EmmaGoodEgg

Jordan's Main Man

"There is no such thing as moderate Islam and extreme Islam; there is Islam, and there are extremists."

King Abdullah of Jordan

A King. A cutie-patootie. Married to Rania.

I have a healthy admiration for King Abdullah. It all started when His Royal Highness became the ultimate tour guide for Jordan on a show appropriately titled Jordan: The Royal Tour for Discovery Travel. In sweat and khakis, he brought viewers around his realm with the charm of a really nice guy. Riding camels and helis, moving through wadis and Bedouins, swimming rivers, diving seas and climbing hills, he shows off his country and people with an intimacy only its King has.

King Abdullah is not the only Royal or Head of State who has become a tour guide for their country's touristy spots and hidden gems. Jordan is one out of five countries featured in CTV Travels: Royal Tours travel programme. Tahiti, Peru, New Zealand and Uganda are the others. Will His Majesty follow suit? Now that would be a swell idea...

All That Azeri Jazz

Late yesterday evening, after a day of difficult meetings, Farhad our Azeri friend thought that it would be nice change for my traveling mates and I to listen to some Azeri Jazz to help chase away the blues.

Farhad brought us to the appropriately named Jazz Club, which is known to be the first jazz club in Baku, and is located at the end of the Fountain Square on Aziz Aliyev Street. This underground club, with its smoky sultry ambience, offers live jazz music which starts after 8pm. The band at the club was made up of gnarly, extremely talented, old men who obviously love what they do. There were hardly anyone at the club, save for a couple romancing in one corner, three patrons from Brunei and their Azeri friend, and waiters who are jazz lovers, but still the musicians played with such obvious passion that I had goosebumps.

I don't have much in the way of recording equipment so the ol' Sony Cybershot movie clip feature will have to do. My apologies for the image and sound quality and the length of the clip, but I thought the band deserves a spot.

Perhaps there are newer, trendier and fancier Jazz clubs in Baku, complete with diva singers, but these jazzy old musicians needed no fancy digs, nor divas, to help me find the beat in Baku. And find the beat I did.

Azeri Stylo-Mylo

During the summer days in Baku, everyday is like casual Friday for the guys. A majority of the men dress-down to the point that they attend business meetings with suit pants and undershirts.

Most women on the other hand, dress to the nines, complete with blings and garish make-up. Even at the work place.

We went into a Bank to change some currency and the female teller wore a halter dress and jewelry suited for a nightclub. I asked an Azeri friend why women in Baku dress for work like they are going to a party. He explained that women in Baku do not like being told what to wear. Their dress code of choice are no suits, no work shirts, just clothes to party in, and the bosses leave them to wear what they wish. I suspect Azeri men quite like their female colleagues to wear skimpy clothes at the workplace. It would be a welcome distraction from the men in undershirts.

When my traveling mates and I went to Pizza Inn at the Fountain Square yesterday I took pictures of women walking down the street. I am under the impression that the richer an Azeri woman is, the more sophisticated she is in terms of what she wears. But rich or not so rich, they seem to like clothes that shows off curves and/or show a lot of skin. I wish that I am fearless and have taken pictures of the women who dress like Russian hookers as it would have made for a more interesting post. But I am a scaredy-cat because they look like they could beat me up with one breast.

Whilst there are many local boutiques that sells OTT (Over-The-Top) fashion, the city also has Mango, Zara, Morgan, Gucci, Sisley, Benetton, MaxMara, Mexxx, Next, Etam and Accessorize.

Baku, Azerbaijan

The road to Baku has been a long, and somewhat arduous, one. But I am finally here. After a 3-hour flight from Dubai to the capital city of Azerbaijan, my travelling mates and I arrived at the Heydar Aliyev Airport prepared to deal with the immigration who are notoriously difficult. We were prepped beforehand by our Azeri counterparts and applied for our visas-on-arrival by getting ready 2 passport-sized pictures and USD40 for the visa fees. It helped that we had a letter of invitation as Azerbaijan is not terribly welcoming of tourists.

Baku bound on Azerbaijan Airlines.

Finally, the Heydar Aliyev Airport.

Enroute to the city I noticed that almost, if not all, the trees in Baku are "painted" white at the bottom.

Welcome to Baku Have A Nice Day!

