Sawasdee Tao

Greetings from Thailand!

Bangkok

The layover in Singapore went well… the airport was very quiet when we arrived at an early hour and it slowly came to life while we waited for our connection. We sat in a coffee shop and just relaxed. The flight to Bangkok was uneventful and we arrived on time despite thunderstorms in the Singapore area.

The hotel was directly across the river from Wat Arun, which means Temple of the Dawn. According to a brochure we read, that is somewhat ironic, as it is better photographed with the setting sun. It doesn’t look too shabby at night, either.

The hotel itself was very nice although it was located in what, at first glance resembles a seedy area. However, it was merely a residential area and most of the folks in our group are more accustomed to housing with an interior kitchen, rather that the type that spills out onto the street. The smells of smoked and raw fish were also prevalent and they take some getting used to.

We had lunch at the hotel restaurant and liked it well enough (coupled with the lack of other restaurants nearby) that we took all of our meals there. The Thai food is quite good and the Thai people are very sensitive to avoiding the over-spicing of the tourists. They boys have continued with their adventurous ways concerning the trying of things new and different, but they did have the occasional spaghetti or grilled cheese. Here’s a look at one of the things I tried… I don’t remember what it is called, but I do remember that it was good.

Our tour of Bangkok the next day included a visit to the royal palace and it’s temple (including the Emerald Buddah), the temple Wat Pho with the giant reclining Buddah and a trip through the khlongs. Otherwise, we took a few walks within the area and visited the local food and flower markets.

The second day consisted of a bicycle tour through a different part of town, incliding a visit to a kindergarten in one of the slums and a trip across the river to :green” Bangkok, which is the fruit farming area and which is lush and lovely compared to the other parts of town. Afterward, we went to the airport and waited to catch our fight to the north of Thailand.

Chiang Mai

The flight to Chiang Mai took barely an hour and had us arriving at the hotel in time for dinner. This trip is beginning to boil down to flying and eating and that ain’t so bad… maybe a little less flying!

The hotel was a true enclave, set amidst a bustling city while giving you the feeling of being out in the country. It had a pool, which was a welcome change from the winter portion in South Africa where it was way too cold to swim. Again, the hotel restaurant was most enjoyable and we found it was both more convenient as well as preferred to do our dining there. I had an enjoyable cocktail be fore dinner one night… a Chiang Mai Thai Mai Tai.

The next day’s excursion was a trip to the elephant camp at Chiang Dao, about 60 km north of the city. The visit there consisted of watching the elephants get a bath in the river, seeing a demonstration of how they are used in logging operations, watching a young elephant paint a picture and taking a ride on the elephants to the village of one of the hill tribes. We also had a chance to feed them.

On the way back to town, we stopped at another day market and an orchid farm. The afternoon was spent in, and by, the pool while Susan went to get one of the famous Thai massages.

We had an early morning flight the next day and will wind up in Honk Kong afterward. It’s hard to believe that we have cut the distance from home to only one ocean (even though it’s the biggest one). We still have a month and a few days left and lots to do in that time.

The Second Flight from H...

To get to Bangkok we were faced with a situation similar to what it took to get to Grootbos from Cairo… From Malamala we had four flight segments, including one of 10 hours.

That’s about where the similarities end, though. Instead of crossing an entire continent (Africa), we crossed an entire ocean (Indian). Instead of hustling through a large international airport to get to a connecting flight, we had leisurely layovers at each stop. The first two legs were not on air carrier-sized jets, but instead were in a single engine Cessna and a twin engine turboprop commuter.

The greatest dissimilarity, though, involved the 10 hour leg. We were on a Boeing 777 and from the instant we boarded, it was apparent that it was going to be a good flight. First of all, as we worked our way down the aisle, it appeared that to me that the seats were much farther apart than with our previous long haul carrier. Upon taking a seat, that appearance was confirmed. I can actually use the word “legroom” in the description because there was some.

