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

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.

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

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

As opposed to most major Asian metropolises, the streets of Taipei are pretty bike friendly.  The not-so bad traffic along with the wide streets and quality roads make bicycling in Taipei something that even tourists can take part in, feel comfortable without worrying too much.  For Americans, the cars drive on the same side of the street as America as well.

Taipei Bicycle Map (click to Enlarge)

Getting There & Rending a Bicycle

Since rivers dominate the Taipei landscape it is not hard to get to a river.  I cannot remember which exact place I was dropped off by, but around 8 or 9pm I had a taxi driver bring me to the river.   I don’t remember what exactly I told him but I got to the river via taxi.  I was dropped off at a giant gate in a neighborhood next to the Danshui River.  The neighborhood was literally littered with bike shops.  There were at least 4 or 5 bike shops within a block of the entrance to the river path which was separated from the streets with a 20 foot high wall as you can see in the photo on the top of the post.

In the particular neighborhood I was dropped off at there were some vending machines selling hot and cold beverages.  I took advantage of this as I grabbed a hot coffee and walked around looking for bike shops.  I should have known coming so late on a Sunday evening that there would be no rental places open and I was right.  Most rental places were closed before 10pm which made sense.  Anyone reading this should take note, but then again most people probably don’t look to rent a bike at 10pm on a Sunday night in a foreign country.

The Place along Danshui River I started From

Riding Bicycle along the River Bike Path

As I mentioned in the previous paragraph I made the mistake of not getting to the river in time to rent a bicycle.  I had thoughts of just calling it a night and trying to wake up in the early AM to rent a bicycle but I didn’t want to risk missing my Monday afternoon flight but I decided to hoof it.

Since I was there and armed with my Nikon D90 digital SLR and tripod I decided to walk along the path to get some shots.  I remember seeing a couple of cool bridges at one point and I saw some in the distance so I thought I could walk to them so I started walking.

I noticed the nice, 2-lane paved and marked bicycle path along with a walking/jogging path which I walked on.   As I walked I had the river to my left, bike path and 15-20 foot wall to my right.  It was a pleasant, quiet and dry evening.  I noticed high water marks from the recent typhoon on along the bike path.  Stating the obvious, I’d recommend staying away from this area during a typhoon!  The late hour I was there would have been nice for a bicycle ride as there were few bicyclists and joggers.

I just kept walking along the path until I got tired.  There were either steps going over the giant wall or entryways about every kilometer or so.  I had a chance to take a few photos of the buildings across the river with the great cloud reflections but it soon got monotonous.  There were several bridges in the distance so I decided to catch a cab once I got a couple shots of the bridge, exited the bike path and took a taxi back to the hotel.

One of the Bridges across the Danshui River

Overall Impression

I would recommend anyone who plans to visit Taipei to rent a bicycle and travel along the paths.  I have read there are over 100km of bicycle paths throughout Taipei, some even leading out of the city into wilderness areas.  I surely regret missing out on the opportunity for less physically active endeavors.

I was alone, pretty late at night and felt completely comfortable.  The only thing that spooked me was the presence of a couple stray dogs as there would really be nowhere to run if they ran after me.   I could see how some people may find the path uncomfortable at night time so if you do the same, it would be a good idea to bring a friend or 2.

More Scenery at a Pit-stop along the Danshui River Bicycle Path

As I mentioned in my previous post about getting a Thai Visa in Kuala Lumpur I have a ED or student visa through my language school Language Express.  This student visa is actually good for up to 3 years provided I keep my tuition payed at my school and my ED visa current.

To keep the ED visa current you DO NOT have to leave Thailand.  You simply must go to immigration every 90 days and pay the 1800 baht ($55 USD) fee.  Since I plan to travel outside of Thailand often I have to also purchase a re-entry permit.  The re-entry permit allows me to leave the country without losing the student visa.

The multiple re-entry permit I get costs 3800 baht ($116 USD) which allows you to leave Thailand as many times as you want before the 3 months are up and keep the ED visa.  Single re-entry permits are also available for 1000 baht ($30 USD).  While I consider the re-entry permit to be a necessity it does cause a major headache at immigration making it a whole day event.

New Location

The Thai immigration bureau was previously located at Thanon Suan Plu which was very close to Silom and convenient for most people who live along the BTS.  The street was a nice, friendly neighborhood with the typical food on the street, 7-elevens and shops.  The actual immigration building was a dump to say the least.  It was extremely crowded and had minimal, if any air conditioning which is probably the reason why the location was updated.

