I did NOT go on Singapore Flyer

I usually wouldn’t blog about something I didn’t do but since the Singapore Flyer is a very prominent landmark in Singapore I thought I’d give a quick blog rundown.  Singapore Flyer is the world’s tallest Ferris wheel (Described by its operators as an observation wheel).  It reaches 42 stories high, with a total height of 541 ft (165 m).

The Singapore Flyer is located near the shore of Singapore’s Marina Bay at an area of Marina Centre known as Marina Promenade.  The Singapore Flyer also offers a great view of the Marina Bay Street Circuit of the Singapore Grand Prix as it is located just beside the straight between turns 21 and 22 of the circuit and near the pit stops.  Although I didn’t go on it, I got some great photos of it.

Singapore Flyer from a Nearby Bridge

Admission Information

From talking to taxi drivers I got the impression that every capsule was set up like the sample capsules (below) which were nearby.  Since I was traveling alone I didn’t really feel like sitting in a capsule for 37 minutes as I remember being bored in the giant Ferris wheel in Yokohama, Japan.  In hindsight I now wish I did for the sake of photography and to be able to say I did.  I got the following from another website.

“There are 4 options for going on the Singapore Flyer First, a basic Singapore Flight at one rotation of about 30 minutes cost 29.50 SGD ($21 USD) for adults, 20.65 SGD for children (3-12 years old; 0-3 years old are free) and 23.60 SGD for Seniors (60 years old onwards).

Second, the Express Boarding contains the basic Singapore Flight and bypasses the ticket boarding queue for and exclusive check-in and in-flight guide. It costs 52 SGD for adults, 36.40 SGD for children and 41.60 SGD for Seniors.

Third option is the Singapore Cocktail Flight which includes the express boarding plus a glass of specially concocted cocktail drink to sip while taking in spectacular foods. (Note that no food and beverage aside from this are allowed inside the capsule.)  It costs 69 SGD ($49 USD)  for adults, 48.30 SGD for children and 55.20 SGD for Seniors.”

Singapore Flyer Ferris Wheel Capsule

Preview Inside the Singapore Flyer Ferris Wheel Capsule

Experience Singapore Flyer

If I was with a group of friends or had a date I would have probably went on the Singapore Flyer but I was alone so I just photographed it from various locations around Marina Bay.  I would recommend anyone in Singapore who wants to see the city from multiple vantage points and possibly grab a drink or bite to eat to check out the Singapore Flyer.  Like I said before in hindsight I should have went on the somewhat overpriced “observation wheel” but I didn’t so the memories I have now are pretty much what’s in the following photos.

View the Full Singapore Flyer Photo Archive at tourismPICS.com

Mount Faber is Definitely No Everest

Mount Faber Park Map (click to enlarge)

For some reason Mount Faber sounds like a grand peak somewhere in the European Alps when in fact it is more of a hill in Singapore.  To put the size of Mount Faber in perspective consider the highest natural point in San Francisco, Mount Davidson.  Mount Davidson is 928 feet (283 m) above sea level while Mount Faber in Singapore is about a thrid of that at 344 feet (105m) .

I was told by my friend who happens to be from Singapore that Mount Faber was a great place to visit for anyone who likes to take pictures as there are some of the best views of Singapore.  Mount Faber is actually a entire park which you can view the map to the right.

I wanted to get some good day, dusk and night photographs of Singapore so I decided to head to Mount Faber around 4pm on a Monday.  It was on the other side of Singapore from Geylang where I was staying.

Mount Faber Park (in between groups of tourist busses)

Getting to Mount Faber

Mount Faber is accessible from the HarborFront MRT station but I took the taxi from my hotel.  My taxi driver gave me a heart stopping moment as he floored the beater taxi up the steep and curvy road to Mount Faber causing the car to lose control.  The taxi fistailed in 3 big curves before he gained control about 10 meters from hitting an oncoming tourist bus.

The taxi driver dropped me off at the Jewel Box which is a Singapore Cable Car Station / restaurant / bar.  I went in and talked to a couple of the ladies working there and took a couple of photos.  I was offered a drink at the outdoor restaurant/bar but I was ready to explore Mount Faber park while it was still light.

I found a good viewpoint to shoot some shots at the time and later then I carried on upwards.  Amidst several tourist buses with Japanese and Chinese tourists I found some relaxing areas.  The path pictured above is next to a very steep drop off looked like it was set up for a view of the harbor bay but the only view was the dense vegetation.  The sun was going down fast so I decided to climb up to the peak.

Steps going up to Mount Faber's Peak

Mount Faber Peak

I was profusely sweating in the very humid weather as I hiked further up Mount Faber to get to the peak.  It was around 5pm and the tourist groups were filtering out so I was almost by myself which was nice just to hear the birds and sounds of what’s left of the rain forest.  Up the steps pictured above was the peak of Mount Faber which had a surprise for me.

There was a outdoor hall area with a couple dozen plaques showing Singapore’s past in pictures as well as words.  I thought it was pretty interesting as you could walk around and go through the history of Singapore.

Just when I thought I had learned some knowledge I got to the very top where there was a cool illuminated, compass-like display on the ground.  You can see in the photo on the top of this post.  The arrows are actually pointing to other countries and cities.  On the ground close to each arrow is a name of the city or country the arrow is pointing to.  The views on the top are great although there are a few obstructions from getting perfect shots.

I took a bunch of photos of Singapore and the surround Harbor Bay before I left to find some air conditioning and some cold water.  There were no cabs on the peak as it was pretty much dark after I was done shooting photos so I decided to walk down.  On the way down I saw numerous joggers and couples going on relaxing walks.  There was a mixture of paths and steps going down towards a residential looking area of Singapore which had the Central Business District in the background.

View the Full Mount Faber Photo Archive at tourismPICS.com

Singapore History Plaques towards the Peak of Mount Faber

Overall Impression

Mount Faber is what it is.  The human made as well as natural highest point of any city is always going to be a place I want to check out.  There are a lot of relaxing areas with tables and chairs throughout the parts of Mount Faber Park that I saw.  I enjoyed the mini-history and geography lessons that the peak offered.  In addition to the large “Jewel Box” restaurant there was a smaller outdoor restaurant which would be a nice, quiet place for a meal with a great view.  Anyone visiting Singapore will find Mount Faber a good place to spend a couple hours whether it be sight seeing, dining or exercising.

View the Full Mount Faber Photo Archive at tourismPICS.com

Fleeing Bangkok

I had just got back to Bangkok from San Francisco where I had visited Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon to extend my student Visa and re-start my Thai Language classes when I heard that the “red shirts” were at it again.  Without getting into details, tens of thousands and possibly millions of (mostly rural) Thai people unhappy with the current government were planning on converging on Bangkok for a huge protest.

