Bangkok Week 556

February 21, 2019

Our guests’ final weekend … and then it’s off to NYC!

Visiting the Siam Society for its annual book fair. Checking out the vintage book!

Visiting the Kamthieng House Museum while there.

My first time visiting a 160-year-old teak house in the middle of Bangkok.

A minor safety hazard!

People must've been shorter 160 years ago.

Repairs to our ground floor!

Snake on the wall!

The Last Supper. (More delish grilled cheese.)

Getting in a few rounds of CamelUp!

And our guests are off!

Boo hoo! Until next time!

Passed this ornate (Japanese?) house in the middle of Phrom Phong.

A very explicit sign.

Long-overdue haircut. (At the place in BigC Ekkamai.)

An interesting dining option at the EVA lounge in Taipei.

3-2-1-go! And they're off to the races!

Modeling my new Jason Wu PJs.

The flight's relief pilot (who was sitting next to me for much of the flight) was following our flight on FlightRadar24!!

Bangkok Week 555

February 14, 2019

All we seem to do is have meals! 555!

In a taxi full of taxis!

Annual lunch at Steps with Theera.

And annual dinner at Charcoal. It was no one's birthday this time, though.

Say cheese!

Dinner at Demi!

And home-made tacos (or, burritos?)! Yum.

Wednesday was Large Box day at Suvarnabhumi.

Thai continues to celebrate the holiday season!

Meanwhile in Bangkok: dessert!

Home-made pasta.

And a special Valentine's Day dinner at Dao...

... complete with rose for the lady!

Meanwhile in Manila: the Thai staff have set up a refreshment booth for passengers on our delayed flight.

Drinks and snacks for all passengers.

They even had a veggie sandwich. I was impressed!!

Finally on the flight! And lucky me, I got 3 kinds of bread.

Bangkok Week 554

February 7, 2019

First trip to Trat of 2019!

Equipped for a night on the town in smoggy Bangkok!

Dinner at La Dotta, the new home-made pasta place in Thonglor.

"Secure your own mask first, before helping others who may need assistance."

Here we are in Trat! A warm welcome from Maruay.

And flower for Top, and his new store.

Here's Tong, nibbling on the garden.

Getting a tour of the veggie garden out back.

The wing beans are ready!

Several pumpkins seem to be doing well.

Post-bath, Maruay gets a brushing.

Lucky boy!

Tong knows how to get hugs. And he doesn't seem to mind being on his back.

Lunch at home.

Psst. Maruay. What are you up to?

Trying a new hotel this year: Trat 101 Hotel.

Cute ground-floor room with a garden.

Time to pick the beans!

Clearly not a pro.

Thank goodness Maruay is here to help.

Hey, look! Beans!

The loot!

An afternoon in the new restaurant.

Walking along the Bang Pra canal at dusk.

Group shot.

Selfie!

Looks convincingly realistic, right?

The restaurant, nicely lit at night.

The first guests of the evening.

What a spread!

Cheers!

Finally, Mr. Ngoen shows some affection.

Preparing the day's chicken!

Parents in a basket!

Visiting the Khao Rakam "Temporary Prison"'s newly-opened garden.

Look at the gourds.

They had lots of photo spots set up.

Talking to the rubber trees.

A view down to the reservoir below.

Ouch! Bitten by a crazy dog.

Lunch with a view.

Enjoying the local specials: steak and toast!

Someone is jealous of the attention the cats are getting!!

Butterfly came to enjoy the flowers in the garden.

Nap time for the boys!

Makro madness!

Tong: out like a light.

Getting ready for another delicious feast at the restaurant.

Cheers!

Two dead cats now, one slightly more elegant than the other.

Good morning, friends.

Say, what's this new tree?

Nom-nom-nom. Let me eat your tummy, Tong.

Nibble-nibble-nibble.

Chomp-chomp-chomp.

Crunch!

Scary dog!

Back in Bangkok: enjoying my new privileges from True.

Dragon going up the escalator at Gateway.

There he goes!

Eggplant Parm for dinner!

The first time it's ever been made with long, skinny eggplants.

Bangkok Week 553

January 31, 2019

A relaxing weekend in (chilly) Chiang Rai!

The comparison we've all been waiting for! The NZD 20 vs. the CAD 20. (The relative sizes accurately reflects the relative values at the moment.)

Welcome to Chiang Rai...

...where it's sweater weather!

Brr! Too cold to swim this trip!

Not a flowering tree... but a flowery vine that's taken over a tree!

How brilliant!

Inspecting the vines.

Enjoying the fancy features (read: portrait mode) of the new phone!

Buffet breakfast!

The gardener's hard work - on display already by 8:30am.

Welcome to Doi Tung!

Home of the large leaves.

Would make a great umbrella.

Ready for the tree walk + zip line!

Starting to rethink their decision!

And we're off! This isn't so bad.

The first real test of your mental prowess.

The bridges are the easy parts!

See, it's not so bad.

A long one.

Enjoying some respite on the stable platform.

Someone chose the bridge route...

... while the others chose the zip line.

There she goes!

Holding her nose.

Show-off.

Just another day.

Beautiful orchids.

The individual flowers were really large.

Up-close with the trumpets.

Mini-grapes?

Mustached mum in a wheelchair.

Posing with the meerkats. I mean slipper orchids.

Bromeliads!

So excited to be here.

Our first sighting of the Nipple Fruit.

Enjoying the stroll atop Doi Tung.

Peeking into the garden from the top.

Yum. My favorite Chiang Rai snack.

My northern cousin.

Leaving Mae Fah Luang.

Aha! That's what those Nipple Fruit are for.

