Taipei, Taiwan
We flew to Taipei yesterday and immediately I could sense the difference in atmosphere. Maybe it's the heavy security in Manila that tells me it's not the safest place to be. Taipei was the opposite.
At first glance Taipei is like any other big city, except the signs are all in chinese. The city is located northeast of the island of Taiwan. The bottom 2 thirds of the island is made up of steep mountain ranges going from north to south. My friend Heather gave me a brochure of tours we can take to see the island. Guido & agreed on what we wanted to do on Sunday but found out at the desk that a typhoon is going hit us tomorrow (Sunday). Great! My main concern is that I was expecting two other colleagues for this assignment and they were flying in on Sunday. Would not be good if they were delayed.
Our hotel in Zhonghe (on the south side of Taipei) was only a 40 minute drive from the airport. At first glance it wasn't as grand as the Bellevue in manila. I actually had to bring in my luggage! After check in I had to struggle a little to get my huge suitcase along with my rolling laptop bag, and my daypack into the elevator. This was bullshit! Guido was laughing at me because I was a little rusty on handling my own things.
Our hotel room turned out to be very nice! It was twice the size of the hotel room in Philippines and much more modern in style. It was also much more high tech. When I was in the bathroom I could not find any soap to wash my hands. Actually there were no signs of the amenities that you typically find in a hotel room. I looked everywhere and could not find any signs so I called the front desk. I'm thinking they just forgot to stock the room. It took a few minutes for the hotel clerk to understand what I was talking about. Finally she told me it's in a drawer in the bathroom. I had to search for it for a few minutes. Well, there was a drawer with no knob so it looked like part of the cabinet, how was I supposed to know?! That's when I noticed that there are no knobs on any of the doors or drawers throughout the room. Either they are trying to make the decor modern looking or they are just too cheap to buy knobs. Later in the day I found the room to be a little warm and looked everywhere for the temperature control. Guess what, I could NOT find it anywhere! Feeling frustrated I finally called the front desk, again. The first guy couldn't speak english and the second guy took awhile to understand what the heck I was talking about. He must have looked at something to tell me i did not have the ac turned on. I asked if they are controling the room temperature from the front desk. I'm thinking that is so weird. He finally explained that I can turn it on by the black control box by my bed. What? I saw the box earlier but when i first turned it on I saw the time display and thought it was just a clock. Upon further inspection I realized that it's controller for literally everything in the room including the lights and tv. Ofcourse I also saw the ac options! THEN I had trouble operating the room safe but I was so done calling the front desk and asked Guido to help instead. Jeez, I think they need to do a short training session for each new guest! At least at the Kameha hotel in Bonn there was someone who walked us up to our room and explained the different gadgets! Regardless I really liked the room and think it will help in the next two weeks. There were lots of rooms for me to be organized with my laptop and work papers. One wall of the bathroom was in glass so that you can sit in the huge tube and watch tv from the living room. That's just crazy! I think I'll stick to the rain shower which was really nice. Maybe one day I will talk Gary into installing a rain shower in our bathroom. He is too consciencious of wasting water so I haven't had much luck!
Last night the concierge told us about a mall down the street where we can go for dinner and to buy our supply of coke and water. Guido & I decided to do the 15 minute walk to the mall. The hotel was on a main street so we experienced the crazy traffic. Most of the time the sidewalk was blocked by parked cars or mopeds so we had to walk around it and get on the street which made me nervous. It was a good walk though. It was turning dark and the billboards and building signs were all lit up with the chinese characters. I was definitely NOT in phx anymore! On the way we ran into some sidewalk "cafes". Imagine an open doorway of a building and streaming onto the sidewalk were some portable burner with pots and pans filled with food. That was their makeshift kitchen. Then there were small plastic stools that customers can sit to eat their meals. The scene reminded me of vietnam. It looked and smelled really good but I did not want to take chances and get sick on our first day here!
When we got to Global Mall I was amazed at the size of it. The mall consisted of 5 floors. The 5th had a movie theatre and nice restaurants, the 4th had tons of smaller restaurants of different nationality. I laughed when I saw the conveyer belt sushi place. Along the sides there were vendors that sold snack. The 3rd floor had the Dave&Buster types of games. the 1st floor had a supermarket with more vendors that sold dim sum,, roast duck. Ofcourse throughout the mall were the regular mall stores. I was amazed and wanted to eat everything. The concierge recommended a thai restaurant in the mall but apparently we made a mistake and went to another restaurant. The sign only had chinese characters so we had no idea and took a chance! I asked the waitress if they had an english menu. Well they kind of did so decision made! The waitress brought us a laminated sheet with pictures of the various dishes but the description was all in chinese! We pointed to a noodle dish and a meat dish and hoped it was going to be ok. I pointed to the noodle dish and asked the girl if it was pad thai and she said no, then I pointed to what looked like curry and again she said no it was pumpkin sauce. By this time Guido and I figured out we were not in the thai restaurant but it was ok. The noodle dish was a dry thick rice noodle with cooked bean sprouts and topped with chopped beef chunks in a really wonderful sauce. It came in one bowl so we asked for plates or bowls so we could share. The waitress brought us a tiny little sauce bowl! It was really funny but we went with it. The other dish was spicy beef dish that came with little tiny side dishes of vegies. By this time I am guessing that we were in a korean restaurant. I loved my tea smoothie with sweet red beans and tapioca.
Before we left the mall I bought my coke & water. But by the supermarket there was a stand where they sold the dried or preserved fruits (just like that store in santa ana). It all looked so good so I went a little overboard and bought salted dried prunes, dried green mango and some fruit I couldn't identify but it tasted so good I bought it. Then I found a stand where sold dried squid strip. There was a machine where they smoke the squid and cut them up in thin strips. I usually buy these in the store but they come packages. It was so good.
We were loaded with groceries so decided to take a cab. The driver didn't speak english! All he got out of us was the name of the hotel. Then as we were driving he proceeded to make calls. We didn't understand what he was saying but keep hearing in intervals "golden hotel". By this time I figured out that he was calling people to ask where this hotel was. OMG I was picturing him taking us to another city because he didn't know where our hotel was and we would have to pay whatever he wanted. I noticed in his cab he also had a small dvd screen propped on top of the dashboard with a baseball game on! What the hell?! We were going to die because the cab driver was talking on the phone and watching a frickin ball game. What % of his attention is on the actual driving? We made it back fine but I am going to make sure we take a card with the hotel address with us from now on. Also by this time we could not wait for one of our colleague Vivian to get here. Vivian lives in hong kong and typically joins our team on assignments in asia. Now I can see why. It will be nice to have someone who can speak chinese!
I could not wait to sleep in on Sunday! It seem so long since I've had a full night sleep.
Sunday....
I guess the curtains were so good they kept the room dark so that I did not get out of bed until 9:50 am! Went to bed at 1am the night before it was still 9 hours of sleep. I was im'ng with Gary at midnight.
Only had 5 minutes to wash my face before running downstairs for breakfast at the hotel restaurant. Ran into Guido so it was good. They had a really nice spread of asian and american food. I decided to have an asian breakfast of rice and vegies and stir fry. They also had a nice porridge soup and lots of side condiments to add to the porridge. Outside I could see it was raining and windy. Yep we will not be doing any sightseeing today. We both decided that today would be a good day to relax and get some work done. I wanted a chance to get caught up with my blog since I am finding out that once I start the assignment there is little time and energy to do anything else.
I happened to turn on CNN when I got back to my room. Apparently we were right in the eye of the typhoon. This was going to be the worse typhoon of the year! If you are on CNN then it's big news I guess. I turned on the local news channels and although they were speaking in chinese you could see the scenes in the background. It didn't look too good! The reporters were holding on to their hats and screaming into the microphone to be heard because the wind was howling around them. There were trees down and building roofs were flying off. I wish I knew where the heck it was! Things seemed calm outside my window so I don't know if it passed us already or it's coming soon! For the first time I was glad that my hotel window were made of thick glass blocks which I thought was strange when I first saw it. Now I have a feeling it was on purpose to protect against weather like this. I have a feeling Guido and I will not see our colleagues tonight! I went online and saw that they were suspending incoming flights for the time being. Wow, to think that we flipped a coin to fly into Taipei on saturday or sunday. It would have been a pain if we decided to fly in sunday!
Need to prepare for the coming two weeks, this assignment is going to be much bigger in scope and more difficult. Back to work....
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Some nice memories of the Philippines
Saturday, Sept 18
Just wanted to jot down some random impressions of my week here. It's 11pm and I have hardly slept all week so I might be babbling.
I started the closing meeting with a few words of thanks. I tried to convey the positive experience we had this week. Everyone was so generous and hospitable. I was so impressed with how close the team was and how they acted more like a family than co-workers. I was a little caught off guard when we got an round of applause after our closing meeting!
During the course of the week I became friends with Marilyn. She is a mother of 3 boys and is so sweet to me. She loves to laugh and joke and worries when I don't eat my lunch. Friday night when the group met for dinner Marilyn asked Grace to take a picture of just me and her. We had so much fun talking and joking. For some reason she reminded me so much of my sister H, and I told her this. She said that she felt a special connection to me. At the end of the night she had tears in her eyes when she hugged me goodbye. It's sad but it's unlikely I will ever see her again. She cannot afford to fly to the states and it's unlikely I would be this way again. At least I will make special effort to stay in touch.
I learned that filipinos eat with their hands at home. They would eat rice and meat & vegies with their fingers. I couldn't understand why. Marilyn & Grace said it was very freeing and I should try it. I asked if they eat spagheti with their fingers and they laughed and said no, not something so wet.
My ego was getting a good boost during my stay here. Everyone treats me like I was someone important. They always address me as miss anh and it's always yes mam or no mam. At the end of the work day they call Lito our driver and he comes up to carry my laptop bag down for me. At the hotel I never have to open doors or carry my laptop bag. At work there's a housekeeper that brings me drinks or clean up after my lunch. It's so crazy.
Filipinos don't use chopsticks! Just as the germans always eat with a fork and knife in their hands the Filipinos usually eat with a fork and spoon. The first time was when I had a bowl of noodle soup and wondered where my chopsticks were. I looked around and saw other people were eating noodle soup with a knife and fork.
This country is different from the rest of asia. It was a spanish colonly until 1898 and then under US rule until 1946. Most of them learn tagalog and english in school. It was nice to not have to worry about language barrier since most if not all I have run into spoke english.
I regret not having more time to explore the islands, I have been told it's very pretty once you leave the big city of Manila.
I was surprised when told that ramadan was a public holiday. JoJo explained that even though 80% of the country is catholic they have a large muslim population in the south. The fact that Ramadan is a public holiday is more because of politics. It's like an olive branch from the government to the muslim community.
Just wanted to jot down some random impressions of my week here. It's 11pm and I have hardly slept all week so I might be babbling.
I started the closing meeting with a few words of thanks. I tried to convey the positive experience we had this week. Everyone was so generous and hospitable. I was so impressed with how close the team was and how they acted more like a family than co-workers. I was a little caught off guard when we got an round of applause after our closing meeting!
