Bad news from Thailand!!!

In Thailand very bad news; Central World and Paragon department stores are burning, so is the stock exchange. Hard core reds! 
Curfew at 20.00 hrs, so I have to leave to the airport already at 19.00 instead of 23.30.

Hotel sent somebody to get me away from the golf course...

Military now at the airport, reds moving there... I try to get out of here quickly!

It's all about golf

In Finland, not depending of the latitude either, we don't get to play golf in the winter.  Unless you play icegolf with orange balls.  So it is really nice to open the golfing season by practising a bit here in Thailand.  Even though it's very hot (+38 Celcius), with a golf cart one manages to go round 18 holes.


So many nice courses with good price greenfees around Bangkok.  Different layouts from hilly to flat, some very tight and some more park-like.

Anyhow, for two days I've been playing in Bangkok Golf Club, Pathum Thani.  Can recomment to anyone, a very nice course with really fast greens.  Nice hotel 200 m from the course with big rooms and for hotel guests the greenfee is only 1000 THB.  The weather has been very unpredictable with thunder and heavy showers, but so far I've been very lucky starting to play early in the morning and keeping dry.

Today I visited Muang Ake Golf Course:  Not quite as good as Bangkok Golf Club, but still a very nice course with lots of character and interesting wildlife...  This monitor lizard was about 1,5 meters in length...

Here you cannot pay with credit card, all in cash.  They have another course 10 minutes away called the Vista, no golf carts, only walking.

Plenty of water, lakes and ponds so it is challenging enough.  Some nice long holes, especially from the black back tee.  On many courses in Thailand they have a really weird grass with thick leaves;  Plays havoc with my game!  After rain when the ground is soggy and wet, this grass sucks the clubhead into the ground causing a lot of duffing.  Very thick and sticky!

The bunkers were ok, some with water still in after rains, here I was extremely lucky with my approach shot that I pulled a bit left and long, just staying out...

All in all, very nice golf experiences!  Maybe I will play another 18 holes this afternoon here at the Bangkok Golf Club...  My departure from the hotel is at 23.30 hrs, so I have the whole day to kill.  Then China Airlines flight to Amsterdam, KLM to Helsinki and Finncom domestic flight to Jyvaskyla.  A long way...

Sawadee khaa, Thailand

Our flight leaving from Palau was over an hour late and as we only had had one hour and fifteen minutes to change planes, this was a tricky situation.  Part of our group headed home via Vienna, I continued to Bangkok.  We told the flight attendants that we had planes that we probably would miss, but they assured us that we would make them.  So when we landed, I had 3 minutes to the departure of my next plane...  There was a China Airlines guy waiting for us and we ran to the transfer counter and then all the way to terminal A building.  The planes were waiting for us!  Our suitcases stayed in Taipei, though.

I had a car with driver waiting at the airport, it took us an hour to reach Bangkok Golf Spa Resort in Rangsit, Pathum Thani.  About an hour away from Bangkok center.  Here everything is quiet, no Red Shirts, no mobs. 

I was supposed to move to a Silom Road hotel on Tuesday but I definitely will give it a miss!  In central Bangkok there is a curfew, so I would be stuck inside the hotel.

Nope, I'll stay put and play golf instead of shopping.

Today we had the biggest thunderstorm I've ever seen!  Luckily I started to play early and as I was alone, the round of 18 holes only took me 2,5 hrs with a golf cart and caddie, so I only got slightly wet on the 18th hole.

Tomorrow, on Tuesday, I'm playing in a tournament!

Snorkelling and kayaking in Palau

As an island nation, Palau offers a lot of activities for non-divers, too.

A boat trip along the quiet lagoons, kayaking in the shallows or in the mangrove areas, snorkelling in the lovely warm waters surrounded by colourful fish...  Lunch on an island in the shade of trees with birds singing and wading into the gentle wawes of the Philippine Sea

The colour of the water is all shades of blue, dotted here and there by small lush mushroom islands and dazzling white beaches.  We had the kayaks strapped on our boat bow, waiting for the perfect spot and tide. 

