking. The course was pretty small so I would’ve hated to see what the 60 kph ride would’ve been.

There were times we saw things that made us wonder about foreigners that come to these places. Much like China, tips were not commonplace and so were not expected (and unlike in the US, tips were appreciated and not figured into the salary for the people). However, we watched some Westerners and wondered what they did before they came to Thailand. One the beach, we actually saw a US older couple paying the vendor in US Dollars. US Dollars!!!! It’s like a 30-to-1 exchange and who knows how much they were paying but they were way out of bounds. How many people walk around without local currency? It was stupid because they were overpaying, perhaps they had money to throw away and didn’t really care but if that was the case, how about throwing that money my way. I’ve got two growing boys to feed.

We stopped into an English Pub one night to eat to see how the food was. It was actually really good although the kids got hamburgers, Tammy had the Thai food and I had Bangers and Mash (after all, it is a British pub right). The owner was obviously British and we spoke with him and asked why he came to Ko Samui. He indicated that after his divorce, he decided to start over and since he had traveled to Ko Samui in the past he decided that is what he would do. So we went from England to Thailand and opened up a restaurant. Can you imagine the kind of guts it takes to make a move like that? He told us about how the 15 straight days of rain impacted the businesses all over the island. They had no power for 3 days and basically stayed open just to cook the food in the freezer. He said it could’ve been much worse but the economic issues around the world have led to a big decline in the tourist trade in Ko Samui but hopefully things would get better.

The shopkeepers all around the island were so much different than we had experienced in China. In China, as soon as you walk in the door to a shop, they are asking you want you want and showing their stuff. Heck, you can’t walk by without hearing the “looka, looka” routine. It varies from place to place but it can go from just a friendly “please look in my shop” to a more direct grabbing at you to usher you into a shop. In Thailand, it was totally different. You would walk into a shop and sometimes there was no one there. The keeper might stroll in when they see someone inside but there was never an awkward silence as they watched you and waited to pounce. They gave you space if you wanted it and left you to make a decision on if you wanted to buy or not buy something. There was the haggling but we didn’t really do too much like China. In China, it’s a sport but in Thailand you didn’t feel much like going through the haggling. You could knock down the price a little and if you did, then it was okay. In China, you should always start bargaining at about ½ of the price they start (and in some cases, you need to do more than that, the bottom line is never love anything and if you think you are being overcharged, you probably are. Don’t convert the money into USD, always consider the cost for the locals and go from there.). For some shops, you had to take off you sandals before walking in just to keep the sand out. We saw one shop keeper praying outside his shop before opening one morning. He was lighting incense and bowing to his god. There was also another shop where the woman took the money we gave to her and touched it to many small idols around the front of the shop. Perhaps this was a way of thanks for the first sale of the day. It was strange to see but we didn’t stare. They were just so friendly it was like you were walking with friends shopping. In the one store where we bought many things, the woman would bring down the prices as we bought more. We didn’t ask for it but as we added, how about this, she would drop the price on another item. We bought a lot of stuff from her one day and then went back on the Saturday before we left to ensure we had everything we would want as a souvenir.

The toilets in Thailand were the cleanest toilets I had ever seen. There was never the nasty smell of a public toilet in China which is like the rest stop toilets in many places in the US. Every toilet was kept clean and smelling fresh. I don’t know how they did it but never once did you walk in to a toilet and wonder “What died in here?” Now this doesn’t mean that sometimes I knew I wasn’t at home when one of the female cleaning ladies would walk into the men’s room look at me and continue to do their job.

Overall we loved Thailand. Granted we were on an island but everyone was so laid back and it didn’t seem to have the same “chasing the $$$” attitude we see a lot in China. The people didn’t seem as concerned about having the cars, TVs, and all of the stuff. They actually seemed to value the important things, friends and family. It was so different; it was probably the best and worst vacation we’ve been on. The best because it was so relaxing, we had nothing specific to get done and did what we wanted, when we wanted. The worst because we had to leave and go back to the real world. When we got to Bangkok, we recognized immediately that we were headed back to China. We got in line to check-in to the flight to Shanghai and the Chinese were obviously too important to wait in line. Once again, they showed that they don’t understand how to queue in a line. They created their own line so they could check in first because they are so important. They also reminded us of the need to push and shove regardless of the situation. The visit to Thailand actually soured us on returning just due to what we experienced at the airport. I know it’s not all Chinese people but man, there are a lot that just feel the need to be first. We were headed back so the vacation was over the moment we set foot in Bangkok. While in Thailand, we found out that many of the hotels won’t allow bookings to come from “certain countries” because they don’t want those people around due to the attitudes the owners get from this group of people. They never specifically said which countries they were talking about but we knew. And that is where we were headed. Welcome back to China!!!

Thailand beaches

Our second day in Thailand revolved around the beach (as would many of the other days in Koh Samui). We had checked the elephant trek from our to do list and now it was time for some rest & relaxation on the beach. In Koh Samui, the best beach was Chaweng so we woke up, ate breakfast and prepared to go to the beach. We had a car pick us up at the Villa and then we dropped off at McDonald’s of all places which was our starting destination to the beach. We walked past McDonalds (not without noticing a few new menu items, the double Big Mac and the Chicken and Ham pie. The double Big Mac….really, and we wonder why people are so fat) and a Starbucks as we passed through a small mall to find the road leading to the beach. We walked down the road and it changed from a paved path to a smaller path through the palm trees and could smell the salt air and hear the waves as we got closer to the water. The beach was exactly what we expected, a very nice sandy beach with good size waves crashing in. We walked down the beach a short while to get away from one of the major entry points (and therefore one of the more crowded sections) until we found a place where we could rent some chairs (50 Baht each, less than $2 for the day…compare that to the prices for beaches in the US) so keep off the sand a little. We moved the chairs into the sun, Tammy put on her basting oil and the kids and I slathered on the SPF 50 stuff so we didn’t get fried. The last time we went to the beach I was lobster red after the first day which I didn’t want to happen again. The beach wasn’t so crowded with people, at least not as many as I would’ve thought so you could get some distance between yourself and the others around you.

