Up, Up and Away! Hot Air Balloon Over Bagan (Myanmar Part 3)

Call it excitement but I was already awake before the phone rang at 5AM. It was our wake up call. Yes! This was the day! Ever since we decided to go on this trip, I could hardly wait for this moment to come. We were going on a balloon ride! 

I do have to confess something though, the first time I mentioned the balloon ride to the Big K he didn't like the idea and was quite adamant. "Nope! Not doing that. No engines!" Well, I guess I can somehow understand his feelings since him being an airline pilot he'd want to know where he's going and not be at the mercy of the wind. But truth be told I knew he was somewhat intrigued when I showed him pictures of balloons floating across a vast field of temples.

So, little ole me just kept quiet and secretly booked us a spot. Haha!

Amazing Bagan! (Myanmar Part 2)

What can be more exciting than being in a hot air balloon gently rising off the ground, the cool silky breeze tickling your face as the warm whoosh of the burners' flames effortlessly lift the balloon into the early morning sky. Eyes fixed on the horizon, giddily anticipating the sunrise that would soon be bathing the temple-filled landscape in fiery hues....
  
Whoa! I'm getting way ahead of the story. Let's rewind and start again.

On the Road to Mandalay! (Myanmar, Part 1)

When I was planning our anniversary trip last month we were all set to do a temple run à la Angelina Jolie's Lara Croft in Siem Reap, Cambodia and stuffing our faces silly with yummy Vietnamese food on a back of the bike foodie tour in Saigon. But then I came across a picture of a hot air balloon gently floating across a vast plain dotted with temples as far as the eye can see. It was an early morning scene with mists still blanketing the surrounding countryside. WOW! Talk about taking your breath away.

Change of plans! We're going farther north into a country famous for its thousands of temples, a nation just starting to open up to visitors and the home of Nobel Peace Prize awardee Aung San Suu Kyi. The land of the golden pagodas, MYANMAR.

Totally awesome! My picture does not really do justice to the scene we've experienced.

36 Hours in Xi'an (Well, sort of....)

One of the main reasons I wanted to come with the Big K on his trip to China was the opportunity to see the Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. The story of these life-sized clay sculptures have been frequently featured in magazine articles and TV documentaries. And what makes these statues remarkable is the sheer number of them. No, we're not talking of a handful nor a hundred but think thousands! Thousands upon thousands of warriors and horses, all created to accompany a single person in the afterlife. 

And where do you find this incredible army? It's in Xi'an, the ancient city in the Shaanxi province. Xi'an is one of the oldest cities in China and was once the eastern terminus for the Silk Road. It was also the capital city of 13 dynasties (there were 26 dynasties in all) where a total of 73 emperors once ruled.

Beijing's Temple of Heaven and Qianmen Street

Having barely unpacked our bags from our last adventure, the Big K told me to get my gear back on as we were going on another trip. Yay! To be more exact he was going on a two-week training. Read: Do Not Disturb Me I Will Be Working. But I was more than welcome to join him (refer to previous statement: You're On Your Own. Which was totally fine with me!) 

So, where to this time? The beautiful city of Beijing! Unlike my previous visits to this ancient city, this time I was looking forward to a more relaxed tour of the place. Or so I thought.

Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests at the Temple of Heaven

Bangkok And A Night At The Museum

I was looking forward to the Big K's August roster because I learned that he would be going to Bangkok for a series of company training sessions. And little ole me got all excited when I found out that he had a few days off before the start of one of his training sessions which meant I could ride shotgun again. Yay!

The last time we were in Bangkok we stayed at the Bangkok Tree House at the Bang Namphueng area also known as the "lungs of Bangkok" because of its abundant greenery. Bang Namphueng is a 20-minute boat ride across the Chao Phraya river from busy metropolitan Bangkok and is also the site of one of Bangkok's non-touristy floating markets.

On this visit we opted to stay right by the city but still along the Chao Phraya river. 

48 hours in Beijing, Part Deux

It was in the balmy spring month of May when I had the second chance to ride shotgun with the big K. Unlike my first Beijing visit, this time it was going to be a leisurely exploration of the city. But, of course, it still involved a lot of walking. 

48 hours in Beijing, China

One of the advantages of being married to an airline pilot is I get to tag along on some of the big K's layover flights. Beijing is one such flight where he gets a 48-hour layover. Shades of Anthony Bourdain's show The Layover but lucky me I get to go more than once. 

It was in early November when I first went with the big K. Our flight, a red-eye, arrived at the capital of China a little past midnight. Nothing much to do but catch up on some sleep since the next day was going to be a marathon sightseeing tour of the city. 

The next morning's weather was clear but cold, still it was the perfect day to go see one of China's greatest architectural achievements, The Great Wall. There are different sections of the wall one can visit, from the easily accessible and well-maintained thereby popular with tourists Badaling Great Wall to the unrestored and dangerous-only-for-rock-climbers Jiankou section.

The Mutianyu Great Wall.

The big K and I opted for the Mutianyu Great Wall. Just like the Badaling section Mutianyu has been restored. It is a bit farther to reach from the city so it does not get a lot of tour groups unlike Badaling. 

