Scotland 2006 - Day 6 - A drive and a few last sights
Scotland 2006 - Day 5 - Walking the Highlands
Scotland 2006 - Day 4 - Iona
Scotland 2006 - Day 3 - to the Highlands
Scotland 2006 - Days 1 & 2 - Edinburgh Fringe!
A Year of New Things - Christmas in Cologne
Honeymoon - Day 7 - Wrapping it Up
I must say, our last day in Singapore started
off very well. I had an appointment for a massage
and facial at the Amarita Spa in our hotel at
10:00am that morning, and it was fabulous!! It
was a much smaller spa than any I've been to, but
they did have two steam rooms: one Finnish style
(dry heat), one Russian style (wet heat); they
also had two whirlpools and one "cold pool".
There was only one other woman there when I
arrived, so I'm guessing more people use the
facilities in the afternoon. So it was nice to
get some time alone before they called me in for
my appointment. The same girl did both the
massage and the facial, and she was exceptional
at each. It was nice too having one technician
too, because you didn't have to move after the
message, and just continued to relax. I really
liked the way she did the massage--long smooth
strokes, using pressure points to work on
individual knots rather than poking or pinching
or kneading. Very nice. The facial was good too,
she gave me a lot of really good tips on how to
better take care of my skin, and it really helped
to even up the texture of my skin considerably,
as well as clear up the acne break-out I'd been
battling since the wedding.
So by the time I left the spa I felt incredible.
I headed up to the room for a quick shower and
met up with Stephen, then we headed out to grab
lunch before going to finish up seeing the
botanical gardens.
We grabbed lunch at this great mini sushi
supermarket thing in the bottom of one of the
large shopping centers on Orchard Road. So we
grabbed a table and ordered some drinks and dived
in. Good sushi. Then we decided something sweet
would go down well, before hitting the streets
again to go to the Botanical gardens. So they had
this white mousse cake with coconut flakes on top
and what looked like coconut on the inside. I get
it back to the table, take a big bite, and IT WAS
ONION! Who in their right mind puts onion in
cake? Evidently the chinese do. (do not trust the
Chinese; they are malfunctioning)
At that point we jumped street side to grab a bus
to head to the Botantical Gardens. We had
forgotten our handy guidebook, so we used the
street guide in the metro to figure out which bus
number we needed. The bus came, we got on, got to
the point where the bus *should* have turned to
go to the Botanical Gardens, and it DIDN'T. So we
hung tight, thinking "ok, maybe it's taking a
different route." After a long ride, we finally
decided to ask the bus driver, and low and
behlod, that bus didn't go to the Gardens
anymore. So she dropped us off at the next stop
and instructed which bus we needed to get on to
get to the Gardens.
So we hop on the next bus, and I grabbed a route
schedule. It would have taken us over an hour by
bus to get back, but we did recognize one stop
that we knew for sure had a metro station, so we
got on that one, and took the metro back to the
stop where we got to the gardens before, and got
on the right bus, making it to the gardens in
less than 20 minutes.
This bus dropped us off at a different part of
the gardens than previously, so we got to see
quite a different section as we made our way back
to the orchid garden to finish up where we left
off. Unfortunately, the bromeliad garden was
closed (Stephen was disappointed), but we got to
see the rest of the orchids, which were amazing,
but decidedly prettier when it was raining. There
was something about the rain that made their
colors even more vibrant than in full sun.
Perhaps contrast with the grey sky? Who knows.
However, as we were discussing this effect, the
sky started to cloud over and bits of rain began
to fall. Fortunately, it never turned into the
downpour of our last visit, but it rained enough
to make the gardens even more beautiful. We
walked past several new areas in our quest to
find a bus stop (our day for adventure, so we
avoided hitting any one place twice), and finally
found one after exiting hte gardens and walking
for a few blocks. The gardens really are a place
that one needs to spend several long afternoons
over the course of several months to really
appreciate--preferrably with a picnic.
So from that bus stop we decided to go back to
Little India to pick up a few things we
remembered at the last minute. I got the feeling
that we were on the verge of some fabulous
festival as many of the streets were now lined
with vendors and there was a large tent in the
center of one square with chairs and podiums set
up. We would have loved to sit around and see
what was about to happen, but we had dinner
reservations at the top of the hotel (Equinox
restaurant) so we had to go about our business.
Dinner that night was an intersting mix of
fabulous and unnerving. We had been reminded when
we made our reservation that there was a dress
code, so Stephen donned his suit for the first
time and I wore a nice skirt-top combo with a
favorite pair of heels. We looked quite the
dapper pair and headed to the downstairs bar for
a drink before heading up to dinner.
The view from the 70th floor looking out over the
harbor and financial distric was really amazing;
our waiter, with his obsessive compulsive
lurching, was not. At first it was really pretty
annoying, and then became comical as the night
wore on. I'll spare you all the details, but it
was pretty obvious he was new, and had not had a
chance to familiarize himself with much of the
menu. The dinner itself was really quite tasty,
an interesting mix of french and asian cuisine.
Stephen informed me that the menu style was very
french, except for the lack of "set" menus.
Evidently, most truly French restaurants have
several proposed meals that include 1 or 2
choices of appetizer, entre, dessert, cheese and
wine for a set price, I guess figuring the chef
knows what will taste good together better than
the average Joe (dunno, just guessing). We ran
into this at a few other places, and really found
it to be the best way to make a dinner decision
with unknown foods, so maybe the French have
something there.
Anyway, Equinox only had one set menu, and it
didn't really appeal to either of us, so we
ordered a la carte. Stephen ordered Lobster
Ravioli, I got braised lamb with this
rasberry-burgandy sauce. Really, really yummy.
Followed up with a trio of Creme Brulee's: Orange
Spice, Chocolate, and Regular. Very, VERY tasty
indeed. We stayed for quite while drinking tea
and coffee, talking and reflecting over the city.
Stephen became quite overjoyed when he found out
they had a particular kind of apple-pear liquor
that he hadn't had since he was in France. Nice
crowning moment to the evening, and to the trip
in general.
Unfortunatly the night didn't contain much more
(though we were both in the mood for a stroll),
since we had to be leaving the hotel at 4:00 the
next morning to catch our 6:50 flight. Bleah. So
back to the room for a quick nap, and then
packed. And thus our trip ended. Quiet, full,
contented, well-dressed, and reflective. Amazing
city, fascinating country, definitely a place to
return to.
Honeymoon - Day 6 - Little India and Kapang Glam
Today we ventured back into Chinatown to pick
up Stephen's new suit, and then headed over to
Little India and the Malay sector.
We got to Chinatown a little after 10am, and not
a whole lot was open. It took us a good while to
find the tailor shop again, as the numbering
system is not as intuitive as it first appears.
But we found it after not too long of looking,
and Stephen tried on his suit. You know, it's
amazing how a well fitted item of clothing can
make a person look quite stunning. Stephen is
usually quite attractive, but this suit, well,
suits him perfectly! He was very pleased, after
of course giving it his typically deep
inspection, and asking more questions than I
thought possible about its construction.
While Stephen was changing back into his street
clothes, the shopkeeper turned to me and
mentioned that he had a friend whose jewelry
store "down the street" was having a sale. Would
I like to go? Wanting to be polite, and more than
a little curious I said ok, and asked for the
address, to which the shopkeep responded "I get
it for you, I call my friend." Ok, sure. So,
Stephen comes back out and the shopkeep is
talking a mile a minute, in both English and
Madarin, and the next thing I know a taxi pulls
up to the shop door. Turns out the shopkeep
called a taxi to take us to the jewelry shop of
his friend. This is where things start to get
odd. The taxi driver turned out also to be the
cousin of the jewelry store owner. He chats with
us a bit, asking us where we're from, how we like
Singapore, etc, etc. (He did sneer a bit when he
found out I studied Economics and International
Relations, and quickly turning the subject back
to Stephen's job. Grrrr.) All the while he's
driving. Now, Chinatown is not that big, and we
were quickly out of it and headed downtown. .
.and he keeps driving. . .and driving. Finally,
after many worried looks pass between Stephen and
I, he pulls up in front of a very rich looking
building, which said in very prominant and snooty
letters: The Singapore Gem Trading Exchange.
Great. He escorts us through the security guards,
and into a showroom manned by more hostesses and
sales personell than customers by a ratio of
30:1. Even better. So Stephen and I attempt to
wander through the various cases (all of which
housed beautiful gems in terribly gaudy settings
that were way overpriced), trying to figure out
how long was polite to stay and yet not be
expected to purchase anything. Fortunately we
made it out with our wallets and credit lines
intact and no jewelry. Friend down the street, my
hiney!!
The upside of all of this is that we were just
two blocks from our hotel, and were able to drop
off the suit before heading back out to Little
India and Kampong Glam.
