Palace and Temple

I've had a very interesting day. Let me take you through it step by step. It began with an early call. Yes, out of bed at 6.00am. I am not a morning person so it was a painful as ever to get into gear at that time. I shaved, showered etc and made it to the breakfast room for 6.45am.

A light breakfast then off to get my rucksack and wait in the lobby. I got there at exactly 7:30 as requested. I waited, and waited. Others came and went with other tourist groups and I sat there alone. I finally talked to the reception staff at 9.00am and explained the situation. They called 'Ronny' who I had made the booking with


He is responsible for the German language tours. He screwed up badly! He said the guide and driver had gone to the wrong hotel. I told him to go to hell and I would book with another company. End of that conversation. Two staff members listened to me speaking in German and after said they did not understand what I had said but it was plain that I was angry. What a nice understatement! .

They looked in the brochure of the company the hotel has a contract with. We found a tour beginning at 12.00 noon. They called for me and booked it. I retired for a rest and lo the car arrived on time and with a very nice young lady called Alicia as our tour guide. The others in the group were a family from Vancouver. Intelligent, well travelled and perfect company.

We set off on a tour that turned out to last for over five hours. Our guide liked the small group and was not in a hurry. The main visits were the Main Palace and Temple complex built in the mid-1800s. They are close to the curve in the river in which the later centre of Bangkok emerged. It really is a huge urban sprawl dominated by
cars.

This is the main problem for the city was laid out around the river with lots of canals for river/water transport. That was then the main way of moving people and goods. Then came the petrol engine. The rest is history. Bangkok is really a petrol engine dominated area. Many people wear masks but I am not sure if that helps.

On return to my hotel I sipped a cool G&T after discussing my plans for tomorrow with two of the hotel staff. They agreed I could use facilities even though on paper I had to leave my room by 12.00 noon. They said I could go on another tour, return and then shower/freshen up at the swimming/gym/sauna facilities on the 9th floor. I could then go to the airport to wait until my flight left at 11:55pm. What a time to take off!

Having got all that organised, I went to the hotel restaurant and had an excellent meal based on fish. The service was also very good. How difficult it will be to return to Berlin as a 'normal-person' after being a 'VIP' in Bangkok.

Worra Scorcher!

"Phew, worra scorcher !" was always used by the magazine Private Eye to describe hot and inclement weather.... in the way only Private Eye could do for its stories were always linked to 'sex scandals' of that period. I am not sure they are still doing it. But a classic of its time!

That is what I thought as I emerged into my part of Bangkok early afternoon. It was 30+°C and with high humidity. It was like walking through a steam bath that didn't stop steaming. It is many decades since I experienced such weather and that was in north India.

I started the day by trying to merge my time period in Sydney with Bangkok = by waking early. I got a call from reception at 8.00am = midday Sydney time. I had not slept very well but galloped through the shower. I later emerged at level B1 on the lift sign. It was reserved for Breakfast level 1. What an array of food.

I marched around the displays and worked out that if I started on water/juice and worked my way through everything on offer I would need about 2 hours to eat/drink my way through breakfast.  I noted a couple of 'over large' guests and decided not to try the two hour breakfast test!

After that I retired to my room to call the tourist company and book tours for tomorrow and Wednesday. I prepared photos for the blog post I did this morning. Then I girded my loins and set out to explore my bit of the city.

I walked 5 minutes to a local bank and enjoyed half an hour in the company of an employee who changed money and wanted to know about life in Germany/Berlin. What a pleasant young lady and I said I would certainly return to her should I need more money. That was the start of a nice afternoon.

I worked out how to use the underground system and it seemed to have been designed by the person responsible for the Beijing underground. In fact I wondered if I were in Beijing as I travelled to my destination. It was not far away and after a short walk I arrived at a 'Shopping Mall'. It was also exactly like the ones in Beijing!

I had a great time finding things including real McVities Digestive Biscuits. What a surprise. I can't buy them in Berlin. But I had a problem to find Schweppes Tonic Water to thin down my bottle of Gordon's Dry Gin. I succeeded, but only available in small cans and not in large bottles. Must talk to Schweppes about this on my return!

I also bought different kinds of bread/rolls/cakes and got into interesting conversations with the ladies selling these wares. A coffee break, walk into the park, enjoy the lake and trees then slowly back to the hotel as it got dark.

