Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Travel Notes: London Jan/Feb 07
Trip Diary (retrospective notes): London, January/February, 2007
1/31/07
UA954 SFO 612P - LHR 2/1/07 1240P
10h 28m
B777
5368 miles
Fare SECATAZ $446.93
Seat 25C
HSBC ATM @ LHR Term 3 using HSBC card withdraw £50
Oyster top up £20 at TFL Travel Info Center
Thu, 2/1/07
Barkston Gardens Hotel
34 Barkston Gardens, SW5 (Mo. Earl's Court)
Hotwire $65 + 13.21 = $78.21
free wireless; old hotel, but ok
The Earl's Court area is farther west from where I normally stay in London and it was an interesting neighborhood. Too far to go for most of the tourist stuff I like.
Possible theatre:
Dinner @ Masala Zone, Earl's Court
Fri, 2/2/07
Holiday Inn London-Regent's Park
Carburton St/Bolsover St W1W (Mo. Great Portland St)
Hotwire $39 + $13.68 = $52.68! I remember trying different combinations of dates and lucking out with this low rate. Too bad it meant moving each night, though the good part is that I was able to sample several hotels new to me. Hotel was being painted on interior, but smell wasn't significant in the room
Pret a Manger lunch £4.74
Walked Hampsted Heath in the afternoon. I used the Pathfinder Guide In and Around London Walks, which I got at Stanford's on a previous trip, as a guide.
TKTS: 12th Night @ Old Vic £20
Zizzi, 33 Charlotte St £18.20
Sat, 2/3/07
Hilton London Olympia
380 Kensington High St W14 (Mo. High Street Kensington and a bus ride west)
Hotwire $104 + 7.15 = $111.15
Noisy!
Grande Latte £2.15 Coffee Republic Tottenham Court Rd
Masala Zone beer £2.75 + grand thali £9.45 + £1.22 service = £13.42
9 Marshall St W1
Easy Internet cafe £2
TKTS: 39 Steps @ Criterion £22
Sun, 2/4/07
Novotel London Euston
Priceline 4* Bid $75; total $95.90
5 minutes walk from Euston; repeat Priceline "win"
Walked over to North Sea Fish, but closed (Sunday, duh)
Malabar Junction lunch; £4.99 by the British Museum
Covent Garden scenes:
Pizza Express dinner; Euston Rd £18.55 Yeah, boring, but convenient.
Mon, 2/5/07
Signed up at LHR for Iris Recognition Immigration System too bad it expires 4 Feb 09
1/31/07
UA954 SFO 612P - LHR 2/1/07 1240P
10h 28m
B777
5368 miles
Fare SECATAZ $446.93
Seat 25C
HSBC ATM @ LHR Term 3 using HSBC card withdraw £50
Oyster top up £20 at TFL Travel Info Center
Thu, 2/1/07
Barkston Gardens Hotel
34 Barkston Gardens, SW5 (Mo. Earl's Court)
Hotwire $65 + 13.21 = $78.21
free wireless; old hotel, but ok
The Earl's Court area is farther west from where I normally stay in London and it was an interesting neighborhood. Too far to go for most of the tourist stuff I like.
Possible theatre:
- Pinter's People
- 12th Night
- 39 Steps
- Don Juan in Soho
- History Boys - Wyndham's CC Road/St Martin's Court
- Bash - Trafalgar Studios, 14 Whitehall
Dinner @ Masala Zone, Earl's Court
Fri, 2/2/07
Holiday Inn London-Regent's Park
Carburton St/Bolsover St W1W (Mo. Great Portland St)
Hotwire $39 + $13.68 = $52.68! I remember trying different combinations of dates and lucking out with this low rate. Too bad it meant moving each night, though the good part is that I was able to sample several hotels new to me. Hotel was being painted on interior, but smell wasn't significant in the room
Pret a Manger lunch £4.74
Walked Hampsted Heath in the afternoon. I used the Pathfinder Guide In and Around London Walks, which I got at Stanford's on a previous trip, as a guide.
TKTS: 12th Night @ Old Vic £20
Zizzi, 33 Charlotte St £18.20
Sat, 2/3/07
Hilton London Olympia
380 Kensington High St W14 (Mo. High Street Kensington and a bus ride west)
Hotwire $104 + 7.15 = $111.15
Noisy!