The new location for immigration is in a GIANT government building complex consisting of multiple buildings.  The immigration department is directly on the right as you walk in (see photo at top) and if you walk forward you will see a huge convention center surrounded by various government offices.  It looks bleak at first but the basement floor has a bunch of surprises for you long immigration wait.

In addition to the copy shop which charges a ridiculously low 1 baht (3 cents) per copy there are several restaurants, a giant coupon cafeteria,  7-Eleven and even a small kiosk-style shopping mall not to mention a bunch of real estate advertising and even more shops which I didn’t explore.  You’re no doubt going to be waiting if you go to immigration and if you time it right, you could avoid sitting listening to the horrific Scottish-Spanish sounding woman recorded voice of the queue numbers.

Ground floor of the Goverment Building

Getting to the New Location

The new location is far more inconvenient for anyone living near Sukhumvit or any BTS station.  It is located near the Don Muang Airport.  To get there the best and fastest way is to take the BTS to Mo Chit aka Jatuchak where there is always a line-up of taxis right as you exit the BTS.  Make sure you exit the BTS station on the side of the Jatuchak Market and the lake to catch a cab in the right direction.

The cab ride from the Mo Chit BTS takes around 10-15 minutes and costs around 100 baht ($3 USD).  The immigration is located inside building B of an ENORMOUS government building complex.  It is on the ground floor (2nd floor) which is visible directly as you enter the building from where the taxi drops you off.  After you get there, your immigration adventure finally begins.

New Location for Thai Immigration

New Queue System, Very Long Wait

Instead of the free-for-all type of queue where people rush the machine to push the button to get their number, the new immigration has a system (the word system should be used loosely).  First you have to get your forms from the agents at the front desk as you walk in.  Signs were posted saying you would NOT get a queue number if your forms were not completely filled out.

Once the forms are filled out and the photos are glued (glue provided) to the forms you walk through a metal detector in the main waiting room.  A line awaits which is for getting your queue number ticket.  Once you get the queue number it is time to wait for your number to be called.  Once your number is called you simply walk up to the agent, pay your fee and sit back down and wait again to receive your freshly stamped visa on your passport.

In my case I had to go back to the initial line to get another queue number for my re-entry permit.  IF YOU NEED A RE-ENTRY PERMIT THIS TIP MAY SAVE YOU AN HOUR OR MORE. If you are getting your visa extended as well as a re-entry permit, make sure to get the queue number for your re-entry permit directly after you submit your passport for the visa.  Make sure you get your re-entry permit application at the time you get your passport application, fill it out and have it ready.  It took me over an hour (2 counting lunch) to get my passport back and if I waited to get the re-entry permit queue number until after I got my passport I would have wasted at least another hour.

I took some photos in immigration but decided not to post them as it may get me in trouble….

Lunch for All

Something that really bugged me was the lunch.  Signs were posted throughout the immigration office “Lunch: 1200 -1300.”  I was thinking, “there is no way they are going to shut this place down at noon.”  I was wrong.  Instead of having separate shifts, the entire immigration department has lunch from noon to 1 while everyone is shooed out of the office.  Most people went to eat but I went to the copy shop to start this blog post.

Learn from My Mistakes

My language school recommended being at immigration at around 8:30am which is when they open.  This is dead on.  If you arrive from 8:30am to 9:30am there is a good chance you will be out of immigration before noon when everyone goes on lunch.  If you think you are going to be there much after 10 or 11, it may be worth it for you to just wait until after 1pm when the workers get back from lunch.  I arrived around 10:30 or 11:00am and I ended up leaving at 4:30pm which wasn’t desirable at all.

Whoever is helping you with your visa should give you all the directions but they aren’t always very clear.  Anything dealing with a visa requires copies of everything.  It is a great idea to make MULTIPLE copies of every (pertinent) page on your passport.  Also remember to get multiple copies of your passport/visa photos so you don’t have to take them over and over again.

Renewing a visa is akin to going to the DMV in America.  Driving is a privilege and in order to be able to drive you have to put in some time in the DMV.  Living in Thailand as a foreigner is a privilege and every 3 months for a student visa holder this privilege is beaten in your head with a wasted day inside immigration.

Best Part about Going to the Government Center: Leaving

When I saw the rather large description of Core Pacific City which is commonly referred to as Living Mall in the Taipei Lonely Planet Guide I put an asterisk next to it.  The Lonely Planet explained that the oddly shaped shopping mall was designed by “the Picasso of architecture” Jon Jerde a famous and highly successful American architect.  Since it was predominantly listed in the Lonely Planet and was very close to Taipei 101 I made it a priority to visit.

