Jeff Keller's Blog http://lostworld.pair.com/blog Because everyone else is doing it... Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:32:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 Asia 2009: Day 21 (The voyage home) http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/28/asia-2009-day-21-the-voyage-home/ http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/28/asia-2009-day-21-the-voyage-home/#comments Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:25:27 +0000 Jeff Keller http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/?p=2149 On Tuesday it was time for the long flight home to SFO.  I left Hong Kong at 12:30pm local time, and arrived at SFO 3.5 hours before I left (well, you know I mean).  I stayed up for as long as I could, and then went to sleep at around 6pm. Today is going to be a tough day, for sure.

On this flight I had the new United business class seat. While it’s leaps and bounds above the old seat, there’s not enough room for my big feet, and climbing over the legs of the person in the aisle seat (especially when they’re sleeping) requires Olympic strength.

The house is one piece, the kitties were happy to see me, and I have a stack of a bills nearly a foot thick to go through. It was a fun trip, but now it’s time to get back to reality.

Total distance flown: 12,327 mi
Total distance sailed: 3,384 nm
Total distance walked: Too much
Pounds gained: I don’t want to know

HKG airport My ride home New UA biz class seat Seat controls Games! Map of our route ]]> http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/28/asia-2009-day-21-the-voyage-home/feed/ 6 Asia 2009: Day 20 (Hong Kong, Part 2) http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/26/asia-2009-day-20-hong-kong-part-2/ http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/26/asia-2009-day-20-hong-kong-part-2/#comments Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:02:49 +0000 Jeff Keller http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/?p=2122 We were off the Volendam at 9:30am this morning. I headed toward the Intercontinental Hotel, which may very well be the nicest place I’ve ever stayed. The guy at the front desk said that check-in wasn’t until later, but he’d try to find a room for me. I sat down and a few minutes later he came over and said I had a junior suite!  They escorted me to my room and I find a panoramic view of Victoria Harbor on one side, and part of Kowloon on the other. It has an actual entryway, a large sitting area, flatscreen TV, nice bed, and huge bathroom.  Sweet!

After that it was off to the world’s largest outdoor seated bronze Buddha (they really qualify these things), which took a lot longer than we thought. The ride up there was worth the price of admission — it’s a 6 km long gondola ride over the mountains. After that we headed to Mong Kok for a very quick shopping trip, and then back to the Ocean Terminal to say goodbye to the Volendam, have dinner, and then watch the light show again.

Tomorrow morning: to the airport for a long flight home…

Part of my junior suite at the Intercontinental Quite a view out of the main window A Canon sign out one window Work area Old clock tower just down the street from the hotel The ticket prices for the Ngong Ping 360 gondola ride, or Buddhism for profit If you pay extra, you can have a cabin with a clear floor You turn three times on this journey Great view of the airport Fake old Chinese village The world's largest seated outdoor bronze Buddha with a Starbucks down the street Getting closer Naturally, the sun was in the worst possible place Bodhisattva, I think Side view Gate to a *real* monestary I needed one more Buddhist temple to finish off the trip Nice inside Love the dragon carvings outside Back down we go I didn't tell my friends about the accident that occured in 2007 until we got off Crazy shopping street Saying goodbye to the Volendam before it leaves for Vietnam Night view from my room ]]> http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/26/asia-2009-day-20-hong-kong-part-2/feed/ 1 Asia 2009: Day 19 (Hong Kong, Part 1) http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/25/asia-2009-day-19-hong-kong-part-1/ http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/25/asia-2009-day-19-hong-kong-part-1/#comments Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:35:03 +0000 Jeff Keller http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/?p=2072 We arrived in Hong Kong at about 9am, and I was on the bus for a 5 hour tour at around 10:30. Our tour went to Aberdeen, Stanley Market, and Victoria Peak, with lots of scenery along the way.  I came back to the ship at 4, made a quick run for the “happy room” (Hong Kong speak for bathroom) and then I went back into town.  Hong Kong reminds me of Manhattan, but ten times crazier.

Here are my photos from the first of my two days in Hong Kong:

Approaching Victoria Harbor Pilot boat Entering the harbor Not everyone lives in high rises here Looking back the way we came in Hong Kong Island The famous Star Ferry (which I rode later) Quite a mix of old and new in Aberdeen Apparently this place isn't known for its food And after seeing the back of it, I'm not sure that I'd want to eat there Mostly government housing Sampans Guard dog Our sampan driver Couldn't resist taking this one Stanley Market - tourist madhouse Nice location on the water though Lots of European restaurants Is this Monte Carlo? Repulse Bay (from the bus) Peak Tram station Quite a view from the top The station sticks out like a sore thumb, and it can be seen from almost anywhere in HK Our tram arrives Sun setting behind HK island, with the Volendam in the foreground Still THE place to stay in Kowloon Flower Market Road Flowers Pitcher plant? Bird market Birds More birds Many of the birds come in nice cages with fancy bowls At least they don't eat them (I think) Bird chow Cool bird Lots of markets in this part of town Goldfish market Poor things Yes they have cats (and dogs) too I hope none of these are cat or dog Wan Chai seemed a little seedy Artsy shot for the evening Hong Kong skyline from the ship Light show Lasers I was underwhelmed ]]> http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/25/asia-2009-day-19-hong-kong-part-1/feed/ 0 Asia 2009: Day 18 (Last day at sea) http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/24/asia-2009-day-18-last-day-at-sea/ http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/24/asia-2009-day-18-last-day-at-sea/#comments Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:39:51 +0000 Jeff Keller http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/?p=2069 Today was sort of bittersweet. First, we didn’t stop in Taipei, as originally planned (see previous entry for the reason why). Second, it was the last day of actual cruising before we dock in Hong Kong.  While the Volendam has started to feel like home, I miss the real thing.  While it’s been quite an experience, part of me can’t wait to get off the plane in SFO and see my family and Zoe and Flame again.