To get here the big K and I hired a local taxi with the help of the hotel's concierge. With a little bit of haggling we settled for RMB500 (approximately USD80) for the small expedition. The trip took a little more than hour to reach the wall. We explored the wall for about two hours while our taxi waited for us. Good deal!

We took the cable car up to the wall and the toboggan going back down. Pretty scary both ways but all worth it!

We were lucky on this visit as there were only a handful of visitors that time. We practically had the wall all to ourselves. Sweet!

It is one thing to read about it and know about it but it is entirely different to be standing on the Great Wall and imagining how it was those thousands of years ago. Hundreds of men, sometimes children too, working night and day, struggling to complete the wall that would save China from the hordes of "uncivilized barbarians". Gave me goose bumps.   

It was almost three in the afternoon when we got back to our hotel. Freshening up a bit, we were on our second wind. Taking the subway this time, the big K and I were off to Wangfujing, one of the capital's shopping areas.

Wangfujing is a pedestrianised shopping area popular with both tourists and locals. Most of the luxury branded goods have shops here.

Dinner was at the Donghuamen Night Market. The market is well-known for its out of the ordinary food offerings. I played it safe by having some of these dumplings.Though the xiaolongbao was a bit of a disappointment.

See what I mean about out of the ordinary? 

More creepy crawlies for the adventurous taste buds.

They say scorpions are natural aphrodisiacs. I say there is nothing natural about seeing these critters squirming on the stick......... 

Roasted leg of lamb, the big K's favorite. He never leaves Beijing with out getting his fix here. 

To end our very long day the big K and I were off on a short subway ride to the Olympic Park where the 2008 Olympics were held.

The Beijing National Stadium more popularly known as the Bird's Nest. Purposely built for the 2008 Olympics, this was where the opening and closing ceremonies were held. Plus of course the athletics event and football finals during the games. It is now a popular venue for international football games. In 2015 the IAAF World Championships in Athletics will be held here. 

The Beijing National Aquatics Center or the Water Cube, just across the Bird's Nest, was where the swimming competition was held.

Day 2 of our 48 hour marathon tour

Our feet still aching with all the walking we did the day before, the big K and I were off to see the Forbidden City. Located in the middle of Beijing, it was the home of the emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the last two dynasties before the creation of the Republic of China. 

The Forbidden City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 as the "Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties". 

It was called the Forbidden City because no one, from commoners to nobility, were allowed to enter the palace unless they were invited.

The place was so huge, the big K and I were not able to see even half of it! Plus of course we didn't have that much time in our hands as we had to go look for lunch (a very late one!) and head back to the hotel to prepare for our evening flight back home. 

Tiananmen Square right in front of the Forbidden City.

Our trip would not have been complete without sampling the obligatory Peking duck. 

The Peking duck came with hoisin sauce and thinly sliced cucumbers to be wrapped together in crepe-like pancakes. Yummy! We also tried the local version of the big K's favorite Chinese dish, sweet and sour pork which turned out to be very good. Oh, of course we had to have rice, yangchow fried rice. Lunch is served!

I had a wonderful, albeit very short, time seeing some of the famous attractions Beijing is known for. Places I've only read about or seen in books and on TV. I never expected the city to be so beautiful! 

As I've said earlier, lucky me because I get to see more of this beautiful city on my next trip with the big K. This time in May. Spring time!

Bang Namphueng Floating Market, Bangkok

We found the perfect place to stay. Now it's off to market! 

Getting ourselves bicycles from the hotel, we were happily pedaling our way to market. Well, almost.  

Now, I do not want to reveal my age, but suffice to say that it had been more than twenty years since I'd been on a real, live bicycle. Stationary exercise bicycles don't count. Now who said that you never forget to ride a bicycle? Apparently they didn't know what they were talking about. 

So, here you have a long-time, no-ride rider, combined with raised, narrow walkways, lizards, locals, dog droppings strategically placed in the middle of the path. You now what's going to happen next, right? Let's just say I had to quickly remember how it is to ride a bike!   
  

See what I mean? The pathways only had railings on one side while some didn't have any at all.

Bangkok Tree House in Bangkok, Thailand

The big K was on another company trip to Bangkok. And I, of course, was riding shotgun again. He had a few days off before his training started so we took advantage of his free time to discover more of what Bangkok had to offer. It had only been two weeks since our last visit and we were kind of templed-out. So this time we decided to visit their floating markets. But first was the question of where to stay?  

Enter the Bangkok Tree House.

The distinctive bamboo ceiling of Bangkok Tree House's reception and dining areas.

Hong Kong Anniversary Trip

The big K and I just came from Hong Kong on our yearly anniversary treat, which by the way is still a month away. Too early to celebrate, you say. Well, if you're in a profession that does not afford you a regular working schedule you learn to make plans quickly on your free days. This month the big K had four straight days free! Bags packed, we were off on another adventure! Either that or wait for next month's work schedule. Plus there was that matter of the "end of the world".

We love going to Hong Kong in December. The Christmas lights and decorations are all up. Weather is just right, comfortably cool to walk around.