Waking Up
Checkout was at 12pm at my hotel, but the information at the front desk indicated a fee of 30% would not be assessed until 1pm. So I figured a 1pm checkout time would suffice. I was up and ready to go by 10am, with everything packed and ready to go. The hotel did not include breakfast, so either beef jerky or street food would need to suffice. Beef jerky it would be.
Vimanmek Mansion
The Vimanmek Mansion is the former Royal Palace. It is also known as the Teak House, as it's the largest house constructed of teakwood in the world. Although it's a major tourist attraction, I hadn't heard of the mansion until a Thai woman on the metro advised me of its existence. She insisted I visit and upon further research the place sounded really interesting.
I left the hotel and walked towards a tuk-tuk to begin the haggling process. Everything in Bangkok is a haggle. It gets frustrating at times, but it's the way they do things here. Either they're taking advantage of people from the west, or vice versa...probably a bit of both. The first tuk-tuk drove away before I could get to him. The next vehicle was a taxi and he wanted 1000 baht to do the trip, almost $31 US. He spoke very little English but insisted in grunts it was very far. Google maps thought otherwise. We eventually settled on 400 baht, a little over $12 and for that I'd get a round trip to/from the hotel.
For the next 40 minutes he'd drive me around Bangkok. For the most part we were moving along the road just fine. Somewhere on the highway we stopped. Literally, the drive pulled to the side of the road and told me I could get out and take photos. In the distance was a giant structure he was expecting me to photograph from the highway exit. Somehow there was a miscommunication about where I'd be going. We continued to talk through the misunderstanding. I had handed my phone to him earlier and showed him exactly where I wanted to go, so I was a little confused by the miscommunication. A few minutes later he figured out where I wanted to go and we were off. I was impressed, he didn't use the miscommunication as away to get more money out of me. I checked Google Maps and we were about 20 minutes from the Mansion. We'd be running cutting it tight, but the trip was still doable. Shortly thereafter he exited the highway and I'd experience real Bangkok traffic. That is, we wouldn't move at all for minutes on end. Occasionally we'd inch forward, than come to a complete stop. We were on local roads, about a quarter mile ahead I could see a traffic light. And it was frozen red. Even when it turned green nothing happened. I was beginning to wonder if I'd miss my flight. About 20 minutes into the rerouted journey I'd become convinced I'd miss my flight. I tried to tell the driver to just take me back to the hotel, but again there was a communication issue.
Eventually we reached an area very close to the Mansion. I thought we were golden until he pointed and grunted. Apparently the roads were shut down because of protestors. About 20 minutes later we'd eventually approach the Mansion. The driver told me I could walk around for about an hour - I told him I'd need 10 minutes.
The Mansion is surrounded by a visitors facility, with storage lockers and a souvenir shop. The facility made it very clear that proper dress must be worn and cameras were forbidden inside. They even indicated a fine, per offense. I think it was either 2,000 or 5,000 baht ($60 - $150 US). I was wearing pants so the only thing I'd have to check was my camera and bag. I checked my things and went outside to the entry queue.
There was a large group of Chinese tourists already in line. It looked like the guide was talking them through something so I bypassed the group and started walking on the property grounds. Since they went out of their way to publicize fines I didn't make any effort to capture photos inside the property.
Visitors leave their shoes in a sheltered patio located adjacent to the mansion. The mansion was huge and a place definitely worth touring. Each room, of which there are 72, is furnished as it was back in its heyday. Treasures decorate each room, including enormous ivory tusks, swords, gold objects, and paintings. The mansion has been modernized with AC. Guests follow a long hallway throughout much of the mansion, offering a view (but not access) into each room. I took about 10 minutes walking through all the rooms. I was in a hurry because my flight was set to leave in 2 1/2 hours and I had no idea how long it would take to return to my hotel.
Photos are permitted outside, so I snapped some pictures of the property and surrounding gardens.