I was relatively excited to visit Core Pacific City until I asked the lady at the hotel front desk about it and she told me, “nobody goes there anymore.”   Her lack of interest was kind of a buzz kill as her description pretty much contradicted the author of the Lonely Planet.  This contradiction actually made me want to go there even more to see who was right.

I made sure to have the front desk lady write directions in Chinese so I could get there with minimal hassle.  After my visit to the Taipei 101 observation deck I got in a cab for the less than 10 minute ride to Core Pacific City.

Entrance to the Core

When I first arrived at Core Pacific City it was apparent that front desk lady was spot on in her assessment of Core Pacific City.   As opposed to Taipei 101 which was packed with people, Core Pacific City seemed to be deserted.  I was there at around 9pm and the mall was open 24 hours a day so I can’t speak for “prime time” hours but it seemed that there were very few people there.

The Lonely Planet author was at least right about the layout of Core Pacific City.  The bizarre layout of the mall was interesting enough to warrant a visit from a traveler.  I had a chance to snap a few photos as I browsed the overpriced shops and restaurants, some of which were closed.  As I arrived on one of the basement floors to find the food court I also found a lot more people.

The large variety of cheap food in the food court was on par with most other mall food courts I had ever been to.  I had an authentic Taiwanese noodle dish which was brought to me in a small steaming cauldron.  After I ate I really did not feel the need to explore Living Mall any further so I decided to leave.  I exited out of the opposite side I came in next to the cinema and I had a chance to snap a couple more pictures then it was back to my hotel.

24 Hour Shopping

Overall Impression

From my brief visit to Core Pacific City I would agree with the front desk lady at the hotel.  It seemed like Core Pacific City was a ‘has been’ type of attraction where Taipei 101 and New York, New York (the adjacent shopping center to Taipei 101) was now the happening shopping and tourist attraction.  I definitely do not regret going as Living Mall was pretty cool looking but the shopping and food was the type of run-of-the-mill experience you can get at any mall in your home country or anywhere else in the globe.

Saying Goodbye to the Core

I believe I told the story in previous posts but I’ll repeat it again.  I spent around 4,500 baht ($136 USD) on a bicycle from Big C which is basically Thailand’s version of Target from the USA which turned out to be a complete waste of money.  In addition to the handlebars falling off as I was riding it home, the cheap components died after the 2nd bike ride I went on.  While the bike had multiple suspension systems and looked cool, it was a complete piece of garbage.

I ended up giving the bike to one of the security guards for my apartment building and start looking for a real bike shop to get a bike I could zoom through the streets of Bangkok on.   I had ridden a bicycle through the streets of San Francisco for the past 3 years on my Specialized Sirrus Comp and felt the need to get a better bicycle if I was to ride one at all.

Probike

I found probike by searching on google.  The location was perfect because it was in a familair location right next to Lumpini Park (map above).  I bought a bicycle in the first place because of the traffic-free bicycle path which leads from my apartment to Lumpini Park (pictured above).  After getting used to the Bangkok traffic I decided that it is actually easier to ride bikes through the streets of Bangkok than San Francisco.

While there is more traffic in Bangkok than San Francisco the traffic is slower and believe it or not a little more predictable.   As I was looking around Probike’s showroom I noticed familiar hybrid style bikes which is what I wanted as well as high end road bikes, mountain bikes, and all sorts of bikes.

I started thinking that I really didn’t need a street bike because Bangkok’s geography is the polar opposite of San Francisco.  While the hills in San Francisco present a challenge for any bicyclist the almost 100% flat area of Bangkok doesn’t require as light a bike.  The unevenness of the curbs, and poorly layed brick sidewalks of Bangkok gave me the idea that a mountain bike would be a better idea anyway.

Part of the Showroom at Probike in Bangkok

Probike Service

Probike is stocked with mostly Trek and Gary Fisher bikes from what I saw.  The staff of green shirted employees was very friendly and helpful.  As soon as I pointed out the bike I wanted, without asking they immediately dropped 2500 baht ($75 USD) off the sticker price, offered me a free 1 year service plan and a bunch of discounts on accessories such as lights, locks, helmets and more.  I talked to an ex US army doctor on the way out and he told me they did the same for him saving him a lot of money as well.

