Penelope Witherspoon's Travel Thread

[Doug E. Fresh 452]

6 minutes ago, Orale said:

I'm about to board a flight to Thailand and this was the only thread briefly discussing it. I'll be in Bangkok 4 nights then Chiang Mai 4 nights. I'm thinking one of the beach areas for four nights then back to Bangkok a night or two before flying home. Any suggestions are appreciated.

A blog was suggesting Ko Tao which requires a flight to Ko Samui then a 2 hour ferry to Ko Tao. I live in Hawaii so seeing pretty beaches is fine, but not necessarily a high priority if there are more culturally interesting places to visit in the country. I figured I would go to Bangkok first and get suggestions from locals and expats before booking the last four or five days of the trip.

You could keep going north up to Chiang Rai, maybe even go across into Myanmar. There’s enough to do up there for 3 or 4 days and you could get a driver from Chiang Mai.

Krabi is a good beach trip, although I seem to recall it was a short flight from Bangkok.

 

[We’reTexas 1467]

7 minutes ago, Orale said:

I'm about to board a flight to Thailand and this was the only thread briefly discussing it. I'll be in Bangkok 4 nights then Chiang Mai 4 nights. I'm thinking one of the beach areas for four nights then back to Bangkok a night or two before flying home. Any suggestions are appreciated.

A blog was suggesting Ko Tao which requires a flight to Ko Samui then a 2 hour ferry to Ko Tao. I live in Hawaii so seeing pretty beaches is fine, but not necessarily a high priority if there are more culturally interesting places to visit in the country. I figured I would go to Bangkok first and get suggestions from locals and expats before booking the last four or five days of the trip.

Yeah many of the beach areas/islands are Mexico for Australians. I did enjoy Ko Lanta, though, which had a sleepier feel and, being predominantly Muslim, was culturally different from the rest of Thailand. 

[Horn_Spanker 524]

This is a great photo!  Please tell what kind of camera and if any post processing.

[Sam Lin 3540]

Skip Koh Tao, Google Koh Tao death island if you want. There are plenty of other islands with the same beauty and activities, without the suspicious history of tourist deaths covered up by local police who are in the pockets of the mafia.

[Orale 1087]

I decided to skip the beaches altogether. I got through most of my guidebook on the first flight to Tokyo and Northern Thailand seems more culturally unique so I'm gonna stay up there after 4 days in Bangkok.

[Doug E. Fresh 452]

29 minutes ago, Orale said:

I decided to skip the beaches altogether. I got through most of my guidebook on the first flight to Tokyo and Northern Thailand seems more culturally unique so I'm gonna stay up there after 4 days in Bangkok.

Nice, and a great choice if you’re not really in search of beaches. Let us know where you end up.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19074]

On 7/12/2022 at 7:54 PM, Horn_Spanker said:

This is a great photo!  Please tell what kind of camera and if any post processing.

That is my Samsung S21.  I need to go back and check, but I believe I did use Lightroom for some minimal touchups, but no filters.  Just helps with the colors looking truly like they look to the naked eye.

Here is the original photo directly from my phone.  

Edited July 28, 2022 by PenelopeWitherspoon

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19074]

I am so behind on my website.  This is what happens when you are slammed at work and then real life gets in the way.  Just posted Day 3 from Paris.

https://www.mlleshetravels.com/single-post/2022-paris-trip-tracing-artists-haunts-in-montmartre-on-day-3

 

[The Ace of Aces 5106]

1 hour ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

I am so behind on my website.  This is what happens when you are slammed at work and then real life gets in the way.  Just posted Day 3 from Paris.

https://www.mlleshetravels.com/single-post/2022-paris-trip-tracing-artists-haunts-in-montmartre-on-day-3

 

Was going to ask about this when I see you next month, lol. I love these posts, thanks for sharing!

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19074]

1 minute ago, The Ace of Aces said:

Was going to ask about this when I see you next month, lol. I love these posts, thanks for sharing!

Real life completely got in the way.  First it was work, then it was fun.  Trying to finish this and some London reports before heading to Egypt.  Going to try and live write my Egypt trip.