Mass gatherings are not my cup of tea especially ones that could bring bombings or violent military responses.  I’d probably feel most comfortable in a large crowd of Thai people than any other but that’s not saying much.  My dislike for being in large crowds culminated as I was getting squashed and pickpocket during New Years on Copacabana Beach in Brazil and I have no desire to experience that again.

I felt that I needed stability in the midst of the political instability of Bangkok so why not head to one of the purported safest and most stable countries in the world?  I booked a one way Jetstar Asia flight to Singapore for Thursday the day before I heard there was to be a big red shirt rally in Bangkok on March 12, 2010.

Seeing Red on the Streets of Bangkok

Finding a Hotel in Singapore

I booked my flight to Singapore with a relatively short notice so as usual I had to scramble to find a hotel.  I used sites such as Hotels.com and AsiaRooms.com to get the general range of places to stay in Singapore and I discovered that there is not much as far as mid-range hotels go.

The cheap prices that came up in searches were usually hostels and budget hotels without basic amenities while the expensive hotels cost an arm and a leg.  I was debating a night at Novotel which is located directly on the scenic, vibrant Clarke Quay dining and night life area but the cost came up to around $200 a night which was too much for the 6 hours I’d be spending there sleeping.  I ended up staying at the same hotel for my entire stay which was located in the Geylang area.

Places to Stay in Singapore:  Fragrance Hotel Pearl

Colorful Singapore Police Station

Getting Around in Singapore

Often times the subway is the best way to get around in large cities.  When a subway is convenient I will always take the subway as the first method of getting around when traveling to new cities.  My hotel was located a 10 minute walk from the nearest MRT station.

About 10 minutes after getting the hotel room I strapped on my camera bag and began walking toward the MRT station.  It was Thursday afternoon around 1 or 2pm so as I arrived to the MRT station profusely sweating.  There were multiple lines at this station so I asked the MRT workers for help.

Upon arriving to the ticket machine you will see a rather large LCD display with the entire Singapore MRT system on it.  There are 6 options on the left one which is “buy single trip ticket.”  After choosing single trip ticket you are asked to select your destination by touching the map on the LCD display.  I believe the maximum cost was $2 Singapore which is around $1.40 USD which I found to be quite a bargain as some trips were well over a dozen stops.

My first trip on SMRT was only 4 stops and I was expecting a light load on the subways being it was mid-day on a normal week day.  Upon entering the train I was rather shocked to see how crowded the subway was.  I asked a student in the subway if it was always this crowded and he told me it was.  I was only going 4 stops to the City Hall MRT to see the harbor so it didn’t bother me too much.

Singapore City Hall MRT Station - 3:20pm Thursday

Things to Do in Singapore

I had an open ended itinerary in Singapore so my plan was to play it by ear.  Other than the few ideas for things to do in Singapore I got from my old client and friend Alvin which I wrote on a note card and put in my wallet upon arriving I really had no idea what I’d be doing.

Along with my friend’s recommendations I picked up 2 or 3 Singapore tourist maps at the airport.  I didn’t notice it until the end of my trip but each map was for something different.  There was a ‘medical’ map which listed all the hospitals and spas, a ‘night life’ map as well as a general tourism map.  I used the tourism map as a basic guide as I did some of the following:

Singapore River Boat Tour

Singapore Zoo / Night Safari

Jurong Bird Park

Singapore Botanic Gardens

East Coast Park Bicycle Ride

Singapore Flyer

Mount Faber Hike – Sight Seeing

Singapore Cable Car

The cable car was out of service when I was in Singapore.  It is actually a “bi-cable gondola lift” which is a cable suspended air trolley with glass bottoms for sight seeing.  Singapore cable car has 3 stations originating from 300m above sea level at the top of Mount Faber to the Harbour front station located on the edge of as well as Singapore’s resort island, Sentosa.  The fair cost of the cable car ride is 19 Singapore dollars ($13.40 USD) which would make worth doing, especially if you like taking photos and/or want to get to Sentosa in style.

Sentosa

Sentosa, which translates to peace and tranquility in Malay, is Singapore’s mega popular island resort, visited by some five million people a year. Attractions include a two-kilometre long sheltered beach, Fort Siloso, two golf courses and two five-star hotels, and the Resorts World Sentosa, featuring the new theme park Universal Studios Singapore.  Since I was traveling alone and was heading to Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, Thailand after Singapore so I decided to skip my trip to Sentosa as I would rather spend less in Thailand and experience natural beauty than what I perceive as an artificial paradise.

Sentosa Island Montage (courtesy of Wikipedia)

Shopping

As with most large Asian cities, you can’t cram in 5 million people on a small area without having tremendous amounts of shopping centers and Singapore is no exception.  Places to shop range from small knock off clothes vendors to high-end luxury stores such as Hermes and Louis Vuitton. This paragraph blurb hardly does Singapore’s shopping scene justice.  If you are into shopping and find yourself in Singapore you will find everything you need and then some.

The prices seemed to be fair unlike Tokyo but probably more than places such as Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur where many Singaporeans go looking for deals.  As usual I didn’t spend much shopping for stuff but I did pick up a new Kata 123-Go 30 camera bag at Funan Digital Life mall, one of the 2 highly recommended electronic shopping areas by everyone along with Sim Lim Square which I didn’t have a chance to get to.

Ground Floor of Funan Digital Life Mall - Singapore

Places to Eat in Singapore:  Everywhere!

I was very impressed with the food in Singapore.  First off, I love Indian food and I had a chance to try numerous types of Indian food I had never eaten before in Singapore.  The convergence between Chinese, Indian, Malay and even Japanese people seemed to make Singapore a culinary paradise.

Geylang Road

I ate off hawker stands for almost every meal and was never dissatisfied.  Along with cheap food all over the city/country there is a large assortment of fine dining options as well.

Delicious Muslim Indian Food along Singapore's Geylang Road

Little India

To be honest I expected a lot more from Little India.  I expected it to be a huge section of Singapore when in fact it seemed to be more like a couple blocks.  The Indian food I had in Little India was definitely not a disappointment though.  For a very cheap price I got a huge square grass-like plate of some of the most delicious Indian Food I’ve ever had and Indian Food is my favorite!  I could have probably explored Little India in Singapore a little bit more but I’ll leave that up to you.

Typical Narrow Colorful Streets of Singapore's Little India

Chinatown

Chinatown was even less impressive than Little India.  Since the population of Singapore consists 70% ethnic Chinese I didn’t really expect too much from Chinatown and I was not surprised when it turned out to be a small shopping center with some small shops as well as food stalls.  I got a couple pork buns and was on my way as there is a Chinatown MRT station right in the center of Singapore’s Chinatown.

