Retro Postings Coming

My trips after Hong Kong included India (Again), France, Oregon, and in the last few weeks - Hawaii. I will be uploading additional pics and retro postings within the next week.

Hong Kong

Even as a kid I wanted to visit Hong Kong. It just seemed exotic to me. I spent a couple of days in Hong Kong before going back to India. Hong Kong's offical name is Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Great Britain handed back control of Hong Kong to mainland China in 1997. "The Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law of Hong Kong stipulate that Hong Kong operate with a high degree of autonomy until at least 2047, fifty years after the transfer. Under the policy of "one country, two systems", the Central People's Government is responsible for the territory's defence and foreign affairs, while the Government of Hong Kong is responsible for its own legal system, police force, monetary system, customs policy, immigration policy, and delegates to international organisations and events."

Aside from the oppressive humidity, the other thing you can't miss about Hong Kong is the amount of wealth present. There is a lot of money in Hong Kong. In fact, Hong Kong has the largest number of millionaires in the world. That explains all of the couture shopping such as Tiffany's, Cartier, Givenchy, and Jean Paul Gaultier. I saw more high-end shopping in Hong Kong than Beverly Hills, Paris, London, Tokyo, and New York. Keep in mind these items aren't cheaper in Hong Kong, they are just more plentiful.

Another interesting thing about Hong Kong is that it has its own currency and immigration requirements. For example, I need a Visa to visit China, but in Hong Kong my passport was the only requirement for entry; additional proof of the "one country, two systems" policy.

Japanese Toilet - A Real Throne

The Toto Washlet is the greatest bathroom invention since toilet paper. Heated seat, automatic air purifier, and warm water rinse. My ass has never been cleaner. Some of the new models have auto opening/closing lids, massage seats, auto flush and other programmable features. It's only a matter of time before Toto adds an auto whip feature. I have already contacted two Atlanta bathroom supply companies for quotes. Seriously, why don't our toilets have these features? We went to the moon for god's sake...why do I still have to sit on a cold toilet seat in the morning?

Vending Machines in Japan

It's impossible to walk more than a block in Tokyo without finding a vending machine. Japanese vending machines serve both hot and cold products. The red buttons vend hot products such as tea or coffee. The blue buttons vend cold products. Iced coffee is a very popular product in Japan. My favorite products from the vending machine are C.C. Lemon and Royal Milk Tea.

Engrish in Tokyo

This picture was taken in the Tokyo Metro Station in Akasaka. Notice the Engrish.

Japan Eats

The pictures above were taken at a recent dinner while in Japan. The first dish is my favorite Japanese dish; karaage. Karaage is chicken that has been marinated in sake, garlic, soy, ginger, and other spices, then deep fried. mmmm Japanese fried chicken. The chicken retains much of it's seasoning while remaining crispy. I am from the South so fried food are one of our major food groups. This dish fits nicely into my Southern diet. Now if I could get a glass of sweet tea to go with this dish -Yum! The second dish is Hamachi Kama or grilled tuna collar. All foodies know that the collar of any fish is the best part due to the sweet, robust flavor. I don't know the name of the third dish, but it was some type of beef stew with potatoes, onion, and soy sauce. This is Japanese comfort food. I would be very happy with this over rice any day. The last dish is the most adventurous. It is an entire steamed octopus. Scissors are used to cut the octopus into bite-size and chopstick manageable pieces. The taste is what I imagine a bicycle inner tube would be like if it sat at the bottom of the ocean for a few years. More karaage please.

No, it doesn't taste like chicken

I am not as culinarily adventurous as Andrew Zimmern, but I don't shy away from exotic foods either. Above is my first taste of whale. Oh nooo....the poor whales. Pfft...I don't give a damn. I didn't kill the whale and the way I look at it the whale is already dead - might as well enjoy what's left of it. Surprisingly, whale similar to beef, but with a slightly fishy finish. Overall it isn't bad. Granted, it won't show up on U.S. seafood menu any time soon and will most likely be outlawed worldwide in the future. And for the record, I would try dog or cat. It's not like it was my dog or cat. I do have several things I do not eat: liver, genitals, or a primates. I don't eat liver because I think the texture is similar to what I imagine shit would taste like if eaten. I don't eat genitals because the thought of an animals junk in my mouth kinda makes me throw up a little. I believe in evolution so therefore I refuse to eat anything with an opposable thumb.