Since I am a pessimistic person, I’ll mention the negatives about the beach first;
· The speedos and the bikini bathing suits. I don’t know if the inventor of these articles of clothing ever envisioned the people that would be wearing these things. There were more people in self-denial walking around in these things than you could imagine. Now I know that the Europeans are a lot more “accepting” than the typical US person but c’mon people! This was ridiculous. The old men wearing speedos with the guts hanging over the suit….scary. Even more scary were these older men taking pictures of each other in these suits. I mean what is that all about? I can’t imagine being at the Mrytle Beach with a guy saying “Hey Scott, how about taking a photo of me in the surf?” Um, how about “NO!” I can accept that some people can pull off this look but those that cannot (and you know who you are), why would you subject yourself and everyone else to your illusions. This is also true for many of the women. If your belly is bigger than your boobs, it’s time for a one piece suit (and a robe!). Flabby, out of shape people were not the target market for these items so help a brother out, don’t wear them. If people tell you that you look good in that suit a) check their mental state and b) check their vision. You aren’t 17 anymore (and probably at 17 you couldn’t pull it off) so accept your age. People are staring at you because you are hot, it’s because they can’t believe you are actually crazy enough to believe you look good.
· The beach marketers. On our way to the beach we were stopped by Westerners on a motorcycle asking if we spoke English. They gave us a book of coupons and started in on a well-rehearsed speech about us winning a contest, blah, blah, blah. We didn’t have to buy anything, etc. We listened politely for some time since it appeared we had the option of 3 prizes. Then comes the final straw. “You can pick up your prize by taking a taxi to our offices and listening to a 90 minute presentation”. WHAT!?!? 90 minutes, this is when it went downhill for them. Tammy isn’t giving up 90 minutes on the beach for anyone or anything so this wasn’t going to happen. Bring the kids, we’ll tell the friends you are going to meet on the beach, etc. If you do this, we make 100 Euros (which would be close to probably 7000 Baht), help us out. Sorry folks, ain’t gonna happen! 90 minutes, they had to be crazy. This is the same old time share, high pressure sales techniques used back home. Sorry folks, we’re off to the beach!
· Beach vendors. On the beach, every 2-3 minutes you would have a Thai person carrying some trinkets (jewelry, silk, souvenirs, etc.) come by and slow down in front of you to show you their wares. Now I have to point out that they were very polite, if you didn’t want something you could shake your head and they would move on. There was no pressure to buy anything so although it was somewhat of a nuisance, it could’ve been much worse.

The positive things about the beach;
· The food options that were being made fresh in front of you. There were women carrying a small grill and all the “fixins” to cook food for you right there (they had a wooden “balance” over their shoulders which had the small grill on one side and the fixins on the other side). They had stuff on a stick (whole fish, squid, chicken butt, chicken shoulder) for the grill and other things to eat. They made a papaya salad right there for you, as spicy as you wanted (this was awesome!). They also carried rice and other things to eat. There were other women that had fruit, specifically mangoes and pineapples, cut fresh for you. All of these items were very cheap, delicious and allowed you to remain on the beach and enjoy lunch.
· The twins. On the other side of the spectrum from the people wearing the wrong beach attire were the people that wore limited beach attire. There were two European women that decided that they needed to walk the beach without wearing a bikini top. It wasn’t enough to walk from the North End to the South End of the beach but they also had to make the return trip as well (of course). Now, in the information we had about Thailand it seemed to be frowned upon to expose yourself but I don’t think there was any enforcement of a dress code for the beach. We didn’t see anyone else flaunting it as directly as these women but I am certain that they weren’t the only ones who figured that they could take advantage of the opportunity to get some color. We understood from others that the beaches on some of the smaller, neighboring islands (where they held the snorkeling tours and stuff) that these women would’ve been overdressed for the beach but we never went there so it’s strictly hearsay on my part to repeat this. What was the funniest about this was one day when another family we knew from Suzhou (another small world story) was setting up next to us, the women walked by (in full view of the kids). They walked over to the mom and asked her the time (as you can imagine, even a watchband tan line was unacceptable to these women). It was funny to see this happen and it seems that this episode didn’t harm the kids (although it probably didn’t do any good either). Another lady that was near us on another day had 3 different bathing suits. She would change between the suits for reasons I don’t know but she would do it right there on the beach. She could change out the top without too much on an issue but the bikini bottoms were another matter. She actually would sit in her seat, remove the one bottom and then place on the other bottom. We were sitting behind her so we got the full moon/buttcrack treatment. We were just hoping the kids weren’t looking in from the water to get the view from the other side of the world (and you know what I mean). There was another woman that had on a strapless bikini top that wasn’t quite sized correctly. Anytime she moved around she was in danger of bearing all to the world. Then she went into the water and we knew that we were “seconds from disaster” which is what happened when the first big wave came in and knocked her down. Thanks for the memories!
· The surf was very nice, the water was clear and we had large enough waves to get out there and get knocked around a little. We don’t really go into the water to swim as much as just have a little bit of fun and the big waves that would crash over you would do just that. Being on the chair, it was just nice to hear the sound of the ocean as you laid back and relaxed in the sun. It was hot so every 20-30 minutes you had to hit the water to cool down a little.
· It was the beach (as my wife continues to say, there are no negatives about the beach).

As I may have mentioned before, there were dogs all over the island and this included the beach. Now these weren’t packs of wild dogs (or didn’t seem to be such) just domesticated animals that were left behind. These dogs would come by and sit near you whenever you ate. They didn’t give you the patented stare and drool as we knew from Shadow. They would just lay down somewhere near you and if you wanted to drop them a morsel or two, they would take it. Sometimes when we were just walking down the street from the Villa, we would attract one dog that would follow us to our destination. It would then sit there for awhile before deciding that we weren’t going to feed it and it would head off to another destination (or find another sucker). You felt badly for the dogs (being dog lovers) but there wasn’t much you could do about it. We actually read in the local paper that the previous year they were trying to reduce the dog count on the island. They were using blowguns with poisoned darts to kill off many of the dogs (think about it blowguns and poisoned darts, sounds like something that would’ve been done a long time ago). It wasn’t really anything you wanted to read about but it was what they had to do to try and gain control of the situation. Recently they opened a dog shelter to try and work another angle to the same problem. Everywhere you went you saw dogs and 7-11 stores.

Now we visited three beaches while in Koh Samui and saw others on a trip around the island. We went to Chaweng and it was the best beach on the island. From the other family that stayed on the Lamai Beach section of the island, it was a nice beach but very small. We also went to the Big Buddha beach (where we stayed), it was okay but it was also a small beach when the tide was in. Finally, we went to Bo Phut beach. This was a very pebbly beach with very calm water. Again, it was okay but Chaweng was the best beach and the one we went back to 3 times during our stay. From a general standpoint, the beaches went as follows, the Southern beaches were very rocky and not beaches where you would go out on the sand (because there wasn’t any sand) to get a tan, the Western beaches were more muddy and dirty. The Northern beaches were pebbly and the water was calmer and the Eastern beaches were where you wanted to be to get out and get a tan as well as get in the water.

Night Life

The nightlife on Koh Samui was everything you might imagine, if you imagine it’s like Vegas. We went to a bar on the beach to get a beer just to enjoy drinking a beer on the beach. We noticed that all of the bars had a bunch of younger women, many more than was needed for the customers in the establishment, two customers, 6 girls. These girls weren’t dressed like working women (and you know what I mean) but they also weren’t heading to church either. It was interesting to see so many of these younger women just sitting together or playing pool, whatever while waiting for a paying customer (and I think they were pretty much planning on men but who really knows).

I have to set the scene here so bear with me. We weren’t staying near the hotspots for the nightlife on Koh Samui, those were along the beaches at Lamai and Chaweng. We’re in the family friendly section of the island (or so we believed). There were bars by the piers, so there were fishing boats in the water right up next to the bar’s patio area. The bar patio had two sections, one with tables that was close to the water (and therefore the boats) and one with these odd “beach chairs”. There were families sitting out on the decks of the boats so you had an odd mix of families working on their nets or just sitting about the boat talking and the bar customers all within mere meters of each other. Lingering over the area was the mixed smells of bad perfume, cigarette smoke and dead fish. Okay, on to the story.

