Four Days in Tokyo

Meiji Shrine, Yoyogi Park

We traveled to Tokyo earlier this month for a quick 4-day trip to meet up with a friend. He's the same friend we went to Cape Cod with back in 2013. This time we would be joining him and his significant other on the beginning of their Asian holiday, which would go on to include other cities in Japan as well as Hong Kong.

Our flight from Kaohsiung was our most expensive to date because we had specific dates and a specific location, which is rare for us as we usually chase only cheap fares. Still, tickets were less than NT$15000 (US $485) for both of us on Vanilla Air.

Shibuya Crossing

We arrived into Narita Airport around 7pm on a Sunday. Our goal was to meet our friends for a late night dinner traveling, as per usual, in the cheapest way possible. After exhaustive research we found the cheapest and most time efficient method would be via the Keisei Main Line.

We referenced TokyoCheapo quite a bit in our pre-travel research but nowhere did it help more than on this initial trip from the airport into Tokyo. Of course, it didn't bother to explain the complicated subway map displayed at the Terminal 2 Station. We spent a good 5 minutes staring at that map, utterly confused, before a kind stranger, speaking perfect English and very knowledgable about his city, told us (without even looking at the map) exactly what we needed to do. Thanks to his guidance, we didn't miss a transfer. We jumped on the next train, seamlessly transferred at Aoto Station, and again at Daimon Station, before arriving into Roppongi Station about 2.5 hours later. (Narita is quite a distance from Tokyo.)

Tokyo skyline from Imperial Palace

Our first night in Tokyo included a lovely ramen meal at Gogyo and a drink at the famous Gonpachi. Afterwards, we decided to walk home, taking the scenic route along Omotesando, Tokyo's Champs-Elysees, and the eastern edge of Yoyogi Park.

One of the things I've discovered while living (and traveling) in the world's safest places is that a late-night stroll is a lovely way to end an evening. It's also a great way to catch-up with old friends.

Imperial Palace grounds

Prior to leaving on our trip, I had made us all reservations to tour the Imperial Palace, as advanced reservations are required. Unfortunately, the palace tour is more of the surrounding grounds than of the actual palace, as we never actually ventured within. And, though the surrounding grounds are nice, the palace exterior is fairly unimpressive and not entirely worth the effort. The East Gardens, however, which are open to the public without prior reservations, are lovely and totally worth visiting.

Husband and I are craft beer tourists and Tokyo is our first Asian destination with a thriving craft beer scene and one of the highlights of this trip was a night spent excessively drinking various local brews. The night was not a highlight simply due to the excellent beers, though that was indeed lovely. It was also due to the quality of our company. During our first round at Shinshu Osake Mura we were engaged by a British expat and subsequent rounds brought some locals into our drinking circle. By the end of the night we had made several new friends and had a better experience than drinking on our own would have provided.

East Gardens, Imperial Palace

This experience, along with a few others, including our earlier experience at Narita Airport, really showcased the friendliness and kindness that we experienced from the locals. Not just Japanese locals either, but expats too. Perhaps this is what living in the safest city in the world does to people? If so, I wouldn't mind a bit more of that.

Our last full day in the city was met with rain, which kinda interrupted our plans of wandering through Inokashira Park and paddling in swan boats. So, instead, we stayed in Harajuku. We did venture out to Kichijoji Station for our final evening, which included shooting BB guns in a bar and eating amazing yakitori at a super local joint, before venturing back to Shibuya for some purikura, karaoke, and arcade games. We then savored our last night in Tokyo with one last late-night stroll home.

Shibuya area street entertainment

Although we had heard many warnings about Tokyo being an expensive destination, our experience taught us that Tokyo allows for travelers across the economic spectrum to enjoy themselves, much like New York City, London, and Paris. We successfully stayed within our fairly constrained budget while enjoying activities with friends, eating delicious food, and drinking copious amounts. We even did a bit of shopping. So, yes, Tokyo can definitely be an expensive destination, but it can also be very budget-friendly.

For more pictures, please visit my Facebook album.

Wandering the Streets of Macau

Rua da Felicidade, Macau

Husband & I recently spent a long weekend in Macau, a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (like Hong Kong). Located just across the bay from Hong Kong, Macau is only a 1.5 hour direct flight from Kaohsiung.

We traveled on Tigerair, a discount airline which recently started flying direct from Kaohsiung to Macau. During a December promotion for the new route, we scored two roundtrip tickets for only US $112. Once we commenced our search for accommodations, however, it became very obvious that Macau is not really a destination conducive to budget fares.

St. Augustine Church Square, Macau

Macau has a dearth of budget accommodations. Usually we can rely on hostels or homestays, cheap hotels at the very least. Not in Macau. Apparently, due to government regulations, Macau has no hostels in operation and the one YHA requires special permission for lodging. At first we found this disheartening. We're a single income family and budget travel is our only real option. Perhaps we couldn't afford to go to Macau?