During the course of the week I became friends with Marilyn. She is a mother of 3 boys and is so sweet to me. She loves to laugh and joke and worries when I don't eat my lunch. Friday night when the group met for dinner Marilyn asked Grace to take a picture of just me and her. We had so much fun talking and joking. For some reason she reminded me so much of my sister H, and I told her this. She said that she felt a special connection to me. At the end of the night she had tears in her eyes when she hugged me goodbye. It's sad but it's unlikely I will ever see her again. She cannot afford to fly to the states and it's unlikely I would be this way again. At least I will make special effort to stay in touch.
I learned that filipinos eat with their hands at home. They would eat rice and meat & vegies with their fingers. I couldn't understand why. Marilyn & Grace said it was very freeing and I should try it. I asked if they eat spagheti with their fingers and they laughed and said no, not something so wet.
My ego was getting a good boost during my stay here. Everyone treats me like I was someone important. They always address me as miss anh and it's always yes mam or no mam. At the end of the work day they call Lito our driver and he comes up to carry my laptop bag down for me. At the hotel I never have to open doors or carry my laptop bag. At work there's a housekeeper that brings me drinks or clean up after my lunch. It's so crazy.
Filipinos don't use chopsticks! Just as the germans always eat with a fork and knife in their hands the Filipinos usually eat with a fork and spoon. The first time was when I had a bowl of noodle soup and wondered where my chopsticks were. I looked around and saw other people were eating noodle soup with a knife and fork.
This country is different from the rest of asia. It was a spanish colonly until 1898 and then under US rule until 1946. Most of them learn tagalog and english in school. It was nice to not have to worry about language barrier since most if not all I have run into spoke english.
I regret not having more time to explore the islands, I have been told it's very pretty once you leave the big city of Manila.
I was surprised when told that ramadan was a public holiday. JoJo explained that even though 80% of the country is catholic they have a large muslim population in the south. The fact that Ramadan is a public holiday is more because of politics. It's like an olive branch from the government to the muslim community.
I survived my first real assignment!
Philippines - Sept 13 -17
On Monday Grace (plnt mgr), Marilyn(SC mgr) & Engeleen(quality mgr) were supposed to meet us in the hotel lobby before heading into the office. When I came down from my room the ladies were waiting for us. It turned out Guido was already sitting in the lobby waiting but they assumed it was not him because he looked to be too young to be in this type of job. I tried to up Guido’s status by mentioning that he might be young but he has a doctorate degree, so he’s Dr. Guido! We had a good laugh about it but I could tell they were impressed.
For the opening meeting we met at the main office in Makati Manila which is about 1 ½ hour north of the plant. Grace introduced us to Lito who will be our driver for the week and we were on our way. Driving to the office was quite an experience. For those who have been to Vietnam the scene is very similar. In sections of the city the traffic was horrendous. No lane rules, terrible fumes from the cars, mopeds, and jeepneys. People in the jeepneys were wearing surgical masks or holding a hankerchief over their mouth and nose as to not breath in the fumes. Even though Lito was a good driver there were times when I was so sure we were going to hit something. New York cab drivers are wimps compared to these drivers. Talk about aggressive driving! There were moments when I had to close my eyes. As the week progressed I learned to just work on my laptop and not pay too much attention to the traffic around me.
The traffic in the city is so bad I don’t know how people can stand it. I was told that the 40 minute drive to the office is usually around 2 hours during rush hour which during most of the day! The government actually tried to alleviate this by placing a restriction on people so that there is one day per week when you are not allowed to drive during rush hour. This is done by the tag on their license plate.
It’s humid here but not so hot. I wore a suit (even though it’s short sleeved) since it’s the opening meeting but later regretted it when we did the plant walk around.
After the meeting we drove to the plant in Cabuyao which is the focus point of our assignment. It was a much nicer drive with the lush and green countryside. The plant was located in what they call an industrial park. This is a secure place where are multiple plants from multiple companies. There’s a guard at the entrance of the park and another guard at the entrance of our plant. It’s a small plant and Grace (the plnt mgr) had told me it would only take an hour to go through it. Well, being good auditors, we took over 3 hours. Guido looked in every nook and cranny because that’s where you find things. It was warm and humid and I was sweating like a pig. In a part of the plant they had a big fan going so I would find excuses to pass it!
Thoughout the week interviewees were very nice and treated us very well. Early on we had a conversation about strange foods and Guido had to brag that he ate monkey meat when he was on an assignment in china. The girls found out Guido never had chicken feet. Unfortunately I piped in that I would NOT eat chicken feet. After that it was Marilyn’s mission to take us to eat chicken feet. On top of that she was going to make us eat “ballot” which is an egg with a semi developed fetus of a chicken! YUCK! The fetus of the chick is a delicacy. In Vietnam we have the same thing but it’s duck egg. Just the thought of it was disgusting! You are eating a fetus that already has hair and a shape! The next day when we said that we could not afford to go out to lunch because of our work schedule, they brought in a whole spread of Filipino food. It was so delicious. Crispy roast pork, sautéed squid, beef soup, stir fry, pancit. Marilyn made a big production out of a special order of chicken feet for us. Since Guido readily agreed to try it I had to do the same! I can’t let a white guy show me up! I had to admit the flavor of the sauce was really good but you just can’t deny the fact that you are chewing on a bony chicken toe! What can I say, it tasted like feet even though Marilyn assured me that the feet are washed before cooking! Ha ha
One frustration during our time at the plant was that it was not very high tech. No wireless and even with the manual connection I could not get network access most of the time. My blackberry had no network either so I was totally disconnected from everything. All I could do was to do everything on local drive. On top of that the plant had no air conditioning, except in our conference room which was very loud. Still, we managed to get the work done.
Over the week I have observed that it is the nature of Filipinos are quick to agree and do not want to argue with you. They look to us as authority and do not want to offend. This is not necessarily a good thing and you have to get good at interpreting if they are really understanding what needs to be done and will do it. Or they might have a good reason but just want to agree.
On Tuesday night the team took us to dinner. It was a fun time and I got to get to know the group a little bit more. Again they order a crap load of food. Crispy whole fish, sizzling beef, noodles, roast pork, and crispy chicken skin which you dip in a vinegar base sauce. Ofcourse we ate everything! Also, I had the best mango shake EVER! The mangos here are the yummy small yellow mangos which are more flavorful. They also had a sour mango shake which I tried later in the week.
All this week I’ve been up until 2am only to get up again at 6am. Not to waste a minute Guido & I are working on the laptop during the drive to and from the plant. I can’t wait to get good at the report writing. The process is so stringent it’s insane. There are so many rules on format and wording and it goes through so many reviews. I’m not as fast so I have to spend more time at it. I have had much sleep all week but strangely I was feeling ok. I think it’s the adrenaline and it’s going to hit me hard at some point.
On the way home on Wednesday night I made an executive decision to work the rest of the week at the Alabang office. I was getting frustrated with lack of network connection and it was slowing me down. I was sure the office would be a little more hi tech. In the end I think it was a good move. We had a little stress the night before the closing meeting based on the reaction of the president of the company when we shared our findings. We had to scramble to get as much info from germany as possible in order to be prepared for our arguments if it came to it. For 4 hours on Friday morning Guido & I laid out our gameplan and prepared for the worse which means that there are no consensus and our report is incomplete. This could be a bad thing and not what I need on my first assignment! Anyway, we laid out all scenarios and went through the strategy for each. In the end the meeting went fine and I was so relieved. I came to realize how draining this job could be. But it is so interesting the stress is worth it. Boy, all this week when the stress level was high I was so needing a hug from Gary. We were chatting online every night (or morning for him) through gmail but it’s still not the same. He is so good at providing comfort when I need it and times like this I really miss him being with me L
On Monday Grace (plnt mgr), Marilyn(SC mgr) & Engeleen(quality mgr) were supposed to meet us in the hotel lobby before heading into the office. When I came down from my room the ladies were waiting for us. It turned out Guido was already sitting in the lobby waiting but they assumed it was not him because he looked to be too young to be in this type of job. I tried to up Guido’s status by mentioning that he might be young but he has a doctorate degree, so he’s Dr. Guido! We had a good laugh about it but I could tell they were impressed.
For the opening meeting we met at the main office in Makati Manila which is about 1 ½ hour north of the plant. Grace introduced us to Lito who will be our driver for the week and we were on our way. Driving to the office was quite an experience. For those who have been to Vietnam the scene is very similar. In sections of the city the traffic was horrendous. No lane rules, terrible fumes from the cars, mopeds, and jeepneys. People in the jeepneys were wearing surgical masks or holding a hankerchief over their mouth and nose as to not breath in the fumes. Even though Lito was a good driver there were times when I was so sure we were going to hit something. New York cab drivers are wimps compared to these drivers. Talk about aggressive driving! There were moments when I had to close my eyes. As the week progressed I learned to just work on my laptop and not pay too much attention to the traffic around me.
The traffic in the city is so bad I don’t know how people can stand it. I was told that the 40 minute drive to the office is usually around 2 hours during rush hour which during most of the day! The government actually tried to alleviate this by placing a restriction on people so that there is one day per week when you are not allowed to drive during rush hour. This is done by the tag on their license plate.
It’s humid here but not so hot. I wore a suit (even though it’s short sleeved) since it’s the opening meeting but later regretted it when we did the plant walk around.
After the meeting we drove to the plant in Cabuyao which is the focus point of our assignment. It was a much nicer drive with the lush and green countryside. The plant was located in what they call an industrial park. This is a secure place where are multiple plants from multiple companies. There’s a guard at the entrance of the park and another guard at the entrance of our plant. It’s a small plant and Grace (the plnt mgr) had told me it would only take an hour to go through it. Well, being good auditors, we took over 3 hours. Guido looked in every nook and cranny because that’s where you find things. It was warm and humid and I was sweating like a pig. In a part of the plant they had a big fan going so I would find excuses to pass it!
Thoughout the week interviewees were very nice and treated us very well. Early on we had a conversation about strange foods and Guido had to brag that he ate monkey meat when he was on an assignment in china. The girls found out Guido never had chicken feet. Unfortunately I piped in that I would NOT eat chicken feet. After that it was Marilyn’s mission to take us to eat chicken feet. On top of that she was going to make us eat “ballot” which is an egg with a semi developed fetus of a chicken! YUCK! The fetus of the chick is a delicacy. In Vietnam we have the same thing but it’s duck egg. Just the thought of it was disgusting! You are eating a fetus that already has hair and a shape! The next day when we said that we could not afford to go out to lunch because of our work schedule, they brought in a whole spread of Filipino food. It was so delicious. Crispy roast pork, sautéed squid, beef soup, stir fry, pancit. Marilyn made a big production out of a special order of chicken feet for us. Since Guido readily agreed to try it I had to do the same! I can’t let a white guy show me up! I had to admit the flavor of the sauce was really good but you just can’t deny the fact that you are chewing on a bony chicken toe! What can I say, it tasted like feet even though Marilyn assured me that the feet are washed before cooking! Ha ha
One frustration during our time at the plant was that it was not very high tech. No wireless and even with the manual connection I could not get network access most of the time. My blackberry had no network either so I was totally disconnected from everything. All I could do was to do everything on local drive. On top of that the plant had no air conditioning, except in our conference room which was very loud. Still, we managed to get the work done.
Over the week I have observed that it is the nature of Filipinos are quick to agree and do not want to argue with you. They look to us as authority and do not want to offend. This is not necessarily a good thing and you have to get good at interpreting if they are really understanding what needs to be done and will do it. Or they might have a good reason but just want to agree.