When we arrived, we got to sit in the strangely uncomfortable beach chairs facing the water but also with a couple of tables between us and the water. At one of the tables was one Western male (seemed to be from the former Soviet Union, now one of the “stans” based on his accent), three Thai males and three Thai women. On the table was a bucket of ice, glasses and several bottles of whiskey, vodka, scotch, whatever. One young lady was the designated bartender and would almost continuously mix drinks and hand them out. We’re not certain where these were going because we never saw any of them drinking as fast as she was pouring but it didn’t seem to stop her from topping off the drinks. At first it seemed like the women were dates but it turns out that they worked at the bar. One would go sit on the arm of the chair for the Westerner and he would grab her butt and it seemed they were together. Then she would move and another girl would take her place and her butt would get “caressed” and soon she would leave and the first one would come back. It was odd to watch as we seemed to be in a moment of understanding. We recognized that these girls were there as bait and he would drink and then get stuck with a large bar bill. He wasn’t going home with any of them, at least not from what we could tell. They didn’t seem real interested in him but they had to play their part to ensure his group stayed and continued to drink. The other Thai males received little attention from the girls. In fact, one of the girls sat down on the armchair of the bartender and they were touching each other in odd ways that would indicate that perhaps they had no interest in men at all. It was kind of surreal but interesting to watch.

What made it even more interesting is that less than 10 feet away was the Thai fishing family sitting on their boat, mending nets, talking, eating and watching. For them this was like a night at the movies. They were only missing the popcorn to be sitting at the drive through. We watched them and the table and enjoyed the show. However, we received little attention from the staff at the bar. I guess a man with his wife kind of threw off their game plan and they didn’t know how to react. If the chairs were more comfortable, we would’ve had a second beer and continued to watch this odd interplay happening in front of us but the seats were so bad that we left after the first beer. We actually had to get up and go to the bar to pay the tab as opposed to them bringing the bill.

The game we saw is similar to what happens here in Suzhou at some bars but the bars here like that here offer a wider array of “services” if you are willing to pay (and if you like to take the risk that you might go home with something more than just fond memories from Suzhou).

Another night going to the 7-11, we also noticed one other aspect of the island life. Sitting outside the 7-11 in plain sight were two guys smoking something other than cigarettes (Hello Cheech and Chong). We hadn’t seen any of this before then but that night sitting out on the porch at the bungalow, we also detected the odor of the wacky weed (and by detected, I’m not talking about a faint odor, we were craving some cheetoos within minutes of stepping outside). We also noticed it several other times when we were outside in the evening. There were other villas around ours so it could have come from any one of them but it was like someone made a bonfire of the stuff. It was crazy.

The last thing I will mention is something called the Full Moon Party. Each month, when the moon was full (duh), there would be boats that would pick people up to take them to a nearby island of Koh Tao (and by nearby I mean about 90 minutes by speedboat). The people would begin arriving at the pickup areas and start drinking in preparation for the party. Then after dark you would begin to see the speedboats come in to shore and the people board them. These boats weren’t small but they weren’t very large either. Perhaps 14-20 passengers would fit on the boat without too much of an issue. We watched as they would pack these boats with people (already drinking) carrying their booze for the ride and head out into the night. All you could see were the blinking lights disappear into the blackness. No life vests, no safety involved as they filled the boats to capacity and then some. Then they headed out for several hours of partying and after 1:00am, they would start to being people home. Tan informed us that the departure from the island was very chaotic as the boats would indicate they were leaving and people would push and shove their way on a boat to avoid being left behind. Again, no body count, just fill the boat and take the 90 minute ride across open water to Koh Samui. Then it’s find a taxi and go back to your hotel to sleep it off. Crazy stuff, even for the younger generation. We saw many people arrive to buy the tickets to the party and as I indicated, we watched many of the boats fill up as the partygoers left to take the trip. We saw many young people on the island during our vacation and could not imagine being 22-25 years of age and being allowed to go out on our own to Koh Samui. All of the temptations that we saw (and knowing that we didn’t see half of the seedier side of life on the island) that were available. Aiya!

Now I say all this not to say that Thailand is the devil’s playground but just as an observation about what is available. This is probably true just about anywhere in the world where you go. Sometimes these “options” are more obvious and in your face and if you want to find it, it’s available if you know where to look. Although these things were there, it did not sour us on Koh Samui or Thailand. It was just more obvious here than what we are accustomed to seeing (or not seeing).

Thailand - Park I

It’s been a crazy last 3 months for us, a lot of travel both individual and together to end 2010. We decided we should take advantage of this opportunity to get out and see a little more of this region of the world while we were still here. So we made the decision to go to Thailand and spend our Christmas holiday on the beaches of Ko Samui (also can be spelled as Koh Samui, I’m not sure which is correct).

We packed on Friday night and made ready to leave out for Pudong airport early Saturday morning. Saturday I got up early, showered and made some coffee to wake up. Shortly after the coffee was made and just as Tammy got up to shower, the lights went out (along with everything else). Damnit! I assumed we blew a fuse with too many heaters running. I went around and turned off the outlets and went to look at the fuse box (in the dark, it wasn’t yet 7:00). Nothing was tripped but I still flipped each and every fuse to ensure that they were all reset. Nothing happened but I did the Chinese thing (oh-oh, I’m starting to become a local). I continued to flip each and every switch thinking perhaps there was another trick to this. After the 3rd time with nothing happening, I went out into the hallway and noted that the hall light wasn’t working. Other buildings around us had power but I could not see lights on in our building. Upon further review, our building had lost power for whatever reason and there was no hot water or heat. Now, this could be thought of as some kind of ominous warning sign (similar to the Amityville Horror, “Get out!”) but we tried not to look to far into it. Tammy had not showered and had a decision to make, shower and freeze or go without showering. She put her hair up and made the call, no shower (no surprises there, the water temp would’ve been freezing and that is a really bad start to the day, no shower was actually the better option). The power did come back on about 20 minutes before we left but there was no time left to shower so it was a test of deodorant day.

At the Pudong International Airport we checked in and looked for a currency exchange station to change our Chinese Yuan for the Thailand Baht (The Baht is about 6-to-1 versus the Yuan and about 30-to-1 versus the Dollar). Oddly enough, when we found the place, the agent indicated they had no Thai Baht. Really, a currency exchange center without currency from every country in the region?!?! That seemed strange since I had never encountered this problem before but what could we do? I shrugged and hoped that I could get the money changed out in Bangkok. We ate our PB&J sandwiches in the airport and waited on our flight to “paradise”. Lucky for me it seems the European couple sitting next to me on the plane also had a problem with their shower in the morning and the deodorant just wasn’t up to par. We’ve all heard how the Europeans don’t have the same hygiene standards as the US, well they were holding up their end of the deal (and not in a good way). It was a short 4 hour flight to Bangkok where we had a 3 hour layover to grab some food and get ready for the very short 1 hour flight. There is one interesting thing to note about flying on Chinese airlines. They have a standard Western toilet on the plane (well, duh) but you have to remember that many of the Chinese are accustomed to a squatty potty and that’s what they are comfortable with. They believe the Western toilet is dirty because everyone’s touched it with their butts so it’s not like the squatty which has fewer germs (nothing to sit on, nothing to spread the germs). Because of this, you will see shoe prints on the toilets in many restrooms (as the ladies, they see it all the time) and it was no different on the plane. There were shoe prints on the toilet seat. Consider that for a moment; the size of the restroom on a plane, the angle of the walls, etc and then think about how you would squat on this toilet. It can’t be comfortable and if you hit turbulence, it’s got to be much more difficult to keep your balance. Too much information….perhaps but it’s probably something you didn’t know (and didn’t want to know).