We were booked to stay at the Park Inn Azerbaijan, a newly opened business hotel. The Park Inn is right in front of the Caspian Sea Boulevard and some rooms, like mine, offer a great view of the lake. The hotel lives up to its business-hotel reputation, nicely designed (reminiscent of hotels in Europe, stylish Ikea stylo-mylo), usual business facilities, with helpful and friendly staff. At USD190++ for a club room with free broadband internet access, the Park Inn, whilst considered expensive in my part of the world, is definitely good value for money in Baku.

Stylo-mylo room at the Park Inn Azerbaijan.

The view of the Caspian Sea and the Town Center.

The weather in Baku at this time is hot and muggy at 35 degrees. With the notable exception of the Park Inn and a few other hotels and buildings, like the SAS Radisson, most of the architecture in Baku is archaic russian style. I felt like reading Anna Karenina again. Whilst the population of Azerbaijan is predominantly muslim but from what I have seen, most are not conservative.

Azeris too, call books kitabs.

The streets of Baku.

Driving in Baku must be pretty hairy as most drivers do not bother stopping for traffic lights. Pedestrians fear for their lives too. I did.

There are street vendors selling antiques, paintings, souvenirs and knick-knacks just off the Fountain Square.

On the left, the Fountain Square with its dry fountain, and on the right, Pizza Inn, which serves the best pizza in town.

The main entrance to the Caspian Sea Boulevard.

Baku is an booming oil town and smells like one, especially so near to the Caspian Sea.

Baku at night is twinkly, sparkly.

And coming soon: Azeri Street Fashion - Trendy? Or Not?

Ain't No Mountain High Enough

Okay no, so it wasn't a mountain, but for someone as unfit as yours truly, it sure as hell could be.  The Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb is neither for the faint-hearted, nor for those afraid of heights.  As I correctly anticipated, the jumpsuits did nothing for me.  The husband on the other hand thought that it took pounds off him.

We came to the offices of Bridge Climb early Saturday morning for a climb scheduled at 9.15am.  The hotel concierge had advised against scheduling a climb on Saturday for the weather forecasted the previous day had said "Cloudy".  We took the chance anyway, and thankfully, the sun was shining and the sky was blue.  After registration at the counter, we began our briefing on the safety procedures of the climb.  The folks at the BC did a really good job of making us climbers feel safe and gave a thorough briefing on safety.  We were not allowed any loose items on our bodies, and this included (though not exhaustive), chewing gum or sweets in mouth, camera and mobile phone, as it would be dangerous for the drivers down below on the bridge if say, a chewing gum falls out of your mouth and onto the windscreen of the car. 

All throughout the climb we would be attached to the bridge railings by this contraption that was then strapped to our waist.  We were given practice runs on a replica of the footbridge and railing of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and all the climbers were given a radio and headset so as to enable the guides to give a running commentary on the sights, stories and history of Sydney.  Our guide's name was Doug Snider and our climb group comprised of a father and son from New Zealand, two petite young Taiwanese women and the husband and I.  Our guide went first and I followed closely because really, I'm chicken shit.

But the absolutely panoramic view of Sydney and the harbour that you get when you're way up there, with the wind blowing and the sun shining, is breathtaking.  If you are able, the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb is a definite must-do.

Doug was also the designated photographer.  They give you one free photograph, the one of you and your climbing mates doing a kind of taa-daa! style pose with the Syndey Opera House at the background.  We looked dorky and just a little bit terrified in that photograph.  He took other pictures of us singly or as a couple, but these we had to buy at the daylight robbery price of approximately AUD$15 per photo.

But we came, we climbed, we conquered and we had a great adventure.  And apparently so did these folks:

I HEART SYDNEY

And to wit:

It's Weather

Sydney in late August has a spring flavoured vibe.  The weather is sunny and cool (don't mind the couple from Brunei wearing jumpers during the day and even winter outerwear at night), Sydneysiders spend most of the weekend we were there in various states of undress - Summery dresses, skimpy shorts, tank tops, at Bondi - swimwear & surfwear, and notably everywhere, jogging attire.

It's Food

Food in Sydney, especially its seafood, is super fresh, fun, and tasty.  The husband and I had freshly shucked oysters everyday.  Often 3 times a day.  Moist, soft, plump oyster flesh dipped in a lemony thai-style chilli sauce and a vinegary sauce, I was in debauchery heaven.

On Friday evening we had more seafood, including the famous Snapper Pie, at The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay.  For Saturday lunch we had oysters yum cha or dim sum at the East Ocean Restaurant, a huge chinese restaurant, in Chinatown.