We left the mansion and were heading back to the hotel. I was concerned because traffic moved extremely slowly at first, but once we got out of the general area we began to make decent speed. I arrived back at the hotel about 2 hours prior to my flight. I was in good shape. I took a quick shower to cleanup before the flight (did I mention Bangkok was HOT) and checked out just a few minutes past 1pm. The hotel was rather ambiguous about whether bottled water was included with the stay. The hotel mini-bar said mineral water was the equivalent of $1 US. I wasn't sure if bottled water was mineral water - there were two different kinds in the mini fridge. Bottled water was complimentary at every other hotel I stayed at, creating the uncertainty. They didn't hit me up for extra money at check out, so I guess it was included.
Checking In
Before checking out I checked in to my flight and made my way to the nearby MTA. The site made it clear one must pickup a boarding pass at the airport - you can not print it out at home. I took the MTA to the Airport Express terminal. Two lines run frequently from the terminal, the city line and the airport express line. The airport express line makes fewer stops but runs every 30 minutes. The city line runs more frequently and makes more stops, taking longer to reach the airport. I was counting the minutes as I got off the train - the trip took longer than I expected. I booked it to the airline counter. There was a very short line and a customer service kiosk to the side - I went to the customer service kiosk since all I needed was a boarding pass. I must have been cutting it close because without identifying myself the woman correctly guessed who I was and gave me my boarding pass insisting I hustle to the gate. Bangkok airport is very big and my gate was at the opposite end.
Arriving in Hong Kong
The flight wasn't very long, under 3 hours. Clearing customs in Hong Kong took longer than last time, but it stilll wasn't awful as it took under 20 minutes. I picked up a small gift for my friend in Hong Kong, a unique blend of Bombay Sapphire for the Southeast Asia market and boarded the train to Central. Within a half hour I was back in Central, Hong Kong. Fortunately, visibility was much better this time around. En route to Hong Kong my friend asked if I was hungry. He was at the American Club and offered to put in an order for me. The food there was fantastic so I was excited. After I arrived in Central I literally got step by step instructions to the building I was at weeks before. I met my friend Mike and his family, his wife and son had to jet. Mike and I returned to the American club for my meal and began an evening of sightseeing. We stopped by the car so I could ditch my bags. Lucky for me, Mike brought his awesome Gitzo tripod for me.
Victoria Peak
Our first stop would be Victoria Peak, a place to take in Hong Kong's cityscape. Hong Kong's population density is second only to Singapore. Higher than Tokyo, New York, or anywhere else you can think of. Even though Singapore is more densely populated, Hong Kong has more skyscrapers than anywhere else in the world.
To get to the peak we boarded a public tram. The front of the car was reserved for royalty back in the day, now anyone can sit there. The tram ascends up a very steak incline...well over 45 degrees. Once at the peak we made our way through a shopping mall to an outdoor area overlooking the peak. We'd hang out there for a good half hour taking pics, mostly to my insistence.
Temple Street Night Market
On the list of the world's greatest markets is Temple Street, so we'd check that site out first. The market is held everyday, starting around 8pm and ending around midnight. We'd get here around 9pm. Oddly, vendors were beginning to both setup and tear down shop. Eventually we'd make our way to fortune tellers. For the low, low price of $10 I could have someone tell me my fortune. How could I resist? Anyhow, without giving the man anything to go off aside from my birthdate and time, he offered up some wise advise to me. I pulled out my phone to turn it off and he asked I not record his offerings. Okay, no problem.
At first I didn't know if I was born in the morning or late afternoon. He suggested we proceed with 'early evening'. He didn't like what he saw should I be born in the morning. I confirmed via text with my mom I was indeed born late morning. This confirmation did not please him.
Using my birth date/time and facial size, he offered up the following advice.
Nightlife
After the market we walked around some of the more social areas of Hong Kong, including the red light district. We stopped for a drink, where I again got a properly poured Guinness, than head back to the house. We left town well after midnight, so we were both exhausted. Once at the house I tried on my custom suit and shirt. The suit fit well, but the shirts fit perfectly...especially around the neck and shoulders. Wahoo...I am happy. Tomorrow would be an early morning.
Checkout was at 12pm at my hotel, but the information at the front desk indicated a fee of 30% would not be assessed until 1pm. So I figured a 1pm checkout time would suffice. I was up and ready to go by 10am, with everything packed and ready to go. The hotel did not include breakfast, so either beef jerky or street food would need to suffice. Beef jerky it would be.
