Day 24 - Wednesday June 1, 2011 - Istanbul, Turkey

Top: The sultan's private chambers in Topkapi Palace. The tile work was beautiful.

Middle: The Basilica Cistern where they stored water in case invading armies destroyed the aqueducts that brought water to the city.

Bottom: The beautiful Spice Market with colorful displays of spices, plants, food, and anything else you might want to buy.

I was up with the sun this morning - a lot of ground to cover. Headed out a little after 8 and the streets were already bustling. Headed to Topkapi Palace to see if I could beat the crowds - unfortunately, I didn't!

There was a considerable line to buy tickets, and then a humongous line to get through security and the ticket taker. I was behind a huge group of Turkish women - all mostly large with long coats almost to the ground and each with a scarp tied under their chin. Most Turkish women dress this way. The Turkish men dress mostly in dark colors - if not black. So while I was waiting in line I was checking out what everyone was wearing! Of course, I was in my Florida attire - cargo shorts, t-shirt and sandals.

Upon entering the grounds through a beautiful gate, I realized how massive the grounds were. Most of the people there were in huge tourist groups - SO GLAD I didn't do that. I headed first to The Harem where the sultan kept his wives, the queen mother, his concubines and the eunochs who were entrusted by the sultan to guard the women and the grounds. The Harem was unbelievable - so glad I bought the extra ticket to go through this. The tile work is gorgeous and I took lots of pictures in The Harem.

After leaving The Harem I went to the library, and many other exhibits and rooms. There was a beautiful view of the Bosporus from the back grounds of Topkopi. Spent the morning here going through the various rooms and enjoying it. On leaving, a marching band came through the grounds and played a short concert. Enjoyed that.

Left Topkopi and went across the street to The Basilica Cistern. They built the cistern in the mid 5th century to store water so they would always have water in case invading armies destroyed the aqueducts that brought water to the city. They knew they couldn't survive without water. The place was cavernous with a small amount of water now in the bottom. There were 2 interesting sculptures of Medusa.

Left the Cistern and headed down the hill past lots of shops - rugs, jewelry, tourist items, restaurants - one after the other. Got to the harbor and watched the comings and goings for a while. Went to "The New Mosque" which was highly recommended in my guide book and it didn't disappoint. The carpets on the floors were beautiful, gorgeous tiles, intrique ceiling and wall paintings - just beautiful.

Just outside the door to the New Mosque was The Spice Market - a real treat. Beautiful plants, colorful spices, delicious looking foods, and lots of people. I walked throughout The Spice Market and I think I enjoyed this more than the Grand Bazaar. People were very friendly. I stopped just outside the market for a chicken doner - friendly waiter - and it was so good. Hit the spot.

Headed back up the hill and went through the Grand Bazaar one more time. It is unbelieveable how massive it is. Packed with people.

My feet were killing me and it was mid afternoon so I headed back to rest up - I've done a lot of walking today. I'll head out later this afternoon when it is a bit cooler and roam around a bit more.

Went back out and decided to "to the other way" - so jumped on a tram and headed in the opposite direction from all of the sites where I've been concentrating. The tram took me WAY OUT and we passed lots of ruins. Got off at the Topkapi station - but this isn't the Topkapi Palace. Lots of walled ruins around. Didn't spend long and then hopped back on the tram and headed back to the major sights - but didn't get off - kept going the other way. Enjoyed the ride and view of different parts of the city. A neat way to "explore" without having to walk!!!

Took the tram back to the Sultanahmet stop (Blue Mosque) and walked around looking at the shops for a while. WHO buys all of this s**t? I had already picked out my restaurant for tonight - Divane - another sidewalk cafe. My strategy with restaurants here is similar to Greece - get there slightly before the rush and you get a prominent table and excellent service. Divane didn't disappoint. Had a half bottle of wine (yes, only half!), mushroom soup, and lamp chops with lots of vegetables (delicious). Ended with baklava which I always thought was a Greek dessert but it is everywhere in Turkey! Good. They gave me a complimentary cup of Turkish tea (in small glass vessel that was very hot to hold) and it was good.

Headed back to the hotel about 10 pm - the restaurants now are all packed full! Got "accosted" by 2 more rug dealers - will they ever learn?

Watched a documentary on a french tv station on Jackie Kennedy - in french. It was amazing how much I "think" I understood. Went to bed about 11:30. Another great day in Istanbul. I'm still thankful that I changed hotels - I would have been miserable being so far away from the major sites.

Day 23 - Tuesday May 31, 2011 - Istanbul, Turkey

Top: Inside the Blue Mosque - or the Sultanahmet Mosque. Stunning.

Middle: Inside the Hagia Sophia - Beautiful.

Bottom: Inside the Grand Bazaar - over 3,000 shops.

I slept with the curtains closed last night and apparently they had an impact on my night. I didn't wake up until almost 8:30. Guess I was tired.

Got ready and headed to the Blue Mosque. Stopped along the way and bought a guide book on Istanbul for 10 TL (about $6.50). This will allow me total flexibility to go at my own pace and read about the various sites. I hate organized tours with a herd of tourists. Stopped at Starbucks for a coffee and pastry and read about the Hippodrome and Blue Mosque.

Headed to the Hippodrome and walked around. Several "carpet men" approached - "Come to my shop", etc. Waited in line for a short time to get into the Blue Mosque. Entrance is slowed down as everyone must remove their shows. The inside was unbelieveable. Beautiful - spacious - gorgeous carpeting throughout - massive - and very blue. I sat on the carpet for about 45 minutes and took it all in. I read more in the guide book about the Blue Mosque and also read a pamplet that I picked up - "What is Islam". I was amazed how closely Islam is to Judaism and Christianity. Many of the same beliefs. It was very educational.

I then walked through the park over to the Haghia Sophia (or AyaSophia). I got in line but was "engaged" by a guy (Omar) and he convinced me to follow him. He took me past the guards and directly to the front of the line to buy a ticket. Not sure how this works! He told me he had a carpet store, so I knew that I was indebted by his act - and he knew that too.

Bought my ticket for 20 TL, went through security and into the Haghia Sophia. Stunning. Beautiful. Massive. Gorgeous mosaics. I went to the upper gallery and took it all in. Stunning.

As I came out - guess who was waiting for me? Yep - he was right there as if he knew exactly when I would emerge. He took me to the Basilica Cistern to the front of the line again to buy a ticket. But it was now after 1 and I decided to do this later. So I followed him dutifully to his carpet shop. We went through a huge store full of persian carpets - sorry Turkish carpets. Beautiful. I had the obligatory cup of turkish tea and Omar's uncle took over. They took me into a massive room full of carpets. Silk, wool, blends. I love carpets. He explained carpet making to me - most of which I knew.

He did pull out one carpet that was gorgeous. I buy rugs based on impulse and I felt one of those moments coming on! I asked him "How much?" Long story made short - it was $32,000 US!!!! At that, I realized this would go no where so I explained that I wasn't going to buy a carpet today and had to meet "my friends" for lunch in 10 minutes. And I left. Whew! But a fun experience. Glad I did that.

Walked to the Grand Bazaar and went all through it - it is so massive. Beautiful colors - so many jewelry shops. I can't figure out what differentiates one from the other.

Returned to the hotel about 3 to rest my tired feet. Will head back out later this afternoon for some more.

Left about 4:30 and decided to explore on the tram system. What a deal - you can ride the entire line for 1.75 TK or about $1 US. So I decided to go to see the Dolmabahce Palace. A large palace built in the European style. I arrived too late to take the full tour but walked all around the grounds. All during the ride over there were beautiful mosques each with their tall minarets. Beautiful. All along the seaside and especially on the Galata Bridge were fishermen. Quaint view.

I found where the port is where my ship should be on Thursday morning. That relieves some anxiety about where I'm supposed to go. A 15 minute taxi ride at most. Let's just hope it is actually there on Thursday!!!!