The boys immediately noticed the individual video displays in the back of the seat in front of them. The displays were controlled by a removable, corded controller which was stored in the armrest. When you held the controller vertically, it looked and functioned like a TV remote. When you rotated it 90 degrees left, it looked and functioned like a video game controller… which it was. When the boys discovered that several of their favorite Nintendo titles were available, Lachlan proclaimed this the Flight from Heaven.

From the non-video gamer’s point of view, the other selections on the entertainment system were awesome as well. You could choose from twenty or so movies and television shows and they, as well as all the audio programs, were of the “on demand” type… you could start them when you wish and pause and resume them at will.

Keep in mind, I’m talking economy class here. This is the outfit that provided this stuff:



As far as I know, Singapore Airlines are solvent, even with this level of amenities in coach. If they can do it… how about the rest of the airlines? Maybe someone from any of the others (Lufthansa particularly comes to mind) will stumble across this and check them out. They all could learn something from Singapore.

There is one other thing that was virtually identical to the first FFH. Shortly before arriving at Changi Airport, we crossed the equator again.

Two to go.

Meanwhile, we spend the next 10 days or so in the hemisphere of summertime.

From the 'Why Didn't I Think of That?' Department

The picture, such as it is, was taken inside the parking deck at the Johannesburg airport.

The red and green LEDs on the ceiling are attached to sensors placed above each parking space in the deck. The sensor determines if the space beneath it has a car in it or if it is empty, and turns on the appropriate indicator light... red means occupied, green means available. On the main driveway through the deck, there are also LED signs at the intersections with each row of parking spaces that tell you which rows have spaces available and which are full. You can easily look down any row (without actually turning down it) and see where the empty spaces are.

Kruger National Park

Ngala

Ngala is a private game reserve within Kruger National Park northeast of Johannesburg. The flight to it was in a Cessna Caravan and took about an hour an a half. When we arrived at the airstrip, we were met by the person who would serve as our guide throughout our stay, and were transported to the lodge about five minutes away. The accommodations were wonderful and, as at Grootbos, the food was sumptuous. Here’s a shot of our room:

The service here is very personal and highly attentive. We couldn’t have enjoyed our stay here more. For as long as I have known Susan, she has dreamed of going on a photo safari in Africa. During the past two days, and for the next two, her dreams are being realized. We have gone out in the Land Rover 4 times and have seen warthog, baboon, lion, giraffe, impala, leopard, cheetah, elephant, kudu, Cape buffalo, zebra and scores of birds. Here’s Susan enjoying the lions:


We shared the jeep with a newlywed couple from Mexico City and they were a great pleasure to spend time with. Alex and Tere are the kind of people that are instantly likeable. Also, Alex is “into” video games so he and the boys were able to have some serious conversations about Guitar Hero and such. It would be a pleasure to cross paths with them again.

Alex & Tere in the middle... on the right are Leonie our guide, and Barney our spotter/tracker

By the time our visit was done, we had seen all of “the big five” except the rhino. By the way, the big five are lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and Cape buffalo.

Malamala

The flight to Malamala lasted about fifteen minutes but would have been less if we had not made an interim stop at a lodge about 6km further down the road. The preserve is just to the south of Ngala and borders Kruger National Park. The accommodations here were luxurious and we were all four able to stay in the same hut. This was a bonus as, at both places, you cannot leave your rooms during the night due to the fact that there is nothing to restrict any animals from entering camp. It was nice for all of us to be together.

Here’s a view from the main lodge sitting area:

As at Ngala, our days were spent going on game drives and eating. During our first outing here we followed a pair of hunting cheetah. They never found anything to eat, but it was interesting watching them look. It’s just as well, though, because observing that part of nature wasn’t really a part of Susan’s dreams. Lachlan did a good job of photographing one of them.


During the outing we also saw another pride of lions and a hippo out of the water… but no rhino. That wouldn’t happen (finally) until the first outing the next morning. For the afternoon drive we were joined by a newly-arrived guest. The outing started out comparatively slowly but, by the time it was over, we had seen all of the big five again… plus we got to see a male lion.