Tetsuya's was not a let down, and I will let the husband do the write-up on the food.  I knew from the moment we stepped inside, dressed-up to the nines, we were not fine-dining in Singapore.  Whilst Tetsuya's has similar aspirations to the fine-dining restaurants in Singapore, being in Sydney made it feel perhaps less chic but more alive and vibrant.  Its patrons - a mixture of locals, expats, foodies, created a cafeteria-like sound to its dining experience.  A young australian couple gave the husband and I a little taste of young "hollywood" (She - Paris Hilton Wannabe; He - the boyfriend who waits on her hand and foot).  And no one believed in a formal dress code. 

It's Harbour

The Sydney Opera House is not the only memorable sight around Sydney Harbour.  Take a cruise boat from Circular Quay and take in the sights of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the lovely homes and apartments, historical landmarks, celeb homes, emerald blue clean water and dolphins, nudist beach, and yachts/boats/ships/ferries in all shapes and sizes.  Whales have been known to stray into the Harbour and on the day that they do, the Harbour is left for the whales and the water-traffic comes to an absolute, and respectful, still.

Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.

 

Zoom-out and zoom-in the bare-ass at the nudist beach.

Yachts, Boats, Ships and Ferries Oh My!

No whales but we saw dolphins!

It's Stylo-Mylo

Boudoir, flirty, quirky and befitting a BeneFit packaging, Alannah Hill I adored.  You can find her swell boutique at the Strand Arcade.  Bondi Market shows off the cool creative talent of Sydneysiders.  And the husband and I quickly learnt that mostly, its casual in Sydney.

It's Beaches

The husband brought me to Bondi Beach after we trawled around its market (every Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm) held at the Public School grounds just a stone throw away from the beach.

Bondi lived up to my expectation.  And then some.  It was expansive, with caffe-latte coloured sand teaming with happy people, its waters booming and blue and surfers abound.  The sidewalk that starts from Bondi Beach links to the beaches of Mckenzies, Tamaramma and Bronte.  The walk was bracing and its views breathtaking.

Fearing frostbite on my toes, I chose to have the most overdressed feet on Bondi.

Bondi and McKenzies Beach.

There is a strange fondness for swimming very close to the sea.

Surfers Paradise.

A quaint deli called Jenny's just off Bronte Beach.

Favourite anecdote on Sydney:

At the very top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, our enthusiastic guide for the Bridge Climb - Doug Snider, pointed out to us folks holding onto the railings for our dear lives, Russell Crow's glorious looking apartment block on Finger Wharf on Woolloomooloo Bay.  He tells us that there is a famous Sydney cafe called Harry's Cafe De Wheels, which serves the famous Harry's Pies that Sydneysiders come to eat during the early hours of the morning.  They sit and eat the pies and watch the big rats scuttle along the Wharf.  Russell buys an apartment on Finger Wharf for the ludicrous sum of AUD$14 million.  5 months down the road, Mr. Crow starts complaining about the rats.  Sydneysiders find this story extremely amusing, as do the husband and I.

Royal Brunei Airlines flies to Sydney 3 times weekly every Thursday, Monday and Wednesday.  I miss the oysters already...and to the husband, thank you for Sydney. 

Lounging Before Flying

Enroute to Sydney and we stopped by the airport lounge.  I could not resist the large flat screen monitors of the free internet PCs and my goodness, TheBeeHive never looked so wide and clear!  I must say that our Sky Lounge has a pleasant soothing ambience.  Its got great seating, prayer room, free internet on PCs, nicely designed bathrooms, massage chairs, TV, music, and the food is not bad at all.  The husband sits reading the papers, whilst other travellers lounge about, watching TV and eating.  I am posting.

We should be boarding soon.  I am a nervous flyer, therefore not too thrilled at the thought of an 7 hour flight.  I wish we have internet on board for that would surely whittle the hours away, but we don't, so until the next time I get a chance to post, G'day Mates.

Oz-Tastic

While it all started with the idea of dining at Tetsuya's, the husband and I are also in need of a holiday.  Sydney seems do-able, and since neither of us have been, we made plans to go.  I paid the B$94 for an aussie visa and the husband got a free electronic one, booked our seats and surfed tripadvisor and fodors incessantly.

Save for that panoramic view of the Sydney Opera House, and scenes in the Matrix, I don't know what to expect of Sydney.  Since August is winter in Australia, I imagine cool weather, which should be a pleasant change from the hazy heat at home.  I wear Birkenstocks all the time when on holiday, so dressing for winter and wearing close-toed shoes will be a slight challenge.  The husband is also fretting over his holiday wardrobe as I post.

