a free tour of the grand central terminal

one of the best new york experiences we had when we were there in 2012 was the free tour of the grand central terminal, by the grand central partnership. you'd think that a free tour wouldn't give you a lot of bang for no bucks, but this tour was comprehensive and highly informative.

we were a bit early to the meeting point, so when we got to grand central, susie and i explored outside and took a few photos. here's one of my favorite shots:

Three iconic buildings: The Metlife (formely PanAm) Building, Grand Central Station, and the Chrysler Building.

then it was off to 120 park avenue for us, where we found a huge group of people waiting for the tour to begin. we were divided between the two guides--justin ferate and peter laskowich.

The man with the red tie is Peter Laskowich, our guide.

i was expecting him to lead us directly to grand central, but we made a detour to see this building:

Chrysler.

i was pretty psyched to be inside the chrysler building--it was my favorite building in the NY skyline. it was hard to pay attention to everything peter was saying because i was mesmerized by the ceiling of the lobby: 

Lookit all the colors!

after this, peter led us through some labyrinthine tunnels which eventually led us to the belly of grand central terminal. he told us of the whispering gallery, letting us in on the secrets of the psychology of the train station's architecture. it was all pretty mind-blowing to hear, susie and i are still in awe of it to this day.

peter then took us to a secluded corner, went up a flight of stairs, and told us that we were privy to seeing the campbell apartment, which used to be the office of american financier john w. campbell. here, campbell didn't only keep office, but he would have parties where famous musicians would play. today, the campbell apartment, while still called that, is a bar and cocktail lounge. take a look:

I want to go back here, all dolled up.

after this, peter took us outside, telling us more about the history of midtown manhattan, and the significance of grand central terminal (and why it still exists). sus and i walked away from that tour with so much more knowledge about the train station and new york. i highly recommend this tour to everyone who'll be in new york on a friday. please, please, don't miss it.

tour information
the grand tour
schedule: every friday, 12:30pm
meeting point: street-level atrium of 120 park avenue, at the southwest corner of east 42nd street and park avenue, across grand central terminal
tour duration: 1.5-2 hours
fee: FREE, but you may give a tip if you wish
no reservations necessary

taiwan visa-exempt entry and my cebu pacific experience

koryn and i booked our ticket to taipei without knowing that we would need visas to enter the country. we've always thought that we could travel there visa-free. 

so the minute i found out that we would need visas, i did my research right away, so i could start collecting the requirements for the visa application. 

as it turns out, i was lucky enough to be qualified for visa-exempt entry to taiwan. the country offers visa-exempt entry for holders of passports issued in india, indonesia, the philippines, thailand, and vietnam, provided you have a valid visa for travel to australia, canada, japan, new zealand, the schengen countries, the united kingdom, and the united states. remember, it's not enough that you've had a visa from any of these countries; you have to make sure the visa is still valid. 

if you are qualified for visa-exempt entry, you have to print out your own authorization certificate here. you have to key in your passport number, and the number of the valid visa that serves are your ticket to visa-exempt entry. 

now, i did this in november of 2011, to get it out of the way. why do it at the last minute, when i could rest easy knowing i've done the "hard part," and i could concentrate on reading up on taipei and finding out what else we could do there. koryn, on the other hand, had to apply for a taiwanese visa. requirements and application information can be found here.

fast forward to february 2012, the day of our departure. koryn checks us in online using cebu pacific's web check-in facility (very convenient). but even though we already had our boarding passes, we still decided to be at the airport two hours before our flight in case anything should happen. 

that was a very good call on our part, because something did happen. we went up to the check-in counters to drop off our luggage, and the cebu pacific attendant checked our passports. she asked for my authorization certificate, and told me there's a problem with it. 

apparently, the authorization certificate is only valid for one month after you applied for it/printed it out, which means mine was considered invalid since december 8, 2011. i felt like such an idiot for not checking if the document had a validity period. it was a big fail on my part.

while my brain was panicking, i was still able to ask the cebu pacific attendant if there was anything i could do to re-apply for it. thankfully, they had a computer available that has the link to the application bookmarked (i'm assuming i'm not the only idiot this has happened to). they let me in behind the counters and i quickly keyed in my details again. they even allowed me to print out the certificate. i offered to pay for the print out, since i knew i had inconvenienced them and even used up their resources, but they refused (nicely, of course). i went on my merry way and was able to enter taipei without a problem.

i am very thankful to the cebu pacific staff who were behind the counter that day. it was very nice to know that they were competent and conscientious enough to spot my stupid mistake. and they handled the whole thing very well--i wasn't spoken to rudely, the attendant actually broke it to me gently. 

it's very refreshing to be saying something nice about this airline, since, like most people who travel around the philippines, i have experienced delays and bad customer service from cebu pacific. and i really wanted to highlight this particular incident, because we shouldn't just make a big deal out of the bad stuff we get; we should also try and recognize the things that they're doing right, even above and beyond their job descriptions. it's always nice to know that these occurrences of niceness still happen. :)

taiwanese visa application links and information:

check if you qualify for visa-exempt entry

apply for visa-exempt entry to taiwan

list of visa application requirements

visa fees:

Php 2,400 for single entry visas

Php 4,800 for multiple entry visas

processing time: 3 days

the singapore airlines experience

i have been in london now for a good six hours, but haven't gone out for a romp yet. so while i'm relaxing, i'll share my first-ever flight with singapore airlines.

everyone keeps saying that singapore air is one of the best, and while i never really doubted it, i didn't realize what the difference really was until i got the SQ treatment. it wasn't anything mind-blowing, but i sure felt that i was taken care of. very thoughtful service characterized by touches of hospitality.

