Lumphini Park

So.  I woke up at 6am.  I woke up at 6am so I could go for a run.

Another reason I booked my hotel is that it is  half a block from Lumphini Park.  I wasn't sure what to expect.  I figured if I went there early enough, I could avoid the crowds and get some nice running in.

Surprise #1: It was warm.. and humid... I thought this was supposed to be the best time to visit Thailand.  I don't want to know what it is like during the summer.

Surprise #2: It is impossible to cross the street.  Even the local thai seemed deathly afraid trying to get from one side to the other.  Thankfully, I only had to cross one street.

Surprise #3: Lumphini Park was packed.  It was 6:30 when I finally got there (I think I spent 10 mins trying to cross the road) and there were groups of people dancing, tai-chi, yoga, walking, jogging, eating, stretching.  The ages ranged from 25 to old.  It was pretty inspiring to see so many people about so early.  I took some pictures and started my run.  The sun came up around 6:40 and it provided some light for some better pictures.

People dancing.  This was hilarious.

People getting ready to work it!

Lumphini Park just before the sun came up.

There were many group spread throughout the park.  They all seemed to coordinate their outfits.  I'm not sure what drives the color choice of these groups.  I know each person has a color depending on the day that they were born.  For example, Monday is yellow.  Maybe it has something to do with that...

Waiting for someone to use them

Peaceful-ish... there are cars right to the right of the picture

Sculptures are dispersed throughout the park

Funny =)

 I thought it was Kirby when I first saw it.

Me trying to be a photographer.. Meh

They looked so peaceful and purposeful

One of many bridges

Woman stretching with herself

Old friends gathered for a early breakfast

"Sit on me"

Monks

This was something.  They had an outdoor gym in the park.

I'm sure this is a favorite when the sun is beating down

Like many other SE Asian countries, these are everywhere

Statue at the corner of the park closest to my hotel

I ended up running about 2.3 miles and walking another 2.  Not sure how this would work during the hotter months but I'm glad I came when I did.

BKK, Finally

I made it!  It wasn't too bad.  I definitely passed out on my last leg of the journey.  Of the 7 hours, I slept for the first 4.  I ended up sleeping at 2 am or so and woke up at 6am.  I don't think I'm jetlagged but we'll see. Also, don't know if the socks helped but I feel ok.

Steps for getting to hotel from BKK:
Once you get to BKK, clear immigration, & walk past customs (and I mean walk, they don't do anything), you are on the 2nd floor of the airport.  From here get some cash out of an atm ($5 fee from your bank and thailand bank), walk down to the 1st floor, and you will see huge signs for the public taxi.  Hop on in, make sure they use the meter and you are off.

General Observations:
1st observation: They drive on the left side of the road!  (No wonder I almost knocked someone over at the airport walkways).

2nd observation: They want payment right away.  Example, the first toll was 25 baht.  Instead of adding it to the meter, he asked me for the money.  Very unlike the USA.

My first Thailand transaction.  Change from 1000 Baht bill for my 25 Baht toll.

The trip to my hotel was relaxing?  My taxi driver was the worst.  We were getting passed  by EVERYONE.  He was going 90 km/hr.. so 55?  I'm like, it 12am.  Can u plz get my ass to my hotel?  Bangkok looks a lot like I remembered it when I was here 3 years ago.

People getting massages at 12am.

 Tuk-tuks (a mode of transportation that is an experience in itself, cheaper than taxis).  There seems to be a strong relationship between cost and safety =):

 McDonalds!  Gotta go there later!

 Night market around my hotel.

So.. after 30 hours of travel via car/foot/airplane/taxi, I got to my "lovely" hotel.  I had a few requirement when picking a hotel: cheap, free wifi, AC, & close to the university my friends are studying at.  I ended up picking The Regent Silom.  It is pretty ghetto but it is clean and even has free breakfast.

My room:

Gotta go get a sim card for my phone and meet up with the other exchange students for lunch.  Till next time!

