So on my sleeper train ticket, the K12,750/$12.75 price included K3.86 for insurance.
That’s $0.00386, ie less than half of one cent.
I have to wonder two things:
a) just how much would that actually pay out?
b) should I lose confidence in the train safety if they don’t have much themselves?
My Android phone had 39 app updates!
Though even now I’m having problems posting photos to my blog from my phone, which might have been due to an app update while I was in Japan, and not just a connection speed.
Singapore Airlines has quite the entertainment system, with a good interface, including 289 movies and 459 TV shows, grouped into categories (eg for movies: new releases, European, Chinese, world, kids, arthouse, favourites, documentary, design film fest and stage performances inc 2x Cirque du Soleil – I hadn’t heard of Quidam), inc this month a Robin Williams tribute, and Monty Python.
I had no idea that in 1971 Monty Python wrote and performed a (mostly) exclusive episode for German TV, inc a German version of the classic Lumberjack Song (see below, video to follow, though subtitles weren’t totally accurate). I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes.
Side note: John Cleese and Michael Palin spoke German well in the show.
If you’re a fan, you know the words so you can mostly get a free German lesson here, though some words are different by necessity (I left out the chorus)…
Ich bin ein Holzfäller
Und fühl mich stark
Ich schlaf des Nachts
Und hack am Tag
Ich fäelle Baume
Ich ess’ mein lunch (Brot – in the chorus)
Ich gehe auf das WC
Am Mittwoch geh’ ich shopping
Kauf’ Käkse zum Kaffee
Ich fäelle Baume
Ich hüpf’ und spring’
Steck’ Blumen in die Vas’
Ich schlüpf’ in Frauenkleider
Und dümmle mich in Bars
Ich fäelle Baume
Trag’ Stöckelschuh
Verstrumpf und Büsenhalter
War gern ein kleines Mädchen
So wie mein Onkel Walter
I budgeted an hour to the airport, but it was almost 70 minutes leaving my downtown hotel at 8:00 this morning.
It was K8,000/$8 as that businessman had told me in the plane on arrival, but this was the only time I paid that little.
Singapore Airlines recommends 90min prior arrival, I made it at 70 at the checkin counter, after passing through a baggage X-ray and metal detector just to get into the checkin hall.
Immigration was quick and painless upstairs, and after changing my last kyat for SGD, now I’m in the little multi-airline lounge.
They have Wi-Fi, a guy running an espresso machine (cup a cappuccino!), a self-serve fridge with water/soda/beer, and a little buffet of snacks. Including Pringles (2 flavours no less).
Grrr, cold still in full swing after a good night’s sleep
Ignoring the military and solicitation, I can totally relate to this irreverent story about arriving in Yangon.
On an unrelated note,this smoking man was chilling out under/inside a food vendor’s stand at Thazi railway station (maybe they are married?):
Being at ~4000ft above sea level, you need a light sweater in the evening and early morning. And when boating on the lake… Doh, barely have enough warm clothing again – I should have read up more beforehand.
Inle Lake is in a valley between two mountain ranges, and this town is on a river leading to the north end of the lake.
During the taxi ride from the train station lay night, the full moon came up over the mountains to welcome me.
I rented a single speed bicycle from my hotel (K1,500/$1.50 per day) to poke in and around town, and will do an all day boat trip tomorrow.
View from my hotel roof early this morning, close to river. On the street are monks receiving rice from a guy.
In contrast to the dark stormy clouds and rain in Singapore this morning, it’s sunny and hot hot hot 32C and humid in Yangon.
Traffic is brutal, even with my driver taking side streets and dodgy left turns. It’s about 25km but took 45min (leaving the airport at 11am). 15,000/$15 fixed price (which might have been high – the businessman on the plane next to me thought 8,000).
Internet might be too slow to upload photos…
Will get more stories and photos together, yesterday I arrived in Kobe (after a rainy detour through Onomachi, a small seaside town on the local train line) and spent the day walking around with Susan’s high school fried Junko. Had some very tasty sushi last night. And some Japanese language tips, thanks Junko!
Tomorrow I return to Tokyo for a few hours before going to Narita airport (NRT) for a 787 dreamliner flight to Singapore, followed by an early morning flight to Yangon (Rangoon)
Update: the shinkansen (bullet train) translates to “new trunk line”, and it’s pretty much always elevated, like a modern aqueduct, even in the countryside.
Also, they must clean the bullet nose front frequently, because it’s shiny white (you can see near the crown and sides and top of the train that it’s gray from dirt)
I was fine during the night with a thick comforter, but I was freezing this morning in the common room, wearing 2 sweaters and my hands going number on the computer.
The unusually warm 17C gave way to a cold wind yesterday (though the rain did stop, after my toes got wet walking around in the morning) and today it’s 7C feels like 3C! Staff wasn’t around at 9am.
I was so cold I went out and bought a hot cafe audio latte can from a vending machine (¥110/$1, very convenient) and stood in a sunny spot out of the wind, to warm myself up.
Can’t wait to fly to hot Singapore and Myanmar/Burma tomorrow evening!
As in 30C hot!
I mean I am very much enjoying Japan, and my vocabulary is expanding, just weatherwise I am ready for phase 2 of thus trip.