No, I think we can fit at least 50 more

This is why I avoid the trains and subways in Tokyo during rush hour. Insanity! The Oshiyas or pushers make sure they pack as many people onto the train during rush hour. The first time I came to Tokyo I decided to take the subway to work during rush hour. I saw the crowds, cursed aloud, walked right out of the station, and gladly paid $20 for a taxi. Having 80 Japanese meat sticks poke me in the back is not how I want to start my day.

Video courtesy of Sockies25.

If you don't like crowds....

..you should probably avoid most of Tokyo. This video was taken at Shibuya crossing in Tokyo.

Video courtesy of NYPTravel

Sumo 2.0

The Japanese have given us Sumo and well as great role-playing games (RPG) like Final Fantasy. If they could combine RPGs and Sumo, it would be awesome and look something like this:
Video Courtesy of checkit014

Tokyo Subway

The Tokyo Subway is one of the more complicated subway systems in the world. It is the most efficent and cost-effective way to get around Tokyo if you can figure out how to use it. Above is a map of the Tokyo Subway.

Now in Japan

I landed in Tokyo a few days ago. Coming back to Japan always feels like coming home. I am more at ease and comfortable in Tokyo than I am in New York City. While I only speak a few words of Japanese, I always find the citizens of Japan polite, accommodating, and helpful. No city I have ever been to is as safe and clean as Tokyo nor as technologically advanced.

More photos on ajc.com

Not once, but twix. This is the second time my photos have made the news. My photos from my trip to the Taj Mahal are are being featured on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's website in the Weekend Away travel section.

The photos can be viewed here:
http://projects.ajc.com/gallery/view/travel/weekend-away/weekendaway051808/

Which cable is it?

This picture is symbolic of chaos I have experienced while in India. Notice the telco cabling over the road. This explains much of the network latency within the country.

Old Delhi

These pics were from the back of a moving bicycle rickshaw while in Old Delhi.

"You Happy, I'm happy." I'm not happy.

A co-worker and I decided to hire a driver to take us into Delhi to see some of the historic sites. The first site we went to was the Red Fort in Old Delhi. Our driver parked in a lot across the road from the fort. A couple of bicycle rickshaw drivers stopped and offered to take us to the fort. The driver negotiated a fixed price of 20 RS (about 50 cents) each for the service. We climbed in our respective rickshaws and commenced a living game of Frogger. As the rickshaw driver struggled to pull my ex-large western frame across the road, I held onto the poorly constructed rickshaw for dear life. This felt like an episode of Quantum Leap and I had just leapt into someone about to be struck by a car. "Oh Boy!" - Yeah, I just went old school and referenced Quantum Leap.

We managed to make it across the perilous street and were dropped off at the fort. We attempted to pay the drivers but they said to wait until we were finished at the fort; they waited. An hour or two passed before we exited the fort. The drivers had waited for us to return. We again attempted to pay them for their service. They said that they would show us around Old Delhi and we could pay then. My coworker pressed them for a fixed amount. "Oh don't worry, don't worry. Pay not much. You happy, I'm happy." He repeated this several times. My coworker kept pressing for a fixed amount. They dismissed his inquiry again and proceeded to peddle us through Old Delhi. The streets of Old Delhi were less than 8 feet wide in some parts. No one had imagined wheeled transportation when designing these streets. We frequently stopped to allow others to pass. The rickshaw driver, dripping with sweat, would point out landmarks along the way. "Look another piece of rundown shit." - Peddle, Peddle, Sweat, Sweat - "Something inconsequential happened here." - Peddle, Peddle, Sweat, Sweat - "This shop owner has only one testicle." - Peddle, Peddle, Sweat, Sweat - This poorly designed history lesson continued for another 45 minutes. Store owners pleaded with us to stop and buy their wares. We continued down the endless narrow alley way. The air was heavy with the smell of curry, oil, dust, and humanity. Indistinguishable vegetables soaked in spices, breads floated on boiling black oil, and flies feasted on cut fruit.