Accommodations are key to a budget holiday. Food and entertainment can usually be adjusted to meet your budget but accommodations and flight are static. If they're not within budget the trip is going to be irreparable. Happily, we persevered and eventually discovered the amazing (yet slightly terrifying) SanVa Hotel.

our room at the SanVa Hotel #nofilter

For only US $150 we spent four surprisingly restful nights in something akin to a third-world prison, albeit in one of the best neighborhoods and on one of the best streets in all of Macau. The SanVa was awesome and added an extra memorable layer to an already memorable experience.

Part of the reason staying at the SanVa was such a pleasant experience (rather than a traumatizing one) was because we sprung for a room with a window (thank god!). There were interior rooms without windows available, and some right next to the bathrooms, which made me very sad for their unfortunate occupants. But, we were quite happy and comfortable in our little room with a fan and window. I wouldn't go so far as to say we'd happily stay there again but we are happy we stayed there.

Some other highlights from our trip include:

Coloane Village

• The colonial villages Macau is a former Portuguese colony and maintains much of that colonial history in its three district villages; the peninsula of Macau, Taipa, and Coloane. Cotai, the fourth district of Macau, misses out because it is recently reclaimed land connecting the formerly separate islands of Taipa and Coloane. 

We stayed in the village area of Macau (on the street where Temple of Doom was filmed). Coloane's village houses Lord Stow's Bakery, the creator of the now ubiquitous egg tart, and a very scenic waterfront area where we caught our first glimpse of China and stumbled upon a filmset. Taipa's village was the most European. All made up our favorite parts of Macau.

• Egg tarts How have I never experienced these before? Delicious!

Macau's casinos

• Macau's casinos The new casino area on Cotai, and the main impetus behind its creation, currently consists of three large casino complexes: The Venetian (the world's largest), City of Dreams, and Galaxy. There is also the Sands and some giant luxury shopping complexes. They've dubbed this area the Cotai Strip, trying to emulate the Las Vegas Strip in both name and feel and, like Vegas, this area has plenty of wow but zero charm. The older casino area on the peninsula of Macau is where all the charm is and we spent many hours enjoying it.

The food, scenery, culture, and vibe of Macau are very enjoyable and we had a great long weekend experiencing it all. Despite our earlier concerns, Macau turned out to be a very inexpensive destination (if you stay away from the gambling tables and score a room at the SanVa) as we did everything we wanted to and still came in under budget. Any holiday where that's the case is a successful one.

For more pictures, please visit my Facebook album here.

Celebrating Tết in Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta

Husband & I travelled to Saigon airport from Taipei on the evening of February 17, the day before Tết. Tết is the solar new year, also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Holiday. This year it was officially six days, from February 18-23, and our first chance at an international trip since Husband's English school, along with most everything else in Taiwan, was closed for the duration.

We chose to visit Vietnam due completely to airplane ticket prices. It was simply cheaper to travel to HCMC than anywhere else and, since this was our first international trip since relocating to Taiwan, we really had no constraints except that it be somewhere we've never been before. And that list is short; Hong Kong and Manila.

We flew on VietJet Air, one of a number of discount airlines found in this region. Nothing like RyanAir or EasyJet in Europe though. Much closer to JetBlue or Southwest Airlines in the States. Meaning, prices aren't ridiculously cheap. Prices can be inexpensive, however, but nothing only a weekend could justify. One needs, at a minimum, four days to justify the cost of air travel over here. In this case, because we had specific dates we wanted to travel, our tickets were reasonable. We paid US$725.88 for two, including seat reservation costs (US$3.96) and mandatory booking fee (US$20.00) but excluding any baggage costs since we travel light (read: carry-on luggage only).

After booking our tickets we read up on what we should expect in Vietnam over Tết. Basically, the country shuts down. Most everything is closed because most everyone celebrates the holiday with family. Similar to Thanksgiving in the US and Christmas / Boxing Day in the UK, everyone goes home and the country supports this (or enforces it) by shutting down to accommodate the migration from the cities to the villages.

Though we found the preponderance of closed shops frustrating at times, we were thrilled with our overall experience. Additionally, we had memorable experiences we wouldn't have had otherwise had we visited at any other time of year. And, because we visited at such a special time of year, visiting again at any other time of year should elicit a very different experience, which is just another reason to return.

HCMC or Saigon (both are used, though I'm not sure when to use one and not the other) is a lovely city. I read Graham Greene's The Quiet American before traveling, providing me with a little background to the city which I found extremely helpful and fun. Walking the former Rue Catinat was one of the highlights of my visit and one I'm not sure I would've experienced had I not read the book prior to visiting.

Bến Thành market

Bến Thành market closed at noon the day after our arrival, the first day of Tết (new year's eve, Feb 18), and remained closed throughout our stay. Unfortunately, only a few shops within the market chose to open that morning, so we didn't get to see it in all its glory, but at least we did get to go inside. We even had our first Vietnamese meal at one of the stalls; bún thịt nướng (grilled pork & rice noodles), summer rolls, seafood fried rice, and Vietnamese coffees. This meal would be the first of many delicious items we tasted during our stay.

It's true what they say about Vietnamese food; it's amazing. We ate a lot, and at a lot of super dodgy places, but didn't have one bad meal. At one spot there were so many chicken bones on the floor, Husband ate the entirety of his delicious meal with a drumstick perched on his toe (he was wearing flipflops) and didn't even care. Because the food was that good.

