Author Archives: JimG

Jasper, Canada

Posted on May 15, 2024 by JimG

May 15th, 2024

We checked into the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge which sit on Lac Beauvert, a lake surrounded by pine trees with snowcapped mountains in the background. As we entered the park, we spotted Mule Deer and Elk and were once again reminded to keep our distance.

The setting reminded me of summer camp with a main lodge surrounded by cabins but obviously, a bit more upscale with spas and find dining.   There were plenty of outdoor activities from hiking to kayaking on the lake.

At one point, I joked about how this felt like Crystal Lake from “Friday the 13th” and that the main lodge felt a little bit like “The Shinning”.  The place also reminded me of the lodge’s in the Catskill Mountains where they filmed “Dirty Dancing” as well as a few episodes of “Mrs. Maisel”

After we checked in, we walked around the property for a bit, took some pictures.  There were plenty of ground hogs everywhere, I had no idea groundhogs looked so much like squirrels .   We also noticed that the trash receptacles were bear proof.  I would not want to run into a bear! Continue reading →

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Rocky Mountaineer Kamloops to Jasper

Posted on May 15, 2024 by JimG

May 15th, 2024 – Another wonderful day on the Rocky Mountaineer from Kamloops to Jasper! 

As we left for the train station, a man from the back of the bus came running up to the driver and guide to tell them that his wife was not on the bus. The bus stopped and let the guide out who ran back to the hotel while the bus circled around the block.  I immediately thought that when it comes to group tours, there is always someone who is late.  It turned out, she was on time, she simply got on the wrong bus and was safely headed to the train.  We ended up sitting with that same couple at lunch, they are from Oxford, and both very nice people.

The glass domed cars are great but pictures can end up with glare or reflection off of the glass.   One the lower level, next to the dining area, there is an open air section which is great for taking pictures or to go outside and for fresh air.  I was regularly looking for the mile markers along the side of the track and marking the times on the map so that I had an idea when the next point of interest might be so that I could be downstairs to take pictures.  I wasn’t the only one doing that and began to notice that if you didn’t get their early or if they made an announcement, you may not get a good spot!

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Rocky Mountaineer – Vancouver to Kamloops

Posted on May 14, 2024 by JimG

May 14th, 2024

In the morning, we boarded the bus and headed to the Rocky Mountaineer train station where they had coffee and tea for us until we boarded the train.  They even had a bag pipe player.  I was surprised at the number of cars on the train and the number of people going on the trip  Clearly, the operation in Canada was at least two or three times larger than the ones in the states.

We were travelling Gold Leaf, which meant we were in a double decker car with our dining service on the lower level and a domed seating area on the top level.   We found our assigned seats and settled in!

The staff enthusiastically introduced themselves and began to cover the obligatory safety rules followed by what to expect and how there would be two seatings for each meal along with how to use the printed map and mile markers to know where we were.  The staff was extremely friendly and set the tone; this was not about the destination but about the journey which was to be enjoyed.

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Vancouver

Posted on May 13, 2024 by JimG
The Digital Orca

Digital Orca

Monday, May 13, 2024

Off to Vancouver to start our Rocky Mountaineer trip through the Canadian Rockies.  Although it was a midday flight, it is considered an international flight, we needed to be at the airport three hours early and LAX is typically busy on Monday morning’s.  It was an early morning!

While getting ready to leave, I turned on the news.  They were paying tribute to Sam Rubin, a well respected entertainment report on KTLA who had passed away a few days before.  He was 64, just a few years older than me. Whenever I take a trip, I find myself thinking that it isn’t the right time, this was a reminder that none of us know how much time we have left and we shouldn’t put off the things that we want to do.

We had done a Rocky Mountaineer tour in the US the year before, and we really enjoyed it.  I was looking forward to this one, I had been to Vancouver but I hadn’t been to Kamloops, Jasper, and Lake Louise which were places we would be stopping at.  This being May, we would avoid the summer crowds but we would still get to see some snow in the higher altitudes.

The three hour  flight from Los Angeles to Vancouver was uneventful.  I noticed there was a guy across the aisle from me working on a script. Vancouver has been called Hollywood North because of the amount of filming that has moved there.  I wondered if he was trying to pitch the script or if he was a working writer.

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Rayong, Thailand

Posted on January 4, 2024 by JimG

January 4 – 9th, 2024, 

When I visit Thailand, I always stop in Bangkok which is an exciting destination with plenty of things to do, but I always make it a point to travel to other parts of Thailand outside of the big chaotic city.   This year I chose Rayong as my destination.  It is about a 3 hour drive from Bangkok.  I knew going in, there wasn’t going to be a lot of things to do and see.  When I looked for it in the tourbooks, it would list busses that went through Rayong but nothing about it.

In Rayong, my day started with the hotel breakfast and then we would then spend the rest of the day hanging at the pool and beach.   We would order a light lunch and then late afternoon, head back to the room to cool off and get ready for dinner.  There wasn’t a lot to do in the area and the taxis were charging a fortune to take guests into town.   I was fine with staying in the resort and walking along the beach.

It being the weekend after the new year, the hotel wasn’t very busy and I overheard one of the manager talking about how they get a lot of business from Thai people on the weekends but during the week, it is not that busy.   I did notice one morning that someone had gone down to the pool and put beach towels on a bunch of chairs. I noticed throughout the day that less than half of these reserved chairs were used.   I have seen this at other resorts and it drives me crazy.  You are either at the pool or you aren’t, putting a towel on the chair and calling dibs on it and leaving to have breakfast is selfish and shouldn’t be allowed at any resort.   I wonder who started this and why resorts put up with it. Continue reading →

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Bangkok Canal Tour

Posted on January 3, 2024 by JimG

January 3rd, 2024

Bangkok was once famous for its canals and floating markets and was referred to as the Venice of the East.  Unfortunately, many of Bangkok’s canals are being filled in to create roadways and there are less and less of them. Instead of taking a taxi or train to the Giant Buddha, we opted to take a canal tour and experience how people lived and travelled before the automobile.

Although most of the boats on the canals were taking tourists around, the locals still use the canals as well.  On previous trips to Bangkok, I don’t remember seeing Asian Water Monitors, but I seem to be seeing a lot of them on this trip and they give me the creeps.   We also saw turtles and plenty of catfish.

After stopping at the Giant Buddha, there was another boat driver that was having problems getting his boat started.  He had tour tourists who clearly annoyed and confused.  Our tour guide asked if it was OK if we spent a few minutes trying to help them and we said it was fine.  Our driver couldn’t get the engine of the other boat started and when we took off, he said that he was having problems steering the boat. Continue reading →

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The Giant Buddha

Posted on January 3, 2024 by JimG

January 3rd, 2024

The Giant Buddha was under construction the last time I was in Bangkok pre-pandemic.  I wanted to see the 230 foot tall (20 story building) buddha.  It is now the biggest Buddha in Thailand.

The Wat Pak Nam temple has a beautiful stupa called Phra Maha Chedi Maha Ratchamongkol and it has five floor containing a museum of Buddhist artifacts.  The top floor hos the Emerald Green Pagoda. I have to admit, it was impressive to see. I felt like I had been transported to another world.  The lighting and colors were amazing.   Sophon did his prayers and we moved on to the next part of our tour.

 

 

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Lumpini Park

Posted on January 2, 2024 by JimG

January 2nd, 2024

Lumpini Park is the central park of Bangkok.  We decided to go early to get some exercise during the cooler part of the day.  “Cooler” is a relative term, this is one of the cooler months of the year and the cooler part of the day is around 80 degrees Fahrenheit, in the afternoon, the temps will climb into the 90s.

There was plenty of wildlife in the park including feral cats, turtles, egrets and Asian water monitors.  I am not a fan of reptiles and although the Asian water monitors are not known to attack humans, they reminded me of the Komodo dragons. They are fascinating to watch from a distance but didn’t want to get anywhere near them.

It was a really nice and it felt good to get into a park and to get some exercise!

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The Golden Buddha

Posted on January 1, 2024 by JimG

January 1, 2024

It is a Thai tradition to visit a temple on New Years day, we decided to go to Wat Traimit, home of the Golden Buddha.   The Golden Buddha is my favorite Buddha, the story of the Golden Buddha is that the golden statue was covered with clay to protect it from Burmese invaders back in the late 1700s.  In 1957, they went to move the clay Buddha only to discover that the clay Buddha was actually a golden one.

Not surprisingly, the story of the Golden Buddha has become a metaphor for discovering who we really are and how that we need to chip away at the layers of mud that develops as we go through life. It is a great story with a great message.  It also fascinating to look at, it is the world’s largest gold statue.  I jokingly call this Buddha the C3PO Buddha.

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New Year’s Eve…

Posted on December 31, 2023 by JimG

December 31st, 2023

We decided to have New Years eve dinner at the hotel.   The Courtyards in Bangkok are a lot nicer than the Courtyards in the states and they go all out for Christmas eve and New Years eve dinner buffets.   It was an international buffet with a lot of good food but I especially liked the sushi and sashimi.  Consistent with my previous experiences, the staff went out of their way to make it feel special.  Similar to the Bustaraunt, there was a saxophone player playing along with music along.   I wondered if this was a trend here in Bangkok.

After dinner we went for a walk to see the Christmas lights.  The hotel we are staying at is close to three major malls called Emsphere, which just opened up, EmQuartier and Emporium.  I have watched Bangkok change over the years and Bangkok now has some of the biggest and best malls.  The food courts take up multiple floors with restaurants from around the world.   Gordon Ramseys has two restaurants in Emsphere.  Although Thailand is a Buddhist country, the malls go all out with Christmas decorations.

When we returned to the hotel, the doorman asked if we were going to go back out to see the countdown and the fireworks.  I thought to myself that if I were to ring in the New Years in a public place with fireworks,  I should probably do it in a place like Bangkok where it is 80 degrees as opposed to Times Square in NYC.   A younger version of me wouldn’t have missed this, all I wanted to do was to go bed! Continue reading →

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