The drivers finally exited the narrow alleys of Old Delhi. The said they were taking us somewhere. I didn't really know what he said, but figured he wanted a break. We stopped at a shop. This was more of a show room than a shop. The lady in charged offered us drinks and began to show us saris, pashminas, silk paintings, and hand carved items. We informed her that we didn't want to buy anything, but she seemed proud of her goods and kept showing us items. I'll admit the quality seemed much higher than what I had seen in other markets. These goods were export quality, not the same cheap-ass crap I had shown by other vendors. I'm sure these drivers are most likely paid a kick-back by the shop owners to lure in unsuspecting westerners. The owner seemed disappointed that we didn't buy anything.

I told our rickshaw drivers we were done and ready to go back to the car. They drivers peddled back to the parking lot. We hopped off the rickshaws and asked them how much. "Very hard work, hard work. Fifty. Fifty U.S. Dollars - Each." WTF, $50 each? My co-worker handed them a hundred rupees or so. I chipped in another two hundred or so rupees for their hard work. The drivers then got angry. "No. This hard work. Fifty US!, Fifty!" My coworker throws their original offer back in their face. "You said I happy, you happy. I am happy with this amount." Take that. The drivers at this point are livid. "Go, just go." We waves us off. My co-worker and I again try to hand them the money, but they decline. We insist, but they want us to leave. We decide it's time to get the hell out of there. We had better get back to the car and fast. The scenario I see is the drivers telling the cops that the rich westerner has robbed a poor working class Indian or being chased down and lynched by every rickshaw driver in Old Delhi. I am pretty sure I could take at least eight of these bastards, but they probably kick like a freaking ostrich and well I would rather avoid a melee.

As we speed walk to the car I contact our driver via my cell and tell him we are ready to leave. We get within about 25 feet of the car when someone is yelling at us. We reluctantly stop. One of the drivers has decided he would rather take something than nothing. My co-worker informs him that he doesn't like the way we were treated so he offers him less. This guy's got Moxie! The driver takes the money and sulks away.

We get into the car and lock the doors. We begin to exit the parking lot when the other rickshaw driver stops our car. He yells heatedly at our driver in Hindi. This guy really want his $50. Our driver says something to him and opens the door. No, don't fucking open the door. What the hell are you doing? You never open the door. Oh shit. Our driver and the rickshaw operator continue arguing. We tell our driver of the scam and that we tried to pay them a fair amount. The two men continue arguing. I don't understand what they are saying, but the rickshaw drivers seems to blame our driver for the rich westerners stiffing them out of $100. The two men are inches apart and arguing. Our driver shoves the rickshaw driver and gets back into the car and drives off. I laugh nervously and don't look back. Yeah Bitch! Take that - our driver is a chauffeur and a bodyguard. Boo yah! Try catching us on your stupid little bike. Oh shit, don't stop - run the red light.

It's amazing how brave you become in the safety of a locked and moving vehicle. The moral of the story: always negotiate a price first.

Qutub Minar

The Qutab Minar is located in South Delhi and is the largest minaret in the world. "The Qutub Minar is 72 meters high (237.8 ft) with 399 steps leading to the top. The tower is now unfortunately once again closed to visitors. This is because in 1980s 25 children were crushed inside the tower when an electrical failure inside the tower caused a stampede." Nothing closes a tourist site faster than some dead children.

All of the pics above were taken at the Qutab Minar site.

Red Fort

The above pics were taken inside the Red Fort in Delhi. The fort was under the control of the Indian Army until 2003, when the Army handed over control to the Indian tourist authorities. The fort is now a popular tourist spot in Old Delhi.

Indian Palm Squirrel

This Indian Palm Squirrel was cooling himself down by flattening his body against the cool, shade-covered stones. The same thing didn't work for me. All I managed to do was dirty my clothes.