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Funemployment - Part I
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Funemployment - Part I

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  • SiewchFunemployment - Part IReiziger
    My breakfast on TG402.
    Business Class cabin on TG402.My buggy ride through Suvarnabhumi to immigration.My buggy ride through Suvarnabhumi to immigration.Boarding pass for TG402.

    Singapore to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi

    21 augustus 2017, Singapore ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    Thai Airways TG402 | SIN/BKK
    Business Class
    Boeing 777-200ER | HS-TJW Petchabun
    ATD/0738 | ATA/0852
    Lounge: Royal Orchid Lounge

    ===============================================================

    A few years ago, I learned about a field in the eastern side of Bangkok where several aircraft had been abandoned. I immediately knew I had to experience this myself. When planning this trip, I blinked in disbelief when I saw on united.com that I could fly Singapore-Bangkok-Sydney and return on Thai Airways for a paltry 70,000 miles, with BKK-SYD in First Class and the rest of the sectors in Business Class. I booked this award ticket without hesitation and scheduled a ten hour layover so that I could seek out this aircraft graveyard.

    I arrived at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport at 9am. Since I was flying First Class on my next segment, I suspected there would be someone to meet me at arrival. Sure thing, there was an earnest young agent holding up a placard with my name on it. Not surprisingly, she assumed she would be escorting me to the lounge. I explained to her that I was going into town. She looked rather concerned and asked me where I was going. At this point, I thought a white lie might be prudent, so I told her I was going to Terminal 21 Mall to meet a friend for lunch. She seemed perturbed that I was taking public transport; I think she would have fainted if I told her the truth about where I was going and that I was planning to take the klong taxi to get there. She made sure I knew where to change trains for my fake lunch date. I tried to shake her off several times but she would have none of that. I was driven to the fast track immigration counter via buggy, and then she accompanied me to the arrivals halls and to the elevator to the airport link station. I finally shook her off then!

    https://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Centra…    Meer informatie

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  • SiewchFunemployment - Part IReiziger
    The klong taxi pier at Petchaburi.
    My klong taxi ride about to dock at Petchaburi pier.My klong taxi ride about to dock at Petchaburi pier.On Klong Saen Saep heading east.The conductor on the klong taxi.On Klong Saen Saep heading east.On Klong Saen Saep heading east.On Klong Saen Saep heading west.On Klong Saen Saep heading west.On Klong Saen Saep heading west.On Klong Saen Saep heading west.On Klong Saen Saep heading west.On Klong Saen Saep heading west.On Klong Saen Saep heading west.On Klong Saen Saep heading west.On Klong Saen Saep heading west.

    Klong Saen Saep

    21 augustus 2017, Thailand ⋅ 🌫 30 °C

    I had made tentative plans to meet my friend Clay at the Aircraft Graveyard at 11am, so I had a bit of time to get there. There was a chance Clay could not make it due to business commitments, but there was no way to communicate with him in real time. We agreed I would proceed if he didn't show up. Anyway, this meant I had a little bit of extra time to get to the Aircraft Graveyard via my favorite means of transport in Bangkok - the water taxi on Klong Saen Saep!

    My first mode of transport was the Airport Link train to Makkasan station. After alighting the train, I made my way down Petchaburi Road to the canal (klong) platform. From there, I hopped aboard an eastbound boat to Wat Si Bun Ruang. It is actually very easy to get to the Aircraft Graveyard this way. Wat Si Bun Ruang is at Ramkamhaeng Soi 107 and it is at the last eastbound stop on the klong taxi. From there, make your way to Ramkamhaeng Road, then turn right. The Aircraft Graveyard is two streets down at Soi 103. Taking the klong taxi is also a blast and it beats sitting in Bangkok traffic anytime!

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  • SiewchFunemployment - Part IReiziger
    Me peeking out of the escape hatch on the B747.
    The B747 and MD80.Approaching the B747.When I was in Myanmar, my friend Alex identified the graffiti artist responsible for this mural.To enter the B747, one has to first step into the front cargo door...The cargo door leads into the cargo bay which is strewn with overhead bins.To get to the main deck, one has to climb a ladder. The floor gave way underneath me here.The main deck, where first class is usually situated.Main deck.Me on the main deck.The first class galley.The stairs leading to the upper deck.Main deck emergency exit.Upper deck looking down on one of the MD80s.Upper deck looking towards the cockpit.The B747 cockpit.Upper deck.Upper deck.Upper deck emergency exit.Me peeking out of the escape hatch on the B747.

    Ex Machina - The B747

    21 augustus 2017, Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    I split the Aircraft Graveyard into two footprints to bypass the 20 photo limit. This entry focuses on the B747.