View from the Edge of Singapore's Chinatown

Overall Impression

After the initial “cool” factor of visiting a new place I always think about whether I’d ever live there and Singapore immediately received my seal of approval.  When thinking about it, it took me a while to come up with some reasons why I wouldn’t want to live in Singapore and one was the slight sterile feeling.

I would recommend anyone visiting Southeast Asia to check out Singapore for at least 3 days.  If anything it will give you a stark contrast from some of the less developed countries as although Singapore is still classified as a “developing country” it is just as developed as any city in the USA along with being safer, cleaner and friendlier.

View the full Singapore Photo Archive at tourismPICS.com

Marina Bay, Esplanade & Singapore's Central Business District

View the full Singapore Photo Archive at tourismPICS.com

Getting to Jurong Bird Park

Jurong Bird Park was not at all close to where I was staying off Geylang Road. The flyer I picked up my hotel, Fragrance Hotel Pearl gave rather simple 5 step directions via car which it said would take 30 minutes and MRT which would take 60 min.

I had basically given up the MRT by day 1 so I quickly hailed a cab outside of my hotel. I know it would probably cost at least 10x what the MRT would cost but my flight to Koh Samui was leaving later in the night so I didn’t want to waste any of my time. Little did I know that my taxi driver would do that for me.

Even though I gave my driver the bird park flyer with the map his driving was disastrous at best. He took the wrong turn at least 3 times, one almost to the Malaysian border checkpoint, stopped and asked for directions 4 separate occasions before getting me there. The fare on the meter was $36 Singapore but he only charged me $20 ($14 USD) because of his mishaps.

At Jurong Bird Park

As I expended, similar to the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari there was a little square with souvenirs and eateries right at the entrance to the bird park. There was a place selling Asian food and Ben & Jerry’s as well as a place called Bongo Burger. I had been eating Asian foods the entire time in Singapore to this point so I decided to eat at Bongo Burger.

Bongo burger was your typical cheesy theme fast food restaurant. The employees were wearing safari outfits and all the furniture and decorations were safari themed. The burger and fries were pretty good although cost around 15 Singapore dollars ($10 USD).  After 15 minutes in the fan cooled restaurant I was ready to explore Jurong Bird Park

Bongo Burger & Animal Chairs

Stained Glass Dome on way into Jurong Bird Park

Touring Jurong Bird Park

Jurong Bird Park was set up very similar to the Sinapore Zoo or all zoos for that matter.  There are wooden signs which tell which areas of the park have which kind of birds.  The different groups of birds ranged from penguins, to flightless birds to birds of prey. TAKE NOTE:  There are vending machines all over Jurong Bird Park but none of them take bills.  If you have a propensity to overheat, make sure you bring some $1 coins to get some chilling refreshments along the way or else you may be sweating buckets walking up the hills and steps throughout the park.

Just like the Singapore Zoo some of the bird exhibits were very camouflaged.  As you may imagine there was no shortage of birds in the park.
More than a couple exhibits had me wondering how the birds don’t escape as most of the park is open air.  This makes Jurong Bird Park a great place to take photos.

Everyone from professional photographers, to amateur photo enthusiasts, to kids with their cell phone cameras can enjoy taking photos of birds in Jurong Bird Park.  Consider that if you wanted to shoot photos of all the birds in the park you’d have to travel all over the world and get lucky in their natural habitat.  Below is a slide show with a small fraction of the birds at Jurong Bird Park.

Live Bird Show

Just as I was about to leave Jurong Bird Park to head straight to the Airport for my flight to Koh Samui, Thailand I heard a crowd of people buzzing.  I knew I had about an hour of leeway before my flight was to leave so I decided to check out and I’m glad I did.

The bird show featured some very, very trained birds.  To my surprise vultures were a main feature performing some pretty mind boggling feats of intelligence.  At one point I didn’t realize the handler was directly behind me and was buzzed by a giant vulture 6 inches above my head.  It caused me to miss the chance of some great shots with my Nikon D700 Digital SLR and monstrous Nikkor 70-200mm VR lens.  If you decide to visit Jurong Bird Park, make sure you check out the schedule so you won’t miss this fun and sometimes hair raising experience.

Everyone and their Mother Enjoying the Live Show at Jurong Bird Park in Singapore

Overall Impression

Balaniceps Rex aka Shoebill

Although the initial thoughts of visiting Jurong Bird Park didn’t really excite me and I essentially attended as a last minute time killer I had a great time.  I thought the presentation and content was excellent with a nice layout of the “bird zoo” along with a wide variety of birds from all over the world.

As well as the birds themselves there was a good amount of interesting information and exhibits all over the park which really interested me.  There were many locations that showed the close relationship which today’s birds have with the ancient dinosaurs and if you don’t believe me, check out the moment I caught the shoebill yawning (on the right).

I would highly recommend Jurong Bird park for anyone traveling with the family.  I saw numerous kids having a blast.  I was able to get much of the park in even though I had a flight all the way across Singapore in a couple hours.  I would guess at least 2, preferably 3-4 hours would be enough time to enjoy the park, have a bite to eat as well as check out the live show.

Again, I thought Jurong Bird Park was pretty cool and is included with the 3-for-1 pass you buy with admissions for the Singapore Zoo and night safari.  The $45 Singapore dollar ($32 USD) is good for up to 30 days so whether you love or hate birds, Jurong Bird Park should be on your Singapore:  Things to do list.

STRONGLY Suggests you Visit Jurong Bird Park in Singapore

Read about the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari

Passed by 100 Times

Bangkok Baking Company is located in the JW Marriot hotel in between Sois 2 and 4.  I had passed by it probably 100 times because it is right across the Sukhumvit Road crosswalk I use to go grocery shopping.  Since I usually spend around $1 USD for Thai food, I seldom feel like spending several times more in “fancy places” but I was hungry and nothing was appealing so I thought I’d try and blog about Bangkok Baking Company.

Every time I walk by, I see suits and ties eating in Bangkok Baking Company ans also a sushi restaurant, generically named “tsunami” which is below.  I’m used to wearing workout clothes or shorts and a T-shirt so I often avoid “finer establishments” just to avoid any awkward situations especially with the language barrier.  I decided to chance it as I was very hungry.

Inside Dining Area - Bangkok Baking Company

Dining at Bangkok Baking Company

I was seated right away and read a copy of Bangkok Post while I waited for the waitresses to take my order.  They spoke decent Engrish but still misunderstood when I tried to order a small side salad.  I received my food in a timely manner and the pasta and garlic bread were hot.

Giant Salad

Big plate of Tasty Pasta Bolognese

Menu - (Click to Enlarge)

The Menu

As well as the obvious (baked goods) Bangkok Baking Company has a full menu which includes everything from pizza to salad to hamburgers.  This is not unlike most restaurants in or near hotels but the quality of western food was a lot better than the food of your average budget hotel or guesthouse.