Took the tram back and got off at Sultanahmet to find a place for dinner. When I got off there was a lot of music and people clapping. I went to an amphitheatre and there were many groups of Turkish children dressed up in beautiful costumes doing dances. I enjoyed watching that for a long time. There were lots of boys dancing and many of the steps looked advanced for children their age. Very good show.

Walked up the street and stopped at Pasha Restaurant for dinner about 7:30. Had a 1/2 bottle of Turkish white wine, lentil soup and bread - this bread was exceptional - like pizza crust but huge and it had a bottom and top layer. I ordered chicken with peaches for dinner and it was yummy. Enjoyed baked rice pudding with ice cream and chocolate sauce for dessert. Enjoyed dinner a lot.

Walked back to the hotel and moaned with my aching knees. I would have thought all of this exercise would help build up my knees some but maybe I'm overdoing it. I only have one more day and then get on the ship and can take it a bit easier. Have just a couple of destinations tomorrow - the Topkapi Palace that we built in 1465 and served as the palace for over 400 years. Also want to go to the Monastery Cistern that was recommended in my book. May take the tram the other way - at least I can get a seat on the train while sightseeing.

A GREAT DAY in Istanbul, Turkey.

Day 22 - Monday May 30, 2011 - Istanbul, Turkey

Top: The Sultanahmet - the Blue Mosque - Magnificent

Middle: The entrance to the Topkapi Palace

Bottom: The Blue Mosque lit up at night - I listened to a sunset call to prayer and watched the lights come on from my restaurant. A special moment!

Up about 6:30 am. Finished packing and had a large breakfast at the hotel. Very good. Great service at this hotel.

Checked out early and left the hotel mid morning and took a taxi into the Old Town part of Istanbul. I'm moving from one Doubletree to another that is much more centrally located and offers assistance with tours. The original one advertised that it was 2 miles from the tourist attractions! Well, after a 35 minute taxi drive that cost $35, I finally arrived to the area where all of the tourist attractions are - the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sofia, the Grand Bazaar - they are all right here. YEAH - I'm finally in the part of Istanbul where I originally intended to be. Thank goodness.

I got settled and set out immediatelyo "explore". Everything is so close. Walked down the main street where the Doubletree is and passed several beautiful mosques and Constantine's Column. I didn't realize what was in store for me.

I arrived soon at Sultanahmet - the Blue Mosque. The complex is large with some restoration going on. The call to prayer started while I was there and I sat and took in the moment.

I went through the grounds of the Blue Mosque but saving the inside for tomorrow. The architecture is magnificent. Sat there in the shade and took it all in.

Passed through Sultan Ahmet Square where there are beautiful fountains. Close by is the Hagia Sofia, but it was closed today - s that is also tomorrow. During my walk, I was approached by countless men wanting to engage in conversation. Their "gimmick" was always - where are you from, what do you do, where are you going, and finally come to my carpet shop and buy a carpet from me. These guys were hard to get rid of. Tim had warned me of this.

I ended up at Topkapi Palace and walked around the grounds. Will save this for Wednesday as today is "get oriented" day.

Headed back toward the hotel passing through the restaurant district and picked out a restaurant for tonight - Mozaik - it looked devine - so tonight will be my delayed birthday dinner since there weren't any special restaurants that I could find last night in the Asian side of Istanbul.

Ended up at the Grand Bazaar - lots of things for sale - booth after booth. Will come back here later this afternoon. Stopped and bought anoher doner - yum - and for less than $1 US! This one had french fries on it. The bread was so good.

Got back to the hotel about 4:30 and had a short rest for my feet. Called Tim and that was good for me. Headed back out about 6 and went to the Grand Bazaar - amazing. So many shops of shirts, jewelry, shoes, carpets, you name it they have it. I stayed there until they closed about 7:30. Then headed to my resturant for dinner. The Mozaic didn't let me down.

For dinner I started with kir - fabulous. They brought bread with hummus. This was the BEST hummus I had every had. It was like it had very creamy butter in it. Then I had lentil soup with foam - delicious. For dinner I had a half bottle of Turkish white wine and Palace Kebab - lamp chunks in a sauce with onions, red and green peppers, potatoes and mushrooms. It was devine. YUM. I'm glad I had this for my birthday dinner. So I splurged for another birthday dessert and had a chocolate souffle with vanilla ice cream - it was great. I got one more glass of wine since the 1/2 bottle didn't last as long as I had hoped. Followed by a cappuccino for the end. A delicious dinner. I may come back here on Wednesday but there are LOTS of other great restaurants in this area. The service was friendly - I think it was fmily run as they looked and acted like family.

After dinner I was stuffed so walked over to the Blue Mosque again to take it all in. Had a leisurely walk back to the hotel - still a lot of vendors out on the streets but things are winding downat 10 pm. Out in the distance there were colored laser lights in the distance - not sure what they are for but they were beautiful.

Arrived back at the hotel exhausted from a very busy day of exploring Istanbul. So glad I changed hotels!!!! Off to sleep.

Day 21 - Sunday May 29, 2011 - Istanbul, Turkey

Top: Minarets everywhere and you can set your watch with the "calls to prayer".

Middle: Historic train station building from the early 1800's right on the Bosporus.

Bottom: My "birthday surprise" from the Doubletree Hotel! Enough for 6 people but I had a taste!

Arrival very, very early in Istanbul - like 5 am. A short night for me although a long flight. I thought our plane had crashed coming into the remote gate. The pilot put on the brake so suddenly, everyone lunged forward. Not sure what that was.

I had a quick entry through a special immigration line for business class and since I already had my visa I avoided the long lines - that was nice. Then the long wait began.

Apparently, something broke in the baggage area and none of the bags from our flight came up. There were only about 10 of us waiting - everyone else was transferring to other flights. It took well over an hour for the few bags to appear - sort of like Philadelphia! I was exhausted after the 9 1/2 hour flight from Bangkok (preceded by the 3 hour flight from Kathmandu to Bangkok and a 4 1/2 hour layover in Bangkok. Not a fun day so far! Just so tired.

I secured a car to take me to the hotel - and realized later that they ripped me off on the fare. They told me the hotel was an hour and 40 minutes away, and that there would be massive traffic so I'd have to go via back roads to get there. Apparently, the hotel is on the Asian side of the Bosporus and is remote. But it ended up there was no traffic on this early Sunday morning and we went via the expressway. Got there in less than 30 minutes! Oh well!

Arrived at the hotel and cleaned up and slept for several hours. It felt good to lay down flat and sleep. I went and talked to the hotel desk and they cannot help me with any tours! I was amazed at this for a Hilton. They explained they are a new hotel. They don't even have any maps of the area!!!

So I did my own research using the web. After a bit of study, I decided to restructure this part of my trip - so I'm changing hotels tomorrow. Today is a "rest day", plus it is raining and very cloudy so it's not a good time to be out walking around and exploring. So I'll start anew tomorrow.

Enjoying my book, iPod, and "the view" from my hotel room from my room. In early afternoon the rain stopped and I could see lots of people out on the streets so I ventured out to explore the area. Had a great time.

There are several minarets at mosques close by and at certain times "the singers" would start the call to prayer. The waterfront was bustling with lots of people, and shoppers. Lots of ferries leave from here for various places and also Bosporus Tours. I thought about doing that today but I'll see plenty of the Bosporus on the cruise. Walked to an old structure on the far side of the harbor that was a beautiful, historical train station. Lots of people coming and going. Walked into this side of the city and there were lots of sidewalk sales and people walking around.

I stopped and bought a lamb doner - Tim would have loved it - delicious. And that and a drink was only 4 Turkish lira - less than $3.

An interesting part of Istanbul but I'm looking forward to walking through the Grand Bazaar tomorrow - the granddaddy of bazaars.