    ===============================================================

    The Aircraft Graveyard is visible from Ramkamhaeng Road. I arrived on time at 11.00am, waited until 11.15am, and proceeded without Clay when he didn't show up by then. The aircraft are fenced in, and there are several families living in some of the abandoned hulls. At the gate, I caught the attention of a young boy, who collected 200 baht from me before unlocking the gate and letting me in. Wow, what a sight. There is one Boeing 747-400 and two McDonnell Douglas MD-82s in the field. One of the MD-82s had been written off after a crash in Phuket with fatalities.

    According to other websites I read, the last operator of all three aircraft was Orient Thai. They were purchased by a businessman and brought to this field to be dismantled and sold for scrap. Everything that was salvageable had been stripped out. I'm not sure what the story is about the families living in the Aircraft Graveyard and whether they have permission to live there.

    Anyway, I was like a kid in a candy shop. The nose section of the B747 was relatively intact. I climbed into the B747 via a cargo door, and accessed the main deck by climbing up a ladder. The main deck was where first class would have been. The stairs to the upper deck were still intact and so I went up to where the business class cabin would have been, and peeked into the cockpit. One of the two MD-82s was also relatively intact. I climbed into it and went to the cockpit and sat in the captain's chair!

    https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/airplane-gr…

    https://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Centra…    Meer informatie

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  • SiewchFunemployment - Part IReiziger
    Bizarre wai-ing skeleton figure at Wat Sriboonruang.
    Bizarre Michael Jackson-esque wai-ing figure at Wat Sriboonruang.Wat Sriboonruang.Wat Sriboonruang.Wat Sriboonruang.Temple kitty at Wat Sriboonruang.Albino buffalo at Wat Sriboonruang.

    Wat Sriboonruang

    21 augustus 2017, Thailand ⋅ 🌧 30 °C

    After visiting the Aircraft Graveyard, I wandered around Wat Sriboonruang. There were a few unusual sights at the temple, including skeleton figures and an albino buffalo.

    Back when I lived in Bangkok, I hopped onto the klong taxi and took it to the last stop. Back in those days, the klong taxi was not on the tourist trail and information was scarce, so I didn't know where I was, or the name of the temple I visited. It was nice to finally connect where I had been all those years ago.

    https://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Centra…    Meer informatie

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  • SiewchFunemployment - Part IReiziger
    The sad, sanitized version of the Tuptim Shrine.
    The sad, sanitized version of the Tuptim Shrine.The sad, sanitized version of the Tuptim Shrine.

    Tuptim Shrine

    21 augustus 2017, Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Since the Aircraft Graveyard was near the klong taxi route, I decided that I would see other sights along the klong. One fun site I knew of was a fertility shrine to a goddess named Tuptim. This shrine was near the Wireless Road klong taxi stop. It was located behind a luxury hotel and one had to walk through the hotel grounds to get to it. What was unique about this shrine was that devotees left hundreds of wooden penises there. I'm not kidding. There were piles and piles of them. They were of varying sizes, shapes, colors. C***ks everywhere. I thought this would be a fun place to reconnect with.

    Getting off the klong taxi at Wireless Road, I immediately saw that things had changed. The hotel was now fenced in and it looked as if it was being renovated. A passerby sensed my confusion and he told me the shrine had been relocated. He walked with me for a bit and then told me where to go. He even told me it was okay to enter even though a sign said no entry. So, I went where he indicated and I was crestfallen when I got there. The shrine had been sanitized. I could count the phalluses on my fingers and toes. It was a shadow of its former self. In short, Tuptim had been castrated.

    A guard came up to me and told me I could not return from where I came and he pointed to an alternative exit that would cut me off from the klong taxi. Ugh. That spoiled my lunch plan which was to seek out an old haunt at Pratunam.

    https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/goddess-tup…

    https://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Centra…    Meer informatie

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  • SiewchFunemployment - Part IReiziger
    Condom figurines at Cabbages and Condoms.
    Miang kham appetizer at Cabbages and Condoms.My soggy nasty pad thai at Cabbages and Condoms.Condom figurines at Cabbages and Condoms.Condom figurines at Cabbages and Condoms.Condom figurines at Cabbages and Condoms.Asia Books was one of my favorite hangouts when I lived in Bangkok.The infamous Bangkok traffic.