I ordered the pasta bolognese which I have ordered in Thailand numerous times only to get the generic “Chef Boyardee” bland tasting pasta.  I also wanted a small side salad but when they came out with the salad it was this huge bowl of bell peppers along with feta cheese.  I got both dishes at the same time so I chose to eat the pasta first because I was really hungry.

Overall Impression

The pasta bolgnese was no substitute for Mom’s authentic Italian cooking but it was very good not to mention filling.  If you’ve ever eating a meal in Thailand you probably know the portions are smaller than we’re used to in the US but Bangkok Baking Company delivered a nice, filling bowl of pasta for 240 baht ($7.42 USD) which is expensive for Thai standards but if Italian pasta is on the menu, Bangkok Baking Company will not disappoint.

My bill which included the salad, pasta and a Tiger beer was 669 baht ($20.70USD) which is likely more than anyone wants to spend for a lunch, especially in Thailand but I basically ordered 2 main courses.  As long as I live in Bangkok there is probably a 100% chance I return to Bangkok Baking Company because it’s close to where I live and I will likely get sick of eating the same thing over and over again and look for something new.  While I wouldn’t advise anyone to book a flight to Bangkok just to eat at Bangkok Baking Company, it is a more than solid option for anyone who finds themselves on Sukhumvit Road looking for some non-Thai and non- bar food.

One of Singapore’s Most Popular Tourist Attractions

When I mentioned Singapore to family and friends one of the first things many of them said was, “I heard they have a great zoo” or something to that effect.  I’m not the biggest fan of zoos and wouldn’t usually go but I had to see what makes Singapore Zoo so special.  I was chatting with the cab driver on the way back from the airport and he told me that the zoo and night safari were literally next to each other so I thought it would be a good idea to go there on my first night in Singapore.

Getting to the Singapore Zoo

I saw that the zoo lied in what seemed to be the north central area of Singapore according to the Singapore tourist map I got at the airport.  I  just had explored the area around the Esplinade and was near the City Hall MRT stop so I thought the MRT would be the best and cheapest method of transport to the zoo.  I was right about cheap, but MRT was not the best way.

In addition to buses which as usual I was too lazy to try to figure out a taxi would have been a smarter way to get to the zoo.  I figured if I take the MRT for $2 to Marsling I could save money and time as opposed to the taxi especially if there was traffic.  It turned out that even after the 17 stop, 30+ minute MRT I still had to take a taxi from Marsiling to the zoo so I wasted valuable time.  If you are traveling in Singapore and have to budget your time more than money, taking a taxi is the by far the best way to go, especially if you are with a group.

Singapore City Hall MRT Station - 3:20pm Thursday

Arriving at Singapore Zoo

Upon arriving at Singapore Zoo you are greeted with a few food and souvenir options before the ticket counter.  I was very hungry so I grabbed a slice of pizza and a Tiger Beer.  The pizza was a very tasty tandoori chicken pizza which really hit the spot.  After the brief sit-down meal and relaxation I was ready to get a ticket for the zoo.

As advertised in the Singapore tourism map there was a 3-for-1 deal for the zoo, night safari, and Jurong Bird Park.  I thought it was a pretty sweet deal because it was valid for 30 days from the date of purchase and only cost $45 Singapore Dollars ($32.29 USD).  I also found out that the night safari was literally right next to the zoo and only required about a 2 minute walk.

Tandoori Chicken Pizza from Singapore Zoo

Exploring Singapore Zoo

I wondered how Singapore zoo set itself apart from other zoos and it was apparent in the first few minutes why.  Walking a walk in Singapore Zoo is like walking around in any other zoo as there are cement paths and signs with information about the animals.  What makes Singapore Zoo so special is the design of the animal habitats.

For most of the zoo, animal exhibits blend in with the surroundings.  You don’t see many pronounced cages and/or totally artificial looking things in and around the animal exhibits.   I have never been to the Bangkok zoo but I heard that some animals are basically in small cages with their arms hanging out one side.  The Singapore zoo had me wondering many times how the animals don’t escape as it seems you are in there with them.

I walked around for around an hour snapping some photos.  After I was there for an hour I knew it was close to closing time because I only saw maybe 1 or 2 people walking around.  Little did I know the zoo closed at 6pm which gave me only an hour to explore it.  Again, the ticket was good for 30 days but I really wanted to finish both zoo and night safari on the same day being so far from my hotel.

Momma and Baby Chimp at Singapore Zoo

Off to the Night Safari

I escaped the zoo around 6:30 ish and headed directly over the the night safari which was very close.  I had just went to the Chiang Mai, Thailand Night Safari a few months earlier so I expected more of the same.  People seemed very excited to be there as there was a sort of night club atmosphere complete with a couple restaurant/bars in addition to the standard souvenir shops.

I should have read the fine print because the tram ride was actually not included in the 3-for-1 ticket I purchased.  There were 2 walking exhibits as well as the fire show but what’s a safari without riding in a vehicle?  The tram ride ticket was another $15 Singapore ($10.70 USD) but I felt compelled to at least compare to the Chiang Mai night safari.

Since I already had my beer and pizza I was not hungry but I didn’t really want to wait in line so I went over to the left where a worker was sitting at a booth with a couple of glass cases.  I started talking to a young lady named Cassandra who was overseeing the tarantula and scorpion cases.  I chatted with her about an hour inhaling fumes from the fire dancers (photo at top of post) as I was waiting for it to get dark because it’s a night safari, not a dusk safari although the tram line was packed even when it wasn’t dark out.

About to enter the Singapore Night Safari Tram

Night Safari

The tram ride part of the night safari was a bit of a disappointment.  I could tell they were rushing due to the pressure of having so many people and tram rides every 15 minutes or so as opposed  to the Chiang Mai night safari where there was only a single tram ride.

Even though I had better, top-of-the-line camera gear than the previous night safari I barely got any good shots.  Even with the Nikon D700 and the Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR & Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 D two great low light lenses, I couldn’t keep pace with the driver who never let the tram come to a complete stop.  In hindsight, if getting some good shots was a priority I should have probably went on the tram when there was more light.

The tram ride seemed like it was over before it began but I still had 2 walking exhibits to attend.  I ended up skipping the walking exhibits as I noticed the 9pm fire show was beginning.  They had dancers going crazy on the stage as well as a crazy Japanese tourist which they brought up.  The Japanese tourist became part of the show which was pretty interesting so I pushed my way past 100 or so onlookers so I could get some photo opportunities.

After the fire show I went to check the live animal show.  It was hosted by this talkative Indian woman and included a wolf, boa constrictor, serval, and some amazing recycling otters, YES, recycling otters.  Although the show was mildly entertaining and the animals were well trained, it was a bit disorganized and again, seemed rushed like the tram ride.