Only one photo for today:

Sunset on our last day at sea

Sunset on our last day at sea

]]> http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/24/asia-2009-day-18-last-day-at-sea/feed/ 1 Asia 2009: Day 17 (Okinawa) http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/23/asia-2009-day-17-okinawa/ http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/23/asia-2009-day-17-okinawa/#comments Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:41:15 +0000 Jeff Keller http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/?p=2051 After a rather rough day at sea, we arrived for a very brief stay in Naha, also known as Okinawa.  I took a shore excursion to Shurijo Castle, which was disappointing. The weather wasn’t great either — hot, very humid, with occasional heavy rain.

On our way out of the harbor, the captain announced that due to Typhoon Lupit (which is actually just a tropical storm), we were going to skip our next port of call (Taipei) and go to Hong Kong a day early. I’m disappointed that I won’t see Taiwan, but more time in HKG is definitely a bonus.

Here are some photos from Naha:

Morning in Naha It was evidently a rainy morning Buses await Shurijo Castle Every castle needs a guardian Nice textures Inside the castle Very zen Overlooking the castle grounds and Naha Naha I even got my frozen yogurt fix while in town! Price check on pig snout! Fish market I think I've snorkeled past these Gross I was going into shopping arcade withdrawal after being in China for a week ]]> http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/23/asia-2009-day-17-okinawa/feed/ 0 Asia 2009: Day 15 (Shanghai, Part 2) http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/21/asia-2009-day-15-shanghai-part-2/ http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/21/asia-2009-day-15-shanghai-part-2/#comments Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:02:39 +0000 Jeff Keller http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/?p=2014 If I could describe Shanghai in a few words, it would be “under construction”.  The city is spending billions of dollars preparing for Expo 2010, so getting around the city on foot was difficult. For the most part, I felt like I was in Manhattan.  Other times it was the city of the future. And a few times it was the China I expected to see, with people doing their laundry in buckets and eating street food.   There were some more European areas, but our tired feet never made it that far.

Another day at sea, and then Okinawa.

Another one for my coffee table book about doors Lion guarding the bank Peace Hotel in The Bund I guess this counts as a door The Bund, majorly under construction Older part of town Bridge near Old Town Shops Requisite gate I feel guilty going home to my washer and dryer after seeing these kinds of things in China Huge crickets (?) at the bird/fish/insect market Highway on top, people in the middle, cars at the bottom Oriental Pearl Tower More cool architecture SWFC on left, Jin Mao on right Jin Mao and SWFC Looking up at the Jin Mao Tower The atrium started on the 53rd floor (or was it the 54th) Looking up at the Shanghai World Financial Center Am I waiting for a ride at Disneyland, or an elevator ride to the top? There was even a preshow! Observation deck on the 100th floor It costs 150 RMB to get to the 100th floor View from the top. Our ship is in the distance Shanghai = huge The Jin Mao building is supposed to look like bamboo The Volendam from the top of the SWFC Maglev station Train arriving Proof that we went 430 km/h! ]]> http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/21/asia-2009-day-15-shanghai-part-2/feed/ 0 Asia 2009: Day 14 (Shanghai, Part 1) http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/20/asia-2009-day-14-shanghai-part-1/ http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/20/asia-2009-day-14-shanghai-part-1/#comments Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:53:05 +0000 Jeff Keller http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/?p=1990 After two days at sea, we arrived in Shanghai.  I opened the curtains this morning and saw a view I won’t soon forget — the amazing skyline of the Pudong district of the city.  Most of the day was spent on an excursion to Suzhou (pics to come), but here are photos of the city from the morning and evening of my first day in Shanghai.

I woke up to quite a view this morning I woke up to this view this morning It ain't pretty, but the Oriental Pearl Tower certainly catches your eye Looking toward The Bund The Pudong skyline is incredible at night Another angle Closer view shows the Shanghai WFC (giant bottle opener) on the left, Jin Mao Tower on right One more look Looking up the river Looking toward The Bund This was right next to our ship. Naturally, the colors change. Building in The Bund district Nanjing Rd is full of people desperate to sell you junk, at almost any price. Lots of stores selling crap to tourists But there are huge, upscale malls too Nanjing Road is the busiest street in China Nice building ]]> http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/20/asia-2009-day-14-shanghai-part-1/feed/ 2 Asia 2009: Forbidden City bonus panorama http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/18/forbidden-city-panorama/ http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/18/forbidden-city-panorama/#comments Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:54:08 +0000 Jeff Keller http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/?p=1981 Here’s a series of four photos that I took with my DMC-GF1 and later stitched together in Photoshop.  This is in the Forbidden City.