The Bangkok airport had interesting architecture where everything looked like big tunnels/tubes. It had some gardens around the terminals that you can see from the walkways. It’s really a nice airport and not like we expected. We had to process through customs, pick up our bags and then re-check them because we changed airlines. We also changed our cash here but we got robbed by the exchange place. I know the exchange rate was 6 Baht to 1 RMB but they gave me 4 Baht to 1 RMB and had a nice exchange fee just to add insult to injury. [SCOTT’S TRAVEL ADVICE: Before you leave the US use a place like Bank of America to exchange money just to have some pocket money for the country where you are traveling for food or whatever at the airport. Then wait and use the ATMs for your money, you pay a fee but you get a much better exchange rate.] Anyhow, there’s a good food court in the concourse with both Western and Asian options. The boys saw Burger King and their decision was made. Tammy and I noticed the Thai food area and immediately went over and got a Noodle Soup and Pad Thai. We both really like Thai food so we were looking forward to the trip for the food as much as the beach (well, almost as much). Then it was time to board the flight and head to the island. We used the ramp stairs to disembark from the plane and were picked up by a trolley car (you know, open car with seats facing each other that can seat about 20 people) to the “terminal”. The terminal was designed to look like a hut with no walls and just a roof. That’s exactly what it was; it was a wooden roof and no walls with a luggage carousel in the middle. Seriously, it was like stepping into an airplane terminal from Gilligan’s Island (it was a little surreal). Although it was raining, it was nice and warm outside (about 9:00 pm) about 80 degrees (when we left China it was in the 20’s). We had a driver meet us at the airport to take us to the Villa Tannamera, our home for the next week.

Now, I have to mention the “small world” thing again. At the Pudong Airport, we ran into the SSIS Elementary school principle and his family. It turns out that they were also headed to Thailand and they were on our flight to Bangkok. We never really asked for their final destination but when we got to our terminal for the flight to Ko Samui, there they were. They were on an earlier flight than us so we wished each other a good vacation and went on our separate ways. Well, when we arrive at the Villa who do we see sitting out on the deck? That’s right, the principal and family. This was really strange because there are a huge number of places to stay on the island and the chances that they would not only be at the same place but in the bungalow right across the pool, that has to be odds that Vegas would love.

At the Villa, we were met by Tan, the resident manager. Tan showed us to our bungalow and gave us a brief introduction to the place. A quick description, the kids shared a room with two beds and a shower that had partially open windows (meaning the window had two sections but was never fully closed so the local creatures could get in). The Master Bedroom was across the hall and had an open shower, meaning there was no ceiling over the shower area. The toilet was just under a ceiling but the shower, you looked up and you saw sky. You have to remember that this was an island getaway and wasn’t a place where you would have someone wiping your backside when you clapped your hands (Wipers!). It only had AC in the two bedrooms and no AC in the kitchenette/living room. There was a porch around the front and side that face the swimming pool. Then, just a 30 meter walk away was the beach which was the reason for the choice of this hotel. The rain had stopped by now so we just soaked it all in and started to get ready for “island time”. We knew there were some things we wanted to do but mostly we wanted to relax and isn’t that the goal of every vacation.

Another pleasant surprise was that when we turned on the TV (it was the kids, really) and we got Fox News. Woo-Hoo, Fox News!!! We traveled all the way to Thailand to see Fox News…Sheperd Smith, Bill O’Reilly, Mike Huckabee, Glenn Beck, the morning show, etc. In China, we get CNN and BBC which may give us news but it’s not the same. I know there are those that believe that Fox is biased but from the perspective of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, it’s straight and everything else is crooked. This is the same for the “news outlets” that had the monopoly for years. We REALLY missed Fox News and we enjoyed the chance to watch it again even if only for a short time.

The next morning, we got up and dressed in our shorts and sandals and took the long 20 step walk to breakfast. The Villa offered a basic breakfast (coffee, juice, some cereal options, milk or yogurt and toast or croissant) that turned out to be a pleasant surprise. They offered eggs if you wanted them for extra cost so Jacob took full advantage and had an omelet every day (along with the full complement of the other options; cereal, milk, apple juice and toast, he was killing me with the extra $3 every day on our bill). Tan spoke with us about what we could do and how to get things done. Tan turned out to be the perfect host for us, we could tell him every morning what we wanted to do and he would make the arrangements (I am sure this would be similar to other places on the island) for us. If we wanted a car and driver, he would make the arrangements. If we need laundry done, he would have it done. It was all about the service he provided to us that made the trip work. He would talk to us about our customs and the Thai customs. We usually spent 15-20 minutes just talking to him every morning after we ate breakfast. He is a nice man and worked very hard to make us feel welcome.

The first day we decided to do the elephant trek where we got to ride on an elephant on a jungle trek and see one of the waterfalls on the island. We arranged for the car to get us and when it did, it was a little surprise for us. It was a pickup truck with bench seats in the back that were covered with a tarp (much like traveling in the back of a pickup in the Army). We could see out the sides and watch the scenery as we drove around to get to the elephant trek. Some observations on the ride;
· Motorcycles are everywhere in Thailand, not electric scooters, motorcycles of all shapes and sizes. It was like the e-bikes in China, families were riding on the motorcycles, individuals, etc.
· Gas was sold on the side of the road in bottles for the motorcycles. It looked like shelves of whiskey bottles but it was actually gas.
· They drive on the wrong side of the road in Thailand
· There were sandbags along many of the road and signs noting flooding around the island. In November they had 15 straight days of rain and there were huge floods all over the island which had a very negative impact on the locals.
· There were small, street-side eateries everywhere. Little stalls, some with a few tables and others with no tables. These, along with Thai massage shops were everywhere on the route. We also saw a 7-11 at virtually every other intersection, these were everywhere like a Waffle House in the southern US.

