At the Airport Again

iPhone 6s Plus, f2.2, 1/2862, ISO 25, JPG

Take Off

X Play, f2.0, 1/2632, ISO 50, JPG

After the airport re-opened, it was time to leave Bali and head to Bangkok for a few days as a stop-over. To be honest, there's not that much to do in Bali after a few days anyway.
Bangkok is not my favorite city but should be fun for a short stay.

At the Airport

X Play, f2.0, 1/100, ISO 64, JPG

Short Trip to KL

A short trip to KL and back while checking out the new Da Nang International Terminal.

Waiting

X Play, f2.0, 1/230, ISO 50, JPG

I don't really like flying, not because I have anything against being in a plane but because flying these days is mostly just waiting around.

You wait in line to get your ticket, another line to go through security, waiting at the gate, more lines to et into the plane, waiting for the plane to move and take off, waiting for the drinks to be served, waiting for the plant to land, waiting to taxi to the gate, waiting to get off, lining at immigration and so on.

All that waiting meant that leaving my hotel in Chiang Mai at 8 am, I only arrived in Da Nang at 8 pm so a whole 12h of mostly waiting around.

Plane

X Play, f2.0, 1/341, ISO 50, JPG

Atapeu to Da Nang to Hong Kong

I knew this was going to be a long day. Waking up at 6am in Attapeu, I had to drive back the 360km to Da Nang, repack my bag and catch my 6pm flight to Hong Kong.

Since I couldn't take any chances or delays with the borders or roads, I went back the same way I came, via Bo Y.

I am not usually one to get up too early but whenever I do, it's always worth it. The sunrise and morning fog make for some great photos, especially when driving around the mountains.

Despite being in a rush, I did stop to take quite a few photos on my way to the border. I figured that should I miss my flight at least I'd have some nice photos to show for it.

Crossing the border was again no problem at all and very fast, not many people that early in the morning and the border guards were all friendly. Well, aside from the guy at the exit of the border area who was a bit grumpy so it seems they always find the grumpy guys to put there on the Vietnamese side.

I made good time, despite taking photos but to avoid any delays, I didn't take that many photos once I crossed the border and focused more on driving.

I made it back to rainy Da Nang just after lunch, a bit later than I would have ideally liked but it gave mea time to freshen up, get some rest and lunch before heading to the airport.

The flight was pleasant enough and arrived early in Hong Kong so that was nice as it gave me some extra time to take some photos on my walk to my hotel.

I left my hotel booking for the last minute so I ended up staying in a nice enough hostel but it must be the smallest room and most expensive room (given the size) I stayed at in Asia. Still, it was located right in Mong Kok so ideal for what I had in mind for my Hong Kong trip.

It will certainly be a nice change again to walk everywhere and take photos instead of taking my motorbike everywhere.

At the Airport...Waiting

TG-4, f6.3, 1/160, ISO 800, RAW

Waiting

X Play, f2.0, 1/33, ISO 320, JPG

Merry Xmas and the Way Back to Hue

Merry Xmas to everyone and I hope you're enjoying your holidays!

Mine are coming to an end and it's time to head back to Hue.

After a stopover in Saigon, I arrived in Da Nang at around 19:00 and set off on my bike for the drive back to Hue.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

After spending a few days in Germany, visiting family and seeing some friends but not doing much photography, it was time to leave Europe and head to Asia.

After taking the train to Frankfurt I was ready for the first leg of my journey, the flight to Bangkok.

It will be an exciting time and I have no idea how things will turn out of what will happen but I know it will be a good change.

Day 345 - The Longest Day Part 1: Busan to Seoul to Osaka

When I woke up this morning, I knew it would be a long day. I had to go to Busan station, take the KTX train to Seoul, the plane from there to Osaka and from there to Honolulu just before midnight.

Day 324 - Vigan to Laoag to Manila to Busan

I had an early start to the day to watch the final World Cup football game and then go for a quick walk around Vigan before taking the bus to Laoag.

Day 321 - To the Underground River

After getting my permit yesterday, I went to rent a motorbike for the drive to the Underground River about 75km from Puerto Princesa.

Day 289 - Leaving Singapore for Bandung

After booking a flight to Bandung late last night for this afternoon, I decided to take it easy in the morning and make the most of the free breakfast at my hostel.

Day 283 - LHR-BOM-SIN

On the road again and although I hoped to avoid taking the tube completely during my London stay, I had to take it to get to Heathrow.

Day 282 - Leaving on a Jet Plane

My last morning in Busan and the day heading back to Europe for a week or two for a family matter. My round the world trip will continue afterwards but in the meantime there won't be any updates.

Day 275 - Back in Busan

I got up early to make my way to Haneda airport from Asakusa for my flight to Busan. The direct subway train was nice so it meant I didn't have to change and made it to Haneda pretty fast.

Day 246 - Off to Seoul

After enjoying a quiet walk around Melaka, I took he bus to KL and from there decided to head to KL Sentral for a quick lunch and stroll around. My flight was only in the evening so I had plenty of time.

Day 214 - Bangkok to Yangon

The morning came and while waking up, I made my decision to go with option 2 and simply fly to Yangon.
It was not easy since I wanted to avoid flying as much as possible but taking the overland route would have simply cost too much and lost me 2-3 days in transport.

Getting to the airport in Bangkok by train is the best way if you have some time as it will not only cost you 5 Baht instead of over 200 Baht in a taxi but is also more pleasant and you won't be stuck in traffic.

Stepping into the airport felt strange after suck a long time only taking ground transport, there were checking desks, security checks, enclosed spaces and overpriced shops selling food and souvenirs.

My flight ended up being delayed but at least they had free wifi at the airport so I could catch up on some emails while waiting. I have to thank the two girls who came out of nowhere while I was waiting at the gate, asked if I fly to Yangon, gave me a bundle of Kyat said that Myanmar is great and disappeared again.

Landing at Yangon airport and getting through immigration was a smooth and very quick process. After leaving the baggage claim area, I met the usual taxi touts but here they were different, friendly, not too pushy and while a bit more expensive, still pretty much in line with the standard fare.

Another surprise was just how many ATMs were available and how easy it was to just get some more cash out. Reading online or guide books always makes it seem like there is no way to get money out in Myanmar and you should carry all money you might need with you (advice I didn't follow and just hoped for the best).

The evening was spent having some drinks with a fellow traveler and enjoy the very friendly atmosphere and locals in Yangon. People here reminded me a lot of my first time in Scotland, always helpful and asking if you need anything if you look lost without wanting money or anything in return.
In other words, the first impression was great, despite the ridiculous hotel prices.