Jul 272012
 

After our fun in Macau, we realized that the weather probably wasn’t going to get much better for us and my leg wasn’t going to miraculously be great for wandering the city on our own. So, we decided to book the Big Bus Tour – Premium – since they were offering discounted prices and it gave us two days as we had until late-ish on Thursday to spend before needing to be at the airport.

If you’re a tour kind-of-person, this is such a great way to see the city and get some information too. We did this in Madrid when I went with my mom and aunt a few years ago and it was really great. In some cities, like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, it’s not worth the price, but for only USD38.75 per person for two days, a night tour, round-trip ferry crossing, peak tram and viewing terrace entrance and a ride on the Sampan boats (we didn’t have time to do that) – it was totally worth it!

So, I’ll let the photos do the talking –

Clock tower by Star Ferry terminal
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Clock tower by Star Ferry terminal25-Jul-2012 23:17, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 400
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25-Jul-2012 23:35, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 800
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25-Jul-2012 23:35, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.8, 17.22mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 800
 
The Peninsula hotel
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The Peninsula hotel25-Jul-2012 23:42, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 800
Day 1 of Big Bus Tour
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Day 1 of Big Bus Tour25-Jul-2012 23:51, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 800
Double-decker buses!
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Double-decker buses!25-Jul-2012 23:51, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 800
 
Kowloon
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Kowloon25-Jul-2012 23:59, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 5.4, 11.43mm, 0.013 sec, ISO 800
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25-Jul-2012 23:59, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 800
Even Froggy made the trip - he's been my traveling companion for years and years!
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Even Froggy made the trip - he's been my traveling companion for years and years!26-Jul-2012 00:08, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 800
 
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26-Jul-2012 00:12, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 5.1, 10.0mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 800
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26-Jul-2012 00:18, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 500
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26-Jul-2012 00:18, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.4, 6.07mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 800
 
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26-Jul-2012 00:19, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 5.7, 13.09mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 800
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26-Jul-2012 00:19, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.2, 5.72mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 640
Our hotel was located in this conglomerate called a 'mansion'
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Our hotel was located in this conglomerate called a 'mansion'26-Jul-2012 01:18, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 5.4, 11.43mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 800
 
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26-Jul-2012 01:19, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 800
View of Hong Kong island from the Kowloon side
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View of Hong Kong island from the Kowloon side26-Jul-2012 03:23, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.5, 6.45mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 800
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26-Jul-2012 03:24, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.7, 7.28mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 800
 

 

Jul 252012
 

Leg update: Β It’s healing and I’m walking almost normally, but it will still be a bit longer before it’s totally back to normal….

After spending the majority of two days in the hotel room, and realizing that we are going to have to get out despite Typhoon Vicente plowing through and my leg being what it is. So, we organized to go on an afternoon tour of Macau. The plan was to catch the noon ferry and arrive in time to pay for the tour at 1:45pm.

Well, we arrived in time catch the noon ferry, except that tickets were sold out on the TurboJet and CotaiJet didn’t have anything either until 3pm. So, when a seemingly crazy Chinese woman offered tickets for the 12:15 ferry for the same price, we went with the flow and followed her to the entrance ensuring that the tickets she was selling were legit. They were.

Once we got through immigration and to the berth, the ferry was further delayed until 12:30. It’s an hour ride to Macau and so our timing for the tour was already cutting it close. The ride was pretty uneventful until the last 10 minutes when the waves kicked up and people all around starting puking into the bags…. Thankfully, we finally arrived, but were much delayed.

By the time we got through Macau immigration it was 2:10pm and the tour had gone on without us….

One of the nice things about Macau is that most of the casinos have free shuttle buses to their hotels. Since the Venetian is a big attraction, we decided to take the shuttle bus there and then think about what to do afterwards. Through the drive, we got to see the city a bit as the Venetian is located on Taipa island, which is connected to Macau via a nice long bridge. So, we spent a couple of hours there walking around, which was fun.

It had mostly stopped raining when we were ready to head back, but R didn’t feel inclined to head into the main square to see St. Andrew’s church remains and the old area. I had seen it when I visited before, but thought he might want to see it. Since he wasn’t into it, we just headed back to Macau and took the ferry back to Kowloon. Thankfully, that trip was totally uneventful and I was able to take a wee nap. πŸ˜‰

My ankle held up pretty well and so we stopped for some dinner, which I didn’t take a picture of (Surprise!) and then we turned in early back at the hotel.