Don't forget to stop for some Human Maintenance Service on your way out.

Next stop: Choui Fong tea plantation.

A different view than when we were here last fall.

Enjoying the tea, and the view.

Group shot in the leaves.

More tea leaves!

Spot the tiny people!

Enjoying the last night of the Chiang Rai Flower Festival.

The dress I never knew I was missing!

Up-close-and-personal with the performers.

Enjoying the orchid filled tunnel-of-love.

Floral eye candy.

My favorite part of Chiang Rai!

The Saturday night dancing!

Dinner at James's favorite restaurant - Chivit Thammada.

Her beautifully-presented pineapple fried rice.

Cheese.

The house greeter -- all tuckered out from a long night.

Happy Birthday!

Face ID - still novel to us!

Breakfast, take 2. This time, outside.

Aww.

Countryside family portrait.

Chiang Rai's River Kok.

Tromping across the hotel's freshly-trimmed lawn.

Aww, now that's a nice portrait with the nature.

This caterpillar and tree trunk look more like a painting!

Inspecting the novel flowers.

That's more like it!

My little froggie friend!

The Haw Kham Pavillion - constructed in traditional Lanna architecture.

A nice statement.

On the nice, deep stairs.

Bridge over the water.

Mum, relaxing with her feline friend.

Intricate wood carvings.

These elephants are so life-like!

How intricate!

Looking out at the lotus pond.

Enjoying his antique wooden swing...

... oblivious to the bee hive he was disturbing overhead.

Photogenic atrium inside the Haw Kaew.

Inspecting the different types of wood.

Visiting the Wat that originally housed the Emerald Buddha.

And which now houses a replica.

Watching all the fast-paced action!

Of these guys.

And now for something different: western vegan lunch.

Last attraction for the trip: the blue temple. New to us!

It's quite the tourist attraction.

But also unlike any other Wat we've visited before.

It uses blues, instead of typical reds and whites paired with gold.

I blend in, right? Just like a chameleon.

Above the entrance to the main temple building.

Inside the main building. The white Buddha stands out against the blue.

Ornate (blue) wall and ceiling paintings.

Good-bye, blue temple.

The swimmer in the group gets in some laps in the chilly water, before we leave.

No trip through Mae Fah Luang International Airport is incomplete without a stop at DQ!

N95 masks for sale in the lobby of Gateway. That's the state of affairs in Bangkok, folks!

A nicely-worded reminder from SQ.

Even Changi has immigration lines sometimes!

Guess what!? I got upgraded!! First time ever -- thanks, Thai Airways!

Posing with his birthday goblet from Malaka.

Din Tai Fung for dinner!

Bangkok Week 552

January 24, 2019

Our Guests of Honor have arrived — at a more favorable time of the year than usual! (Finally, they’ve learned.)

They're here!

Christmas continues! New ornaments for our tree.

And the biggest wok we never knew we were missing!

Well that didn't last long! The jet lag took him out with a single punch.

Crazy tuk-tuk driver at MBK.

A Bangkok signature: and the first of many blizzards to come.

Time to see what all the fuss is about! Mahanakorn Skywalk, here we come!

Great views from the 74th floor.

And an unobstructed shot of my robot building: he gets to watch the trains all day.

We've reached the peak: the 78th floor.

The highest point in Bangkok!

Group shot! Sunny!

Sathorn.

Silom, Ratchadamri, etc.

Standing (but not scratching!) the world's largest "glass tray at 310m".

Best seat in the house!

Getting some quality R&R in the shade... with views!

Welcome dinner at Lola, the newcomer to town.

Taking Chris's new cutlery holders for a spin.

The chef and her world-famous Mac & Cheese.

Just peeking.

Beautiful sunset over Bangkok.

"Hello? I'd like a haircut."

"Can you please slot me in this evening?"

Dinner at our favorite pizza joint: Delices de Capou!

Boston-Philly-Chicago

January 16, 2019

Another whirlwind trip to some of my favorite cities - but this time in reverse. And with the added fun of January chill. I mean, thrill!

And we're off to Tokyo on the Millennium Falcon! Wait, no, it's a 777-200.

A cute, but funny, graphic in the ANA magazine. Only the kid is blissfully ignorant of the emergency.

All kinds of masks available on the flight.

Back in Narita. Haven't been here in a few years!

Spotted in Narita: a vegan pork cutlet sandwich!

The Starwars aircraft, hand-autographed by The Force Awakens cast.

Here's Chicago! Back in a few days.

Back in Seaport, Boston - after only 3 months away.

Heading to that shiny new office building.

Sunrise over Seaport!

Our office's beautiful lobby.

The canteen / meeting place.

Espresso bar!

What great views.

Clear view of Logan.

Reflections.

Next stop: Chilly Philly!

Philadelphia City Hall - with Christmas lights still up.

Great views from our office...

... but the days are too short!

A cute virtual library at the PHL Airport.

Pick your story length (1, 3, or 5-min) and it prints you a short story for the road!

Also spotted in that airport: indoor relief for service animals.

Finally made it (back) to Chicago. Windy City, bring it on!

Beginning my tour before sunrise.

Our winter visit quickly turned snowy.

Not the Chicago I'm used to.

I guess this sign fell victim to exactly what it's warning against.

Looks chilly!

The next day, we saw quite an array of skies.

Mid-day, blue starting to show.

And mid-afternoon, barely a cloud in sight!

Spectacular views; and spectacularly flat.

Last evening in Chicago. Doing some of the River Walk.

Beautiful skyline, even in the winter.

More River Walk.

More River Walk, bridges.

Somehow, it's cozy.

Christmas lights still up.

The new Apple Store on Michigan Ave.

