Vacation Packages -- Expert

New York City Vacations, Inc. arranges New York City travel packages with hotels, sightseeing, attractions, transportation, Broadway plays, shows & dining New York City Vacation Packages -- Expert Travel Advice since 1974 Save Time AND Money Planning Your New York City Vacation ... Accommodations plus Sightseeing, Attractions, Broadway Theater, Dining, Shopping, Museums Welcome to the NYC Quik-Quote Online Travel Planning tool. Arrival Date: 2005 2006 , January February March April May June July August September October November December 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Number of Nights: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 877 NYC-TRiP 877 692-8747 1 570 714-4692 info@nycvp.com WHAT'S INCLUDED IN A VACATION PACKAGE? HOTELS CLICK HERE for help on choosing a hotel MIDTOWN MAP GETTING THERE THEATRE SIGHTSEEING CLICK HERE to buy admission tickets DINING CLICK HERE to purchase Dining ORDER or PRINT 2005-2006 NYC VP BROCHURE WHAT ARE THEY SAYING ABOUT US WHO ARE WE GROUP TRAVEL Read what travelers say about NYC VP NEW YORK CITY EVENTS CALENDAR NEW YORK CITY TOURIST INFORMATION ADD THIS PAGE TO YOUR FAVORITES NYC VP -- Your source for all New York City tourist information New York City Icons Empire State Building Statue of Liberty Rockefeller Center American Museum of Natural History Top of the Rock Metropolitan Museum of Art Ground Zero Central Park Museum of Modern Art NEW in NEW YORK See the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree! CLICK HERE for details Fantastic Holiday Lights Motorcoach Tour -- See the Big Apple all decked out for the holidays! CLICK HERE for details MONEY SAVING VACATIONS Winter Weekend Specials CLICK HERE for detail s HOLIDAYS AND SPECIAL EVENTS Give a Gift Certificate Thanksgiving and Macy's Par ade 2006 Winter Weekend Specials BROADWAY SPECIALS The Lion King Wicked on Broadway The Color Purple Monty Python's Spamalot Phantom of the Opera The Producers Hairspray The Odd Couple NYC Broadway Cast Party Vacation UNIQUE ITINERARIES Weekend in New York Visit Inside the Statue of Liberty Spirit of America Rockefeller Center New York Inclusive Family Days Vacation Package Romantic Nights & Special Occasions Grand New York Shop New York Vacation Packages NEW YORK ICONS American Museum of Natural History Central Park Empire State Building Vacation Metropolitan Museum of Art Museum of Modern Art Rockefeller Center Vacation Package Statue of Liberty Weekend Vacations Design Your Own Vacation Donate to the Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund CLICK HERE New York City Vacations, Inc., doing business as New York City Vacation Packages ( NYC VP ), is a full service NYC tour company dedicated to providing visitors and tourists with customized, flexible New York City accommodations, including popular and convenient Times Square and midtown hotels; top sightseeing attractions and museum admissions; Broadway theater, musical plays and shows; sports, parades, and cultural events; opera, ballet, Yankees, Mets, Nets, Rangers and Knicks tickets; parking, shopping and dining discounts; advance dining reservations; carriage rides; and transportation to and within NYC. New York City Vacation Packages is the home of the NYC Vacation Wizard, the most comprehensive online travel planning tool on the web exclusively for NYC. NYC VP.com is a secure site that respects your privacy. Any private or confidential information that you provide us, such as your credit card number, is protected by 128-bit, 100% Trusted Root Level SSL certificates. We promise we will not sell, trade, publish or otherwise disseminate your email address for any reason to anyone. Our only use of your email address is to send you a recap of your vacation plan and a personal response from one of our vacation planners.

