travels Rotating Header Image

Jeju and Bali: a tale of two islands (2)

Oct 10th, 2011
by gz.
3 comments

2. In transit: a sobering realization

It took us  over 30 hours to get to Bali from Jeju. This long journey definitively proved a very sad fact: we are no longer spring chickens.

Not that it really required proving, after all one excuse for the trip was to celebrate a certain birthday (which signified my entry to an entirely new age group). But, to be in denial is human. In our minds we were still spring chickens, so typically we designed the trip to cram in as much as possible. A red-eye flight that would allow us to wake up in a new country? Why not! A free layover? Great! We got ourselves a whole day exploring Seoul, and almost the entire next day in Singapore, without the need to book for a hotel in either place. I was rather pleased with accomplishing this genius scheduling scheme.

Palace in Seoul

Butterfly Garden @Changi airport

But this was not an appropriate schedule for … the elderly. (Apparently we are not in good enough shape to run the Amazing Race.) Our punishing schedule quickly exhausted us, even though conditions were benign enough under the circumstances. Exploring Seoul in a day was fine enough, with its well organized public transportation, if only the round trip from the airport were not quite so long (and the train was freezing, probably gave me the cold that later manifested itself in Bali). The night on the plane was more comfortable than I had hoped. We were flying Singapore Airlines, considered by many the best in the world. So service was good and more importantly, the plane was only half full, so we each got a whole row of seats to sleep on. Just a few hours, but at least in a horizontal position. When we landed before dawn at Changi airport (again, one of the world’s best), where we quickly found nice comfy recliners in a quiet lounge to continue our sleep. Continue reading →

Posted in: asia, singapore, travel. Tagged: | 3 comments

Jeju and Bali: a tale of two islands (1)

Oct 9th, 2011
by gz.
Comments are off for this post

This is a trip of two islands, thousands of miles away from each other. Both volcanic in origin; both beautiful, in unexpected ways; both touristy, while honoring traditional ways of living, to different degrees; both were once colonized, and even experienced different versions of “anti-communist” inspired atrocities after their countries’ independence.

Those are the similarities I found. Oh, one more thing, both are now popular destinations for Chinese tourists (I must say I regard this as a dubious honor)! In other aspects they seemed to form quite a contrast.

1. Jeju

Before going to Jeju I knew virtually nothing of the place. It’s a volcanic island, and Steve and Jasmine live there. That’s all. Knowing that I would have locals as our tour guides was enough – I would simply let them design our experience. Our hosts did an admirable job, driving us around the island showing us both the famous tourist spots and secret hidden corners known only to locals.

Thinking that I had hardly any preconceived notions of the place, I was pleasantly surprised by much of what we saw. On the other hand, I guess the usage of the word “surprise” suggests that perhaps in some cases I did have some vaguely preconceived notions after all.

Being somewhat ignorant of the country (let alone this island) – a small neighbor semi-attached to the huge one where I grew up, I must have imagined that it would resemble China a little, which was somewhat true. There were certain resemblances, in the city layouts, the look of the buildings and streets, and the people (they all assumed I was Korean and spoke to me like I would understand). It certainly looks more Chinese than American, for example. But what struck me were some of the differences, notably these characteristics: clean, modern, and polite. In these respects, Korea seems more like Japan than like China. The general impression I had was: it looks like a first-world country, not a developing one. One important detail for me was how clean the public toilets are, definitely some of the cleanest in the world (in sharp contrast to Chinese ones, which have already come a long way, but still have WAYS to go). Continue reading →

Posted in: asia, korea, travel. Tagged: · · | Comments are off for this post

A few trips later

Oct 5th, 2011
by gz.
Comments are off for this post

Inertia is what I call it. That’s what would explain my almost 1 year hiatus from my blog.

How else can I explain it? I have traveled since Thailand – in fact, there have been multiple trips: sailing BVI, fishing Baja, Canada in two parts (visiting family and friends in Ontario, and then sailing the Gulf Islands of BC); then there was the big trip of the year: Jeju, Korea, and Bali, Indonesia. There had also been local episodes: of sailing the Bay, of newly found places in old neighbourhoods, and other small discoveries.