On Tuesday night the team took us to dinner. It was a fun time and I got to get to know the group a little bit more. Again they order a crap load of food. Crispy whole fish, sizzling beef, noodles, roast pork, and crispy chicken skin which you dip in a vinegar base sauce. Ofcourse we ate everything! Also, I had the best mango shake EVER! The mangos here are the yummy small yellow mangos which are more flavorful. They also had a sour mango shake which I tried later in the week.
All this week I’ve been up until 2am only to get up again at 6am. Not to waste a minute Guido & I are working on the laptop during the drive to and from the plant. I can’t wait to get good at the report writing. The process is so stringent it’s insane. There are so many rules on format and wording and it goes through so many reviews. I’m not as fast so I have to spend more time at it. I have had much sleep all week but strangely I was feeling ok. I think it’s the adrenaline and it’s going to hit me hard at some point.
On the way home on Wednesday night I made an executive decision to work the rest of the week at the Alabang office. I was getting frustrated with lack of network connection and it was slowing me down. I was sure the office would be a little more hi tech. In the end I think it was a good move. We had a little stress the night before the closing meeting based on the reaction of the president of the company when we shared our findings. We had to scramble to get as much info from germany as possible in order to be prepared for our arguments if it came to it. For 4 hours on Friday morning Guido & I laid out our gameplan and prepared for the worse which means that there are no consensus and our report is incomplete. This could be a bad thing and not what I need on my first assignment! Anyway, we laid out all scenarios and went through the strategy for each. In the end the meeting went fine and I was so relieved. I came to realize how draining this job could be. But it is so interesting the stress is worth it. Boy, all this week when the stress level was high I was so needing a hug from Gary. We were chatting online every night (or morning for him) through gmail but it’s still not the same. He is so good at providing comfort when I need it and times like this I really miss him being with me L
Monday, September 13, 2010
Philippines
Guido and I flew into Manila yesterday morning. We had a momentarily scare with lost luggage. We watched until the last luggage came out and did not see any of our bags. I was in a state of shock thinking what a disaster! Guido is already making plans to go shopping. We went with a few other people who also did not have their luggage. It turned out that because we flew business class they had a special section for priority passengers. How the hell were we supposed to know that?! In the end I was just very relieved that I did not have to deal with lost luggage.
In the planning stage we were told that it was not safe enough in the Philippines to handle our own transportation to our hotel which was about 40 minutes south from Manila airport. The plant here arranged for the hotel to pick us up. I also asked to have a driver while we were here since I was also warned to not even take a taxi on my own. There was danger of kidnapping. Gary was a little concerned when I told him this.
Getting out of the customs area I saw more security personnel than regular people. It was a little intimidating. I suddenly missed the safe feeling I had while traveling in europe. The city of Manila is not too impressive. It looks crowded and a little run down. There were a lot of jeepneys on the road. This is their form of public transportation. Picture an extended jeep with no door in the back where passengers get on. Inside there are two long benches where the people would sit facing each other. The sides of the jeep have open slats for windows so that as they drive by you can see the back and heads of the passengers. They are usually sandwiched in there like sardines. There is a lot of polution some of these passengers are holding hankerchiefs over their nose and mouth. The routes of these jeepneys are painted on the sides of the vehicle. This is definitely a far cry from high tech germany!
Our hotel was really nice. I would rate the Bellevue as a 5 star hotel. The service is incredible. I think there are more staff members than guests! There seems to be multiple people helping us at all times and they are always addressing us as mam or mister. Very polite people. When we ate at the hotel restaurant there seems to be multiple waiters doing different things for us. They even asks "mam, may I please take your plate away?" Funny but all this is also a far cry from non customer service oriented germany!
Guido wanted to set up his stash of cokes and snacks for our late nights of report writing all this week so we took the hotel shuttle to the mall that's about 1/4 mile away. OMG, huge mall that includes dave and busters type of entertainment, tons of restaurants, a supermarket, cinema and I'm not sure what else. There were also a million people in there so I felt a little suffocated. Ofcourse Guido was the only white guy there so we got some stares. Guido was hungry for lunch so we stopped in what looked like an asian fast food restaurant. It was so cheap. Funny set up. As you are waiting in line there's a girls that come around to take your order. Then she gives you the slip to give to the cashier. The cashier then gives you your drink and a number for you to put on your table (picture Sizzler). When I gave her my smallest bill which was 500 Philippine pesos (equivalent of $USD 10) she did not have enough change so she said my change will come later. Then there are these guys that are running around with big platters of food delivering them to the tables. It was fascinating to watch them zip around with a tray of noodle soups and plates of food on the finger tips of one hand. We each had a bowl of noodle soup, some dim sum dumplings, my favorite vegie rau muon, all for less than $2 each. Guido wanted to come here to eat everyday but I put my foot down. I really didn't feel comfortable and we stuck out like sore thumbs. The fact that there were security and police all over the surrounding streets made me feel uncomfortable. Our hotel had several nice restaurants so I didn't feel a need. The shuttle guys from the hotel said we could call and they would come to get us. I did NOT realize my phone did not have network connection so we could not call for the hotel shuttle!! Guido talked me into walking back to the hotel since we had no other choices. Besides, we could literally see our hotel in the distance. I was so nervous the whole way back. Even if there were lots of cops around you never know if they will decide to arrest you for whatever reason. All those warnings made me super paranoid but we got back fine.
There's a spa at the hotel! This time I didnt want to lose the opportunity so I booked a facial and massage, all for $35! Unlike the traumatic experience of my massage in Vietnam this was on par with Scottsdale. My therapist was a very sweet and polite young girl who softly says mam before she starts a sentence! Surprisingly she had a very firm touch which was exactly what I needed. The only scare I had was when she suddenly climbs up on the table to straddle on either side of me so that she can really massage my back. I had a flashback of Lorraine's traumatic massage experience in Vietname so I had to ask her "are you going to walk on my back? Because I don't want that" To my relief she said no, only shiatsu massage does that. I assured her that I definitely did not want a shiatsu massage! Other than that I was so relaxed I nodded off a few minutes. After my massage she took me to another room for my facial. The only weird part was when she gave me a masque she put some kind of cloth over my face and then spread the cream over it. When done she merely peeled off the cloth. After my treatment she brought me a hot cup of tea. It was a perfect end to my spa experience.
Fun time was over and I had to some pre work for our meetings the next day. It was midnight before I forced myself to go to bed. This was my first time as lead for an assignment so I was a little nervous and excited.
In the planning stage we were told that it was not safe enough in the Philippines to handle our own transportation to our hotel which was about 40 minutes south from Manila airport. The plant here arranged for the hotel to pick us up. I also asked to have a driver while we were here since I was also warned to not even take a taxi on my own. There was danger of kidnapping. Gary was a little concerned when I told him this.
Getting out of the customs area I saw more security personnel than regular people. It was a little intimidating. I suddenly missed the safe feeling I had while traveling in europe. The city of Manila is not too impressive. It looks crowded and a little run down. There were a lot of jeepneys on the road. This is their form of public transportation. Picture an extended jeep with no door in the back where passengers get on. Inside there are two long benches where the people would sit facing each other. The sides of the jeep have open slats for windows so that as they drive by you can see the back and heads of the passengers. They are usually sandwiched in there like sardines. There is a lot of polution some of these passengers are holding hankerchiefs over their nose and mouth. The routes of these jeepneys are painted on the sides of the vehicle. This is definitely a far cry from high tech germany!
Our hotel was really nice. I would rate the Bellevue as a 5 star hotel. The service is incredible. I think there are more staff members than guests! There seems to be multiple people helping us at all times and they are always addressing us as mam or mister. Very polite people. When we ate at the hotel restaurant there seems to be multiple waiters doing different things for us. They even asks "mam, may I please take your plate away?" Funny but all this is also a far cry from non customer service oriented germany!
Guido wanted to set up his stash of cokes and snacks for our late nights of report writing all this week so we took the hotel shuttle to the mall that's about 1/4 mile away. OMG, huge mall that includes dave and busters type of entertainment, tons of restaurants, a supermarket, cinema and I'm not sure what else. There were also a million people in there so I felt a little suffocated. Ofcourse Guido was the only white guy there so we got some stares. Guido was hungry for lunch so we stopped in what looked like an asian fast food restaurant. It was so cheap. Funny set up. As you are waiting in line there's a girls that come around to take your order. Then she gives you the slip to give to the cashier. The cashier then gives you your drink and a number for you to put on your table (picture Sizzler). When I gave her my smallest bill which was 500 Philippine pesos (equivalent of $USD 10) she did not have enough change so she said my change will come later. Then there are these guys that are running around with big platters of food delivering them to the tables. It was fascinating to watch them zip around with a tray of noodle soups and plates of food on the finger tips of one hand. We each had a bowl of noodle soup, some dim sum dumplings, my favorite vegie rau muon, all for less than $2 each. Guido wanted to come here to eat everyday but I put my foot down. I really didn't feel comfortable and we stuck out like sore thumbs. The fact that there were security and police all over the surrounding streets made me feel uncomfortable. Our hotel had several nice restaurants so I didn't feel a need. The shuttle guys from the hotel said we could call and they would come to get us. I did NOT realize my phone did not have network connection so we could not call for the hotel shuttle!! Guido talked me into walking back to the hotel since we had no other choices. Besides, we could literally see our hotel in the distance. I was so nervous the whole way back. Even if there were lots of cops around you never know if they will decide to arrest you for whatever reason. All those warnings made me super paranoid but we got back fine.
There's a spa at the hotel! This time I didnt want to lose the opportunity so I booked a facial and massage, all for $35! Unlike the traumatic experience of my massage in Vietnam this was on par with Scottsdale. My therapist was a very sweet and polite young girl who softly says mam before she starts a sentence! Surprisingly she had a very firm touch which was exactly what I needed. The only scare I had was when she suddenly climbs up on the table to straddle on either side of me so that she can really massage my back. I had a flashback of Lorraine's traumatic massage experience in Vietname so I had to ask her "are you going to walk on my back? Because I don't want that" To my relief she said no, only shiatsu massage does that. I assured her that I definitely did not want a shiatsu massage! Other than that I was so relaxed I nodded off a few minutes. After my massage she took me to another room for my facial. The only weird part was when she gave me a masque she put some kind of cloth over my face and then spread the cream over it. When done she merely peeled off the cloth. After my treatment she brought me a hot cup of tea. It was a perfect end to my spa experience.
Fun time was over and I had to some pre work for our meetings the next day. It was midnight before I forced myself to go to bed. This was my first time as lead for an assignment so I was a little nervous and excited.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
It's not just a cup of coffee...
How ironic that the importance of this 15-20 minute ritual finally dawns on me on my last day in the DD office.
On Friday I met a colleague for lunch. I have worked with Gunter from the Scottsdale office but we never met in person. I had told him back then that he did not sound like a typical german because he just loves to joke and laugh and is very expressive in his speech. He agreed and said his friends also accused him of being italian in actuality.
Anyway, Gunter & I had a nice lunch and conversation. He made me laugh with stories about his wife and grown kids. Actually just his way of talking made me laugh. He is very expressive and is constantly throwing his hand up in the air. One would say he talks with his whole body. I thought it was cute that he loves the fact that men and women are different. The world would be so boring if we were similar, or so he says. Gunter also gave me some valuable insights on personalities of some managers that will help me.