Grande Latte £2.15 Coffee Republic Tottenham Court Rd
Masala Zone beer £2.75 + grand thali £9.45 + £1.22 service = £13.42
9 Marshall St W1
Easy Internet cafe £2
TKTS: 39 Steps @ Criterion £22
Sun, 2/4/07
Novotel London Euston
Priceline 4* Bid $75; total $95.90
5 minutes walk from Euston; repeat Priceline "win"
Walked over to North Sea Fish, but closed (Sunday, duh)
Malabar Junction lunch; £4.99 by the British Museum
Covent Garden scenes:
Pizza Express dinner; Euston Rd £18.55 Yeah, boring, but convenient.
Mon, 2/5/07
Signed up at LHR for Iris Recognition Immigration System too bad it expires 4 Feb 09
Travel Notes: Singapore-Malaysia Jan 07
Trip Diary (retrospective notes): Singapore-Malaysia, January, 2007
1/17/07; 1/18/07
United 837 SFO-NRT-SIN; Wed, Jan 17 1129A- Thu, Jan 18 330P
connecting to UA 803 SIN-NRT-SFO; Thu, Jan 18 530P - 1159P
SFO-NRT upgraded to C using 1K SWU, 5124 miles, seat 25F
NRT-SIN C, 3324 miles, seat 24G
B 747; Fare Class WXPRO10; $836.7
@SIN
Cheap airport shuttle a bust, as usual, since it wasn't leaving until 130A,though I checked the time anyway for due diligence, then joined the fairly long taxi queue.
Not much point to taking the airport shuttle unless it leaving almost immediately and there aren't many people on it. In my experience the airport shuttle almost invariably lets me off last. At least once the shuttle came very close to my hotel and passed on. It's not that less expensive than the taxi (and never worth it if traveling with someone). The MRT is cheap to the airport, but takes forever, and isn't an option after about 11PM.
1/19/07
Breakfast (not included at Hotel 81) at Killiney Kopitiam around the corner on Purvis. S$4; I guess it was a version of nasi lemak, plus the toast and kaya, plus coffee.
Internet cafe on Stamford Rd. S$5.25 to find hotel in Malacca and KL, using Asiatravel, but ended up booking directly with the Hotel Puri's Singapore office by mobile phone. I was looking for a hotel with character and wasn't particularly price sensitive, within reason.
I also considered the Baba House
After seeing both the Hotel Puri and the Baba House, I think the Puri was the better choice.
Coffee 1.20 with the usual struggle to stay awake the first day. Not at Starbucks!
Lunch 6.30 @ Bugis Junction foodcourt; "gourmet" claypot S$5 plus a drink
MTR to Lavender, then connecting bus after screwing around for a while trying to find offices for the VIP buses to Malacca and KL. I should have noted their addresses first, but I thought there would be easy to find signs. Nope. Lavender bus "station" is basically a big parking lot with some small temporary type offices for selling tickets. Nothing like a Malaysian or Thai bus station.
Bus ticket to Malacca $16 purschased for the next day @ 10A from Lavender bus station
I needed some RM and had wanted to check out Mustafa Centre in Little India anyway. It was within walking distance, but a taxi seemed an ok choice. Taxi $4 from Lavender station to Mustafa Centre. And almost stupidly lost my wallet in the taxi, but luckily the taxi couldn't move immediately because of a traffic jam and I retrieved my wallet from the back seat. Duh.
Changed S$ to RM at the always entertaining Mustafa Centre
Dinner: Chicken noodles $3; beer $5 at the handy (and cheap) Seng Huat on North Bridge road
Internet $3
Haagan Dazs in front of the Hilton for old times' sake. 4.70 for a single waffle cone
1/20/07
Breakfast $4 at Killiney Kopitiam
Top up mobile $18 @ 7/11 using a SIM with S'pore number from a previous trip
Taxi to Lavender bus station $6.50
Bus to Malacca took 2nd/Tuas border crossing
Lunch along the road @ Ayer Hitam 1230P RM8
Malaysian SIM RM5 bought in the Malacca bus station
Taxi from Malacca bus station to Hotel Puri RM10!, going rate 15. Beats me how I got this rate. The driver may have been illegal.
Hotel Puri RM172.50, room 310, free wireless internet in lobby. Rom was in the newer part of the hotel and was pretty charmless, though nice enough.