Now this was quite the experience. Definitely the
poorer section of town financially, it was rich
in sounds and smells of the Middle East. Also
fabulous was the fact that the shopkeeps were
pretty hands off, offering initial assistance ,
but otherwise stood back unless summonned or to
explain some excentricity or culture
perculiarity; unlike in Chinatown, where you are
constantly harrassed in multiple languages to
"come inside, have a see, best (insert good here)
in Singapore, we make you good deal." Very nice
change indeed. Also, I am convinced that Indian
women have the best end of the fashion world. Not
are the fabrics beautiful, sporting the best
embroidery man is capable of, but they're
comfortable! Long tunics with loose fitting pants
and a scarf/shawl (forgive me Lynn, I don't know
all the correct terms). Yup, that culture
definitely gave their women the better end of the
bargain there, and I'm jealous, as well as half
tempted to buy one, just for the sheer beauty of
the clothing.
After much wandering about the shops, we came to
the largest mosque in Singapore, the Sultan's
Mosque. We were allowed to go inside (fortunately
I had bought a pretty scarf, and had it with me),
and wander all but the prayer halls, for good
reason. There were a few people around, but
otherwise we were free to explore. I wish I had
more information about all the symbolic placement
of the various arches, pillars, and other
architectural and ceremonial elements to better
appreciate the space though. But it was very
interesting, especially to quietly watch the
prayers of the faithful there. Different
traditions are astounding, and, at least in this
temple, the humility before God was very evidant
in the postures and expressions of those praying.
Back onto the street, we wandered about some
more, taking a fabulous curry lunch in a little
shop in Historic Little India. It was served on a
large leaf, with lots of pappadam (sp?) and
ginger drink. MMMMMM good stuff. Though we
haven't been able to find the fabulous mint
chutney since the zoo. I may have to track down a
recipe.
From there we walked over to the area of Temples,
and to do so passed through the closest thing to
slums we have yet found in Singapore. The
buildings had definitely seen better days, and a
few tattered beggars were on the other side of
the street. The interesting thing was, that this
area was also under the most intensive
construction we had yet seen. The book I read on
the plane coming over here (From the Third World
to the First by Lee Kuan Yew, Christmas present
from my in-laws--Thank You!!) mentioned that the
government subsidized modernization of many old
(pre-independence) apartment blocks, and so I can
only assume that what was going on. It was
interesting, because just across the street, was
completely modern apartments. Fascinating.
Moving on, we came to the temple area where four
Buddhist and two Hindu temples sat, more or less,
next to each other. Both Hindu temples had prayer
services going on, so those could only be viewed
from the outside, and were stunning. More layered
statues in a pyramid shape, with walls adorned by
more colorful statues. Listening to the chants of
the worshipers was a beautiful experience, and
made the entire complex come alive with the
sounds. The waves of heat made many of the
figurines shimmer and almost dance with the
rhythm of the voices inside.
Further on, we came to the Buddhist temples,
which we were allowed to enter. Only two of them
we really understood much as they had some
limited information available in English, but all
were fascinating to behold, and displayed an
interesting mix of the various ethnic symblism of
the area.
The largest was established by a Thai monk in the
1920s, and features an enormous Buddha statue,
some 50 feet tall and several hundred tons, as
well as several relics including a piece of bark
believed to come from the tree under which
Siddhartha gained enlightenment and a replica of
the Buddha's foot print set in mother of pearl.
The entrance was guarded by a four headed statue
of the Hindu god Vishnu, the creator, meant to
guard the temple from all four corners. There was
also a statue of Ganesh (elephant-man god of
fortune) in one corner that was associated with
the early life of Siddhartha. Fascinating
symbolsim that. By far the most interesting part
of the temple was the series of murals around the
base of the large statue depicting the life of
Siddhartha/Buddha and his path to enlightenment.
Across the Street was the Leong San See temple
built about a decade earlier than the previously
mentioned one, that is about half Buddhist, half
Hindu. It is dedicated mutually to the Hindu
goddess of mercy and compassion as well as the
"Sakyamuni" or "Laughing" Buddha. Unlike all of
the other temples, this one did not ask its
visitors to remove their footwear, and allowed us
to wander all parts of the temple pretty much
unhindered, except for asking us to explore it in
a clockwise motion so as to properly respect the
energies of the space. This temple was much more
ornate than the previous one, with the ceiling
made of exquisitly carved & gilded rafters,
featuring an entire room of gilded ancestral
tablets over a central altar. It was set one room
inside of another, which, presumably, aided in
the meditation of the worshippers as they moved
through their prayer cycles from the entrance
near the penetential kneelers, to the shrine of
the patron goddess, to the ancestral room through
another mini shrine to another manifestation of
the patron goddess, and through a second minor
shrine area to a lesser manifestation of the
Buddha, back to the main room only in front of
the final Buddha, and before exiting, the shrine
to the patron gods of the city. I really enjoy
all the symbolism of the various buildings, and
am very glad that these two temples had detailed
cards to help out the unschooled better
appreciate the rich surroundings.
Back out onto the street, we made our way back to
the hotel, to change, and head out to Orchard
Road for a bit of shopping and dinner. We took
dinner in a more upscale version of the hawker
center, and got some seafood noodle soup, which
Stephen really enjoyed but I was not all that
fond of. I've found that I enjoy the Indian and
Malaysian foods much better than their Chinese
counterparts. The flavors suit my stomach better
and are much less likely to contain bits of
anchovies. Bleah.
So, after some more wandering about, back to the
hotel to plan out our final day in
Singapore--Wednesday.
Honeymoon - Day 5 - Bird Park and Oriental Gardens
Unlike getting to the zoo, we got to the bird park with no problem and were inside the gates by 11:30. It is built on pretty much the same principle as the zoo, only with more cages since birds are substantially more mobile than most other animals, but usually even the "cages" were large enclosed areas several tens or hundreds of feet tall. They also had trained falconers on hand to help exercise the large birds of prey, of which they had numerous species, ranging from the smallest kites and miniature hawks to bald eagles. But still, many birds were allowed mostly free range of the park including most of the pelicans, ducks, flamingos, herons, and storks. The flamingo pond was home to some 1000 birds! A huge stink, but really interesting to see a flock that large interact.
They also had this amazing Waterfall area housing the largest man-made waterfall, cascading some 100 feet high, with the net probably another 50-100 feet above that. It housed numerous birds, mostly tropicals. There was constuction being done on the upper pathways, so we could only go so high among the trees, but it was enough to get a lovely view, and see quite a few birds.
Looping back around, we had lunch overlooking the flamingo pond (inside looking through glass to keep our appetite from the smell), and then took in the rest of the park.
They had a miniature Rainforest set up to emulate the enviornment of East Asian rainforests, where, again lots of birds roamed/flew free. You had to be pretty careful here, as these birds were substantially more land based than in the waterfall area, and were prone to darting out of the bushes behind or in front of you, and then squawcking loudly if you got too close (dumb birds). One of the crowned pigeons evidently found Stephen on the offensive side, as it came up and bit him on the foot as he was standing there watching me take pictures of other birds in the wooded area. The next thing I knew he yelled and was doing a dance that was him halfway trying not to kick the offending bird and yet keep a safe distance. So we made a bee-line for the exit, as two of them now chased us. Fortunately our legs were longer, and they didn't try to fly so we made it out in one piece. Unfortunately, this experience has not done much to cure his habit of booting pigeons, and had this particular variety not been labelled endangered and there been many cameras around, that one would have gotten kicked as well. Stupid bird.
Moving on we came to a huge hummingbird exhibit (including their own enclosed large tentish thing), pelicans, toucans and horn bills. I didn't realize the latter two got so big!! Even with cages some 25-30 feet wide and 60-70 tall, they didn't have enough room to fly more than a few seconds worth. When they flapped their wings, it sounded like a helicopter getting started up. They had wingspans easily 6-8 feet wide. Beautiful birds, and the only ones that it really pained me to see caged up as all the others (including the largest of the birds of prey) got plenty of room to exercise at least once a day.
The last two exhibits were probably my favorites of all though: the parrots and the owls! The parrots were in a completely open area, and were awaiting their own netted tent to fly around in. As it was, they were free to roam the park during the day (for the most part), and then were caged at night. Very lively birds, it was fun to watch them play, and see all the normal items they turned into toys. In many ways, parrots seem to be the monkeys of the birds: higly intellegent and playful.
The owl exhibit was really neat, as it was almost completely dark, except for a very dim light in the color range that particular species of owl could not see. They had 10-12 different species of owl, including a Siberian variety more adapted to seeing and hunting during the day, since the Siberian summers experience almost 24 hours of light for several weeks on end. Beautiful, beautiful birds. They had other nocturnal birds as well, but they weren't nearly as impressive as the owls.
Then, still having a good bit of energy left (and daylight) in us (must have been the good sleep of the night before), we headed to the Oriental Gardens. Just a short walk from the metro, they had a sign announcing that the Japanese section of the gardens was under rennovations, and thus closed. Stephen was pretty dissapointed, but the Chinese gardens turned out to be plenty to explore on their own. First we came to the 7 story pagoda, that from afar looked decorated with many colored lanturns; however, when we got close they turned out to be umbrellas!! The whole park was decorated in colored lanturns and umbrellas and various paper figurines to celebrate the chinese New Year. So, a very good time for us to visit!!