We were having so much fun but our lunch was done. He then suddenly said "coffee?". I didn't want our time to end so I agreed. We walked to the coffee section of the cafeteria and ofcourse I got my latte machiano. I told Gunter that I never drink coffee in the states because it upsets my stomach, but here I have no problems. But stilll, I don't drink it unless I feel like I need to wake up. He told me that coffee is an important ritual there. It's an opportunity to network and socialize. You can get far by inviting a colleague for coffee and discussing a work topic with him. It softens up the situation and it's less formal than a meeting. It's also a good chance to catch up with colleagues.
SO, suddenly I recalled the few situations where Laszlo would peek his head in my office in the morning and said "coffee?". Each time I would say no thank you because well, I didn't want any coffee and I already got my cup of tea for the morning. After about the third time he gave up asking me. THEN I remembered the few times Emrah would ask me "coffee?" after walking back from lunch as we pass the coffee room on our floor. Our floor has a little kitchenette with this gigantic coffee maker that can make weak coffee (for me), strong coffee, cappucino and expresso. There is also a little high table where you stand to drink your coffee and chat. Ofcourse I told Emrah no because well, I didn't need coffee. I thought people drink coffee because they need a caffeine boost! AND, there were other colleagues in the past few weeks that asked me that deceivingly simple question of "coffee?" Oh well, I don't think any of them took it personally. I just know that next time I am back in the DD office I will have to make sure to initiate a few invitations for coffee! Oi vay!
On Friday I met a colleague for lunch. I have worked with Gunter from the Scottsdale office but we never met in person. I had told him back then that he did not sound like a typical german because he just loves to joke and laugh and is very expressive in his speech. He agreed and said his friends also accused him of being italian in actuality.
Anyway, Gunter & I had a nice lunch and conversation. He made me laugh with stories about his wife and grown kids. Actually just his way of talking made me laugh. He is very expressive and is constantly throwing his hand up in the air. One would say he talks with his whole body. I thought it was cute that he loves the fact that men and women are different. The world would be so boring if we were similar, or so he says. Gunter also gave me some valuable insights on personalities of some managers that will help me.
We were having so much fun but our lunch was done. He then suddenly said "coffee?". I didn't want our time to end so I agreed. We walked to the coffee section of the cafeteria and ofcourse I got my latte machiano. I told Gunter that I never drink coffee in the states because it upsets my stomach, but here I have no problems. But stilll, I don't drink it unless I feel like I need to wake up. He told me that coffee is an important ritual there. It's an opportunity to network and socialize. You can get far by inviting a colleague for coffee and discussing a work topic with him. It softens up the situation and it's less formal than a meeting. It's also a good chance to catch up with colleagues.
SO, suddenly I recalled the few situations where Laszlo would peek his head in my office in the morning and said "coffee?". Each time I would say no thank you because well, I didn't want any coffee and I already got my cup of tea for the morning. After about the third time he gave up asking me. THEN I remembered the few times Emrah would ask me "coffee?" after walking back from lunch as we pass the coffee room on our floor. Our floor has a little kitchenette with this gigantic coffee maker that can make weak coffee (for me), strong coffee, cappucino and expresso. There is also a little high table where you stand to drink your coffee and chat. Ofcourse I told Emrah no because well, I didn't need coffee. I thought people drink coffee because they need a caffeine boost! AND, there were other colleagues in the past few weeks that asked me that deceivingly simple question of "coffee?" Oh well, I don't think any of them took it personally. I just know that next time I am back in the DD office I will have to make sure to initiate a few invitations for coffee! Oi vay!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Things I will miss....
Things I will miss when leaving Germany
- the fantastic bakeries. Seriously, there's at least one bakery in every corner! I only buy what I want for the day, it's going to be hard going back to packaged baked goods! The bread is SO GOOD!
- my 25 minute walk to work. It's a great way to unwind and listen to my ipod while burning calories!
- the day to day interactions with my department colleagues. I haven't blended so well with a group of co-workers since my time with redken 20 years ago. Everyone is so nice and helpful and interested about me as I am interested about them. We work very hard but I have so much fun with them. It's crazy but I actually look forward to coming into work and seeing everyone.
- easy access to traveling to surrounding cities and countries. The trains are so easy to use here.
- Altstaedt (Old Town) - such a great place to hang out to eat, drink or just to walk along the river. It a place where tourists and locals go to. You can find any kind of restaurants you want. You can't help but get caught up in the festive mood.
- the fantastic bakeries. Seriously, there's at least one bakery in every corner! I only buy what I want for the day, it's going to be hard going back to packaged baked goods! The bread is SO GOOD!
- my 25 minute walk to work. It's a great way to unwind and listen to my ipod while burning calories!
- the day to day interactions with my department colleagues. I haven't blended so well with a group of co-workers since my time with redken 20 years ago. Everyone is so nice and helpful and interested about me as I am interested about them. We work very hard but I have so much fun with them. It's crazy but I actually look forward to coming into work and seeing everyone.
- easy access to traveling to surrounding cities and countries. The trains are so easy to use here.
- Altstaedt (Old Town) - such a great place to hang out to eat, drink or just to walk along the river. It a place where tourists and locals go to. You can find any kind of restaurants you want. You can't help but get caught up in the festive mood.
- opportunities to practice my very poor german. Even if I don'tt speak it, it's still good to hear it spoken. I am not so intimidated by it anymore!
- the lunch routine at work. Everyday around noon we start to walk down the hallway to collect each other for the 5 minute walk to one of the cafeterias. If someone's office door is closed then we know they are not there or could not join. We have fun conversations during this time and I get to hear all the gossips! Even more interesting are the different perspectives whenever we talk about a certain political or cultural topics. The reason is the various ethnic origins within our group. Maybe more than half of our department (total of about 25 people) are german but the other half are made of bulgaria, hungary, turkey, kenya, el salvador, brazil, china, russia, spain and ofcourse me from the united states!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
A short comment from Gary - guest blogger :-)
I am writing this on my last night in Dusseldorf. I will try my best to sum up my impressions from the past 11 days spent in Germany and in Amsterdam.
Just to let you know, I have been to Germany on three separate occasions in the past and every time provides me with a uniquely different experience. Dusseldorf, and all the surrounding cities, are simply beautiful. I don't know anyone who doesn't enjoy the style of the old European city-scape with the cobblestone streets, small cafes and historic buildings. The Rhine river played a big role in the scenery for this trip. Anh and I spent a lot of time walking along the pathways that wind along the rivers edge watching all the long barges fighting the strong current as they carried their heavy load to somewhere far away. The cool days filled with a mixture of sun and rain made for a nice change from the heat of the Phoenix summer.
Amsterdam was a pleasant surprise for me. I had missed an opportunity to go there sixteen years ago because of a train strike, but the wait was worth it. No where else have I ever seen so many people riding around on bicycles. I also hadn't been aware of just how many canals there are out there. The number of waterways must rival that of Venice but Amsterdam seems to have a better mix of roads, walking areas and canals than does Venice. Anh and I also enjoyed a big beautiful park outside our hotel called Vondelpark. This is their Central Park and I really loved it. The scenery was beautiful and the air was cool and fresh. I could have spent a whole day in the park alone. And if you are wondering, you don't need to be a pot smoker or sex fiend to enjoy Amsterdam.
Oh, by the way, it want everyone to know that the true highlight of my trip was seeing Anh and sharing these great life experiences with her. P.S. she is looking over my shoulder as I write this last paragraph.
Just to let you know, I have been to Germany on three separate occasions in the past and every time provides me with a uniquely different experience. Dusseldorf, and all the surrounding cities, are simply beautiful. I don't know anyone who doesn't enjoy the style of the old European city-scape with the cobblestone streets, small cafes and historic buildings. The Rhine river played a big role in the scenery for this trip. Anh and I spent a lot of time walking along the pathways that wind along the rivers edge watching all the long barges fighting the strong current as they carried their heavy load to somewhere far away. The cool days filled with a mixture of sun and rain made for a nice change from the heat of the Phoenix summer.
Amsterdam was a pleasant surprise for me. I had missed an opportunity to go there sixteen years ago because of a train strike, but the wait was worth it. No where else have I ever seen so many people riding around on bicycles. I also hadn't been aware of just how many canals there are out there. The number of waterways must rival that of Venice but Amsterdam seems to have a better mix of roads, walking areas and canals than does Venice. Anh and I also enjoyed a big beautiful park outside our hotel called Vondelpark. This is their Central Park and I really loved it. The scenery was beautiful and the air was cool and fresh. I could have spent a whole day in the park alone. And if you are wondering, you don't need to be a pot smoker or sex fiend to enjoy Amsterdam.
Oh, by the way, it want everyone to know that the true highlight of my trip was seeing Anh and sharing these great life experiences with her. P.S. she is looking over my shoulder as I write this last paragraph.
Gary's last weekend in DD
Sept 4 & 5
We got back to DD on Saturday late afternoon. It was great to see that the sun was out, a big change from the last couple of weeks where it rained on and off. I took Gary back to Altstaedt to a very different scene. With the warmer and nicer weather it seemed like all of DD was out. It was the most crowded I've seen. I was glad he got to see what I was trying to describe before. When we were here the weekend before, it was raining on and off and it was cold. As a result it was not as crowded. We sat on the edge of the river to watch the pretty sunset. We went back to Ratinger street to find Braueri Fuchshein which according to trip advisor had the best Alt beer and great german food. Well, I did find it but the place was absolutely packed. Even the sidewalk outside was packed with people drinking beer. It's not like the restaurants back home where the hotess will take your name down and call you when your table is ready. When I did find a waiter and told him we wanted to eat. He told me to find a table and left with his tray of Alt beer. We did walk around the restaurant and all the tables were full. I did read that you will probably have to share a table so I was ready to do that. But there was not a spare spot in this crazy restaurant. I told Gary this was too stressful for me so we left. A few restaurants down the street we found Braueri Uel. It turned out to be perfect because we got to sit outside and the waitress spoke english AND she gave us an english menu. This was a rare event in DD! During the course of our dinner we got to watch Ratinger street (remember this was "the longest bar in the world") fill up with hundreds of people. Some would be eating at the tables outside but most would stand along the bar tables scattered along the edges of the sidewalks drinking beer and conversing with friends. I tried to take a picture of the whole scene, hopefully it came out ok.
On Sunday Gary & I had enough time to take another short hike in the hidden forest by the apt before meeting up with my colleagues Juliana and Laszlo. We had made plans to go to Benrath castle. The castle was a 15 minute tram ride from my place. This was not the traditional sleeping beauty castle that most people would picture. Instead it was more like a palace. It reminded me a lot of Versaille (but much smaller) with its extensive gardens. The palace itself was small in size and served more as a vacation home. We paid for a guided tour and it was well worth it. The inside was incredibly ornate. Unfortunately there were no furnishings but the details of the ceilings, walls, and floors were incredible. The strangest part was that we had to wear these huge wool slippers over our shoes so as to not harm the floors. It was awkward at first but we eventually learn to glide rather than walk. You had to be there.
After the tour of the castle we walked along the extensive gardens. The whole property had to be almost half a mile in length. We walked to the end to the Rhine river and stopped at a Biergarten to enjoy a nice beer. It was a great way to spend the afternoon.