I ended up spending 14,000 baht ($415 USD ) on a 2009 green Trek mountain bike (picture at top of post).  The sales guy offered me the 2008 model of the same bike for 10,000 baht ($330 USD) but I liked the green color and thought the bike’s Shimano components felt a lot smoother.  I was very surprised how fast the mountain bike was compared to my hybrid from in San Francisco.  It probably has something to do with riding on all flat surfaces past the slow Bangkok traffic.

I have went back a few times since I bought the bike to get things tightened up and tuned up a bit and the staff is always very friendly and doesn’t even ask for my proof of service plan to fix everything for free.  The shop and atmosphere reminds me of  my bike store in San Francisco Mike’s Bikes.  I highly recommend Probike for anyone looking to buy a quality bicycle in Bangkok.

The Probike website is very nice as well with tons of information about the shop as well as everything related to the bicycle culture in Thailand.  Probike.co.th

For the last 60+ years Bhumibol Adulyadej or King Rama IX has been the king of Thailand.  He is revered by all Thai people and his birthday is a week-long celebration.  You can view a documentary about his reign in the following  King Bhumibol documentary (27:50).  I remember how large the celebration was when I attended it my first trip to Thailand in 2005.

One of Many Performances on Ratchadamnoen Road

First Trip to Thailand

When I came to Thailand for the first time in November-December 2004/2005 I was fortunate enough to attend the King’s birthday celebration event.  I was staying near Khao San Road which is a 5 minute stroll to the the Grand Palace and the home of the famous emerald Buddha Wat Phra Kaew. I was fascinated that so many Thai people attended the birthday celebration.

Sanam Luang which is basically a huge (30 acres) empty lot next to the Grand Palace was completely packed with people who sat and watched the performances, muay Thai, parades and fireworks while they occasionally sang.  The way the giant number (estimate later in post) of Thai people handled themselves during this huge celebration showed me a lot about Thai culture and the people of Thailand and really factored in my decision to move to Bangkok.

Lit Candles & Singing the Royal Song Before Fireworks Show on Ratchadamnoen Road

Getting to the King’s Birthday Celebration

What I Think is the King's Car Passing near Grand Palace

I now live far from the dinky hotel I was staying near Khao San Road when I was in Bangkok in 2005.  I got an early start because I knew traffic would be difficult if not impossible to get near the Grand Palace before the streets were closed off.

I took the BTS from Phloen Chit to National Stadium to bypass some of the usual Sukhumvit Road gridlock.  I knew I would have to ask multiple taxis because few will take me to the most crowded areas.  After asking 3 taxis the 4th guy decided to take me. I left just at the right time because as we approached the area there were tens of thousands of pink-clad Thais lining the streets to view the King’s motorcade pass.

They were on the verge of shutting down all traffic so my taxi driver actually had little traffic to deal with although security wouldn’t let him drop me off until we got all the way to the Grand Palace. After I got there I was ushered to a sidewalk amidst heavy security which was there more for traffic and people control than security.  They stopped everyone from crossing streets and I sat patiently on the sidewalk until the King’s motorcade passed and they let people move freely again.

An Absolutely Huge Gathering

I made my way to Sanam Luang (the 30 acre lot next to Grand Palace) which was filling up rapidly.   People were ushered to certain areas to create lanes which I soon found out was for parades.  You can see some of the parades in the video at the bottom of the post.  After the parades the area was getting even more filled up.

I wanted to take pictures which was very difficult in this area because the crowd was huge and it was all flat making it almost impossible to get a good vantage point for whatever was going on at the main stage.  I saw photographers on top of these tall utility trucks and thought about paying them for a spot but I knew there was a lot of things to see and photograph elsewhere. I started getting annoyed by the constant flow of people in the area so I walked away from the main action.

There was muay Thai, traditional Thai dance, snake charmers, loads of food and product vendors and more stuff I missed because I decided to move to a less packed area. How many people attended the celebration was a big question for me.  I attended new years even in Brazil on Copacabana beach which I have heard has 2 million people but the King’s birthday seemed to have even more people.

The 30 acre area of Sanam Luang was completely packed so I did a little math.  I read 6000+ people can fit in an acre so if Sanam Luang is 30 acres then 18,000 people were packed on it.  I think the estimate of 6,000 people fitting in an acre is way off as I remember college football games where crowds of 35,000 stormed the field and it seemed 3/4 of the crowd was on the field which is slightly larger than an acre.

