I wound up transiting through SIN overnight to get to HKG today. Normally it works like this:
Fly SQ1 from SFO-HKG-SIN, stopping over in HKG and continuing on to SIN a few days later.
However, SQ1 was sold out so I wound up on SQ15 which leaves SFO at 1245 and arrives at SIN two days later at 0100! Technically it’s “two” days later since we arrived after midnight…
Anyway, my original plan was to stay overnight at Changi Airport’s Transit Hotel then head into town via MRT in the morning. I really had a craving for kaya toast and sock coffee. Still do.
Sounds easy and stress free, right? This is me, remember?? Don’t count on it.
First off, the Transit Hotel was sold out. Period. Second, there’s not a lot of moderate (>US$100) lodging in Singapore. Basically, Singapore lodging works like this: There’s a lot of hostels then boutique hotels and then the big ass fancy awesome get laid hotels that costs as much as your air ticket.
For that bracket inbetween the hostels and boutique hotels are a couple of local no-frills hotel chains: Fragrance and Hotel 81. They’re spread all about the island but their critical mass is in Geylang where you can check in at 0200 and get a single room to crash in.
Besides the odd traveler, these Geylang hotels also attract working girls and their johns for *ahem* business. Not necessarily the *business traveler* type! If you tell your Singapore frens that you stayed in Geylang, be prepared for lots of jokes about “cleaning up”. AHEM…
Anyway when I took the taxi last night to get to the hotel, I inadvertently left my handphone in the cab. I realized this after I checked into the hotel and promptly went into panic mode.
I panic VERY WELL. I asked the hotel clerk to ring my phone for an hour straight.
Anyway, there’s a happy ending to the story when my phone was recovered by the cab driver and turned in to his office. Apparently, when my phone started to ring on the back seat, the cab driver heard it and kept it with him. If he picked up another passenger and the phone was just sitting there the chances that my phone would have walked off were high. Really high. How high? Well, answer this question: Do I like EQMs? Yes? Well that’s how certain my phone would have walked away but for the driver rescuing my phone. I collected it on my way out to Changi Airport for my flight to HKG.
So I just emptied my karma pot for this trip. Best try to refill it on this trip…
Why do it?
So I get the question: “why do you do it”?
I can look out the window and see thing like this, that’s why.
Or like this
Somewhere over Alaska on SQ15 en route to Seoul Inchon
Because most of my flight, this is what I saw.
Of course, this is how flying SHOULD be. But not if you fly a US carrier!
Also nothing beats SQ service! That’s another reason…
When you have to look at this,
SF Xmas Tree all twinkley
The tree went up on Union Square the other night.
It’s all pretty and all lit up but check THIS out. Using a cherry picker to place ornaments? Isn’t that…erm…cheating??
Party Train…?
I was at Omiya Station waiting to catch the Asama Shinkansen to Nagano a couple of Sundays back when I saw this sign.
Nothing unusual, right? Just a couple of signs telling you when and what the next train will be at the platform. But look closer at the sign on the right side.
What is a “party” train? Can someone explain, please? =P
MUJI makes landfall
Well, after years and years, MUJI has finally made it to the USA. Of cors, it’s in Soho. Here’s some info about the new Soho store and an interview with the MUJI president.
Since it’s the first store here, figures that they’d have a limited selection of products. But do they have the house?? Now THAT’s something I’d like to have shipped! When you’re in Tokyo, visit the flagship store in Yurakucho where they actually have the house assembled (and a greeter in the foyer) so you can do a walk through. More on the MUJI infill house here.
A visit is due next time I’m in New York! (hat tip: Mari’s Diary)
memoirs of a hike
Remember this scene from Memoirs of a Geisha (AKA Sayuri in Japan)?
In this picture, it looks very dramatic. And in real life, it’s dramatic as well. Fushimi Inari-taisha is the name of the temple in Kyoto that’s really a MOUNTAIN with paths covered in torii.
If you can get over the fact that you’re climbing a MOUNTAIN, it’s really beautiful and it’s more torii then you’ll ever need to see for the rest of your life.
Then when you get to the top, do you get a view or some kind of “you’re done, yay” sign? NO. You do get a shrine and a rest stop where the attendant, who doesn’t speak much English but must get this question a lot, said “is top”.
I understand that this is a shrine and all, but is this IT? Yup…
Geisha Spotting!!!
At least I think she’s a geisha (or geiko in Kyoto-Ben)
So so HUNGRY??
It looked like they all were having fun eating. Naturally!!
Moonwalker Bar in Kyoto (updated)
Drinking in Japan is the stuff of legend. Both for the fun and for the price (usually expensive). In Kyoto, there is a bar called the Moonwalker. It’s on the main drag along the canal next to a Harley themed bar. Entry is Y300 and drinks are Y200 apiece. They’re not watered down but they ARE half size. Regardless, you can drink a LOT and get smashed very quickly.
So here’s Momo and Yuki again. Fellow backpackers at the hostel who I wound up going to dinner and boozing with on my first night in Kyoto. Soon to be graduates of Uni in Tokyo, both of them have spent a year in English speaking countries (New Zealand and Canada) so their English is quite good. Also very fun to hang out with.
Besides cheap drinks, the Moonwalker has a small selection of snacks that we were comped since we ordered so many drinks. Like these bunny shaped buns. Bun buns? We had something else too but I forgot what else we ate.
Shortly after we arrived, a party of three came in and took the table next to us. Since they were “next to us”, for them to be seated meant that half of our table had to get up so they could squeeze inside. As a result, they became part of our merryment (along with the Aussies at the bar). Note the one in the red cardigan on the right. Unbeknownst to me, I was to see her again…fate perhaps?
They had the same fascination with the drinks as we did. They did the Japanese thing. Whipped out their phones and took pictures of their drinks. As opposed to us Joe Gaijin that merely whipped out cameras.
More drunken merriment until our neighbours left and then we left the bar later on.
I can hold my breath for THIS long
Wheeee! Merryment!
And on the death march back to the hostel, we passed a LOT of combini. So naturally we heeded the siren’s call and got some refreshment. Mmmmm! Refreshment
WAHAHAHAH!
Dinner in Kyoto. Fun had by all!
After settling in at the hostel, the next order of business was finding a place to eat.
I do have priorities you know!
I went to the room next door and met two more backpackers who were also hungry. On the way out the door, we picked up one more for a total of four. Makes it easier to get a table.
We wound up in Kyoto’s Terimachi Arcade at a beer hall called Ichiba Coji. There’s also another location in the Kyoto Station building. Look at how this place is designed. Definitely does not scream “beer hall”. I thought it was a “Kyoto Cuisine” place.
We also ordered some bibimbap and some grilled beef with sauce.
Naturally at the end of a good meal, it’s time for camwhoring.
I found out after the fact that they also have a “free flow drinks” option where you pay Y1200 and for 90 minutes, you get all the booze you can drink. I’m sure there’s SOME limits, but I would have liked to try that!
Ichiba Coji
Terimachi Arcade, Bottom Floor
Kyoto
京都市中京区寺町錦上ル
ウイズユービル BF
TEL 075-252-2008
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