FUN-travel: Asia Part 2
May 24, 2010 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Asia Part 2
Angkor Wat
Day 25 – Saturday, March 20 – Siem Reep, Cambodia
- Good News – arrive Victoria Angkor Hotel – get upgraded to Maharadjah Suite and invited to managers cocktail reception (only happens once a month, how lucky is that?)
- Afternoon Excursion – 2:00 – 6:00
- 1st stop Angkor Wat – up for one of the 7 New Wonders of the World (guide tells us it is since UNESCO said so) – world’s largest religious monument covering 200 hectares, architectural masterpiece, fine proportions & rich detail of Kmer construction – 600 meters of bas relief & 2000 apsaras (celestial dancers) – continue walking out south gate to
- 2nd stop Angkor Thom – one of largest Kmer cities ever built – compound includes King’s Palace – in center of complex
- 3rd stop Bayon – temple of 196 Buddha faces carved in massive stones – 37 towers still standing with 4 faces carved on each side of each tower – continue walking NW
Bayon
- 4th stop Bapuon – enormous temple mountain – massive 5 tier pyramid with wonderful stone carvings – continue walking to
- 5th stop Elephant Terrace – raised promenade with carved elephants on walls leading to Royal Reception & Pavilion – includes five projecting stairways
- Good News – full day and ready for managers reception
- More Good News – lots of imported wine and good food, don’t need dinner
Ta Prohm
FF – face masks are not for pollution – brown face means you’re poor – white face means you have good job – not a farmer/fisherman
Day 26 – Sunday, March 21 – Siem Reep, Cambodia
Full Day Excursion 8:30 – 4:00
- Good News – good coffee
- More Good News – very well educated, articulate guide
- 1st stop Pre Rup – structure of brick towers – golden sandstone color very different & pretty – name means “turning of the body” which is corpse cremation rite
- 2nd stop Ta Prohm – strangler figs and silk-cotton trees entwined among ruins – plant takes hold in crevice (usually deposited where bird drops a seed) roots seek soil and overtake structures – where they filmed Tomb Raiders
- 3rd stop Banteay Samre – excellently restored Angkor Wat style temple – remote, isolated, peaceful setting
Banteay Samre
- 4th stop – Beng Mealea – 70 km from city – takes 1½ hours, part on dirt and rock rutted road– really isolated, in condition it was discovered, totally overgrown by jungle – “most explorable” temple in region – wonderful carvings & considerable disorder make it all the more FUN for climbing – served as the model for Angkor Wat – only been open for 2 years (had to remove land minds from the war)
- Good News – walk through town, meet shipmates for drink, have dinner & go to local market
FF – didn’t see ravages of American War other than Da Nang
This Little Piggy Went to Market
Day 27 – Monday, March 22 – Phuket, Thailand – Really, Really Hot & Humid (like everywhere we have been except Hoi An)
- Good News – have had an incredible experience!
- Bad News – early flight and not nearly enough time in Siem reep – over 80 temples in area, only saw 9 – must go back!
- Good News – plane takes off early – at hotel by 2:00
- Bad News – did not have internet on Mekong Delta River and computer crashed!
- More Bad News – hotel charges for internet in 15 minute increments (when was the last time you saw that!) – we have had free internet almost everywhere we stayed
- Good News – F&B Manager walks by – nab him & ask him why there is a charge for internet – tell him computer problem and he helps by locating Dell store in downtown Phuket (what are the chances)
- Bad News – 45 minutes away and $45 round trip
- More Bad News – had to leave computer at store for two days
- Good News – going to Koh Yao for two days!