Vimanmek Mansion
The Vimanmek Mansion is the former Royal Palace. It is also known as the Teak House, as it's the largest house constructed of teakwood in the world. Although it's a major tourist attraction, I hadn't heard of the mansion until a Thai woman on the metro advised me of its existence. She insisted I visit and upon further research the place sounded really interesting.
I left the hotel and walked towards a tuk-tuk to begin the haggling process. Everything in Bangkok is a haggle. It gets frustrating at times, but it's the way they do things here. Either they're taking advantage of people from the west, or vice versa...probably a bit of both. The first tuk-tuk drove away before I could get to him. The next vehicle was a taxi and he wanted 1000 baht to do the trip, almost $31 US. He spoke very little English but insisted in grunts it was very far. Google maps thought otherwise. We eventually settled on 400 baht, a little over $12 and for that I'd get a round trip to/from the hotel.
For the next 40 minutes he'd drive me around Bangkok. For the most part we were moving along the road just fine. Somewhere on the highway we stopped. Literally, the drive pulled to the side of the road and told me I could get out and take photos. In the distance was a giant structure he was expecting me to photograph from the highway exit. Somehow there was a miscommunication about where I'd be going. We continued to talk through the misunderstanding. I had handed my phone to him earlier and showed him exactly where I wanted to go, so I was a little confused by the miscommunication. A few minutes later he figured out where I wanted to go and we were off. I was impressed, he didn't use the miscommunication as away to get more money out of me. I checked Google Maps and we were about 20 minutes from the Mansion. We'd be running cutting it tight, but the trip was still doable. Shortly thereafter he exited the highway and I'd experience real Bangkok traffic. That is, we wouldn't move at all for minutes on end. Occasionally we'd inch forward, than come to a complete stop. We were on local roads, about a quarter mile ahead I could see a traffic light. And it was frozen red. Even when it turned green nothing happened. I was beginning to wonder if I'd miss my flight. About 20 minutes into the rerouted journey I'd become convinced I'd miss my flight. I tried to tell the driver to just take me back to the hotel, but again there was a communication issue.
Eventually we reached an area very close to the Mansion. I thought we were golden until he pointed and grunted. Apparently the roads were shut down because of protestors. About 20 minutes later we'd eventually approach the Mansion. The driver told me I could walk around for about an hour - I told him I'd need 10 minutes.
The Mansion is surrounded by a visitors facility, with storage lockers and a souvenir shop. The facility made it very clear that proper dress must be worn and cameras were forbidden inside. They even indicated a fine, per offense. I think it was either 2,000 or 5,000 baht ($60 - $150 US). I was wearing pants so the only thing I'd have to check was my camera and bag. I checked my things and went outside to the entry queue.
There was a large group of Chinese tourists already in line. It looked like the guide was talking them through something so I bypassed the group and started walking on the property grounds. Since they went out of their way to publicize fines I didn't make any effort to capture photos inside the property.
Visitors leave their shoes in a sheltered patio located adjacent to the mansion. The mansion was huge and a place definitely worth touring. Each room, of which there are 72, is furnished as it was back in its heyday. Treasures decorate each room, including enormous ivory tusks, swords, gold objects, and paintings. The mansion has been modernized with AC. Guests follow a long hallway throughout much of the mansion, offering a view (but not access) into each room. I took about 10 minutes walking through all the rooms. I was in a hurry because my flight was set to leave in 2 1/2 hours and I had no idea how long it would take to return to my hotel.
Photos are permitted outside, so I snapped some pictures of the property and surrounding gardens.
On the road to...somewhere
Uh oh...road closed
This isn't Parliament, rather a Post Office
FINALLY!
Garden
We left the mansion and were heading back to the hotel. I was concerned because traffic moved extremely slowly at first, but once we got out of the general area we began to make decent speed. I arrived back at the hotel about 2 hours prior to my flight. I was in good shape. I took a quick shower to cleanup before the flight (did I mention Bangkok was HOT) and checked out just a few minutes past 1pm. The hotel was rather ambiguous about whether bottled water was included with the stay. The hotel mini-bar said mineral water was the equivalent of $1 US. I wasn't sure if bottled water was mineral water - there were two different kinds in the mini fridge. Bottled water was complimentary at every other hotel I stayed at, creating the uncertainty. They didn't hit me up for extra money at check out, so I guess it was included.