We arrived at the elephant trek without much incident. We were late arriving but it didn’t really seem to matter, we were on island time. We could see many elephants milling about with their keepers and others with people aboard heading out on their trek. There were also 4x4 trucks with seats on top of the truck and bench seats on back. We didn’t know what those were for but we found out later. We walked over to the platform to get ready to climb aboard the elephants. They could come up and you would grab the rope to help you to swing over to your seat and then tie the strap to keep you “locked in”. Jacob and I climbed aboard our elephant and headed out in front of Warren and Tammy. Our “driver” had purple feet and I wasn’t really sure why until later but it was to identify him and his elephant. His elephant had a purple spot on his head so you knew which animal went to which driver by the colors (color matching, a novel concept). The driver was a young guy and he guided the elephant using his feet on the ears of the elephant. A little tap on the lower right ear turned the elephant to the right. He also used voice commands to get the elephant to do what he wanted (as much as you can get something that large to do what you want, it was quite obvious to me that if the elephant decided to do what it wanted, that’s what we all were going to do). It was a bumpy, herky-jerky ride but we set off and walked around the area. You thought you would have whiplash at first but once you became accustomed to the movement, it wasn’t all that bad. Along the way we passed cages of monkeys that the driver used a stick to get them to turn and face our direction. There were also some deer, birds and alligators that we passed by. We went on a trek through the “jungle” and walked alongside a small stream and then passed by a small traditional village with the slightly raised house and the straw roofs. You could see the mixture of the trees, the coconut palms mixed in with the standard trees, you could see where one type of tree stopped and the others began. It was very interesting to see the different types of trees. Just after the village the elephants made the decision it was snack time. We had purchased some bananas to feed the elephants but it wasn’t enough. Their trunk would come back and you would give them one green banana and they would grab it and eat it and then reach back for more. Since we had very few bananas, they started to forage a little for some extra food. The drivers got off the elephants and allowed us to sit up on the neck of these animals as opposed to being perched on a chair on the back of the elephants. This is when we got the real feel of the animal. They had tough leather skin and just long, coarse hairs on the heads of these beasts. I had a hard time keeping a good balance while sitting in this position but it was kind of fun, Warren did the same on his elephant. The elephant was being fed by the driver as we were perched on it’s head. I was afraid to touch the ears so I would not turn the animal the wrong way. I was also very conscious that this animal was in control and I didn’t want an angry elephant (I’ve watched Dumbo, I know what happens to an angry elephant). We got to ride on the neck of the elephant for about 10-15 minutes and then it was back to the “cushy” seat in back. It was an interesting ride and although it was 60 minutes, it didn’t seem that long. We were back to the “hangar” to get off of the elephant.

We asked about the waterfall since we didn’t see it on the trek. They indicated that we had to either walk (30 minutes) or ride to the waterfall on the 4x4 trucks. We decided on the ride (which turned out to be the absolute right decision). Warren and I sat on top of the cab of the truck as we pulled out and started along the muddy track towards the waterfall. We crossed the stream and then headed along the very uneven and washed out road to the waterfall. It took about 10 minutes and it would’ve taken a lot longer than 30 minutes to walk this path. It was treacherous and without the 4 wheel drive, we would never have made it. There were several areas where the wheels were slipping as we headed up and down the “road”. II wasn’t sure which was the more bumpy ride; the elephant or the truck. When we arrived, we were told we had 20 minutes so we walked out to the waterfall and took photos quickly. It was an interesting area and really required more time to explore the area but with the time limit we saw what we could and got ready to leave (if the truck was leaving, we were going to be on it). Both of the kids took the cab seats for the ride back down the mountain to the starting point. Once we arrived, they asked us to sit in one of the huts while we waited for the driver to take us back to the Villa.

Once we got back, it was relax and hop in the pool for a little bit. We had decided to try a restaurant by the hotel for dinner. Tammy and I ate the Thai cuisine while Jacob and Warren went more Italian (pizza and carbonara). It was good food and we were able to sit outside while we ate and just people watch. Although the airport was very close and we knew when every plane was arriving or departing, it was very relaxing. After dinner, we just went back and did nothing at the Villa except sit on the deck and watch the planes come and go for the rest of the night. It may sound very irritating that we were so close to the airport that the planes would interrupt your day for those 30 seconds while they came in to land or after they took off but it didn’t really bother us much. The last plane came in about 10:00pm and the first plane came in about 6:30am which became our wakeup call. It actually became a running joke; I mean we were on the beach, so we didn’t let it bother us much (why stress over something we could not control). We were on island time, which became the motto for the trip.

Beijing - Over and Out

Day 3 in Beijing began as the others, breakfast down in the lobby buffet. In other words; we had flashbacks to the Chateau Regency days, meaning that it was not really all that good. The coffee was okay and the food was okay but it wasn’t super. All things considered, it wasn’t very good and more was expected from us at a Marriott property but it’s a lesson learned. Today we had planned on heading “downtown” to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. After our day adventure to the Great Wall, we figured this was the next item to check off of the list of things to see or do in Beijing. I have to note that many combine trips to the Great Wall in with a visit to the Summer Palace and other areas but we didn’t go that route. For us it was all about the Great Wall and for us, it was the right choice. We could’ve busted our butts to see everything but we wouldn’t have enjoyed anything so we decided to just see what we could see and spend the time to enjoy it as opposed to rushing through everything and seeing glimpses of things (like the company outing, it was good but we missed out on a lot).

Today we decided to take the Subway system rather than go the taxi route again. Getting to the Subway took only about 10 minutes and it wasn’t too difficult to figure out how to get the tokens to get a ride. It was 2 RMB for a ticket to go anywhere in the city that the Subway stops so it was extremely cheap to ride. We were about to find out the downside to cheap transportation. We were one of the last stops on the line and had to go only one stop to change trains, how bad could it be right?!?! The first train came up and it was jam packed, and I mean packed! There was no room to get on the train so we stood and figured the next train would be better (how could it be worse) but we were completely wrong. We had decided we were getting on the next train so when it pulled up and was packed again, we were stunned but split into teams and hopped on the train, two at one door and two at the other. We were barely able to step on and get in enough to clear the doors when they closed but we made it. Then it was a mad rush to the connection train. This was the first stop on the line so the train came up empty and the dash was on to get a spot. It was a lot of scrambling to get on to the train, a lot of dashing and bumping but we made it on and were able to secure a spot for the 5 stops to the Forbidden City. The train was jam packed but it continued to make stops and pick up more people. When you thought there wasn’t any space, they found more space. We were squeezed like tuna in a can (where was Charlie?). We survived but anyone with a claustrophobic bone in their body would’ve had a real problem with the Subway. It was almost laughable how many people were on the train and how the numbers continued to increase no matter how little room remained on the train. It was a day that made you thankful for deodorant (at least for those that know how to use it). It was a different way to get where we were going and took less time than a taxi ride so we sucked it up and just made sure to get off at the right stop, Tiananmen Square.

We got up to the street and there, we could see the entrance to the Forbidden City with the large Mao painting hanging straight ahead. Unfortunately, Tiananmen Square was across the 16 lanes of traffic to our left so we saw it from across the road and that’s as close as we were going to get. We could’ve played Frogger and tried to make it across but I don’t think we stood a chance (like Frogger with a broken leg, plus there was a fence blocking our way). So we headed to the Forbidden City and tried to figure out exactly where the entrance was. We knew that Mao’s tomb was nearby so we were confused as to which way to go, where to buy tickets, etc. Tammy spotted two Westerners and went over to ask which direction we should go (of course, her kids stands to the side and say “Mom talks to everyone”). They indicated that we should follow all of the Lemmings under the portrait of Mao and go into the Forbidden City. So off we went into the masses of people and headed into the area to find the tickets to get into the Forbidden City.

Again, no signs or anything to indicate where to go or how to get the tickets so we stop at one of the first ticket people and get into line to get tickets. Once we had the tickets, it was on to another section/area to go into the Forbidden City. After standing in line and moving towards the entrance, we found out we had the wrong ticket (very nice!). So we had to head out of the line (the walk of shame) and get into another line to buy tickets (the right ones we hoped). So after another 20 minutes, we had the right ticket and were able to get through the line again and into the Forbidden City.