    Cabbages and Condoms & Sukhumvit

    21 augustus 2017, Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    When the guard pointed me towards the exit I had to take, I was put on a course towards Chidlom and Sukhumvit. I decided to make my way towards Cabbages and Condoms to fulfill my craving for miang kham, a snack that I haven't found in the US. When I lived in Bangkok, an itinerant hawker used to come by and sell us DIY packets of the stuff. I loved this snack. My staff used to assemble the bite sized snack for me and then giggle as I ate it because they put extra chilies in it... as if I didn't suspect. I would put on a grave face while they guffawed at me trying not to give them the satisfaction of reacting to the extra chilies. As this was primarily street food sold by mobile hawkers, I did not know where to get it other than at Cabbages and Condoms, which had miang kham as an appetizer. Cabbages and Condoms was about a mile away from where I was. Walking through Chidlom and Sukhumvit, I reveled in the street scene and the smells. While not always pleasant, they brought me back to my time in Bangkok.

    At Cabbages and Condoms, I ordered a miang kham and a small pad thai. Indulge me a quick rant. In the US, people seem to think that pad thai is the definitive Thai dish, and they order it all the time. Apart from one restaurant in Wheaton, Maryland, all the pad thai I have eaten in the US is really bad. Pad thai is actually street food in Thailand; few restaurants, other than tourist oriented ones, would even dare to have it on their menu because it will draw comparisons with street vendors who have perfected their art by cooking nothing but pad thai for decades. I missed decent pad thai, so I decided to order one at Cabbages and Condoms because, well, I was in Thailand... I mean how bad can it be? Well, it turned out to be a soggy mess. I couldn't finish it. The miang kham was great though. In hindsight, I should have avoided this restaurant and simply eaten something from a street stall.

    Coincidentally, the canape for my dinner on board my flight to Sydney later that evening was miang kham. So, my craving was satisfied. Twice over.

    Cabbages and Condoms was established by a man who advocates for STD prevention and family planning by encouraging condom use In Thailand. After eating, I checked out the condom art before heading to Makkasan station and then back to the airport where I took a much needed shower at the lounge before boarding my flight to Sydney.

    https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cabbages-co…

    https://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Centra…    Meer informatie

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  • SiewchFunemployment - Part IReiziger
    Oscietra caviar with melba toast, egg, onion, and sour cream.
    At the lounge, I had a bowl of tom yum goong.My shower at the Royal Orchid Lounge. I was grateful to cool down from the day's activities.The First Class cabin on TG475.Seat 1A on TG's B744.My First Class seat.My First Class seat.Warmed nuts served soon after takeoff.Dinner - canapes.Another canape - some kind of fried chicken.I don't recall what this was. It was a pre-appetizer before the caviar.Oscietra caviar. Note the mother of pearl spoon.Main course - massamam curry, rice, bitter gourd and egg.Main course - massamam curryDessert - mango and sticky rice.Boarding pass for TG475.FlightAware record for TG475.Passport stamp for Thailand.

    Bangkok Suvarnabhumi to Sydney

    21 augustus 2017, Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    Thai Airways TG475 | BKK/SYD
    First Class
    Boeing 747-400 | HS-TGA Srisuriyothai
    ATD/1928 | ATA/0729
    Lounge: Royal Silk Lounge, First Class Section.

    I really savored this flight as I didn't think I would be on the pointy end of a B747 again. I especially enjoyed the funky angle of the window view at takeoff and landing. TG's service was superb.

    https://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Centra…    Meer informatie

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  • SiewchFunemployment - Part IReiziger
    The end of the Torrens Linear Trail before I turned south from West Beach to Glenelg.
    The start of my walk.Looking back at Adelaide.The first of several rapids.River Torrens.River Torrens.Approaching West Beach at the end of the Torrens Linear Trail.At the end of the Torrens Linear Trail where the river drains into the sea.The end of the Torrens Linear Trail.The coastal trail from West Beach to Glenelg.The coastal trail from West Beach to Glenelg.Boats moored at Glenelg.Boats moored at Glenelg.I was impressed by the functionality of the public toilets.I was surprised to see needle disposal bins in the public toilets.Glenelg.My MapMyRun record for the Torrens Linear Trail.My MapMyRun record for the southbound section from West Beach to Glenelg.Downtown Adelaide as I waited for the bus.

    Torrens Linear Park & South to Glenelg

    24 augustus 2017, Australië ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    I did this hike while Trixie was at work. I followed her on her morning commute, she showed me the where the trail began, and off I went.

    This was a long hike from the center of Adelaide to Henley Beach on a trail alongside the Torrens River. It starts out in downtown Adelaide and goes on for about 9.7 miles before it reaches the coastline. To be honest, the hike got boring after a few miles, but I persevered because I knew the coastline would be very pretty. Along the way, I watched people, enjoyed the landscape, listened to birds, got dived bombed by a magpie (probably because I was close to its nest), and admired the flowers, birds, dogs and horses I encountered.

