Marc's Public Blog - Trips to other locations


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This is a collection of my blog entries related to short or long trips I went on.
I have some master pages for some specific locations/trips:

paris over many years | UK over many years | Belgium over many years | Holland over many years | Vegas over many years | Australia over many years | Canada over many years | Japan over multiple trips | Italy in 2011 | France in 2013 | Indonesia in 2013 | Japan in 2013 | Japan in 2014 | Taiwan in 2014 | Indonesia in 2014 | New Zealand in 2015 | Japan in 2015 | Costa Rica in 2015 | Singapore in 2016 | South Korea in 2016 | Japan in 2016 | Germany in 2016 | Tasmania 2017 | Japan in winter 2017 | Great Britain in 2017 | Australia Flying Safari 2017 | Philippines 2018 | Spain in 2018 | Alaska in 2019 | England in 2021 | UAE in 2021 | Poland in 2023 | Portugal in 2023 | Thailand in 2023 | Japan Snow 2024 |

Table of Content for trips:

More pages: December 2023 June 2023 April 2023 December 2022 December 2021 February 2021 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 June 2019 May 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 June 2018 May 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 October 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 September 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 October 2012 September 2012 June 2012 April 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 June 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 September 2010 August 2010 May 2010 January 2010 September 2009 August 2009 June 2009 January 2009 December 2008 August 2008 February 2008 January 2008 October 2007 July 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 August 2006 July 2006 April 2006 March 2006 January 2006 December 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 April 2005 December 2004 October 2004 July 2004 June 2004 January 2004 January 2003 January 2001 August 1997



2013/12/20 Another Quick Tour of Paris Around Xmas
π 2013-12-20 01:01 in France, Ntrips, Paris, Trips
Like each year, I tried to plan some things to see while we were in Paris over Xmas. Since the weather isn't great on average, I only picked the 2.5 days that were nice outside to go out (we also spent 1.5 days at the Bourget Museum of Air and Space indoors when it was raining).

Friday after work, we had a quick look at Boulevard Hausman to see the Xmas tree and animations and climb at the top of Printemps for a good view:








The next nice day, we went to Jardin des Plantes to see the multiple museums there, but first I wanted to stop by les Arènes de Lutéce, which I found out about after watching a documentary on how Paris came to be what it is today over the last 800 years or so.
As the name implies, they are left over Roman Arenas, which weren't destroyed by urbanization. There are also thermes that can be seen by special appointment (by orangerie) which I hope to see another time. To be honest, it doesn't look like much, but it's a cool part of history left in Paris:



We also had a quick look at the Mosque next door which is more visitable than the one in Jakarta we weren't able to enter. They had a few displays to try and fix the very bad PR their religion has been getting due to their extremist followers:






Next, we went to Jardin des Plantes which was of course a bit devoid of plants outside during the winter season. The indoor plants were nice to see though:


these were actually artificial art
these were actually artificial art


Then, we saw displays on plants, animals, and evolution:




they have an impressive compact collection
they have an impressive compact collection


'No, I didn't come from monkeys' always amuses me
'No, I didn't come from monkeys' always amuses me










There was much to see, it was a packed visit. The last nice day of sun in the forecast, I planned a boat ride on the seine leaving by the Effeil Tower:






this put a lock on the bridge fad is getting out of hand...
this put a lock on the bridge fad is getting out of hand...



Paris is running out of bridges to put locks on now...
Paris is running out of bridges to put locks on now...



locks, locks, and more locks...
locks, locks, and more locks...

Musée d'Orsay is one place I yet have to go to
Musée d'Orsay is one place I yet have to go to

Parliament
Parliament




Next, we went to see the little houses selling overpriced Xmas stuff:


very very overpriced foie gras
very very overpriced foie gras





after which, we walked towards the small copy of the statue of liberty on a very small island in the middle of the seine:







this one is in French :)
this one is in French :)

From there, we took a cab to Arc the Triomphe and went to the top:





can't beat the view
can't beat the view


winters are cold, but have cleaner and clearer air, that's a win for pictures
winters are cold, but have cleaner and clearer air, that's a win for pictures













We then proceeded towards place de l'Etoile while looking at things on the way



Car manufacturers had new cars on display which I like to see each year:


























The last outing we did was a half day to see the Chateau de Vincennes which had been totally renovated after years of me going to the school next door. The visit was quite nice what seems to be one of the oldest castles in that shape you can visit in France today.