Checking In
Before checking out I checked in to my flight and made my way to the nearby MTA. The site made it clear one must pickup a boarding pass at the airport - you can not print it out at home. I took the MTA to the Airport Express terminal. Two lines run frequently from the terminal, the city line and the airport express line. The airport express line makes fewer stops but runs every 30 minutes. The city line runs more frequently and makes more stops, taking longer to reach the airport. I was counting the minutes as I got off the train - the trip took longer than I expected. I booked it to the airline counter. There was a very short line and a customer service kiosk to the side - I went to the customer service kiosk since all I needed was a boarding pass. I must have been cutting it close because without identifying myself the woman correctly guessed who I was and gave me my boarding pass insisting I hustle to the gate. Bangkok airport is very big and my gate was at the opposite end.
Airport Express is not what I'd ride...rather the slower city line
Bangkok Airport Customer Counter (pre-security)
Tubes connect the concourses - very modern
The airport could easily be mistaken for a high end shopping mall
Gates - again very cool architecture
The flight wasn't very long, under 3 hours. Clearing customs in Hong Kong took longer than last time, but it stilll wasn't awful as it took under 20 minutes. I picked up a small gift for my friend in Hong Kong, a unique blend of Bombay Sapphire for the Southeast Asia market and boarded the train to Central. Within a half hour I was back in Central, Hong Kong. Fortunately, visibility was much better this time around. En route to Hong Kong my friend asked if I was hungry. He was at the American Club and offered to put in an order for me. The food there was fantastic so I was excited. After I arrived in Central I literally got step by step instructions to the building I was at weeks before. I met my friend Mike and his family, his wife and son had to jet. Mike and I returned to the American club for my meal and began an evening of sightseeing. We stopped by the car so I could ditch my bags. Lucky for me, Mike brought his awesome Gitzo tripod for me.
Victoria Peak
Our first stop would be Victoria Peak, a place to take in Hong Kong's cityscape. Hong Kong's population density is second only to Singapore. Higher than Tokyo, New York, or anywhere else you can think of. Even though Singapore is more densely populated, Hong Kong has more skyscrapers than anywhere else in the world.
To get to the peak we boarded a public tram. The front of the car was reserved for royalty back in the day, now anyone can sit there. The tram ascends up a very steak incline...well over 45 degrees. Once at the peak we made our way through a shopping mall to an outdoor area overlooking the peak. We'd hang out there for a good half hour taking pics, mostly to my insistence.
Tram to Victoria Peak
What a skyline!
Smiling and happy
Temple Street Night Market
On the list of the world's greatest markets is Temple Street, so we'd check that site out first. The market is held everyday, starting around 8pm and ending around midnight. We'd get here around 9pm. Oddly, vendors were beginning to both setup and tear down shop. Eventually we'd make our way to fortune tellers. For the low, low price of $10 I could have someone tell me my fortune. How could I resist? Anyhow, without giving the man anything to go off aside from my birthdate and time, he offered up some wise advise to me. I pulled out my phone to turn it off and he asked I not record his offerings. Okay, no problem.
At first I didn't know if I was born in the morning or late afternoon. He suggested we proceed with 'early evening'. He didn't like what he saw should I be born in the morning. I confirmed via text with my mom I was indeed born late morning. This confirmation did not please him.
Using my birth date/time and facial size, he offered up the following advice.
- My long head, especially the forehead, means I am very wise
- My hands suggest I work with my brain
- I will be married twice
- I should avoid ALL Western-European woman. Eastern European woman are okay.
- I should avoid ANY woman who is overweight
- I should date woman at least 5 years younger than me...preferably younger
To the Market!
Shops are closed, but the market thrives
Temple Street Market
After the market we walked around some of the more social areas of Hong Kong, including the red light district. We stopped for a drink, where I again got a properly poured Guinness, than head back to the house. We left town well after midnight, so we were both exhausted. Once at the house I tried on my custom suit and shirt. The suit fit well, but the shirts fit perfectly...especially around the neck and shoulders. Wahoo...I am happy. Tomorrow would be an early morning.
BEER!
Nightlife
Red Light District
A bit more obvious with this sign
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