Next post: Lumphini Park

The beginning

Tuesday night I was scrambling to get all the loose ends tied up: print boarding passes, photocopy passport & visas, take some clothing out to make room for stuff I'm going to pick up during the journey. It really didn't hit me until I was wrapping up.  On Wednesday, I would be leaving the comfort of the US and instead of communicating through English, I would have to resort to a month long game of charades.  And forget about the trying to be rested to fight jet lag thing.  I ended up getting 3 hours of sleep failing to subdue by anxiety/excitement so I could fall asleep.

Before I knew it, Wednesday was underway.  It kinda flew.  As fast as 15 hours on a plane and 4 hours in an airport can fly.  For my 1st leg which was EWR to ORD, I was pleasantly upgraded to 1st class (my 1st time!).  It is super comfy.  No fighting anyone for the armrest.  For my 2nd flight, I had the economy plus seats from United.  It is amazing what 5 extra inches means in terms of comfort.  Here is a little guy that you are going to see a lot of in my upcoming travels.

I slept for a total of 3 hours on the plane.  Fighting sleep with two movies, Crazy, Stupid Love and They Way, Suits, How I Met Your Mother, and reading...

View of the sunset/sunrise?

Mountains of Northern Japan

Now I sit in NRT eating some expensive airport food...

Cyall soon.. have to catch my flight to BKK...

Avoiding Jet Lag

Thailand is the absolute worst place for EST'ers (people on the east cost) in terms of jet lag.  Thailand's time zone is UTC +7 while NY/NJ is UTC -5.  What does that mean?  It means that it is exactly a 12 hour offset, absolutely the longest amount of time anyone has to adjust.

As a general guideline, it is thought that one day helps you adjust one hour of time zone difference.  This really depends on the person: some suffer worse than others.  For me, I am usually the one that requires the full allotment of hours.  Jet lag really can't be that bad, you just sleep during the day and go party all night. =)

However, This is going to pose a problem for me because I like to pack my days so tight that I need a vacation from my vacation.. I mean from my "study abroad".  I arrive in Bangkok on Thursday, 11:40pm and intend to go the Myanmar Embassy first thing Friday morning so I can go to Yangoon on Saturday. 

Not only do I have to wake up on time and function correctly in a foreign city.  I have to get up the next day on time and make it to the airport.  This is gonna be "fun".

So, I was going to do everything in my power not to be jet lagged.  Read about the condition, see what voodoo magic works, should I stay up all night, or be super rested.  After going through all the material (half heartedly - because I'm still trying to book my 1st hotel for bangkok), I decided that I going to buy some socks.

I think I came across them because I was looking at winter clothes on sale for my upcoming extended stay in Minnesota. (It's cold there) Apparently, compression socks help circulate the blood and prevent blood from clotting.  This was obviously very closely related to some potential solutions to jet lag that I read about: drinking lots of water and zero coffee.  They all help your body function well in an extreme environment (cramped in a tiny chair for 20 hours with some kid kicking your chair and a baby crying nearby).

It was good enough for me, I was sold.  But I remembered that my running friend recently bought compression socks for running.  Ah hA!  I can get two birds with one stone. (i don't want to ruin expensive non-running compression socks) So, I searched for and found running compression socks.  THAT is MY solution.  I will be wearing those socks, in addition to drinking plenty of water, avoiding coffee, putting myself on Thailand schedule as soon as I get on the plane, and exercising daily leading up to my flight.  Hopefully, it all works out.  At least I have some spiffy sox for a 10 miler that I just signed up for.

I will let you know if this strategy works... 

How to Pack

What I am bringing for my trip across Asia.  My approach, "less is more".

So how did I get here.  Well here are my guidelines for packing:

1. Make a list
2. Cut the list in half
3. Use packing containers

Pretty simple huh?

Make a list

To make a list, you have to know where you are going and what you are going to do.  I did not know where I was going (still don't) and did not know what I am going to do (this also).So, I wrote down whatever I could think of.

What you have here, is a table of countries, with the average temperature and rainfall for each month.  To help me think about where I should go in which order, I created a little map at the bottom.  Based on this, I came to two conclusions: 1) I don't have to worry about rain 2) I can survive off t-shirts

With those nuggets of information, I put together a list of stuff.  I kept in mind that I would be a nomad for 3.5 weeks before landing at my apartment in Hong Kong.  This means travel light (carry-on able) but not too light (I do not want to do laundry every 2 days).  After making my list, I started packing and soon realized my list was too long...