Our first meal

We stayed at Madam Cuc 127 in the backpacker's district which is an area we would normally have stayed far away from but served us well on this visit because it was the only area of the city that stayed completely open during Tết. Our hotel was fantastic too. There were a lot of stairs but the staff were super friendly and breakfast was free (baguette with butter and jam and coffee). Staying here also provided us with an indisputable reason for visiting during Tết, unbelievable hospitality.

Upon returning to our hotel after midnight on new year's morning (Feb 19) the owner and staff were celebrating with ceremonial offerings plus a delicious and generous meal for their guests. Not expecting to be invited to a celebratory late night dinner, we had already eaten and weren't terribly hungry. But we ate anyway. Because the food was, per usual, delicious.

On new year's day we found ourselves at the Saigon Zoo. We had ventured out expecting complete solitude, which proved nearly accurate, so we had just intended on wandering the city aimlessly. The map had a large park area near the river marked as a botanical garden, which sounded lovely, so we headed in that general direction. Upon reaching what we thought were the botanical gardens we were greeted by a zoo instead. And it was having a party. So we ventured forth and spent the better part of the day visiting with the animals.

gibbon at the Saigon Zoo

Now, it's true that some of the exhibits made me sad for the animals (which is often the case) but there were also a few exhibits that were awesome, like the gibbon exhibit which had a large section of the zoo fenced off so the gibbon could swing from trees over a river, seemingly uninhibited by boundaries. The gibbon looked so happy. The enclosure appeared makeshift, like the gibbon had escaped its cage and found this refuge instead and the zookeepers had decided it was just easier to fence off this area than to recapture it. It was very cool to see an animal so seemingly thrilled to be in a zoo. Also, the elephants were really close to the crowd. And when was the last time you saw kids feeding them? New year's day in Saigon for me. (I'm not advocating for this, I'm just saying this happened.)

elephants at the Saigon Zoo

When traveling abroad we usually spend a good deal of time pre-trip learning important phrases in the local language. But, because we've been spending all our time trying to learn Mandarin in our new home country, we didn't even attempt to learn any Vietnamese prior to this trip. I'm not proud of this, it's just a fact. We did pick up a few things once we arrived but not enough to do anything complicated on our own. Luckily, staying in the backpacker district helped bridge the language gap a bit, since they cater to tourists there and know English very well, but for more complicated transactions we had to rely completely on our hotels.

I'm usually quite wary of hotel tour booking services. The only other time I tried it was in Costa Rica in 2006 and the whole thing just felt like a dirty tourist trap. I resolved to never do that again. But, because we were traveling lazy this time, and I knew exactly what I wanted and had researched prices, we asked our hotel for help. The whole process turned out to be so simple and convenient and stress-free that I may begin utilizing these types of services more often.

Our hotel in HCMC helped us arrange bus travel to Cần Thơ in the Mekong Delta. We just wanted the normal public bus, which should have only cost us US$6 but, due to the holiday, wound up costing twice that. Whatever. The bus was air conditioned with reserved seats and even came with a pickup from our hotel and a free bottle of water and moist towelette. We felt like kings.

Saigon bus station

The bus station itself was a bit intimidating but we successfully navigated it and made it to Cần Thơ without incident. Upon arriving we found our bus ticket even came with free transportation to our new hotel. Score! What a system!

In Cần Thơ we stayed at the Kim Long Hotel. This was also a great experience. The location was perfect; right on the waterfront and only a few blocks away from all the action. Additionally, on our last night in Cần Thơ we were treated to hospitality similar to that of our HCMC hotel, a staff / family dinner. Such a great experience!

As soon as we arrived in Cần Thơ, knowing our return trip to HCMC on a Sunday night would be popular for those returning home after the holiday, we asked the hotel to book our return travel. Additionally, we knew we wanted to visit the nearby floating market and asked about that too. Unfortunately, due to the holiday, the floating market was closed. But, we really wanted to get out on the river anyway, so we booked a 3.5 hour tour for Sunday morning, hoping the market might be open that day. The tour was only US$9 per person.

Cần Thơ

With our tickets booked, we ventured out to explore our new surroundings. We had read that Cần Thơ was the largest city of the Mekong Delta. In addition, with most people returning to their village roots for the holiday, we had expected it to be much livelier than usual. If that was indeed the case, my expectations for the population density of the Mekong Delta are vastly inaccurate. Cần Thơ is a sleepy village. It's lovely. But sleepy.

We spent our days wandering the streets, grabbing the occasional beer and Vietnamese coffee, and stopping for the plethora of cultural diversions. In both cities, perhaps due to the holiday, we were surrounded by events. There were stages with performances (dance, singing, music, comedy), there were fairs and festivals, there were fireworks. It really was a wonderful time to visit such a lovely country.

Floating Market

One of the highlights from our trip was definitely our river tour. Though the market had decided to open that day, it was still very quiet. Despite that fact, seeing the area from the water was a great experience on its own and one I would repeat.