And that was it for this year.

2013/12/08 Quick 48H in Taipei, Taiwan
π 2013-12-08 01:01 in Ntrips, Trips
Since we had to fly through Taipei to get back to San Francisco, we added a couple of days to our trip to indonesia and spent them looking around in Taipei. We arrived late at night from Jakarta, got some much needed rest, and went out the next morning to explore the precise list of things she had planned for us.

Day 1

We stayed at the YCMA hotel, mostly due its convenient location metro-wise, and while it didn't have breakfast, there was plenty of food to be had outside:



We were very close to the Taipei Main Station
We were very close to the Taipei Main Station

We started by going to the Confucius Temple, which was both pretty and very informative on the interesting life and teachings of Confucius:













Next, we went to the Bao-an Temple next door. Magnific rooms, and structures on the roofs:










After that, we went to 2/28 Peace Park and its museum that describes the so called 228 Incident where Taiwan massacred 10 to 30 thousand of its civilians starting Feb 28th 1947 to stop an uprising. We only went through the museum very quickly due to lack of time, but went through its park while we were there. I'll note that Taiwan is honest with talking about its past and doesn't try to hide it like China does:


I guess this summarizes what happened :-/
I guess this summarizes what happened :-/









Next, we went to the very impressive National Ciang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall and Plaza:





nice socks :)
nice socks :)

lots of people exercising and dancing around the plaza
lots of people exercising and dancing around the plaza





we went inside the museum
we went inside the museum


We did a quick stop at the Red House which was on Jennifer's list, but turns out it wasn't what she hoped it would be, so we decided to quickly go to the Taipei 101 tower and got to the top just a bit before sunset:



the elevator reaches a super fast speed of 1000 meters/mn and gets you to the top in 37 seconds
the elevator reaches a super fast speed of 1000 meters/mn and gets you to the top in 37 seconds











The building has an impressive and visible damper to reduce building sway under the wind:




On the way out, we took some night pictures around:



To end the evening, we went to a night food market Jennifer wanted to see, unfortunately under some rain:






We had much fun trying to fish shrimp and the ones you could get out of the water, they would grill for you. The catch was the rope you had was very fragile and the shrimp would typically break it when fighting after you hooked them. We still managed to get 3 out of 7 hooks, not bad, and much fun:



And this was good for one long Day #1, and time to go to bed.

Day 2

Day #2, we started by going to the President's Palace. Unfortunately pictures were not allowed in most of it inside, which is surprising and disappointing considering the very informative museums inside on the first floor. Among other things, it had a good



Next we went to see the Yat-Sen Memorial. Unfortunately the main hall was under renovation, so we saw a few rooms and headed out:




that's the best shot I could get inside sideways since it was being renovated
that's the best shot I could get inside sideways since it was being renovated


good shot from taipei 101 from there:
good shot from taipei 101 from there:

From there, we went to Dihua Street, known for its many food stores and street food vendors:



shark fins, shame shame shame...
shark fins, shame shame shame...

bird nests, really?
bird nests, really?

and after the food, we saw a few nearby temples before another early sunset around 17:00:


some folks were doing some bingo like looking gambling
some folks were doing some bingo like looking gambling




lots of offerings
lots of offerings



more food in the streets for Jennifer
more food in the streets for Jennifer





After sunset, we spent a bit more time around the Red House to see the streets full of stores:




I got some nice shaved ice with ice cream and strawberries :)
I got some nice shaved ice with ice cream and strawberries :)




And before we knew it, we were back at the airport for our night flight back to SFO with Eva Air (another good plane with nice seats):


Summary

While it's true that we were coming from Jarkata which wasn't overwhelming, I was pretty impressed with Taipei. I feel bad for Taiwan now that they have lost a lot of tech revenue to China, and the impact this has on their economy now. In the meantime, I found the parts of the main city we visited quite clean, modern, pretty, and easy to visit. I realize that visiting Taipei in 48H is a bit short, but with Jennifer's advance planning work, I feel like we actually got quite a good overview, and the weather in December was quite pleasant, if we forget the short days sun-wise.