In the morning we checked on a short snorkel trip the remains of a WWII Japanese fighter plane that was lying in the shallows.  The Americans put a big pressure on them after Pearl Harbor and shot this one down.  The pilot had rescued himself to a close by island that had a Japanese camp.  He came back to see the wreck in the 1970 's. 

Milky Way is a lagoon that has extremely fine white clay in the bottom that colours the water white, too, also called the Palau Spa.  Locals use the clay for skin rubs.  So did we! 

Onward from the Spa lagoon and a tour round the nice islands;  The limestone is soft and water erodes the islands all the time.  Caves appear, in some of them we can see Japanese anti-aircraft guns.

We stopped in many nice reefs for snorkelling, the amount of fish and corals is astounding.  Very beautiful all over!  Kayaking was fun, too.  In clear waters you can see the bottom and the fish swimming about, all you hear is the wind and wawes.

 I really recommend Palau for snorkelers and divers!  Bye, beautiful Belau, I'll be back!

More photos here

Palau on land

The islands are very hilly and covered in dense jungle.  Most of the people live in villages, so there is quite a lot of forest growing freely.  Here and there around the islands are signs of the Japanese occupation from 1919 until the end of WWII when Palau was passed under US jurisdiction.  Anti aircraft guns, bunkers, bauxite mines and an old not-in-use railway in the jungle.  At 1994 Palau gained indipendancy, but still the US dollar is the currency here and everybody speaks english.

We did a nice full day jeep tour taking in most of the sights of the big island, trekking to a waterfall, wondering about the stone monoliths, looking at mangroves and even getting a peek at the local prison!

The Palauan chiefs had meeting houses around the island called the house of whispers:  No nails were used in the building process.

Fun dives

I will never forget the diving in Palau!
When I look at the dives we did, all were excellent but some were really fun or exciting!  Blue Corner with it's sharks, turtles, huge groupers, steep walls and hard current was one of the best.

Ulong Channel with a 4 knot drift over corals and sand was the most fun;  Try avoiding many attacking Giant Triggerfish in full speed!  Like a rollercoaster ride!   Also caves Ulong Tunnel and the Blue Holes were great, with very nice wall diving after the caves.

Chandelier Cave was different, without torches an impossible dive, and mine stopped working on the way out...  So I just had to follow the others and try not to bang my head on the hanging rock formations...   There are 4 air pockets inside the different caves, so we could breathe normally above water.
Outside the cave we discovered the elusive mandarinfish, very small and very colourful.  I managed to take several good pictures by patiently waiting for 15 minutes on top of a rock with my camera ready on macro settings.  This fish was only about 3 cm long and very quick in movements! 
I heard people are coming from all over the world to see these...

Carp Island to Koror

Goodbye Carp Island

The evening here in Carp Island was stunning!  Beautiful sunset with an outdoor BBQ followed by lots of talk about diving, and a few beers...

Everybody was very happy, mostly due to the last dive in Blue Corner;  We just couldn't stop wondering about the amount of fish and sharks, and the beauty of it all!

The food was excellent, the staff really attentive and nice:  We really feel bad to leave this place.  Everything was as it should be and more, even without aircon in the rooms.  Beautiful beaches, very friendly and endearing dogs wanting to be scratched.  A puppy kept stealing everybody's shoes and kept us amused, too!

There is nice jungle trekking and kayaking available also, the famous "stone money" - a huge coin on the ground - at the other end of the island, a 30-minute trek away.

Now we get ready to move back to Koror, but we do 3 dives on the way...  :-)

In Palau, finally!

Divers paradise!

400 rock islands with lush green cover, set in turquoise and emerald waters, here and there a golden white beach on an uninhabited island...  Heaven!

So far the hotels have been pretty basic, but it doesn't matter.

There is not so much to see on land, but oh boy underwater!  The sea is amazing with millions of teeming fish and other critters.  From sharks to Manta rays, from turtles to dolphins and all kinds of tropical fish.  It's like swimming, snorkeling or diving in an aquarium...