My last night with Gary !! :-( We decided to make it quiet and had some pizza at a local take out place in Holthausen then took a long walk towards Benrath to watch the sunset on the river. I will miss Gary but will see him in 4 weeks. Now it's time to focus on work again and get ready for my assignment in Philippines and Taiwan.
We got back to DD on Saturday late afternoon. It was great to see that the sun was out, a big change from the last couple of weeks where it rained on and off. I took Gary back to Altstaedt to a very different scene. With the warmer and nicer weather it seemed like all of DD was out. It was the most crowded I've seen. I was glad he got to see what I was trying to describe before. When we were here the weekend before, it was raining on and off and it was cold. As a result it was not as crowded. We sat on the edge of the river to watch the pretty sunset. We went back to Ratinger street to find Braueri Fuchshein which according to trip advisor had the best Alt beer and great german food. Well, I did find it but the place was absolutely packed. Even the sidewalk outside was packed with people drinking beer. It's not like the restaurants back home where the hotess will take your name down and call you when your table is ready. When I did find a waiter and told him we wanted to eat. He told me to find a table and left with his tray of Alt beer. We did walk around the restaurant and all the tables were full. I did read that you will probably have to share a table so I was ready to do that. But there was not a spare spot in this crazy restaurant. I told Gary this was too stressful for me so we left. A few restaurants down the street we found Braueri Uel. It turned out to be perfect because we got to sit outside and the waitress spoke english AND she gave us an english menu. This was a rare event in DD! During the course of our dinner we got to watch Ratinger street (remember this was "the longest bar in the world") fill up with hundreds of people. Some would be eating at the tables outside but most would stand along the bar tables scattered along the edges of the sidewalks drinking beer and conversing with friends. I tried to take a picture of the whole scene, hopefully it came out ok.
On Sunday Gary & I had enough time to take another short hike in the hidden forest by the apt before meeting up with my colleagues Juliana and Laszlo. We had made plans to go to Benrath castle. The castle was a 15 minute tram ride from my place. This was not the traditional sleeping beauty castle that most people would picture. Instead it was more like a palace. It reminded me a lot of Versaille (but much smaller) with its extensive gardens. The palace itself was small in size and served more as a vacation home. We paid for a guided tour and it was well worth it. The inside was incredibly ornate. Unfortunately there were no furnishings but the details of the ceilings, walls, and floors were incredible. The strangest part was that we had to wear these huge wool slippers over our shoes so as to not harm the floors. It was awkward at first but we eventually learn to glide rather than walk. You had to be there.
After the tour of the castle we walked along the extensive gardens. The whole property had to be almost half a mile in length. We walked to the end to the Rhine river and stopped at a Biergarten to enjoy a nice beer. It was a great way to spend the afternoon.
My last night with Gary !! :-( We decided to make it quiet and had some pizza at a local take out place in Holthausen then took a long walk towards Benrath to watch the sunset on the river. I will miss Gary but will see him in 4 weeks. Now it's time to focus on work again and get ready for my assignment in Philippines and Taiwan.
5 days in Amsterdam
August 31 to Sept 4
Gary & I had a wonderful stay in Amsterdam. With Gary here and work getting more hectic I havn't had too much time with my blog so this will have to be a condense version of our trip.
First our train trip went smoothly for the first time! As a matter of fact it was probably the train I accidently took when I meant to go to Belgium a few weeks ago! Since it was a nice straight 2 hour shot from DD to Amsterdam I bought us first class tickets. It was only $100 euro pp. Gary got a kick out of the posh experience. We didn't have to fight for seats since the first class area was only about 50% occupied. The seats actually leans backa and there were trays to pull down for eating and for the ipad which Gary used to watch a movie. While he was occupied I tried to keep up with all the activites of work. I knew that this was not going to be 100% vacation but Gary did not seem to mind, thank goodness.
We got to Amsterdam by 5pm and took Tram #2 to our hotel. The Zandbergen hotel was on the outskirts of old town Amsterdam but it was right next to a pretty park and the tram goes right in front of the hotel so I thought it would be ok. It had high ratings on trip advisor so I didn't think we could go wrong.
The first thing I noticed about the city was the number of bikes on the road. OMG! There were more cyclists than cars! The second thing I noticed was how beautiful it was with all the old ornate buildings fronting the many canals throughout the city. It reminded me of Venice but very different. Amsterdam was much more vibrant and ofcourse bigger.
It was a 15 minutes tram ride to our hotel. I've read some complaints about the steep stairway up to your rooms which could be bad if you had a room on the 3rd or 4th floor. Luckily they gave us a nice room on the 2nd floor with a big private patio. We enjoyed sitting on the patio having a drink and snacks at the end of the day. The patio faces the inside of a big courtyard which was very peaceful.
I was excited about the fact that the hotel rented out bikes. Gary was skeptical about me handling the busy streets of Amsterdam. I was skeptical about the bike being small enough for me. Both turned out fine. We were smart and started out riding into the huge Vondelpark across the road from the hotel. They call this the "central park" of Amsterdam. I think it's nicer because it has many more ponds and lakes lined with weeping willows with ducks and swans and blue herrings. There were bikes along the paths but not crazy and all you have to do is get off the bike path to find a peaceful area to enjoy the park. People here use bikes as a mode of transportation so it wasn't all recreational for them. I got a kick out of the many ways people use a basket to transport stuff. There were a few sled-like wooden boxes in front of the bike in which a little kid can be a passenger.
We decided to be adventerous and look for a windmill located on the outskirts of the city. Unfortunately the map showing the windmill was not a detailed one so we only had a few landmarks to go by. Not by design we ran into another big park with a huge lake and on impulse decided to explore that park even though it was a little east of where we wanted to be. It was so nice to ride to ride through the tree lined bike paths. No tourists here that's for sure. There was a little cafe next to the lake so we stopped for latte machiano and ice cream. There were benches along the lake that demanded we stopped to sit and enjoy the view. We eventually found the little village of Sloten and got to see the windmill. It was a fantastic sight. Apparently this windmill was the only one open year round. We stopped in to take a tour since neither one of us have either been inside one. Our guide Pancho was very informative and showed us how the windmill is still used today to pump water into the next canal to control the water level. It's amazing how they use a very simple system of dikes and water pumps to keep the city from being flooded. All of Amsterdam is below sea level so if not for these dams and dikes the city would be under water. We got to see all three levels of the windmill. It's amazing that to this day they don't use anything mechanical. It's all wood and wind. In the old days Holland was the premier place for windmills. These mills were working mills for sawmill factories, to make cheese, or to make paint. Now there are only a few left. It was a fascinating tour and we were glad to have found it. Afterwards we stopped in the restaurants across from the windmill for a late lunch. We did go back the way we intended to come and it took half the time. Still, we were glad we did go the long way since it was such a beautiful ride. As Gary said, we got to Sloten by hook and by crook. For me it was a magical day. It was not at all touristy(not mentioned in tour book) but very memorable. Since we got the bike for the whole day we rode into the city center. I knew I would get more nervous as the streets got more narrower and the streets more crowded so Gary assured me we could park the bike wherever we wanted and walk the rest of the way. I was proud that I rode all the way into old town. We did park them at one point in order to explore the red light district. Just like the locals we chained our bikes on one of the iron rails.
The red light district was quite an experience. We went through all the streets in a couple of hours. At first Gary was shy and didn't look too long but by the end of the night he was being more friendly to the girls! I've heard so much about this area but it didn't hit me until I was there. It was one of those scenes where you were appalled but can not look away. It was surreal. Some of the girls were really playing it up, some looked bored and some looked disgusted at the onlookers. At one point we stopped along a bridge and watched a scene of a man negotiating with one of the girls and then went in. We were curious how long he would be in there - 15 minutes. I dared Gary to go ask how much but he was such a chicken. As we walked along these streets there were some pretty strong odor of pot. Actually, you can catch this smell throughout the city. Gary was mad that on his backpacking trip after college, he and Vinny missed Amsterdam because of a train strike. He was thinking of all the partying they could have done in those days!
Thursday was going to be our museum day. There were dozens of museums in the city but we chose to do only two mainly because of time limit. We spent 4 hours in the Van Gogh museum. The audio tour really gets you into the details of his art and his tragic life. Van Gogh created over 700 paintings and 1000 drawings in only a span of 10 years. He was dead by age 37 by suicide. From over 1000 letters to his younger brother Theo they have been able to piece together his life. I usually don't last this long in a museum but I really love his paintings and enjoyed looking at them.
After the VG museum we went to Ann Frank's house. I have known about the story of Ann Frank and her diary but to go to the actual house where her and her family hid from the nazis was so impactful. The whole thing was so tragic. We got to see the inside of the building including the hidden bookcase in front of the narrow staircase leading up to their "secret annex". They did a really good job with the museum and it gave us a good idea of what the family went through. I definitely learned a lot more about Ann and her short life. It was amazing that the two families lived in such a small space for 2 years. It was so sad that the father survived only to lose his whole family.
That night we went back to the red light district to see one of the shows there. I wont' go into details but let's just say that it was shocking! You see EVERYTHING. What was more shocking were the old couples in there. Are you kidding me?! What is grandma and grandpa getting out of this?!
On Friday we signed up for a canoe trip around the wetlands north of Amsterdam. Yes, the Hampsons don't do all the obvious tourist things. Anyway, our guide Majel is the sole owner of Wetlands Safari. She does not own the canoes so we had to meet her at the train station where we all hopped on a local bus to get to the hotel that owned the canoes. For $38 euros it included 4 hours of paddling, transportation, drinks at the hotel bar before and after, and a picnic lunch. There were a dozen of us on that day. Let me just say that this was one of the best canoe trip I've ever been on. We paddle right from the hotel and go through a small village. The waterways is only about 10-15 feet wide. On either sides are grassy banks with profusions of flowers that are part of people's backyards. On occasion there are small foot bridges that are only about 3 feet over the water so we were warned to duck very low or you will bang your head.
After about half an hour we cross a main canal way to get into the wetlands. There were mazes of waterways that ranged from 40 feet wide to 3 feet wide, all flanked by tall grassy reeds and cat tails. You really have to know your way around because it would be easy to get lost. We were the only ones on the water so it was so peaceful. The day was cool and partly sunny so it was perfect. Majel said that it's a typical dutch sky to have clouds and that most dutch painting will have clouds in the landscape. At one point we stopped at one of the "island" and Majel showed us the crazy way you can bounce on the ground. Apparently the island was made of mossy tundra that was two feet deep and floating on water. When you walk it felt like walking on a sponge and with water seeping through. I have never seen anything like it! When we jump up and down you could feel the ground sloshing around. Afterward Majel spread out a tarp and pulled a never ending array of food. Various cheeses, sausages, fruits, spreads, breads, carrots, etc. We all dug in and it was the best picnic ever!! Majel says that the milk of the cow is process differently here and that's why their cheeses are creamier. I just know that I never eat cheese at home but love them here. Majel was a treasure of information. She grew up here but spent a year in San Francisco. Throughout the day she shared with us the ways of life here. Her english is pretty good and our whole group happened to be americans. She says that the dutch do not generally like to canoe. They are sailors and prefer the bigger boats! The canals freeze up every 2-3 years, enough so that people can skate on it. She says that the dutch are more long distance skaters, rather than the round skating rinks the americans know. Anyway, when the canals freeze up everyone takes vacation time and go skating. It was also trippy to learn that the homeless people here have a union! That's crazy! You can get $800 euros of unemployment a month and for some, it's enough to live by.