Cut the list in half

Cutting a list in half when you were already trying to pack only essentials is not ez.  You have to look at each item and be like, "Do I really need this?".  Sounds like something we should ask ourselves when we are at the mall looking at a bowl that keeps our cereal crunchy.

Anyway, I realized that I didn't really need the cereal bowl or my pink dress shirt and was able to cut a significant amount of *stuff*.  I still am probably bringing way too much, but it fits and I'm not going through the packing thing again. =)

Also, try to bring things that have multiple uses.  For example, my sleeping mask is also my protector for my sister's dslr that I am bringing.

Use packing containers

Why? Because it makes your life ez-pz.  I used 4 containers, one for shorts and extra t-shirts, one for t-shirts and boxers, one for meds and toiletries and the last one for shirts and 1 pair of nice pants.  

With these I can unpack backpacks in 10 seconds AND I know where everything is at all times.  I do not have to go searching for it.

A good thing about that blue folder container thing is that my shirts won't wrinkle AND it taught me how to fold my clothes! Amazing!

Finally, it helps if the bag itself helps organize and compartmentalize.  The Deuter bag I'm using has the ability to split (more so, 1/5) the main compartment.  (Imagine having a dresser with a giant drawer vs. a dresser with a big drawer and a smaller drawer)

So I guess I'm all packed and ready to go.. except that I didn't book my hotels yet...

Appendix:

What I packed:

9 t-shirts (4 white, 2 navy, 2 grey, 1 black)

1 polo (black)

4 boxers (these are from the company that says you only need 2 to travel the world, I opted for 4)

2 casual long sleeve shirts (multicolor)

5 pairs of socks (3 white, 2 black)
1 pair of running shorts
1 pair convertible pants (the ones that zipper off to shorts)
1 dress shirt (black with stripes)
1 dress pant (grey, in case I need to dress up for class)
2 swimming trunks (1 black, 1 multicolored)
4 shorts (3 patterned, 1 khaki)
1 viscose towel (takes up limited space, for use when I don't trust or have other towels)
1 pair running shoes
1 pair casual shoes
1 pair of havianas
bunch of ALOKSAK Water / Sand Proof Dry Bags (too keeps stuff dry)
2 battery chargers
1 watch
1 laptop
1 dslr (w/ 2 lenses)
1 portable waterproof camera
2 Universal World Wide Travel Charger Adapter
1 personal safe
1 Travel Laundry Clothesline - Flexoline
1 Lewis N. Clark Laundry Kit
1 Cables to Go 1.5 ft 1 to 4 Power Cord Splitter
1 flash light
1 whistle
1 gaffer tape
2 bandanas (1 white, 1 navy)
1 carabiner
Misc Toiletries
Misc paperwork

What I packed them in:
eBags Packing Cubes - 3pc Set
Eagle Creek Travel Gear Pack-It Folder
Futura Pro 42

Yea.. wayyyyy too much stuff...

To Visa or not to Visa

Travelling to a lot of countries makes things very complicated... the stuff to do grows exponentially (not linearly) with each additional country...  Here is a graph to illustrate:

for example, I need clothes for the beach in Thailand, the temperate city in Hong Kong, and the frozen tundra in S. Korea...  this is an impossible mission especially if you want to pack light (more on this later) and not check bags (this too)... I have decided to pack for one temperature, 65 degrees... I will just have to freeze my ass off in Korea and be in a sauna in Thailand... hey, there is always the option to buy more stuff (i sound like a wasteful American)

another pita, visas and vaccinations!... not just the process of getting them.. but seeing if you need to get them...  the cdc website sux.. the state dept website sux... why is there 100000 words of text... a simple yes or no will do...

Travmed.com is a much easier website to use and simpler to read.
For SE Asia:
http://www.travmed.com/guide/region.php?r=East%20Asia
For Thailand:
http://www.travmed.com/guide/country.php?c=Thailand
Oh, and guess what? They put both visa and vaccination information on the same page! Brilliant!

