Travel plans
January 1st, 2007Just finished a nice week in HK (pics) and Macau (pics). Very short recovery time before it’s time to hit the road again.
The breakdown:
Unfortunately, Thailand had some problems last night (5 bombs in Bangkok), which is slightly worrisome. It’s most likely related to the military coup back in September (though bloodless, also slightly worrisome). I’ve already booked my ticket with the Pride of Africa (yes, Kenya Airways has a HK-Bangkok route). So in light of last night, I’m still going, but might try to avoid the crowded city areas and spend less time in Bangkok than originally planned.
US citizens don’t need a visa to visit Thailand, though I still need to get one for mainland China, so I’m going to wake up at 7 tomorrow to stand in line. I’m hoping for a multiple-entry six-month, but if the turnaround time is too slow, I might have to just get a standard single entry this time. I’ve got to get my passport back in time for Thursday’s flight. While I wait for my visa I need to find a travel book for Thailand. I really have no idea where to go. I thinking about spending a few days scubba diving in the south (around Koh Samui) and then return to the north to visit temples.
Finnally, a few thoughts on last week’s trip to Macau, the small SAR about an hour ferry ride from Hong Kong. To be honest, I didn’t expect that much, as most people just talk about its casino’s (e.g. “Asia’s Las Vegas”), but it turned out to be a very nice trip. Until 1999 Macau was a Portuguese territory, and it’s easy to see the influence. It sometimes felt similar to my real Portugal trip a few years ago. Macau’s history is also much longer than Hong Kong’s, so there’s lots of great places to visit.
I’ll probably make another post before I leave on Thursday. Until then, happy new year!
January 4th, 2007 at 1:44 am
If you see my uncle in Thailand tell him it would be nice to get an email from him maybe once every 2 or 3 years so we know if he is alive….
His name is David McCoy