Historic Water Tower.

Omotesando-esque lights lining Michigan Ave.

Time to bid farewell to the US, after another whirlwind 5 days.

I found where they hide the clutter at O'Hare.

My flight back to Tokyo took an unusually Southerly route, and skies were relatively cloud-free.

Taking off over the Chicago suburbs. Looks just like Toronto!

Snowy farm lands over Northern Illinois.

Farmland and terrain.

A frozen Missouri River.

Imprints in South Dakota.

More interesting texture.

And more.

Snakey river, approaching Montana.

More frozen river.

Here come the Rockies!

Over Flathead National Forest in Montana.

More Rockies.

Rockies in a sea of clouds.

A sea of clouds, with some Rockies poking through.

A ridge breaking up a sea of Rockies.

More Rockies.

A river of clouds flowing through the mountains.

I think we're in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Washington, now... with a ski resort at the bottom of the photo.

Cloudy river.

About to cross into Canadian airspace - finally.

Waves hit the very far end of Vancouver Island, and end my scenic trip!

A beautiful approach into Tokyo Narita.

A wonderful chance reunion at Narita: Pang and Colin!

Have I ever mentioned my gripe about time zones around here?

Bangkok Week 550

January 8, 2019

Remnants of Christmas remain scattered around Bangkok.

I thought Christmas was over - but Scary Santa in my office's lobby informed me otherwise.

Ho ho ho?

A spy caught me walking down Ekkamai.

Getting dinner from one of our faves!

Thoughts of New Zealand!

A new kiwifruit spoon, to go with the one we brought back from NZ.

Christmas isn't yet over in the Thai lounge, either.

I find this so ironic. I found this note slipped under my door, on a piece of paper.

Sunrise over Manila.

Bangkok Week 549

January 3, 2019

Back from NZ, barely jetlagged, and enjoying the last few days of new years holidays.

Now that we're back: two new pins for our map!

Doesn't this kiwi 20 look like a Canadian bill?

While we were away, our rose's second bud bloomed.

And the biggest surprise of all: our ad worked! We got a new tenant for our nest!

Here's the egg. (Privacy not guaranteed in this house.)

Got a new, snazzy Japanese rollie to replace my broken and worn Delsey.

Progress update on the mall at the corner: exterior almost complete... but looks like the interior still has quite a way to go.

New Zealand 2018

December 31, 2018

An amazing 6-day tour of New Zealand’s North Island, along the Thermal Explorer Highway. Highly recommended to anyone who loves the outdoors! Merry Christmas, and Happy 2019 everyone!!!

Here's our route, so you can follow along!

Our all-new Toyota Corolla Hatchback - which seems to be the single most popular car in NZ!

Merry Christmas from Auckland!

We begin our rainy walking tour at Auckland Town Hall, which now hosts events and shows.

The Auckland Art Gallery, which everyone speaks very highly of. Too bad it was closed!

An opportunitistic seagull took advantage of the quiet fountain and made it his bath tub.

Very tall stacked stone art installation at the edge of Albert Park.

What's with these shared electric scooters?

They're just left strewn about the entire city!

Sky tower is visible right now, down Victoria St.

Giant hovering mirror? (Normally this area is a hopping walking street!)

Here comes the sun -- oh wait. It's rain.

The Britomart area near the waterfront: the city's oldest buildings and newest architecture combined.

More Britomart.

The iconic Auckland Ferry Terminal, completed in 1912.

Giant Swedish/Norwegian freighter in port today.

Rain water collecting in the tracks along the pier.

Island ferries still operating, but the skyline fades in and out of view.

Almost blown away by the wind! (We were lucky the hotel had such large, sturdy umbrellas for us to borrow!)

That's supposed to be the magnificent Auckland Harbor Bridge. Barely visible!

One of the many boats that stayed in - smart!

More fishing boats and yachts.

When in New Zealand, it only seems natural...

... to celebrate Christmas with some quality local ice cream! Merry Christmas!

The flowers of the New Zealand pohutukawa - which we saw in many places throughout the north island!

Apparently Auckland has the highest yacht-to-resident ratio of any city in the world.

Famers Department Store is all decked out for the holidays!

The summit of Mt. Eden, Auckland's highest volcano -- which supposedly affords great views of the city!

It's a dormant volcano that last erupted 28,000 years ago. This is the crater!

Views of the residental areas behind us.

And views of the downtown area (harbor bridge, Sky Tower, etc.) once the clouds blew through.

This little doodle didn't want to go home yet!

Christmas dinner with our Korean friends!

Sky Tower was lit up exactly as expected!

Ain't no skim milk in NZ... only trim milk!

Our first NZ kiwifruit! (Of many to come.)

We're on the move! Spotted in Tirau: a giant dog...

... and a giant Sheep and Ram.

We arrive in Rotorua! Their i-Site is in this beautiful old building.

Downtown Rotorua.

The beautiful Lake Rotorua - a crater lake (and the second largest lake in the North Island.)

Nice and sunny - a welcomed contrast to Auckland!

Helicopter tours are a common attraction around here.

Ducks on metallic waters.

Nice scenery... and St. Faith's Anglican Church.

NZ is home to many a black swan!

This family had more guests than it had planned for at its picnic!

Next stop: Whakarewarewa (full name underneath) - an actual Maori village where residents use the abundant geothermal heat in their everyday lives.

21 families live in the village, although many of its residents work outside.

The village's central home - where key events, including funerals, are held.

Facial expressions are an important part of the culture - esp. in performances.

Even the tongue is used during performances.

As shown here!

They use the geothermal steam to cook their food. Put the food inside this stove, cover it, and come back 2-3 hrs later!