Went back in the early evening when it started getting dark and watched some of the French Open. I was ready to go to bed about 10:30 and my doorbell rang. The hotel brought me a HUGE birthday "cake" - chocolate mousse, strawberries, and shaved black and white chocolate - enough for 6 people. I had a "couple of bites" and enjoyed their thoughtfulness.

My explorations of Istanbul begin in earnest on Monday.

Day 20 - Saturday May 28, 2011 - Kathmandu, Nepal to Istanbul, Turkey (via Bangkok)

Today will be a very long day of travel. Unfortunately, my route takes me 1,000 back southeast to Bangkok only to follow the same route back to Turkey. Thanks, Star Alliance. Seems I could have flown to Dubai or Cairo directly from here but this was best although backtracking. It actually gets in earlier than the other routes. Oh well - I'll enjoy the Thai Air service back to Bangkok and then Turkish Airlines (for the first time!).

An uneventful morning. Apparently there are more strikes and protests in Kathmandu. The newspaper is full of the riots. The people are really, really angry with their politicians. Does this sound familiar?

Had a big breakfast, finished packing, and checked out mid morning. I enjoyed being in the Presidential Suite at the Hyatt Regency Kathmandu - although the "standard" is a bit different than what one would expect. But I had double security - you had to get into a secure door to get to my room. The entire top floor has the Presidential Suite but it can be divided up into 3 rooms - so I had one of the 3. It was a special touch and didn't cost me that much. In fact, doing the upgrade gave me free internet, free breakfasts, free airport transfers, and free cocktails and "snacks" (which usually became dinner) every evening. So that was good.

I checked out and used the rest of my very, very ratty Nepalese ringetts. The money was really nasty.

The hotel shuttle bus took me to the airport - not far - and there was very little traffic out due to the continuing strikes.

The Kathmandu airport security was something else. I went through 3 x-ray machine screenings and 5 body pat-downs. They also make the men take one line and the women another for screenings. Of course, here there weren't many women travelling so the mens' line was always huge. At the last security screening, the guard completely unpacked my carryone luggage. He was confused with my stack of $1 US bills that I use many times for tips - I had 100 of them but he saw the big stack and thought I had a lot more. That caused much confusion.

I waiting in the Royal Silk Lounge and then waited in the last large security line. I understand they have all of this security to employ people. The checks were not that great except for the one guard who was really going through my bags.

I got excited as we took off. The pilot took off to the south headed to Bangkok, but then he turned and we did a 360 around the area as we climbed up. And out in the distance, there it was - - - Mt. Everest!!!! At least the distinctive peaks sticking up above the clouds higher than any of the other mountains. I was excited. I got to see Mt. Everest! YEAH!

Watched a movie and had lunch on the Thai Air flight to Bangkok - we arrived right on time and I went to the Royal Silk Lounge for my layover. May try to nap as this is an overnight flight and I probably won't sleep much.

A great experience in Asia. Until next time . . . Now off to Eastern Europe and Turkey.

Day 19 - Friday May 27, 2011 - Kathmandu, Nepal

Picture: A very modern structure set in the middle of relatively poor neighborhoods in Kathmandu. I had the Presidential Suite (at least one of the three rooms in the suite) on the top floor of the hotel. No one else around!

Slept until 6:30. Went to the dining room for a huge breakfast at 7:30. Made my arrangements to get to the airport tomorrow. They confirmed that the streets in Kathmandu are impassible today due to all of the protests over the government. So I'm sticking close to the hotel - by the pool - to the spa - and exploring the local neighborhoods by foot.

Finished my David Baldacchi book and started another book by the pool. In the afternoon, thunderstorms started moving into the area - lots of clouds and thunder. Came back to the room about 1:30. Then to the spa for an early birthday deep tissue massage at 2:15. It was good and loosened up my shoulder that has been giving me issues.

Did some preliminary sorting of clothes and packing in the afternoon. Then took a walk to the Buddha Stupa near the hotel and the surrounding neighborhood. Very friendly people. But I do wish they would pick up their trash that is heaped all around.

Throngs of people were already walking clockwise around the stupa and old ladies were saying their afternoon prayers. Went into a few shops but there is really NOTHING that I have any interest in here. At least these shopkeepers are not as pushy as the other places I visited in Nepal.

Went back to the hotel to the Executive Lounge for afternoon wine, yak cheese (yum!) and "snacks". Made dinner off of the snacks. Some of these were REALLY good.

Finished packing, checked email, watched some of the French Open and to bed. I may have scheduled one day too many in Nepal, but the visit was certainly impacted by the political unrest too. I was disappointed I didn't get to visit further up in the Himalayas, but perhaps I'll see this tomorrow as we leave.

May 18 - Thursday May 26, 2011 - Kathmandu, Nepal

Left: The highest temple in Bhaktapur City at Taumadhi Square

Right: The entrance to Durbar Square at Bhaktapur City. The king's palace is just behind to the right.

Bottom: The queen's "bath" at the palace at Bhaktapur City. Of course I'm not sure which queen used it as the king had 52 wives.


A bit of a sleepless night. Bad indigestion from something I ate at dinner. It got light at 5 and I was up a little after 6. Had breakfast in the dining room. A "religious dignitary" of some sort arrived with his entourage while I was eating. He had very long hair and was dressed all in white. Many of the Hindu people immediately got up and went to greet him when he walked in. They wanted to touch his feet and he caressed their hair. Don't know who he was, but it was interesting to watch.

Met Abhijeet at 9 am and we were off for our adventures outside of the Kathmandu Valley. It is even smoggier today - very thick - reminded me of China. But as we left Kathmandu it became somewhat clearer - but still not clear. Abhijeet told me that the smoke was from the brick factories. I could see the tall smokestacks spewing thick smoke all out in the distance. There we large stacks of very orange bricks stacked in many places.

We first went to Nagarkot, a remote village way up in the mountains. There were lots of terraces where they were growing lots of corn and they also plant rice here. There is a large resort here and Abhijeet and I started here. From this place you can sometimes see Mt. Everest, but unfortunately, it was very very cloudy and started getting stormy. Thunder in the distance. So I guess seeing Mt. Everest on this trip isn't going to happen. Oh well, you always have to save something for the next visit!!

Abhijeet suggested we walk down the mountain and see the village life. It looks very hard and difficult. A spring is the only source of water - outside the house. Animals walking in and out of the homes too. Lots of goats, chickens and dogs. We got half way down the mountain and Abhijeet decided it was going to pour rain and we would not make it to the meeting place with the driver. So we headed back up the mountain - not an easy walk for me but I made it. We got to the car just as the heavens opened. We drove in the rain for about 45 minutes and then the driver headed up a narrow, dirt, trail. I couldn't believe we were going up here, but they told me it was to see another village and also the Changu Narayan temple. We got 3/4 of the way up and got stuck. The ruts in the road were made worse by the rain. So we turned around and went back down. I had to laugh at this experience - who would have thought I would have ever been doing this - not me!!!!

We went around the mountain and came up the other side. We got almost to the top and 2 buses were stuck in the mud from the rains. After surveying the situation, the driver and Abhijeet decided that we couldn't get up today, so we gave up on that stop. We headed to Bhaktapur.

Bhaktapur is a 500 year old capital where the King lived. Beautifully preserved. We spent the rest of the day taking in the architecture, people watching, shopping, and talking. The streets are all made of the orange brick and beautifully maintained. Not many cars in the city but lots of motorbikes and pedestrians. My big purchase of the day was a jar of Tiger Balm for 225 Nepalese rupees.

Returned to the Hyatt in late afternoon and relaxed by the pool as the heat of the day subsided. Tomorrow will be on foot in areas around the hotel only. Apparently, it will be difficult to get anywhere in Kathmandu tomorrow as there will be many protests over the lack of progress from the Congress on their constitution.