I decided to find a less crowded area and decided to walk towards Democracy Monument.  The whole way from Grand Palace to Democracy Monument was completely packed with people to the point where I couldn’t extend either arm without touching someone.  There was more crowded areas but I highlighted the areas which were packed.

Approximate Area which was Completely Packed with People during King's Birthday

Enjoying the Festivities

As I made my way away from the super densely packed area and walked along Ratchadamnoen Road I could enjoy the celebration a lot more.  The whole area was still packed with people but I was able to put down the tripod to take some pictures of the many attractions.  Everywhere I turned was something different to watch or photograph.

At a certain time (I forgot) everyone lit the candles which were handed out along the way and the people all started singing the king’s song.  Anyone who spends an extended amount of time in Bangkok knows the song as it’s played in the city and park every day at 6pm when people stop what they’re doing, stand and listen to it.  It’s also played at movie theaters before the movie starts.

After the song one of the many fireworks shows began.  The fireworks lasted for around 5 minutes and then a parade of brightly lit floats began.  The floats reminded me of the boats that I saw during the Loy Krathong festival but this time they were on wheels and slowly proceeded down the street.  There were many Thai musical groups performing on a large stage just past Democracy Monument which was being recorded professionally for national television I presume.

One of Dozens of Moving Floats for King Bhumibol

Overall Impression

I had a great time although I’m not the biggest fan of large crowds.  I would recommend a visit to the King’s birthday celebration in Bangkok for anyone who happens to be in Bangkok the week of December 5th.  In fact I would also recommend the King’s birthday as a reason for anyone to travel to Bangkok and experience the Thai people and part of their culture.  I went on the actual day of the King’s birthday but from the fireworks shows I could see from my apartment window, I’m pretty sure the celebration is on for the entire week.   I will let the pictures and video do most of the talking for this post.

Fireworks for King Bhumibol and the Thai People

The first floor observation deck was very well laid out and spacious.  They offered a free cell phone which played information when you punched in numbers.  The observation deck had sections clearly marked with a large number and when you punched that in the phone, it would play information about what you were looking at in Taipei which included buildings, mountains, tunnels and rivers.

There was no rush as everyone was allowed all the photo opportunities that the clouds permitted.  I snapped many pictures and the picture (above) which isn’t great was the best I could do through the glass and clouds.  I’m sure on a clear day photos would be better.  I managed to bring my tripod up to the observation deck which I think was not allowed because I noticed many people get theirs taken from line but I guess they didn’t see mine.  It was no use as I had to put the camera lens against the glass in a corner of the window to avoid any inside reflections.

There is a single exit on the first observation deck which leads to a staircase.  You have the option to go up or down and I chose down which lead to the giant ball which is actually a weight damper.  It is basically a counter balance which helps the building not get blown over by a typhoon or earthquake.  It was pretty cool to look at along with the little characters but I didn’t realize at the time how much it weighed.  I actually thought about pushing it to see if it would move which is pretty stupid in hindsight because it weighs 660 metric tons or 1,452,000 pounds!

To put that in perspective the mass damper weighs as much as either 7,260 people weighing 200 pounds, 907 African elephants, 10 M1A1 Abrams battle tanks or 5 blue whales of the largest animals to ever live on this earth.

1,452,000 pounds of Insurance Taipei 101 won't Fall Over

Outdoor Observation Deck

After viewing the giant ball I walked up to the 91st floor which included the outdoor observation deck.  The ticket counter warned access to the outdoor observation deck was ‘weather permitting’ and once I stepped outside I could see why.  Typhoons are prevalent in Taiwan but the day I went it was just cloudy and misty and the outdoor observation deck was in the midst of the wind blown clouds and one half was completely closed down.

I could hear a high pitched howling as the wind whipping around the corner as two security guards stood watch.  The security guard on the left had a huge jacket as he was in the middle of the wind.  I write about this because every 10 minutes the guards would switch from right to left and exchange the jacket for the guard on the cold side.  I was wearing jeans and a button up shirt and I wasn’t cold as it felt like a day in the summer in San Francisco.  I took the following little video which will give you the feel of what is like on the observation deck.

More Shopping

A recurring theme in and around Taipei 101 was shopping.  I’m not the biggest shopper and didn’t see anything that interested me but it still looked like they were simply trying to make back the close to 2 billion US dollars which the building cost.  Before getting in the elevator to return to the bottom, there is a shopping area with art, jewelery and some fashion.  There is also little cafe which I got a hot milk tea with pearls which was delicious.