Fire Dancers (Find Crazy Japanese Tourist)

Overall Impression

I’m sure my experience at the Chiang Mai, Thailand Night Safari caused the Singapore Night Safari to lose some of its luster.  I’d be willing to bet that the people who created the night safari in Chiang Mai, used Singapore’s as a model.  The night safari was a good experience and I would definitely recommend it for anyone who hasn’t been to one before.  If you have been to a “canned” night safari before or have been on a real safari, you may want to skip the tram ride and just go to the zoo.

Below you can see a slide show with some of the animals I had a chance to photograph during my brief tour of Singapore Zoo and the photos that came out halfway decent during the very dark and camera flash prohibited night safari.  I went on another day to the third related Singapore wildlife place which was included in the 3-in-1 ticket which you can read about as well.

Places to Visit in Singapore:  Jurong Bird Park – Coming Soon

Learning the Hard Way

On my previous photography posts about choosing a digital SLR camera and the Nikon D90 I was a true Bangkok camera shopping rookie.  I had only been to MBK and the larger and newer, obviously more expensive retail malls.  In only a few months I have went from becoming a rookie to almost a professional when it comes to getting the best deals in Bangkok.

Primary Shopping Options

Besides the shops in the major shopping malls such as Central World and Siam Paragon where you can expect to pay full retail prices there are 3 primary options where you can find wholesale prices on brand new camera equipment including the top of the line digital SLR lenses from Nikon and Canon.

The three shopping locations are MBK which I have posted about numerous times.  While MBK has a whole tech floor and numerous camera and lens shops, I found the prices to be more expensive than the next two places I will mention.  MBK does have one of the better camera shops in Bangkok for gear such as filters and second hand equipment.  The shop’s name is photofile and there are 2 locations in MBK, the main store being on the first floor.  I will talk about selling SLR camera lenses later in this post.

The 2^nd shopping option is an IT mall named Fortune Town.  Fortune town is located near the Fortune Hotel near the Ratchada area of Bangkok off of Ratchada road.  I have only been to fortune town twice.  The first time I was there I bought the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 lens at a small camera shop for a price which I thought couldn’t be beat as it was lower than the cheapest price I could find on Hong Kong Ebay.  It turns out I went to the 3^rd shopping option for lenses and found out I was wrong.

The 3^rd and best place in Bangkok to buy digital camera lenses, not to mention all electronics including digital SLR camera bodies, computer parts, laptops, cell phones is Pantip Plaza.  Pantip Plaza is an IT mall located in Pratunam area of Bangkok.  It can be reached by a 10 minute walk from Central World and is an experience to say the least.

Bangkok's 3 Primary Camera & Lens Shopping Options

Pantip Plaza

Pantip Plaza has a bustling hock shop atmosphere that some people like while others hate.  It is much like most other shopping areas in Bangkok, the only difference being as you walk in you will have hardcore porn DVDs shoved in your face.  As you ascent the 5 floors via escalator you will get more hardcore porn DVDs shoved in your face but if you’re looking for the best prices on Digital SLR and camera lenses this is your place.

I have read a lot and talked to numerous people about Pantip Plaza and heard many mixed reviews.  Some claim that stores in Pantip sell tainted products, products with their expensive components replaced and counterfeit products.

While I haven’t experienced any of this, I wouldn’t doubt it.  There are some smaller camera shops in Pantip that I wouldn’t fully trust but other shops such as AV Center where I buy all my equipment seems to be 100% trustful.

I mentioned I had bought the lens at Pantip and the appraiser at Photofile scoffed at me and offered me a lowball price.  Whether he was just an elitist who wanted to continue to offer absurd prices for stuff you can get for much cheaper elsewhere or he knew what he was talking about I don’t know for sure.

Looking down from the Top Floor of Pantip Plaza

AV Center in Pantip Plaza

Pantip Plaza has numerous specialty camera shops, the best I have found to be AV Center.  AV Center is actually 5 or 6 separate stores located throughout Pantip Plaza.  Each store has almost identical prices and equipment.  Ask one of the AV Center stores for a lens and they don’t have it, they will likely have it on another side.

At least 3 of the 5 AV Center stores are big with equipment on display but I would consider the primary AV center store is in the middle of the 3^rd floor and can be viewed from any escalator.  There is a nice showcase with all the equipment, multiple employees and some space to move around.  The prices are offered pretty much as low as they go.

As with buying anything throughout Asia, always try to get them to knock down the price.  With high-end camera equipment at AV center and the already low prices, they will usually knock down the price a couple hundred baht which isn’t much but will add up if you keep buying from them.

Camera Lenses & Gear I Bought at AV Center and was Fully Satisfied

Nikon D700 DSLR Body
Nikon MB-D10 Battery Grip for D700
Nikon Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 Lens
Nikon Nikkor 10-24mm Lens
Nikon Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 Lens
Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 HSM

Read about Developing the Right Camera Kit

One of Many AV Centers in Pantip Plaza

Selling your Unwanted Digital SLR Lenses in Bangkok

Photofile at 1st Floor of MBK

As you can tell by my list of lenses, unless you’re made of money, you will be needing to sell lenses as well.  You may want something a little better, lighter, more versatile which better suits your needs.  As you can probably tell by the list of the lenses I have bought in just the first few months of owning a digital SLR camera, I have had to part with lenses as much as I’ve bought them.

While craigslist.org is not the megasite it is in much of the USA, especially San Francisco, there are people who look at Bangkok craigslist for deals on used equipment.  I have learned from experience, since some camera stores are so cheap, don’t expect a quick sale.  Whoever responds to your ad will haggle to no end which may not be worth it as meeting them across Bangkok may also be a challenge.

I found 2 camera stores in Bangkok that buy used lenses and Digital SLR bodies but any store that sells second hand equipment may be willing to buy but it is worth it to get estimates from all the places.  The primary store is Photofile in MBK.  They sell equipment for much more than the stores in the IT malls and it turns out they buy lenses for more as well.

Photofile will offer you top dollar if you have the box, all accessories and a warranty card for your equipment.  The second place was a small camera shop in Fortune Town.  I asked them to give me an estimate when selling a lens and they offered me 4,000 baht ($120 USD) more than Photofile for the same lens but also offered 2,000 baht ($60 USD) less on another lens.  The moral of the story:  Get multiple Estimates if you want to get back the most for your used SLR lenses while selling them in Bangkok.

When buying a lens in Bangkok you should note that when you get a cheap price 99% of the time you will NOT get the Nikon 5 year manufacturer warranty.  You will likely get the 1 year in-store warranty which I would not have too much confidence in.