OOO – Obscenely Outrageously Overpriced – internet at JW Marriott costs over $12.00 per hour – have had free internet everywhere else
Day 28 – Tuesday, March 23 – Koh Yoa, Thailand
- Good News – Cappuccino & good coffee – serenaded by morning birds @ breakfast overlooking the ocean
Phang Nga Bay
- Good News – 9:00 pick -30 minute drive to boat – Farook our guide quite FUN – have boat all to ourselves – go sea kayaking around towering limestone rock formation islands that jut straight up out of the ocean – go in to very narrow caves with very low ceilings – pitch black in the middle and open up to lagoon of blue skies and trees – lunch with sister boat of traditional Thai dishes of whole fresh fish, rice, vegetables, chicken, pork, fruit
- More Good News – see very shy, rarely seen Kingfisher bird
James Bond Island
- More Good News – get to Koh Yoa Paradise Resort & Spa – totally remote and isolated – just the staff and maybe 30 guests (reminds me of Koh Sumui 20 years ago)
- Good News – amenities abound, DVD player, magnifying mirror, mini bar, Jacuzzi tub (filled with cool water and orchids)
FF – Phang Nga Bay consists of hundreds of uninhabited jungle islands
Day 29 – Wednesday, March 24 – Koh Yoa, Thailand
- Good News – pretty decent coffee – 9:00 more sea kayaking – go snorkeling with bananas and create a feeding frenzy – 100 fish eating out of my hand and nibbling on my toes
- More Good News –coral colors range from fuchsia, orange, purple, red, green, mocha
- Bad News – some coral stings – feels like little pricks on skin & lips – didn’t touch it, some kind of energy they send out in the water
- Good News – back in time for a massage (real massage table) in cabana draped in mosquito netting – start by steam bath (that’s one way to feel cool when it’s 100 degrees) come out for dip in waterfall pool – Swedish & Thai combined with oil – oo-la-la- almost like Sandra’s – cost $63 US with tip
- Bad News – imported wine is expensive
- Good News – bought 2 bottles in Duty Free for $36 US
FF – James Bond Island was made famous by the movie “The Man With a Golden Gun”
Day 30 – Thursday, March 25 – Phuket, Thailand
- Good News – 9:30 take tour of island (koh) by tuk tuk (teeny tiny open car with fabric roof) – have lunch and take slow boat back to Phuket – go to Central Festival (huge totally Western mall) so Chris can get a haircut – one person washes and massages head for 10 minutes, then hair cutter cuts, then goes back to for another hair wash, then to dryer, then back to cutter to style – takes 1 hour – cost $12.00 US
Tuk-Tuk Tour
- Good News – have Starbucks
- Good News – computer fixed!
- More Good News – taxi driver left his cell phone number and picked it up for us yesterday
Koh Yoa Paradise Resort & Spa
- Bad News – have Dell warranty and charged $18 – total cost with taxis $87 – Have had numerous problems over last 2 years, everything that can be replaced has been, after hours on phone with tech support numerous times last year Dell finally agreed to send me a new replacement (should have had it before I left – this is probably the last Dell I buy after being a loyal customer for the last 15 years)
- More Bad News – computer restored in Thai not English – must redo applications
FF – beware – any hotel with Resort & Spa at the end charges at least 25% more for everything – but they do have all the amenities (magnifying mirrors, mini bars, DVD players, high thread count sheets, pillow selections, thick towels, robes)
Day 31 – Friday, March 26 – Phuket, Thailand
Fish Feeding Frenzy
- Good News – 9:00 snorkel trip in Adaman Sea
- Bad News – takes 1 hour to pier
- Good News – have 40’ power boat all to ourselves – go to Racha Island – crystal clear and full of colorful fish, (parrot, angle, Nemos) see moray eel – then on to Coral Island for lunch and more snorkeling – boat captain throws out line and catches a squid – see it shoot it’s black ink
- Good News – have dinner with photographer from Mekong Cruise and his wife
FF – Adam Lambert hair is all the rage in SE Asia
This ends the first portion of our trip. We customized our itinerary and had private tours with English speaking guides and included all airport pickups and drop offs. We controlled where, when, and how long we wanted to stay at each site we visited. If you want to know more about our agent that we booked this with in Bangkok email me. He is a wholesaler and deals with travel agents. You need to do your homework first, know your budget and where you want to go. Best time to go is November & December, however, it’s more expensive. Second week of January prices drop and shouldn’t be as hot and humid. Also, water levels in rivers should be higher unless drought continues.
Day 32 – Saturday, March 27 – Beijing, China (begin new trip with Ritz Tours)
- Good News – 4:15 pm flight to Bangkok – on time – no charge for excess baggage
- Good News – 7:15 pm flight to Beijing on time
- More Good News – have 1st class for coach price
- Bad News – only 2 bottles of red wine (no French, only Great Wall available) for entire 1st class (we blew through that quite quickly)
- Good News – Beijing is air conditioned – get off plane and even jet way has AC – leave it to China
- Bad News – arrive hotel 3 am
FF– could be in any US city – totally surprised by how cosmopolitan Beijing is
Day 33 – Sunday, March 28 – Beijing, China
Forbidden City Sculpture
- Good News – sleep in – get up have breakfast – find lobby filled with people – turns out big wedding is happening – Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini & Porches drive up – out pops young woman in wedding dress and fur with tuxedo clad young man – “must be rock star wedding?” we ask. To which hotel concierge replies, “No, just rich.”
- Good News – get up & realize all of Beijing has turned on AC for us. We are so lucky! It’s a balmy 55 degrees
- More Good News – good coffee – take walk & attempt to read map in Chinese, head to Silk Street to shop
- Bad News – Silk Street is 6 floors of 100’s of stalls with the same stuff
- Good News – each floor organized by items
- Bad News – shopkeepers grab, pull on your clothes, & beg you to buy
- Good News – great prices, but must bargain hard (start at 25% of what they want and work up)
- More Good News – get Tommy Bahama embroidered shirt for $14 US
- Bad News – may have to buy another suitcase so we can buy more to take home
- Good News – get Tumi luggage (knock off I’m sure) for $38 US!
- Good News – back to hotel in time for Happy Hour – get nachos ($15 US) pretty good
Day 34 – Monday, March 29 – Beijing, China
- Morning Excursion – 8:30 to noon – Tiananmen Square – 110 acres restored for Olympics
- Forbidden City – 180 acres – largest Imperial Palace in world – 9,999 rooms total
Forbidden City
- Afternoon Excursion – 12:30 – 3:30 – Temple of Heaven – groups of Chinese playing cards – groups of kids kicking colorful feathered badminton type object
- Bad News – hate to be negative, but Beijing feels a bit anti-climatic due to seeing such beautiful temples for last month – can’t go inside, no lighting, plus not very spectacular
- Bad News – Mao Mausoleum is closed on Mondays
- Good News – Dinner of Peking Duck good – kids from all over the world on field trip to see Kung Fu show having dinner with us too
Temple of Heaven
Day 35 – Tuesday, March 30 – Beijing, China
- Good News – today they even turned on the misters in addition to the AC!
- Good News – brought long johns
- Bad News – no gloves (50 degrees)
- Bad News – drive for 1 ½ hr to Ming Tombs (only 20 miles – traffic is horrendous (not to mention how erratically they drive)
- Good News – Ming Tomb – bare weeping willow trees and 18 stone carved statues line the promenade Sacred Way to the tombs
- Bad News – heavy fog & rain
- Good News – buy postcards so we know what it looks like in good weather
- Good News – off to Great Wall, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World (Badaling section) – wall is like giant dragon snaking over 4000 miles across China
- Bad News – drive another hour – shrouded with thick, dense fog and drizzling rain
- More Bad News – very few steps, path of stone tiles that snake up, very steep & slippery
- Good News – buy postcards so we know what it looks like in good weather
FF – there are no single family houses in Beijing
Day 36 – Wednesday, March 31 – Beijing, China
Ming Tomb Statue
- Good News – free day – no rain and warmer (50’s)
Great Wall
- Bad News – disappointed that Great Wall trip was not rescheduled for today
- Good News – take a cab to see Hutongs – old section of Beijing with narrow alleyways – see the Bell Tower & Drum Tower (how they told time in 14th century) bell could be heard 5km away (tour not included – wanted $50 US per person – took ourselves for $3)
- Good News – take nice walk to Mexican Wave Restaurant (since 1988) – missing my comfort food
- Bad News – poor excuse for Mexican food (frankly nachos at Millennium bar were pretty good)
- Good News – stroll back down 3 block long shopping mall covered by LED ceiling of ocean scene w/colorful coral, fish and whales swimming
FF – Food not as good as SE Asia
Day 37 – Thursday, April 1 – Xi’an, China
Summer Palace
Morning Excursion – 8:30 – 10:30 (clear but cold)
- Summer Palace – large manmade lake w/temples
Terra Cotta Warriors
- Good News – stop to see Birds Nest Stadium on way to airport
- Bad News – on other side of freeway, so can’t take any good pictures
- Bad News – Air China baggage charge $35
- Good News – part of United Star Alliance so don’t have to pay
- Bad news – don’t get to next hotel until 6:00 pm
- Good news – very clean city, take walk in search of imported wine store, can’t find so ask police man for directions (they offer ride in their golf cart and can’t find it either for 15 minutes) trees covered with white lights line the boulevard
Not so FF – tour should have been more flexible – scheduled around weather and sites open
Day 38 – Friday, April 2 – Xi’an, China Full Day Excursion – 8:30 – 5:00
- Good News – take bus to Terra Cotta Army – unbelievable! Called the 8th Wonder of the World – 210 BC
- 8000 life size (6’ -6.5’) terracotta warriors, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, (the majority of which are still buried in the pits) arranged in battle formations in 3 pits (16,300 square meters) discovered in 1974 by farmers digging a well
- More Good News – Go to bell tower & drum tower, tallest structures downtown, connected to the original stone city wall 9 km around – city filled with trees in bloom and hundreds of tulips, nice mix of old & new architecture
- More Good News – dinner of dumplings, 18 kinds, restaurant filled with Chinese people, not tourists!
- More Good News – Ming Dynasty Show after dinner
Day 39 – Saturday, April 3 – Chongquin, China
- Morning Excursion 8:00 – 10:00
- Good News – go to largest, most famous Buddhist Pagoda – dubbed the Westminster Abbey of China
- Good news – see beautiful gardens and Jade factory
- Good News – only 1 hour flight – bags checked by tour bus driver and no excess weight charges!
- More Good News – JW Marriott executive lounge on 36th floor – really good, free imported wine
FF– Chongquin very hilly – called “Hong Kong of the East”
WOW Word-Of-the-Week #304: Productivity
May 24, 2010 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on WOW Word-Of-the-Week #304: Productivity
Productivity – abundance or richness in output.
Would you say that you are extremely productive, mostly productive, or somewhat productive when it comes to your work? How often do you feel creative? Can you easily tap into your creativity?
Ultimate Positive Distractor
Following up from my WOW two weeks ago on Robert Masello’s article for the Parade Magazine titled, “Make Happiness Happen” did you seek out any “positive distractors?”
Tal Ben-Shahar the author of “Happier” says, “We’ve all been trained to maximize every minute of our day. But people who are able to focus on just one thing – even for one or two hours a day – are not only happier at their work; they’re also more productive and creative. Less can be more.”
Robert Masello writes, “Studies done at the University of Utah reveal that drivers who talk on their cell phones – hands-free or not – are as impaired as if they were driving drunk. Truckers who text are 23 times more likely to have an accident or narrowly miss causing one. Our minds, it turns out, can’t be in two places at one time any more than our bodies can.”
I must say that my productivity goes up after my morning coffee and my walk. I use that quiet time to plan my day and collect my thoughts. That is a very “positive distractor” for me!
This week focus on your productivity. Are you constantly juggling more than one thing at a time? Do you find it difficult to complete all those tasks? Knowing that behavior is changeable, how would it feel to focus on just one thing? How would it feel to leave your cell phone turned off for two hours or more?
Reader Responses
“I just knocked out a personal letter to the Honorable Beverly Perdue, the new Governor of North Carolina. I politely took the drivers in her great state to task for their so-called ‘multi-tasking skills’ (cellpones and texting)! I laid out a suggested plan for Governor Perdue to do a new round of highway safety promotions and told her she could sell it to the public!!! Why cover this with you? I overlooked a critical factor; “…our minds cannot be in two places at the same time.” Thanks for sharing, and in this case – caring. Great as always.” PC in Tennessee
“So true. Love the picture.” – Elaine
“When Kristen calls from work to let me know how much she has to do and how little time she has to do it in, I remind her to “Take one thing at a time, and it will all get done. Don’t try to do everything at once because it won’t get completed the right way. And the reward for that is: Then you get to do it all again! My eight-year-old daughter, Erin Grace, usually tries to get her math homework done as quickly as she can after school so that she can play with her friends there. Invariably, there are careless mistakes in her assignments. When I correct them, I gently remind her not to rush through her work. Of course, she insists that she was not rushing. I also tell her the same thing I tell my wife: Take your time. It will all get done. Hey, I have learned that the hard way myself. In the editing position I hold, there are a lot of things that cross my desk – in some cases all at once – and I prioritize the most important assignments and work on those first. I take them one at a time until they are done – CORRECTLY! This focus, of taking things one at a time, is extended to all parts of my life. Susan, I can multitask with the best of them. But if things are not done correctly, I just have to do it again. That is a big waste of time. And not just my time. Now, I do admit that I like my morning coffee on the drive into work. I try to take special care not to sip or take gulps while driving. I wait until I get to a red light and take my sips. But I do know that I have to watch out for the other guy and stay alert and not concentrate on my coffee. My productivity in all aspects of my life is good. And I try to work routines around both home and work so that my productivity is positive. But if we can remember to take one thing at a time, we will all be better off in ALL aspects of our lives. Great word, Susan. Take care.” Joe”
WOW Word-Of-the-Week #303: Personal
May 17, 2010 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on WOW Word-Of-the-Week #303: Personal
Personal – relating to or responsive to an individual.
Do you take the time to acknowledge people who are serving you? Do you call them by name if they are wearing a name tag? Do you like it when you are personally addressed by your guests, customers, members or clients?
Joe Moran is one of my WOW readers who gives me lots of (positive) feedback. After I received his response to last week’s WOW on disposition I thought it would be great to share it. Then I got the idea to let him pick the WOW and he chose personal as this week’s WOW.
Joe wrote, “My general disposition is upbeat and happy. Now, I am not happy, joyous and free every day. But for the most part I put on a happy face for the world. When there are times that I am not in a great mood, I will watch an episode of “Seinfeld” so that I can get a good laugh before I go to bed at night. That puts me in a good place.”
“You mentioned saying hello to someone during the day. When I go into the post office, there is a beautiful, shy woman at the counter named Crystal. The first time that she took care of my mail needs I said her name. She replied with an appreciative, generous smile, as if just by calling her name I made her day. When our family was leaving the Magic Kingdom recently at the end of one of our days there, I looked at the tag of the woman at the exit gate. I said, ‘Hi, Sharon. How are things in Childress, Texas?’ Her reply was, ‘I love it when people call me by my name.’
“That is a little thing, but it means so much in our everyday lives to simply be acknowledged. I don’t think most people being served in gas stations or restaurants bother to even look at the name tag of the person who is taking care of them. I don’t know if enough people realize how important it is to be recognized. It is basic to who we are. We don’t do it enough. Just the return of a smile, like Crystal’s, can make your day.”
In my service programs I talk about my “7 Simple Steps of Service” and using names is one of them. I always go out of my way to know a servers name. It’s just feels better to me and more respectful. This week focus on being more personal. Who do you need to acknowledge? When is the last time you read a nametag and repeated their name?
I love feedback! And if you have a WOW that you want to share, please do!
Reader Responses
“Thanks for the reminder. I usually do this one. I makes us all human.” – Sandra
WOW Word-Of-the-Week #302: Disposition
May 17, 2010 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on WOW Word-Of-the-Week #302: Disposition
Disposition – one’s usual mood or frame of mind.
What is your usual mood? Would you say you have a happy disposition? Do you experience big mood swings? Would you like to be happier?
It seems that this is the hot topic of the year. I remember my mother saying, “I just want you to be happy,” from the time I was a small child. Happy then was getting presents, getting to eat ice cream and candy, basically getting my way. (which didn’t happen very often)
Now I would say that my mood is pretty good most of the time. (hey, I’m not perfect and we all have our moments) What makes me happy now is having a love in my life, playing with my grand kids, and feeling content and complete with my life.