We were picked up for our tour at the ungodly hour of 5:30am but it was nice to see the area come to life. It's something I've noticed in Taiwan too; there is an entire early morning economy that I am absolutely oblivious to. Perhaps it's due to the heat but I have observed that most activity happens when the sun is down, both in the morning as well as in the evening. For instance, when the market is up and running, it is usually over by 9am. I don't typically wake up before 10am. That means an entire business day has passed before I even open my eyes. Astounding.

I really enjoyed our trip to Vietnam. I loved everything about it; the people, the food, and the culture. I look forward to returning often.

For more pictures, please visit here.

2014 Travels

Boardwalk, Atlantic City

In January we traveled to Atlantic City to participate in Yelp's Winter Break, a weekend of entertainment co-organized by Yelp New Jersey and Yelp Philadelphia. It was a fun weekend of scavenger hunting and drinking but, mostly, it was a great way to experience Atlantic City for the first time.

Our weather wasn't the best, but we still got to see some of the famous landmarks from Monopoly and the gorgeous beach.

Someday, hopefully, we'll get to see it in all its summertime glory. But, its wintertime glory wasn't too bad at all.

In February we spent a long weekend in Boston. We did the Freedom Trail. We ate Boston creme pie. We drank Sam Adams beer. We pub crawled.

Boston was cold in February but we still had a great time wandering the city and exploring historically significant locations (including Cheers, pictured).

The Freedom Trail is excellent for the really old, historically significant stuff (not just '80's TV shows, though Cheers is near the start of the trail). Plus, the Trail leaves you in a lovely part of Boston called Charlestown. You should go to Sullivan's Pub for some local color. And watch The Town with Ben Affleck before you get there.

Puerto Rico

In March we went to Puerto Rico for a proper holiday. We scored on a Delta glitch and got roundtrip first class / priority tickets for only US$87 from NYC via ATL.

This trip was amazing for many reasons but mostly because we got to reconnect with old friends who now live there. Also, we want to live in Viejo San Juan. Its colonial charm and friendly locals really made it hard to say goodbye. We'll be back, Viejo San Juan. Promesa.

Playa El Cuco, El Salvador

In May we traveled to El Salvador for a long holiday. We stayed over three weeks at La Tortuga Verde in Playa El Cuco. The picture on the right was our view for the entirety of our stay.

Although El Salvador was slightly dodgy at times, we made some great friends on this trip, had some great experiences, and ate some great food. I can totally see us going back someday.

If you go and stay at La Tortuga Verde, don't miss the All Day Open Water Adventure. Magical. ¡Hay pescado!

The end of June and beginning of July were reserved for visiting family and friends in Utah. We spent the bulk of two weeks in the Salt Lake valley visiting family before venturing on a quintessential road trip to Las Vegas for a long weekend with old friends.

Las Vegas

July also saw us officially becoming expats again. After a night in Long Beach, California, we caught a flight to Manila, Philippines where we survived two nights before landing in Taipei, Taiwan.

We spent over two weeks in Taipei before moving south to Kaohsiung, our new home. Besides a few day trips to Maokong, Danshui, and Yangminshan, we didn't really do much sightseeing again until November.

We had a houseguest from Seattle join us for a week in early November. Besides showing her around Kaohsiung, we took her up to Taipei where, in addition to Maokong, we also traveled to Beitou for the hot springs.

Beitou Hot Springs

We finished the year with an ambitious day trip to Sun Moon Lake.

2014 was an amazing travel year for us. We got to see new places, visit old favorites, and share many of them with friends and family. We hope this foretells a new trend in travel for us. Sharing experiences with those you love is truly one of life's joys.

To all the Travel Bunnies out there, may 2015 bring you good health, happiness and many safe travels.

Cape Cod

Highland Lighthouse, North Truro

Last weekend we had the opportunity to visit Cape Cod with a dear friend and his family, including his youngest brother, future sister-in-law, mother, and grandmother.  We stayed in a lovely cottage near the sea in Dennisport and proceeded to have an amazing time, dare I say "Best Weekend 2013".

Getting to The Cape from New York City without a car is pretty straightforward.  One can either take a train or bus to Providence and then take a bus to Hyannis from there.  We opted to take a bus to Providence, purchasing on Greyhound's website because they had the cheapest fare.  (Side note: apparently, Greyhound is no longer Greyhound because our bus was labelled Peter Pan and, though the driver would mention Bonanza in conjunction with Peter Pan ("thanks for choosing Peter Pan / Bonanza"), we never heard anyone say anything about Greyhound.)

The Port Authority (aka bus station) in New York City is very reminiscent of the bus stations we experienced in Europe (actually, there's a lot about New York that reminds us more of Europe than of the US, but I digress); buzzing with activity as though riding the bus is really a thriving transportation alternative (though most people in the US would not consider it an option at all because, if you're going to use the road, why don't you just drive yourself?).  Though our experience was relatively painless, it could have easily gone the other way.

First of all, the Port Authority does not have a departure board telling you where to go for your bus, nor is the information printed on your ticket and, at 7am on a Saturday morning, all information booths are closed.  Luckily, while retrieving our tickets the day before, we had been told what terminal our bus would be leaving from (though the Peter Pan insignia on our bus made us doubt the information for a bit).  Secondly, apparently bus companies will intentionally and regularly oversell their buses.  If you're one of these sad fools who don't get on the bus you bought a ticket for you may be lucky and another bus will be brought in to accommodate your reservation relatively quickly or, and just as probable, you may have to wait for the next scheduled bus.  Without knowing about this custom of overselling, we barely made it onto our bus.  The poor fools behind us were not as lucky.  Whether another bus came for them or they had to wait until the next bus, a whole 2 hours later, we will never know.