One of the many natural geothermal pools in the village. You can see them boiling vegetables in a sac there.

The water is naturally ~120° C.

They use the hot water for their baths / hot tubs.

Hot!

The Prince of Wales Feathers Geyser, on their property. It erupts every 1-2 hours.

Indistinguishable, right?

Another of the (small) geothermal lakes on their property.

Geothermal lakes abutting the village. Practical!

Next stop: the Redwood forest.

They recently opened a suspended tree walk through parts of the forest.

Unlike in WA, the walkways and platforms are suspended from the trees - not built into the ground.

They have a special night walk, where they illuminate the trees and several lanterns.

Tall trees!

Hello down there.

These are actually Californian Redwoods.

After a volcanic eruption in the 1880s destroyed the native forest, and the government realized that local tree species take a long time to mature, they started importing trees from around the world.

The Californian redwood did well - perhas because of how similar the cliamte and conditions are to northern California.

Some are really huge!

Forest floors are covered in ferns, across the island!

Our fist AirBnB - a private studio. Very well-equipped.

Enjoying the couch.

Bonus points for the painting on the wall!

Delicious dinner at Ali Baba - one of *many* Turkish meals we'd have.

Sunset over Lake Rotorua.

Very picturesque.

The grand Rotorua Museum - which is closed indefinitely, because it "falls well below earthquake safety standards".

On Thursday, we continue south toward Taupo.

But first, a stop at Lake Ohakuri...

... and Orakei Korako, another geothermal park.

This is a highly active geothermal area, and the largest geyser field in NZ.

The colors from the minerals from the alkaline water is brilliant!

Silica terraces.

Rainbow terrace.

They let you get surprisingly close to boiling waters!

Sulfer smell abounds - you have to not mind it!

What they call the "Artist's Palette".

Great view from above.

Zoom in on one of the silica vent.

Artist's palette!

Great colors.

More great colors.

There are also lots of bubbling mud pools in these geothermal areas.

Apparently the mud is great for your skin, with all its minerals. Blub blub!

Another spot with naturally boiling water!

Here too: check out the height on this boiling water!

A local butterfly.

Some folks enjoying the nice day on the lake.

Local black ducks with orange eyes.

These ducks enjoy the company of the guests.

No hand-outs here!

Cows! A colorful assortment of dairy cows!

This herd pretty much represents all the different colors of cows we saw.

Selfie with the pretty ladies.

A view of Taupo (the town and lake). Remember this for when we come back in a few days - it won't be nearly as blue!

Hmm! I wonder what this means!

Clear clarification: and a good idea!

Lunch at a classic cafe in Taupo.

I do love these ANZ cafes!!

Lots of brochures hiding in the Taupo i-Site.

Great view as we continue along, toward National Park.

We arrive at Pipers Lodge in National Park. A ski resort in the winter, it hosts hikers in the summer.

It has a communal kitchen, for those who prefer preparing their own meals.

One of the many local bunnies we spotted!

Doing a late afternoon "warm-up walk" to see the Taranaki Falls.

Here we go!

This track is rated "easy". A perfect warm-up for us.

It offers great, unobstructed views of Mt. Ngauruhoe, Mt. Tongariro...

... and Mt. Ruapehu. (This is the famous skiing moutain in winter.)

Downstream of the falls...

... but we must be getting near.

Here we are: Taranaki Falls!

A 20m falls, over an old lava flow.

The falls from above.

Photograph for a French family.

Dramatic scenery everywhere!

Short sleeves and snow!?

We will be seeing you tomorrow, Mt. Ngauruhoe!

Back in our room, preparing for tomorrow: someone's never had a bunkbed before. So he's excited.

They provide a hearty breakfast before you set out!

Here we go! Tongariro Alpine Crossing! Are we ready?

Yes we are!

Okay: they don't have to emphasize that we're only at KM 0.

The track starts out gently, at an altitude of 1120m.

Great morning view of Mt. Ruapehu.

Lots of people out trying the track.

Great views of the volcanic alpine landscape.

Looking back.

Mt. Ngauruhoe (the inspiration for Mt. Doom in Lord of the Rings!)

Looking back again!

About to start what they call "Devil's Staircase" -- the first fairly steep part.

Off we go!

It's mostly single-file going through this part.

It's a mix of steps and angled path for the next 200 vertical meters.

Here he comes.

Spot the tiny people!

Looking ahead - surrounded by volcanic rock.

More tiny people.

Living on the edge.

Making progress.

Here it flattens out a bit - a natural resting point.

More people make their way up - with "Mt Doom" in the background.

We're eye-level with the clouds now.

Continuing on.

Crossing South Crater, a large (and welcomed flat) crater patch before the final vertical ascent.

Another clear shot of Mt. Ngauruhoe.

Spot the tiny people!

More great views of the mountainscape.

With South Crater behind us.

Volcanic landscapes.

Last views of South Crater, before we move on. (Spot the tiny people!)

Continuing up toward Red Crater.

And up and up we go! Don't look down!

The amazing Red Crater. Max altitude: 1868m.

Not so sure I'd choose to sit there!

Enjoying the great view from atop Red Crater.

Blue Lake, off in the distance.

Our first peek at the Emerald Lakes.

It's not so easy to get to them, though! The volcanic rock scree is deceptively tricky to walk on!

Beautiful Emerald Lakes (which are sacred to the local Maori tribe.)

Waters should remain untouched by visitors.

Fellow hikers, struggling with the skree.

Making our way down.

Tiny people!

Some people really struggled with this part -- but the reward once you reach the bottom is worth it.

Pano of the emerald lakes.