We went through another village on the way back and I loved it. There were so many water lilies in the water. I would say the canoe trip was the highlight of our trip. Gary said it was a tie with our day on the bikes.
Our train leaves on Saturday at 2:30 pm but we managed to squeeze in a walk in Vondelpark, some souvenier shopping (I got my patch!), and a very touristy canal boat ride.
I must say that there was a role reversal on this trip. I have always been the one to read maps and navigate us around. This time I could not get my bearings right and Gary was the confident one with the map. I was very impressed with him and happy to hand over the responsibility to him. The city is not on a grid system so it's not the easiest to find your way.
It was a great trip and we both enjoyed it very much. We were so lucky with the weather where the days were mostly sunny, a nice break from the rainy germany a few days before. Amsterdam has never been on top of my list because all I hear about it is the marijuana and the red light district. It sounded seedy and not highly desirable for a visit for me. I have since found that it's so much more than that. I really love this city and would definitely come back. It's an easy 2 hour train ride from DD so it's an easy weekend trip.
Gary & I had a wonderful stay in Amsterdam. With Gary here and work getting more hectic I havn't had too much time with my blog so this will have to be a condense version of our trip.
First our train trip went smoothly for the first time! As a matter of fact it was probably the train I accidently took when I meant to go to Belgium a few weeks ago! Since it was a nice straight 2 hour shot from DD to Amsterdam I bought us first class tickets. It was only $100 euro pp. Gary got a kick out of the posh experience. We didn't have to fight for seats since the first class area was only about 50% occupied. The seats actually leans backa and there were trays to pull down for eating and for the ipad which Gary used to watch a movie. While he was occupied I tried to keep up with all the activites of work. I knew that this was not going to be 100% vacation but Gary did not seem to mind, thank goodness.
We got to Amsterdam by 5pm and took Tram #2 to our hotel. The Zandbergen hotel was on the outskirts of old town Amsterdam but it was right next to a pretty park and the tram goes right in front of the hotel so I thought it would be ok. It had high ratings on trip advisor so I didn't think we could go wrong.
The first thing I noticed about the city was the number of bikes on the road. OMG! There were more cyclists than cars! The second thing I noticed was how beautiful it was with all the old ornate buildings fronting the many canals throughout the city. It reminded me of Venice but very different. Amsterdam was much more vibrant and ofcourse bigger.
It was a 15 minutes tram ride to our hotel. I've read some complaints about the steep stairway up to your rooms which could be bad if you had a room on the 3rd or 4th floor. Luckily they gave us a nice room on the 2nd floor with a big private patio. We enjoyed sitting on the patio having a drink and snacks at the end of the day. The patio faces the inside of a big courtyard which was very peaceful.
I was excited about the fact that the hotel rented out bikes. Gary was skeptical about me handling the busy streets of Amsterdam. I was skeptical about the bike being small enough for me. Both turned out fine. We were smart and started out riding into the huge Vondelpark across the road from the hotel. They call this the "central park" of Amsterdam. I think it's nicer because it has many more ponds and lakes lined with weeping willows with ducks and swans and blue herrings. There were bikes along the paths but not crazy and all you have to do is get off the bike path to find a peaceful area to enjoy the park. People here use bikes as a mode of transportation so it wasn't all recreational for them. I got a kick out of the many ways people use a basket to transport stuff. There were a few sled-like wooden boxes in front of the bike in which a little kid can be a passenger.
We decided to be adventerous and look for a windmill located on the outskirts of the city. Unfortunately the map showing the windmill was not a detailed one so we only had a few landmarks to go by. Not by design we ran into another big park with a huge lake and on impulse decided to explore that park even though it was a little east of where we wanted to be. It was so nice to ride to ride through the tree lined bike paths. No tourists here that's for sure. There was a little cafe next to the lake so we stopped for latte machiano and ice cream. There were benches along the lake that demanded we stopped to sit and enjoy the view. We eventually found the little village of Sloten and got to see the windmill. It was a fantastic sight. Apparently this windmill was the only one open year round. We stopped in to take a tour since neither one of us have either been inside one. Our guide Pancho was very informative and showed us how the windmill is still used today to pump water into the next canal to control the water level. It's amazing how they use a very simple system of dikes and water pumps to keep the city from being flooded. All of Amsterdam is below sea level so if not for these dams and dikes the city would be under water. We got to see all three levels of the windmill. It's amazing that to this day they don't use anything mechanical. It's all wood and wind. In the old days Holland was the premier place for windmills. These mills were working mills for sawmill factories, to make cheese, or to make paint. Now there are only a few left. It was a fascinating tour and we were glad to have found it. Afterwards we stopped in the restaurants across from the windmill for a late lunch. We did go back the way we intended to come and it took half the time. Still, we were glad we did go the long way since it was such a beautiful ride. As Gary said, we got to Sloten by hook and by crook. For me it was a magical day. It was not at all touristy(not mentioned in tour book) but very memorable. Since we got the bike for the whole day we rode into the city center. I knew I would get more nervous as the streets got more narrower and the streets more crowded so Gary assured me we could park the bike wherever we wanted and walk the rest of the way. I was proud that I rode all the way into old town. We did park them at one point in order to explore the red light district. Just like the locals we chained our bikes on one of the iron rails.
The red light district was quite an experience. We went through all the streets in a couple of hours. At first Gary was shy and didn't look too long but by the end of the night he was being more friendly to the girls! I've heard so much about this area but it didn't hit me until I was there. It was one of those scenes where you were appalled but can not look away. It was surreal. Some of the girls were really playing it up, some looked bored and some looked disgusted at the onlookers. At one point we stopped along a bridge and watched a scene of a man negotiating with one of the girls and then went in. We were curious how long he would be in there - 15 minutes. I dared Gary to go ask how much but he was such a chicken. As we walked along these streets there were some pretty strong odor of pot. Actually, you can catch this smell throughout the city. Gary was mad that on his backpacking trip after college, he and Vinny missed Amsterdam because of a train strike. He was thinking of all the partying they could have done in those days!
Thursday was going to be our museum day. There were dozens of museums in the city but we chose to do only two mainly because of time limit. We spent 4 hours in the Van Gogh museum. The audio tour really gets you into the details of his art and his tragic life. Van Gogh created over 700 paintings and 1000 drawings in only a span of 10 years. He was dead by age 37 by suicide. From over 1000 letters to his younger brother Theo they have been able to piece together his life. I usually don't last this long in a museum but I really love his paintings and enjoyed looking at them.
After the VG museum we went to Ann Frank's house. I have known about the story of Ann Frank and her diary but to go to the actual house where her and her family hid from the nazis was so impactful. The whole thing was so tragic. We got to see the inside of the building including the hidden bookcase in front of the narrow staircase leading up to their "secret annex". They did a really good job with the museum and it gave us a good idea of what the family went through. I definitely learned a lot more about Ann and her short life. It was amazing that the two families lived in such a small space for 2 years. It was so sad that the father survived only to lose his whole family.
That night we went back to the red light district to see one of the shows there. I wont' go into details but let's just say that it was shocking! You see EVERYTHING. What was more shocking were the old couples in there. Are you kidding me?! What is grandma and grandpa getting out of this?!
On Friday we signed up for a canoe trip around the wetlands north of Amsterdam. Yes, the Hampsons don't do all the obvious tourist things. Anyway, our guide Majel is the sole owner of Wetlands Safari. She does not own the canoes so we had to meet her at the train station where we all hopped on a local bus to get to the hotel that owned the canoes. For $38 euros it included 4 hours of paddling, transportation, drinks at the hotel bar before and after, and a picnic lunch. There were a dozen of us on that day. Let me just say that this was one of the best canoe trip I've ever been on. We paddle right from the hotel and go through a small village. The waterways is only about 10-15 feet wide. On either sides are grassy banks with profusions of flowers that are part of people's backyards. On occasion there are small foot bridges that are only about 3 feet over the water so we were warned to duck very low or you will bang your head.
After about half an hour we cross a main canal way to get into the wetlands. There were mazes of waterways that ranged from 40 feet wide to 3 feet wide, all flanked by tall grassy reeds and cat tails. You really have to know your way around because it would be easy to get lost. We were the only ones on the water so it was so peaceful. The day was cool and partly sunny so it was perfect. Majel said that it's a typical dutch sky to have clouds and that most dutch painting will have clouds in the landscape. At one point we stopped at one of the "island" and Majel showed us the crazy way you can bounce on the ground. Apparently the island was made of mossy tundra that was two feet deep and floating on water. When you walk it felt like walking on a sponge and with water seeping through. I have never seen anything like it! When we jump up and down you could feel the ground sloshing around. Afterward Majel spread out a tarp and pulled a never ending array of food. Various cheeses, sausages, fruits, spreads, breads, carrots, etc. We all dug in and it was the best picnic ever!! Majel says that the milk of the cow is process differently here and that's why their cheeses are creamier. I just know that I never eat cheese at home but love them here. Majel was a treasure of information. She grew up here but spent a year in San Francisco. Throughout the day she shared with us the ways of life here. Her english is pretty good and our whole group happened to be americans. She says that the dutch do not generally like to canoe. They are sailors and prefer the bigger boats! The canals freeze up every 2-3 years, enough so that people can skate on it. She says that the dutch are more long distance skaters, rather than the round skating rinks the americans know. Anyway, when the canals freeze up everyone takes vacation time and go skating. It was also trippy to learn that the homeless people here have a union! That's crazy! You can get $800 euros of unemployment a month and for some, it's enough to live by.
We went through another village on the way back and I loved it. There were so many water lilies in the water. I would say the canoe trip was the highlight of our trip. Gary said it was a tie with our day on the bikes.
Our train leaves on Saturday at 2:30 pm but we managed to squeeze in a walk in Vondelpark, some souvenier shopping (I got my patch!), and a very touristy canal boat ride.
I must say that there was a role reversal on this trip. I have always been the one to read maps and navigate us around. This time I could not get my bearings right and Gary was the confident one with the map. I was very impressed with him and happy to hand over the responsibility to him. The city is not on a grid system so it's not the easiest to find your way.
It was a great trip and we both enjoyed it very much. We were so lucky with the weather where the days were mostly sunny, a nice break from the rainy germany a few days before. Amsterdam has never been on top of my list because all I hear about it is the marijuana and the red light district. It sounded seedy and not highly desirable for a visit for me. I have since found that it's so much more than that. I really love this city and would definitely come back. It's an easy 2 hour train ride from DD so it's an easy weekend trip.
Two days in Bonn, Germany
Sunday, August 29
I had planned a short getaway to Bonn Germany. The main interest for this town next to the Rhine River is that it was the birth place of Ludwig van Beethoven. Since it was for only one night I splurged and booked us a suite at the Kameha Grand hotel in Bonn. The hotel is famous for it’s architecture and eccentric style so I thought Gary would enjoy it. I was just looking forward to sharing a bed with Gary that is bigger than twin size!
As the crow flies I would guess that Bonn is about 1 hour south of Dusseldorf. Since we aren’t crows it will take us 1 ½ hours with a connection in Benrath and Koln. Our train out of Holthausen (by our apt) was a 9am so we gave enough time to go to a bakery for a chocolate croissant and tea. Yes, Gary has become addicted to the chocolate croissants here.