The bus ride was 3 hours and 45 minutes from New York City to Providence and another 2 hours to Hyannis.  Leaving New York at 7am, we were in the welcoming embrace of our friend by 1:30pm Saturday afternoon and enjoying our first Cape Cod feast by 2pm.

lobster roll and chowder

One of the things that made me instantly fall in love with Massachusetts, or maybe just The Cape but, as I've never been to other parts of MA before, I'll assume it's the whole state until otherwise disproved, was that beer is served everywhere.  You're in a family friendly diner?  Want a beer?  Yes, please!  You're at a tent party in a random, isolated area?  Want a beer?  Yes, please!  And, not just any beer.  You get variations of Sam Adams.  Know why?  Because Sam Adams is The Boston Beer Company and (another thing that made me fall in love with Massachusetts) the people here have great pride in all things Massachusetts.  (We saw "Go Bruins!" alternating with the destination on city bus display boards.)

Our time on The Cape was relatively short - we were on our way back to New York City by 4:45pm the next day - but we packed a whole lot of good times and memories into what also felt like an incredibly relaxing weekend. In just over 24 hours, we were able to do all the things one does whilst enjoying The Cape during The Season. We lounged on the beach for hours, we sat drinking mimosas on the back porch for an entire morning, we played a leisurely game of mini-golf, we bought salt water taffy and attended drag karaoke in P-Town, and we went to a benefit concert for the local radio station which included seafood gumbo, amazing zydeco and, of course, Sam Adams beer. Seriously, Best Weekend 2013!

After a lifetime of hearing references to The Cape, my first visit did not disappoint.  This area has been in the common American lexicon since at least the Kennedy administration but it doesn't look like an aged seaside retreat at all.  Instead, it is thriving and modern, achieving the latter without having changed much over the past few decades (at least according to our hosts).  I'm so glad I had the opportunity to visit such a great place with such a good friend and his fun family.  Enjoying The Cape with the added benefit of generational knowledge turned a lovely weekend into a memorable one.

Pedestrian Access on the Bridges of Lower Manhattan

Brooklyn Bridge, Tillary Street entrance

There are three bridges in lower Manhattan which take you across the East River into Brooklyn: Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge and Williamsburg Bridge.  Whilst each provides access for pedestrians and bicycles, the experience for walkers/cyclists is vastly different.  Below are my observations for each.

Brooklyn Bridge - Of the three bridges, the Brooklyn Bridge is by far the most popular for tourists.  The pedestrians and bikes share a path down the center of the bridge, separated only by a thick white line (which is often completely ignored by the camera wielding hoards).  The multi-year renovation project is near completion (June 2013) which will allow for almost completely unobstructed views across the entire length.

Nearly unobstructed view from the Brooklyn Bridge

Access from Manhattan is near City Hall, just south of Chinatown on Centre Street.  From Brooklyn there are two access points, one closer to the waterfront (Prospect Street) with stairs and another without stairs, where the cars enter at Tillary Street.

For a leisurely stroll, as stated above, the Brooklyn Bridge is not a pleasant experience.  Similar to the Millennium Bridge in London, unless you hit it on the morning commute, before the tourists arrive, you'll wind up encountering a number of stationary, picture-takers and angry bicycle commuters yelling at said picture-takers to get out of their lane.  Of course, for tourists, with its history, beauty, and nearly unobstructed views of the Manhattan skyline, the Brooklyn Bridge is a must-see.  But, please do be aware of path etiquette and stay on the appropriate side.

Manhattan Bridge

Manhattan Bridge - The Manhattan Bridge is the middle of the three bridges, accessed by a grand entrance, reminiscent of the Wellington Arch in London or Arc de Triomphe in Paris, on Canal Street in Manhattan.  The pedestrian access is on the south side and a bit dodgy.  The bicycle entrance is somewhere on the north, I assume, and kept wholly separate from the pedestrians'.  On the Brooklyn side, pedestrian access is very near the Brooklyn Bridge.

The Manhattan Bridge provides for separate paths for pedestrians and bicycles with the pedestrians on the south and the bicycles on the north.  The view, though iconic and, I believe, the one used for the New York, New York hotel and casino in Las Vegas, is marred by a chain link fence the entire length but, with some patience and ingenuity, good pictures can be had.

view through the links of the Manhattan Bridge

Trains, which also use this bridge, are at the same height as the pathways resulting in a loud and intrusive noise every few minutes as they pass.

Williamsburg Bridge, Houston Street

Williamsburg Bridge - The farthest north of the three bridges, the Williamsburg Bridge will take you from Houston Street in Manhattan to the Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn.  Similar to the Manhattan Bridge, the Williamsburg Bridge also has a grand entrance but this one is reserved for the pedestrians/cyclists.