We also found an extremely large bonsai garden, and got to watch one of the bonsai masters at work trimming some of the trees. Fascinating!! The large trees out front were over 250 years old, and many inside the garden of various sizes were aged near or older than 100 years. It's amazing to look at those works of art, and realize that it has taken numberous generations of masters to acheive the present state of beauty. Awe inspiring to say the least. Unfortunately, by the time we got to the Bonsai I had already filled up two picture cards and was on the third (yes, that's nearly 400 pictures in one day), so not many pictures of the gardens could be taken, but I have a feeling
Stephen is planning on going back while I'm at the spa on Wednesday morning.
So after exhausting our picture capacity, and staying right up until their closing time, we wandered through the rest of the gardens enjoying the festive decorations and holiday spirit. Then we hopped back on the MRT, and headed to Newton Circus for dinner.
Newton Circus is what is known has a "hawker" center, or a large open air food court with dozens upon dozens of vendors selling everything from the scarily familiar to the completely alien--all for really good prices. They are fantastic ways to sample the local cuisine without spending a fortune Since the day had been a hot, sticky one, even by Singapore standards (I will never complain about the humidity in Houston again), I opted for an Indian vegetarian dish that was part omelette, part fritter, and with lots of vegetables, foreign and familiar, served with this amazingly tasty spicy orange soupy sauce. Hit the spot! Stephen ordered beef satay and chomped his way through two portions. We both had two large glasses of lime juice topped off with kiwi and papaya for dessert. Now that's what I call a stellar meal, and all for less than S$30 I think hawker centers are going to be the staple of our dining from now on. Too good to pass up.
Honeymoon - Day 4 - Botanical Gardens
Today we got a little bit of a lazy start
after our full day today, and decided to take it
easy and only hit the botantical gardens. We got
there around noon and I figured out some more
settings on my camera that made taking pictures
with the overcast sky without a flash much
easier. (yay for good cameras).
The botanical gardens are really amazing, with a
swan pond and simulated rain forest as well as
various subsets of gardens scattered throughout
including a garden expressly dedicated to members
of the ginger family. So we wandered for several
hours and just got inside the orchid gardens when
it started to sprinkle. So we broke out the
umbrella (just had the small one with us) and
continued on. Unfortunately, we only got through
a little less than half the garden when the sky
let loose with buckets full of rain, that
inhibited our progress substantially as we only
brought the one umbrellas with us and a backpack.
So we took cover under a little pavillion
thinking we would wait it out, but after a
substantial amount of time it was obvious it was
not going to quit anytime soon. So we packed it
up after a snack, and walked leisurely through
part of the gardens to get back to the bus stop,
sharing the umbrella. Back at the hotel we dried
off a bit, changed and hopped over to Nooch
Noodle Bar for dinner. Very tasty indeed!! I had
a Thai noodle concotion rich in garlic and ginger
with duck meat and rice noodles, and Stephen had
beef udon. Good stuff. Then some window shopping
and back to the room for some down time, as we
realized that we were both pretty tired and
wanting a quiet evening alone. Something we
haven't had for at least a month.
So not a whole lot here, tomorrow we plan to pick
up the pace from today.
Honeymoon - Day 3 - The Zoo
At the zoo, we met these two really nice guys who had two extra free passes they got at school, and upon hearing that it was our honeymoon let us have them as a kind of a wedding present which was very very nice of them. I would have liked to have gotten to know these two guys a little bit better, but they went their own way after we got through the gates.
A few words about the zoo: there are very few cages as such, instead they rely on "natural" barriers, such as moats (with water and without), tree and brush lines, etc to keep the various animals in their little areas, and many are allowed
completely free reign of the park (some monkeys, most birds, some reptiles, etc). Also, usually, more than one type of animal exists in each area, giving it more of a biosphere feel. This concept does two things: 1) lets you get very close to the animals, but still stay safe; 2) Keeps the animals happier--even the big cats looked content. I absolutely fell in love with this zoo. Fabulous, fabulous place.
At this point, Stephen and I picked up a map of the zoo, and decided to pay the small fee (less than 2 USD) to ride the trolley, thinking it would give us some useful information on the zoo's inhabitants and allow us to see all of the exhibits. Not only did the trolley move too quickly for picture taking, but the information that it proported to provide was scanty to say the least; much more useful for getting around the zoo, rather than really seeing it. So we hopped off at the next stop, and footed it, which turned out to work really well.
I don't know that I can remember all of the animals that we saw, because this zoo is amazingly huge, but they had quite a few species that you don't typically see in American zoos (in my experience). The zoo "specializes" in primates, so they had three large areas dedicated to them: one specifically for Orangutans (no I didn't get to have breakfast with them), one for Baboons, and one large area that probably had 7-8 different species each in their own little sub-section. The Organutans were probably my favorite. There was this one in particular that had gotten a hold of a burlap sack and was throughly amused with it. Great thing to watch!! There were several baby orangutans as well, and although you could tell the animals were used to humans from a far, the mothers of the little ones got pretty anxious at one point and bundled them off to a secluded area. Another great thing about this zoo--the animals can "escape" if they get overwhelmed or scared. No wonder most of the animals seem healthier here than in almost any other zoo I've been to.
There was also this little area that was more enclosed (but still pretty big) that was called "The Fragile Forest" that simulated the edge of a rainforest. Inside they had lots of birds and a ton of butterflies!! Easily hundreds of them--enchanting really--like walking into a fairy tale. After breaking free of the trance of the butterflies, I noticed in the upper corner of the area there were these large fuzzy creatures that turned out to be giant bats!! These bats were easily the size of small house cats. But very tame, and mostly holding still as it was their feeding time. There were also several sloths and two tree kangaroos!! The tree kangaroos were quite cute, and just like regular kangas, except with long claws for climbing.
After seeing many more animals, we came to the center of the zoo that had some eateries, so we decided to stop for lunch. The nice thing is that unlike most zoos, the food was not over priced, and wow was it tasty!! They had this tandoori chef (Indian) that was amazing- he cooked everything to order (with a bit of pre-prep admittedly) and it was beyond good. Stephen and I split an order of chicken tikka (came with a cucumber type salad and mint chutney- mmmmm mint chutney), garlic nan, and vegetable curry. Stephen even went back for seconds!! (for those of you who know his typical appetite, know this is quite a statement) Even two days later he's commenting on how good it was.
So with full tummies and rehydrated we continued through the rest of the zoo. The zoo doesn't have a very large water exhibit, in fact it's the smallest setting with the fewest animals: dozen penguins, four sea lions, two manatees and various pelicans and other birds of that type. Being in a very humid and tropical climate, I can see how it would be difficult to maintain healthy animals that typically like cold wet weather.
Else where there were Pygmy Hippos (with a newborn), regular Kangaroos (I was surprised at how small they were), Babboons, Elephants (newest addition) and surrounding the largest Primate area there was this moat. Beside the moat there was a sign that said: "Please do not feed the fish. Bites can cause serious injury." So, Stephen scoffed a bit, doing his little rant thing, and then we noticed a zoo guy with a large bucket of fish and a stick coming up to the edge of the water. We thought maybe he was going to feed the monkeys, until he stuck a fish on the end of the stick, held it over the water and this huge splash occured that coincided with the disappearance of the fish. Turns out the moat is populated with 6 Giant Arapaimas that average 1.8 meters long (~6 feet), and about as big around as a decent sized tree (bigger around than most trees in NW Oklahoma). They are the largest fresh water fish in the world, typically found in the amazon river. They're also beautiful fish, with red streaks around the edges of their scales. Ugly faces though, but one is allowed to be less than pretty when you can devour most other species in a single bite. Now we know why they don't need fences in the primate complex, though I wonder how many monkeys they lost to the giant fish.
After wondering through the rest of the zoo, and getting most of the exhibits it was nearly 4:30, and we decided to head back to town to change for dinner. We had originally planned to visit an orchid farm on the way back, but decided instead to focus on the botanical gardens the next day, that had a huge orchid area. So we passed on the orchids in the near time.
We took a different bus back to the metro (different station too, but no worries), and this bus took us through the residential sections of Singapore, which were very interesting. There were obvious differences in housing, but it all seemed to be mixed together and none of the complexes seemed to be truly slum-like. They also had banners advertising all kinds of classes: English comprehension, Children's Robotics, etc. We also passed a *huge* library to rival in size most small universities. Very nice.
At the bus stop was a kind of shopping bazaar, and we got a soy-milk peanut honey snack, that was interesting. Still not sure if I liked it, but it hit the spot for the time being.
