Tiananmen, Porn and Cab Rides

Laura and I have been on a three day drinking and Olympic binge. I don't even know where to start.

First off we have had many new challenges with the cab drivers. If Laura didn't have her cell phone hot dialed to the hotel to have them talk drivers in from wherever we are we'd still be picking rice in a field somewhere. One driver decided to get us across the street from the hotel after going 12 miles an hour on the freeway all the way here. When the time came for him to flip a bitch and get us home he balked and simply meandered down the street about four blocks before we just got out and walked back. If and only if (not saying we did this) but the walk was just long enough to have a smoke along the base of the elevated train back to the hotel. The driver this morning for example took us around a 20 min tour of the city in a circle before actually asking us where we were going (we made the dumb ass assumption that he knew where we were going). Ok enough about the cabs.

We did head down into the city on Friday, after meeting Erik Vendt's parents in the lobby after I had too many cups of coffee with corresponding bathroom visits we headed out to the Forbidden City. City was beautiful but after walking through 3 gates and 17 tea rooms we were ready for some refreshment. Laura and I decided to have a beer in the inter garden. BTW remind me to re-watch the Last Emperor when I get home. Beers in random places will become a theme so watch out.

Tienanmen Square was nice. Not actually as large as I thought. I was expecting check point Charlie kind of crap since that seems to be the center place of political dissent in this country but instead all we found was a bull shit "security screening" with light metal detectors and a sign reading to the effect that I couldn't protest or bring in weapons and pornography. I immediately had to surrend my Penthouse since I was hoping to read the articles in the open pollution of the square in all it's glory.

We ended up leaving there to go pick up our massively overpriced tickets that we bought from our ticket broker and drank the day away in the hotel. Not all was lost as we of course got hungry and went to a local eating establishment and had duck crepes, soup, dumplings and of course, more beer.

Since we only talked a big game the first night we felt compelled to drink our limit so we came back to the hotel and drank my, Laura's and some "imaginary friend's" share and past out drunk (which should also explain the lack of blog updates this day). Which reminds me. While we were "socializing" with ourselves we watched 3 hours of the most impressive sport in the Olympic family......equestrian. You've never seen such pageantry, love for sport and complete and total rich douche bags with nothing better to do and at least 8 generations of inbreeding. If I have to watch another fag in a top hat riding around on a beautiful horse he's obviously violated by holding a carrot in his butt cheeks trying to get this horse to jump, turn or mount then I might get sick. So in such a circumstance what can you possibly do? Gamble. So we started betting on..........I don't know, there isn't win, place and show so I through out the fact that the next horse (yes I said horse since they are the only thing in this event that actually do anything) would come in 28th place. Nailed it! In fact Clyde did in fact come in 28th, no medal for him but hell, I should be in Vegas right now. Things only progressed down hill from here.

I have to be up in 7 hours to go to the wall........

Talked a big game.

I met Laura in the lobby last night about 7. Of course we immediately went to the bar and had beers. Decided that we better head out to dinner soon since we were going for blood and it would be a long night of drinking. We asked "James" the most charismatic and best English speaking bell boy in the hotel where we should go. After confirming us a reservation and writing down the directions off we went. We got to the place and it of course was ornate and tacky all at the same time. After proceeding down the grand plastic stair case past the section of the restaurant that looks more like a pet store we arrived at our table sided with a jade green couch on both sides. Duck, Chicken, Dumplings, Asparagus, noodles and beer oh my.. Service of course was smotheringly good and the "Forman" of the restaurant came by to ensure we were doing fine. She insisted on escorting me to the bathroom each time (had to go twice with my little girl bladder and 5 beers). There is something really funny about this level of service when getting a new beer is a national emergency requiring her to literally run to get it in high heels that don't fit right and a skirt. She then walked us all the way out to the street to say good night.

Back to the hotel a beer or two and right to bed. We talked up a first big night but the food bloat, beers and jet lag took us down before midnight.

This morning we woke up to the best weather yet. There is a sun, I can see it! I can also now see well over a mile (as opposed to across the street the first day). I was up early again this morning had a chat with my boss back home who didn't know I was in China (I love an empowering hands off boss!) and all is well on the work front.

Finally got through to the ticket broker for our Gymnastics tickets so we are off in a bit to have breakfast, pick up the tickets and head to the Forbidden City, Tienanmen Square and Mao's Mausoleum.

We are also trying to track down Becky Lavell today to see if we can hang out.

Dave

Beijing - Not your father's China

My only frame of reference is Shanghai from eight years ago so this could be a 8 years later thing, an Olympic thing or a Beijing thing but China has exploded. Everything is under construction, the bikes have given way to cars, the buildings are big and bright and have even taken on a Vegas feel in some areas (one building had a Jumbotron four stories high and as wide as the building on each side, playing the live Olympics of course). I really only got to drive through town today on my way to work but.....I did go past the Olympic village, saw the "birds nest" stadium and the outdoor venue (sand volleyball was going on inside). Pretty impressive stuff and there was no feel of communism or repression anywhere. I guess it's true what you say, make a fat and happy middle class and most people will chill out.