The Williamsburg Bridge shares many traits with the Manhattan Bridge but, in most cases, executed better.  For example, trains also use the Williamsburg Bridge but instead of being at the same level as pedestrians/cyclists they are located lower, changing their presence from one of irritation and nuisance to novelty and joy.  On the Manhattan side, the pedestrians and cyclists share a path upon entry for a bit before separating and continuing as on the Manhattan Bridge, with cyclists on the north and pedestrians on the south.  However, rather than being relegated to that side for the duration, there is a connection in the middle allowing for intermingling of the paths and pausing to take pictures, etc. without becoming an obstacle to others. Similarly, there is a large viewing platform on the Brooklyn side, allowing for pictures of Manhattan without blocking the path.

Williamsburg Bridge

One area for improvement, however, is the type of fencing that is used.  On the Manhattan Bridge it's just normal chain link but on the Williamsburg Bridge it is a heavy duty red fencing which is an eye sore in pictures.

Overall, I think it's lovely that there are three free and convenient methods for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the East River from Lower Manhattan.  Whilst each has their faults, the benefits and value easily outweigh them.  I'm looking forward to experiencing them by bicycle (though I'll probably do an early morning bike ride across the Brooklyn Bridge).

Amsterdam

I thought Amsterdam would've been one of my first European experiences.  As it is, it wasn't.  Of course, that's mostly relative because in 20 years I'll look back at my second year living abroad and remember I went to Amsterdam and think, "that was one of my first European cities."  However, presently, closing in on the end of my two years living abroad and Amsterdam coming midway through the second year, let's just say I thought I would've seen it by now.  Nevertheless, it is the first European city I've visited with friends, so that's something.

The Netherlands is a bicycle riding utopia.  It is everything anyone who has ever commuted via bike could ever dream of: dedicated bicycle lanes (everywhere, including along highways), right of way (cars stop for bikes), respect (everyone moves when the bell is rung).  Heaven.  Thanks to my friend's itinerary recommendation, we decided to rent bicycles for a day for a self-guided windmill tour outside the city which turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip.  If she hadn't made the suggestion, due to the budget nature of my travels, I would've opted out of this particular experience and just spent another day walking around Amsterdam, not even seeing a windmill.  That would've been a travesty.  If ever in doubt, €13 for a 24 hour rental is a killer deal and worth every cent (and the sore butt). Do it!

Although the Dutch are famously tolerant, I found that, in Amsterdam at least, this does not necessarily translate into good-natured, polite, nor particularly friendly.  My experience left me with the impression that Dammers are honest, blunt, and perhaps not terribly inclined towards sarcasm.  I imagine they are lovely people once you get used to their ways.  Unfortunately, since I was in town for less than a week, I didn't have time to test this theory, though I still left believing I liked them more than I didn't.

Amsterdam is very picturesque.  The canals are gorgeous.  The cute, crooked houses are adorable.  The small streets, especially The Nine Streets (De Negen Straatjes), are worth a day's meander.  But, the Red Light District (De Wallen), especially at night, is not fun at all unless you like stag parties, ogling crowds, and a tense atmosphere.

Amsterdam is very disorienting.  I doubted my compass on many occasions because I was certain north was not where it was saying it was.  But, the compass was always right.  Never doubt the compass.

Amsterdam is a lovely city and The Netherlands is a lovely country.  I'm glad I finally had an opportunity to visit and look forward to exploring the country further.  Shout out to my buddy T-Bird for joining me on this adventure.  Especially when travelling on a tight budget, travel can become routine.  It's fun to inject a new perspective and I hope to have her perspective on many trips to come.

Baltimore

Baltimore has a terrible reputation. Lonely Planet’s website - our default tourist information outlet - states “B’more, Bawlmer, and the less flattering ‘Body-more’ (if London had this town’s murder rate there’d be 3560 bodies floating in the Thames every year), Baltimore dares you to visit.”  Additionally, The Wire, a popular “cop show” (quotes are theirs) set in Baltimore, probably does not help with this perception.  Though I haven’t seen it, I’m pretty sure my friends were warning me when I told them I was going to Baltimore and they responded, “have you seen The Wire?”.  Thus, having had limited experience beyond the above, we landed in White Marsh, MD - a suburb of Baltimore and where the Megabus from New York City deposits you - on a lovely June afternoon mentally prepared for a pretty rough stay.

The Tripadvisor Baltimore travel forum had instructed us to take the #35 local MTA bus into Baltimore, picking up near the White Marsh Park & Ride where the Megabus stops.  Our first observation upon unloading was that the Maryland Transit Administration doesn’t really want you to use their system.  The park & ride, which you think would have plenty of maps and signs to show you where the various buses pickup as well as their destinations, was absolutely devoid of any type of signage.  Not only are there no maps or signs but one must look very hard for the actual bus stops.  Additionally, there are no sidewalks in the area, which makes walking along the busy street rather dangerous.

Luckily, the travel forum had equipped us with pretty good directions and a foreknowledge of the lack of pedestrian protections, so we ventured away from the park & ride, across a busy street and through a business park, finally arriving at the Hampton Inn where the #35 stops.  Upon arriving, due to the aforementioned poor signage, we were confused about which direction of travel we needed.  Fortunately for us, there was one other person waiting at the stop and we asked her for help.