I had a free drink of fruit juice on my return and saw a few people enjoying the swimming pool on the 9th floor. I didn't know we had one. I may check it out later tomorrow and see what I remember from my last swimming lessons in Shirley's pool in Florida a few years ago = sink or swim!

Here are a few more photos of the area I am in. One shows the river I mentioned earlier which flows slowly into the sea south of Bangkok. More of that in my next post.

Arrived Bangkok

Yesterday I packed my bag, got in a taxi and finally entered a Thai Airlines Jumbo-Jet for the flight to Bangkok airport which is in the eastern suburbs of the city. I really like the uniforms, smiles and hands held as in prayer when the staff greet you. I replied with 'Namaste' and same hand position as a hostess burst out laughing and said that was an Indian/Hindu greeting.

Later she came to say there was a row of four seats empty and I could have them. Nice. This time I put up all the armrests and tried to sleep. I could only doze but I found it restful between large hot meals. I think this is one of a few airlines to have kept the old dining tradition = no fast food. They even served wine and spirits for free!

I watched two films between dozing. Both were new and featured two Irish actors in the lead. Pierce Brosnan was in The November Man and I can recommend this film. The other featured Liam Neeson as an ex-cop in New York hired to look for the killers of the wife of a drugs boss. I found the character actors very good and the story reminded me of one of those old black and white gangster films. Also worth seeing.

I did all the stuff you have to do at an airport these days and finally got into a taxi. I hired it from an official desk there which is recommended by the police and travel agencies. My hotel has 27 stories and I am on No. 24. A very nice room with a super view over a main road leading to the old centre which is now a main tourist area. I have booked to see it all with a German speaking group tomorrow morning. Pick-up at my hotel at 7:30am!

On Wednesday I shall book for a tour of the town via boat. A river flows through Bangkok and empties into a sea south of the city. That evening I shall again be at the airport and heading for Vienna before changing planes for Berlin and landing on Thursday.  Keep smiling and thanks to my readers in Russia who have really followed my adventures!

Mardi Gras

I have just returned from my first Mardi Gras. No, it was not in Rio de Janeiro. It ended two streets away from Ian and Birgits house here in Sydney and that is where I watched it. It started at 8.00pm and ended after 10.00pm. It is now 11.00pm and a police helicopter is circling overhead. What a noise - go away and let us sleep!

I discovered it was an event organised by many associations, political parties, sport clubs and all under the banner of the Gay and Lesbian Association. That was soon clear after a few minutes of watching the procession.

The event was well organised and the participants clearly enjoyed themselves as you can see from the photos. Not all looked like models. Most looked like Mr and Mrs Joe Public with the same bulges and body shapes as the rest of us have.

Earlier I had packed my big bag ready for the taxi at 12 noon. I then go to the International Airport and at 3.30pm fly to Bangkok. I do not want to leave. I would rather stay here. It is amazing how this place has absorbed me in the month I have been here.

I hope to update the blog from Bangkok and share my experiences with you. Please allow a couple of days for me to get there, see something, take a few photos and then post an update. Bis dahin!

Centennial Park

My last Friday in Australia. I went back to The Rocks, then to the Opera House and into Botanical Gardens. They are all on the waterfront in the city area. As the sun got hotter I took a bus to a new part of town.

It is on the border of the area where I stay and is called Centennial Park. The area takes in two other parks called Moore Park and Queens Park. They are smaller. I was surprised I had not visited them before. It was perfect weather for a visit.  Even so the locals are now talking about the start of Autumn. I joke not!

You can see how autumnal it was from the photos I took. On entering the park I stopped for a coffee break at a small cafe. Nice to sit in the shadow and I soon noticed the parks/area were/was very popular with mothers pushing prams. It was also a meeting point for them to meet and chat as well as sip coffee.



I walked along the sides of gardens and lakes, saw a 'gaggle' of swans, and watched white cockatoos chirping at each other. I stopped for a tea/cake break in an old stone shelter and enjoyed the shadow as I sipped my tea. A group of people in nice clothes arrived and then I noticed it was a wedding party. A couple got married next to 'Duck Pond' and I watched it all as I sipped another cup of tea.

Later I went with Ian and Birgit to a restaurant of their choice. It was a very good Italian one. They were my guests and I told them they could have whatever they wanted. It was my way of saying thanks  for letting me share their house and home. A very happy evening.