Robert Masello wrote an article for the Parade Magazine titled, “Make Happiness Happen.” In the first paragraph he told a story about being nice to the lady at the post office and wrote, “Being nice hadn’t only improved the clerk’s day, it made me feel pretty good too. The last year or two has been rough for nearly all of us. While there are a lot of things we can’t control, there is something we can do to make our lives more rewarding – and even happier. Cheap, easy and environmentally friendly, it might be called a ‘positive-attitude adjustment.’” (Have you heard me say that one before?)
Tal Ben-Shahar the author of “Happier” says, “Recent findings prove the brain is more flexible than we used to think. With practice, we can change our habits and even our natural disposition. Seek out positive distractors. Figure out what is fun for you, whether it’s watching movies or listening to music or going to a ball game – and then make sure you do it.”
This week focus on your natural disposition. Do you have a positive frame of mind? What would your family, friends, guests, customers, members or clients say about your disposition? Also, make sure you have a least one “positive distractor” this week!
WOW Word-Of-the-Week #301: Unexpected
May 17, 2010 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on WOW Word-Of-the-Week #301: Unexpected
Unexpected – surprising or unforeseen.
How comfortable are you when things don’t go as expected? Do you delight in surprises?
Once again Bill Marvin, the Restaurant Doctor, sent a great thought I totally agree with. In his April 23rd Electronic House Call he wrote, “It seems like the common thread in this week’s articles is the unexpected — doing the unexpected, reacting to the unexpected, profiting from the unexpected. (I didn’t expect that!)
“Unexpected (pleasant) surprises for your guests are welcome expressions of your caring and hospitality. The pity is that many operators find unexpected surprises for themselves to be more traumatic.”
“Many people are incredibly uncomfortable when forced to operate in the unknown, but isn’t that where you really are most of the time anyway? The truth is that even the “knowns” are constantly in flux.”
“Something becomes “known” only because you create a fixed way of thinking about it. Basically, you make something up and get attached to it. The more you insist that the way you see things is the way they have to be, the more rigid you become. Eventually you can turn into one of those stubborn jerks that you hate!”
“Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to give yourself permission to become more comfortable living in the unknown. Slow down. Know less. See More. Operating from a state of “I’m not exactly sure” will keep you more open to fresh possibilities and insights.”
“It can be scary at times but it is never boring!”
I love pleasant surprises! On our trip we had those and then some that weren’t so pleasant. For me, traveling offers everything Bill was saying. I slow down, see more, and come from the unknown. I am going to apply here at home too!
This week focus on the unexpected. Are you rigid in your thinking? How would it feel to accept the unexpected? What could you do that would be a pleasant surprise for your guests, customers, members or clients?
Readers Responses
“I think most of us don’t like unpleasant surprises. Those that come out of the blue and take us out of our comfort zones. For the most part, people like the routines they have set up for themselves. Most of us get up at the same time, eat the same thing for breakfast, take the same route to work. We like the security of consistency, though it was called the hobgoblin of small minds by Ralph Waldo Emerson. In a crazy and unpredictable world, our routines give us security. As for surprises, my wife Kristen does not like surprises, which makes it difficult to give her unexpected gifts, especially on her birthday. One day I would like to surprise her by taking her to Wimbledon. She has always wanted to attend that tennis tournament in London. We will have strawberry and cream there one day. Hopefully, I can surprise her. As for me, I have been through so many different experiences and changes in my life, that I am not as surprised by the unexpected. Maybe because I learned acceptance a number of years ago that I can adapt to changes that throw off my schedule. Learning to go with the flow is not as easy when we are rigidly stuck in our routine. If we insist on stubbornly sticking to what we do all the time, we won’t leave ourselves open for experiences that could possibly change our lives for the better. Opening up the mind and leaving the routine behind can do wonders for us all. We just have to hope we can accept what is before us. But that is much easier said than done. Thanks for the word, Susan. Take care. Have a great week.” – Joe