Here are some pics (videos still not working…):

China Ferry Terminal in Kowloon heading to Macau
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China Ferry Terminal in Kowloon heading to Macau24-Jul-2012 21:16, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 100
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24-Jul-2012 21:18, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 80
Another ferry heading to Macau with a view of Western Kowloon in the background
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Another ferry heading to Macau with a view of Western Kowloon in the background24-Jul-2012 21:21, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 80
 
Arriving at Macau with a view of the Sands hotel and casino
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Arriving at Macau with a view of the Sands hotel and casino24-Jul-2012 22:52, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 5.1, 10.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 160
Taking the free shuttle bus from the Macau Terminal to the Venetian Hotel
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Taking the free shuttle bus from the Macau Terminal to the Venetian Hotel24-Jul-2012 23:30, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 4.6, 6.83mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 800
Macau - through the rain
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Macau - through the rain24-Jul-2012 23:35, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 200
 
Macau
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Macau24-Jul-2012 23:36, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 320
Macau (Wynn hotel and casino in the middle)
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Macau (Wynn hotel and casino in the middle)24-Jul-2012 23:38, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 500
Macau
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Macau24-Jul-2012 23:40, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 400
 
Macau - Galaxy hotel and casino (would be pretty in nicer weather...)
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Macau - Galaxy hotel and casino (would be pretty in nicer weather...)24-Jul-2012 23:47, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 5.4, 11.43mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 800
Arriving at the Venetian
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Arriving at the Venetian24-Jul-2012 23:49, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 800
Inside the Venetian on the 3rd floor where all the shops and such are located
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Inside the Venetian on the 3rd floor where all the shops and such are located25-Jul-2012 00:09, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 800
 
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25-Jul-2012 00:09, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 800
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25-Jul-2012 00:18, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 5.0, 9.39mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 1250
Getting a little treat...
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Getting a little treat...25-Jul-2012 00:29, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.013 sec, ISO 800
 
The Venetian hotel lobby
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The Venetian hotel lobby25-Jul-2012 01:06, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 800
Heading back to the ferry terminal
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Heading back to the ferry terminal25-Jul-2012 01:30, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 500
Outside the Venetian
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Outside the Venetian25-Jul-2012 01:31, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. TG-610 , 3.9, 5.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 250
 
Jul 232012
 

Well… I’d like to post some pics, but I literally haven’t left the hotel room since we arrived – over 24 hours now, I think.

I’m beyond cabin fever stage and into the acceptance that I could probably survive in a jail cell if I had to and didn’t have to worry about surviving the craziness of other jailers. Happy thoughts, right? πŸ˜‰

Mostly, I’ve been convalescing my leg. It was pretty sore and swollen from our trip in and R thought it best to rest up. We had talked about going out to the Night Market, but by the time the hour came to go, he recommended just chilling in the room. So, he went out twice to get food for us and I stayed in doing some work and writing – not all bad.

My injuries are healing and the hospital bandages are off. I’m now doing my own treatments, which was a bit traumatic the first go, but was easier last night. The swelling has gone down since I haven’t been on it much and it seems to stem from the bruising around my ankle, which gets agitated when I walk. The good news is that it does feel better as I write and I was able to walk the four steps to the bathroom with very little pain, which is better than yesterday when I was hopping the four steps instead. πŸ˜€

Sadly, it is raining now as a typhoon passes through. We’re hoping it will pass by quickly so that we can get ourselves out of the room for a bit. We’ll keep our fingers crossed, but with our luck on this trip so far we’re more cynically optimistic than anything else.

Hope for more interesting posts!!!!

-T πŸ˜€

Jul 222012
 

We’ve arrived safely in Hong Kong.

Phuket Airport is nice and small, so it’s very easy to get through immigration and all that fun stuff.

Our flight on Thai Air Asia was smooth and easy. We usually pay for the seats with more legroom since R is a big man and needs the space. Luckily, no one sat in-between us, so we had three seats for the two of us, which made it nice for me to be able to rest my leg up for the flight.

It’s only 3.5 hours to Hong Kong, so I napped off and on while vowing to appreciate more when my leg is healed up.

We decided to taxi it to our hotel as I wasn’t feeling up to the fun of hauling all our luggage on the train on the cheap route where two changes were required and the cost for the easier route was only about 2USD cheaper than the taxi. We arrived without incident and felt pretty good until we got out of the taxi.

We had arrived in Little India/Pakistan of Hong Kong. Who knew that there was even such an area or population? We felt as if we were back in crazy Abu Dhabi again!!! With R almost getting into a fight and me envisioning a trip to either the police or hospital, we then realized we were staying in a weird conglomerate building of various guesthouses all entitled with the name of Chung King Mansion.

It’s an experience…I’ll write more about the elevators and room-size later, but in any case we’ve arrived and slept through the night, so it’s looking to be a better day at least. πŸ™‚

-T πŸ˜€

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