Souvenir Shopping on 91st floor of Taipei 101

Overall Impression

Being a fan of skyscrapers and photography Taipei 101 was everything I could ask for.  Getting up the the observation deck was a small headache but once there it was a pleasurable experience.  Once up on the observation deck there was no hurry or time limit which allowed me to go at my own pace taking photographs, listening/reading about the history of the building and the city of Taipei and of course waiting for the clouds to clear so I could get a decent picture.

Besides all the things that you would expect in huge tourist attraction like this skyscraper there are a few surprises which I will let you find out for yourself if you make it to Taipei 101 in the Taiwan capital.   I would recommend Taipei 101 for anyone who spends even a day in Taipei and would probably head back there if there is a next time to take a chance that I’d get better weather to take better photos.

Taipei 101 History Movie (New Years Fireworks) before Going Back Down

Taipei 101 was designed specifically to be the tallest building in the world.  In a few months from now it will be trumped by almost 1,000 feet by Dubai’s extremely ridiculous 160 floor ‘Burj’ officially in a month (January 2010) but when I went it was still considered officially the “tallest building in the world.”

I didn’t know much about Taipei before I went but I figured it to be similar to the large Asian cities I’ve been to such as Bangkok, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong but it seemed very different.   I don’t know if it was just because Taipei 101 was so tall or ont but it seemed like Taipei only had 2 buildings over 50 stories, one being 101 and the other being on the other side of the city.

I thought it was a cool way to bring tourists into the city but an expat I talked to on the plane likened Taipei 101 to a giant unnecessary phallus of Taipei.  I was just on a weekend trip so the only thing I cared about was to see it, take a few pictures of it and from the top floor with my Nikon D90.

Getting Close: Walking to Cloud Shrouded Taipei 101 on Xinyi Road

Getting Taipei 101

You may be surprised to know that even though Taipei 101 is probably the city and country’s biggest tourist attraction, many taxi drivers still didn’t understand me when I asked them to take me there.  Like I said in the excerpt for this post, Taipei 101 sticks out like a sore thumb from the rest of the Taipei skyline so pointing may be the best way to tell a cab driver to take you there.

Luckily for me, there was no need to bust through the language barrier to find Taipei 101 or even use any form of public transit.  I got lucky because it is on the same street (Xinyi Road) and is comfortable walking distance from the very likable hotel I was staying Dolamanco Hotel.

The straight walk from the hotel to Taipei 101 passed by numerous bakeries and I stopped at a street stand to get a couple random buns.  I tried to order pork buns but of course I was not understood and they just gave me a bunch of various item filled buns.  Needless to say the hot steamy snacks were nice on a misty Taiwan day.  I bought a timer remote for my camera in Taipei’s ‘Camera District’ earlier in the day and I had a chance to take my first time lapse sequence (below) which in hindsight I should have done the math and took more pictures, but I still got a pretty cool 10 seconds nonetheless.

Shopping

Upon entering Taipei 101 from the ground floor all you can do is shop and it’s not cheap.  You will find every high end store you can think of from Emporio Armani to Gucci to Prada.  You will also find Diesel, Calvin Klein, Nike and less expensive options but NOTHING in Taipei 101 would be considered bargain shopping.

On the bottom floor there is a food court which looked pretty good.  I say looked pretty good because I skipped it and went straight to the bakery.  There is a bakery which you will see as soon as you go down the escalator from the Nike store which I found everything I ate and drank to be delicious and fairly priced.  Since I didn’t want to overpay for stuff I didn’t need, after filling up on delicious baked goods and freshly brewed coffee I decided to make my way to the observation deck.

Looking up to Tower from inside Shopping Area

Line Wait and Fastest Elevator in the World

Taipei 101 boasts the fastest elevator in the world which gets all the way from the 5th to the 89th floor observation deck in only 39 seconds.  The elevator was very cool with space graphics and sound effects as well as a graphic readout of the speed which whizzed to the top very quick which was nice as I was stuffed in there like a sardine.

Before I could get up to the fastest elevator in the world I had to get through what maybe was the rudest line in the world.  They told me as I purchased the ticket which cost 400 TWD  ($13 USD) that there was a 30 minute wait which wasn’t bad until I got in line.  As I stood patiently in line at least 2 dozen people rudely pushed past me, or went under the barricade to get in front of me.  I don’t know if they were all together or something but I was getting pretty agitated.  After around 30 minutes of getting pushed around waiting in line, it was finally my turn to get up to the 89th floor observation deck.

Continue… Taipei 101 Part II