After each trip I thought to myself, I’m going to write about it this time. I have things to say, moments I want to remember. But I never wrote. Inertia set in.

Coming back from Bali I even thought of a title for my blog entry: Jeju and Bali, a tale of two islands. Still I procrastinated, a week went by, I wrote nothing, instead I started reading other people’s travel blogs. I read and read, and then suddenly I felt inspired. Well “inspired” may not be the correct word, but I felt sufficiently stimulated to want to write, or at least compelled to make an effort to remember my own password. If I think that I want to write something, then i should.

So here I am, back at the blog. The four earlier trips are a blur now – if I try hard I might recall a few details. But let me start by the tale of two islands. Having just celebrated a significant birthday I am more aware of how memory can slip with the time, I’ll start with the recent. Hopefully, inertia will help me in the opposite direction this time, once I get it going.

Posted in: Uncategorized. | Comments are off for this post

Back from Asia

Nov 1st, 2010
by gz.
Comments are off for this post

I was away in Asia for less than two weeks: Singapore, then Thailand. It seemed longer though – it was such a different world, that coming back I felt a little disoriented. The first night I was back, I had a dream…

A dream

I was with Nainai, in a little long tail boat. We were doing a tour around some islands (like those in Phang Nga). It was getting dark, and our boat went in a little cove, directly into a house over water – the boat seemed to propel itself (I don’t recall a driver, and I wasn’t paddling). We were tired… and fell asleep.

I woke with a start. It was really dark now. I suddenly became anxious: did they forget about us in the cove? I got up, climbed over the still sleeping Nainai, and looked out the window – strange I didn’t notice there was a glass window in this place before. Outside was a calm sea framed by hills, and the water was shimmering in the moonlight. There was no one in sight. How do we get out of here now? Let me try to slide the windows open…

“What are you doing?” asked an unexpected voice behind me. It was not Nainai, but Matthew! Now I was truly awake, realizing with embarrassment that I was standing over my bedroom window, trying to open it like a sliding door! The shimmering waters outside was not the Andaman sea, but the San Francisco Bay. Amazing things people can do in their sleep!

Strangely, I realized I was also somewhat disoriented the first night I came back from Thailand, from another trip 7 years ago – waking up thinking I was still in Thailand. Seems like a special effect of coming back from that country.
Continue reading →

Posted in: Hong Kong, singapore, thailand, travel. Tagged: · · · · · · · | Comments are off for this post

First time sailing on San Francisco Bay

Sep 5th, 2010
by mfd.
1 comment

After a break of more or less 10 years from sailing, we went sailing in a small sailing boat again – on San Francisco Bay! I had been in a dinghy a few times over the past decade, most memorably rescuing a clueless ex-US Navy guy in Huahine (near Tahiti), but hadn’t been a larger boat with a keel since doing a basic cruising course in Toronto. Gui’s sister had expressed interest in doing a “bare boat” charter so brushing up on sailing seemed appropriate.

Gui contacted SEA, Sailing Education Adventures, and we got invited on one of their Saturday cruises out of Sausalito. We arrived at about 10 AM and an hour later, after introductions, a quick walk through of the plan, and organizing gear headed out. The plan was to go to Treasure Island, eat lunch there, then head back to Sausalito. The expectation was that the wind would pick up on the way back and it sure did.

The ride over was pretty straightforward with the use of a device I hadn’t seen before, the “jib stick”. We arrived behind the other boats in the group at Treasure Island and had a pleasant lunch. On the way back, our skipper decided to reef the main sail anticipating higher winds. A wise choice. The sail around the northeast portion of Treasure Island was sunny, slightly windy, and very pleasant. But as soon as we rounded the end of the island we entered “the slot”. This is the corridor from the Golden Gate, around Alcatraz, to Berkeley that has the strongest winds.