Being Cheap

Most people I know want cheap prices.  If you have no problem buying retail, spending 25% more when buying camera equipment or anything go to any store in Central World or the Siam Centers.  I have priced SLR lenses in Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore and the USA and the prices in Bangkok are the cheapest I’ve found for new equipment.  If you’re looking for the cheapest prices in Bangkok, possibly in the world, just go to AV Center in Pantip Plaza, test, buy and admire your photography.

Read about Developing the Right Camera Kit

Getting my Kicks on Route 66

If read the first part of this post:  3 Day Excursion from San Francisco:  Part I:  Las Vegas you read about my 12 hours in Las Vegas and start of my journey to the Grand Canyon.  After I passed the horrible traffic jam due to road construction around Hoover Dam I was able to make up some time the fun way.

I didn’t get a Corvette to break gas mileage records I got it to drive fast.  Driving mostly straight with slight turns through the desert and up the mountain was an invitation to speed.  Being a Thursday evening the traffic was light so each straight away indicated time to floor the accelerator and see how fast the Hertz “prestige collection” car could go.

I got lucky numerous times with the cops and my life!  I distinctly remember 3 separate occasions where I just was driving at triple digit speeds and around the corner was a highway patrol officer in the middle of the highway waiting to catch speeders.  On one occaison I got a little speed happy and although I didn’t really think about it at the time, almost died.

I have photographic evidence which will explain some of it.  I saw my chance to see how much of the Corvette’s 200mph limit I could get so I floored it on the straight away you see below.  If you look closely it looks like a semi truck is in the right lane further ahead.  It turned out the truck was actually in the left lane because an optical illusion of some kind.

As I floored it (you can see the tachometer at almost 6,000 RPM) in 5th gear at 150 mph I had to snap a photo with my 5 pound Nikon D700 & Nikkor 14-24mm F2.8 lens to prove how stupid I am.  What the photo doesn’t show is that as I got closer to the truck which @ 150+mph happened in seconds from when the photo was taken I saw it was in the right lane.  I was going to pass it on the right but it signaled and started getting over.  I had to snap the wheel back to the left and brake simultaneously to avoid turning my Corvette rental and my body matter into dust.

I didn’t think it at the moment but if I had been using different traction controls, or the road was slick I would have probably lost control.  There is just something about driving a car fast.  It’s really all or none.  You drive fast and almost get in a wreck and you’re 100% fine and laugh about it or you get in a wreck and they’re scraping your brain matter off the highway with a snow shovel.  Needless to say after I thought about I kept the car around 80 for the rest of my trip.

Idiotic Moment before Scary Moment with Semi on Route 66 in Arizona

Arriving at Grand Canyon National Park

I arrived at Grand Canyon National Park in darkness to empty toll booths.  Two of the toll booths had red X’s but one had a green light.  There was nobody in the toll booth so I drove by following the orders of the GPS which had the final destination within a very close distance.  I noticed at lest 2 or 3 cars being pulled over by park rangers or police officers so I made sure to adhere to the slow speed limits.  This should be a warning to anyone driving through the Grand Canyon National Park at night, DRIVE SLOW.

I pulled into a large, almost empty parking lot s the GPS lady told me I reached the final destination.  I expected lots of lights and tourists but I saw no people or signs of activity.  I pulled in the parking lot and was amazed at the amount of stars in the sky.  It must have been the elevation and lack of smog but it was amazing (see photo below).

I got out of the car and was going to walk to see if I could see the Grand Canyon but the dead silence, freezing cold and occasional canine howling in the distance had me a bit spooked.  If I knew what I found out later and hung out there before I would have had no problem with hiking around at night.  I’m actually glad I didn’t go blindly hiking around in the snow that night, I’ll explain later.  I admired the stars for a bit, got out the tripod I had bought at Best Buy in Las Vegas and snapped a couple shots before returning to the car to find a lodge for the night.

Amazing Stars at Yavapai Observation Point Parking Lot

Finding a Place to Stay at the Grand Canyon

I was driving around aimlessly inside Grand Canyon National Park and everything looked closed.  I didn’t bother stopping at many places because I couldn’t see a sign that said lobby or anything.  Some of the lodges looked more like groups of cabins and I didn’t want to be knocking on doors and having John McCain coming out with a sawed off shotgun in my face.

I finally saw a police officer or park ranger and asked her where a lodge was and she pointed to one which was right in front of my nose.  The place was called Maswik Lodge.  I parked and went in and was in luck because they had an available room.  It was a big room with 2 queen beds for around $80 USD which was too much but I took if anything for convenience sake.  It turned out that Maswik lodge was located very close to a viewing point for the canyon.  They gave me a map at check-in,   I bought my rip-off $12 flashlight in their gift shop and after I dropped my bag in my room I walked off into the darkness blindly looking for the largest canyon in the world.

The path was around a 7 minute walk to the canyon which I found.  I was there all alone and when I pulled out the tripod I bought at Best Buy the leg fell off rendering it useless.  I ended up dangling my camera over the railing and a 1000+ foot drop to take some night shots as my bare fingers began to freeze with the canyon breeze.  The best photo turned out to be a 77 second exposure which is below.  After I got my photos I walked back to the lodge, watched some TV and went to sleep early because I wanted to photograph the sunrise early in the morning.

5 Minute Walk in the Dark from the Lodge

Waking up for the Grand Canyon Sunrise

I woke up around 5am before my alarm was set to go off at 5:30 in anticipation of getting some great Grand Canyon sunrise photographs.  I was told the best place to witness the sunrise was the Yavapai Observation Point which I had no idea where it was.  I looked at the crude map the lodge staff gave me and I knew it wouldn’t help so I just got in the car and drove.

It was deja vu as I arrived at the same parking lot that I took the photo with the Corvette and the stars this time in the pitch black of the early morning.  It turned out the parking lot was for the Yavapai Observation Point which the GPS guided me to.  It was literally a minute walk from the parking lot to the south rim of the canyon.  Little did I know there was only a few inches between a great view and certain death at many points along the rim of the Grand Canyon.

The first observation point I got to was very unsafe.  The crude diagram I have inserted below doesn’t illustrate just how deadly this was but I will try to explain.  The snow was from a week or more ago.  It was no longer snow, but sheer ice.  The first part of the photo was at least a 30 degree down slope of sheer ice.  The railing was only around 15-20 feet but on either side was just an ice slide to the death.  You can see in the second photo where the sheer ice leads to.

There were no warning signs or anything.  I took the first photo standing on a log which I sat on while I tested my footing which there was none.  I thought for a second to pull the survival trick by Man vs. Wild TV show survivalist Bear Grylls and taking my socks off and putting them over my shoes to get more traction but I valued my life more than that and also saw a safe observation point with some tourists and their cameras close  by.   I got a chance to shoot some sunrise shots from the safe observation area which is below.