They are flying to Hong Kong tomorrow for a break. It is possible they will be living there part of each year from next year so they invited me to stay with them. I shall have to put more pennies under the mattress this year.

Wollongong

Wollongong is a town south of Sydney on the coast. It has an Aborigine name and rose to fame as the centre of a coal mining area, home to new settlers who worked in the mines and later as a holiday centre with a large beach. I saw it first from the plateau above when I returned from Canberra.

I went there at the invitation of Colin. One of his neighbours is a member of a Senior Walking Group and invited him to join them on a walk to Wollongong. He accepted and asked me if I wanted to come. I immediately said, 'Yes'.

I had to get up very early. Yes, at 5:30 am. I haven't woken so early since I used to work shifts when I was in my early 20's. I made it thanks to Ian putting a cock crowing tone onto a mobile phone = acting as an alarm clock.  Slow shave and shower, got dressed then out of the house without breakfast.

Caught the bus, got out at Central Station, found platform 25 and jumped on the train to our meeting place. I got there just before 8:00am in time to meet my new 'Walking Gang' at 8.10am. We got onto another train heading even further south and so a new adventure started.

Most of my new gang were retired teachers or teacher trainers. They were all my age or a few years older and enjoyed going on walks on the first Thursday of each month. We got out of the train a few stations before Wollongong to start our walk.

We started with a stop for tea/coffee which I used for a breakfast break. Very nice scenery through fields, woods, along lakes and then into the town via a hiking path. Also lots of interesting conversations/jokes/comments to make the time together even more relaxing.

We stopped for a light lunch in the town centre with even more conversations and jokes. I really enjoyed being with people of my age and talking to/with them. On my tours I have sometimes missed not having others to talk to and share experiences.

We caught a return train and they left as we entered the suburbs of Sydney. I was pleased to be asked to join the group again when I next arrived in Sydney. What a nice idea. I returned to Central Station then took the bus home. Happy memories of a special day made so by a group of very interesting people. Thanks to each and all of you!

Bridge that Gap

I found my way along Argyle Street to the steps that take you up to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Building started in 1923 and ended in 1932. 16 construction workers died in the process. There is a plaque to them on the side of the bridge.

It is the sixth longest spanning-arch bridge in the world and the tallest steel arch bridge, measuring 134 m (440 ft) from top to water level. It was also the world's widest long-span bridge, at 48.8 m (160 ft) wide, until construction of the new Port Mann Bridge in Vancouver was completed in 2012.  (Thanks to Wikipedia for that! )


I set off to find the north side which I did after
taking my time to look at all the views as I crossed. I  took a few photos en route. There are tracks for trains and roads for cars. I took the train back into the centre  after I had completed the walk. It certainly was an interesting experience.

Big Ship

Last Tuesday I set off on a new adventure in Sydney. The weather was sunny and warm so ideal for another day of exploration. I went to the Circular Quay and then walked into an area called The Rocks.

The Rocks was the original settlement of convicts and later settlers from the UK. It is now a big tourist centre. It is also next to a wharf where only the biggest of the big ships berth.
On that day I was surprised to see the cruise ship Queen Elizabeth sleeping at that berth.

I just had to have a photo so here it is with the Opera House in the background. I explored the area then went to to a German restaurant for lunch and even had a glass of Löwenbräu Bier to cool me down.   I later set off to find the way to the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

March 2015 Things

As I start the month I also start my final week in and around Sydney. Today I went in search of a local hairdresser, with no success. Perhaps because it was Monday morning. Tomorrow I am going to explore The Rocks section of Sydney, climb up to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, cross it and later revisit Manly for another walk on the beach.

On Thursday I shall meet Colin and go on a days walk with him and a gang of local 'Oldies'. On Friday Ian and Birgit will be my guests for a splendid evening of eating and drinking. It is my way of thanking them for being my hosts. Next day they are flying to Hong Kong so that will be our final evening.

This is a photo of the Parliament building in Melbourne to remind me of a wonderful week there.


On Saturday I shall go to a Mardi Gras festival/procession not far from where I stay. Sunday is packing my bags, into a taxi and off to the airport to catch my flight to Bangkok. I shall be there for three days before the final flight to Berlin via Vienna.


Back to normal life in Berlin which means going to the Philharmonie on Sunday 15 March for a concert. After that are SPD meetings, seeing Frau Fox, Daniel, my Oldie breakfast, camera club, keeping fit with Kerstin and my Photoshop Gang.