Cruise Vacation Travel Cruises

Better Your Chances for a Safe Cruise Vacation  You are here: About > Travel > Cruises > Cruise Planning > Better Your Chances for a Safe Cruise Vacation Travel Cruises Essentials Planning Your First Cruise Cruise Travel Packing List Choosing a Caribbean Cruise Destination How To Get a Passport How to Choose a Cabin on a Cruise Ship Articles & Resources Cruise Lines Cruise Destinations Cruise Photo Album Cruise Planning Cruise Reviews Cruise Cams Cruise Glossary Cruise News Getting There Lifestyle - Theme Cruises Cruise Activities Travel Gear and Gadgets Cruise Jobs More Cruise Resources Buyer's Guide Before You Buy Top Picks European Cruise Guidebooks Cruise Guidebooks - General Information Alaska Travel Guide Books Product Reviews Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Cruises newsletter! See Online Courses   Search Cruises Stay up to date! Email to a friend Print this page Most Popular Cruise Packing List Carnival Cruise Line Reviews Choosing a Cruise Ship Cabin Planning Your First Cruise Cruise Jobs What's Hot Carnival Conquest Review HAL Norfolk Cruises Alaska Cruise Itineraries Radisson Seven Seas Mariner Crown Princess 2006 Debut Related Topics Caribbean for Visitors Europe for Visitors Honeymoons / Romantic Getaways Senior Travel Travel with Kids Better Your Chances for a Safe Cruise Vacation From Linda Garrison , Your Guide to Cruises . FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! Things to Do to Avoid Being a Crime Victim A cruise ship is one of the safest places you can take a vacation. However, in today's world, that is not saying much! No one sets out to become a crime victim, but it can happen to anyone. There are steps you can take to lower your risk of being a crime statistic when you travel. Before You Leave Home Make copies of your passport, driver's license, credit cards, wallet contents, and travel documents (plane tickets, etc). You also should make a copy of the credit card "lost or stolen" notification phone numbers to include with this package. Leave one set of copies at home with a trusted friend or family member, and take the other set with you, packed separately from the originals. Many cruise ships will hold your passport to expedite clearing the ship in foreign ports. Therefore, I always make a couple of extra copies of my passport to use to take ashore. Buy an under-the-clothing money bag and use it. These can be quite comfortable, and will thwart "cut and run" thieves who have been known to cut purse straps or waist packs right off their victims. Packing Your Luggage Don't rush out and buy expensive luggage. Plain-looking luggage is less likely to be a target. Some thieves might equate expensive luggage with expensive contents. Make a list of everything you have put in your luggage, and take pictures of it while packing in case of loss. Don't pack medications, eyeglasses, and valuables in your checked luggage. (Better yet, don't take valuables like expensive jewelry with you on the cruise.) Although you need to put external (and internal) tags on your luggage, don't list your full home address on the outside. This is a signal to expert thieves that you won't be home for a week! You really don't want to advertise to everyone at the airport where you live. Although you don't want expensive luggage, you do want luggage that will not pop open at an inopportune time. I've seen all sorts of baggage contents (including some "unmentionables") come out on the luggage carousels at the airport, and always felt sorry for the owners whose bags had come open. Consider using an extra band, airport plastic wrap, or duct tape to help secure your bags. You can buy self-locking plastic tags from travel or home improvement stores for about a dollar. These work well on zippered bags. In Your Cabin When you first get to your cabin, check the bathroom and closet while the cabin door is still open. While a ship is in port, many more people have access to it than you might imagine. Being cautious never hurt anyone. In addition, sometimes the locks on cruise ship cabins are not changed as often as hotel locks. Don't leave valuables lying around in your cabin. Put your wallet and valuables in the cabin's safe or the purser's safe. Be sure to use ALL the locks on the door when you are asleep. Don't open the door to strangers. Protect your cabin key and cabin number. On the Ship Although cruise ships are relatively safe, common sense is needed even at sea. Stay in the public areas, and remember that a cruise ship and its crew and passengers are like a small city, not like your family. If you are cruising with your children, set rules just like at home. Establish curfews for your teenagers, and caution