Beautiful lakes.

Group shot.

Quick break to soak up the beauty!

Geothermal steam in the background.

Continuing the downhill.

More geothermal, all the way up here.

On the edge of the world!

Overlooking the third Emerald Lake.

Blue skies, even bluer water!

Crystal clear reflections.

Mt. Ruapehu in the background.

Continuing across Central Crater. Spot the tiny people!

And see the old lava flow from Red Crater spreading out across the floor of Central Crater.

Snow in summer!

We've reached the edge of Blue Lake. Altitude: 1725m.

It's mostly downhill from here! You can see Lake Rotoaira in the background, and Lake Taupo even beyond that!

It's a different terrain - but equally beautiful.

Hills, valleys and lakes.

Walking on the edge!

You have to pay attention to where you're walking -- and stay on the path!

It's a slow and undulating trip back down to the base.

Weaving back-and-forth along the boggy, pumice hillside.

Can be brutal on your toes, too!

Path to nowhere.

Making our way back down.

Vegetation is returning.

Finally back at the finish, altitude 760m.

Here's a recap of the hike. (Or, as the Kiwis say, tramp.)

Celebrating the achievement with some local beer...

... and a nice warm dinner. (More falafel!)

And a beautiful sunset over our lodge.

New day, new adventure. Now we're back in Taupo, on the edge of the lake.

We found the oldest music store in NZ. They're still selling CDs!

An hommage to all the outdoor sports and activities hosted here.

We're starting our visit at the Marina...

... where we'll ride this boat out to see the Maori rock carvings.

An intimate setting: 18 passengers and 1 captain cum tour guide.

There was one small patch of blue sky for an instant - we managed to capture it!

Otherwise, it was grey and overcast all day! What a contrast to yesterday!

But the grey day didn't stop the parasailers.

The captain tried to sail - but couldn't catch any wind. So we motored the whole time.

Lots of people out fishing.

And several kayakers, too.

A local cormorant (I think!)

Finally approaching our rock carvings.

Coming into view now.

These are contemporary carvings: started in 1976, and completed in 1980. It's inspired by a tattooed face.

The carvings are only accessible by water.

There are many smaller carvings on the rocks next to the flat face.

Well worth the visit.

While we were there, a mum and her babies came up to see if we had any food scraps for them.

Great views of the posh summer homes overlooking the water in Acacia Bay.

Another local cormorant (what they call 'little shag') on our way back.

A sea plane getting ready to take off.

There it goes!

Next stop: the Taupo Market, which takes place weekly on Saturday mornings.

An interesting assortment of local handicraft and snacks.

Real fruit ice cream seems to be a thing.

Enjoying our pies.

This golden is enjoying lunch time, too, it seems!

Also spotted in Taupo: the last movie theatre to post a print-out with its showtimes.

Next stop: Huka Falls.

Huka Falls drains Lake Taupo. At this spot, the river narrows from a width of 100m to only 15m!

Over 200 cubic meters of water pass over the falls every second!

Elevated view.

Brilliant "blue" water.

And very noisy, as you can imagine!

Giant pinecones! Everywhere!

And going for a stroll along the Great Lake walkway.

Here comes a local Taupo duck to say hello to the tourists.

Is this his wife?

Two birds and a lake.

Lots of parasailers out in the afternoon.

A novel local attraction: Hole in One Taupo.

You guessed it! Big prizes if you can hit a hole-in-one onto this small island.

It's a surprisingly popular attraction.

Ladies' turn!

More parasailers.

And lots of beachgoers, undeterred by the cooler weather.

A cyclist.

Those enjoying the water sports.

Tall trees.

The lab doesn't mind the weather at all!

Watch out, swan!

Paddleboarding - or attempting to!

Better touch the water! Actually, it was warmer than it looked.

A local sparrow.

Colorful kayaks for rent.

Here comes our boat, returning from its afternoon rock carving tour.

Do I look like the Maori tiki?

This McDonalds has its own DC3 airplane! How often do you see that!?

After 6pm, the local fair revs up.

Very popular with the kids!

We go sheep spotting instead. "Yes, can we help you?"

How New Zealand!

Grazing until the sun goes down.

Picturesque sunset over Lake Taupo.

The ducks know he's eating something -- and won't let him forget their presence.

Spot the bossy duck!

Final long drive of the trip: from Taupo to Napier.

Spot the sheep!

A quick stop at a scenic viewpoint: Waipunga Falls.

First stop: the Hastings Farmers Market, a weekly affair on Sunday mornings.

This one put the Taupo Market to shame: it seems to attract everyone in town!

Lots of visitors and vendors!

Queues for most stalls - including the Dosas!

We got ourselves some fresh peaches and plums!

A different definition of the "bean bag"!

Avos of all sizes.

A great place for lunch - if you have patience, and lots of sunscreen!

Posing with Nic Tucker, the artist who makes the beautiful wood block prints of NZ mountainscapes.

The Tongariro Crossing print we bought from her.

Some of the wood blocks used to make the print.

Her studio.

More works-in-progress in her studio. She and her husband just finished a tour of galleries in the South Island -- now that she has coverage, hopefully she'll gain noteriety.

And finally in Napier town center!

Napier is known for its ports, which facilitate the export of the wine and fruit grown in the Hawke's Bay area.

And its got its own great climate: warm and sunny 340 days of the year!

Looking north toward Bluff Hill (where we'd be staying).

Napier is known for its Art Deco architecture. After most of its commercial buildings were destroyed in the 1931 earthquake and fires, the town was rebuilt in an Art Deco style.

Here's the Napier Soundshell, getting ready for the New Years Eve performance.

More art deco downtown.