We decided to hit Boat Quay for dinner and drinks, supposedly a hot night spot right on the bay. It didn't take long after our arrival to find a tasty restaraunt for the famed local Black Pepper crab. The wait staff, while very attentive (I thought it was a bit of over-kill with the hovering and obsessive filling of our glasses after two sips, but Stephen found fabulous) didn't speak English as well as they could have, and I must have misunderstood something, because the next thing I knew the maitre-d was holding a live crab next to my ear! So after a bit of shock and stammering I got through to him that that particular specimin would be just fine for my dinner. I think he wanted me to touch the blasted thing, but the squirming mass of legs and unchecked claws were a bit of a hinderance. No groping of my pre-cooked dinner, thank you. Low-class probably, but hey, at least I have all my digits intact, though it probably should have been a clue that my social graces may not quite have been up to the task at hand.
When they served the fabulous concotion of legs, spices and meat, they also brought out a nut cracker too small to fit around most of the part needing cracking, chopsticks, a linen napkin and something resembling a cross between an escargot fork and a crowbar. It didn't take long for me to kindly request a fork and knife and ponder how I was going to get at the tastiness inside the shell without getting it all over the table cloth and my blouse. Stephen and I both commented that we had never before eaten crab at an establishment that did not also provide bibs. Yeah, this was going to be an experience. Soooooo, with a marked lack of grace and a bit of good ole American brashness I dived into the crab, which was possibly the best thing I had eaten in months. Just the right balance of spice and sweetness, my mouth still waters at the thought of it, though I'm sure the maitre-d still cringes at the sight of me with fingers, fork, cracker and escargot-fork-thing attacking his chef's culinary masterpiece. It got so bad that they eventually brought me a finger bowl, which was greatly appreciated, but none of the crab ended up on the tablecloth or my blouse!! (I consider that a great accomplishment, thank you) And I got as much of the meat out of the sucker as I could find--and it was worth all the work.
After tipping them well, and expressing our thanks we walked down the rest of Boat Quay (pronounced like "key") being accosted by various people wanting us to dine, dance or drink at the various clubs, bars and restaraunts. We eventually landed at a little coffee shop for dessert and coffee/tea. Very tasty, though I'm sure they made the cheesecake with soy rather than real milk products. Not the first time we've come across this either. Singaporians have a heavy dose of soy in their diets that's for sure. After eating and drinking and people-watching, we decided to take the short walk back to our hotel rather than the metro, and enjoy the lovely night.
The walk was pleasantly uneventful, as only it could be in Singapore at 11:30 at night, with only the sounds of traffic and construction breaking the night silence. It still amazes me how utterly clean even the gutters are here.
So arriving back at our hotel, we hit the sack to get ready for another fun filled day.
Honeymoon - Day 2 - Chinatown
One place we stopped while looking at some things, invited us in, and offered Stephen an amazing deal to custom make a suit for him. We had already discussed that he desperately needed a new one, and were planning on getting one back in the States. This guy offered him a Marino Italian Wool Suit, hand tailored to his measurements, plus a silk shirt (also custom made) and tie all for the price of a very good suit in the US (though of much better quality than anything we could afford there). So we jumped on the deal, and it will be ready on Tuesday. Huzzah!! Now all he needs is a new pair of black shoes, and he will be set to go. The best part about the deal is that, this tailor will keep Stephen's measurements for life, and all we have to do to order another is email or call him, and he will ship it to the US for no extra charge! Whoo hoo!! So, if you're ever in Singapore, and want a good suit for an exceptional deal, stop by Master Hand Tailor Shop in Chinatown on Temple road, shop number 21. Evidently this guy also makes suits for Bill Clinton and Tony Blair, so his craftmanship is quite good. I'm thinking that after I get my first job that pays over 50k, we'll have to come back here, and have him make one for me. *big grin*
Then we wandered town Temple Street, and came to the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore, Sri Mariamman. Built in 1826, the facade features over 70 Hindu deities in full color! It was a huge complex with many different alcoves and statuaries. They allowed us to take some photography in designated areas, and so I got some really amazing shots of the ceilings and various of the decorated facades!
Next we stopped off at People's Park Complex for a extra tasty lunch in the food court. I got Chicken, mushrooms and noodles in a brownish sauce that was obviously fish based, and Stephen got this crazy seafood soup concoction that looked tame enough, but evidently packed enough chili peppers to clear out his sinuses for the rest of this life. Interesting to say the least, and pretty tasty to boot, though it left me wanting something a bit more familiar (or at least recognizable) to munch on, so we stopped at several vendors to try some of the festive foods available: Thai Coconut (they chopped the top off of and stuck a straw in to drink), Sugar Cane juice, and various types of candied fruits and herbs (ginger, GREEN papaya, tangerines, dates, etc).
Then wandering around we came into "historic" Chinatown, and came across a series of Buddhist temples, the largest of which was Thian Hock Keng, dedicated to the Goddess of the Moon and Sea, as well as a Female Buddhisatva (forgive my spelling). This particular Buddha's focus was on compassion. Fascinating, and amazing craftmanship.
Next door was a Mosque under repairs, but not much further down the street we came to the oldest Mosque in Singapore, Al Abrar. They were having lessons inside, so visitors were prohibited unfortunately. Still quite impressive. It's really interesting how these major religious buildings are set on street level with facades that almost blend into the surrounding area, whole area something of a mystical feel. So paying attention to where you are going is a major plus.
Then we wandered through this beautiful park, coming across several minor temples to various Buddas or Hindu deities, some of which were no more than a statue in a wooden box, others were the size of a standard shop with a little place for people to kneel off the street. Again, lent the whole area a pious atmosphere, and indeed this area of the city was substantially quieter than that filled with vendors and New Year's preparations. The park especially was a nice repose for our tired feet, and presented some nice opportunities for contrast with the surrounding apartment blocks, skyscrapers, and tree lined lanes.
Then we braved the vendor streets once again to head back to the hotel for a quick dip in the pool to refresh tired muscles, a warm shower, and then off to dinner and more walking in the Sun Tech City shopping plaza, the LARGEST mall in a country where shopping is *the* national past time. This turned out to be our craziest adventure yet.
First of all, we walked nearly two miles to get to the mall, ALL of which was underground, one endless string of shops and eateries. So we get there, and Stephen picks the Sushi place that is on the other side of where we are; so, we walk another mile, get there, and it is the weirdest experience of our lives. First of all, they had this conveyor belt that moved plates of sushi through the restaraunt and past all of the tables--the catch? You're not allowed to actually eat it. Then we noticed these computer moniters that said "order here", but you weren't actually supposed to use them. They brought us paper menus instead, that listed California Rolls as "Premium" sushi. So we ordered Bento boxes: Chicken Katsu Don for me, and a mixed sushi box for Stephen, both of which came with miso soup. We get them, and my box had fried chicken, fried tofu, and rice that had crushed up anchovies on it. The miso soup was even reconstituted. Yeah, definitively not tasty. Stephen's seemed a bit better, but he didn't recognize most of it, which was probably what made it appetizing. As discovered earlier in the day, it is amazing what you are willing to eat if you don't know what it is. Yes indeed, the ole "close your eyes and try it trick" from childhood came in handy. So, we finish with "dinner" and walk the 4 miles back to the hotel. The good part of this whole thing is that we discovered a book shop and got the bus and detailed city map that we need to plan tomorrow's adventure, which hopefully will be a little easier on the taste buds. It did end well however, as we ordered dessert from Room Service.
Cherry pie with ice cream. The
best thing I've had all day.
Where might the next destination be, you ask? Tommorrow's agenda includes the Zoo and the Orchid Gardens. They're a bit out of the center, but only by around 30 minutes (bus and metro, so we'll get to use our nifty cards on the bus). Now, I'm going to pay some more attention to the dessert that just arrived and my darling husband. Ciao!
Honeymoon - Day 1 - Historic Singapore
Then we headed to out to see the city!! We really could not have asked for a prettier first day. A few rain clouds threated late in the morning, but cleared off with little other than blocking the sun for a few hours and adding to the already oppressive humidity (didn't believe that it could get worse than Houston--welcome to the tropics!). But we braved it, venturing into the vast shopping centers that dominate underneath the city when we needed a break from the heat or when an entrance looked particulary appealing.
We spent most of the day in "old" Singapore and the area right around the hotel. The first thing we did was head across the street to the WWII monument, which is an obilisk made of four free standing pillars joined at the top, with an urn thing in the center surrounded by fountains. Really quite pretty, a fitting testament to the plight of all of East Asia during WWII.
Then we headed down the street, past the Singapore Sporting Club (including several cricket fields--now there's a game I really don't understand), to the Anglican Church, which was built in the 1850s and to this day is not airconditioned. I could not imagine how stifiling it must be when full with the already overbearing humity. It was really pretty on the inside though, and set on some beautiful grounds, that, for whatever reason, were being used partially for downtown parking.
After that we wondered by the Supreme Court and old City Hall, neither of which we were allowed to enter as court was being held in the former, and they were in the middle of a business function in the latter. Neat from the outside though. It's really neat to see the neoclassical facades punctuated by palm trees and giant ferns. A bit of cognitive dissonance, but provides an interesting insight into the mindset that must have built this place.