Sydney has a lot to offer but with only 3 full days, the key is in the careful selection of outings.  Apparently, the Harbour Bridge Climb is a must-do, so the husband made plans for us to climb all over a bridge for a badass view of the Sydney Harbour.  The excursion takes 3 hours and no fear of heights, to complete.  I have no fear of heights but I do have a fear of wearing unflattering jumpsuits.  I hope they have one in my colour.  Diva D also gave me tips for Sydney: 1) Go to a market and 2) Go get a Collette Dinnigan and/or an Alannah Hill dress.  I particularly like the thought of Bondi Beach in winter time. 

And so there may not be any postings until Monday, for there is much to do and see.  And that is, as the husband is fond of saying all evening, fair dinkum.         

Azerbaijan Here I Come?

Baku has threatened to stamp its mark on my travel document for the past year or so.  The threat has intensified over the past few weeks.  If all goes well, soon I will start the journey by catching the Royal Brunei Airlines flight to Dubai, and another 2 hour flight on Azerbaijan Airlines to the oil-rich capital of the former Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. 

I say soon because its a bitch getting a visa to the former socialist republic.  

Admittedly, if not a little shamefacedly, I imagine Baku to be populated by gun-toting, vodka-wielding, bearded men (and women!) who are rough, very rough.  The ones I have met briefly think nothing of downing two bottles of wine during a lunch meeting.  I've also heard that they drink vodka like its water.  It doesn't help that one of the more alarming sentence which jumps out of the CIA World Fact Book on Azerbaijan is that "corruption is ubiquitous".  I was nervous at the thought of going and had planned to lay low and don a burqa. 

But then the husband made me see the light (read: Apr/May 2006 DestinAsia - Finding the Beat in Baku).  The article on jazz and the capital city is filled with smoky grainy black & white photographs of Baku, its people and places, architectural wonders and Jazz bars included.  Cuban cigars and caviar are in abundant!  Say hello to the Caspian Sea!  Suddenly work in Baku doesn't seem so bleak and I should be grateful at the chance to visit and dispel my as-yet-unrealised view of Azerbaijan.

I will nevertheless, leave my contact details with my nearest and dearest just in case of emergency evacuation and/or the U.N. needs to be informed.  Godspeed to me.

I HEART BANGKOK

   

The busy Bangkok International Airport, or Don Muang as it is commonly called, will be replaced by the new Suvarnabhumi Airport sometime in September 2006.

The view from the balcony of the Oriental where one can say HELLOOOO to the Peninsula!

The lovely Oriental lobby.  Unfortunately my picture does not do it justice.

The Authors Wing at the Oriental.

The Oriental provides a shuttle boat to go across the muddy choppy waters of the Chao Phraya to the Spa or the skytrain station.

The skytrain is the easiest way to get around Bangkok.

A visit to the Jim Thompson Thai House Museum is a must.  Mr Thompson's house sits amidst a lush tropical garden, where you can also find a big JT shop, and restaurants.

   

Siam Paragon is HUGE.  Whilst it has all major brands, including Pucci, Chloe, Jimmy Choo & Bottega Venetta, it has no Anya.

But it has the Siam Ocean World, which provides a swell break from shopping.

Visit Le Banyan on Sukhumvit Road for some robust french food.

Oh how I love the smoky jazzy Bamboo Bar.

If you have time, take a day trip to Ayutthaya, the former capital of Thailand, which is about 2 hours away from Bangkok by car.

   

We had an excellent guide called Tim Bundhit for the Ayutthaya trip, who suggested we take a boat halfway back to Bangkok.

Enroute to Bangkok, we passed a muslim community living by the riverbanks.  It reminded me of Kampung Ayer.

For stylo-mylo food and surroundings head over to Cy'an at the Metropolitan.

But we liked the feel and the pace of the Bamboo Bar (us old fogeys) and watching the World Cup Finals there was a night to remember.

Thailand is similar to home in that it has a monarch.  Like His Majesty, King Bhumibol is very much loved and revered.  Once our guide Tim sussed out we came from Brunei, he reminded me that His Majesty delivered a speech on behalf of all the other monarchs during King Bhumibol's anniversary celebrations and that His Majesty is the 2nd longest ruling monarch in the world.  I am a permanent resident of Brunei and I felt much pride in hearing Tim's words.

Royal Brunei Airlines flies to Bangkok 4 times weekly, every Monday Thursday Friday and Saturday.  And may I introduce, A. Plug:  Check out RBA's Bluesky deal at B$276 return until the 25th November 2006.

Go visit and have some fun.