The food at Malamala was as good as any of our other stops and, like them, there is always way too much of it. The evening meal here is served in the boma and they make quite an event of it. Breakfast and lunch are served in the regular way and are always filled with too many things to choose from. Among the more exotic things we have tried at both camps are: roasted kudu, cottage pie made with impala and roasted ostrich.

The visit to Africa comes to an end and tomorrow we are off to Asia.

Grootbos

In Afrikaans it means “big bush” and it is a private nature reserve. It is located about 2 hours by car from Cape Town and overlooks Walker Bay near the town of Gansbaai. If you have ever seen pictures of a Great White shark jumping out of the water and snatching a seal out of mid-air... it was probably taken near here. It is in a fabulous setting and we couldn’t have enjoyed our stay there more. Here’s what it looks like:

Here’s what a sunset looks like from it:

The resort provides a variety of daily activities including nature tours of the beach and the surrounding hills. They also provide three absolutely exquisite meals per day. The lodging was duly impressive… two bedrooms split above a bar/dining/living area with a fireplace, all wrapped in glass with a view overlooking the bay.

Here’s a view from the outside looking in:


It’s the type of place that you wouldn’t mind spending the entire time in your room, but we opted for several of the offered activities. Our first outing was a wildlife spotting (with emphasis on whales) boat trip from the harbor at Kleinbaai to Dyer Island and back. This is the sort of thing that is right up Susan’s alley but it seems that every time we went to a location frequented by whales, we were always there at the wrong time.

We caught the Western Cape just at the beginning of the whale season and the trip on the water was certainly fruitful. We not only got a good, close up look at a pair of Southern Right whales, but we also got to have a look at a Great White shark, about 50,000 Cape fur seals, and some homeless African “Jackass” penguins. The added treat on the ride back to shore was a breaching Humpback whale.

We took a driving tour of the reserve and a coastal whale-watching ride that included a hike into one of the caves used by the early inhabitants and a visit to the guide’s township. The boys continue to amaze me with their willingness to do these sorts of things and it is readily apparent that they are actually enjoying most of it. They do have their limits though, but they also are demonstrating a great deal of tolerance. As a means of maintaining some semblance of balance, we continue to try to include generous doses of the things that middle schoolers really enjoy… like internet time, video games and TV in English.

We have found South Africa to be a beautiful and immensely interesting country. We will see a bit more of it in the next few days as we are off to the Kruger National Park area in eastern South Africa and the Ngala and Malamala game reserves.

A Continent and a Half

Well… it’s over. The flight from hell is behind us. It was everything we anticipated and then some… but it’s over.

We left the hotel in Cairo at noon in order to arrive within the specified time for our flight. The transfer went smoothly with only a brief delay for an accident along the way. We went to the check-in desk and asked to send the luggage all the way through to Johannesburg, but were told that we must first claim them and clear customs in one of the EU stops so we opted for Athens. The customer service agent for Aegean, Anagnostopoulos Vasilios, said that since the layover in Athens was only one and a half hours, he would tag the bags as priority to expedite the claim process at Athens. All set.

While sitting in the gate area at the Cairo airport (from where the previous post was sent) Mr. Vasilios approached us and advised that the flight to Athens was going to be late because the flight FROM Athens (which does a turnaround) already was late. That meant that the collect-the-bags-in-Athens-and-clear-customs-there plan was not going to work. As a bonus, it was beginning to look like the ability to make the connection to Frankfurt was becoming doubtful. Mr. V collected our baggage claim checks, said he would work on it and then he disappeared.

After some time, our newest best friend returned with a fresh set of claim checks indicating the bags now were checked all the way through to JNB, but that we were to collect them in FRA and do the customs thing there. Also, there would be an airline rep to meet us in Athens and escort us to the Lufthansa check-in counter, as the connection time was still a little skosh. Mr. Vasilios was most helpful to us and is a large part of the reason that Aegean is our current favorite airline.