Past these buildings we came to the landing site of Sir William Raffles, who first opened Singapore up to World Trade, establishing it as the basis of the economy to be resurrected in the 20th century, leading to it's grand economic "miracle". Behind the statue, you can see some of the taller towers of the financial district.
From here, we walked around the main river banks, checking out the sculptures gracing the outside of the Asian Civilizations Museum and the various bridges.
We didn't go into any of the museums today, preferring to enjoy the beautiful weather, and saving those for a rainy day, literally.
In light of the beautiful weather, we decided to take a boat tour of the Singapore River to learn a bit more about the various bridges and buildings along the banks. It was a bit disappointing in this regard, but we got some spectacular pictures from the water, and got to give our feet a rest and sit in the shade.
The bumboat (seriously, that's what they call it!) let us off across the river and we made our way through the Ft. Canning Gardens. It had a little walk way that every so often had signs explaining much of the pre-colonial history of Singapore, as well as pointing out some of the more significant vegetation. The trees here are really amazing, and appear to all coexist with various types of ferns and vines that over the outside of them. It kind of makes them look like something out of a science fiction novel.
About half-way through the park, we stopped at a little shopping center and had lunch at Don's Noodle shop. I had ramen with vegetables and prawns and Stephen had Udon, stealing some of my shrimp if I didn't keep a close eye on him. hehehe. His dexterity with chopsticks allowed him to steal more than a few. After that, we stopped at another little shopping center to pick up some personal items before going back to the hotel to download the pictures and allow me to change shoes. The combination of humidity and a goodly amount of walking meant my feet were pretty swollen, but a brief rest and a more comfortable pair of shoes got us back out on the trail (so to speak), and we caught the MRT (subway) back over to the Canning Gardens to finish the tour there (with freshly cleaned memory cards).
The MRT system here is really swank. Instead of buying tokens or the flimsy paper tickets with magnetic strips (that tear easily or get jammed in the machines), they issue credit card like things, that you merely hold up to the sensor at the subway gates and they let you pass. It doesn't charge you until you exit the system (again by waving the card in front of the sensor). They're also supposed to work the exact same way on the bus system, but we've yet to try that out.
Back to the Ft. Canning gardens, fed and rested, we toured through an old cemetary. In the 1970s they went through and cleared out all of the grave stones, and set them into the walls surrounding the area. They left a few up in one little corner, but the vast majority now form the wall. A really cool idea to say the least, though I imagine that family members of those "transplanted" may not be too thrilled with the idea.
From there, we toured through the spice gardens, most of which were not in flower, but those that were, were quite stunning. I also learned a good bit about the various plants that I eat regularly, but never knew how they grew. For instance, vanilla grows on a vine! So that was pretty cool.
The spice gardens turned onto a working archeological dig site, where most of the knowledge of "Pre-Raffles" Singapore comes from. So we toured through there, learning a good bit about the culture as it was before the arrival of the british. Evidently, they were not the first ones to realize it's potential as a trading post, and spent most of the 1300s, 1400s, and 1500s bouncing from one Asian empire to the next. Not really condusive to trade, I wouldn't think, but it seemed to be enough to keep the area going economically.
At this point it became obvious that we needed more picture space, and just happened to come upon the largest Tech mall in the world. So, naturally, we went in, and found a really good deal on another picture card, and enjoyed looking through some technology that is either unavailable or horrendously expensive in the states, but readily available here. Guess it really does help to be located so close to all the major electronics manufactureres.
Thirsty again, and just around the corner from the historic Raffles Hotel, we stopped in to have a drink and a snack; I could not resist having a Singapore Sling (despite the fact it contains gin *bleah*), and it was surprisingly good. Stephen, being responsible, had lime juice. We shared a platter of satay (Indian/Malay version of shish-kebobs), and being a bit tired, hopped back to our hotel for a nap and a shower (the humidity had taken its toll) before popping over to Chijmes for dinner.
Chijmes is an old nunnery, converted to a shopping mall and set of eateries. We didn't get to go into any of the shops or the old church, as they were closed by the time we got there; but it's on the agenda for tomorrow!!
We had a fabulous dinner at one of the little eateries (Breeze Garden), and Stephen discovered that yes, some people do even put hot chilies in ice cream. My desert was substantially less hot, but just as exotic: Sweet Basil Ice Cream (like green tea ice cream only not as tannin laden, really quite good). Stephen had Salmon for his main course, and I had duck. Mine was fabulous, though the vegetable selection was obviously constructed for looks and not for eating. I resisted the urge to take a picture of it, and picked around the edges as best I could (the center pieces were literally glued in place with cheese--could not get it apart to save my life).
By this point we were both pretty tired, despite the nap, so back to the hotel we went to rest up before hitting the town again tomorrow. Until then!!
Honeymoon - Getting There
We finally got to Dallas and met up with some friends for a late dinner at Sushi Ikara--good stuff! It's located in a shopping complex on the corner of Legacy and Coit Streets in Plano. They pretty much only offered rolls, but a really good selection of them that would please almost anyone. We got a variety of rolls, both fresh and cooked, and I actually enjoyed most of them, including the two new ones: the New York roll (crab on top, cucumber, radish, and avacado rolled inside) and the Dragon roll (eel and avacado on top of the traditional California Roll). Then we headed over to the Bed and Breakfast (Country Place: http://www.countryplacebb.com) getting a little lost along the way, but nothing we couldn't recover from, though stopping for a map eventually got us back on track. So we ended up not arriving to the B&B until nearly 11, at which point we went straight to bed, since we had to be up around 4:00 the next morning to be at the airport by 6:00.
06-07 January--Really Long Day, not sure where one ended and the other began.
Needless to say, 4:00am came too soon, but we drug ourselves out of bed, showered, and headed to the main room of the B&B where a delightful breakfast of
fruit, tea, and homemade bread. Just the right thing that early. Chatting with the innkeeper a bit, we learned that he was the mayor of the small suburb and a little bit of history of the inn and the surrounding area. Like much of Dallas, the residents are attempting to stem the tide of housing developments moving outwards from the city. Anyway, he was a very nice man, and we appreciated it very much that he got up to chat with us and do breakfast.
Then we headed off to the airport. It took us about 45 minutes to get there, but once there the only real line we had to wait in was to get to the ticket counter. If we had been travelling domestically we would have been able to check in electronically--even with baggage. Needless to say, Stephen was chomping at the bit to try it out, and he may just fly United the next time we go anywhere just so he can. Silly boy. The woman doing the checking in was very nice, but misspelled my name on my boarding passes. This never came back to haunt me thank goodness, but every time I had to go through security, I could see the TSA agent debating with him/herself whether to let it slide or not. Fortunately, s/he always allowed me through. *whew* We were supposed to have a direct flight from Dallas to Hong Kong, and I'm not sure what happened to that, but when I printed the updated itenerary on Monday, it showed a San Francisco leg that wasn't on our original booking. Strange. Aside from that and a 1 hour delay, our flight to San Francisco was pretty uneventful; though, during our gate change, we somehow missed the shuttle to take us to the international terminal and had to repass Security. Not a big deal, just extra hassle.
The flight to Hong Kong was really freaking LONG. Now the hop across the Atlantic isn't exactly short either, at 8-9 hours, but 14 hours on a plane--a packed plane seems like a lifetime. This flight was 3 full hours longer in the air than that it took to get to St. Petersburg. And since we had window seats, getting up to walk around was something of a chore, so we slept most of the way. Stephen and I had also forgotten to bring snacks with us on the flight, which meant that we were dependant on their meal schedule, which was not NEARLY often enough for me, though it did include two full meals and a decent snack (ramen cup, apple, and a cookie). Contrary to what my beloved husband may say, I did not drink the plane out of hot tea (though it was good tea. Brewed fresh, and not from bags). I had only had ONE CUP before they had to go make more, and a little one at that. *looks indignant*. I am thinking, however, that we may need to look into upgrading to business class for the return trip or getting seats in the exit row. Poor Stephen had really sore knees once we got to Hong Kong, and could barely sleep though he looked exhausted.
Once we did get to Hong Kong, fortunately we had about an hour to walk around, which was realy nice for our circulation and for Stephen's aching limbs. Granted by this point we had been awake for over 24 hours with just a bit of sleep, but the thought of sitting for another hour before climbing into another aircraft was less than enjoyable. The Hong Kong airport was really nice though, with a cool jointed metal curved ceiling and very comfy chairs. Flying into Singapore at night was really spectacular though, and I wish that I could have gotten some good shots, but the double paned windows on the plane didn't allow for that. Otherwise, the flight to Singapore was equally as uneventful as the other two, but with substantially more sleep. We did get in well after midnight and it was nearly 1am by the time we passed through passport control (where they scanned our foreheads--very odd), collected our baggage and found a taxi to the hotel. We arrived at the Swissotel: The Stamford around 2am, and since Stephen didn't reconfirm the room before we arrived they didn't have a single room available, just a double, but they could get us into a Single room the next day. So we took that, and more or less immediately crashed. The rooms are VERY nice, and the beds quite comfortable. The rooms also have a SPECTACULAR view of the city. Here is apicture we took this morning: (note: first attempt to post pictures in here *cross fingers*)
Note the lack of rain clouds. *happy dance* Next entry: Our first day
Off to Singapore
Here’s what our ten day forecast looks like:
Jan 5: Variably cloudy with scattered thunderstorms. Low 76F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Jan 6: Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. High 87F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Jan 6 night: Scattered thunderstorms. Low 76F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Jan 7: Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 80s and lows in the mid 70s.