The exception is the Jellyfish lake:  Full of non-stinging jellies!  In 15 m there is a toxic layer, so we only did snorkelling there.  The lake is on an island, you have to trek up and down a jungle slope to get there.

Even riding a boat among the islands is so beautiful;  The colour of the water changes from aguamarine to turquoise to emerald...

The Blue Corner was the best place I've seen so far!!!  Lots of reef sharks, HUGE groupers and snappers, big tunas...  Would have liked to spend many hours there but the air is limited, unfortunately.  I recommend for all to get straight down to the corner, stay there for as long as you can (about 16 m on the reef shelf) and then come up again.  It's impossible to take in all the fishes in one go, though...  Next time I'll just hook myself in one spot and watch the ocean go by!

There are lots of photos on my Facebook page!

In Taiwan, Taroko Gorge

Dear all;  I wanted to tell more about Taiwan already earlier, but the internet connections in Palau are really, really slow!  I couldn't even open this blog before...  But here it comes.

After Taipei night we took a train for 2,5 hrs southeast to Hualien, a small agricultural center where people mostly grow tobacco.  From the station by bus to Taroko Gorge, a protected area with lots of birdlife, monkeys, deer and even black bears!  Towering marble and limestone cliffs rose to 800 meters height with a river carving it's way on the bottom.  Breathtaking!

Around Taiwan's mountainous areas there still live many indigenous tribes, even though the japanese tried to move them to the plains during the occupation - to keep an eye on them and to "educate" them.  There are several information centers and accommodation provided by the tribes.



We did a nice trek along the gorge spotting birds and butterflies.  And spiders the size of my hand...  The "fly" is a large cicada!

My videos on youtube: 

Taroko 1                  Taroko 2 with english commentary

We stayed overnight in Tiansiang, Grand Formosa Hotel.  The place was absolutely stunning!  The suites we stayed in were about 80 sqm, with bathroom bigger than regular hotel rooms in Taipei...

Everywhere we went, there was chinese food on the table, and lots of it!  Mmmm, the dumplings...  And in our lunch stop in a very local restaurant in Taroko, I had the best wild boar ever!

See you again in Palau!

Niihau Taipei!

Here we are, finally, in Taiwan and its capital, Taipei.  2,3 million inhabitants in actual Taipei, but every working day more than 5 million people cause traffic jams...

The China Airlines flight from Vienna went very well, not full and I was lucky enough to get the middle row with 4 seats solely to myself!
Anyhow, 12,5 hrs is quite long time.  We landed at 06.30 hrs and it took 50 minutes to get downtown.

The hotel we checked in is called Eight Zone;  Very new, lovely and boutique with sixty something rooms.

It's nearly nine o'clock here, in the morning, and I'm ravenous!  Ready for breakfast before we hit the road and do quite a lot of sightseeing from the tallest tower Taipei 101 to Chiang Kai Shek Memorial etc...

More about today later!

In Helsinki

My short flight (40 mins) from Jyvaskyla to Helsinki was uneventful.  Checked baggage weighed 18,9 kg, result of a lot of practice in packing!  I always bring with me the oldest t-shirts to be used as nighties and after using them just chuck them in the bin.  This way I can buy new ones and on return, no excess weight...  :-) 
I also dispose of all the shampoo bottles, deodorants, toothpastes, books etc on the return journey;  They make up easily a kilo or two.  And if you've got too much weight, they could be expensive kilos!  Somebody might think that I'm wasting natural resources...  That's not true.  Always the maids collect everything that is left behind in a room;  Better to leave a note saying that whatever is there, can be taken by the maid.

The new Hilton Airport Hotel just next to Helsinki-Vantaa apt is very nice!  Only 5 - 15 minutes walk to the terminals.  In front of the hotel there are trolleys so you don't have to lug everything by hand.

Big rooms, lovely bathrooms and really comfy beds.  The only downside for a smoker is, windows cannot be opened so it's either nicotine chewing gum or outside for a smoke.  When you're ensconced under blankets watching TV on the 4th floor with the nightie on, the last thing you want is to get dressed and take a trip to the lobby!