them to not accompany crew members to non-public areas. Don't give your children "the run of the ship" while you are in the club, show, or casino. While In Port If you are going to be a crime victim while on a cruise, it is most likely to occur when you are ashore. Most crimes committed against cruise passengers are those of opportunity. I wear an under-the-clothing bag for my money and credit cards. While in Europe on a cruise vacation, there were at least three men on our cruise whose pockets were picked. Two men had their wallets in their back pocket--the worst place to carry it! One of these men was in the elevator of our pre-cruise Barcelona hotel, and another was waiting to cross the street at a busy intersection. The third man was on a crowded subway in Rome, and had his wallet in his front pants pocket. All three of these crimes could have been avoided. I once had my purse stolen while on business in Washington, D. C. I left it on the back of my chair while dining. I now know to hold it in my lap. I was very glad that I had recorded all of my credit card numbers (and notification phone numbers) in a place other than my purse. I was able to quickly notify the credit card companies and my bank, even though the theft occurred at night. You can't put your camera inside your clothing and have it ready to snap that special picture. Don't put it in a backpack, unless you wear it in front! I have a small camera bag that I can attach to a belt. If you want to carry it in a waist pack, put the strap through your belt loops. These tips are all common sense. Use them to make your next cruise vacation a safe one! Page 2 > > More on Having a Safe Cruise Vacation > > 1 2 3 Next        Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | Help User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy ©2005 About, Inc., A part of the New York Times Company . All rights reserved. Around About New Video iPod - Review POLL: Must-Have Gadgets VIDEO: Portable Gaming VIDEO: Choosing a TV Hugh Hefner's Life What's Hot Carnival Conquest Review HAL Norfolk Cruises Alaska Cruise Itineraries Radisson Seven Seas Mariner Crown Princess 2006 Debut

European Vacation Planning Map

Rail Passes - Which European Rail Pass is Right for Your Vacation?  You are here: About > Travel > Europe for Visitors > Transportation > Train Travel in Europe > Rail Passes - Which European Rail Pass is Right for Your Vacation? Travel Go Europe Essentials European Vacation Planning Map Europe Travel 101 - Before you Go European Distances The Best of Europe European Photo Gallery Articles & Resources Europe Travel Planning What to do In Europe Lodging - Hotels and More European Travel Maps Sex and Nudism Travel Photography Transportation Benelux Countries France Germany Austria Switzerland Greece Italy and Malta Travel Info Scandinavian Travel Spain and Portugal United Kingdom and Ireland Buyer's Guide Before You Buy Top Picks Italy Travel Guidebooks Europe Travel Guidebooks German Travel Guidebooks Product Reviews Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Europe for Visitors newsletter! See Online Courses   Search Europe for Visitors With a Eurail pass, you could just hop on this train and go! James Martin Stay up to date! With a Eurail pass, you could just hop on this train and go! James Martin Email to a friend Print this page Rail Passes - Eastern Europe and Youth Rail Passes Discount Youth European Rail Passes Rail Passes for Eastern Europe Choose the Right French Rail Pass European Transportation - Cars and Trains Taking the Train vs. Driving on your Vacation Europe Travel - What Will Transportation Cost? Tips for Train Travel In Europe Travel and Transportation in Europe General Europe Transportation Information How I Travel Europe Footloose Travel Most Popular Europe Map - Distances Between Cities in Western Europe Europe's Best Nudist Beaches Europe Picture Galleries Italy Pictures Europe Travel 101 - Before You Travel to Europe for the Firs... What's Hot Power Adapters Noord-Holland - Delights of North Holland Travel Visiting Pompeii Italy Guidebooks Naples - Getting There Related Topics France for Visitors Greece for Visitors United Kingdom / Ireland for Visitors Eastern Europe for Visitors Italy for Visitors Rail Passes - Which Eurail Pass is Right for You? From James Martin , Your Guide to Europe for Visitors . FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! Save money and choose the best rail pass for your vacation Long gone are the days when a Eurail pass was the transportation pass of choice for footloose backpackers looking to save a bundle of cash on long European vacations. The basic idea was sound--you just boarded a train and handed the pass to the conductor when