    The trail went generally in a westward direction. When I hit the coastline at Henley Beach, I turned south towards Glenelg. While the coastline was pretty, I was a bit demoralized by this point as I was hungry and there weren't any food places in sight; just block upon block of beachfront residences. The first food place I encountered was 1.1 miles down. Stopping at the restaurant for lunch, I scarfed down a focaccia and smoothie as soon as it was presented to me. After eating, I walked a further 3.5 miles to Glenelg where I took a tram back to Adelaide. At the Adelaide CBD, I took a bus back to Trixie's house.

    https://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/So…    Meer informatie

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  • SiewchFunemployment - Part IReiziger
    Morialta Falls viewed from above.
    Scenes from our Morialta Falls hike.Scenes from our Morialta Falls hike.Scenes from our Morialta Falls hike.Trixie approaching Morialta Falls.Morialta Falls.Trixie admiring Morialta Falls.Me at Morialta Falls.Scenes from our Morialta Falls hike.Another waterfall.Scenes from our Morialta Falls hike.Me at our turnaround point. Photo Credit: Trixie.We ended our hike here.Trixie at the cave at the end of our hike.Trixie departing the cave at the end of our hike.The cave at the end of our hike.Birdlife.My MapMyRun record of the hike.Dinner at Peel St Restaurant. Photo Credit: Ryan.

    Morialta Falls

    25 augustus 2017, Australië ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Trixie and I did this hike. But first, we had a huge breakfast at an Italian deli.

    There are three spectacular waterfalls at this trail system. We saw two of the three, as well as a cave, and some pretty scenery. There was also a fair amount of bird life. The route we took was 4.16 miles.

    That evening, we had dinner with Hwee, Evelyn, Adeline, and Desmond at Peel St Restaurant, a farm to table eatery in the Adelaide CBD.

    https://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/So…    Meer informatie

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  • SiewchFunemployment - Part IReiziger
    Sydney Opera House before the Badu Gili Lightshow.
    Sydney Opera House before the Badu Gili Lightshow.Sydney Opera House before the Badu Gili Lightshow.Sydney Harbour Bridge.Old building in Botanical Gardens.Just a selfie in the Botanical Gardens.Sydney CBD.Sydney Harbour as seen from the Botanical Gardens.Sydney CBD viewed from the Opera House.Sydney CBD.

    Sydney Opera House & Botanical Garden

    28 augustus 2017, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    I took the train from SYD to my hotel, which was centrally located near Hyde Park. Disembarking at the train station, I was accosted by a Greenpeace activist who noticed I had a Patagonia backpack.

    My first order of business was to get myself oriented. After a pho lunch at Chinatown, I walked through Hyde Park, through the Botanical Gardens, and on to Sydney Opera House. While there, I noted there was a light show scheduled for that evening, so I decided to return later after dinner.

    https://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Ne…    Meer informatie

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  • SiewchFunemployment - Part IReiziger
    Badu Gili Lightshow at Sydney Opera House.
    Badu Gili Lightshow at Sydney Opera House.Badu Gili Lightshow at Sydney Opera House.Badu Gili Lightshow at Sydney Opera House.Badu Gili Lightshow at Sydney Opera House.Badu Gili Lightshow at Sydney Opera House.Badu Gili Lightshow at Sydney Opera House.Badu Gili Lightshow at Sydney Opera House.Badu Gili Lightshow at Sydney Opera House.Badu Gili Lightshow at Sydney Opera House.Badu Gili Lightshow at Sydney Opera House.Badu Gili Lightshow at Sydney Opera House.Badu Gili Lightshow at Sydney Opera House.Badu Gili Lightshow at Sydney Opera House.Badu Gili Lightshow at Sydney Opera House.Badu Gili Lightshow at Sydney Opera House.Badu Gili Lightshow at Sydney Opera House.Badu Gili Lightshow at Sydney Opera House.Badu Gili Lightshow at Sydney Opera House.Badu Gili Lightshow at Sydney Opera House.

    Sydney Opera House: Badu Gili Lightshow

    28 augustus 2017, Australië ⋅ 🌙 12 °C

    Undoubtedly, the highlight of my time in Sydney was the Badu Gili light show at the Sydney Opera House. I didn't even know about the light show; it was just sheer luck that I happened to be there close to sunset and I saw signs for the show (it plays at sunset and at 7pm). Badu Gili showcases First Nations' (i.e., native peoples') stories/mythology set to music and spoken word. It was spectacular.