While in Malacca I did the usual tourist things, got lost at least once, and did a lot of walking.
Dinner at hotel RM15. Walked all over the area of the hotel and saw many restaurants, but most would have been best with another person. In the end, took the easy way out and had a quite dinner in the hotel's garden.
1/21/07
Breakfast included at Hotel Puri, somewhat of a mob scene.
Walked around again while it was till fairly cool. Got lost again.
Taxi to bus station RM 15. I asked the hotel to call a taxi after waiting a while on the street. It took forever to come after the call. Next time I'd probably just try to flag one down on the street and wait longer.
Bus ticket to KL Puduraya station RM9.50, on Transnational; the largest (?) Malaysia carrier. Of course, the bus didn't actually make it into the station because of usual jam outside the station. Since it wasn't raining this was only somewhat inconvenient. Finding the Swiss Inn was somewhat challenging. I had through the Hotel Furama would be a good landmark, but it was closed. Luckily someone pointed me in the right direction and I got there in 10 minutes walk from the bus station.
Swiss Inn RM108, superior room including breakfast, booked through Asiatravel, initially charged RM170, lesson learned: be sure to print travel agent confirmation! Room 530
Lunch chicken nasi RM5.50. Don't remember where this was, but it must have been some informal restaurant.
Basically walked around Chinatown for the day, not going further afield.
Dinner Tang City food court chicken noodles + beer RM5 + RM7.40
Bus ticket back to Singapore RM30.50 1/22 @ 10:30A, Transnasional
1/22/07
Lunch RM4.50 on the road back to S'pore; causeway border crossing
Internet S$3
Dinner S4 + S5.40 t at some stall or food court
1/23/07
Taxi from Hotel 81 Bugis to SIN S$18.45, 12.30 plus night differential 6.15
UA804 SIN-NRT 730A-255P
UA838 NRT-SFO 525P-920A
Notes and random jottings:
1/17/07; 1/18/07
United 837 SFO-NRT-SIN; Wed, Jan 17 1129A- Thu, Jan 18 330P
connecting to UA 803 SIN-NRT-SFO; Thu, Jan 18 530P - 1159P
SFO-NRT upgraded to C using 1K SWU, 5124 miles, seat 25F
NRT-SIN C, 3324 miles, seat 24G
B 747; Fare Class WXPRO10; $836.7
@SIN
Cheap airport shuttle a bust, as usual, since it wasn't leaving until 130A,though I checked the time anyway for due diligence, then joined the fairly long taxi queue.
Not much point to taking the airport shuttle unless it leaving almost immediately and there aren't many people on it. In my experience the airport shuttle almost invariably lets me off last. At least once the shuttle came very close to my hotel and passed on. It's not that less expensive than the taxi (and never worth it if traveling with someone). The MRT is cheap to the airport, but takes forever, and isn't an option after about 11PM.
Never paid attention before, but it's 18KM from SIN to Hotel 81 Bugis according to the receipt. Room rate $89 x 2 days for a windowless, aircon room. Clean and secure, if basic, with one of the full flood bathrooms without a separate shower stall. Non-squat, western toilet. The room was away from the lift so less noisy than some rooms. For whatever reason this Hotel 81 branch doesn't get the short time hotel crowd like the Palace in Geylang. I made the reservation online directly.
Of course, the driver didn't know where the hotel was, so directed to Shaw Towers and then the 1/2 block from there. I had found on a previous trip that directing to the Intercontinental is a bust since he has to make a U turn. I don't know why I try to avoid the Singapore taxis. They're pretty honest.
1/19/07
Breakfast (not included at Hotel 81) at Killiney Kopitiam around the corner on Purvis. S$4; I guess it was a version of nasi lemak, plus the toast and kaya, plus coffee.
Internet cafe on Stamford Rd. S$5.25 to find hotel in Malacca and KL, using Asiatravel, but ended up booking directly with the Hotel Puri's Singapore office by mobile phone. I was looking for a hotel with character and wasn't particularly price sensitive, within reason.
I also considered the Baba House
After seeing both the Hotel Puri and the Baba House, I think the Puri was the better choice.
Coffee 1.20 with the usual struggle to stay awake the first day. Not at Starbucks!