When we got on the tram the ticket said Benrath Bahnhoft so ofcourse I was waiting for that stop. Even when we passed what I remembered as the station where I connected in my trip to Aachen a couple of weeks ago, I told Gary we were stopping at the last stop where it said Benrath Bahnhoff. Even as I said this I wasn’t getting a good feeling about it. As we were leaving the stop I was feeling more and more confident that it was where we were supposed to get out! The next stop was the last stop the train did say Benrath Banhoft and we got out. Well, as I looked around I saw nothing that resembled a trainstation! That’s when I knew for sure that we should have gotten off at the last stopped. It wasn’t too far away to walk back but the problem was that we only had 9 minutes to catch the connection to our next stop in Koln. Ofcourse Gary stayed calmed while I was freaking out. As we were walking very fast back the way we came I had a sudden vision that we were on the Amazing Race and just made a stupid move that could cost us the race! Even when we got to the station we couldn’t figure out how to get to the platforms! Oi vay, by that time my shin was killing me and I felt really out of shape. We did catch the train but barely.
As the train rolled into the Koln train station you can see the massive Koln cathedral on one side. As we crossed the bridge I showed Gary the metal mesh railings on either side of the bridge coved with hundreds and hundreds of colorful locks. I had learned that couples put these locks on the bridge as a symbol of love.
Our hotel was on the Rhine river, about 6 km south of Bonn city center, so we got off that Bonn-Oberkassel. From the platform we went through an underpass and were suddenly on the river. Both sides were banked by huge lawns of green grass and dotted by shady trees. We walked about 1000m meters along the river to our hotel. I was a little nervous about Gary liking it because it was different from the normal hotel styles. When we saw it he thought it looked cool with the glass structure. Actually the hotel was mostly glass. The day was crisp and cool and there was a long strip of park where people were playing games of bocce ball. We weren’t in a rush so we sat on a bench and watched the scene and the river. The Rhine is a very active river. There is always a constant flow of barges going up and down the river. On the other side we could see a similar landscape of green grass and trees with people riding their bicycles.
The inside of the Kameha was so cool. As soon as you walk in there is someone to escort you to a single bar type table to check you in. I was looking for the usual big check in desk. It was all very classy I was feeling a little out of place with my casual clothes and daypack, but only for a minute. The girl who checked us in personally escorted us to our room and showed us where everything was and how to use the very high tech gadgets. Before getting to our room we walked along a long hallway that was all in RED. In was blood red. The ceiling was red, the walls had red wallpaper, the carpet was red with subtle black Hawaiian flowers and doors to the rooms were twice the size of a normal door and ofcourse it was a shiny blood red. Ofcourse Gary whispered to me REDRUM which was a scene from the Shining. He would keep doing that whenever we were in the hallway the rest of the trip just to creep me out. Our room was so awesome! I got us a junior suit which meant we had the whole wall ceiling to floor glass window that looks out to the river. The furnishings were modern and so interesting. The backboard of our bed was black but at night you can flip a switch and a picture of the moon will light up. I LOVED the rainshower in the bathroom and mentally counted how many showers I could possibly take before we had to leave. It was a nice break from my tiny shower in DD.
I was happy and excited that the hotel had bikes to rent since this was the perfect place to ride your bikes there were miles and miles of bike path along the picturesque river. We wanted to ride into Bonn city center. When we got our bike that afternoon I was so disappointed to learn that it was too big for me! My feet did not reach the petals when I sit on the seat. I couldn’t believe it! Gary convinced me that maybe I could stand when I needed to petal. I wanted too badly to ride a bike here that I agreed. Well, it was the first and last time I will ride a bike only standing up. Since it was a flat path you don’t really get to sit still for very long. It felt very awkward only standing to petal. Aside from the fact that I looked stupid doing it. We went for maybe one mile before Gary realized that the kep of the bike lock broke off. This meant we could not go into town and leave our bike unlocked. Inside I was so glad to use this reason to turn around!
Instead of going into town we decided that it was a good day to enjoy the spa facilities at the hotel. We got into our robes and slippers and went upstairs to the 4th floor. At first try it was a little crowded. The 2 relaxations rooms were full and when I opened the room to the sauna Gary got a glimpse of two naked women and backed away. I was pretty sure it was co-ed but he definitely did not feel comfortable. We decided to go back to our room and wait a little bit. The second time we went up there there was a big difference. There was a really cool infinity pool that looked like it was flowing right into the river. The water felt cold so we decided to warm up in the sauna first. Coast was clear, there didn’t look to be anyone in there, at least no naked women. They had two hug sauna rooms so we hung out in one. It was very nice with glass sidings on two side so it felt open. At one point Gary was curious about the temp in the one next to us and went to investigate and came back shortly after. Apparently there was now a naked guy sitting in the sauna next to us. Gary was annoyed that people were so inconsiderate in a public place. I told him that this was Europe and to just go with the flow. I then asked him if the naked guy next door was cute. When Gary saw that the guy was coming out of the sauna room he told me to look away. Well, I did but wouldn’t you know I could see the guy’s reflection on the glass doors. He looked pretty lethargic probably from the heat. He walked passed us to the open showers and I could see his back side as he rinsed off. How awkward!! I decided I should get out of the sauna area before he’s done with the shower and turns around. I said bye to Gary and got out of the sauna and was walking to the exit door when I realized naked guy was walking towards me! Talk about bad timing. Ofcourse I had no choice but to see it all! I just got the hell out of there before I die of embarrassment. Gary came out a few minutes after me and said that naked guy mumbled something to him in a foreign language. He wasn’t sure if it was to apologize or something. I’m thinking he was just asking if I was impressed (which I was).
By this time I was hot enough to go into the cold pool. It was too neat to not go in. The water felt refreshing. It was comical to watch Gary go in the water. His back was to the glass doors and windows of the spa so no one could see his expression but he was cussing up a storm and looked very pained. He is not as good with extreme temperature like I am. I made him think there were people inside watching us so he couldn’t chicken out. He didn’t stay in long. One end of the pool was at the very edge of the building and you can see the river below. It was an infinity pool so from the other end it did look like you were going to fall right into the river. The relaxation room was now empty so we enjoyed a cup of hot tea,lounging in the double love seat while we dried off. It was a nice time but definitely not the spa I’m used to in Scottsdale!
The next day we took a taxi to Bonn city center. We spent some time walking around the old town and did a tour of Beethoven’s house. He was born in this house in 1770 and lived there for the first 20 years of his life. He then spent the rest of his career and life in Vienna and died there in 1827. It was interesting to learn more about him. He did his first performance at the age of 8 and went deaf by the time he was 30. The house was small but had three levels. At the end there was a room in which you could sit and enjoy some of his music. Since our taxi ride cost $15 euros Gary wanted to try to get back to our hotel via public transportation. I was doubtful and did not feel we had enough time to mess up. It could also be an expensive taxi ride if we got lost. Gary however felt confident based on the maps posted on the street. Well, I was very impressed that he did get us back to the hotel and for only a fraction of the cost.
We checked out of our hotel at 1pm but had another 2 ½ hours before our train leaves. It was perfect for a long walk on the walking paths along the river. We ate our sandwhiches from the Bonn bakery on one of the many benches along the way. After lunch we walked to the next bench clustered under a big tree where I took a nice little nap. It was so idyllic. Leaves rustling from the soft breeze blowing, the sound of river flowing downstream, the occasional horn of the river barge as it passes by. It was such a nice place to laze away the day.
We got back to DD by 5:30pm and had just enough time to get to my apt to change and then catch the 6pm tram to Altsteadt to meet Stefan and his wife for dinner. It’s funny but I have been meeting friends by the schedule of the train. Stefan looked up the times and told me to take the 6:03 train out of Holthausen and they would meet us at the restaurant at 6:15. Guido and his girlfriend were also supposed to join but he felt ill that day and decided to go home to rest instead. I was glad that Gary got to meet one of my colleague at least. His Andrea was also very nice and less shy this time. After dinner we went for a long stroll around Altstaedt. It was funny but we walked past Konigsalle where all the high end stores were and Andrea showed me where the “normal” people shopped. We walked through “Japan Town” where there were blocks of Japanese stores and restaurants. Apparently DD has a very large Japanese population. It was a nice night but getting late. Even though I took the week off I had to come in the next morning (Tues) for an important meeting with the head of our department to talk about our assignment in Asia. The plan is for me to leave after lunchtime tomorrow, back to the apt to get Gary, and then catch the 2:30pm train to Amsterdam.
I had planned a short getaway to Bonn Germany. The main interest for this town next to the Rhine River is that it was the birth place of Ludwig van Beethoven. Since it was for only one night I splurged and booked us a suite at the Kameha Grand hotel in Bonn. The hotel is famous for it’s architecture and eccentric style so I thought Gary would enjoy it. I was just looking forward to sharing a bed with Gary that is bigger than twin size!
As the crow flies I would guess that Bonn is about 1 hour south of Dusseldorf. Since we aren’t crows it will take us 1 ½ hours with a connection in Benrath and Koln. Our train out of Holthausen (by our apt) was a 9am so we gave enough time to go to a bakery for a chocolate croissant and tea. Yes, Gary has become addicted to the chocolate croissants here.
When we got on the tram the ticket said Benrath Bahnhoft so ofcourse I was waiting for that stop. Even when we passed what I remembered as the station where I connected in my trip to Aachen a couple of weeks ago, I told Gary we were stopping at the last stop where it said Benrath Bahnhoff. Even as I said this I wasn’t getting a good feeling about it. As we were leaving the stop I was feeling more and more confident that it was where we were supposed to get out! The next stop was the last stop the train did say Benrath Banhoft and we got out. Well, as I looked around I saw nothing that resembled a trainstation! That’s when I knew for sure that we should have gotten off at the last stopped. It wasn’t too far away to walk back but the problem was that we only had 9 minutes to catch the connection to our next stop in Koln. Ofcourse Gary stayed calmed while I was freaking out. As we were walking very fast back the way we came I had a sudden vision that we were on the Amazing Race and just made a stupid move that could cost us the race! Even when we got to the station we couldn’t figure out how to get to the platforms! Oi vay, by that time my shin was killing me and I felt really out of shape. We did catch the train but barely.
As the train rolled into the Koln train station you can see the massive Koln cathedral on one side. As we crossed the bridge I showed Gary the metal mesh railings on either side of the bridge coved with hundreds and hundreds of colorful locks. I had learned that couples put these locks on the bridge as a symbol of love.
Our hotel was on the Rhine river, about 6 km south of Bonn city center, so we got off that Bonn-Oberkassel. From the platform we went through an underpass and were suddenly on the river. Both sides were banked by huge lawns of green grass and dotted by shady trees. We walked about 1000m meters along the river to our hotel. I was a little nervous about Gary liking it because it was different from the normal hotel styles. When we saw it he thought it looked cool with the glass structure. Actually the hotel was mostly glass. The day was crisp and cool and there was a long strip of park where people were playing games of bocce ball. We weren’t in a rush so we sat on a bench and watched the scene and the river. The Rhine is a very active river. There is always a constant flow of barges going up and down the river. On the other side we could see a similar landscape of green grass and trees with people riding their bicycles.
