MANILA

I FIRST CAME TO THE PHILIPPINES IN AUGUST 2007 AT THE INVITATION OF MY FILIPINA FRIEND WHO I HAD ESTABLISHED AN FRIENDSHIP ONLINE FOR OVER A YEAR. I TOOK A FLIGHT TO TOKYO JAPAN AND CHANGED PLANES FOR MANILA. I PLANNED TO STAY IN MANILA FOR AROUND A WEEK.

I MUST ADMIT I WAS NERVOUS ABOUT FLYING AFTER AN ABSENCE OF 12 YEARS ON AN AIRPLANE. AFTER AROUND 1 HOUR IN THE AIR HOWEVER I REGAINED MY "AIRLEGS" AGAIN. THE FLIGHT TO JAPAN AND THEN ON TO MANILA WAS VERY SMOOTH AND ENJOYABLE.

AFTER AROUND 14 HOURS, I ARRIVED AT MANILA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AROUND 10 P.M. PHILIPPINE TIME.

I BREEZED THROUGH CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATION. THEN I TOOK A CAB TO MY HOTEL. AS SOON AS I LEFT THE AIRPORT AND WENT OUTSIDE- I KNEW I WAS IN THE TROPICS- THE AIR WAS LIKE A SAUNA!

VERY HOT AND HUMID EVEN THOUGH IT WAS 10 P.M.

HELLO PHILIPPINES!

THE PHILIPPINES

I HAVE BEEN TO THE PHILIPPINES 3 TIMES IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS. I WISH I CAN GO MORE OFTEN. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY- THE CLIMATE IS A LITTLE TOO WARM FOR MY TASTE- BUT BEAUTIFUL NEVER THE LESS.
THE PHILIPPINES ARE A COLLECTION OF OVER 7,000 ISLANDS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC. THE COUNTRY IS NEAR SOUTH EAST ASIA.

YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED FROM LOOKING ON A MAP THAT MANY OF THE CITIES AND PLACES IN THE PHILIPPINES HAVE SPANISH NAMES.
THAT'S BECAUSE FOR A LONG WHILE THE PHILIPPINES WERE A COLONY OF SPAIN. THE COUNTRY ATTAINED FULL INDEPENDENCE AS A NATION ON JULY 4, 1946.
FOR A REALLY COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY-CLICK BELOW.
http://pinas.dlsu.edu.ph/history/history.html

LADYBOYS AND SOME FINAL THOUGHTS

THAILAND IS A COMBINATION OF THE NEW AND OLD- THE MODERN AND THE TRADITIONAL, LIKE MANY OF THE COUNTRIES IN ASIA-THE BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY IS PREVALENT IN THAILAND. THE PHILOSOPHY THAT IS INCLUSIVE, NOT EXCLUSIVE. ONE THAT TEACHES TOLERANCE AND ACCEPTANCE OF ALL THINGS.

HERE IS AN EXAMPLE- THERE ARE MANY TRANSGENDERED PEOPLE IN THAILAND FROM WHAT I SAW. THE THAI EXPRESSION IS"KATHOEY" OR LADY BOY. THESE PEOPLE ARE ACCEPTED IN THAI SOCIETY AND AS FAR AS I KNOW- DO NOT EXPERIENCE THE KIND OF DISCRIMINATION THAT EXISTS IN WESTERN COUNTRIES. LADY BOYS ARE EMPLOYED IN MANY AREAS OF THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR. MANY OF THEM HAVE UNDERGONE SEX REASSIGNMENT SURGERY TO BE PHYSICALLY FEMALE IN APPEARANCE. LADY BOYS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF THAI CULTURE.

I FEEL THAT IS THE WAY IT SHOULD BE- A PERSON SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO LIVE HIS OR HER OWN LIFE AS THEY SEE FIT, TO BE RESPECTED LIKE ANYONE ELSE DESERVES TO BE - AND TO BE ALLOWED TO DEVELOP THEIR LIVES TO THEIR FULLEST POTENTIAL.

MAYBE AMERICA CAN TAKE A LESSON IN TOLERANCE BY SEEING WHAT I SAW IN BANGKOK.

BANGKOK IS A WONDERFUL FASCINATING PLACE FOR TOURISTS , WHETHER I RETURN THERE OR NOT, BOTH MY FRIEND AND I WERE VERY GLAD WE CAME.

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OUR LAST DAY

WE SPENT OUR LAST DAY IN BANGKOK EATING A DELICIOUS LUNCH AT A SEAFOOD RESTAURANT. WE HAD PRAWNS- MY FIRST TIME FOR THAT- SHE HAD THEM MANY TIMES. WONDERFUL. AFTER THAT WE WENT SHOPPING AND THEN BACK TO THE HOTEL WE WENT OUT IN THE EVENING AND WENT TO A NICE THAI RESTAURANT NEAR OUR HOTEL.