Had drinks and snacks in the Executive Lounge. Tried "yak cheese" - it was really good. Other foods interesting as well - a little bit spicy. The chocolate mousse cake was a keeper.

Took it easy and watched the French Open for a while and to bed about 11. Tomorrow will be a "relaxing" day in Nepal.

Day 17 - Wednesday May 25, 2011 - Kathmandu, Nepal

Top: The Buddhist stupa at Swayambhu - also known as the Monkey Temple with many wild monkeys walking around.

Middle: The King's "Secret Well" at Lalipur. I washed my hands in the cold water but there was no way I was going to drink it!

Bottom: A cremation in progress with the body receiving final rights. They burn the mouth first, then cover the body with straw and wood and the fire is set. It can take any where from 45 minutes to 4 hours for the cremation to be completed.

The time zone in Kathmandu is 1 hour and 15 minutes behind Bangkok. I found out the sun comes up at 5 am here! Made the mistake of not pulling the drapes when I went to bed. During the night there were several very, very loud dog fights - or at least it sounded that way. Lots of barking. Before the sun came up, there were drums and I could hear the monks humming at their dormitory nearby. Once the sun came up the car horns started honking.

Had breakfast in the restaurant and got ready for my tour. Met my guide and driver at 9 am and we were off to explore the City of Kathmandu. We'll stay in this valley today and make visits to sites in Kathmandu and Patan. I hired a guide and driver - only way to do this here. My guide is Abhijeet Thapa - he is a part time teacher in English Literature and a part time tour guide. The driver knows very little English but is a very skilled driver.

The traffic was unbelieveable. I couldn't believe how close we came to some of the trucks and cars we passed. There was a political demonstration blocking the streets at one point and our driver had to take a detour. I didn't think we'd make it! The streets are so poorly maintained. And I saw one street light the entire day! They just "GO"!

Our first stop was up a hill at Swayambhu - a very holy Buddhist site. They call this the "Monkey Temple" as there were wild monkeys everywhere. The monkeys are revered here! We did a quick tour here as we needed to get to the next stop to see the Kumari at Hanuman-dhoka Durbar Square.

The Kumari is a young girl selected by a committee based on 42 qualities. Having very white skin is an important quality. The Kumari once selected is taken and lives in this palace with keepers (not her family) until she starts her period. Once that happens, another Kumari is selected. She makes an appearance at 11 am and 4 pm daily for less than one minute. She stands in the window - and that's it. This Kumari is now 5 1/2 years old. They put makeup on her face especially on the sides of the face by each eye to make the eyes look much longer.

We then drove by the former King's palace, now the Foreign Ministry. The King was overthrown in 2001 and Nepal is now a democratic republic. All of the demonstrations are over the new constitution - seems the government can't decide how to govern itself and the politicians can't agree on anything. Sound familiar?

Next we went to Lalitpur where there was an old palace and many temples. They had oxen intestines hanging over the door to one temple. An annual tradition. Also at this temple was the King's "secret well" - people come and get water and drink it without boiling it - not a good idea here in Nepal!

We took a short ride to the Mahabuddha Temple - completely enclosed by buildings but a beautiful structure. There was a monument here to the Buddha Mother. The story goes she gave birth to the Buddha from here side and Buddha took 7 steps when he came out of the womb.

The drive between stops was an adventure in itself. Cows in the streets - people - tuk-tuks (but they have another word), trucks, cars, vans, buses. The streets have no names and no street signs. Horns are honking non-stop. Holes are everywhere in the streets and there are no sidewalks. If a delivery truck makes a delivery, then it just stops and the cars (both ways) have to make their way around it. I'm amazed that more people aren't killed each day on the streets.

Last stop was the holiest of the Hindu temples - and also a place on the river (a very dirty river) where they do cremations. I watched 3 cremations. This was Pashupati. Lots of smoke - and smells. Many people watching the cremations. While I was there, there were 3 bodies being prepared for the fires, about 6 being burned, and 3 receiving final blessings and these are the ones I watched them start the fires. A humbling experience.

Traffic leaving this place was horrible so the creative driver took us over a side hill (more like a mountain) with large potholes. Amazing how they get around here. But the short cut brought us right out in front of the Hyatt.

It was late afternoon so I relaxed under an umbrella by the pool with a cold drink and read.

Day 16 - Tuesday May 24, 2011 - Bangkok, Thailand to Kathmandu, Nepal

Top: Small temple across from the stupa - bells, incense, and lots of people walking clockwise.

Bottom: Large stupa in the middle of a square. People walk around it clockwise both inside and outside.

Today is flight number 10 of my trip. I'll travel 1,370 miles from Bangkok non-stop to Kathmandu on Thai Airways. I'm really excited about this part of my trip and not sure what to expect.

So I arrived in Kathmandu about noon. The flight in had beautiful vistas - with huge mountains until we went below the clouds. We landed and the primitive nature of this place set in. Actually, for me - it was panic. Don't know why - but that's probably why I'm here - to experience this. Nothing ventured - nothing gained.

THANK GOODNESS that I had prearranged a hotel pickup here. One of the few places - an instinct I guess. But my "guide" was waiting for me with a sign and I was relieved. This is a very differnt place!!! No ATM's - no duty free shops - very primitive.

The Hyatt Regency Shuttle took me a short distance to the hotel complex. The shuttel drive mentioned something about a "strike" - and later I heard that this is a government issue - some sort or revolt! Uh Oh! There is some constitutional issue that the parties are fighting over.

We entered a very secure complex - beautiful - the Hyatt Regency in Kathmandu - apparently the best place to stay here. I checked in and they offered me "an upgrade" which I took - probably the best deal of this trip. For less than $50 USD a night I get free internet, free cocktails, dinner in the executive lounge, breakfast, and airport transfers. What a deal.

They set me up with the concierge and I booked tours for Wednesday and Thursday. A city tour on Wednesday and a country tour on Thursday. I decided to leave Friday open for my independen exploring.

I got to my room and seemed to freeze!!!! I looked out and didn't know where to go-but finally ventured out into the city. The concierge had mentioned the Sandiling Moastery Stupa. I went out the "back gate" - met by a guard to check me out - and he directed me to the Stupa. Lots of friendly people along the way. Waving - wanting to say "hello" - interested in this westerner. It made me feel welcome and at home. A good feeling.

Many shops along the way - sewing - metal works - food - etc. Some interesting masks too. May have to get one of those for my collection.

I arrived at Sandiling Stupa - and it was magnificent!!! Hard to describe. Many, many people all walking "clockwise" around the stupa - both inside and outside. It was obviouslly afternoon prayer time. There was lots of genuflecting, beads, chanting, mumbling, ringing of bells, monks humming, incense, and also an exhibit of faith where they laid down flat on a board and then got up - not sure how many times they do this but I'll find out tomorrow. I got lots of picture - bells, flags, and lots of friendly people. This was a turning point for me.

Headed back to the Hyatt and encountered more friendly people. Went to the executive club lounge and feasted off of the tapas and had several glasses of wine. Enjoyed watching the sun set in the distance behind the mountain. Kathmandu is in a valley and the smog here is incredible. Can't be healthy and I noticed many people wearing masks over their mouth and nose.

Returned to the room about 8:30 - caught up on email and CNN, read a while and then went to bed. A good experience in Kathmandu so far.

Day 15 - Monday May 23, 2011 - Bangkok, Thailand

Left: Statue of King Rama IV - a predecessor of the current King of Thailand.

Right: Guess who I ran into at the mall in Bangkok????

Up with the sun about 6 am. Had coffee in the room and updated things on the internet and then set out.

First stop is Lumphini Park - not far and I've never been there. I got completely lost for about 30 minutes but figured it out - this is really a confusing city.