[The Ace of Aces 5106]

21 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Real life completely got in the way.  First it was work, then it was fun.  Trying to finish this and some London reports before heading to Egypt.  Going to try and live write my Egypt trip.

When is that trip? Need a porter?

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19074]

19 minutes ago, The Ace of Aces said:

When is that trip? Need a porter?

I fly on November 2nd.  I land back in NYC on the 15th.  It's a tour, so I kind of already have a porter.  😆

[thrillhammer 683]

I devised my own walking tour of montmarte one of the times i was there, just to see the famous artists homes - picasso, renoir, toulouse-latrec, renoir, degas, matisse. the lapin agile is a cool bar.

[Ghost of LL 15348]

On 10/22/2022 at 8:21 PM, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

I fly on November 2nd.  I land back in NYC on the 15th.  It's a tour, so I kind of already have a porter.  😆

Speaking of which, let me tell you something I wish someone had told me.  You need small Egyptian bills.  Acquire them and horde them.

Everything is baksheesh.  Everything from beggars to guys who provide legitimate service for which you would ordinarily tip (e.g., the bellman at the hotel) are going to look for baksheesh.  You'll learn this word quickly. 

Tell the beggars "La'a"--no.  But very often, it's proper to give a small amount for some small service.  But you don't want to over-baksheesh.

Case in point: Mrs.LL and I went to a bar on our first night in Cairo.  They had a cool hookah set-up, so we ordered up a hookah.  All good.  So there are these dudes walking around with fresh coals for your hookah.  Our fire gets a little low, so we call over one of these guys.  He gives us some fresh coals, and puts out his hand for baksheesh.  Sure--that's fair.  So I give him the smallest bill I had, which was a 20-pound note (about $1).  

Apparently, that was waaaay, too much.  

So the next thing I know, I've got every coal guy in the joint buzzing around me waiting to refresh my coals.  I mean, they were all over us.

Egyptian currency comes in notes of 25 and 50 piasteres and 1, 5, 10, 20, 100, and 200-pound notes.  Those small denominations are tough to come by.  But you're definitely going to want a bunch of them for your baksheeshing.  I mean--I would seriously overpay for some of those small notes if that's what it took, just to avoid over-baksheeshing.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19074]

35 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

Speaking of which, let me tell you something I wish someone had told me.  You need small Egyptian bills.  Acquire them and horde them.

Everything is baksheesh.  Everything from beggars to guys who provide legitimate service for which you would ordinarily tip (e.g., the bellman at the hotel) are going to look for baksheesh.  You'll learn this word quickly. 

Tell the beggars "La'a"--no.  But very often, it's proper to give a small amount for some small service.  But you don't want to over-baksheesh.

Case in point: Mrs.LL and I went to a bar on our first night in Cairo.  They had a cool hookah set-up, so we ordered up a hookah.  All good.  So there are these dudes walking around with fresh coals for your hookah.  Our fire gets a little low, so we call over one of these guys.  He gives us some fresh coals, and puts out his hand for baksheesh.  Sure--that's fair.  So I give him the smallest bill I had, which was a 20-pound note (about $1).  

Apparently, that was waaaay, too much.  

So the next thing I know, I've got every coal guy in the joint buzzing around me waiting to refresh my coals.  I mean, they were all over us.

Egyptian currency comes in notes of 25 and 50 piasteres and 1, 5, 10, 20, 100, and 200-pound notes.  Those small denominations are tough to come by.  But you're definitely going to want a bunch of them for your baksheeshing.  I mean--I would seriously overpay for some of those small notes if that's what it took, just to avoid over-baksheeshing.

That is an excellent tip.  I was going to pull about $500-600 worth of cash out and use that over the entire trip.  I doubt I’ll need more than that (10-12k EGP given current exchange rates).  First hotel is Mena House, so I will try and get small notes there if I do not get any pulling money.

[orange dream 1236]

Buy small notes from the doorman or bellman at your hotel for a small exchange fee.  He should have plenty.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19074]

So, my last write up was adjusted to include dinner and drinks on Day 3.  

https://www.mlleshetravels.com/single-post/2022-paris-trip-tracing-artists-haunts-in-montmartre-on-day-3

[lemonlime 5503]

On 10/25/2022 at 7:33 PM, Ghost of LL said:

Speaking of which, let me tell you something I wish someone had told me.  You need small Egyptian bills.  Acquire them and horde them.