The subway was efficient and clean, part of it is that all food is forbidden in it:




sexual harassment makes sexual harassment panda sad
sexual harassment makes sexual harassment panda sad

On top of good subways, they also had rental bikes by the hour like many bigger cities do:


They had old style crouch toilets and new ones. Also, they had clear signs of where things were :)


They are very careful about not spreading viruses. The west could learn from that:

don't spread your cold, good call
don't spread your cold, good call

H1N1 is passé, don't get H7N9!
H1N1 is passé, don't get H7N9!

It was just a quick stop on our way back home, but I much enjoyed it and was happy to learn more about Taipei and a bit about Taiwan's history.

See more images for Quick 48H in Taipei, Taiwan
2013/12/07 Indonesia Trip Wrapup
π 2013-12-07 23:59 in Indonesia2013, Ntrips, Trips
This page is a wrapup of our trip in indonesia, go to main page to see the other posts.

First, we our time in Bali was great thanks to our guide and driver, Tawan. If you need someone to help you in Bali, contact him at wayan_tawan@hotmail.com.

While we didn't get to see a lot of Indonesia (mostly Bali), we still got to see Bali, Makassar, Sorong for long enough to know that there isn't much to see, and Jakarta. Clearly, there is a big contrast between Islands that are more Muslim than others, although Indonesia allows all religions. Ok, the religion part became a longer rant, so I'll leave it at the end.

  • What to visit
  • We didn't get see a lot of Indonesia, but from what I've seen and read about, Bali is most likely the one place in Indonesia where you can spend the most time to see and experience different things. It's also more liberal (i.e. less Muslim) and therefore less likely to have rules or restrictions that would be offensive or needlessly restrictive for most foreigners.

  • People
  • People were super nice everywhere. Obviously we mostly dealt with people in the service industry, people in Bali, and people in hotels elsewhere, but they really all were great.

  • Roads
  • We spent most of our time in Bali and we were mostly inland where the roads were much worse than down south. It was all 2 lane roads, with often one lane being blocked by someone drying their rice on it, or someone parked because there is no parking. As a result, short distances take a long time, and we were happy to have a patient driver. I'm however not optimistic about the future because unless they're willing to tear down rows of houses that are smack in front of the two lane road, there is no way to widen the road to allow for more capacity. When you see bigger tour busses on them, it gets scary.
    In Jakarta, it was not unusual to stay blocked in one spot for 10 or 15mn, while vendors walk from car to car to sell you food or other things.. Before long, they should sell you gas for your car :)
    Crossing the street in Jakarta without getting killed took all my skills as a seasoned jaywalker, while Jennifer said she wouldn't walk in the street anymore and take a cab to cross the road if need be.
    Depending on where you are, sidewalks have huge holes where you can not only trip, but even break your ankle. I was happy to have a flashlight with me when walking on the street in Ubud at night, because with dark streets and random holes or very uneven pavement, you had to pay attention.

    Some road were pretty narrow and still had rice drying on them
    Some road were pretty narrow and still had rice drying on them

  • Food
  • In places where muslims get to dictate their dietary restrictions and impose it onto others, the food was fairly poor (or maybe ok if you're a vegetarian). They do pig very well in Bali, and fish is hit or miss, but all the other meat I tried was disappointing to doubtful. Other foods, including croupouc, a favourite of mine, was tasty. The Hindu influence is likely responsible for not many cows being eaten, and the ones that are, not being the best beef around. For comedy relief, a funny video about Indonesian cooking, which is obviously an exaggeration, but funny nonetheless :)

  • Toilets
  • Ok, this video is more funny than fair or accurate, most toilets we used were western style, but all of them I used had a flush that was so low that you had to bend over with your head almost over the bowl you just sat on, to reach and use it. Why, oh why?

  • History
  • Ok, like many countries that only got their independence recently, their past has colorful and not so great pieces history. I recently happened to watch The Act of Killing a documentary I heard about on the Daily Show of all things, and portrays the mass killings of about 1 million indonesian by death squad leaders who were there to remove all traces of communism (the goal is understandable, but killing tens or hundreds of thousands poor villagers who happened to be associated with communists without really knowing any better, is harder to understand). The group responsible is currently still in power as far as I know, and also wrote their own version of "history is written by the winners" that we got to read in the diorama under a couple of national monuments we visited in Bali and Jakarta.

    A fine example of impartial story telling :)
    A fine example of impartial story telling :)

  • Religion clashes and influences
  • Buddhism and Hinduism were not an issue at all, and on the contrary responsible for most of the nice temples and historical places we went to visit. Christianism and other non Muslim faiths also existed but were more limited. I believe the most widespread religion across all of Indonesia is Islam though.