The flight to Athens went well in good weather. This was another of those that park at a hardstand and the passengers are taken to the terminal via bus. On the bus an airline rep named Sofia found us and said she was the promised escort to the Lufthansa counter. We arrived at the counter with about ten minutes to go before the flight was to board, so we were still cutting it close. At check-in, we asked the agent about getting the bags in Frankfurt and going through customs. He indicated that they were checked all the way through to Johannesburg and that we did NOT need to do anything with them. That was good news. We then hurried on through security to get to the gate in time to stand around for a while before finally boarding and sitting at the gate waiting for our “release time” some thirty minutes later. The reason… ATC delay due to current weather over the former Yugoslavia.

Upon arrival in Frankfurt, we went to the information desk to find out where our onward flight was and to ask again about retrieving the bags and clearing customs. The answer about the bags was the same as in Athens (do nothing with the bags… they are checked through to JNB… you American fools) so we proceeded to the next flight.

A side note here about security. We have, of course, been through the checkpoints a lot. The major difference here is that the checkpoints tend to be scattered about the airport with one set up for each gate or group of gates rather than having a single, massive checkpoint for the entire airport. The upside to that is that the lines are often very short and move quickly. There are some down sides to that system and I’ll comment more about them after I’ve had a little more time to mull them over.

The flight to JNB was a B747 and although the service was typical of Lufthansa’s high standards, the configuration of the seating was horrible. The airplane was essentially full and we passengers were crammed into every available cubic centimeter of space. Here comes a brief rant… I know nothing about operating an airline. I am fully aware that more spacious seating is available in other cabins at other fare structures. However for a flight that lasts 10 hours, I think that a little more room could be afforded to the “cheap seats” without bankrupting the company. I have no idea after this round the world journey is completed when, where or if I will ever fly again. I am, however, based upon our experiences on this trip, compiling a list of airlines I would be willing to utilize again… Lufthansa isn’t very high up on it. End of rant.

During the flight to Johannesburg, on June 14, 2007 at 5:18 in the morning local time, each of the four of us for the first time ever, crossed the Equator

We could barely contain our excitement. By the end of this trip, we will have done it three more times.

On a related note, later in the trip, I will be crossing the 180th meridian for the fourth time, making it an equal number of times in each direction and after forty-five years, no longer having to try to figure out if I’m a day ahead or behind of everyone else. Susan and the boys, on the other hand, will have done it once… eastbound. That means they each will have seen one more sunrise than the number of days they have lived.

The flight arrived in Johannesburg on time and you will never guess what happened to our luggage… all four pieces arrived with us. We collected them and went through immigration and customs and were met by the tour rep who saw us through to our connecting flight to Cape Town. There, we were met by the tour rep on that end who gave us a ride to our lodging for the next three nights.

Here is a quick recap of the FFH:

• total time from Cairo hotel to Grootbos lodging – 29.5 hours
• total time aloft – 16.5 hours
• total time ground transport – 2.5 hours
• time spent hurrying from arrival gate in Athens airport to ticket counter for onward flight – 10 minutes
• time spent at departure gate waiting to board/sitting on airplane waiting for departure clearance (immediately after hurrying) – 1.25 hours

Once we finally arrived at the Grootbos Nature reserve, all the hassle of getting there suddenly became inconsequential… next post will shed some light as to how.


Meanwhile, the boys and I are charting our progress.

Leaving Cairo

We are sitting in the Cairo International Airport waiting for the the first of the four legs it will take to get to Cape Town. Fortunately, there is free internet here. Due to customs rules, we will have to collect our bags in Athens and recheck them to Johannesburg. This is definitely shaping up to be the most onerous part of the trip so far.

The visit to Cairo was very enjoyable. We stayed in the heart of the city on the river and aside from the tour yesterday, we never left the hotel area. Cairo is very safe from the standpoint of crime... crossing the street is the most dangerous thing to try. So we didn't.

The people were all very friendly and helpful. Service was excellent throughout the hotel and it's surrounding restaurants and shops. The only drawback to the tour was the almost constant barrage by the camel drivers and junk peddlers, trying to get you to buy something.

It's a good idea to have some change handy whenever you need to go to the potty... almost all of them are "attended" by someone - usually an old lady.

Well. it's nearly time to board. More after we get to South Africa.