The Masonic Hotel.

Hawke's Bay Chambers.

Public Trust Office.

Criterion Hotel.

Municipal Theater (still used as such today!)

More art deco blocks.

The art deco goes well with the palm trees!

Parker's Chambers.

Even the Trinity Methodist Church.

A row of buildings unobstructed by ugly awnings.

Colenso Chambers.

Briasco's Buildings.

A bright alley way.

NFB (National Farmers' Bank??)

The Six Sisters - 6 houses built for someone's 6 daughters, which survived the 1931 earthquake and fires.

Our home for the night: Quarry Cottage.

An AirBnB on the bluff, overlooking the sea. It's an original cottage, built in the 1800s.

The views are spectacular.

Lovely patio.

And the sea.

Driving down to Cape Kidnappers: an 8km peninsula with steep cliffs and no public access (apart from the beach).

You can walk to the end, and see a large gannet colony there - but it takes 5 hours round-trip.

The cliffs!

One last walk for the trip: Te Mata peak, south of Napier. (See the tiny people?)

Te Mata peak rises 399 meters above the ground, providing great views of the Hawke's Bay area!

There are also lots of hiking and mountain biking trails - as you can see.

Standing on the edge of the world!

Just when we thought we were done hiking!

Very distinctive rock formations!

Hawke's Bay pano.

Tiny people, hiking. It's a popular spot with the locals.

It affords a great view of the many wineries in the region.

And the hills in the other direction.

Are these sheep? Or grains of rice?

Cows!

One last dinner. And it's -- of course -- Turkish!

The Napier fountain - lit up for Christmas. One of the town's big holiday pride pieces.

Along with the Christmas lights in these trees. Can you spot them?

A sunny breakfast before heading out.

Having one of the peaches we bought at the farmer's market yesterday!

A quick stroll around the neighborhood before hitting the road.

Great bluff views.

Here we are at the great Hawke's Bay Airport. Serving 652k pax per year, it's NZ's 7th busiest airport!!!

Here's our plane.

Enjoying a local wine (nevermind it's 9:30am) in the lounge before boarding.

Here we go! Pax boarding and disembarkation is only from the rear!

Great views of the surrounding hills...

... the airport, and Napier township in the backround...

... and the mountains of Tongariro National Park in the background.

Once in Auckland, we embark on a long walk between the domestic and international terminals.

The walk is so long, it takes you through a park... with a rest area!

Very informative: all airports should do this.

First to board our flight!

Someone's super thrilled to have live NFL in-flight! Bangkok, here we come!

Bangkok Week 548

December 24, 2018

Merry Christmas from Bangkok!

Last Christmas market of the season: this one at K-Village.

Christmas trees, imported from Canada... prices starting at 3990!

Smell the "fresh" trees!

Someone left their shopping basket behind!

Games for all ages.

Including this Thai temple fair classic.

Lots of booths - several unique.

Posing with Mr Kisses from the Thailand Rescue Dog Association.

Here, he's posing nicely.

Posing with my dessert... for the store's records!

Lots to eat and drink.

Christmas Eve lunch!

Just put up a "for rent" sign on the nest - maybe we'll get some interest while we're away.

1BR in Ekkamai; cozy, suitable for new families. Lovingly costructed, lightly lived in. Contact us for more information!

No trip is complete without our free airport ice cream!

Enjoying our private room in the First Class Lounge. (I know, I know. A bit excessive.)

Vegetarian pad thai.

A very festive gingerbread house in the lounge.

Bangkok Week 547

December 20, 2018

A long-weekend with our furry friends! The cats clearly have their own distinct personalities now!

We're heeere! Maruay and his stiff legs welcome us.

Going to see what the tall boys are talking about.

A "hello" from the cats, too.

Going to check out what's growing in the back.

Long beans!

A cucumber thief.

Look at all the beans!

Lots of blooming lotuses (loti?) in the pond.

Afternoon exercise.

Hello!

Not sure if Maruay is eyeing the stealth cat, or the dessert.

My two friends, never very far away.

Ngoen has a hand fetish. He'll come rest on your hand, no matter what you're doing.

Feast time!

No longer afraid of Mr Maruay, the cats won't leave him alone. Even at night.

A bathmat is always a fun toy.

Here's Ngoen, back for some hand action.

"What a nice hand you have, Mika."

He loves a good head massage.

Back outside, Maruay stretches his legs.

Still likes his old tricks!

Lots of flowers in bloom at the house.

Like this rose.

And these bananas!

"Oh man, does that feel good or what!"

"Wait. You can see me?"

Taking our car to the shop, to investigate what's been causing slow air loss in one tire.

Inspecting the inspector.

We found the culprit! Tire all patched now, and good as new.

Tong, always the rascal, cleaning Maruay's face.

Spot the lizard!

"I like people! Show me your hands."

He knows who gives good head massages.

Mmmm.

Trying to help with my google search.

"No, wait. This is better."

Cleaning Maruay's feet before bed.

Everyone's sleepy now!

Watching the sneaky black cat outside.

Morning snuggles.

And more head-in-hand action.

"That's not how you wash dishes, Sittha."

"Wait. Where did you go?"

What's cookin'?

"Leaving so soon?"

Trying the new by-pass road around Klaeng.

Look! Our rose is in bloom, too!

Checking out a new (well, reincarnated) mall nearby.

Kōhī Roastery & Coffee Bar.

They feature Thai coffee only!

My new gym!

Dinner-after-gym at Gateway.

Bangkok Week 546

December 13, 2018

The holiday parties continue!!

Now it's time for the Bangkok end-of-year party!

What a nerve-wracking experience!

With our office helpers!