    Like Malaysia (which unfortunately did host some of the 9-11 hijackers and their planning meetings), Indonesia also welcomes many religions. To me, this is great as long as they are all accepting of one another and don't try to push their views onto others. Obviously, I'm biased, but nowadays Islam has a track record of heavily pushing their views onto others, and setting/changing local laws to match their religion (a bit like if there was a law preventing alcohol or pork in a random country). While it was thankfully possible to get tasty pig in Bali, that's not true of many of the others Indonesian islands. Similarly, the food in local flights that doesn't offend anyone was the worst food I had ever eaten, and I'm not that difficult with food.

    Similarly, they have the same problem in schools where kids have to wear uniforms so that they can all be treated alike (while I didn't grow up with this, sounds like a reasonable idea to me). However, Muslim girls had their own uniform to allow for their religion mandated hide your face veil, which in my eyes kind of defeats the purpose of an everyone is the same school uniform:


    Yes, Islam is supposed to be peaceful religion of course, except that it contains easily manipulated followers, some are turned into extremists which around the world they sure have given the entire religion a very bad name, even if they are a very small minority.
    Sadly some of those extremist Islamists have also done bad things in Indonesia, namely bombing the Borobudur Buddhist temple in Indonesia, the largest one in the world, or more recently bombing Bali which pays less attention to sharia law (Islamic law for all, even non islamists) and over 200 people got killed for the islamic crime of drinking alcohol at a pub. Sigh...

    On the plus side, outside of bombing a major Hindu temple, extremist muslims in Indonesia haven't started eradicating all the christians like they have done in Egypt, so I suppose it could be worse...
    Again, I know that most Muslims are peaceful and nice people, but the extremist cancer in that religion is sadly a problem :(

    Yeah, sorry, this was too long, but to end the topic on Indonesia, all the people we interacted with were fantastic, it's only in the airports on crappy cheap flights that were glorified bus with wings that we had to fight line cutters and people trying to push their way through. While Jennifer was frazzled by this, it was not a problem for me, I know how to handle that and make sure not to get pushed around.

    We had a great time, and we've already made plans to go back and trying a new diving cruise on the Banda Sea out of Maumere and ending up in Ambon.

    See more images for Indonesia Trip Wrapup
    2013/12/07 Indonesia: Jakarta
    π 2013-12-07 01:01 in Indonesia2013, Ntrips, Trips
    We arrived in Jakarta the previous evening, but with a delayed flight, heavy rain, and a 2H time difference, we forgoed our plans to look around, had dinner in the hotel and went to bed.

    The next morning, we had breakfast at the hotel, and we went out to spend 5 hours looking around before heading for the airport for our flight to Taipei.
    We first went to the nearby mosque with hopes to have a quick look inside, but we likely arrived at the wrong time. Someone who didn't speak much English told me we couldn't really enter and look without him to escort us, and only 40mn later. Since it wasn't clear and we didn't have time to wait in our short morning, we just left to meet arturo at Monas were we had planned to meet around 08:00.



    Across, there was a church across the street. It wasn't the best one ever, but probably nice for there:




    Walking around town was not worth it, and crossing each street could take minutes before I could find a break in traffic to run across (no lights or crosswalks in many places). I've never been to india, but from what I've heard so far, it seems similar. For next time: use cabs to go everywhere, even for a 5mn walk.


    We eventually made it to Monas, the national monument to meet Arturo. They were supposed to have an elevator to go to the top, but it was broken. We took the stairs, and those were also closed 1/5th of the way up, so we ended up just a bit higher for a quick view which wasn't fantastic anyway, so no big loss.


    They had a diorama downstairs, with interesting history (as written by the winners :D )
    They had a diorama downstairs, with interesting history (as written by the winners :D )

    view from the level slightly higher up.
    view from the level slightly higher up.


    Next, we went ot the Museum Nasional which had decent collections to look at:





    nice piggy bank
    nice piggy bank

    We got to see places in Indonesia we didn't go to:




    When traffic isn't moving at all (which is often apparently), street vendors walk up to the cars:


    And that was it, we had to go to the airport. There were a few more things to see in Jakarta, but they were farther away, so we wouldn't have made it there in the limited time we had.

    See more images for Indonesia: Jakarta

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