After a few meetings and trainings in the office today a few of the locals took me out to a crazy lunch. A very nice place specializing in duck. So we get this private room where the duck guy comes with a certified, numbered duck (they gave me the certification, duck number 1,586,212 that they have served since 1845) and he proceeds to chop it up for you into various plates. Duck breast in broth, duck sides for crapes, and of course my favorite, straight fried duck skin (dipped in sugar if you are into that sort of thing). Call me a duck purist but you could hand me a bag of duck skin and I'd eat it like a bag of chips. No I didn't get the duck sweats but needless to say, it was the shit. I'm not sure I need dinner now. Well it is 5:00 AM in California now so I could just be jacked up.

One more day then Laura gets in town. Dinner and drinking will be mandatory at night, hungry or not......This could be a blood bath.

Dave

PS. It was actually fog today, not pollution.

Beijing - Summer Olympics

I've been a bad blogger lately. I'm going to try to make an effort this trip. Ok, quick re-cap before I go brain damaged and pass out.

I was able to come to Beijing for work and while I am at it Laura Patton is also in town and was able to not only swing free tickets to the Women's Triathlon but also Track and Field. I of course couldn't stay away from Gymnastics and then we both agreed to go to the swim finals to hopefully watch Phelps win #8 in Beijing.

I came in late tonight so it was already dark but it is either really polluted or just misty tonight. I'm going with polluted.

Jumped in the cab to have him not know where we were going but a few calls later and him backing up on the freeway to take a different route through traffic and I made it to the hotel. BTW everything here so far is brand new. They clearly want the world to see them with their shit in order. Help desks everywhere, floors so clean you could eat off of them and no lines for anything. It is almost creepy how sparse it was here tonight coming in.

I don't think Laura gets into Beijing until Thursday but I'm here working for the next two days to get most of this crap paid for by the company.

Speaking of Laura she sent a note saying the Becky may get bumped up to the show this week after Laura Bennett may have had to pull out? Trying to find details but nothing official yet.

More tomorrow!

Dave

Honolulu - May 24th -May 27th

Usual arrival plan: straight to the Westin for cocktails on the beach and a little swim. Heaven. What was not heaven, our hotel the Aqua Continental. It was OK but I think for a few dollars more you can stay at a much nicer hotel.

I took a surf lesson at Girls Who Surf. My instructor was Cherri and she kicked ass! I actually caught waves and stood all by myself. Super cool!

We had a lovely time at Chang and Gina's wedding later in the afternoon. I must have looked nice with my cuts from the coral on my shins from surfing, well it makes me sound cool to say - yeah, I did that surfing. The wedding was at a little church in Hololulu and the reception was at the Kahala Hotel, which was cool because they had a lagoon with dolphins - yes I am 5.

Other than that we did our usual for Honolulu: LOTS of sushi, lots of beers, lots of swimming. I love Hawaii.

NEPAL - Same Same, But Different

I am not bothering with pictures within the blog entry. Go to http://picasaweb.google.com/aashton to see my photos. The photos are not well organized yet. I had to get my freaking $20 photo CD from Snapfish in order to incorporate Cyncy's photos. I f-ing hate Snapfish. Save yourself the headache and cost and just use PICASA everyone!

Also, I must prominently recommend the tour company we used, Intrepid Travel. We did their Annapurna Sanctuary Trip. The price and sustainable tourism-slant got me initially interested in the company. Intrepid uses only local operators and locally owned hotels. The company ensured that our guides and porters were paid well and weren't overloaded or overwhelmed. Our guide made sure we all felt safe and comfortable and didn't drink bad water or eat improperly cooked food. TOP NOTCH all around. I will definitely use them again.

KATHMANDU (March 7-9)
You think of Kathmandu as some sort of mysterious place full of culture and historic sights. Maybe a few retired hippies to keep it interesting. But no, what a craphole. Sorry, but it is true. For me personally, it is hard to love a place where you can get Dahl Bhat, Chicken Enchiladas, Pizza, and Apple Pie - all at the same restaurant. Sort of like the Cheesecake Factory only you can't drink the water and there's no toilet paper in the bathroom (and no toilet seat either, for that matter).

The City is dirty and strikingly poor and choking with diesel fumes. Seriously, my snot was black after 2 days there. You cannot step into the street without being completely in the moment and completely aware - watching for cars, rickshaws, open sewers, kids, dogs, cows, people trying to sell you bits of junk and nick-knacks . Now I sound like a western, elitist snob - but this is a tourist town of the worst sort.