Our first interaction with a Baltimore local proved to be emblematic of our overall experience.  She was exceedingly helpful, very friendly, and even asked for our email address in order to make sure we got to where we needed to be (which she has since done, also asking about our experience).  We were gobsmacked by her level of assistance, interest in our plans, and attention.  We immediately began to adjust our preconceptions.

When we got on the bus - the correct one, thanks to our new friend - the bus driver was helpful and another passenger even struck up a conversation with us, asking if we’d just taken Megabus, which was apparently evident by our suitcases.  Of course, the ‘If you mess with an MTA employee, it won’t end well for you’ sign placed near the driver (accompanied by an image of a fist and handcuffs) was noticeable but many cities have similar warnings.  In actuality, this seemingly routine bus ride from White Marsh to Broadway & Madison would prove to be the extent of our experience of the rough side of Baltimore.

When we checked into our hotel in the Midtown area, near Mt Vernon, we were told of the free city bus which picked up right across the street and would take us into the Inner Harbor area within minutes.  A visit to the Tourist Information Center would enlighten us to the whole system of free buses called the Charm City Circulator and, although struggling slightly with timing issues, this proved to be an amazing service utilized by both tourists and locals alike.  If nothing else, the new, air conditioned buses were a welcome respite from the early June heat.

We spoke and otherwise interacted with many locals and rarely in a service capacity.  These were just people going about their day and after each exchange (seriously, EACH exchange) we were overwhelmed by the kindness and friendliness we received.  We had considered the possibility that we’ve just become accustomed to the inconsiderate nature of the Brits and that we were experiencing the equivalent of people simply saying ‘excuse me’ and ‘please’; normal and expected behaviour.  But, even our friend from Washington DC, who had come to visit us for a few hours, was equally charmed by the people and also commented on their amazing kindness.  Now we understand why Baltimore is nicknamed Charm City (we had previously assumed the nickname to be sarcastic).

We utilised the Charm City Circulator often during our stay, sometimes just for sightseeing (return trip to Fort McHenry) but usually for transportation (Penn Station, Federal Hill).  The view from Federal Hill was lovely and the Inner Harbor area was diverting.  We were also fortunate to be in Baltimore immediately preceding the War of 1812 bicentennial celebrations; it was nice to see the decorations and preparations without having to deal with the crowds.

Baltimore is a lovely city and the people of Baltimore are definitely charming.  The Charm City Circulator makes getting around the city very easy and pleasant but, being a rather small city (comparable in size to, and reminiscent of, Seattle), walking is also a viable (and pleasant) option.  We enjoyed our time in Baltimore and felt relatively safe throughout.  Although the reality of Baltimore, as seen by The Wire and Lonely Planet, may be bleak and disturbing, we experienced nothing resembling those realities.  We definitely wouldn’t mind returning to the area and are looking forward to the possibility.

The Journey: Edinburgh to Amsterdam to Brussels to New York City to Baltimore and Reverse

On a Saturday in early June, we experienced the best travel day ever.  We took the train from Dundee to Edinburgh and, to save money, we walked about a mile (with our bags) to the stop for the local bus to the airport (£1.40) rather than the Airport Express bus (£3.50), which picks up right outside Haymarket rail station.  We've done this once before and it was pretty straightforward but this time, due to construction for Edinburgh's tram, it wasn't as clear cut and we wound up getting lost.  We arrived at the airport less than 30 minutes before boarding.  Luckily, we were flying KLM (instead of one of the discount airlines) and we got the VIP treatment (escorted to the front of the line to check our bags) upon arrival.  We cruised through security and made it to our gate with time to spare.

Schiphol Train Station

The flight from Edinburgh to Amsterdam took us only about an hour.  We waited longer at the airport, for our bags and the train to Brussels, than it took to get there.  We grabbed the train (€25, first class) from Schiphol to Brussels Central (an excruciating 2.5 hours) and arrived at our flat in Brussels about 30 minutes earlier than expected, around 11PM.

The trip from Brussels to New York City wasn't as pleasant as our first leg because a) the Brussels airport is shit and 2) our flight was connecting rather than direct, but the flights themselves were fine.

Comte de Flandres metro station

Getting to the Brussels airport is pretty easy (subway and bus, €3.50) and Air Canada was a nice enough airline.  We could've done without the 1.5 hours in Montreal but the flights only cost £230 so if the connection made the trip £500 cheaper then it was well worth it. We arrived into LaGuardia and took the bus to the subway to our hostel in the Bowery ($2.50).

For our trip to Reisterstown, MD we had to get creative.  We took the Megabus from New York to White Marsh, MD ($9.00), a suburb northeast of Baltimore.  From there we took a local MTA bus ($1.60) into Baltimore where we then grabbed the subway to Owings Mills ($1.60).  Our only option at this point was a cab and, luckily, there's a taxi rank right outside the Owings Mills station.  The taxi from the station to our resort cost $30.00.

Happily, we made a friend over our weekend at the resort willing to drive us into Baltimore.  We forced $20 on her for the inconvenience though, since she would've been travelling in the completely opposite direction otherwise.