    On a side note, I am annoyed that I didn't realize I had a smudge on my camera lens for several days. Ugh. I could have taken better photos here and elsewhere in Australia!

    https://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Ne…    Meer informatie

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  • SiewchFunemployment - Part IReiziger
    Bondi Beach.
    Bondi Beach.Bondi Beach.The famous Icebergs pool at Bondi.The famous Icebergs pool at Bondi.The famous Icebergs pool at Bondi.The trail heading south from Bondi.Some of the interesting rock formations between Bondi and Tamarama.Between Bondi and Tamarama.Between Bondi and Tamarama.Approaching Tamarama.Tamarama Beach.Tamarama Beach.Rock formations at Bronte Beach.Surfers off Bronte Beach.Bronte Beach.Bronte Beach.Bronte Beach.Bronte Beach.Hike route captured on my MapMyRun app.

    Bondi to Coogee Coastal Hike

    29 augustus 2017, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    After breakfast on my one full day in Sydney, I boarded a bus from Hyde Park towards Bondi. The ride took about 40 minutes, at which point I alighted near the famous Icebergs pool at Bondi, which is the start point of the coastal walk. The view at the start point was spectacular, with the surf crashing onto the crescent shaped beach and onto the Icebergs pool below me. Walking south, I soon came across some interesting rock formations. I would see variations these formations throughout my walk.

    Most of the coastal walk was very civilized. Although the terrain was rugged, the path was mostly paved with good directional signs. The first beach I encountered after Bondi was Tamarama, located in an inlet. After that, the walk took me to Bronte Beach. By this point, I noted that the Icebergs pool wasn't a one off - I saw at least two other similar pools built right next to the ocean at various SLSCs which I learned stood for surf life saving club. I am guessing the pools are saltwater. I marveled at the people jumping into the pool and the ocean. It wasn't terribly cold but I wouldn't be that brave.

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  • SiewchFunemployment - Part IReiziger
    Waverly Cemetery.
    Approaching Waverly Cemetery.Waverly Cemetery.Waverly Cemetery.Waverly Cemetery.Waverly Cemetery.

    Bondi to Coogee Hike: Waverly Cemetery

    29 augustus 2017, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    After that, the next highlight was Waverly Cemetary. Because of storm damage, the boardwalk here was closed and walkers were diverted through the cemetary. There seemed to be a lot of Italian immigrants buried there, and I was struck by how well maintained the graves were even though many were decades old. I wondered who maintained them and if their descendents were even still living in the area. I guess my mind wandered there because my grandparents were recently exhumed and cremated; the land where they were buried is now earmarked for development in land scarce Singapore.
    https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/waverley-ce…

    https://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Ne…    Meer informatie

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  • SiewchFunemployment - Part IReiziger
    Clovelly.
    Another oceanside pool at Clovelly.Clovelly.Clovelly.Wildflowers at Clovelly.Clovelly.Clovelly.Leaving Clovelly, with Coogee in the distance.Coogee Beach, my endpoint for the hike.

    Bondi to Coogee Hike: Waverly to Coogee

    29 augustus 2017, Australië ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    After Waverly, the next stop was Clovelly where there was a lawn bowling club and more spectacular views. The last stage of the hike brought me to Coogee. Along the way, there was a memorial for the victims of the Bali bombing. At Coogee, I grabbed a quick snack before hopping onto a bus bound for central Sydney.

    The entire walk clocked in at 4.75 miles per my MapMyRun app.

    https://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Ne…    Meer informatie

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  • SiewchFunemployment - Part IReiziger
    Anzac Memorial at Hyde Park.
    Anzac Memorial at Hyde Park.Interior of the Anzac Memorial at Hyde Park.Interior of the Anzac Memorial at Hyde Park.Anzac Memorial at Hyde Park.Cockatoos at Potts Point.Cockatoos at Potts Point.Cockatoos at Potts Point.Cockatoos at Potts Point.

    Hyde Park

    29 augustus 2017, Australië ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    After Darling Harbour, I made my way to Hyde Park. In the evening, I explored Darlinghurst, King's Cross and Potts Point and various parks. I didn't take photos of those areas because of the low light, but I thoroughly enjoyed getting a feel for each 'hood, especially the lived-in ones.

    During my stay in Sydney, however, I found myself seeking out comfort food, and I pretty much dined on Singaporean and Malaysian food every meal - there's some good authentic stuff in Sydney, including Mamak and Hawker, both in the Chinatown area. I began to wonder why. Maybe I was coming down from the high of spending a week in Adelaide with good friends and good food. Also, after six weeks of traveling, I had to confess to myself that I am tired. Don't get me wrong; I am still having a blast and I feel so alive when I am exploring, experiencing, and learning. But, I am weary and concerned about whether I can sustain this.

    https://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Ne…    Meer informatie

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