With my EA.

Assortment of Bangkokers.

Bangkok 2018!

Time for our own Christmas party!

N'Kate was the first guest to arrive.

Not sure about coloring just yet.

The masters of the mulled wine.

Bon appetit!

Hiding with Rohan on the balcony.

The kid-free zone.

Here are some kids.

And here are some more!

The coloring zone.

Farewell to our first guests.

BCG past and present!

Festive donuts.

MTEC ++.

My favorite Manila Christmas Tree.

Nice sunset over Ortigas.

Holiday party with the (extended) team!

With the French boss!

And the two EAs who keep Manila running.

Penultimate party of the week! Manila women!

Happy holidays, ladies.

One last team outing - escape room! (We did it... barely!)

I'll miss these guys.

Farewell, Manila!

Bangkok Week 545

December 6, 2018

The Christmas Party Season has officially begun!!

Spotted in Paragon: a special guest from the northern Korea.

At Tokyu, the mannequins were dressed for Christmas.

Even those less fortunate ones!

Youtube is the answer for everything -- including how to wrap your hands for Muay Thai.

Ready for the holidays now!

The most festive house in the soi?

Tracking my flight live from the air!

Great in-flight entertainment.

Sunrise in Singapore.

Cute Christmas mugs.

My first 787-10 ... all decked out for the holidays.

"Something Native, Something Foreign." Celebrating end-of-year with my team (and the broader Manila office).

The bosses.

Manila fam!

My new friend, Charlie-the-Beagle.

"Joyeux Noel" (I think Charlie speaks French).

Bright winter morning, with Laguna Lake in the background.

Meanwhile, back in Bangkok: eye-to-eye with nature.

Bangkok Week 544

November 29, 2018

Christmas 2018 is officially here! Happy Holidays!

Celebrating Friday with quality veg. chinese food. (General Gao's Chicken-equivalent?)

Back at our favorite Bangkok Shangri-La for a complementary Saturday lunch (on a boat!)

Patiently waiting for lunch.

The just-opened Icon Siam that everyone's been talking about.

Face-on shot. Apparently it features 30+m tall panes of glass -- the longest pillar-less glass façade in the world.

More junk floating in the river! (It's a museum.)

In Thailand, this is Air France's low cost carrier. Not Joon!

Rajini School.

Wat Arun. (It was a struggle to get 2 giant heads and the temple into the photo at once.)

More Wat Arun.

Rama 8 Bridge.

This is the first time I realized it's not symmetrical!

Same bridge, more dramatic lighting.

This time, under the Rama 8 Bridge.

A special push-boat, with a special tensile rope.

Back in the hotel lobby: stapling the (real) gingerbread roof tiles on.

Shadows in the Krung Thep wing.

Where all the song taew start.

It's tree time!

This is never going back so compactly!

These needles don't hurt! ::Cough cough::

Concentrating hard.

Assembled!

And the wreath, too!

Short diversion to EmQuartier, to get more lights and soak up the season.

Tickle tickle.

The Centerpiece.

Someone painted the Coca Cola bear.

These look like cutesy ornaments... but they're as heavy as bowling balls! Death trap.

Okay! Lights on, ornaments on. It's holiday time!

Last step: getting the balcony ready.

Almost as bright as the moon.

We found a nice tacky star!

The over-crowded Danish Christmas Bazaar.

Thought I found a train mag in the TG lounge.

But alas... it's only a schedule.

A giant sandbox at Gate E3. Wait, no. Continuous replacement of asphalt with concrete continues at Suvarnabhumi.

Amex forgot to order my veg meal... but I'm the one who benefited! Biz class breakfast!

NAIA T1 gets innovative with sourcing the power for its tree lights.

Dramatic lighting over the Pasig River.

These elevator warnings are reassuring..!

Bangkok Week 543

November 22, 2018

Christmas is only a month away! Time to get serious. To the tree farm!

Ending the week at our new favorite hummus place.

It's AC cleaning time. They brought a special bed spread.

Power-washing the AC.

On the Daikin receipt, they list the number of their cool-line. Ba-dump-ching.

Welcome to the Triumph Tree factory in Samut Prakan.

Factory-fresh Christmas trees for sale.

Many different species!

Overwhelming!

Many different heights, too.

Here's the one we decided to get!

They also make (and sell) wreaths and garlands.

Pint-sized trees for less than 300 baht.

We could fit this one in our garden, right?

Somehow, everything fits nice and compactly into the Jazz.

Great graphics at a PTT on the way home.

Ouch.

Finally trying a messy bun from Saint Etoile bakery.

Played with the brightness so you can (just about) see the 2 eggs!

Mango sticky rice from a famous joint in Bangkok.

Bangkok Week 542

November 15, 2018

New discoveries in the same old Bangkok.

Maruay had a personal entourage when returning from his overseas trip.

Trying the special crispy omelette at the Gateway food court.

A giant art installation at BACC.

Can you tell what these streamers are made out of?

Baskets!

6 stories of basket streamers!

Up close and personal.

An installation by an Australian artist, as part of the Bangkok Art Biennale.

Surprisingly life-like skeletons made of bottles.

Spiderman was here?

Visitors were allowed to crawl inside this installation!

Another sign of Spiderman.

A very authentic-looking Korean restaurant in Ekkamai - complete with cold Korean water pitcher.

Great bibimbap (price = 250 THB = 10 CAD ... not to dissimilar from Euclid).

This is the strategically-placed home of our new tenants, the Small Bird husband & wife.

We also had a visiting dragon fly.

Sunset over western Bangkok.

Lots of activity (but not much visible progress yet) on the site of the old Suan Lum Night Bazaar.