Megabus, Baltimore to New York City

To get back up to New York we just reversed the above; local bus to White Marsh and Megabus into New York City.  Once we got to New York we had to make our way to JFK which required the subway ($2.50) and the AirTrain ($5.00).

Our flight back to Brussels was uneventful.  This leg was on Brussels Airlines and, besides the flight staff seeming rather surprised to be there, the flight seemed short and the seats were the most comfortable we've experienced in quite some time.  We arrived in Brussels an hour later than expected, around 7AM.

This next portion was one of our worst travel experiences ever.  We had hoped to simply reverse the above but the bus ticket (€3.50) is only good for a free transfer to the subway within an hour from purchase and we were stuck in a Brussels traffic jam for just over an hour, missing our free ride to Gare du Nord.  Not wanting to pay again we decided to walk, venturing forth with a compass, no map, and luggage.  We eventually got to Gare du Nord around 10AM and checked in for our 12PM Eurolines bus to Amsterdam (€9.00) only to be told that it was going to be late and not to expect it before 1PM.  It eventually showed up at 1:45PM.

We arrived at Amstel station in Amsterdam almost two hours later than expected.  Furthermore, for some reason our Google map had placed the distance from Amstel station and our flat at a mere 1.4km.  The reality was that Amstel station is 5km away from our flat, which makes a huge difference.  Had we known the actual distance we would've sprung for public transportation.  As it was, we just walked.

The train from Amsterdam's Centraal station to Schiphol airport was €4.05 (including €0.50 credit card fee because only Dutch bank cards are accepted for no-fee processing).  Schiphol is a wonderful airport but we didn't have much time to explore before boarding.  Our KLM flight back to Edinburgh was uneventful and we were home shortly thereafter, 17 days after beginning this journey.

This trip had many legs and, though the return trip from Amsterdam to Brussels and the bus ride from Baltimore to New York City were very long, it didn't feel as though we spent a huge chunk of time travelling.  Even at the end of the trip, the two solid days of travel (from Baltimore to Amsterdam) had almost been completely forgotten, though I fear the horrible Eurolines experience will stay with us for quite some time.

Lake District

Ravenglass estuary

In February we purchased a voucher for a 2-night stay in the Lake District National Park from KGB Deals for £79 (including breakfast). With train tickets from Dundee to Ravenglass only £34pp return, this trip to England was an effing steal and a perfect birthday present for Husband.  Last week we redeemed our voucher and had perhaps the most perfect holiday ever.

Our voucher was for The Pennington, a gorgeous hotel in Ravenglass, a charming coastal village on the west coast of the Lake District in Cumbria, England.  We arrived on Thursday morning too early to check-in (around 11am) so we dropped our suitcase off and started to explore the area.

The village is super small so we made our way along the main road to the neighbouring tourist attraction of Muncaster Castle.  We had planned to spend Friday exploring this area but we had nothing better to do and it was still relatively early so we decided to enter (£11pp).  This would prove to be the first of many correct decisions made on this trip.

Muncaster Castle

We rambled a bit through the gardens, up to Bluebell Hill, and then back down to the castle.  We started the castle tour just after 1pm and were done before 2:30pm.  The castle is still occupied by The Penningtons and it's their voices (parents, daughter, and son-in-law) who narrate the audio tour.  The tour is lovely and the castle is beautiful.  They've made it charming and comfortable but it's still definitely a drafty, old castle.  I do not envy their maintenance or energy costs but they've done a marvellous job of refurbishing and I wouldn't be averse to spending a summer in their shoes.

In addition to their lovely grounds there is an owl reserve on their land and at 2:30pm they put on a very entertaining bird show.  We got to see a common buzzard, barn owl, and eagle owl in action and learn a bit about their plight here in the UK.  Afterwards, we made our way to the actual sanctuary where they house many more varieties, all available for adoption.  The owls are fed dead chicks, which we got to witness, and then at 4:30pm the leftovers are fed to a rather large but patient group of wild herons.  The whole experience at Muncaster Castle was magical and easily supplanted Glamis Castle as our new favourite in the UK.

After the heron feeding we made our way back to Ravenglass via Public Footpath, passing fields of grazing sheep with their newborn lambs.  The return trip didn't take very long and we were quickly back at our hotel.

Day Two saw us rambling 6 miles into the park to the town of Boot, along the River Esk.  One of the great things about the UK is the fact that one can probably get anywhere via Public Footpath.  We hadn't known that there was a trail from Ravenglass to Boot but we knew we wanted to go and assumed  we'd eventually hit a trail so we just started rambling.  Public Footpaths, Bridleways, and Right of Ways (all free to use) are definitely lovely perks of the British countryside.

Our 12 mile ramble took up the bulk of our second day but it was a lovely way to while away the hours and we thoroughly enjoyed the scenery.  The highlight though was the surprise ending when we popped out of some trees to discover we were at the top of a hill, in a pasture of grazing sheep, with an amazing view of the estuary.

The rest of our time was spent sampling local real ales from the various establishments we stumbled upon, resting at our lovely hotel, and walking along the pebble beach at low tide.  We left Saturday afternoon with giant smiles on our faces from a weekend well done.

For more pictures, please visit my Facebook album here.