Did I mention it was crowded, if not I will say it again, it was crowded. There were a lot of people milling about, tour groups, etc. all around this area. We weren’t in Suzhou anymore. The people in Beijing seemed to us to be a lot ruder than the other Chinese we had met in other areas of China. They would bump you without a second thought, push, shove and just plain be rude in just about every way possible. Whether it was just the local Beijing residents or the Chinese tourists it was tough to tell but either way, you never got the warm, friendly feeling from anyone. It was a test of patience to try not to just lean back and give them a friendly American shove to let them know you have had enough but we sucked it up. Perhaps it would be no different if we went to a big city in the US like New York City or LA but it seemed very strange to us because we were accustomed to some differences in mannerisms between the Chinese and Westerners but this was a different ball game.

Once inside the massive gates to the Forbidden City, we took a sharp right turn to avoid the center walkway through the city to keep away from the crowds as much as possible. It was very strange to think that we were walking on stones from the times of the Emperors of China where the “common people” weren’t allowed to walk for many generations. It was massive inside the walls of the city, once inside you felt disconnected from Beijing (you were basically in the center of one of the largest cities in the world). The layout of the FC was very spread out and it was difficult to know where to go or what you wanted to see. There was the section where the Emperor’s concubines lived and only the eunuchs could go. Any man passing through the gates would be killed by the guards (but if the guards were men, how were they allowed to be inside the walls?). There was the Emperor’s private area, the area for the Empress, etc. It was interesting to see the various parts of this city (and how big each area was) within a city but to be honest; it wasn’t really as powerful to us as we were expecting. Yes, it held a lot of the history of China and there was a lot to see but after about half of the Forbidden City (FC), we were ready to move on. It began to be too much, a lot of the buildings begun to look the same and you weren’t allowed into many of the different halls so you could walk around and look into the hall from the outside but that was all. That was a shame but I understood why this was done. If you opened the halls there would be many that would feel “obligated” to sit on the chairs or on the thrones to get a photo taken like they were the Emperor or whatever. We saw some of these areas but didn’t really feel like being entangled in the masses trying to take a peek into the halls and being pushed around while trying to take a photo. We stayed further away and took our photos from a distance. Although this wasn’t really the peak season to visit Beijing, I’m sure the crowds were about the same throughout the year. There were a lot of interesting things to see but it seemed there was always that disconnect. There were also many other areas within the FC that are recommended to see but some required you to pay more to see those areas. Sorry folks, you already took my money for a ticket to see something (I still don’t know what) that I didn’t see and you aren’t getting any more from me. Although these areas may have been huge draws, we decided against paying more to see them. Perhaps it was the crowds as well. It was kind of stressful to get to the FC on the subway and then the added tension added when trying to find the right ticket area and we were a little burned out by the time we actually got into the FC. So for us at this time, it just wasn’t all we were expecting and somehow it was a letdown. If you have the opportunity to see the FC, I would definitely say go but perhaps go with a local guide; that might provide more insight into the area which would give a better feel. Plus, it takes away some of the stress of figuring out where to go and what to buy. We understand the history of this city and the attraction but we came and we saw and we were ready to move on. There was a nice garden in the back that under normal circumstances would be a place where you would catch your breath and perhaps regain the energy to look further but it was just as crowded as anywhere else and it didn’t have the calming effect for us so we were very happy to see the exit sign and head out of the FC. Sorry, this probably sounds extremely foolish or arrogant but as much as we wanted to enjoy the walk through the FC, we didn’t think it was all that and a bag of chips. For us, the Great Wall was more powerful. It’s one man’s opinion (but it’s my blog and therefore it’s my opinion that matters).

After we headed out, we pointed ourselves in the direction of Beihai Park. This is one of the largest gardens in China. The park was designed in part to showcase different garden structures that can be found in different regions of China. The park was a little outside of the crowds and therefore was much more relaxing and just better for us. We were tired after the walk on the wall the day before and all of the stress involved in getting to the FC and then walking through so we didn’t spend as much time here as we might otherwise. It wasn’t too long of a walk from the FC to the park and along the way you passed by one of the Hutongs. The Hutongs have become transformed from basically a “low rent district” (kind of harsh but that is what it would be back home) to a fashionable thing where you can still get a sense of what it was like to live in Beijing before the decision was made to open the borders of China to the outside world. Many of the Hutongs were demolished and still many more are on the block to be demolished as the city continues to modernize. This isn’t unique to Beijing; Shanghai is doing the same thing as they transform the city. Some Hutongs will remain but only a few and those few will be there as historical “relics”. Anyhow, inside of the park there was some kind of celebration happening in here because they had a bunch of people in costume dancing. They continued to dance and dance as the locals watched. They were dressed in what I would say were more Western China costumes and seemed to have a good time. We watched for several minutes and then moved around more to see more of the park. It had already been a long day and we were done after about an hour and turned to head out of the park. This is another one of the Top 10 sites to see in Beijing so we experienced some of it but didn’t see it all. I am certain that in the Spring/Summer, this park would be a very beautiful place. In November, a lot more brown and less greenery. This was more relaxing but we wanted to head back to the hotel to catch our breath before dinner.

We decided to forgo the Beijing Duck and just go somewhere to eat where we could get a decent meal. We went to The Blue Frog at The Villages to get something to eat. The Villages is another Western area for shopping and eating and contains one of the few Apple stores in Beijing. We’ve eaten at The Blue Frog in Shanghai and since we knew the menu, it wouldn’t be a problem to eat here in Beijing. The broken record comment of the day, traffic sucked!!!! We left early to avoid the traffic but we ran headlong into it again. The taxi driver tried to take a back way to get to the area but we got to the road and needed to take a left but traffic just wasn’t moving. Seriously, we waited for a long time and the traffic didn’t move so he gave us the motion that he was turning around to go another way and we agreed. We got on to the highway and were moving well until….BAM! Dead stop. We were near the front of the stopped traffic so we could see there was nothing ahead of us but there were cops stopping traffic. Why? Well, we’ve seen it in Suzhou so we knew that a local politician would be driving by soon and they held traffic for this important person to have free access to get where they were going. It seems very strange in a country where everyone is “equal” that the politicians would get special treatment but it’s no different than home. There are different rules depending on who you are (so there are classes everywhere like it or not). The taxi driver was frustrated but seemed to take it in stride. The funny thing we saw was a woman walking up through the traffic to get to the front. You could see her passing by and the driver started to laugh (and so did we). She got up to the policeman and started to give him what for and he simply waved his hand at her indicating to get back to her car. She tried to give him more grief but he never even looked at her and gave her the wave. We could only imagine that she was giving him the “Do you know who I am?” and he didn’t care. He had a job to do and was going to do it. We laughed some more and within 4 minutes traffic was moving again. The driver did what he could to get us around. He also talked to us and asked where we were from and how long we were in China, etc. He was the only driver to speak with us at all. He actually thought I was French because of my hat (I assume, can you imagine that French. Not only are the French insulted, I was insulted so no one was happy). Anyhow, we got to The Village after about 1 hour and had some dinner. They had a nice area outside to pick up a taxi to get back and we hopped in the line and were able to get a cab quickly to go home. Finally, a system worked and we were ready to go back, pack and get back to friendly Suzhou.