Jan 8: Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 80s and lows in the mid 70s.
Jan 9: scattered thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 80s and lows in the mid 70s.
Jan 10: A few thunderstorms possible. Highs in the upper 80s and lows in the mid 70s.
Jan 11: Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 70s.
Jan 12: Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 70s.
Jan 13: A few thunderstorms possible. Highs in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 70s.
Jan 14: A few thunderstorms possible. Highs in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 70s.
So we fly out tomorrow and arrive into Singapore at 11:57pm. Then our adventures in Singapore begin on Thursday, but as we all know, the process of getting there is often an adventure in and of itself.
Currently our to-see list in Singapore includes:
*Bird Park
*Chinese Opera
*Botanical Garden
*Parliament Complex
*Orchid Garden
*War Memorials
*Clark Quay
*Fort Canning Park
*Boat Quay
*Japanese and Chinese Gardens
*Chjmes
*Sentosa
*Various temples, churches, mosques
*Little India
*Chinatown (tea house!)
*Zoo (and night tour)
*Singapore History Museum
*Asian Civilizations Museum
Now I seriously doubt this will be the only things we will see, but it is definitely a place to start. We have a really awesome guide book (DK Eyewitness Travel Guide to Singapore ISBN: 0-7894-9722-0, if anyone is interested) that takes us area by area, so we'll start with that and see how much we can get done. There's no daily itenerary as such, but should be plenty full anyway.
Stephen’s dad also gave us a great list of places to eat as well, as we all know the best thing about traveling to new and exotic places is the food!!
So off we go on our first married adventure—monsoons and all. See you in Singapore!!
The Way Home - Part II
So with a nice full belly I caught the Tube to Heathrow. Got to Heathrow about 9:00am, checked in and through security by 9:45. On the plane and off we went only a few minutes behind schedule.
The flight to Chicago (where I was supposed to connect to Dallas) was very uneventful if not a bit long. My seat mate was returning from four months in South Africa, where she spends her winters. She was bemoaning the fact that 1st class had been booked when she got her tickets. *roll eyes*. But I listened to music and watched Catch me if you can, it was surprisingly good. Leonardo DiCaprio has really matured as an actor, a pleasant surprise.
Then we get to Chicago around noon, and my next flight didn't leave until 4:30pm. So I settled in at my new gate after changing money and informing the parentals that I was back in the US safe and sound.
This is where I learn that I am jinxed.
At about 3:45, they come over the intercom thing and announce that due to severe weather in the Chicago area, the plane that was to be ours to Dallas was rerouted into Grand Rapids, and there was no other aircraft available, so our flight was cancelled.
Great.
After waiting in a long line, and confusing the ticket person (since it was a connecting flight from an international flight, this somehow made things more complicated.), I finally got on the 6:00pm flight leaving out of the opposite side of the terminal.
So I called Mom and had her call Nathan, to give him my new flight info, and then hurried over to my new gate.
After waiting there for about 30 minutes, they come over the intercom again, announcing that the plane we were to ride on had been hit by lightning, and they were waiting for confirmation from the tower whether or not they could down grade our aircraft from a 777 or if they had to wait for the next 777 available, which had been rerouted to a town I'd never heard of.
Sure enough, the tower said we had to wait for the 777, and that moved our flight time back to 7:30. I call Nathan and Mom again.
A little later they announce that the new plane had been further delayed because of an electrical emergency during refueling, and that meant our flight wouldn't leave until 9pm.
I go up to the desk and beg the ticket lady to change me to an earlier flight. She took pity on me and got me on the 7:30 flight.
I run back over to my original wing over to the terminal to discover that flight too had been delayed, because the flight before it, headed to Paris, was waiting for a connecting passenger. We did eventually get off the ground and the pilot made the usually 2.5 hour flight in less than 2 hours. The entire plane was greatful, since the vast majority of us had been through the exact same process described above.
So we got into Dallas, Nathan, bless his heart, was waiting for me and then we went on the Great Airport Luggage Scavenger Hunt (surprise surprise my luggage didn't get routed properly, but did make it to the same airport, just on another flight. A miracle as far as I'm concerned.)
Then we made the drive back to Norman, getting in around 2am.
So back home I was, and in the midst of the moving mess, but home indeed. The trip was at an end, for better or worse, and another wonderful place in my memories and in pictures.
The Way Home - Part I
Jinxed me he did.
Although the way to London wasn't too bad.
Got to the airport with plenty of time to spare after lugging my monster bag through Aberdeen to the bus station. The plane was a bit late taking off for some unexplained reason, which put me at Luton at 10:30.
There were several people going to the bus station, so we all got on the shuttle including an exchange student who needed to get to Manchester. It took 3 bus drivers to figure out a route for him. (Resisting the urge to make a Tootsie Pop joke)
So we were finally off to the train station (Luton is WAY outside of London), and got a ticket for the next earliest train, 11:15. This meant I didn't get to London until midnight. At this point, I was quite hesitant to try and take the underground back to the hostel/B&B, since I didn't know the system well, nor did I know about it's reputation after dark. So I drug my monster luggage over to the main Kings Cross Station (the Luton train arrives into Thameslink)--pretty shady.
They did have a taxi queque, and I was off to the Windsor House, same place I stayed the first time. I had confirmed my reservation with them the first time I checked in and told them that I would probably not be arriving until 11:00pm on the 27th. They made a note and said that would be fine. Granted, I didn't get there until half past midnight, but I didn't think that would be late enough for them to cancel my reservation.
Yup, they cancelled my reservation when I didn't arrive at 7pm.
They had one room left, but it was twice as expensive as the one I had reserved. Had it not been nearly 1am I would have found some place else. As it was, I talked them into reducing the higher rate since I had indeed confirmed the reservation earlier. So, I get up to my room, get ready for bed, and fall into it exhausted. . .
with insomnia
Ick. I think I finally fell asleep around 3am, and my alarm went off at 6:45.
Castling Again
I took the bus into the little village nearest the castle (Stonehaven), and then hiked up over the bluffs to the castle itself. The hike was absolutely beautiful. It went through these fields and near some craggy inlets of the ocean. The green of the fields combined with the blue of the ocean and the black volcanic (assumingly) rock formations was quite stunning, especially with the castle ruins crowning the highest cliff over the entire scene.
Wandering through the ruins was really quite a magical experience. Because they're ruins they pretty much let you have the run of the place, and you're free to crawl over, rummage and poke around as much of it as you can get to. They have the most dangerous bits roped/barred off, but the rest of it is completely open. I bought a guide book that was pretty helpful, but I got the feeling they were mostly guessing at what some of the rooms were originally. So, I preferred to wander through and let my imagination do the work.
For being in ruins a surprising amount of the castle is still safe for people. For instance, there are several floors of the original keep that you can still get to and through. One of the features, they had most of the old guest books out (1930ish-present), that you could look through. I thought about looking for Stephen's family's original visit, but I had no clue what date to even expect, so he'll have to go through it with me when we got back one of these days.
After going through all of the ruins, I took a foot "path" down to the shore, and watched the ocean for a while with the castle towering above. Talk about an incredible experience.
Now, you guys are no longer allowed to tease me about Moscow burning, because the number of times this castle has been burned by various armies or the owners is astounding. For being built on a cliff with only one possibility of attack, you'd think they'd be able to defend it better than that. But the fires have left the stones really interesting textures that I'm not sure would have been possible otherwise.
Still, no more Moscow teasing now!
Then I hopped the bus back to Aberdeen and will probably spend the rest of my night packing. My plane doesn't leave until 8:00pm tomorrow, but I'm supposed to take some of Brett's stuff back too, so we'll see how that fares.
Probably a last game of GO as well. =)
Anyway, back to London tomorrow and then to the states the next day. So this will probably be my last entry until I get home. It feels like I just got here too. Not nearly enough time, but an amazing trip none the less.
Until later all!
My First Castle!!
Crathes Castle
Now how would you pronounce "Crathes"? I still don't know, because EVERYONE I talked to pronounced it differently. I got everything from Crates to Crathies to Craithes and anything else you could think of. The only problem with this is that if you don't pronounce it they way the person you're talking to does, then they don't understand which castle you're referring to. This is the first time I've had issue with the accents here.
*sigh*
On to the Castle itself. . .
After getting up a little late, I got to the bus station only to find out that they were running a shortened schedule, so the next bus wouldn't get me there until almost 3pm, giving me only 2 and a half hours to see the castle. Oh well, better than no castle at all right?