The inside of the Kameha was so cool. As soon as you walk in there is someone to escort you to a single bar type table to check you in. I was looking for the usual big check in desk. It was all very classy I was feeling a little out of place with my casual clothes and daypack, but only for a minute. The girl who checked us in personally escorted us to our room and showed us where everything was and how to use the very high tech gadgets. Before getting to our room we walked along a long hallway that was all in RED. In was blood red. The ceiling was red, the walls had red wallpaper, the carpet was red with subtle black Hawaiian flowers and doors to the rooms were twice the size of a normal door and ofcourse it was a shiny blood red. Ofcourse Gary whispered to me REDRUM which was a scene from the Shining. He would keep doing that whenever we were in the hallway the rest of the trip just to creep me out. Our room was so awesome! I got us a junior suit which meant we had the whole wall ceiling to floor glass window that looks out to the river. The furnishings were modern and so interesting. The backboard of our bed was black but at night you can flip a switch and a picture of the moon will light up. I LOVED the rainshower in the bathroom and mentally counted how many showers I could possibly take before we had to leave. It was a nice break from my tiny shower in DD.
I was happy and excited that the hotel had bikes to rent since this was the perfect place to ride your bikes there were miles and miles of bike path along the picturesque river. We wanted to ride into Bonn city center. When we got our bike that afternoon I was so disappointed to learn that it was too big for me! My feet did not reach the petals when I sit on the seat. I couldn’t believe it! Gary convinced me that maybe I could stand when I needed to petal. I wanted too badly to ride a bike here that I agreed. Well, it was the first and last time I will ride a bike only standing up. Since it was a flat path you don’t really get to sit still for very long. It felt very awkward only standing to petal. Aside from the fact that I looked stupid doing it. We went for maybe one mile before Gary realized that the kep of the bike lock broke off. This meant we could not go into town and leave our bike unlocked. Inside I was so glad to use this reason to turn around!
Instead of going into town we decided that it was a good day to enjoy the spa facilities at the hotel. We got into our robes and slippers and went upstairs to the 4th floor. At first try it was a little crowded. The 2 relaxations rooms were full and when I opened the room to the sauna Gary got a glimpse of two naked women and backed away. I was pretty sure it was co-ed but he definitely did not feel comfortable. We decided to go back to our room and wait a little bit. The second time we went up there there was a big difference. There was a really cool infinity pool that looked like it was flowing right into the river. The water felt cold so we decided to warm up in the sauna first. Coast was clear, there didn’t look to be anyone in there, at least no naked women. They had two hug sauna rooms so we hung out in one. It was very nice with glass sidings on two side so it felt open. At one point Gary was curious about the temp in the one next to us and went to investigate and came back shortly after. Apparently there was now a naked guy sitting in the sauna next to us. Gary was annoyed that people were so inconsiderate in a public place. I told him that this was Europe and to just go with the flow. I then asked him if the naked guy next door was cute. When Gary saw that the guy was coming out of the sauna room he told me to look away. Well, I did but wouldn’t you know I could see the guy’s reflection on the glass doors. He looked pretty lethargic probably from the heat. He walked passed us to the open showers and I could see his back side as he rinsed off. How awkward!! I decided I should get out of the sauna area before he’s done with the shower and turns around. I said bye to Gary and got out of the sauna and was walking to the exit door when I realized naked guy was walking towards me! Talk about bad timing. Ofcourse I had no choice but to see it all! I just got the hell out of there before I die of embarrassment. Gary came out a few minutes after me and said that naked guy mumbled something to him in a foreign language. He wasn’t sure if it was to apologize or something. I’m thinking he was just asking if I was impressed (which I was).
By this time I was hot enough to go into the cold pool. It was too neat to not go in. The water felt refreshing. It was comical to watch Gary go in the water. His back was to the glass doors and windows of the spa so no one could see his expression but he was cussing up a storm and looked very pained. He is not as good with extreme temperature like I am. I made him think there were people inside watching us so he couldn’t chicken out. He didn’t stay in long. One end of the pool was at the very edge of the building and you can see the river below. It was an infinity pool so from the other end it did look like you were going to fall right into the river. The relaxation room was now empty so we enjoyed a cup of hot tea,lounging in the double love seat while we dried off. It was a nice time but definitely not the spa I’m used to in Scottsdale!
The next day we took a taxi to Bonn city center. We spent some time walking around the old town and did a tour of Beethoven’s house. He was born in this house in 1770 and lived there for the first 20 years of his life. He then spent the rest of his career and life in Vienna and died there in 1827. It was interesting to learn more about him. He did his first performance at the age of 8 and went deaf by the time he was 30. The house was small but had three levels. At the end there was a room in which you could sit and enjoy some of his music. Since our taxi ride cost $15 euros Gary wanted to try to get back to our hotel via public transportation. I was doubtful and did not feel we had enough time to mess up. It could also be an expensive taxi ride if we got lost. Gary however felt confident based on the maps posted on the street. Well, I was very impressed that he did get us back to the hotel and for only a fraction of the cost.
We checked out of our hotel at 1pm but had another 2 ½ hours before our train leaves. It was perfect for a long walk on the walking paths along the river. We ate our sandwhiches from the Bonn bakery on one of the many benches along the way. After lunch we walked to the next bench clustered under a big tree where I took a nice little nap. It was so idyllic. Leaves rustling from the soft breeze blowing, the sound of river flowing downstream, the occasional horn of the river barge as it passes by. It was such a nice place to laze away the day.
We got back to DD by 5:30pm and had just enough time to get to my apt to change and then catch the 6pm tram to Altsteadt to meet Stefan and his wife for dinner. It’s funny but I have been meeting friends by the schedule of the train. Stefan looked up the times and told me to take the 6:03 train out of Holthausen and they would meet us at the restaurant at 6:15. Guido and his girlfriend were also supposed to join but he felt ill that day and decided to go home to rest instead. I was glad that Gary got to meet one of my colleague at least. His Andrea was also very nice and less shy this time. After dinner we went for a long stroll around Altstaedt. It was funny but we walked past Konigsalle where all the high end stores were and Andrea showed me where the “normal” people shopped. We walked through “Japan Town” where there were blocks of Japanese stores and restaurants. Apparently DD has a very large Japanese population. It was a nice night but getting late. Even though I took the week off I had to come in the next morning (Tues) for an important meeting with the head of our department to talk about our assignment in Asia. The plan is for me to leave after lunchtime tomorrow, back to the apt to get Gary, and then catch the 2:30pm train to Amsterdam.
Gary's second day in DD
Saturday August 28
I think Gary slept the jag lag away yesterday so that's good. We walked to the bakery in Holthausen plaza to have chocolate croissants and tea. Actually my usual is latte machiano and raisin roll. It was a nice and cool morning to sit outside and enjoy the fresh air. After breakfast we continued walking south along Kohler street. I wanted to show Gary the pretty bike path I discovered the week before. We walked along the tree lined path for a little while when Gary figured out that there was a map of the forest next to us so we ventured inside. It was so great to find a little woodsy haven in the middle of a very industrial part of the city! It was like we were hiking back home, in the woods of Flagstaff, except it was flat. We must have explored the woods for an hour, most of which we did not see a soul. I'm not sure if I would venture into the woods by myself so I was glad to have Gary with me.
After our walk I decided to take Gary to Konigsallee which was the fancy shopping street with all the high end shops. We did find H&M which was the only place we could find a cheap sweater as added layer to our clothes. The weather had turned cold (about 60 degrees) right when Gary came so either one of us had enough warm clothes! Both of us had a light jacket but our new sweater made a big difference.
Afterwards we walked to Media Harbour (Medien Hafen) which was the place Stefan took me before. Lucky for us there was a big festival along the river because of some boat races. There were booths for food and alcohol and crafts that must have lined 1/4 of a mile along the harbour. There was also live music throughout the area. We enjoyed a Caipraihina and bratwursts. Let me just say, they serve bratwurst the way I like it. The bratwurst was about a foot long. You hold the whole thing by two inches of bread in the middle similar to a hot dog. At home I always get annoyed when the hot dog is shorter than the bun. Why waste your stomach space with bread?! The vendor was nice to show me how to squeeze mustard on my brat from a hanging aperatus that was basically a huge upside down mustard bottle. It was the funniest thing I ever saw. Gary got a kick out of the unique architecture of the area. The buildings were curvy with strange looking facade and windows that didn't look like they have been completly installed. We enjoyed watching the skull boat races for awhile then found a brazilian band playing on a bit stage in the middle of the street. Since the currywurst place was just across the street I took Gary there to try it. We listened to the rock band while sitting outside eating our dinner. This time I knew exactly how to order and did it in broken german. I was very impressed with myself.
After currywurst we walked along the river to Alstaedt. Like locals, we stopped to sit on the concrete wall on the edge of the river to watch the water, as the sun was setting. I took Gary to Ratinger street to have a couple of beers and to show him the "longest bar in the world". I did not see the usual crowds because of the cooler and wetter weather. It has been raining on and off all day.
I think Gary slept the jag lag away yesterday so that's good. We walked to the bakery in Holthausen plaza to have chocolate croissants and tea. Actually my usual is latte machiano and raisin roll. It was a nice and cool morning to sit outside and enjoy the fresh air. After breakfast we continued walking south along Kohler street. I wanted to show Gary the pretty bike path I discovered the week before. We walked along the tree lined path for a little while when Gary figured out that there was a map of the forest next to us so we ventured inside. It was so great to find a little woodsy haven in the middle of a very industrial part of the city! It was like we were hiking back home, in the woods of Flagstaff, except it was flat. We must have explored the woods for an hour, most of which we did not see a soul. I'm not sure if I would venture into the woods by myself so I was glad to have Gary with me.
After our walk I decided to take Gary to Konigsallee which was the fancy shopping street with all the high end shops. We did find H&M which was the only place we could find a cheap sweater as added layer to our clothes. The weather had turned cold (about 60 degrees) right when Gary came so either one of us had enough warm clothes! Both of us had a light jacket but our new sweater made a big difference.
Afterwards we walked to Media Harbour (Medien Hafen) which was the place Stefan took me before. Lucky for us there was a big festival along the river because of some boat races. There were booths for food and alcohol and crafts that must have lined 1/4 of a mile along the harbour. There was also live music throughout the area. We enjoyed a Caipraihina and bratwursts. Let me just say, they serve bratwurst the way I like it. The bratwurst was about a foot long. You hold the whole thing by two inches of bread in the middle similar to a hot dog. At home I always get annoyed when the hot dog is shorter than the bun. Why waste your stomach space with bread?! The vendor was nice to show me how to squeeze mustard on my brat from a hanging aperatus that was basically a huge upside down mustard bottle. It was the funniest thing I ever saw. Gary got a kick out of the unique architecture of the area. The buildings were curvy with strange looking facade and windows that didn't look like they have been completly installed. We enjoyed watching the skull boat races for awhile then found a brazilian band playing on a bit stage in the middle of the street. Since the currywurst place was just across the street I took Gary there to try it. We listened to the rock band while sitting outside eating our dinner. This time I knew exactly how to order and did it in broken german. I was very impressed with myself.
After currywurst we walked along the river to Alstaedt. Like locals, we stopped to sit on the concrete wall on the edge of the river to watch the water, as the sun was setting. I took Gary to Ratinger street to have a couple of beers and to show him the "longest bar in the world". I did not see the usual crowds because of the cooler and wetter weather. It has been raining on and off all day.
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