The next morning, we packed, checked out and made it to the airport with plenty of time to get on our flight back home. We enjoyed Beijing in some respects but the traffic and how rude the people were really soured the experience for us. The Great Wall was absolutely fantastic and was well worth all of the aggravation. If we went back to Beijing again, we would want to go to another section of the wall and continue that journey. We don’t know that new will have the opportunity to go back but we are happy that we took the time just to see a glimpse of what Beijing has to offer.

Beijing - Day 2

Day 2 in Beijing was our day to the Great Wall. There are many different wall areas to visit, the closest is Badaling. This is the most repaired section of the wall and is usually the section that you will see on TV (Samantha Brown, Pres. Obama photo op, etc.). It’s also the most crowded section so we decided to go further to Mutanyu. This section of the wall is about 90 minutes from Beijing.

When we got up in the morning, the “fog” seemed to really be settled in and it wasn’t looking good for the home team. As you can imagine, we wanted a good day to get photos of this experience and it was a little concerning when you could barely make out the buildings around the hotel and the sun was an orange dot behind the clouds. But, we had made the arrangements for the car to pick us up at 10:00 so we were committed . We went down and ate breakfast at the buffet for the hotel which was okay but definitely not great stuff. We were hoping for the sky to clear as the hours passed. We packed a lunch and snacks for the trip and got ready to head out.

Our driver arrived promptly and we headed down the road, away from the city but traffic was still pretty slow moving until we were about 20 minutes into the trip. We followed the main highway for awhile and then headed off to a more local road. The weather was clearing the further we got away from the city so we began to breathe a little easier (in more ways than one, the air in Beijing was pretty nasty). As we have before, we made notes of the towns and villages we passed on the way to the wall. I am not sure how the people lived since you saw no signs of manufacturing plants and you also didn’t see much for farming but obviously, the were able to earn a living in some fashion that I am sure we might find pretty unappealing. We kept looking out the windows for signs of the wall as we headed into more mountainous terrain but we couldn’t see anything. It wasn’t until we arrived that we were able to just catch a small glimpse of what was to come on the top of the mountain ahead of us. We said goodbye to the driver and headed for the cable car to take us to the top. There is the option to walk up to the wall but a) it was a long walk, b) we would rather be walking on the wall than up to the wall and c) we’re pretty lazy people.

As we ascended, we could begin to see the region better with the valleys and mountains all around us and then, we could start to see just a small section of the wall. I hate to be one of those people that say “you have to be there to experience it” but you really do. We watched Samantha Brown on her China trip talk about the Great Wall and thought, it doesn’t really do it justice. We got off the cable car and on the wall and the camera never stopped snapping photos from this point forward. The day wasn’t perfect but it was pretty darned good and it wasn’t too cold so we took as many photos as we could to capture the moment. There was a couple that asked if we would take their picture and we did and they then offered to take a photo of the family. Imagine that, a photo with all 4 of us on the wall. It was very nice and gave us a picture that we seldom get. The wall took some endurance to go up and down and around all of the areas. It was worse on the far edges of the wall section. We decided to follow the major section of the wall and head towards the alpine slide to get us down. We had 3 hours to be there and this was the best way to cover the most ground. It also gave an incentive for the kids and allowed for a quick return to the parking/souvenir area.

It was incredible. The amount of manpower to get this built boggled the mind. The wall followed the tops of the mountain ridges and must have been a daunting sight for anyone thinking they would walk down main street into Beijing. The sheer size was hard to fathom just how it was done, how many people worked on this section, etc. We enjoyed every moment and soaked it all in. To try and describe it further would be very difficult. We could see in the distance another section of the wall (Simitai) which only added to the wonder of the place. It was a great day for us and we can finally say that we are true men (there is a quote in China indicating that you are not a real man until you have walked on the wall).

Near the end of the day, Jacob and Tammy headed to the alpine slide but I wanted to go a little further. Warren and I headed to the last section of the wall open to the public. Here is where it got very steep and difficult. At one point, we were climbing on all fours trying to get up the steps without falling. It was crazy! We only had about 25 minutes to get back to the alpine slide so we went as far as we could and then turned around and headed down the steep slope to meet at the slide. The slide was fun and we were being chastised by the workers along the slope indicating we were going too fast.

Then it was find the souvenirs that we would take home from the wall. There was a large section of stalls selling many things we can get in Suzhou so those items weren’t so appealing but there were some things we thought were nice. This is where Warren turned into a bargaining fool. We went into one stall and the lady quoted us like 840 RMB for three landscape photos of the wall. This was a pretty crazy price so Warren went to the next stall which had the same thing and asked for her price. 550. Next! He just started going back and forth between the stalls and asking prices and letting them know he was comparison shopping. He would yell, 400 over here. They didn’t really like this but it was playing their game to win. We finally got them for somewhere around 240 RMB. We bought some shirts that said “I Climbed the Great Wall” (and all I got was this lousy t-shirt) and that’s about it. We looked for a Great Wall hat but none, just hats for Beijing. We found our driver and headed back to the hotel. It was a great day for us and we were thrilled that we finally made the trip. The Mutanyu section of the wall was less crowded and I am sure just as beautiful as many other sections so it was even pretty relaxing.

For dinner, we went to a pizza place at a very Western area in Beijing. As usual, it took a long time to get there due to the traffic. The prices were pretty steep for pizza and it really wasn’t all that good but we ate it. We decided that before we headed home, we would go to the WuFujiang Night Market. This is the place you may have seen on TV during the Olympics where they sell just about everything to eat. Scorpions, grasshoppers, silkworm cocoons, testicles from about any beast walking the planet along with some more normal items like noodles and rice dishes. We were in the mood for scorpions and grasshoppers which really had little flavor. They were crunchy and salty but no real flavor to speak of. We also ate a mutton “sandwich” which was okay but nothing special. It was interesting to watch the people since this area is more of a tourist trap than a place where the locals go to eat. Interesting, you bet. We could have eaten there for about 1/3 of the price of eating at the pizza joint. Typical with the street food, it’s cheap and usually it’s pretty good.

GUEST BLOG - Yokohama

(A special treat is in order for today's posting. We take a break from the mundane musings of a crazy man and hear from the offspring of said crazy person. Warren has posted information on his trip to Yokohama, Japan that he took last month. Enjoy and feel free to submit a comment, I am sure Warren would appreciate the feedback and it might encourage more of the Dudley clan to submit their postings.)

I was selected to be one of the members from SSIS band to attend the AISA Band Festival (Association of International Schools in Asia). The AISA festival was being held this year in Yokohama, Japan. So I got the chance to go to another country and get another stamp on my passport that my Dad doesn’t have (Singapore and now Japan, one more and I overtake him).