Christmas at Emporium & EmQuartier is here!

Someone took a paintbrush to the Coca Cola bear?

Christmas has officially begun!

They are right!

Indeed it's an inconvenience!

Bangkok Week 541

November 8, 2018

It’s raining cats and dog (and bears)!

Welcome back to the Trat Menagerie.

Boop!

Maruay still enjoys short strolls outside.

Cat in a bag!

The rascals, coming back from their second-floor playground.

It's a looong way down.

Tong pretends to like laps.

Ngoen: the real people-lover.

This tail is so much fun!

Maruay's had enough of this nonsense.

Tong helps keep his brother clean.

Posing sweetly.

Doing everything together.

Driving the new truck!

A great dinner feast.

Trying out the new folding bed... and so Ngoen did, too.

The rose has opened a lot since the day before.

Maruay says good morning.

The old man on a mission.

Down to drink some fresh pond water.

Hard to hide where he's been!

Bath time for the feet.

The cats require supervision outdoors... which is more enthralling than TV.

Ngoen.

And Tong.

So much to smell back here!

Time to go inside!

"But I don't want to!"

This is the Skeleton pose.

Ngoen finds his way into people's laps no matter what.

Head massage.

Reading a book.

Lap-lying. That looks comfortable.

Total, utter relaxation.

Not as comfortable as it looks.

Our Trat haul - all coming back to Bangkok with us.

Old Man Mauray looks thrilled to see us go.

Bye bye, Big Boy.

SELFIE!!!

Pattaya's newest attraction - as advertised in the Thai Airways magazine.

Book your tickets fast - it's a sure sell-out.

Views from a different part of Metro Manila this week.

EDSA Shangri-La has clever take on Christmas this year, with giant bears dressed as members of the hotel staff.

Bears and trees greet you at every entrance.

Staff bears, as far as the eye can see.

The bakery staff.

The porters, in matching uniforms.

This porter is hard at work...

... while this one poses for photos.

One of the front desk staff.

The hotel GM.

The gardener.

The mechanic.

Another lobby staff.

Part of the housekeeping crew.

Another porter, waiting outside, and wishing guests farewell.

Great views leaving Manila this week.

But we landed just as a storm arrived at Suvarnabhumi!

Bangkok Week 540

November 1, 2018

Exploring Bangkok, and all the Q4 holidays.

Our purple orchids are enjoying a full second season.

Dinner at Hummus Boutique, a nice little hummus shop at Thong Lo.

Okay, we over-ordered. But everything was good!

An old MG car show at Eight Thong Lo.

The MG car show and the Halloween celebration joined forces!

Nice late-afternoon lighting over the BACC mural.

Checking out Ekamai Soi 2.

Some large properties...

... and interesting-looking restaurants.

Dinner for us: "healthy" ramen with all sorts of add-ins.

A giant hump has emerged in the middle of Ekamai!

It must be related to the drain water construction work being done below.

IKEA lunch! Veggie balls and penang sauce. Can't get that at your local IKEA!

Putting my head in the mouth of the crocodile.

Isn't this a bit disturbing for kids?

Christmas is *almost* here in Thailand.

Our all-new bedroom.

Meanwhile, Christmas celebrations are in full-swing in Phils!

And closing the books on Halloween. Here's a normal cake, with a ghost seance on top.

Spotted in Bangkok: Pumpkin Ghost donut. Not sure if Thailand has quite figured out Halloween.

Weeding our balcony garden. Check out this tamarind tree!

The new Taiwanese restaurant in Sukhumvit 49. Yum!

You can buy an Animal Pinch Set at the 60 baht Japanese store in the Big C mall.

And also these handy toe stuffers for your pointy heels!

Bangkok Week 539

October 25, 2018

We interrupt this All Garden update with breaking news: all holidays are in full-effect in Manila.

Looks like our resilient rose will have another bloom soon.

The purple orchid is doing well.

Three more stalks expecting flowers soon.

And The Guy may finally be adapting to his new home.

Impromptu plant purchase from a roaming saleslady.

Our big purchase.

Let's see if this guy survives the indoors better than his predecessor.

Someone's sad!

After 8.5 years, it's his last day at the Olympic Club.

Self-reflection.

Beautiful Bangkok sunset.

A giant vegetarian feast at Khun Churn. (This plate is huge.)

Wisdom (and a threat?) in a Manila jeepney: "God knows who does not pay. God is anywhere."

Surprise guests at my window.

We have festivities for Dia de los Muertos...

(Larger than life, I might add.)

...Halloween...

... and Christmas!

This is Terminal 1's sad attempt at getting into the Christmas spirit.

Meanwhile, back in Ekamai, the excavation continues.

If they can really redo all the drain pipes with these honkers, we should be in much better shape.

Bangkok Week 538

October 18, 2018

Back to Bangkok just in time for the end of J-week! Yum yum!

The newest addition to our living room collection: Takraw ottoman by Mobella.

My wonderful birthday presents: all practical!

Lunch at the noodle lady who's only serving J for these 10 days.

Yum yum!

7-Eleven has its usual J lineup.

No birthday is complete without a blizzard cake!

Our purple orchid is doing well!

My favorite restaurant!!!

I wait all year for these HK Noodles!

And a special menu at Din Tai Fung, too.

Mmm!

All the best holidays converge: J week, mooncake festival, and halloween!

And in Manila: Christmas, too!

What kind of Starbucks doesn't serve coffee? A lame one!

Hmm. Shall I fly to KL, or to Toronto?

Exchange 106, KL's latest skyscraper, is going to eclipse Petronas Towers as the tallest tower in KL ... and Southeast Asia!