he seemed to be asking to see tickets. No need to fret over language or cost, and no need to stand in long lines at the ticket windows either. So what happened? The Eurail pass got expensive, faster trains required supplementary fares, and many Americans take shorter vacations these days. Marketers had to come up with passes whose days of use and destinations were carefully controlled to offer value while protecting the bottom line. So these days the traveler must sift through a long list of European rail passes to find one that'll suit a chosen set of destinations; there are passes for single countries, multiple countries, seniors, students, youth, and conglomerations of options labled "flexi" and "saver." It's a jungle out there--but that doesn't mean that you can't save a bundle of cash by purchasing the right rail pass. How to Purchase the Best Rail Pass for Your Trip One thing you can say for sure, most railpasses issued today are best suited for folks who plan their vacations very carefully--unless you have enough time and cash to purchase the original Eurail pass, which is still being sold and is the first stop on our rail pass tour. Remember that you can't buy rail passes in Europe; you must purchase them within 6 months of your vacation and get them validated on your first day of travel. Traveling throughout Europe Footloose and Fancy Free - Eurailpass and Eurailpass Saver The Eurail pass offers consecutive-day 1st class travel in 17 European countries for 15 days, 21 days, 1 month, 2 months or 3 months, depending upon the duration you choose. Prices per day decrease with increasing pass duration. You'll still have to pay supplements on high-speed trains, and you'll have to pay for seat reservations if you want them, although first class tends to have more unreserved seats then second in most markets. The Eurailpass Saver offers additional savings if there are two or more people traveling together on the same pass. Eurailpass ( purchase direct or get more information ) (Note that Britain is not included in Eurail passes. See British Rail Information for rail pass information and prices.) Traveling through Europe on a Well-Planned route - Eurailpass Flexi Ok, the problem with a Eurail pass is that seldom do you plan a vacation that includes train travel each and every day. Flexi passes account for this time between cities, and will cost you less than a full Eurailpass for the same duration. These passes offer the best value if you'll be traveling long distances on an occasional basis. The Eurailpass Flexi offers either 10 or 15 days of unlimited travel in a 2 month period. This allows you to do a tour of European capitals with a decent time spent between each to explore. Note that on a per day basis you're paying more than a straight Eurailpass, so plan your route and compare costs, because you're giving up the option of just taking off on a whim--as when it's raining and you decide you might like to spend the day sightseeing from the train window. The Eurailpass Flexi Saver offers additional discounts on the Flexi for two or more people traveling together. Eurailpass Flexi ( purchase direct or get more information ) Traveling in a small section of Europe: 3-5 bordering countries - Eurail Selectpass You a real planner? Here's a flexible pass that you can purchase for a limited number of bordering countries. Choose the number of bordering countries you'll be visiting and the number of days you'll want to be traveling between places and that's it! Same saver and Flexi options as Eurailpass above. Eurail Selectpass ( purchase direct or get more information ) Traveling in two adjacent countries - Multiple Country Rail Passes Here is the rail pass for you if you've narrowed things down to a couple of big countries. Lots of country combos to choose from. Multiple Country Passes ( purchase direct or get more information ) Sticking to a single country - Single Country Rail Passes A variety of passes for a single country are available for travelers who have really narrowed down their vacation destination. Prices will vary because the rail system in each Country has a different fare structure. Plan longer trips to get the best value from your rail pass. Single Country Passes ( purchase direct or get more information ) Is a Rail Pass worth it? Click to the next page for a price comparison. 1 2 Next        Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | Help User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy ©2005 About, Inc., A part of the New York Times Company . All rights reserved. Around About New Video iPod - Review POLL: Must-Have Gadgets VIDEO: Portable Gaming VIDEO: Choosing a TV Hugh Hefner's Life What's Hot Power Adapters Noord-Holland - Delights of North Holland Travel Visiting Pompeii Italy Guidebooks Naples - Getting There