The restaurant & room service are not the cheapest, though:  A cheeseburger is 19 € and if you order room service there is an extra 9 Euros charge...  A beer from the minibar is 5 €.

Tomorrow I have to wake up after 05.00 hrs.  From hotel here to hotel in Taipei, the trip takes about 22 hours... 

Aaargh, I hate this part!  Wish I already were there...

Well, good night for now!

Trip itinerary

So today's the big day;  My journey starts!


As I fly from my home town of Jyvaskyla in Central Finland, the first night I stay in Hilton Helsinki Airport and on the 6th, very early start to Vienna where I meet the rest of the group and from there we take China Airlines to Taipei.  In Taiwan we stay for two nights and a full programme awaits...  Straight from the airport (arrival at 06.00 hrs in the morning) to check in at the hotel, a change of clothes and immediately a city tour of Taipei, followed by hotel inspections, museums and a night market.  Whew!  Looks like no holiday to me!  :-)


The next morning we take a train to the countryside;  Hualien and Taroko National Park.  Trekking through a gorge, visiting temples and caves.  The scenery should be very beautiful, let's hope the weather is nice.  One night in a hotel and early morning train back to Taipei + airport.  8th May the flight to Palau and diving part of the trip!

Links for Taiwan and Palau

Here are some useful links:

http://eng.taiwan.net.tw/w1.aspx

http://visit-palau.blogspot.com/

http://www.visit-palau.com/

Maps for Taiwan and Palau

Places I've visited

• Create your own travel map or travel blog
• Top vacation rentals at TripAdvisor

Money matters

From my previous trips to Thailand I still have some Thai Baht left, good thing because when arriving at the airport you might want to buy a bottle of water (or Mekhong!) and it's embarrassing to pay for small buys with a credit card.  In Taiwan I need to exchange New Taiwan Dollars (NT) and in Palau I hear one manages with USD.  Pity that the Euro has dropped so much...

I always carry my currencies in a purse.  Not a handbag but a small 2-compartment leather pouch with clasp.  This way I can leave the wallet in the hotel safe, of course with passport, drivers license and the crown jewels.  Don't walk around with your entire fortune on you, leave them in the safe and especially be careful with the credit cards, just give them an outing to the nearest ATM machine and then back to the safe. In many countries the cc:s are copied in shops and then you get in your next invoice bills from  Australia...  Happened to me in Malaysia, and after that I've always paid cash for my shopping.

It is always best to leave the more valuable trinkets at home, too.  Or at least take a photo of them for the insurance company!

Travel insurance is a must!  I cannot imagine how people travel abroad without a proper insurance!  Especially divers need to check with their insurance company about the coverage.  "DAN" is the best bet if your own insurance does not cover diving:  http://www.daneurope.org/web/guest

Planning and packing (panicking?)

I'm a 48-year old mother of three boys, who took on diving only last year. So far I've done Advanced open water - course and Nitrox -course. This will be the ultimate adventure into waters teeming with all kinds of marine life, from sharks to Manta rays (hopefully) and exloring wrecks which lie in the bottom of the ocean...

In a few day's time my journey starts. Two new countries await! Thailand is one of my long standing favourites, been there several times and always want to go back. But Taiwan and Palau... So far I know them only from Travel Channel.

My previous diving experiences are from Bali (Tulamben), Philippines (Puerto Glera, Cebu, El Nido and Busuanga) and the Red Sea in Egypt (Sharm El Sheikh).

This trip is a fam trip, consisting of diving PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) members from Nordic countries. Finland, Sweden and Norway are represented this time. And we all work in a travel agency. The goal is to learn more of these countries, their culture and ways + of course experience world class diving.

As China Airlines charges an arm and a leg for diving equipment, luckily we get everything we need from Palau's local dive operator Fish'n'Fins. http://www.fishnfins.com/     
But still the packing needs some thought, as in Taiwan we do some trekking and also dinners in fancy hotels. In Palau just shorts and t-shirts suffice.  Here is a good video of Palau:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S12uE_kl2io