The bus turned out to work pretty well because it literally dropped me off at the gates, then turned into a lovely short walk through a forest. In the open feild right before getting to the castle grounds themselves, they were having a vintage car ralley, complete with Scottish band playing what sounded like a Roland arrangement of 80s pop. Very strange.
Anyway, when I got to the ticket area, they were having a "National Heritage Appreciation Day" which meant that everyone got in FREE!! Very cool. The downside was that the increased demand (other people had gotten wind of this apparently) meant they were giving out time specific tickets, meaning you had a ticket that was only valid beginning at a certain time. I got one of the last ones for the 4:00pm slot. Yess! This then meant that I had almost an hour to wander around the castle gardens, which were magnificent. It was raining just slightly with the sun coming out intermittantly.
The castle itself was made out of red granite, so the wet stone in the sunshine shined like new copper. Breathtaking, really breathtaking.
Crathes Castle was build in 1596, which makes it "young", and evidently it was inhabited by the same family lineage until 1980, when they turned it over to the Scottish Heritage Society. This means that it is exceptionally kept up, with several original pieces of furniture left as well, most of which is carved wood, and stunning in its own right.
I got lots of pictures! But, only of the outside. I did get a really neat guide book of the interior with lots of history as well, so everyone can read that when I get back. It's just as well too, because it would have been difficult to get as good of pictures, since it was pretty dark in some places, as well as having lots of people. . .including the requisite group of Japanese tourists. It was also much smaller on the inside than what I expected it to be. Evidently, though, it had been two whole wings larger, but a fire in 1966 destroyed those, leaving the castle pretty much as it was when originally built.
I stayed right up until the place closed and the meandered back to the bus stop through a really nice wooded trail. When I got to the bus stop, however, I found out that yes the bus runs every hour. . .until 5pm. After 5pm it runs every two hours.
And everything was closed.
And it was raining.
2 hours.
The longest two hours of my life.
The most annoying part of the wait, however, were the drivers that would go by, honk and wave, spraying me with water from the road. Yeah, great, thanks, hi to you too.
On the upside I saw a slug for the first time. I didn't realize that they got so big!! We're talking almost 6 inches long and almost an inch in diameter. Monster slug.
By the time the bus got there I was pretty cold, and very thankful that the Scottish don't turn their heaters off until mid June.
So tomorrow I'm going to the ruined Castle Donnotur that is on the bluffs overlooking the North Sea. And I'm making sure to get a good EARLY start tomorrow, since it's supposed to be almost an hours hike after you get off the bus. But it's a hike I'm really looking forward to because it's along the same bluffs.
Good thing I brought my extra memory card!
Saturday in Aberdeen
I stopped by the tourist information bureau to get information on the castles, and it looks like I will be able to see two before I leave! More info on that later.
I also got to see the Maritime Museum, which turned out to be much cooler than expected. 5 floors divided into two parts: One dedicated to offshore oil and the other to clippers and history of Aberdeen harbor.
The Offshore oil bit included a *huge* model of a rig complete with moving parts, and detailed explanations of every level, as well as the processes involved with getting oil out of the sea floor and to the refining plant.
I enjoyed the history side much more. Each floor had its own theme pertaining to Aberdeen harbor history.
The top floor was the advent of the clipper and the tea trade.
The fourth mostly on sailing ships: navigation tools (that you got to play with!), particulars of making sails, how a sailboat is rigged (complete with mast and boom to show how the pulley systems worked, that one could also play with), and diary exerpts from notable Aberdeenians.
The third floor talked about fishing, all the different methods and what types of fish they're best used to catch, and how the techniques have developed over the years. It also included a pretty detailed explanation of how catch limits are determined in Scotland.
The Second Floor was recent developments including a display on a type of training procedure for offshore oil workers that was developed in Aberdeen. So pretty cool.
Kind of wish you were with me Dad, you would have loved it! Especially the sailing bits.
Later that evening I took Brett and Kaz out for dinner as a thank you for putting up with me. We went to a little place called The Illicit Still. The food was pretty yummy, and the cider was awfully tasty.
The beer here is mostly all lagers, and the one thing I've learned is that I generally like those labeled "Ale" better. Don't know what the difference is; perhaps it's time to learn.
After that, I let Brett talk me into watching his choice of a movie. Brett and I's taste in film rarely coincides, and this one was no exception. This one turned out to be a wretched little piece called Meet the Feebles, evidently by the same director as Lord of the Rings.
Should bode well right? Let's just say this director has come a long LONG way if that's where he started. I only found one bit funny, and I was the only one who caught it. I won't go into anymore of it, frankly because it isn't worth it. Leave it to say the vast majority of the movie was just plain bad taste.
One of the things I've been noticing about my choice in movies is that I really don't appreciate excessive violence or sex. Especially torture. Mostly because I can't comprehend how one human being could do that to another, even with hate running deep. I just can't fathom it. This naturally leaves many really good movies outside of my comfort level. Titus comes to mind. Amazing film, incredibly well done. I couldn't get past the physical abuse neccesary for the progression of the story. Literally couldn't stomach it. *sigh* Perhaps I'm still much more innocent than previously thought.
Don't be mistaken, however, Feebles was NO Titus not by a long shot. So don't run out and rent it thinking you're going to be seeing good film, even from an artistic appreciation, because you would be horribly disappointed.
Then we finished "24". The last four episodes. That was a cliffhanger of a series, with some suprisingly good acting, and the kind of attention to detail that makes or breaks the show. I was really impressed. Too bad the second has already started, otherwise it might be the first television program I would have actively followed.
Remaining Things to See
* The rest of the art museum
* A Castle
* The maritime history museum
* The Catholic Cathedral
* The Church of Scotland Cathedral
* The old part of Aberdeen
Doesn't look like a whole lot but considering that I leave on Tuesday, and the Castle trip will be one full day. That leaves me three days to get it all in. Better get my butt in gear eh?
Friday
Only a few minutes he said.
Liar. =)
For £10 I bought the entire Divine Comedy, a Collection of Short Stories by Voltaire, and the 2nd Part of the Gulag Archipelago (and it looks like a good translation to boot). After talking to the shopkeep, he said that he'll find the first part for me by Monday. Yay!! Not exactly light reading, but a necessary component for any Russian studies person.
Then off to the museum. We spent the rest of the afternoon there (4 hours), and still didn't get all the way through it. It's mostly modern art, but they have some really amazing watercolor and oil on canvas portraits as well. So that means we'll have to go back yet again. I'm loving this. =) They also have a Maritime Museum that I'm looking forward to attending sometime before I leave.
Then we headed off toward the harbor and this little fishing village right on the edge of Aberdeen. I got some great pictures. Then it started to downpour. By the time we found a cafe to warm up in, we were both soaked to the bone. But this cafe (Cafe Continental btw) had Lentil soup, which was awfully yummy and great to fill a wet, hungry me.
Then we called a cab and went back to campus and the flat to get changed and get dinner-- Chicken pitas. mmmmmm. So tonight will probably be another evening of either movies and reading, and probably another GO game. We'll see if some strategy changes will help turn the tables on Brett a bit, and maybe hand me a victory. We'll see, we'll see.
Thursday Evening
Some observations:
* Opening in GO is by far the hardest thing. The game has so many possibilities that it's extremely difficult to know from the get go, what strategy will work.
* All the territory is at the edges. The middle, while important, doesn't gain you anything if that's all you hold.
* Ask and answer the following questions before placing every piece:
- Where is the threat?
- Where do I want to go?
- How do I want to get there?
While these may seem extremely elementary to any seasoned GO player, these were huge breakthroughs for me. So yes, I'm a novice, but I'm really enjoying the ways in which the game forces one to think. Those thought processes will become extremely important I have a feeling.
Anyway, after the GO game, they got me hooked on this TV series called "24". Each episode ocurs over a one hour period, and all together all events take place over the course of one day. As far as I can tell it's about revenge on the guy who authorized a secret mission during the Bosnian conflict and how that hooks back to the man running for President. (Incidently, this 24 hour period corresponds to the day of the California primary). It's very addictive. I couldn't imagine only getting one episode every week. So hopefully we'll get to the end before I leave. . if not those of you in Norman may have to bear with me through this. hehehehe
Thursday in Scotland
We walked about the city after taking a bus into the center, and it strikes me that Aberdeen isn't nearly as old feeling as, say, Edinburgh. But the entire city being made out of granite is really cool, and they have some wonderful old cemetaries that date back into the 1600s.
Another really interesting feature are all the dance clubs and restaraunts that have been made from old abandoned churches. There's even one that features "Seven Deadly Sins Cocktails", and the inside is repleat with torture implements, aged wood, and themed menus. Yes a bit cliche, but really neat none the less.
We also stopped into the Modern Art Museum downtown, and saw some really neat pieces. One was a painting of a rumpled white sheet. Yes sounds dull, but really quite well done. The other was this nifty fountain thing with a cool interlocking copper sphere creation that the sprays of water echo. Quite cool. We didn't get to see all the exhibits though, and plan to go back tomorrow. So more on that later.
Pretty good day. I got some great pictures of the skyline and the statue of William Wallace with a seagull on his head. Right across the park from the Wallace statue was the one of Edward I, the king who executed Wallace. How's that for symmetry. I couldn't get a clear shot of it because of the way the streets and the buildings were. Too bad.
So the rest of today will probably be spent over a GO board after a film. I'm thinking Hamlet. For some reason my trip on the town has me in a Shakespere mood. Go figure. =)
Rest of Day 2 in Aberdeen
It's amazing what you can do with a few spices, veggies, meat and tomato sauce.
Other than that, we walked to the theater to catch Matrix Reloaded. I'm still stunned by the beauty of the landscape here. The ground itself is really quite interesting, not all soppy and sludgy like one would expect with all the rain, but more springy and spongy. This makes walking a really funny sensation. We ended up getting to the theater a bit early and since it's located on the beach of the North Sea (didn't realize Aberdeen was that far North) we sat on the dock, talking and watching the tide crash against the granite wall. Hypnotic truly.
Then came the movie, and I have two words for it:
BAD ACTING
Really bad acting. The writing wasn't the best ever, but even the decent lines were quite poorly delivered. The sex scene was also way too long. Granted, the way they incorporated it with the rave thing was interesting. But, it was an interesting visual display for about 1/3 of the time that it went on for.
I did however really enjoy how well choreographed the fighting scenes were. Very nice. Especially the one with all the clones.
All-in-all, while I enjoyed the first movie, the second one takes itself way too seriously; it's like they're all of a sudden trying to make commentary, not that the movie can't, it's just if that's what they wanted to do, perhaps they should have hired real actors.
Anyway, getting back to the flat, I got to talk to Stephen a bit before bed, which was really nice. He and I really must come back some day for an extended (2 week-ish) vacation.
First Two Days in Aberdeen
Then back to his place and he cooked dinner, I took a nap while he and Kaz watched some TV, and then we stayed up talking and playing GO.
I didn't realize how much fun GO can be when you play someone who's that close to your skill level. So I think we'll be playing a good many games of that during the next few days.
His new girlfriend is really nice, if not on the young side. She just turned 18 last month and is finishing her first year in school. But she's pretty nice and seems to be a good influence on Brett and vice-versa, which is always good to see in a relationship.
Today, there isn't much going on. More just letting me wind down from traveling and de-stressing from the semester and the post semester events. I did throw sausage and red sauce into the oven this morning for italian sausage sandwiches for dinner, so that will be a nice surprise for Brett and his flatmates.
We do have tickets to see the new Matrix moving tonight (it's first night showing in the UK), and there's a walk planned back from the theater to the flat to show me to older and more scenic parts of the city, before jumping into it full force tomorrow.
So that should be a good time.
See you when I get back!
Getting to Aberdeen
4:50 no driver. Maybe he's running a bit late.
4:55 still no driver.
5:00 yet again, no driver.
At 5:05 I go downstairs and knock on the inkeepers door. It took nearly 5 minutes to get her to answer and even then she said that these drivers are notoriously unreliable and that there was nothing she could do. When I asked to use a phone to call him (they did give me his number the night before), she said that she only had a mobile and that the phone at the front desk was out of order so I was on my own.
great. Thanks for nothing.
5:15
So I grab my bags and head out to the street to try and catch a cab myself. The first two who stopped looked at their watches and said there was no way they could get me to the airport for less than £100 or that there would be no way to get there in time for the flight so I was just out of luck.
Londoners are not earning themselves any good marks at this point.
5:20
The third cab who stopped said that while him taking me to the airport would be horribly expensive, and that even if he did, he couldn't garuntee getting me there in time, he could get me to the train station to catch the first train to Luton at 5:45 and that that would be my best bet.
So in I jump, and on the way explain the entire situation. I could tell he felt awful, and he gave me some really good advice on how to avoid that situation in the future. Evidently, the front desk didn't book at cab, they just booked a regular person they knew (umm can anyone else say not safe?) and that these "contract cars" were really unreliable and that he was surprised that any respected establishment would put me in that kind of situation.
He gets me to the Thameslink Station at exactly 5:35 due to some very good driving and I tipped him an extra £5 for his help and sensitivity, because at that point I was more than a little stressed.
The train gets there early at 5:40 and I'm on it. It took right at 40 minutes to get to Luton, and it was looking like I would be able to make the plane. Well, we get to the Airport Station, and there's a shuttle to take you the rest of the way to the airport. Ok. . . we all get on and wait. . .and wait. . .and wait. . .and the driver of the shuttle keeps talking on his mobile. Finally he shuts up and gets moving at 6:25.
We pull up to the airport, and I get into the terminal just in time for me to see the person close the desk for my flight. 6:35. I beg one of the other attendents to check me onto the flight, even if that meant checking my baggage on the next day's flight. They said the best I could do was either wait until that night at 8:30pm or take the flight to Edinburgh and then the train over to Aberdeen. Because I didn't fancy spending 14 hours in the airport, I had them switch my reservation to Edinburgh. Found a neat little internet kiosk and emailed Brett about the changes to my schedule.
So off I went. Arrived in Edinburgh, and got to take a lovely bus route through the city. The train station was right across the street from the castle. How I would have loved to take a few hours and tour it, but I got to the station at 10:10 and the next train was 10:25. So, no castle for me.
But, I did get the most beautiful ride through the Scottish country side and along the shore. I've never seen fields such a vibrant green or flowers that color yellow or purple. With the hazy sky, it provided an even greater contrast to the colors. So, even though I arrived into Aberdeen some four hours late, I was pretty relaxed by the time I got there, and pretty tired.
But I got here, and got to see some amazing scenery along the way. Cost me about £35 more than expected, but all's well that ends well right?
Rest of the day in London
The gardens were really beautiful, and all different kinds of trees. So it was nice and refreshing to get about and stretch my legs after nearly 12 hours in an airplane. Kensington Palace and the little art museum there in the park were both closed due to renovations, so nothing there to really explore.
Then back to the hostel/B&B to check in. I was only 5 minutes early, but they still didn't have the room ready, but they said they had a room with a private bath that I could take instead for an extra 6 GBP. So, I took it thinking that a nice lingering, steamy shower would feel wonderful after a good long walk in the drizzle and traveling. Well, it turned out that the entire "bathroom" was about the size of a standard bathtub: shower, toilet, and sink. I literally could not close the door while sitting on the toilet because there wasn't enough room. While showering I had to stand parallel to the wall so that all of me would fit in the shower at once.
So much for a lingering shower. But hey, I got clean, which was more than I was before.
I then picked up a little guide they had in the front lobby of all the sights in London, and since time was short I decided to hit the National Gallery instead of St. Paul's and the Tate.
On my way out, though, I had the front desk guy arrange transportation for the next morning at 4:50 so that I could make my flight to Aberdeen at 7:00. After making the reservation he gave me the name and phone number of the driver that he had arranged. Remember this for later.
Anyway, off I went to the National Gallery-- and yes, Branson you were right the tube system is really wonderful, if for no other reason that it has little Cadbury Egg dispensers all over the place. =)
I spent most of my time in the 1700-1900 section and in a special sculpture exhibit they had up. I think one of my favorites out of the paintings was Monet's 'Parliment at Sunset'. Its done in such a way that they shadow of the building on the water morphs into the building above as the red, purple and yellow streaked sky fills in the remaining space. The colors were so vibrant and the way he streaked the sky for sunset reminded me more of lightning at dusk than a true sunset. Really remarkable. I think I may become a fan of impressionism afterall.
So I stayed at the museum until it closed at 6:00pm, grabbed a rather dry and tasteless turkey sandwhich at a nearby cafe, and then headed back to read for a few hours before doing pre-check out (since I would be leaving so early the next day), and asleep by 9:00pm.
All in all a pretty good day in London, but definitely some place to come back to a spend a week or so seeing everything. For instance, they have a permenant collection of Dali at an extension of the Tate that I would love to see. Hopefully it will still be there in a few years time.
Day 1 in London
Nathan got me to the airport with plenty of time to spare, and I was checked in and through security in less than 10 minutes in Dallas. Not too bad. I got to see his new place too, which is fabulous! I think we need to throw a housewarming for him after he gets all moved in. *hint hint*
Anyway, for whatever reason they won't let me get into my room at the B&B until 2pm, which cuts into my sightseeing time considerably. The original plan was to hop over to St. Paul's and then catch the Tate Modern with whatever time was left over. Of course, all that was assuming I got into my room at 10am like they said I could. *sigh* oh well.
My flight to Aberdeen is tomorrow morning at 7am. Yikes! That means getting there by 6am. Even though I did get sleep on the plane, I'll still be pretty dazed. Poor Brett having to deal with me in that state.
Anyway, I'm going to hop over to a cafe and grab some food and figure out the rest of my day.
Ciao!