The wind immediately picked up and there were five foot waves coming at us. Because of the large channel between Treasure Island and Angel Island the skipper decided to close haul to avoid tacking around Angel Island. This meant the boat heeled a lot. It was almost on it’s side most of the time. The angle was so great that the boat did what was called “railing”, the top of the lower railing goes under water. For the first part of this stressful section I was sitting up front on top of the boat, a position I had taken while soaking up the sun by Treasure Island. I didn’t anticipate the change in conditions that soon arrived. The boat bounced up and down in the waves and due to the angle, I had to hook my elbow and hands into the railing to avoid getting tossed into the water. I didn’t dare move back to the aft of the boat until the boat headed up a bit.

After a while we had the chance to move back to the aft where things were drier and I could use my feet to keep my perch as well. After about half an hour of what for me was stressful sailing the skipper decided to take the easier but slower way around Angel Island. Good call. I relaxed immediately. Even though we were still in the same conditions, heading downwind and surfing on the big waves was a completely different world from being at a steep side angle slamming to oncoming waves and getting sprayed in your face.

We rounded Angel Island and due to the later hour, motored the last bit to the harbor. The scenery of the fog rolling over the small, beautiful mountains of the Marin headlands was breathtaking. Watching the boats that were anchored near the harbor on the way back was interesting. We saw harbor seals resting on small barges as we entered the harbor.

I’m interested in joining the SEA club. They are very inexpensive by sailing standards and operate largely through volunteer work by their members. Having a group of people of varied skill to sail and socialize with sounds like fun.

Posted in: sf. Tagged: | 1 comment

Coldest winter is over, for now

Sep 2nd, 2010
by gz.
2 comments

Mark Twain reputedly asserted “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco”. Maybe he never really said that, but if he had spent the summer of 2010 in SF he surely would have endorsed the sentiment.

I have always been whiny about cold weather but this year it’s been REALLY cold in the city. Whenever the temperature breaks 65F (or 18C) it felt like an occasion to celebrate – it happened so rarely this year, with a chilly winter that extended into spring, and a summer even more abysmal than usual. But fall brings hope, and the first day of September was pure bliss – over 80F in SF!

To celebrate we went for a walk in Fort Mason and Aquatic Park, in the afternoon sun. Everything was golden, and the warm breeze almost reminiscent of Hawai’i. After a yummy yakitori dinner (it was warm even in Richmond!) we drove by Twin Peaks, not sure what we’d find – every time I’d been there I could only spend a few seconds out of the car before the chilly gusts drove me back in, even in bright sunlight. To our pleasant surprise, as we drove up the peak the temperature actually climbed several degrees. The peak was a happening place last night, many people lingered, sat on the edge of the viewing platform, chatting, admiring the city light. It reminded me vaguely of plazas in Europe, or the Beijing streets on summer nights when I was young, where everyone went out for some fresh air and socialize. San Francisco was perfect, last night.

on twin peaks

Posted in: sf. | 2 comments

Porto

Jul 15th, 2010
by gz.
Comments are off for this post

We had come to our last stop – Porto, the second largest city in Portugal. In three hours, the train had traveled up half of the country’s length. We arrived in Porto late in the afternoon, in golden sunlight. Crossing the river Douro on a high bridge, we had a first glimpse at the city astride a dramatic gorge. At the station a cab took us sweeping down the steep streets to the river bank, accompanied by Annie Lennox’ exuberant and soulful voice:

No more I love you’s
The language is leaving me
No more I love you’s
The language is leaving me in silence
No more I love you’s
Changes are shifting outside the words
…

We were deposited in front our hotel, Palácio do Freixo, a restored 18th century palace overlooking the river, in a very romantic setting. Courtesy of Matthew’s birthday we got a room with a river view! The palace itself houses the restaurant, bar and lounge, while the bedrooms are in the next building – a later addition that once served as a flour factory. A wedding was in process on the grounds, its sounds and music drifted to our window. We watched the bride and groom getting photographed in the garden, bathed in the beautiful light. We thought what a lovely setting for just such an event… In the airy palace lounge, under its ornate high ceilings, we watched a little football (Matthew noted an ornament motif on the wall looking suspiciously like a Vuvuzuela), then enjoyed dinner. We took a dip in the swimming pool and relaxed in the eucalyptus infused steam room. We thoroughly enjoyed the place – it felt so civilized, living in a palace – we could easily handle staying here for say… another week. We were in love with Porto before really seeing it.