Everything is baksheesh.  Everything from beggars to guys who provide legitimate service for which you would ordinarily tip (e.g., the bellman at the hotel) are going to look for baksheesh.  You'll learn this word quickly. 

Tell the beggars "La'a"--no.  But very often, it's proper to give a small amount for some small service.  But you don't want to over-baksheesh.

Case in point: Mrs.LL and I went to a bar on our first night in Cairo.  They had a cool hookah set-up, so we ordered up a hookah.  All good.  So there are these dudes walking around with fresh coals for your hookah.  Our fire gets a little low, so we call over one of these guys.  He gives us some fresh coals, and puts out his hand for baksheesh.  Sure--that's fair.  So I give him the smallest bill I had, which was a 20-pound note (about $1).  

Apparently, that was waaaay, too much.  

So the next thing I know, I've got every coal guy in the joint buzzing around me waiting to refresh my coals.  I mean, they were all over us.

Egyptian currency comes in notes of 25 and 50 piasteres and 1, 5, 10, 20, 100, and 200-pound notes.  Those small denominations are tough to come by.  But you're definitely going to want a bunch of them for your baksheeshing.  I mean--I would seriously overpay for some of those small notes if that's what it took, just to avoid over-baksheeshing.

This.  I went last December and needed those small notes everywhere.  If you need to use the bathroom at a temple, you have to pay and they won't make change.

Also, It was surprisingly cold.  I needed my jacket every day except when we were at Abu Simbel.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19074]

Hey guys.  Thanks for all the tips on Egypt.  I am actually going to get all of them in one place and save them down on my phone and iPad.  

I fly out Wednesday night.  I land in Zurich and then have 27 hours in Zurich.  Any recommendations for Zurich?  I have been before for a night.  I am planning on spending a lot of time walking around.  For meals, I am not bothered, but definitely want to keep things on the light side with Swiss wines.  

My flight to Cairo isn't until Friday at 12:20 or so and I land in Cairo around 5:20.  I am excited.  

 

[creeper 98]

The food is good but likely won't blow you away, but the dining room at Kronenhalle features some amazing art (Picasso, Miro, Braque, etc.), and the selection of Swiss wines is solid.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19074]

1 hour ago, creeper said:

The food is good but likely won't blow you away, but the dining room at Kronenhalle features some amazing art (Picasso, Miro, Braque, etc.), and the selection of Swiss wines is solid.

I went to Kronenhalle last time I was in Switzerland.  Agreed on the art.  The food and wine were solid.  It was a bit heavy for what I am looking for this time around though.  

[RamjetFDO 10554]

Well done P-Dub. Love reading these.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19074]

I am listening to the kick off call that was recorded for my trip.  I was unable to make this since I was in London.  Sigh.  Only about 48 hours until I fly out.  

[The Ace of Aces 5106]

So excited to hear about this adventure. It’s on our list.  

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19074]

So I've been in Zurich since 10 AM Zurich time this AM.  My room at Hotel Helvetia (all the rooms have beds by Hastens, so I will stay here again.  Amazingly comfy) wasn't quite ready, so I was able to post up in their Gallery and shoot some emails out.  About 1:00 my room was ready and I came up and took a nap.

It's been raining all day so I've just stayed in the hotel relaxing.  

I went down to dinner in the restaurant and had a great meal, then a couple of Porn Star Martinis at the bar.  

I was able to grab a couple of hours of sleep during the Astros game but woke up to finish it off.

I was going to get up and go for a walk, but it's still raining, so I think I'll sleep in until about 8:30 and then head to the airport.  My flight to Cairo is at 12:20 or so.

 

[CycleTex87 2953]

I'd love to spend a rainy friday morning in Zurich.  Maybe just get a coffee and a pastry and chill.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19074]

Just checked in Cairo.  From my balcony.

[MAROON 445]

1 hour ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Just checked in Cairo.  From my balcony.

Mena House?

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19074]

4 hours ago, MAROON said:

Mena House?