All of the students that were going to AISA Band Festival had to be at Singa Plaza (Western Places to eat at) by 4:00am. From Singa Plaza we rode to school to pick up breakfast. For some odd reason when we got to school there was no food and the guards do not know why we are there. So no breakfast at SSIS, we never even got off the bus instead we headed to direct to Shanghai. When we finally get to PuDong International Airport it is about 7:45. It takes us about 30 minutes to get checked in and get through security and customs. On the airplane (Delta) the food was dinner but for us, we wanted our breakfast. The flight was about 3 hours, with no in-flight entertainment on the seats, just a movie playing on the little screens. It was an English movie but I was more interested in eating and sleeping. When we landed in Japan and get our bags, we each had to go buy Air Bus (the name of the bus line, not the airplane) tickets that were 3,500 Yen to Yokohama, Japan. This bus would take 2 hours to get from Tokyo to Yokohama.

When we are about 30 minutes away from the bus station in Yokohama, there are many police out on the road due to the upcoming APEC meeting that President Obama would be attending. From the bus station we had to take a taxi to Yokohama International School. This school has been open since 1947. We had an hour to tour the school before our home stay families came to pick us up. So, we went to a little garden across the street from the school. Most of the home stays lived pretty close to the school but there was one person who home stay family lived in Tokyo. My home stay family was from China and they have lived in Japan for many years. For dinner that night we had curry with vegetables and rice, not good like what I’m used to. All of the Suzhou Singapore International School students had to call the teachers by 10pm to make sure that we were ok.

The first morning for breakfast I had a bagel, with slightly cooked bacon, boiled egg, and spicy sausage, with pulp orange juice and milk. One thing that I noticed is that the kid that I was with had more of everything, which was a little odd. After we finished eating we had to go to the public bus stop to go to school. The public buses in Japan are not jam-packed full of people, everyone normally has a seat and there is room for more people. When we get to school we have no idea where to go and I felt like we got lost with a student that went to the school. By the time we get to the place where we were supposed to be we missed the introduction and it was time to play. The Jazz Band went to the main school building and the Concert Band stayed where we were. The school was in several parts of the city but they were all within walking distance. We rehearsed for 90 minutes and then we had a short break then we had another 60 minutes to practice. After that we went out to lunch at a place that was about a 45 minute walk from the school. For lunch we went to a mall type place but it looked like a prison from the outside. Once again there were many police officers outside due to the APEC meeting going on. When we were walking back to school after lunch we had to walk slow due to the Pre-School getting out at 2:45. When we got back to the school we went into sectionals; that is when everybody goes into a room with the group. During this time you could see how much everyone else practiced before they got to AISA. This lasted about an hour, and then we played one time though everything as a group then it was time to go. When our home stay family picks us up she says that we are going to go to her favorite restaurant; which I’m not sure what that would be. Turns out that the place that we went was Red Lobster.

2nd day in Japan. We had to be at school at the same time as the day before. We practiced for 90 minutes and then we had break, which was muffin with Japanese tea. Since I am not a big fan of tea I did not like what was to drink, but I drank it anyway. After break we practiced for 30 more minutes and then we went to lunch in the area that President Obama was suppose to be in during the APEC meeting. All of the Suzhou people went to this cheap Japanese place that looked like someone’s home with many table. At this restaurant they had sushi and other Japanese meals that I’m not sure of because the menu was all in Japanese. I had sushi for lunch. When we got back to school we had one last run through then we changed and then we played for the last time. After the big concert the school had a banquet for all of the concert band members, which was curry from all over the world. Not the best curry I have ever tasted (my favorite one was in Beijing at the Ganges restaurant), but I ate it anyways. When the banquet was over everyone waited on their home stay families to pick us up and during the wait my band director asked if I wanted to bring my instrument to my home stay with me or leave it at school I said leave it at the school so we had to walk a block to get to the gym where everyone kept their instruments for the night.

3rd day in Japan. This day we did not have to be up at school until 9:30, so we got to sleep in and it was the only major day we got to sleep in which was nice, but I was still up at my normal 6:00. The home stay family took us to school at about 9:15 and we where the only ones there, so we thought we where in the wrong spot, then slowly all of the other SSIS students started to show up. After all of the SSIS students showed up we left the school and went to the Subway Station, to start our long journey to Ito, Japan. The subway ticket to the train station was 1,650 Yen. From the train station we took another train to another station and then we hopped on one more train for about 30 minutes and then we made it to Ito, Japan. During our long journey to Ito, Japan we got on a faster train which cost 1,500 Yen more so we had to get off at the next stop, were we where in the middle of nowhere is how it felt. We had to wait at the stop for 20 minutes until the next train had come that was the one that we could get on. On our way to the Hostile we got lost and our director got a map and we still got lost, so he went with our Japanese girl in the group to go talk to a couple of these bikers (Motor Cycle Club) where this place was and they had no idea where it was so they went into this little shop where the store owner took us there and made sure that all of us got there and we could get in. When we got in we had to take off our shoes and of course me having big feet none of the shoes could fit me. So I walked around in my bare feet for the day. The people showed us around and then we brought our bags to the room and went out to lunch. We walked for about 3 blocks not getting lost this time and ate at Mos Burger I had a burger and bad fries. After we all got our food and finished eating, we walked around and our band director picked out a shirt from a store for the other teacher that went with us to Japan. If you knew my band director you would know how odd this was. While they were doing whatever (looking for clothes); we saw a couple of cats and this Japanese guy walked up to us and started to talk to us in English which was funny because none of us were expecting it. He asked us where we were from and what we were doing so far from home. Then we walked down this side street and found a Japanese Casino; there was one kid in our group that got a video of it although we were not suppose to take photos. Then we walked back to the Hostile and dropped off our stuff; got changed if we wanted; and then walked to the beach which was about a 10 minute walk from the Hostile. We walked around the beach for 30 minutes or so; then we walked to the 100 Yen store to get dinner. We had to make our own dinner and breakfast at the hostile. For dinner we made noodles with vegetables and some Korean thing. During dinner we watched the ‘’The Last Samurai’ (Tom Cruise movie). It was a good movie, I learned one Japanese word from it “MeMe” (ears). After the movie we had to go to bed; the girls went straight to bed and all of the guys played cards until about 1:00 in the morning where we said “Ok this is boring” and we all fell asleep.

Last Day In Japan. The next day we did not have to be up until 9:00 and we had to make breakfast. We also had to go down to the hot spring down stairs to shower. We showered and sat in a hot tub and I am one of those not so smart people who would not read what to do before getting into the hot spring. I was wondering why all of the blood rushed to my head and it said to keep the small towel on your head, which I did not do. So when I got out of the hot spring I walked right into the wall due to all of the blood rushing to my head. After everybody got out of the hot spring and packed all of their stuff up we walked to the train station and did the same thing we did the day before plus an additional 2 hours 30 minutes going to Tokyo, Japan. Going to the airport was the most boring ride ever. There was nothing to do nothing to watch, so I fell asleep because I was bored and tired. We got to the airport, checked in and got on a plane to Shanghai, China. Food on the airplane, it was Delta so not all that good. We get to Shanghai and we could not find our band director, we thought we left him in Japan. Then we found him with all of our bags. We found the SSIS bus driver and were on our way back to Suzhou. It was midnight by the time we got to Singa plaza. Then the next day all of us had to get up and go to school in the morning.