Now the actual visas.  Turns out I only need visas for China and Vietnam.  Vietnam is a very easy online process (so I hear) so I have decided to procrastinate and delay it to the last possible minute.  China is another story.  I had to actually go to a Chinese embassy to apply.  When I got there, they wouldn't even let me in.  For those that plan on getting one, make sure you show up with a application filled out on a computer.  Handwritten applications are NOT accepted.  I had to pay an entrepreneur, wearing a red hat and blue fleece from UNIQLO, in a rental van $20 to fill out an application and print it out for me.  After the guard finally let me in, they made me hand over my passport.  I always get nervous when handing over my passport. They better not lose it.  *fingers crossed*  I am supposed to go pick it up this Thursday.

On a related note, here is a bit of information (that I didn't verify) for those thinking of getting a Chinese visa: you can get a single, double, or multiple entry from the states but if you are in Hong Kong (like I will be), you can only get a single or double entry visa.

Last story:
My passport expires in 1 year.  I will be travelling Jan through March.  That means my passport is still valid for 6 months when entering the last country I will be visiting.  This is important because certain countries have that requirement.  But I only had 1.5 visa pages left on my passport.  This is a big no-no.  While many times, the customs officer may add some pages and stamp that or place a stamp over an existing stamp, the officer has the right to turn you away and not let you enter the country.  Instead of dealing with that possibility, I had to renew my passport.  The worst part being that I started the process way to late and had to pay an agency $100 to get it process within 2 weeks.  FML.  Oh and for those that don't know, you get your old passport back when you renew.. and there is an option to apply for a double sized passport book.. and there is something called a passport card (think driver's license) that let's you go into canada, mexico, carribean, & bermuda through land or sea

To wrap it up, some resources that are helpful:
Information on travel destinations:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Main_Page
Bangkok as an example:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Bangkok
How to pack light:
http://www.onebag.com/

Planning/Not Planning

Planning for a 10.5 week trip is hard... Out of flights, hotel, activities, restaurants, packing... I've done exactly 1. Flights.  And not all flights. Just my 1st couple. So, make that a 1/2.

For my transatlantic flights, I choose Continental/United.  Why you ask?
Very long explanation to why below:
Because it came out to be the cheapest in terms of overall cost.  My search consisted of kayak.com and continental.com and some other carriers based out of Asia.  It was $1,320 round trip.  Kind-of high but this was because I waited so long to book and that I had a very particular flight schedule, fly out of the NY/NJ into BKK (Bangkok, Thailand) and fly back to RDU from SEL (Seoul, Korea).  Considering round trip tickets are cheaper over 2 1-way tickets, it kinda locked me into a few carriers.  That, and the fact that I'm going to get 17,788 miles frequent flier miles * 1.25 (a little bonus since I FINALLY made elite for Continental this year - side story: I missed it by 500 miles for 3 years running.)  Since, I normally flight Continental anyway, I deducted the value of the miles ($444.70 = 22,235 miles * $0.02) from the cost of the ticket. This equals a way low price compared to flying other airlines for me.  Another bonus, as an elite member, I get to pick better seats (more legroom) on United Flights.  Continental charges for picking better seats (bastards) so I used seatguru.com to pick the optimal seat given my choices.

Website I use to find the best seats:
www.seatguru.com

For the inter-asia flights, we (4 guys doing the exchange to Hong Kong) researched using kayak.com.  Here is how we saved about 25%.  We tried to do a multi-city booking for BKK (Bangkok,Thailand) -> HKT (Phuket, Thailand)-> SGN (Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam) -> HKG (Hong Kong, China) and it came to $800.  This was kind-of high so we tried doing 3 one way tickets.  It came out to be the same exact flights and price (DUH).  After looking through the itinerary some more, we saw that most of the flights went through BKK.  So, we booked 2 round trip flights to HKT and SGN ($115 & $250) and 1 one way flight to HKG ($170) all from BKK and it came out to $535.  That saved us a little over $200 by adding one extra leg between SGN and SGN.

What we booked:

One thing that may screw us is if a flight gets delayed.  We left ~3hrs between flights so we should be ok.  The fact that our flights are all direct should help us as well.  I'll let you know how this all turns out.

After writing this, I can see why I have only booked flights so far.  I think too damn much. =)