Mexico Travel

Caribbean Travel & Resort Reviews - Debbie's Caribbean Travel Page Caribbean/Mexico Travel & Resort Reviews - Debbie's Caribbean Travel Page Home Contact us Advertise add url Your Local Travel Agent Visit our Travel Forums Links, reviews, photos to help you with your Caribbean vacation planning Resort Maps Caribbean Resort & Travel Links Temperature & Weather print popular Spanish Phrases Caribbean Weddings Traveling with Kids Reviews Caribbean Spas Villas & Apartments Caribbean Tours & Activities Scuba Diving Resort Photos For USA and Canada destinations go to Debbie's Hotel Reviews for the USA & Canada Please send your review to: reviews@debbiescaribbeanresortreviews.com Resort Reviews Anguilla Antigua Aruba Bahamas Barbados Belize Bermuda Bonaire Br. Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Colombia Costa Rica Cuba Curacao Dominica Dominican Rep Grenada Guadeloupe Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Martinique Mexico Nicaragua Panama Puerto Rico St Barthelemy St Eustatius/Saba St Kitts/Nevis St Lucia St Maarten St Martin St. Vincent & the Grenadines San Andres Trinidad/Tobago Turks/Caicos US Virgin Islands Venezuela Site Map Reviews reflect the opinion of the writer. Disclaimer - Please Read home - advertise add url - contact us National Hurricane Center For information on hurricane damage toMexican Resorts, please go to our Mexico forum Special Reviews from our readers When you see the " little Debbie " icon, you know you have found that extra "Special Review" that makes you say to yourself "I want to stay at that resort!" Azul Hotel & Beach Resort Anand ~ Canada It said that this resort was for people who wanted to chill, relax and enjoy the classy service. They were absolutely right!!! This resort is one of the best ones I have stayed. Its a small cozy resort with ~ 100 rooms. Web Debbie's Caribbean Reviews Villa Rentals & Sales Check out some of these many fine villas for rent or sale. A villa vacation is great for families! Villa Sales & Rentals Joanne's Bahamas Journal December 19 - A few Days befroe Christmas Joanne's husband was transferred to the Four Seasons Hotel, in Great Exuma , Bahamas, as Director of Engineering. Read her Journal and see how she adjusts to her new life. Caribbean Weddings Our Caribbean Wedding Page has info on wedding requirements, fees and wedding stories from our readers. - December 16 Laura celebrated her wedding at the Barcelo Maya Beach Resort in Mexico Caribbean Tours & Activities Read our reviews of Caribbean tours, restaurants, golf and how to explore on your own - all contributed by our readers! Caribbean Tours & Activities Caribbean Spa Reviews We go to spas to be pampered & restore our minds and bodies. With the growing popularity of spas in the Caribbean, we hope the links and reviews will help you choose the spa that is right for you. Caribbean Travel with Kids Read reviews to see what resort offers the best kids programs as well as other activities to make the vaction enjoyable for both parents and children. Recommend our site to a friend Last updated: December 19, 2005 New Reviews Posted To find the most recent reviews posted go to: New Reviews Received & Posted A word about ratings For information on review guidelines and how to write a review, see: "How to write a Review" Please use the reviews posted on these pages as a guide, not as the definitive answer to "should I book this resort". Everyone has different expectations for their holiday. Look at all the reviews for the resort and read between the lines. You should not avoid a resort because of an occasional negative review. Visit our Travel Forums Visit our Travel Forums Join our very active and friendly moderated Travel Forums. Your questions will be answered here as well having the opportunity of meeting some really great people with the same interests as you. Photos & Maps of Resorts Some of our readers have sent us links to their vacation photos. Check our Resort Photo Links Page to view thousands of resort photos from all over the Caribbean. Contribute to our Caribbean Resort Maps collection and e-mail us your resort map. Please put map and name of resort in the subject line. Scuba Diving Planning on scuba dving while in the Caribbean?Our Scuba Diving page has dive reports, scuba links as well as information about the best dive locations for every country. Debbie's own Caribbean Resort Reviews Check out Debbie's Reviews from our most recent trip. We have also vacationed at over 20 other resorts in the Dominican Republic as well as resorts in St. Lucia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela & Cuba.