Crude Diagram of Grand Canyon Death Drop

Sunrise at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon - Arizona

Touring the Grand Canyon South Rim

After taking the sunrise photos I went on a short horribly ill equipped hike.  I had no warm coat, gloves or hat but walked around taking photos of the canyon and checking out some safe places where I could get off the path.  I knew I had a few hours before I had to check out of my lodge.  It was amazing but as I walked the scenery didn’t change very much.  After a couple hours I decided to get back to the lodge and eat breakfast, pack and check out for some more Grand Canyon sight seeing.

As I checked out I met a foreign exchange intern who happened to be a beautiful girl from Thailand!  After showcasing some of my pathetic Thai language skills I was off to explore more of the canyon by car.  I drove on the road which encircles some of the south rim.  I was told by a local guy that I was lucky because during the off-peak tourist season, roads are open to traffic as opposed to the tourist heavy season where the roads are only open to tour buses.

The speed limit was 20mph and I could see why.  The icy roads and close proximity to 1000+ foot drops would make for a good death scene for a Hollywood movie, but not for me and my rental car.  I drove for an hour or so, stopping at observation points the last which was called Hermit’s Rest.  Hermit’s rest marked the end of the road but had a little gift shop along with a snack bar which served hot chocolate, hot cider, coffee and other snacks which weren’t that good, but hit the spot.  After absorbing Hermit’s Rest it was time to make a decision.

Hermit's Rest Observation Point along the Grand Canyon South Rim

Getting Back to Las Vegas & San Francisco

I decided to get back to Vegas and get a flight to San Francisco instead of spending another night looking at the same scenery of the Grand Canyon or inhaling smokey air and gambling.  I drove back slower than when I drove there but didn’t stop at Hoover Dam so I made it in the same time although stalled again by the Hoover Dam area construction traffic.  I didn’t have a return ticket so I started calling airlines once I got near the Las Vegas city limits.

I got rip off prices so I decided just to go to the airport ticket counters and talk in person.  The first counter I went to was Virgin America.  The guy at the counter was super cool.  He explained that a cheap coach ticket plus baggage fees was around the same price as the good, front of the cabin behind first class seat which included baggage fees.  The seats had around 2 or 3 feet of leg room, laptop chargers and everything I could want for a flight including wireless internet.  I would do a whole blog post about it, but Virgin America is going to be my airline for US domestic travel from now on.  United can keep their piddly couple hundred frequent flier miles, I’d rather fly in comfort.

Overall Impression

I thought the Grand Canyon was just that, Grand and then some.  If I was with a friend and a not-so expensive rental car I would have loved to take the day hike to the bottom for further exploration and photos and staying in a lodge down there.  I didn’t want to spend another day checking out the rim because it got kind of old seeing the same thing over and over again.  I was happy I went when snow was on the ground because it added nice character to my photographs.

Even though I just got back from the Grand Canyon I can see myself going back in the near future.  I would recommend anyone who hasn’t been to the Grand Canyon to do it.  Anyone who lives relatively close such as in the San Francisco bay area can easily turn their average 3 day weekend into a fun trip with that real tourism feel, especially if they’re into the “What goes in Vegas Stays in Vegas” scene and/or hiking and the outdoors.

If you haven’t already make sure to read:  3 Day Excursion from San Francisco:  Part I:  Las Vegas

View more photos from the Grand Canyon South Rim at tourismPICS.com

Back in San Francisco

My father was scheduled to have his 2nd risky stem cell/bone marrow transplant in a weakened state so I decided to head back to San Francisco to see him, family and friends.  I was planning a trip to Peru and Macchu Picchu during the first couple weeks of February to take advantage of being in the western hemisphere.  Unfortunately,  due to the landslides and flooding near Macchu Picchu in which thousands of tourists had to be evacuated by helicopter I had to put my plans on hold.

Once my father was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital because of a lung infection I decided to cancel my original return to Bangkok and stick around San Francisco until he got out.  To make a long story short, after over a month of being imprisoned in the San Francisco suburbs I was beginning to go stir crazy.  I had to get out of there and fast.

Coincidentally, a week earlier I watched a Travel Channel feature on the top 10 tourist attractions and saw the Grand Canyon was number one as well as a place I had not been.  I thought about flying to Phoenix and driving there but Las Vegas sounded much more appealing as far as taking photos goes at least.  Around noon on a Wednesday I decided to head to Vegas and drive to the Grand Canyon and that was it!

Getting to Las Vegas

Getting a flight from San Francisco to Vegas is one of the easiest flights to find.  I stupidly chose to fly United just to get the measly few hundred frequent flier miles.  I booked the ticket online and booked a room for that night at Stratosphere which turned out to be a second mistake.  I also called to inquire about a very cheap, Ford Focus “or equivalent” rental car with Enterprise.

After the smooth 75 minute flight touched down in Las Vegas I took the free 5-minute shuttle to the rent-a-car center and waited in line.  The thought of driving a cheap Ford Focus or other crap car 4 hours across the desert was giving me a sick feeling in my stomach.  Even though I could get one for $30 USD per day, I got out of line and walked across the room to the Hertz booth.

I once rented a Nissan 350Z from the “Hertz Prestige Collection” when I was driving from Seattle to Canada so I decided to see what they had available.  They had a bunch of luxury sedans which were pointless while traveling alone but when they said they had a 2010 model Corvette, I couldn’t resist.

The car was fully loaded with GPS and enough horsepower to make the Kentucky Derby jealous.  It cost around $200 per day when insurance was included and I planned to be using it for 3 days which was quite expensive, but I’ll let the cat out of the bag early and tell you it was worth every penny.  I had a fun time driving down the Vegas strip from the airport rent-a-car center all the way from one side to the other where my hotel the Stratosphere was.

Driving the Corvette Rental down the Strip Hanging the 4 pound D700 & 14-24mm lens out Window

Places to Stay in Vegas:  Stratosphere

Like I mentioned before, I got a room at Stratosphere which was one of the first hotels I looked at online for around $40 per night.   It is the last major hotel/casino located on the very far north end of the strip.  It was on the polar opposite side of the hotels I hadn’t been to before Mandalay Bay, Luxor and MGM.

This was my 3rd time in Las Vegas which isn’t my most favorite place but I was only staying there the night so I could drive to the Grand Canyon in the morning.  I’d hate to be hard on Stratosphere but it was pretty much a dump.  The room reminded me of a rundown Motel 6 with a glossy coating of its space needle-like attraction.

The first time I went to Vegas some years ago I stayed at Circus Circus which was pretty bad and the last time I went I stayed at New York New York which was pretty nice but I would think there are at least a dozen better options for hotels in Vegas than Stratosphere although the price was right.  I could have stayed at the Bellagio, home to the World Poker Tour (http://www.worldpokertour.com) and perhaps snapped some shots of some millionaires in all their poker glory.  But I digress…

It was around 10pm and I decided to get out of the hotel room immediately and take some photos of the strip.  It was already around 10pm so I grabbed my camera and took off.  I found renting a car saved money on cabs as well as tipping.  Most of the casinos had giant easy access and free parking garages.   I drove a ways and saw the entrance to the Bally’s/Paris parking lot which is where I parked.