Lumphini Park is the "Central Park" of Bangkok - right in the middle - large - lakes and walkways - fountains - lots of trees. I sat in the shade for about 30 minutes and watched people doing tai chi - looks graceful and peaceful. Lots of people out walking before the heat of the day hits in full force - although it was already VERY hot and humid.

Bought a day pass for the SkyTrain - what a deal - you can ride anywhere in Bangkok for only $2.00. First set out for Siam City - an amazing complex - hotels, malls, restaurants, offices, shops, it was huge and VERY classy. This is the swankiest mall I've seen since Dhubai. Looked for a sport jacket (remember I left mine at home) but didn't see anything I liked. Took in all of the sights and people watching was good too.

Then took the SkyTrain to the Chao Phraya River - very very muddy with globs of that weed floating in it again like last time. Took a tuk tuk ride through the city - that was fun but smoggy. Ended up at River City a smaller shopping mall - not many people there but the Thai artifacts in the shops were beautiful. Went by "Paul's" - the tailor we used many years ago and he was there working helping a customer get fitted.

Took the River City Ferry back to the SkyTrain station, then the SkyTrain back to Siam City. Went to the area where all of the restaurants were and found a nice restaurant. Lunch was delicious and inexpensive. Two large spring rolls, chicken and pork with rice and vegetables, and a carafe of wine for about $22. Went somewhere else and had a cup of green tea ice cream - yum!

By this time it was late afternoon so headed back to the SkyTrain and went back to the hotel. It is amazing how some people much "watch" you on the streets. One man has approached me every time I went in and out of the hotel and has spoken to me. First this morning I had jeans on and then changed to shorts as it got hot - and he commented on this. He isn't associated with the hotel as he is a block away but I wonder what that is all about!!!! The Thai people are observant and that's where the good service comes from, I guess.

Spent the late afternoon by the hotel pool, napped and read. Back to the room and packed for a very early departure in the morning. Had a light bite to eat at the hotel for dinner since my lunch was so late.

Tomorrow - off to my exotic stop in Nepal - the birthplace of the Buddha!!!

Day 14 - Sunday May 22, 2011 - Chiang Mai, Thailand to Bangkok, Thailand

Above: A "dragon" handrail at a Buddhist temple just outside the city walls of Chiang Mai. The "dragon" has multiple heads and the body goes up to the top level of the temple. Beautiful.

Below: The Street Market in Chiang Mai. They have this every night and on Sunday and even larger Sunday Street Market appears. They sell everything.

Thai language lesson for the day!
Cai = Yes (Pronounced "ch-ai"
Mai = No
Kop khug krub = Thank You
Sawasdee - Welcome or Hello
A very difficult language to learn and "inflection" of certain letters plays a part - hard to hear the difference some times.

I was up and about around 7 am. Finished packing and headed out for my Starbucks fix. It's right next door to the D2 so I don't need to go far.

Off to the famous Chiang Mai Sunday Street Market - bigger than ever. I walked to the walled city and went through the Street Market. Didn’t buy anything but had fun looking and people watching.

Returned to the hotel about 1:30 and had lunch. The hotel shuttle took me to the airport at 2:45 for my 5:00 pm flight.

Today I fly on my 9th flight for a total of only 353 miles. Thai Air runs a tight ship and everything was right on time. I waited in the Royal Silk Lounge for the flight and that was comfortable.

I arrived in Bangkok on time. Got my luggage and went to the Express Train – but the guard told me it was “finished”. So I took the City Train into Bangkok – what a deal – a 30 minute ride for only about $1.50. I’m glad I did as the highway I could see was completely congested and stopped and it would have taken a long time to get into the city by car.

I got off at the City Transportation Center and took a taxi. That was an experience. The Thai language doesn’t have the letter “r” so they can’t pronounce it. So “Meridien Hotel” to them sounds like “Millenium Hotel”. It took the taxi driver and the dispatcher a while working on it and finally a supervisor came to my rescue and instructed the driver where to go. Even my map didn’t help him as it was in English and he couldn’t read the English letters! Paid an extra 40 baht to have the driver take the highway instead of local roads – worth the extra $1.35!!!!

The Le Meridien Hotel is very nice from what I can see – will explore it more tomorrow in the daylight. I think I’ve very near the Chao Phraya River so I’ll walk there tomorrow and want to go to the Siam Center Shopping Mall to look for a sport coat since I left mine at home and may need one for the cruise.

I’m on the 17th floor of the hotel and the traffic outside is non-stop! At least I can’t hear it. Off to sleep.

Day 13 - Saturday, May 21, 2011 - Chiang Mai, Thailand

Above: Pictures of the Chiang Mai Flower Market - blocks and blocks of colorful flowers in shops. Beautiful.

Well - today is supposed to be the "End of the World" according to the Christians who were all over Manila and also in Thailand! Apparently they have spent $4M preaching the end will occur today. In Thailand, last night was expected to be a HUGE PARTY night as everyone was out partying just in case the end happens today!!!! (:-))

Got a good night's sleep and feel much better today after my heat issues from yesterday. Will watch that closer. Going to get my clothes laundered and organized today for my 2 days in Bangkok and then off to Nepal. Have started researching things to do in Nepal - looks like a lot of "trekking" trips which I will pass on. Perhaps a helicopter ride to see the sights is my style!!!!

Decided that today would be a day of beauty and rest. So I started with a stop at Starbucks - yes they have those here too! - and then went on a walk to the Chiang Mai Flower Market - beautiful displays of flowers lining the street. So many booths. I couldn't help but wonder what differentiates one from the other. Enjoyed
walking through and taking in all of the colors.

A vegetable market was close by so took that in too.

Crossed the very muddy Ping River and found my restaurant for tonight - looks great and right on the river.

Headed back to the hotel and went to the pool for the afternoon - in the shade - had enough sun yesterday for a month! But keep the rains away. Thought it was going to rain for a while but it didn't. Enjoyed listening to my iPod and reading for the afternoon - very relaxing.

About 6 I went to "My Relax" where I had visited when here before and had the most luxurious foot massage. I feel like I have new feet. She was wonderful.

Met Mr. Bird - the owner of the tour company I use in Chiang Mai - at 7:30 for a glass of wine in the D2 bar. I haven't seen Bird in 4 years since he was my tour guide in 2008 when I stayed way out at the Four Seasons. He is doing great and is very focused on his tour business. I complimented his guide and driver yesterday and he was happy. That was nice that he came to meet me to keep in touch. He wants me to do the "Buddhist Experience" next year - 1 to 3 days of meeting and talking with a Buddhist monk about how to become "enlightened". This is a Buddhist philosophy that I'm intrigued with . May just do this. But I don't want to get me head shaved and sleep on a straw map on the floor!!!

Enjoyed my talk with Mr. Bird - and then headed off to dinner at the Deck 1 Restaurant on the Ping River. Had a table on the deck overlooking the river with lights in the trees. Food was very good and enjoyable. Good service - as is the case everywhere I've ever been in Thailand.

Got back to the hotel, finished packing and off to bed. Tomorrow in the Chiang Mai Sunday Street Market!!!! And it is bigger than ever!!!!

P.S. It is now Sunday May 22 in Thailand and the world didn't end - I guess he was wrong! Wonder what his story is now????

Day 12 - Friday May 20, 2011 - Visit to Sukhothai and Srisatchanalai, Thailand (UNESCO World Heritage Sites)

Left: Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat in Srisatchanalai Historical Park.

Right: King Ramkhamhaeng Monument - he invented the original Thai alphabet and is a beloved former ruler of Thailand. He ruled the first truly independent Thai Kingdom.

Bottom: The "talking" Buddha at Wat Sri Chum. Massive and in very good condition.

Up early with the sun - before 6. Fixed coffee in the room and got ready for my day of touring the ancient capital of Siam in Sukhothai and Srisatchanalai.

My guide, Nantawut Vannaros (Nan for short) and my driver, Puck (who had a much longer name I couldn't say!), picked me up promptly at the hotel at 7 am. We headed off for a 3 hour drive to Srisatchanalai, due south of Chiang Mai.

Our drive took us on a "super highway" (complete with stop lights!), over a mountain and through "the jungle". The countryside was beautiful. Surprisingly, the traffic once we got out of the city wasn't too bad and the driver was very skilled and didn't scare me as many of them do. We travelled about 300 km to the Sukhothai Province.

We passed miles and miles of rice paddies - many bright green with their crop. I had flown over these last night and seen them from the air, so now I know exactly what I was seeing. Beautiful. Many of the farmers were busy getting their crops planted or tended. These fields will be harvested in July.

Nan and I talked for most of the ride about life in Thailand. He was very knowledgeable, especially about Buddhism which I questioned.

The Thai culture is so interesting to me. For example, I asked Nan about their free elections - Were they democratic? He pondered my question for a while and then responded very carefully: "If I tell you that our elections are crooked, this will reflect poorly on my country, and I don't wish to do that. But if I tell you that our elections are completely free then I may not be telling you the truth. So I will put it this way. The Thai elections are more open than those in Myanmar. In Myanmar, no one would be allowed to come in to observe the elections. But in Thailand our elections are completely open for review." I loved his answer. Smart man.

We arrived at the Srisatchanalai Historical Park, an ancient town formerly known as Mueng Chaliang and was renamed as Satchanalai during the reign of Phra Ruang. There are 134 monuments in the park.

I found it interest that there is no direct translation of Thai to English so they spell things differently in English - and it is no problem for them. Sometimes I saw Srisatchanalai, or Si Satchanalai, or just Satchanalai, or other versions - all the same place!

First stop was Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat. Nan pointed out the unique Sukhothai style of architecture some of which has a Khmer (Cambodian) influence. Picture shown above.

Wat Chang Lom was next and was viewed as the most important historic building and the main chedi was in Sri Lankan Style. Architecture certainly showed how "fluid" things were back then - there was a lot of fighting and conquering from one tribe to another and the architecture was carried with them and evolved due to this. Wat Chang Lom was really cool as it had 39 elephant sculptures surrounding it built like the elephants were holding up the temple. Most had fallen into ruin and not restored but a couple were still in original condition.

All of these temples and structures were made out of "laterite" a stone that is high in iron which makes them red and the stone contains aluminium.

I was powering through bottled water as the sun was so hot and the air was humid. I was glad when we went for a lunch break at a nice outdoor restaurant with a buffet of Thai foods. Really good. The papaya and pomelo (large grapefruit) with sugar was delicious. A welcome break - enjoyed a Singha beer too!

Then we drove another 45 minutes to the Sukhothai Historical Park. Sukhothai was the first truly independent Thai Kingdom. This is where King Ramkhamhaeng invented the first version of the Thai alphabet. The Thai alphabet has 47 characters some of which are in the original King Ramkhamhaeng's version. There was no paper then so characters were carved into stone and many artifacts were found to document this.

The Sukhothai Park is huge with ruins of the royal palaces, Buddhist temples, city gates, walls, moats, dams, ditches, ponds and canals.

Our first stop was at the King Ramkhamhaeng Monument - a 2x life-size bronze monument of the king holding a stone tablet with the first Thai "words". This king is certainly beloved.

Following were various other monuments and temples - each impressive in its own right. It was part of the way through this tour where I got extremely overheated and thought I was going to pass out. Drank lots of water and tried to stay in the shade which was difficult. But I kept trekking on. Reminds me why I continue to "explore" places like this now while I'm physically able to make it. I really enjoy climbing up the monuments and "going to the top" to see the view, so kept on going.

My favorite of the Sukhothai stops was Wat Sri Chum or Wat Si Chum which reminded me of the temples in Egypt. It had a main sanctuary that contained a monumental Buddha. The temple was built with hollow walls so when the people gathered to pray and make wishes (like before a battle) they would make their wishes and then the temple would "talk" back to them and they were amazed. One of the monks or officials would get in the wall and speak back to the people. The holes in the wall were at the same level as the mouth of the Buddha so the people thought it was Buddha talking to them. So they knew they would win the upcoming battle!!!!

So much history here. They have huge celebrations here at certain times of the year with lights on the monuments and in the lakes, ponds, and canals. Many people ride bicycles through the park - that might be fun, but I was glad to have the air conditioned van for refuge from the heat and humidity.

We finished touring the sites in late afternoon and headed back toward Chiang Mai. Again, I marveled at the countryside. The rice fields were such a bright green with their new crops but Nan feared that they have had too much water and this might ruin the crops. The farmers and their families were hard at work in the fields - they work so hard and have so little!

I enjoyed the ride back through the jungle. We passed a huge Elephant Hospital where they bring elephants for medical care - don't have those in the U.S. Apparently in the north they use elephants on working farms and in the forest and there are still many land mines so there are casualties. They bring the elephants here so they can get the best medical care.

Nan explained to me that the Thai people all have access to medical care. If you go for an examination for an illness it is 30 baht - about $1. If you go into the hospital for a procedure and stay 30 days it is 30 baht - about $1. The government controls the medical profession so they are able to do this. Doctors and nurses aren't generally paid that much so that's how this all works.

Gasoliine is also very cheap - subsidized by the Thai government. Gas is only a litte over $1 per liter.

We arrived back at the D2 Dusit Hotel about 8 pm. I was still hot and dehydrated despite drinking lots of water. Had a quick light dinner and went to bed early. I'm going to try to stay out of the hot sun tomorrow as much as possible. A long but enjoyable day.

Day 11 - Thursday May 19, 2011 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Chiang Mai, Thailand via Bangkok

Up before the sun this morning at about 6:30.

Went out for my Starbucks fix and another quick walk around downtown. All of the movie extras were packed into the outside restaurants at the mall. A person with a microphone was walking through and picking out which ones they wanted in the shoot. Fortunately, the streets were passable this morning.

Had my morning treat, retrieved my bags, checked out of the Ritz Carlton, and took a taxi to the Sentral Station where the express train leaves from to go non-stop to the airport. The airport is quite a ways out of Kuala Lumpur.

Today I'm on flights 7 and 8 of 18 flights - for a total of 1,096 miles travelled. Hope I'm getting my frequent flyer points on all of these flights!

Uneventful trip. Waited for the plane in the Thai Air Royal Silk Lounge. Had a chicken dish over rice that was STUNNING - yum!!!!

Brief stop in the Royal Silk Lounge in Bangkok and then on to Chiang Mai. LOTS of storms in the area - they tell me this is the rainy season.

Taxi to the D2 Dusit Hotel in the heart of Chiang Mai. The street market is going strong despite the rain. Checked in and then walking around a bit. To bed about 10 as my guide called about tomorrow and confirmed that they will be here at 7 am to pick me up. It is a long drive to Sukhothai so we are getting an early start.

Tomorrow is exploring ancient Siam history!

Day 10 - Wednesday May 18, 2011 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Left: The Central Market at Chinatown

Right: The Kuala Lumpur Tower

Up with the sun at 7 this morning.

Decided to do something different - so I went to the Ritz-Carlton gym. (Tim would be amazed). Worked out for about an hour and then used the steam room - felt good on my tired muscles - especially my feet and legs. I really should wear a pedometer to find out how far I walk on these trips!

Decided to find the Chinese market today on foot.

On the way I went over to Starbucks - and guess who I ran into?? The studio was filming at the mall across the street from my hotel. And the helper who had escorted me off screen was there. She had on a "Knowledge is Poo Poo" T-shirt - classy! The entire area was fenced off with police trying to control the people. It was a zoo.

Apparently, this was a car chase scene as a car with "the star" headed into a crowd of people and they scrambled out of the way. I watched a while and then had my Starbucs.

Headed out to Jalan Bukit Bintang (where all of the foot massage places are), and then on to Jalan Pudu. The Central Market was about a 40 minute walk - and it was already hot - but interesting. Approached by lots of vendors - they have everything there. One kept approaching me wanting to sell me "sulfur"! Wonder what that was???

I didn't realize how close I was to the Islamic Museum when I was at the Central Market - should have gone there but didn't. Save that for another trip!

Then walked all through the Indian neighborhood (red dot - not woo-woo!). They fixed up this area at government expense when a high ranking Indian official was visiting years ago. Very colorful.

Then walked to the Kuala Lumpur Tower - it was very hazy so didn't go up. By this time it was a little after 2 pm and the winds started blowing. Afternoon storms are coming - so I headed back to the hotel area.

Stopped at the mall again when I got back and had Japanese steak for a late lunch - it was quite good. Started to try the kobe beef steak but it was outrageously expensive - so not for lunch.

Relaxed and took my first nap of this trip while the weather was doing "it's afternoon thing". Then went out for a great foot massage and a late bite to eat.

The rains set in with some ferosity tonight. HUGE thunderstorm with lighting and pouring down rain. It rained more of the night.

Time to pack yet again - 3rd time already. Will need to leave KL City about 9:30 to take a taxi to the Sentral Station and then the train to the airport. They advise travellers to allow 3 hours from city to departure!

Enjoyed Kuala Lumpur. Off to Thailand.

Day 9 - Tuesday May 17 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Left: The Petronas Twin Towers

Right: The King's Palace - "Sultan" is more commonly instead of "King"

I'm in the very western edge of the time zone so it doesn't get light quit so early here - about 6:45 instead of 5. So I awoke with the sun.

Headed out about 8 headed for the Petronas Twin Towers. It is crystal clear this morning so the afternoon rains yesterday left it clear this morning. Stopped along the way for a coffee, and made it to Petronas in about 25 minutes. Beautiful structures.

Went in to see if I could get up to the SkyBridge but the line was massive!!! I had been warned that this could be an issue. Decided not to wait for hours to do this.

Headed back into the city exploring on foot. The area around the twin towers is full of luxury condos and nicely manicured yards. Got into the city and found a somewhat deserted street which I thought was unusual. Make my way along the street only to find out that it was closed for the shooting of a movie. I was standing there studying a map of the city streets when a helper called me away and told me I was in "the shot". Whoops - who knew. They hurried me through the shooting area where there was a throng of people - parked cars and buses in the streets. It was cool.

Saw many of the city sights - stopped by Starbucks for another coffee and treat.

Headed back to the Ritz Carlton and had lunch by the swimming pool and then met up with my tour at 1:30. Ended up there were only 2 of us so we had plenty of time to ask questions of the guide. He was very informative.

We stopped at the Thean Hou Chinese Temple. Today is a holiday so there were lots of people there. The Malaysians celebrate ALL of the holidays - what a deal - Muslim, Islamic, Christian, Catholic. A day off for whatever!

We drove through the Golden Triangle the large commercial, business and shopping district. Packed with people. I spotted a place for massage and foot reflexology and will return here.

Went through Chinatown - same as the others!

Stopped at their Independence Square where there are moorish styled buildings and an old cricket club used by the British when they ruled Malaysia. It was 125 years old.

Stopped by the National Mosque - I was surprised that it wasn't more special. I couldn't go in as I had shorts on.

The Kings Palace was beautiful. They have an interesting system. Every 5 years they get a new king. There are 14 provinces (states) and every 5 years one of the kings, or sultans, becomes the new king of the nation. Their philosophy is that this keeps them from fighting.

We drove by Lake Garden Titiwangsa and also a huge National War Memorial, patterned from the memorials one of the kings had seen in America.

Last stops - a pewter factory and a batik factory. Don't need any more "things"!

Headed back to the Ritz. Went for my massage in the commercial area - it was okay. The Thai massage is better.

Walked around KL for a while - the streets are bustling at night and I understand it stays this way until well in the morning. Even though this is a Muslim country, there is lots of drinking (and other activities) going on.

Got to bed around 10:30 pm. Looking forward to another day in Kuala Lumpur.

Day 8 - Monday May 16 - Manila, Philippines to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Up with the sun again at 5 am! Went to the breakfast buffet at 6:30 - a great spread of breakfast foods. Today they had a carving station with a ham that was so sweet. The Philippinos like sweet foods. Good filling breakfast.

Finished packing, and then actually worked on my book for a couple of hours while I waited to check out.

Left the hotel in a taxi about 10. The taxi driver was obviously working "black" as he didn't start the meter. I questioned that and then he negotiated a flat price for the fare. I guess it was a good deal for both of us but not sure I understand how this works.

The traffic was jammed and it took about 40 minutes to get to the international airport. Checkin was easy - spent my remaining Philippino pesos in the duty free shop and went to the Business Class Lounge where I enjoyed a drink.

Today I travel 1,683 miles on my 5th and 6th flights of 18 total.

We loaded onto a huge plane - not many people up front so I could spread out again. Had a late lunch and a short nap.

We were delayed getting into Singapore due to lots of weather in the area. I had quite a ways to go to get to my connecting flight (do they do this on purpose?) so I hussled to get there. They started loading right as I walked in the gate area. Even fewer people up front on this flight for the short 40 minute flight to Kuala Lumpur.

Wasn't sure that my bag made it given the extremely short layover in Singapore but sure enough - there it was. I have to give it to Singapore Air for running a great airline. My favorite.

Bought an express train ticket into the Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station. A 28 minute trip. Then took a taxi to the Ritz Carlton Hotel in the downtown area. The Petronas Towers were all light up tonight and were beautiful. The concierge tells me that I have to get there VERY early in the morning to queue up to get a ticket to go to the top.

It is pouring down rain in Kuala Lumpur so instead of taking a late evening walk - I'm headed to bed. This traveling from place to place wears me out.

Tomorrow - exploring Kuala Lumpur.

Day 7 - Sunday May 15, 2011 - Manila, Philippines

Top: From the filth of Manila's Chinatown

Middle: . . . to the luxury of the Peninsula Hotel. I'll take the latter any day.

Bottom: Home to Imelda Marcos. She owns the 23rd floor - just a block away from my hotel.

My day began at 5 am with the sun rising! Up early and to breakfast when it opened at 6:30 am.

Left the hotel about 10 and went to the Glorietta Mall and the Greenwood Mall. Both are massive and beautiful. Anything you want.

Got a taxi and headed to Manila's Chinatown. Crowded, dirty, and typical of what I've seen in "Chinatowns" before. The streets were very crowded with lots of shopping, "soliciting", and people trying to get "too close for comfort" to me. I understand pick-pockets abound here so I was very cautious.

Went to the Lacson Monument on Carriedo Street, the Santa Cruz Church, the Carriedo Fountain, and the Arch of Goodwill.

Stopped at a Chow King and had a "halo-halo" (translated into English as "mix-mix". It is a combination of shaved ice, "yam" ice cream (the purple one), dried fruits, sauces, and I think nuts - but there were some things I couldn't identify. The objective is to mix it up - and it was REALLY GOOD and refreshing. Enjoyed that. Thanks to Riza Ford for tipping me off on that special thing.

Walked around a while and went through an area that was all radios and amplifiers. I think the objective was to see who could play their boom-boom-boom music the loudest!

Walked back to the Arch of Goodwill and hailed a taxi to take me back to the Peninsula. Since it's Sunday the streets weren't as crowded as usual and I only felt that I was going to lose my life 5 times instead of 25 times!!!! The taxi drivers are WILD - WILD - WILD. Note to self: NEVER, NEVER drive in the Philippines. But the taxis are very, very cheap - never more than 100-200 Pesos (equivalent of $2-4 US).

Got back to the Peninsula in late afternoon and went to relax by the pool while it is so, so hot outside. Finished my first book of the trip!

Cleaned up and started packing for the 2nd of 12 times on this trip! Ugh!

Had a light dinner at the hotel - good but nothing spectacular. To bed early as I was up early and didn't have a nap. Looking forward to Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur.

Day 6 - Saturday May 14, 2011 - Manila, Philippines

Top: Lin from Sydney eating the "baloot" - a fermented duck egg. He stopped eating when he got to the feathers!!!!

Middle: The Taal Volcano within a lake within the Tagaytay Volcano as seen from the Marcos mansion (long ago looted and abandoned). The grassy area in the foreground was the kidney-shaped pool for Ferdinand - he always had one in all of his mansions.

Bottom: Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos former mansion at Tagaytay, Philippines - now deserted and stripped of everything of value. Just a shell remaining and the swimming pool is filled in (that's the grass in the foreground)!


An action packed day in the Philippines.

Had a great breakfast at the hotel buffet with the best mango juice I've ever had. Yum. Called the concierge to confirm my tour to Tagaytay to see the volcano within the lake within the volcano. There were no others signed up for that tour but there were people doing the volcano and city tour combination. I agreed to take that and amazingly enough I got 2 tours for almost half of what just the volcano tour cost. Great Philippine deal!

The tour picked me up at 9:30 and there was one other couple in the van - Lin and Michelle from Australia. Good tour companions.

We drove for over an hour to Tagaytay - a city and an area on the rim of a huge volcano. Our first stop was a former mansion of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos. The mansion had been looted and stripped of anything of value long ago - gold faucets, amphitheatre for Imelda, kidney-shaped pool for Ferdinand, chapel, etc. The main house originally had a glass roof and the Marcos' bedroom was on the top floor overlooking the volcanos and lake. Beautiful view.

I finally got to see what "halo-halo" was and plan to have that tomorrow - a favorite dessert of the Philippino people.

Our driver and guide took us to a nice restaurant on the rim for lunch. An adventuresome lunch with krispy tawiles (small fish and you eat the entire thing), tempura greens, beef, fish, eggplant with crab, and pork cheek. It was all delicious - even the whole fish. For dessert we had "yam" ice cream - purple and sweet. So good. Yum.

The Taal Volcano is closed to tourists now as it is on Level 2 alert for an eruption. It last erupted in 1969 and they say it is overdue.

We left the volcano and our guide took us to a small store where we tried - guess what - "cat pooh coffee"!! YEAH! I bought some more and this was much less expensive than on Bali. On Bali they call it "Lovat Coffee". In the Philippines they call it "Wild Cat Coffee" - or Pusang Alamid Coffee. Lin from Australia was ecstatic and bought a bunch of it.

We headed back into Manila - lots of development happening taking over lots of farmland. The development (as with everywhere is) is changing the landscape of the Philippines, mostly around Manila. The Philippines is made up of 7,207 islands but only 2,000 of them are inhabited. They have more coastline that the United States!

We went to the Shangra-La Hotel and picked up a couple of guys who joined us for the afternoon part of the tour. First we headed toward the American Cemetery. En route we passed a building 2 blocks from my hotel where Imelda Marco lives. She has the entire 43rd floor. She is now a member of their Congress as are her son and one of her daughters. We drove through a very ritzy area of Manila with gated mansions.

We arrived at the American Cemetery where over 36,000 American and Philippino soldiers are buried. The names of another 36,000 soldiers who were missing in action are engraved on the huge structure. The grounds were immaculately kept and the gravestones were beautifully arranged. A solemn visit that was thought-provoking.

We then headed to the CS Asia Mall - the 3rd largest in the world. It was huge. Larger than the Emirates Mall in Dubai that I visited. On the way to the mall, a police escort passed us. It was escorting a black van with license plate "8". Our guide and driver got excited as this was none other than "Pacman" - Manny Paquoia - who is the most successful boxer in the world and just won his latest match. He's also in the Philippine Congress. There was just an article on him in the newspaper and he is worth over 1.2 Billion Philippine pesos.

A drive along the Manila Bay waterfront was beautiful. I had seen a lot of this yesterday but the guide explained what I saw.

One structure was a performing arts center that Marcos ordered to be built in 77 days. Well, they got to the 6th floor and didn't let the concrete cure long enough and it fell entombing over 100 workers. Ms. Marcos came and paid off the workers' families and the building continued - being finished in 77 days. The building is now sinking and is expected to collapse at some time!

By the US Embassy, back to Rizal Park, and then to Fort Santiago in Intramuros. The guide gave more "context" to what I had seen yesterday. We went by the Manila Cathedral and our guide pointed out a man selling "baloot" eggs - 18 day old duck eggs that are warm. They are known as an aphrodisiac in the Philippines. Well, Lin had to try one. I thought I would gag watching him drink the ambiotic fluid from the egg and then bite it. He had trouble when he got to the feathers and couldn't finish. It was a fun experience to watch him try.

Then we went to the San Agustin Church and it was open so I got to see inside. The structure is 400 years old. A mass was underway but we still enjoyed it.

We returned to the Peninsula about 6:30. Relaxed and went to dinner.

Day 5 - Friday May 13, 2011 - Manila, Philippines

Above: Gate to Fort Santiago in Intramuros

I was up at 6 am this morning ready to go. Destination today is the Intramuros area where the early settlements were in the Philippines - rich in history.

Typical me, I decided to see more of Manila on foot. I had been cautioned by Riza Ford to be very careful walking around, but I do like to immerse myself in "local areas". So I headed off on foot for a while. The concierge had told me it was a 30 minute ride to Intramuros.

I ended up walking for an hour and a half and really saw a lot of local color. Lots of Jeepneys (customized "vans" used to carry as many people as they can squeeze in the back). People cooking on the streets. Streets were very dirty. And most of all it was HOT and HUMID. I finally hailed a taxi when I got too hot to walk any more and we drove past the very large US Embassy to Intramuros. The Manila waterfront looks beautiful. I understand the sunsets are beautiful but am surprised since it is so smoggy and hazy most of the time.

Lots of horse drawn carriage drivers hawking a ride through Fort Santiago but I'd already read that this is a rip off. So I walked through and explored the old Fort. Built in the early 1500's and an early fortress.

This is the 150th anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal, a martyr who is credited early on with moving the Philippines toward independence. Lots of displays on him.

Walked through Intramuros - a walled city. The wall was in pretty good shape in most places.

Went to the Manila Cathedral in the middle of the square. And then to San Agustin Church - one of the oldest.

Headed out of Intramuros to Rizal Park - well maintained. A huge collection of large birdhouses here.

Then started walking back for a while but ultimately hailed a taxi as the heat of the day was upon me and I was very hot. The air conditioned taxi felt good. But on my trip, I was "solicited" by 2 hookers, 3 young children begging for money, 4 born again Christians who think the world is coming to an end on May 21, 2011, 5 people trying to sell feather dusters to people in stopped taxis, and 50 Jeepney drivers!

Got back to the hotel and took a cold shower and changed clothes. Went down to the pool in late afternoon and relaxed with a swim, my book and iPod. Came back to the room about 6 and showered for dinner.

Tonight I had dinner in "Spices Restaurant" - they specialize in Asian cuisine. Delicious. I started with Naam bread, then Tom Yoong Gung - not too spicy, then Tandoori Chicken. The martini and glass of wine was good too. A relaxing evening.

Returned to the room, caught up on email and went to bed early.

Tomorrow is hopefully a trip "to the countryside" to see Tagaytay - a volcano within a lake within a volcano. It's about 60 km outside of Manila so I'll see the countryside. But they warned me that the trip is "weather permitting" as they don't go if the tourists won't be able to see the vistas. Fingers crossed.