Yep.  The property is really beautiful.  I am ready to see it in the day.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19074]

Alright, I woke up in the middle of the night and have been writing.  Thanks, Astros. My sleep schedule is completely fucked up.

We are doing the Pyramids today.  There was a discussion of going into the Pyramids.  I am probably going to avoid it.  I do not do well in small, enclosed spaces, and the final approach inside the Great Pyramid is just that.  I am going to ask some of my fellow travelers to share their photos and videos, but I think it is for the best that I do not go down there (I almost lost my shit in the Naples underground (the one with the Roman market and street was just fine...the one in the aquaduct was terrifying for me).

Ready to get some daytime views of the Pyramids and get some dramatic sunset photos.

[The Ace of Aces 5106]

My wife absolutely lost her shit near that top of St Paul’s so your decision makes all the sense. 

[Neonmoon 38127]

Ha my wife almost had a panic attack ascending a small enclosed winding staircase in a church in Germany. To be fair, it started to get to me too. It was never ending. 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19074]

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19074]

And she stepped on the ball....

More like she fell in a hole on the bank of the Nile.

 

[After irth 1243]

1 hour ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

And she stepped on the ball....

More like she fell in a hole on the bank of the Nile.

 

Hopefully not too serious.  Wishing you a speedy recovery.

[po elvis 2070]

I would wrap that up.

[The Ace of Aces 5106]

Oh no, you ok @PenelopeWitherspoon?

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19074]

12 hours ago, After irth said:

Hopefully not too serious.  Wishing you a speedy recovery.

 

11 hours ago, po elvis said:

I would wrap that up.

Lol!

5 hours ago, The Ace of Aces said:

Oh no, you ok @PenelopeWitherspoon?

All is well.  Ankle a little swollen this AM, so I'm going to read this AM and see another temple this afternoon.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19074]

Just had a gorgeous swim in the Nile.  Will do so again tomorrow!

[pantone159 712]

55 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Just had a gorgeous swim in the Nile.  Will do so again tomorrow!

Nice! Make sure to pay your respects to Sobek beforehand.

 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19074]

1 hour ago, pantone159 said:

Nice! Make sure to pay your respects to Sobek beforehand.

 

Actually just went through his temple.

[pantone159 712]

1 hour ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Actually just went through his temple.

That's on my bucket list. There are a few places that are the remains of Crocodilopolis and the crocodile temples.

 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19074]

Ok.  I am back in NYC.  Crashed at 7 and have woken up (fuck time changes).  Didn't have internet most of the trip, and was honestly on the go all the time.  I have tons to post.

[Ghost of LL 15348]

On 11/4/2022 at 9:22 PM, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Alright, I woke up in the middle of the night and have been writing.  Thanks, Astros. My sleep schedule is completely fucked up.

We are doing the Pyramids today.  There was a discussion of going into the Pyramids.  I am probably going to avoid it.  I do not do well in small, enclosed spaces, and the final approach inside the Great Pyramid is just that.  I am going to ask some of my fellow travelers to share their photos and videos, but I think it is for the best that I do not go down there (I almost lost my shit in the Naples underground (the one with the Roman market and street was just fine...the one in the aquaduct was terrifying for me).

Ready to get some daytime views of the Pyramids and get some dramatic sunset photos.

So you both missed out by not going into the pyramid (they only open one at a time) and didn't miss much at all.

You go up to the entrance of the pyramid, which is probably ten blocks or so high.  As shown on your photos, each block is about five feet high.  So the entrance is probably 50 feet or so off the ground.  It provides kind of a nice view over the Giza plain.

Then you go in, and almost immediately there's a shaft that is at a 45* angle.  And that's maybe the most disconcerting and vertigo-inducing experiences I've ever had.  To be in an enclosed space where there is no orientation to level; the sole orientation is at a 45* angle.  It's just really weird.

At the top--probably another 50 feet up or so--you turn right and go into a small antechamber.  It's small as to square footage, but the ceiling is probably 30 feet.  To get into the crypt, you then have to crawl low on your hands and knees underneath a solid granite block that is just kind of wedged in there.  And yeah, it's been there for a few thousand years.  But it doesn't exactly look like it's going to remain in place for another moment.  So there's some incentive to be quick in your crawling.