But we wanted to see Porto too. The city boasts old churches and palaces with richly decorated interiors, as well as striking new architecture – Rem Koolhaas’ Casa da Musica. We started in the colorful Ribeira – the medieval district by the river, a collection of multicolored old houses and narrow alleyways. The picturesque boats that used to transport port wine from upriver, now just lined the riverfront as pretty decoration. We strolled around a little and took a river cruise, a pleasant float up and down a short stretch of the river (not quite to the sea), admired the bridges, the buildings atop the steep riverbank, the ribeira and Vila Nova de Gaia, the city on the left bank of the Douro, dominated by big port lodges – all the world’s port wine are aged here before shipping out. Afterward we walked across the bridge to Gaia and toured the wine cellars and sampled some port. Porto is another hilly city, and like all hilly cities is blessed with beautiful vistas. Like Lisbon it also has an awesome public transportation system, with metro, buses, trams, and funiculars. Again we couldn’t help but noting how civilized it is compared to North America – will we see our continent catch up some day?

Alas, our trip had come to an end. As usual, time was short and we wished we could stay longer. We have seen many amazing things on the trip, and know that there was much to discover yet, and to revisit. Till our next trip…

Posted in: portugal, travel. Tagged: · | Comments are off for this post

Lisboa

Jul 8th, 2010
by gz.
Comments are off for this post

We could have explored Andalucía more, but being greedy we decided to add a couple of cities in Portugal to our itinerary as well. To get to Lisboa from Sevilla we first took the high speed train to Madrid, where we spent the afternoon at the Prado. The Prado is an amazing museum, very compact (only 3 stories) compared to the sprawling Louvre, but its austere rooms hold so much treasure that each gallery here is worth at least a few whole museums in most other places. From Fra Angelico to Raphael, Durer to Van Dyck, they have it all. It’s mind-boggling really, to see whole galleries of El Greco, Bosche, and several roomfuls of Titian! And not just any random painting by these masters, but really good ones – I didn’t think I was an el Greco fan before I entered his gallery. Then there are the huge Velázquez collection (amazing) and the Goya collection (more impressive than I expected). It was an intensive afternoon, quite exhausting, but very rewarding. I feel very jealous of the people of Madrid – they can come here any day (except Monday) to look at these paintings (and for free after 6pm), do they know how lucky they are? There’s also the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza just across the street that we didn’t make it to… well we’ll transit Madrid again.

Now we were ready for our night train ride to Lisboa – our first night train outside of China. When we woke up in our cozy compartment, we were in the other country of the Iberian peninsula. I had vaguely wondered whether Portugal would be very different from Spain, because of their proximity, and their languages looked somewhat similar on paper. But the difference was apparent from the moment we arrived in Lisboa (pronounced LiSHboa). The Portuguese language has a completely different sound, at least to our ears (Matthew thought it sounded eastern european); the look of the city is quite different too from any of the Spanish ones we visited, with unique architectural features; and the Portuguese people have a distinct look – with finer features perhaps. Coming from a big monolithic country it always fascinates me how Europe is composed of so many different countries, some of them very small, each with its distinctive culture. Yet it probably shouldn’t be so surprising, considering the regional differences in China, although the regions are on a much bigger scale that the changes seem more gradual – it has been one country unified for so very long, after all.
Continue reading →

Posted in: portugal, travel. Tagged: · · | Comments are off for this post

Sevilla

Jul 6th, 2010
by gz.
Comments are off for this post

Sevilla is the capital of Andalucía. It is supposed to embody everything Andalcían – Flamenco, bull fights, late night partying, etc. (which seemed the very image of Spain, in most tourists’ minds). In our brief stay here we did not experience any of that, but some quite different aspects of Sevilla, both old and new.

Sevilla dates back to Roman times. Everyday we would walk by the Alameda de Hércules several times, where statues of Hercules and Julius Caesar high up on their Roman columns gazed onto the plaza: its numerous cafes; people socializing, or just people watching, enjoying a drink; children running around and playing; people on bicycles. On the plaza we found a Sevici bike station – one of many in the city. This is a great bike-renting system – for a small subscription one can take out a bike from one station and park it at the next, which is extremely convenient. I guess it would not be practical for a hilly city SF, but surely it would benefit many other North American cities (or cities anywhere). While walking around a city like Sevilla is feasible (they also do have a good public transport system), biking definitely covers more ground, allowing one to explore more freely. My sore feet and back (from many days walking) were thankful. They also have an iPhone app that helps to locate the stations with available bikes and parking spots. Sweet!

Sevilla is the 4th largest city in Spain. And it felt like a big city, even biking around its labyrinthine old town. It has a reputation of being very hot in the summer, but we had arrived in a cooling spell, and the temperature was just right. We biked trails along the river, lined with sweet scented flowers in bloom; people were kayaking and rowing in the river; a rock climber was bouldering under an old bridge; a couple of flamenco dancers were practicing by the path. It is a very level city, and not particularly striking in its appearance (aside from its monuments), but seems very pleasant (I’ve been using this word a lot, is there something similar?) and… user-friendly.
Continue reading →

Posted in: spain, travel. Tagged: · | Comments are off for this post

Tarifa to Tanger: two continents

Jul 4th, 2010
by gz.
Comments are off for this post

Another bright and sunny day on the costa de la luz (coast of light), we arrived in Tarifa, the southernmost point in Spain (and Europe). Wind turbines lined the coast as we approached “Europe’s windsurf and kitesurf capital”. It’s windy here, much like where we now call home. But it was a pleasant wind, not as chilly as in SF. And when we made it to the beach the water was pretty clear and not very wavy. I could imagine learning to windsurf here! Matthew would have loved it, but he’s caught a bit of a cold and decided to take it easy.

Before we made it to the beach, however, we almost had to leave the town. We were going to just walk into some hotel and check in, like we did in La Línea, but this plan did not work out. Everywhere we went there was no vacancy! Apparently the festival of Corpus Cristi was still in full swing and it was not just a thing for Granada. Everybody in Spain was on holiday this long weekend, and half of them seemed to be here in Tarifa! After being turned out of half a dozen hotels we were so dejected we were ready to take the next ferry to Morocco, thinking there must be a room there, then the lady at the tourist office found us a room in a Pension called Facunda and there we went, thankful to have a room for the night. It was really a hostel and the room was definitely the worst we had the whole trip – the walls so thin my ear plugs did nothing for the loud noises from upstairs… ugh! But we were lucky to have a room at all, I guess. Note to self: next trip, research the local holidays more carefully (this Corpus Cristi totally slipped under my radars).

Tarifa is a small town settled since Roman times. It has a compact medieval walled old town, with narrow alleyways flanked by whitewashed houses. It is really quite touristy, but in a relaxed, beach town way. We found it very pleasant to stroll in the streets and have a drink and tapas in one of the numerous cafes. I had originally thought that this place would be of interest mostly as a launching point for a day trip to Tanger, but we liked it enough from our short stay that we both thought we could take another trip here some day in the future, to stay a bit longer and enjoy it more.

The next day we caught a ferry to Tanger. It seemed incredible that one can take a 35 minute boat ride to a different continent! Tanger, Morocco, Africa, such exotic names. It’s really a routine trip for tourists in this part of the country, and a ferry goes every hour. We considered taking a group tour but decided against it. I had taken enough group tours in China (a grand total of 2) that I would consider it only as a last resort. I did wonder if it would be a mistake to go on our own, as the little I had read about the place seemed to suggest a lot of hassle for individual travelers.
Continue reading →

Posted in: spain, travel. Tagged: · · | Comments are off for this post

← Earlier Posts
Newer Posts →