That being said, Kim, Cyndy and I found refuge in a few places. For example: our favorite breakfast spot for eggs, coffee, and cheese-toast, the local bookstore, the restaurant/bar overlooking the intense chaos of the main street, and the garden cafe next to the Hotel Marshyangdi where we stayed. It wasn't quite the cultural experience I was hoping for, but I knew that going in. I think I have seen my fill of Kathmandu. Once is enough.

BHAKTAPUR (March 9-10)
Cool little city outside of Kathmandu. The City is known for its preserved temples and medieval-looking, narrow streets. I thought the city was a nice break from Kathmandu. No traffic on the streets and lots of local crafts and cool stuff for us tourists (aka suckers) to buy.

TREK (March 11-22)
How do I even begin to describe 11 days of 4-6 hours hiking, temperature and weather variation from boiling hot to freezing cold and snowing (all in the same day), with the most fantastic vertigo-inducing views I have ever seen in my entire life. For anyone that doesn't know, I went with 2 friends on this trip, Cyndy Schafer from UCSB and Kim Potter from my triathlon club. We met three other AMAZING couples in Kathmandu for the trip, The Brits - Charlie & Helen from Leeds and Dai & Janna from Brighton, and the Aussies Matt & Jen from Melbourne. I cannot imagine a better group of traveling partners. We all got along so well, not a douchebag in the bunch.

A typical day would consist of a 6:15 am wake up for sunrise, followed by a 7:00am breakfast (porridge and black tea for me). We'd pack up and give our bags to the porters, then get started. This was some hard hiking, the "difficulty rating = 5" that the tour company. Nothing like the mellow Inca Trail business we did a few years ago. This was REALLY hard. OMG I have never gone up and down so many freakin steps. We'd take a break for a Fanta and Snickers at 10:00am then have lunch a few hours later. The usual meal was Noodles or Rice with veggies and egg, perhaps some dal bhat (the staple meal of Nepal, veggies with rice and lentils) . It was cheap, simple, filling food. Usually we'd hike for another hour after lunch then we'd arrive at the next "lodge".

Our afternoons of leisure after hiking were my favorite part of the trek! We'd all just sit around, play cards, drink beer, talk, read books, and watch the weather outside. You just never do that in your daily life, sit around and do NOTHING. I relished every moment of our downtime. Dinner was served early, pretty much the same fare as lunch - but with the occasional yak cheese pizza or Nepali-style chicken enchilada?!?!? Weird but good.

BANGKOK (March 24th-26th)
I loved everything about Bangkok! The chaos, the Pad Thai in the street for breakfast, the people, the markets, EVERYTHING. It makes me sad that anyone lives in sprawling USA-type suburbia, I truly believe that living like that is the major cause of depression in the states . It must be almost impossible to be depressed here, but then I am a big-city girl at heart. This trip made me more sure that I must live in NYC in my 40s. I know not everyone can handle all the people, the dirt and pollution, and general disorder - I feel alive in it.

Anywho, the picts tell the story. We saw a few monuments, temples, buddhas, blah blah blah - but the real fun is just wandering the streets and eating random things off the carts. I am going back to Thailand SOON for sure.

REPORT CARD
Cool peeps on the trek: A++++++++

Janna and Gen getting sick: F- But carrying on anyway: A+

Macchapucchre: A

Kim Asking the Scottish Guy, "So who are you?": B+

Golf: A-

Trash on the Trail: C

Bullshit: C+ (come on that game got old and Rabin couldn't lie)

HOLI paint fights: B+

Nine million freakin stairs up and down: C

Sunrises in the Mountains: A (not an A+ because it was too freakin early)

My Super-cute Porter Who Couldn't Hold His Liquor: B+

French Fries Topped with Fried Egg: A

Too Many Fantas: B-

http://www.intrepidtravel.com/: A+++

Missing Dave: D

Hail Storms: B+

Being Indoors During all the Rain Storms: A

Hot Springs: C (sorry but the old German guy in his tighty-whities ruined it for me)

Mules on the Trail: D

Doggies on the Trail: B+

Pit Toilets: C

Frozen Pit Toilets: D-

Solar Showers: B-

Porridge: A

Chocolate Porridge: C-

Incorporating "Posh" and "Dead Horse" into my American Vocabulary: C (sorry, my fake British and Aussie accents are really bad)

7 Habits of Highly Effective People: D-

Beer along the trek at the Teahouses: A

Matt's Hideous Hangover: D

Kim's Dancing on the Last Night at the Disco: A+

Janna's Hippie-style Glove Twirling: A-

Hot Climber at ABC: A (come on you know you saw him)

Amie's friend Ray: B+

Amie's friend Ray drunk: F-

Pad Thai for Breakfast in Bangkok: A

Ambien for the Plane: A