WE WERE ADVENTUROUS AND ORDERED OSTRICH STEAK! WOW- THAT WAS A REALLY PLEASANT SURPRISE! YEP- YOU GUESSED IT- TASTED JUST LIKE CHICKEN! AFTER DINNER IT WAS GETTING LATE AND SO WAS OUR TIME IN THAILAND.

AN INTERESTING FACT- DID YOU KNOW THAT THAILAND IS ONE OF THE FEW ASIAN COUNTRIES THAT HAS NEVER BEEN OCCUPIED BY A FOREIGN POWER? IT MAKES THE THAI CULTURE ALL THE MORE UNIQUE AND INDEPENDENT OF FOREIGN INFLUENCE.

SHOPPING

THE NEXT DAY MY FRIEND AND I WENT TO A LARGE JEWELRY RETAIL
CENTER, THE ROYAL LAPIDARY NEAR THE ROYAL PALACE IN BANGKOK.
THAILAND HAS ONE OF THE LARGEST SOURCES OF GEMSTONES IN THE WORLD AND THIS PLACE IS WELL KNOWN FOR IT'S VAST SELECTION OF GEMS. WE WERE VERY IMPRESSED BY THE BEAUTY AND CRAFTSMANSHIP OF THE GEMS ON DISPLAY THERE. WE DID NOT PURCHASE ANY JEWELRY AS WE WERE ON A BUDGET- WE BOUGHT SMALL SOUVENIRS FOR OURSELVES.

ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE ARE MANY STORIES AND ACCUSATIONS OF SCAMS THERE. CLAIMS THAT THE GEMS ARE NOT AUTHENTIC OR THAT NO REFUNDS ARE ALLOWED AFTER PURCHASE.
I DON'T KNOW- WE DID NOT PURCHASE GEMS- IF YOU GO THERE- YOU WILL HAVE TO DECIDE FOR YOURSELF.

WE SPENT THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY WALKING AROUND, WINDOW SHOPPING AND GOING TO THE INTERNET CAFE NEAR THE HOTEL.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g293916-i3687-k4006426-l29230006-Scammed_Insert_Expletive_My_Royal_Lapidary_Purchase-Bangko...

RIVER TOUR

ON OUR SECOND FULL DAY IN BANGKOK, ,MY FRIEND AND I DECIDED TO TAKE THE RIVER TOUR AROUND THE CITY. THE BOAT RIDE TAKES AROUND I HOUR TO CIRCUMNAVIGATE BANGKOK. WE WERE THE ONLY ONES ON THE BOAT BESIDE THE DRIVER. WE PASSED OFFICE BUILDINGS, TEMPLES, HOUSING PROJECTS AND OLD AREAS OF THE CITY. MANY PEOPLE WAVED TO US AS WE PASSED BY. ON OUR RIDE A LADY IN A SAMPAN PADDLED UP TO US AND OFFERED US REFRESHMENTS. WE HAD FRUIT JUICE- TASTED EXTRA GOOD! EVEN THOUGH MOST OF THE HOUSES ON THE RIVERBANK WERE LITTLE MORE THAN LARGE SHACKS- THEY HAD A SPECIAL DIGNITY AND CHARM.
WE DID NOT WANT THE RIDE TO END- IT WAS WONDERFUL!
AFTER- WE HAD LUNCH IN THE AREA ,THEN WE HEADED BACK TO OUR HOTEL. WE PUT THE AC ON HIGH- A GREAT RELIEF!

A TRAVEL TIP - IF YOU ARE SIGHTSEEING IN BANGKOK- DO IT IN THE MORNING OR EVENING. THE AFTERNOONS ARE VERY HOT MOST ALL YEAR ROUND.
FOR MORE INFO ON BANGKOK RIVER TOURS CLICK BELOW.
http://www.tour-bangkok-legacies.com/river-cruise-in-bangkok.html

TAKING IN THE SIGHTS

THE NEXT DAY MY LADYFRIEND ARRIVED- I PICKED HER UP AT THE AIRPORT. SHE MISSED ME AND THE FEELING WAS MUTUAL. WE ASKED A CAB DRIVER WHERE IS A FAMOUS BUDDHIST TEMPLE. HE TOOK US TO THE WAT PO TEMPLE. THE TEMPLE WAS BUILT 200 YEARS BEORE BANGKOK BECAME THE CAPITAL OF THAILAND. THE TEMPLE HOUSES THE FAMOUS STATUE OF THE RECLINING BUDDHA. THE STATUE IS AROUND 18 METERS HIGH AND 48 METERS LONG. IT'S SHOWN IN THE PHOTO ON TOP. THE TEMPLE IS HOME TO THE FAMOUS THAI MASSAGE, FIRST LEARNED AT THE TEMPLE A HUNDRED YEARS AGO AND PRACTICED WORLD WIDE EVER SINCE. THE TEMPLE HAS MANY AREAS OF INTEREST AND IS DEFINITELY WORTH A SECOND VISIT. THE TEMPLE WAS A GREAT ENDING TO OUR DAY.
ON OUR WAY HOME, A THAI MAN ASKED ME WHERE I WAS FROM- I SAID NEW YORK. HE SAID HE HAS A FRIEND NEAR THERE- IN SEATTLE. HEEE, NO MY GOOD MAN- WE ARE 3,000 MILES APART.