Taiwan Travel

Andrew and Mei's Taiwan Travel Blog Andrew and Mei's Taiwan Travel Blog Andrew and Mei are in Taiwan teaching English and exploring the island! What fun adventures will they have? Find out here! Monday, October 31, 2005 Asia pictures Hello everyone! I finally finished uploading the 293 photos that are in this album. Again, you'll have to log into Snapfish in order to see the photos. Enjoy! http://www.snapfish.com/share/p=547311130794745666/l=65291688/cobrandOid=1000321/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB posted by Mei @ 17:06 0 comments Thursday, October 27, 2005 First Trickle of Photos... You have to have a snapfish account in order to view the photos. Sorry about the catch (No pun intended)! But it's free and I will be uploading all of my pics onto Snapfish. I'm not sure how Andrew will upload his pics. http://www.snapfish.com/share/p=192271130458320686/l=64809203/cobrandOid=1000321/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB posted by Mei @ 17:18 0 comments Friday, October 21, 2005 What? Who? Where? Luckily, my jet lag has been minimal, so I can discern easily whether that ("What? Who? Where?") is coming from the Nicholas Cage impersonation on SNL or from yours truly. I think that has something to do with the fact that on our last day in Thailand, we had to get up at around 4:30 AM and were only able to sleep minimaly for the next 36 hours. That led to an immediate crash upon coming home. However, I have been waking up at 8 AM (what the hell) and taking long, extended naps during the afternoon. So what now? Ideally, I'll be sitting on my ass for as long as possible. I DO have my movie collection I hope to watch. But in reality, for me now I have to a) find a job, b) find a car, and c) find a place to live. Not neccessarily in that order, either. I need to organize my pictures into a digestible format, but until I get my monitor back (currently on loan) that is an impossible task to do. Oh well, maybe it's for the best. I still need to FIND jobs, APPLY, finish my school apps, get a car, clean my room, organize the boxes that will be coming home, and last but not least, trying to figure out how I'll be seeing my friends. So what do I immediately notice about here compared to where I was? Driving to Wells Fargo, I was just amazed by how big our neighborhoods are. In cities in Taiwan, there are no neighborhoods and there are no noticable zoning regulations. It seems to be everywhere you go there are 4-5 story buildings, with the bottom floor being relegated for businesses and the top floors for people to live. Houses are minimal except in the 'country', and convenient stores are LITERALLY on every corner instead of on every commercial corner. Comparatively, the density of people here to there is non-existent. And it's cold here! Man. This is me, the guy who hates the heat, who withers and dies. But I must have gotten used to it, at least more so that previously, because I'm not enjoying the SJ autumn, I'm wearing jackets and pants constantly, and my hands are nearly frozen off (I have bad circulation in my hands). Well, this may be one my last postings on this blog, since it's not mine. Thanks so much to 6Q for letting us post on here and use this space. Maybe I'll make one of my own for my random thoughts and to provide therapy, if you're remotely interested just let me know. So concludes our trip: now, it's 'back to the real world.' Thanks for taking the time to read this, everyone! I hope I get a chance to see you all soon!! posted by Andrew @ 09:01 0 comments Tuesday, October 18, 2005 Home. Safe and Sound! Hello everyone! We are home, happy and healthy! Our plane was a little delayed and we had some trouble getting our bag (but at least they made it!) The end of our trip was nice, but we got rained on during our trip to see one of the smaller islands, and our canopy trekking was very quick but fun. When I get all of my pics uploaded, I will post a link for you guys to see our pics, and maybe Andrew will get his plethora of great shots uploaded as well. It's been a great ride, thanks for going along with us! posted by Mei @ 22:13 0 comments Saturday, October 15, 2005 Counting Down... Only a couple of days left in our trip! We're enjoying the last few days, doing things like relaxing on the beach and stocking up on last minute supplies. Huh? Supplies? Well, DVDs and PS2 games are extremely cheap here. (Of course they are burned.) The thing is, I don't know if the PS2 games (sorry, they're called DVD games) will work, but I am pretty sure that they will. But as games have gone from $4 to $2.50 to $2 as we have progressed around Thailand, you can imagine that I've been going a little crazy. Like a moth to a flame is a better description. Not as cheap as $0 for unlimited games like Todd can get, but hey, all the (PS2) games I can want for, what, $50? Not too shabby. Now I just hope they work. It's also ridiculous the number of DVD's I have bought here. After leaving America with *2* tapes, I'll return with an infinite number of movies. In fact, I think when I do get home, I'll need a couple of months to get all the games and movies out of my system. THEN maybe I'll start looking for a job. Haha. posted by Andrew @ 16:31 0 comments Friday, October 14, 2005 Koh Samui is a beautiful Island! Super quickly: Made it to Samui safe and sound, our bungalow is about a 15 sec walk to a very quiet, almost private beach. We've rented a jeep to see the island and it is absolutely gorgeous! We have plans to go sea kayaking, snorkeling, and "canopy climbing" which is apparently going through the trees on ropes, like rapelling, but you go horizontally through the air, instead of vertically down a cave or cliff. Yay! posted by Mei @ 17:15 0 comments Wednesday, October 12, 2005 "Bangkok is bitchin'" To quote Jerry, the guy who placed us at our jobs in Taipei, "Bangkok is bitchin'." Well, as it turns out, not really. If you recall, Jerry, the recruiter in Taiwan who placed us at our jobs, is a habitual liar. Some of his other comments include, "Your job isn't far from Neihu." (in fact, on the complete other SIDE of Taipei, a mere 1 1/2 hours away by bus and train), "Teachers have all the leverage.", "Schools have all the leverage.", etc. He has an insatiable thirst for lying. This isn't to say that we went to Bangkok because of what HE said, no, no no no. It's the capital of Thailand, of course we're going to stop by and say hello. However, bitchin' isn't the term I'd use to describe Bangkok. Big? Definitely. Boisterous? Sure. Belligerent? Yeah, you bet. But bitchin'? Eh... Bangkok isn't a bad place, but it is what most large Asian cities tend to be: big, unorganized (aka chaotic), polluted (nasty air and nasty stuff on the sidewalk), crowded, and, of course, there's bad traffic. What with 6 million people here, it's understandable that driving around is a lot like Office Space. But there is some of the stuff that we came here to see: the history, the temples, the art. Today, for instance, we headed down to the river and took a boat up to the Grand Palace and the Green Emerald Temple. The temple is remarkable: typical Thai style architecture ornately decorated. The temples are tall and have many spires seemingly reaching out toward heaven. Inside there is an actual Green Emerald Buddha, who interestingly enough changes clothes every season to reflect the current season (i.e. rainy, hot, cold). We then went to the adjacent Grand Palace, which is currently being rennovated (deja vu to Beijing). The King lived here, I believe, and performs some duties here still. Quite similar to the Buckingham Palace structurally (of course it does, all kings get big, luxurious buildings) but is more green and has elephants. Then we took a tuk-tuk to the National Museum. I think we described tuk-tuks, but if not, briefly they are three-wheeled motorcycle taxis (with a roof). Driver in front, two seats in the back. Perfect to inhale car/motorcycle exhaust, feel the full extent of potholes in the roads, and avoid getting ripped off in. Not my favorite. The National Museum is enormous and remarkably not crowded, considering how close it is to the main attraction in the area (Grand Palace and adjacent temple), which has throngs of people. The first building had the history of Thailand and its kings, and I was amazed by how often Thailand was at war for a Buddhist nation. However, it appears to be all or mostly all defensive in nature, so the museum says (nearly all by Myanmar (ex-Burma), those crazy war-hungry people!). But I am thankful that with the exception of some territorial concessions to France and Britin, Thailand was never colonized, and the evidence is in the language. While many people speak good English, the Thai language is predominant and never adopted roman letters. Instead, Thai characters are used. Anyway, from there, we explored other parts of the museum, including ceramics, ivory, old war weapons, gold figures, etc. It was massive. There was so much stuff. there were also massive chariots used for what seemed to be funeral processions. MASSIVE. I mean, we saw a video, and there were maybe 3000 people carrying the largest chariot ceremonially. To actually carry some of these massive contraptions, 56 people were needed. We are now at our guest house. An hour after we got in a massive afternoon storm came by; it was torrential, but it's eased off a bit now. Looking forward to getting to Ko Samui and relaxing, but I'm not too thrilled about the 4 AM wake up tomorrow! Ack! posted by Andrew @ 17:38 1 comments Contributors 6Q Mei Andrew End #profile -- Previous Posts Asia pictures First Trickle of Photos... What? Who? Where? Home. Safe and Sound! Counting Down... Koh Samui is a beautiful Island! "Bangkok is bitchin'" One night in Bangkok...Well, actually 3... I just ate delicious Thai food, cooked by ME! In Chiang Mai! This blog goes to the end of China, more later! Archives July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005