And then you're in the crypt, where there's . . . nothing.  There's the remains of the granite sarcophagus (without a lid).  But other than that, it's empty.  There are no paintings as you see in the tombs in the Valley of the Kings.  Really no decoration at all.  It's a very large room.  But really the only thing interesting about it is that you're in the pyramid.

Then it's time to scramble underneath the 50-ton granite block again.  And then back out to the 45* shaft.  And that's where you see the angle from above for the first time, and that's where the vertigo can really set in.

So yeah--definitely worth it.  It's incredible to be in the pyramid.  But if you didn't see it, . . . you kind of didn't miss much.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19074]

So, I have had major jet lag and came back with a stomach bug (probably picked up in the Egyptian Museum as it was a shitshow).  Thankfully, almost over both, but this week has been a bitch.  Hell, I am just now unpacking.

My free time and wifi service was almost nonexistent on the trip, so I am playing catch up.  Hoping to post photos and thoughts throughout this week and next.  

2023 will be less adventure, though there will be more locations.  When I fly to London for work, planning on tacking on weekends or whole trips afterwards.  

Most likely London work trips will be March, June, September, and December.  For September, will be tacking on my Germany trip.  For the others, just weekends.  One weekend, will pop to Paris (March most likely, with June second), then also thinking Antwerp and staying in the UK and visiting York.

As of now, big trips are Alicante, Mallorca, and Valencia in May, Bavaria (and Salzburg) in September with an Oktoberfest stop, and then something around Thanksgiving. Might go South to Colombia or Argentina for that one.  I have wanted to do both for a while now.  

I might also have work trips to Singapore and South Africa next year, so all will have to be played by ear.

 

[The Ace of Aces 5106]

Ooof sorry about the stomach bug. Flying with that is one of my nightmares. 

[ATexanAbroad 627]

I was in Egypt during the 2017 Protests/Failed Revolution so this hits close to home.

Was cool seeing everything without a tourists in sight. Took a good 3-4 years for Tourism to get back to the same level. 

You think people beg and look for tips hard now, you should have seen it when youre the only tourist in the entire city of Luxor etc. 

Look forward to going back someday.

Edited November 21, 2022 by ATexanAbroad

[Underdog 28437]

On 11/4/2022 at 10:22 PM, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Alright, I woke up in the middle of the night and have been writing.  Thanks, Astros. My sleep schedule is completely fucked up.

We are doing the Pyramids today.  There was a discussion of going into the Pyramids.  I am probably going to avoid it.  I do not do well in small, enclosed spaces, and the final approach inside the Great Pyramid is just that.  I am going to ask some of my fellow travelers to share their photos and videos, but I think it is for the best that I do not go down there (I almost lost my shit in the Naples underground (the one with the Roman market and street was just fine...the one in the aquaduct was terrifying for me).

Ready to get some daytime views of the Pyramids and get some dramatic sunset photos.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19074]

On 9/11/2021 at 12:11 PM, Mrs Whiggins said:

Ditto what washparkhorn said. Lovely pictures and I'm so happy for you that the trip was able to happen. We were fans of Stanley Tucci's show on Italy earlier this year, and one of the episodes covered Amalfi and the wonderful lemons. I am a big fan of lemon flavor, and was drooling from the couch. There was one dessert that was featured and my husband and I were curious about it so if you saw it or tried it, would love to hear your take. It's called Lemon Delight.

Here's a pic from the internet:

Can't wait to read all about your journey.

https://kestepizzago.com/collections/all-products/products/delizia-al-limone-sal-de-riso

Just found this today.  Might pop down to their downtown location and see if they have them in store, or order them.  This is by the chef Tucci went and saw.

[Mrs Whiggins 13049]

1 hour ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

https://kestepizzago.com/collections/all-products/products/delizia-al-limone-sal-de-riso

Just found this today.  Might pop down to their downtown location and see if they have them in store, or order them.  This is by the chef Tucci went and saw.

I got the feeling that grabbing them freshly made is the way to go but YMMV. The ones on order are frozen and that may affect the quality slightly.