BANGKOK

I AWOKE THE NEXT DAY REFRESHED . MY LADYFRIEND WILL COME TOMORROW, SO I HAD THE WHOLE DAY TO ENJOY BANGKOK. THE AREA I WAS IN WAS CROWDED WITH LOTS OF TOURISTS. THERE WAS A 7/11 NEARBY- REMINDED ME OF HOME. I TOOK A LONG WALK TO THE SUBWAY STATION. THE BANGKOK SUBWAY WAS CLEAN AND EFFICIENT. THE TRAINS STOPPED RUNNING FROM 12 A.M TO 6 A.M. THE SYSTEM WAS NO WHERE NEAR AS LARGE AS THE NEW YORK SUBWAY SYSTEM, BUT THE SIGNS WERE IN ENGLISH AND THAI. I HOPPED A TRAIN TO A SHOPPING MALL. THE MALL WAS JUST LIKE ANY OTHER MALL. THEY ARE THE SAME AROUND THE WORLD I GUESS. AFTER WALKING AROUND THERE WINDOW SHOPPING, I WENT HOME. ONE THING I NOTICED- BANGKOK HAS ALMOST NO TRAFFIC LIGHTS. THEY HAVE CROSS WALKS YOU HAVE TO CLIMB UP TO CROSS THE STREETS. IT WAS EITHER THAT OR RISK MY HEALTH WITH THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC- I CHOSE THE FORMER. I WENT BACK TO THE HOTEL AND HAD A DELICIOUS SPICY THAI MEAL. I RETIRED EARLY- TOMORROW MY FRIEND WOULD BE HERE FROM THE PHILIPPINES.

BANGKOK

I WENT TO MY HOTEL FROM THE AIRPORT- I WAS DEAD TIRED FROM MY 18 HOUR FLIGHT AND JUST WANTED TO HIT THE SACK.
WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE HOTEL EVERYONE WAS VERY NICE- GREETING ME IN THE STANDARD THAI
GREETING OF TWO HANDS IN FRONT- TOGETHER- MEANING HELLO.
I WENT TO SLEEP EARLY AFTER I UNPACKED A LITTLE- I COULD NOT HELP BUT NOTICE THE BIG SIGN NEAR THE AIRPORT- WELCOME TO THAILAND- LAND OF SMILES. THEY WERE RIGHT!.
THE WEATHER WAS VERY WARM- BUT I EXPECTED THAT- MY ROOM HAD GREAT AIR CONDITIONING.
I SLEPT VERY WELL AS YOU CAN IMAGINE. THE NAME OF MY HOTEL WAS THE AMARI ATRIUM ON SUKUMVIT ROAD- VERY CLEAN AND VERY REASONABLE - FROM 54 DOLLARS A NIGHT. IT'S PHOTO IS ON TOP.

THAILAND

I WENT TO THAILAND ONLY ONCE IN APRIL 2008. MY FRIEND IN THE PHILIPPINES WANTED TO GO THERE- SHE WAS THINKING ABOUT RELOCATING TO THAILAND. I DECIDED TO MEET HER THERE.
I SPENT AROUND 6 DAYS IN THAILAND. THEY CEASED HAVING NON-STOP FLIGHTS FROM NEW YORK, SO I HAD TO FLY TO JAPAN THEN CHANGE PLANES FOR BANGKOK.
THE FLIGHT WAS AROUND 18 HOURS- BUT I LIKE PLANE TRAVEL SO I DID NOT MIND. ON THE WAY WAS A VERY
NICE FELLOW FROM QUEENS, NY WHO WAS GOING THERE TO SEE HIS FAMILY- WE HAD NICE CONVERSATIONS THAT MADE THE TIME PASS QUICKLY.
I FINALLY ARRIVED AT BANGKOK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT- IT WAS NIGHTIME THERE. THE AIRPORT WAS VERY BEAUTIFUL AND VERY BUSY.

OUTSIDE OF CHINA

ATHOUGH MY MAIN INTEREST IS CHINA, I TRAVELED TO OTHER PARTS OF ASIA RECENTLY. I AM GLAD I DID. I FIND ASIA FASCINATING BECAUSE ASIAN CULTURE IS FAR OLDER THAN MY AMERICAN ONE.
I WANTED TO KEEP THESE PARTS OF MY TRAVELS OUTSIDE CHINA IN A BLOG FORMAT. I REALLY HOPE TO RECEIVE YOUR COMMENTS AND TO COMMENT ON THEM.

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