Photographing the Strip

Anyone who has ever seen a single image from Las Vegas knows it is probably a fun place to photograph and it was.  I forgot my tripod so I thought I was going to have to use a high ISO setting for most shots which I don’t like doing, but the reason I bought the Nikon D700, a $2000+ camera is to be able to use the high ISO settings so I looked forward to the challenge of shooting handheld night shots.

I started shooting photos at the fountain outside of Paris where I was able to take advantage of my Ultra Wide Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 lens (see pic below).  I continued walking down and around the strip until 3:30am taking photos.  After finally seeing the Luxor pyramid (which seemed smaller than I had imagined) taking a couple shots of Mandalay Bay and a pit stop to Fat Burger for a burger and shake, I caught cab back to the hotel to burn some money on slot machines before I crashed for the rest of the morning.

Fountain in fron of Paris Hotel & Casino

View More Photos from the Las Vegas Strip on tourismPICS.com

Leaving Las Vegas

I woke early enough after 5 hours of sleep that I had time for a quick workout at Stratosphere’s small fitness center which was located right next to a McDonalds.  After checking out of Stratosphere I had one task before I could get on the road for the Grand Canyon.  I had to get a temporary tripod as I really wanted to get some night shots of the Grand Canyon and long exposures would be necessary which require a tripod.

I used the handy GPS to help me find the Best Buy where I bought a tripod, had a quick Panda Express lunch across the street then headed out of Las Vegas around 1:30 or 2pm.

Somewhere in between the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas

Hoover Dam

I knew Hoover Dam was somewhere close to Las Vegas but I didn’t realize it was directly on the way to the Grand Canyon only 35 miles south of Las Vegas.  This turned out to be a blessing and a curse as a huge construction project slowed traffic to a crawl for what seemed like dozens of miles.

I didn’t know much about Hoover Dam so I read a little about it.  According to Vegas.com Hoover Dam, “A National Historic Landmark, Hoover Dam is the highest concrete dam in the Western Hemisphere, standing at more than 725 feet above the Colorado River. With 17 generators producing 4 billion kilowatts of electricity a year, it also is one of the country’s largest hydroelectric power facilities. Operation and maintenance of the facility are solely supported by revenue from power sales.”

About a mile away from Hoover Dam, helicopter tours were offered for $29 which I really wish I did since I have never flown aboard a chopper before.  I settled with touring Hoover Dam by foot.  There were numerous free places to park but I chose to pay $7 so I wouldn’t have to search for a spot.  I didn’t purchase any guided tours or enter any gift shops but I noticed numerous chances.  Something I found out as you can see in the Hoover Dam Photos is it lies almost directly in the center of the Nevada-Arizona border.

I probably spent no more than 45 minutes walking around both sides of Hoover Dam snapping photos as I really wanted to get to the Grand Canyon before nightfall.  I regret not taking the $29 helicopter tour but that or the other guided tours of Hoover Dam are not something I would be severely kicking myself for not going

Looking Down Hoover Dam

View More Photos of Hoover Dam on tourismPICS.com

Continue… 3 Day Excursion from San Francisco Part II:  Grand Canyon

Getting to Liberty Square

In my time in Taipei I came across Liberty Square numerous times as it is an absolutely huge chunk of land.  I read in the Taipei Lonely Planet Guide that Liberty Square and Chiang Kai-shek memorial hall also go by other names as well due to politics which I have no idea of so I won’t mention it any further.  If you mention CHiang Kai-shek to most cab drivers or people I would be willing to bet they would take you to Liberty Square.

The area of Liberty square takes up 240,000 square meters (2,583,338.5 square feet) of space of the Zhongzheng District in what seemed to be central Taipei.  I passed by it a couple times in a taxi but I was either on the way somewhere or just didn’t have the guts to try to speak to the Chinese speaking driver.

My second morning in Taipei I decided to try the subway system to find Liberty Square and the Chiang Kai-shek memorial hall.  There is a subway stop right next to Liberty Square which made it easy once I figured out the name of the stop.  I cannot remember the name as of now, but it will be on any tourist map so don’t fret.

When you arrive at Liberty Square you will see 3 giant temples.  It turns out that the 2 big red ones are the National Theater and Concert hall while the blue one is the Chiang Kai-shek memorial hall.  I have read that everything from hip-hop concerts to band practice goes on in the square but there was some sort of school function going on the day I was there.  You can see the size of the National Theater and Concert hall by comparing the ant sized people in the photograph below.

Liberty Square from the Steps of the Chiang Kai-shek Temple: See the National Concert Hall & Theatre

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

It is my understanding that Chiang Kai-shek was a former president of China who fled to Taiwan after the communists took over.  Not all people in Taipei hold him in such high regard but that is beyond the scope of my research and this blog.  Regardless of his legacy Chiang Kai-shek has this memorial hall is the blue temple you see on the photo at the top of the screen.

It takes several sets of steps to get to the top of the temple where the statue of Chiang Kai-shek sits.  Two elaborately dressed armed guards on either side of the statue of the smiling Chiang Kai-shek.  At the entrance to the room you can look out and see (above photo) the entire liberty Square along with the National Concert Hall & Theatre.

Chiang Kai-shek

Changing of the Guard

The impressively dressed guards, complete with shiny helmet and bayoneted rifle on either side of the Chiang Kai-shek statue at all times.  The Taipei Lonely Planet mentioned the changing of the guard which happens maybe once a day.  Evidently the guards do a ceremony at the top of the temple and the march all the way down to the bottom.  At the bottom of the temple is various gift shops and other shops and the guard quarters.

I was both lucky and unlucky in this instance.  I got there at the right time as the guards were marching towards their quarters but as a new DSLR user I was fiddling around with the camera settings and missed the shot!  How embarrasing!  I try to get a good shot most of the time but I will post a near-miss this time.

Missed Shot of Marching Soldiers after Changing of the Guard

Overall Impression

Liberty Square and the Chiang Kai-shek memorial temple is worth a visit for anyone who finds themselves in Taipei.  Being centrally located, culturally significant and free there is no reason to miss this tourism opportunity in Taipei.   I can see most would be satisfied spending no more time than an hour or 2 at Liberty Square if there are no events going on in the square.

If you do go to Taipei, you definitely want to check an event calendar so you can see if there is anything special such as a concert going on in Liberty Square.  It may be obvious but if you are interested in theater and concerts going on in the National Theater and Concert Halls it is best you book in advance.

Leaving Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall