Archive for January, 2010

The Real Measure of Heights

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

stadium_tower
When I was a kid, the highest thing I could imagine was the tower of Helsinki’s Olympic Stadium. It is 72 metres.

Through all of my life I have been measuring heights by comparing the height of high rising buildings or geographic structures with this magnificent tower.

Of course I soon found out that the Stadium tower actually wasn’t very high after all, but for some reason the comparison always takes place – even today.

All is relative, but you have to admit that the tower looks pretty high in the photo on the left.

Lately we were cruising in Phang Nga Bay on Thailand’s Andaman coast where amazing limestone rocks rise towards the sky with sheer cliffs up to more than 400 metres.

Imagine, that Koh Phetra, below, is 6 (six) Stadium-Towers-High!

On the last photo, the Stadium tower doesn’t look that high anymore. But instead, admire the coastline of downtown Helsinki.

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Posted in Finland, Travelling | No Comments »

We don’t take Amex

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

Here, in South East Asia, you will commonly be charged 3% extra when paying by credit card. This appears silly, keeping in mind that bargaining is part of many cultures of the area. Three percent is such a small amount after all, but it is annoying to be punished for using the card. I would imagine that the possibility to use credit cards increases the amount tourists spend and therefore the vendors should think of the 3% as part of their marketing costs and include it in the price. Normal tourists – I’m not talking about Russian money launderers – do not walk around with enough cash for ad hoc spending sprees.

American Express cards are usually refused completely. I find it quite embarrassing to be frowned upon when I wave my expensive Platinum Card. What makes it even worse is that many stores display the Amex sticker on the door to pull in customers, but don’t accept the card at check out.

amex

Posted in Shopping, Travelling | No Comments »

Shopping in the islands

Sunday, January 17th, 2010

On our way back to Phuket from our cruise in Phang Nga Bay we went to Rang Yai Island and visited the Phuket Pearl Farm.

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It was time for some shopping – Malla picked up a necklace and a bracelet of black pearls.

Next on her shopping list is a gown for our son Tomas’s wedding. Dressmakers should not be hard to find in Thailand.
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pearlsweb

Posted in Cruising locations, Shopping | No Comments »

A visit to James Bond island

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

We will soon update the web site with a report of our cruise in Phang-Nga Bay, Thailand. In the mean time we shall provide a preview.

jamesbond_rock

On Thailand’s Andaman coast, in Phang-Nga Bay, spectacular limestone islands with sheer cliffs up to 400 metres high, emerge like giant scattered teeth from calm waters. The most famous, thanks to its prominent role in the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun, is Koh Tapu, behind my back on this photo. It stands in the lagoon of Koh Phing Kan, today also known as James Bond Island.

There’s too much back light on the photo, but we have some better ones also, such as the one below, shot only a minute later. Unfortunately I’m not in front of the lens anymore.

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On this beach Scaramanga’s dwarf servant Nick Nack served champagne and later Bond and Scaramanga entered the duel. The rock can actually be recognized between their heads.

nick_nack backtoback

Posted in Cruising locations | 1 Comment »