Lunch 6.30 @ Bugis Junction foodcourt; "gourmet" claypot S$5 plus a drink
MTR to Lavender, then connecting bus after screwing around for a while trying to find offices for the VIP buses to Malacca and KL. I should have noted their addresses first, but I thought there would be easy to find signs. Nope. Lavender bus "station" is basically a big parking lot with some small temporary type offices for selling tickets. Nothing like a Malaysian or Thai bus station.
Bus ticket to Malacca $16 purschased for the next day @ 10A from Lavender bus station
I needed some RM and had wanted to check out Mustafa Centre in Little India anyway. It was within walking distance, but a taxi seemed an ok choice. Taxi $4 from Lavender station to Mustafa Centre. And almost stupidly lost my wallet in the taxi, but luckily the taxi couldn't move immediately because of a traffic jam and I retrieved my wallet from the back seat. Duh.
Changed S$ to RM at the always entertaining Mustafa Centre
Dinner: Chicken noodles $3; beer $5 at the handy (and cheap) Seng Huat on North Bridge road
Internet $3
Haagan Dazs in front of the Hilton for old times' sake. 4.70 for a single waffle cone
1/20/07
Breakfast $4 at Killiney Kopitiam
Top up mobile $18 @ 7/11 using a SIM with S'pore number from a previous trip
Taxi to Lavender bus station $6.50
Bus to Malacca took 2nd/Tuas border crossing
Lunch along the road @ Ayer Hitam 1230P RM8
Malaysian SIM RM5 bought in the Malacca bus station
Taxi from Malacca bus station to Hotel Puri RM10!, going rate 15. Beats me how I got this rate. The driver may have been illegal.
Hotel Puri RM172.50, room 310, free wireless internet in lobby. Rom was in the newer part of the hotel and was pretty charmless, though nice enough.
While in Malacca I did the usual tourist things, got lost at least once, and did a lot of walking.
Dinner at hotel RM15. Walked all over the area of the hotel and saw many restaurants, but most would have been best with another person. In the end, took the easy way out and had a quite dinner in the hotel's garden.
Day View
And at dinner.
1/21/07
Breakfast included at Hotel Puri, somewhat of a mob scene.
Walked around again while it was till fairly cool. Got lost again.
Taxi to bus station RM 15. I asked the hotel to call a taxi after waiting a while on the street. It took forever to come after the call. Next time I'd probably just try to flag one down on the street and wait longer.
Bus ticket to KL Puduraya station RM9.50, on Transnational; the largest (?) Malaysia carrier. Of course, the bus didn't actually make it into the station because of usual jam outside the station. Since it wasn't raining this was only somewhat inconvenient. Finding the Swiss Inn was somewhat challenging. I had through the Hotel Furama would be a good landmark, but it was closed. Luckily someone pointed me in the right direction and I got there in 10 minutes walk from the bus station.
Swiss Inn RM108, superior room including breakfast, booked through Asiatravel, initially charged RM170, lesson learned: be sure to print travel agent confirmation! Room 530
Lunch chicken nasi RM5.50. Don't remember where this was, but it must have been some informal restaurant.
Basically walked around Chinatown for the day, not going further afield.
Dinner Tang City food court chicken noodles + beer RM5 + RM7.40
Bus ticket back to Singapore RM30.50 1/22 @ 10:30A, Transnasional
1/22/07
Lunch RM4.50 on the road back to S'pore; causeway border crossing
Internet S$3
Dinner S4 + S5.40 t at some stall or food court
1/23/07
Taxi from Hotel 81 Bugis to SIN S$18.45, 12.30 plus night differential 6.15
UA804 SIN-NRT 730A-255P
UA838 NRT-SFO 525P-920A
Notes and random jottings:
- Most Singapore transport was by bus and MTR using an EZ Link card from a previous trip.
- Used leftover S$ from previous trips and then hit an ATM using HSBC card by the City Hall/City Link passage. HSBC card didn't work in Malaysia, but I may have been trying it in a deposit only machine, now that I think about it. It worked on a subsequent trip in Malaysia.
- Jetstar to PNH: low cost carrier
- Lantern Festival Taiwan. Did this reference come from a travel show I watched along the way?
- Celtic Tides CD music must have been playing along the way
Friday, December 26, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Friday, December 05, 2008
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Monday, December 01, 2008
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