Forbidden City panorama (click for larger)

Forbidden City panorama (click for larger)

]]> http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/18/forbidden-city-panorama/feed/ 0 Asia 2009: Day 11 (Beijing, Part 2) http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/18/asia-2009-day-11-beijing-part-2/ http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/18/asia-2009-day-11-beijing-part-2/#comments Sun, 18 Oct 2009 08:05:09 +0000 Jeff Keller http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/?p=1902 For day two, we went into the heart of Beijing. It is a beautiful, well-maintained, and very modern city. While the city has its old parts, it has tons of new construction, some of which was Las Vegas style over-the-top.  It’s like they have so much money that they don’t know what to do with it.

Our first stop was Tiananmen Square, which was absolutely packed with people (mostly Chinese).  The line for the Mao Zedong mausoleum was insane.  Next up was the Forbidden City, which was huge. We were pushed through at a fairly quick pace, and I’m told we missed some interesting stuff that was off the beaten track a bit. After lunch we went to the Temple of Heaven. It was funny seeing the main building there, as I remembered it from the China Pavilion at EPCOT.

After all that was done it was time for another long bus ride back to our ship. Chinese immigration officials took forever to clear us, so we left several hours late.

Tianamen Square Very famous photo spot Jeff and Chairman Mao Soldier and Mao Monument at the center of the square Our guide seemed reluctant to talk about the incident 20 years ago Great Hall of the People Soldiers marching One of the gates to the Forbidden City Past the first gate I think only the emperor himself could use this bridge I can't remember which building was which Little statues line the corners of the roofs One of two lions on guard Cool architecture abound Nice ceilings It does start to get a bit repetitive after a while Nice detail on the temples, which were refurbished a few years ago Guardian turtle Crane I'm obsessed with their roofs They used these for fighting fires Distant temple I got a good laugh out of this. It was a really nice toilet though. Corridor Nice carvings Imperial garden Pagoda in the garden Temple across the street and up the hill from the Forbidden City Part of the Temple of Heaven; this round temple is for praying for a good harvest Inside the temple Jeff and gate Cool carvings Smoggy Xingang sunset ]]> http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/18/asia-2009-day-11-beijing-part-2/feed/ 1 Asia 2009: Day 10 (Beijing, Part 1) http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/18/asia-2009-day-10-beijing-part-1/ http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/18/asia-2009-day-10-beijing-part-1/#comments Sun, 18 Oct 2009 07:14:48 +0000 Jeff Keller http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/?p=1869 Our ship docked in the city of Xingang, which is one of the busiest ports in China.  For cruise ships, Xingang is the gateway to Beijing, which isn’t ideal — it easily takes three hours each way on the bus to get into town.  Right next door to Xingang is Tianjin, a city of 12 million that is apparently quite nice (we didn’t see much of it from the bus).

On the first day in Beijing, we took a VERY lengthy bus ride to the Great Wall of China, followed by a brief stop at the Ming Tombs.  I’ve wanted to see the Great Wall since I was a kid, and I was not disappointed. Like the Grand Canyon, pictures don’t do the Wall justice.  We went to an area that was supposed to be less busy than nearby Badaling, but it was still fairly crowded. This section of the wall is very steep, and not for the faint of heart (literally and figuratively).  I climbed most of the way up, before turning back for the bus.

The Ming Tombs were disappointing. The buildings were nice and all, but the stuff inside didn’t excite me very much.

On the way home we passed the Olympic Village, so I tried to snap a few photos of that (with mixed success).  I should also mention that the traffic in and around Beijing is worse than everywhere I’ve been — even Los Angeles, I’d say.  I’m surprised we survived 13 hours on the bus without getting into an accident!

Photos from day 1 start here:

The ship docks in Xingang, which isn't anywhere near Beijing Mountains near the Great Wall There it is! The wall was VERY steep, not to mention crowded Wide view of another segment of the wall Closer view The height of the steps is inconsistent, which makes climbing them even more difficult Up we go Tibor and Emese before they passed me Are we there yet? Highest bathroom in Beijing I turned around at this point Others joining me in my trek Quite a sight The steep decline begins The long, steep trip back wasn't great for my bad foot Nice little pagoda Artsy B&W shot Weapons Ming Tombs entrance One of many gates Main building I guess this was the Emperor These tombs were built 600 years ago! Dragon-shaped, 7-star hotel near the Olympic village. Sorry for the crappy quality. The Water Cube, taken from a moving bus The Bird's Nest ]]> http://lostworld.pair.com/blog/2009/10/18/asia-2009-day-10-beijing-part-1/feed/ 1