Who has a birthday in March? All my computers celebrate being 7 years old starting with my MacBook on 19th March :-))  Colin in Australia will be 64 on the 19th. It is a day he shares with his cousin Johanna in Berlin but she is few years older. Dr. Günter P will celebrate another birthday with his family on 22 March, Dr. Bernd W. near Bernau will celebrate his big day with family on 28 March and that is it.  Happy Birthday to each and all!

Bye Melbourne

Yesterday afternoon I said goodbye to Melbourne. Not only the big city but the little suburbs down to Sandringham where Peter lives. I went for a walk along the cliff tops to the south of Sandringham and took these photos.

I have more shots of the centre of Melbourne and of the streets around Peter's flat such as the library and Metro station, but I decided on the beach shots. They better represent my memories of the place and how much I enjoyed walking on the cliffs and along the beaches.

As I took these two photos the sun was pushing through to warm up the sunbathers, joggers and families enjoying the facilities. In Sydney two days of 36°C heat ended with a violent storm, high winds and heavy rain. I didn't know that as I enjoyed the sun on my walk.

As I packed my bag, I turned on my phone and picked up a message from the airline warning about the storms and possible delays. I pushed on with travel plans. A sad goodbye to Peter, for he had been the perfect host, then into the city. I picked up the airport bus and everything was okay.

Checked onto the flight and then the wait. And wait then announcements about a delay. Not only my flight. Sydney airport had been closed because of the storm. Nothing to do but try to sleep or eat/drink your way through the waiting time. I chose to doze.

Finally onto the plane, further delays then takeoff. We had to circle Sydney airport for 40 minutes before we could land for there was a backlog of flights waiting to land. Then through baggage, onto a train then the bus to Ian and Birgit's place. I arrived over two hours late but at least in one piece! How I miss those cliff/beach walks!

Olli the Ele

Saturday was Peter's birthday. We met up in the evening and he chose a local restaurant for his birthday meal. The served Spanish side dishes and a special one.

Here is a photo of Peter finishing a plate of the special food with a few chips. The author of the recipe is Joyce Radin. Here is how to make it:

ELEPHANT STEW
Serves - 3,685.  Preparation time - 2 months. Ingredients - 1 large elephant.

Method: Secure one large elephant. Kill, clean and cut into cubes. This will take two months. Put in a large pot and simmer over a kerosene heater at 465°F for 14 weeks. Make gravy to cover. About 30 gallons should be sufficient.

If more meat is required to enhance the flavours of the stew, just add one tiger caught very early in the morning for freshness. Skin must be removed and also teeth and claws for health reasons.

The stew can be frozen for up to 5 years.  

Mmmmh....delicious with all the side dishes we had. Try it for your next birthday. Cheers to Olli!

Hi from Peter

I was sat working at home one day in my office in sleepy Sandringham village, when I heard a noise to my left on the balcony... it wasn't a bird, or a plane?  It was a tourist from Berlin pushing his Canon DSLR Camera in my face, to which I smiled and said hello!

Hi to everyone reading this, its been wonderful having John staying with me this week and agree with everything he has posted about Sandringham and the beach, but unfortunately my apartment is not the size of a palace but certainly feels like home!

Peter's Palace

I'm staying in Sandringham with Peter who is Daniel's brother. You remember that I met him in Sydney and posted a story on my blog. They have a younger brother called Paul who lives with his family in New Zealand. You Silsdeners will know that their parents are Alan and Lynne in Casland!

I invited myself to his Palace and he readily agreed. As you should know from my last blog it is a beach suburb south of Melbourne and the last station on the Metro line. Peter works from an office in the centre and moves around the city but always looks forward to returning to Sandringham each evening. I can understand why.

The beaches are clean and with not many people which is in stark contrast to Bondi and other Sydney beaches. There are lots of paths and official walking routes clearly signposted. Ideal for the elderly to get around or for those with young children who can make lots of sandcastles.

The flat is relatively new and modern as you can see from one photograph. It is designed with lots of glass/windows for views onto the beach and to let summer breezes into the rooms. It has two large bedrooms and I am in the the guest room.

It also houses his work area/computers and I work from there to update this blog when not walking on the beach! The living room is open plan and fuses into the kitchen/dining room. My favourite is the bathroom. Look at this! Wow......it is a shower room. I could get half a football team in there to shower!

And what do we see in this photograph? This question is directed at my Silsdeners but the rest of you can answer if you wish. What is it? Is it a new kind of frying pan? Is it a pan for making a Silsden type omelette? Is it something you hang behind the door to hit anyone who breaks into your home?

The answer is:---------------- It is a Sandringham chicy shower head. I joke not. When I first saw it I thought it was a microphone and started to sing into it :-)  Did you guess right?

Melbourne

Yesterday I went to Melbourne. I got on the Metro train at Sandringham. This is where I am staying and is the southern most station on the south coast track into/out of the centre. I have a special ticket for a week and I can use it on any form of public transport.

They still have trams here. I was told the system and number of trams/journeys is even greater than in Berlin. Not bad! It takes 32 minutes to make the journey by Metro to Flinders Station. This is on the south side of The Loop which means a circle that takes you around the centre of the city. I took the free No. 35 tram around the centre.

I took these photos from the river/bridge at Flinders Station. It was at the end of a later 3 hour tour with a group. These are held each day at 10.30am and 2.30pm and there is no charge but each person is left to 'donate' what they like to the tour guide at the end.

We walked to all the major sites in the centre and even took in small alleys and areas full of 'alternative' art = spray painting on the wall. This time they had been done by professionals and some had even been commissioned by the city council.

We also had a break in Chinatown, went to the Parliament building and visited old malls and covered alleys which now house 'trendy' shops and restaurants. There is even an area where officially allowed buskers can sing on the street and people give them money if they like the music/songs.

I met Peter in the evening and we had a tasty meal in one of the trendy alley restaurants before taking the Metro back to Sandringham.

I have added two photos of the north and south beaches at Sandringham. They are two minutes walk from Peter's flat. I added them as a contrast to the high rise bustling city centre. I walk along these beaches every day just for some fresh air.

National Museum

On my last day in Canberra I went to the National Museum. Again a modern building with lots of levels for the different themes and displays. Very helpful people at the information desk as you enter and I got talking to a guide who had been to Berlin and planned to return in summer.

I was very interested in the sections showing the history of the Aboriginal peoples. There were many more clans/tribes/groups than I knew about before. I think we tend to use Aboriginal as a generic term indicating no differences. Their experiences at the hands of convict settlers and administrators were not always good, and that must be an understatement!

I spent hours in the building for there is so much to see. You are allowed to take photographs but not of  an original Magna Carta with a flash for this would set off the security alarms. I decided to let it sleep on. The Magna Carta in London was destroyed by a bomb in WWII. A copy of the one in Australia is there now! I bet most of the English don't know that.

I found early machines indicated the sense of exploration, innovation and repair that is also part of the history of settlers in Australia. You could not always buy something new so you had to improvise.

Here you can see how one man created a business pulled by a tractor and made a living for himself and family. I also liked the steam engine and imagined it pulling things across vast areas of Australia.

Old Parliament

The history of the Old Parliament building represents something of the history of Canberra itself.

A record of starts and stops, delays, uncertainty and starting again. An American architect got the contract to design Canberra as the new Federal Capital of Australia. He was helped by his wife and the lake is named after them. It was a 'man-made' lake created from the river which flows through Canberra.


WWI stopped construction, there were discussions about changes and so it went on. The Old Parliament was designed and built as a temporary measure. Temporary turned out to mean 61 years! It was even extended as uncertainty continued about building a new and larger parliament.

I liked the Old Parliament building. Again security checks as you enter  and you notice it is on a much smaller scale compared to the new building. I particularly liked the MPs Room with leather seats and lots of dark wood furniture resembling a traditional gentlemen's club on The Mall in London. I could imagine MPs sitting around sipping whiskey in the evening and putting the world to right.




As women gained rights and were elected MPs, there was a problem. There were no toilets for women MPs!  Conversions took place which were later extended as more women were elected. And rightly so. In the centre of the building you will find a quad with grass and trees so you can sit out and enjoy some fresh air. There is also a cafe there.

There is a large green open park area in front of the Old Parliament. I think that in 1971, representatives of the Aboriginal people erected an embassy with signs protesting that they were not asked to give their country to white convict settlers. Their tent embassy is still there with protest slogans.  A must see when you are next in Canberra.