boarding from NAIA terminal 1 was surprising orderly; no people rushing to the front of the line or trying to board even though their row numbers haven't been called yet. boarding procedure was the same in changi. i've been on other carriers before, and while boarding wasn't chaotic, there was still a sense of being rushed that i didn't feel this time with singapore airlines.

the overhead bins also didn't get filled. i remember worrying about not having space to stow my carry-on luggage, because i've seen happen before. with SQ, it looks like i didn't have to worry about that. i initially thought it was just because the MNL-SIN flight wasn't full, but our SIN-LHR leg was, and the bins still weren't jam-packed.

passengers are given warm towels while waiting for take-off, and before meals. so far, the meals i've had were great, but my friend kate hasn't been so lucky. i do like that they give a lot of meal options as well as an extensive drinks list (that i didn't take advantage of).

in-flight entertainment quality was good, though i was disappointed about the absence of "community," when the SQ website indicated there was going to be at least one episode. nonetheless, i spent a good part of the flight being entertained by the pritchetts of modern family and leslie knope & co. of parks & rec.

all seats were equipped with a socket where you can charge your electronics, and the entertainment system even allows you to connect your PC or a USB flash drive to the screen so you can view your photos or files.

pillows and blankets were provided to all passengers as well, and both made the flight very comfortable. passengers were also given a small comfort kit with socks, a toothbrush, and toothpaste. this may not come as a surprise for some, but i didn't get this when i flew economy with KLM and air france.

the airbus a380 for the SIN-LHR leg had a pretty spacious lavatory, and in there, they provided mouthwash, dental kits (in case you lost yours from the kit they provided), shaving kits, and even sanitary napkins. that's a lot for an airplane lavatory.

since we only paid for standard seats, we got the usual legroom and comfort. for the MNL-SIN flight, we got seats that had one inch more pitch than the most standard seats on the flight, but for the SIN-LHR leg, it was just ordinary.

the staff was always very efficient and accommodating, and even when there was a bawling child in the cabin with us, they didn't lose their cool, and even assisted the mother in setting up a baby cot. a lot of the passengers also requested seat changes, and they were all handled quietly and effciently. even last-minute meal requests were handled well. no fuss at all.

so will i fly singapore airlines again? oh, you bet! but only if i can get it for the same price that i did for this trip. kate and i were very lucky to have gotten our fares for just USD 1130, and if i'm ever this lucky again, i'd go for SQ in a heartbeat. another plus for SQ is that flight connections usually take place in changi, a very well-planned, efficient airport.

next time you have a long-haul flight tp book, try checking out SQ fares, you never know when they're having some sort of promo.

PNR adventure from makati to tutuban

last saturday, my friends and i were finally able to take the PNR train from pasay road in makati to tutuban.

i was able to find schedules online at the philippine railways blog. we were supposed to catch the 932am from the buendia station, but since we woke up late, we aimed for the 1030am train instead. we were running on the road behind waltermart and cityland at about 1028am, thinking we were going to miss the train. luckily, all our watches were set in advance, and we made it with a couple minutes to spare.

fare from pasay road to tutuban is a very affordable P10.00 each, and the ride took about 35 minutes--hard to beat if we had driven to binondo instead. the trains resembled the LRT2 trains, were air conditioned, and looked sturdy. there were a lot of people inside, but since the trains were pretty spacious, we all fit quite comfortably.

i was very, very happy to see that a lot of people were using the train, which means it will be in use for a long time. i hope they can add more schedules to it, because at the moment, trains arrive at hourly intervals.

i'm currently perusing the philippine railways blog, and i am pleasantly surprised to read that we will soon be having sleeper trains for long journeys. there is also one entry about a trial timeline to naga, which is exciting news, as this means we can get to the bicol region via the railway.

bienvenue a paris, i gotta go!

our flight to paris was delayed by an hour, and in hindsight, i should have taken that as a sign that our time in paris would be... funny.

our air france flight went rather well--the food was great, the choice of films were pretty entertaining. the length of the flight was just right, so i didn't feel restless (like i did when i took KLM to amsterdam from manila).

air france lunch: glazed duck with fresh salad, beef bourguignon, cheese, fresh fruit, cherry tart, and tea

we landed at 630pm, an hour and 20 minutes later than we were supposed to, but since we did have a flight delay, we actually did good time.

charles de gaulle airport was not what i expected it to be--it was huge, but quiet and empty. i wasn't sure if we had just caught it at a time when there's very little traffic, but it seemed a tad hollow to me.

we went to the RER station to get our tickets to the city center. it was a good thing susie was listening to the PA system, or i would have gone ahead and bought tickets to a train line that was being fixed at the moment.

after some confusion, it was established that we were still to buy our tickets in the CDG station, so we had to search for a machine that gave change, or a machine that's solely made to change bills into coins.

the station's information center had printed out little guides in english and french on where we're supposed to go to catch the other train from mitry claye, which connects to the RER as well (the line that takes you from CDG to paris city center). the airport had provided a bus to shuttle people from the airport to far-flung mitry claye, and the ride was looooong.

when we arrived at mitry claye, i was shocked to find a rather small and starting-to-get-run-down station. we were made to carry our bulky suitcases down and up flights of concrete stairs before we reached the dirty train. paris airport authorities didn't come up with a solution to make this convenient for passengers, especially the elderly ones.

we shuffled into the filthy train and found our place, then heard another announcement, in french, over the PA system. next thing i knew, everybody was hurrying out of the train, one parisian shouted expletives at the speaker on the train, and there was a huge commotion as everyone struggled with their suitcases again down another flight of stairs so we could transfer to the next train. as it turns out, the first train that they ushered us into was broken.

so finally, we were on our way to the city. this was around 830pm, i think. we changed metro lines to reach raspail, which is where our hotel was. i was not prepared for the fact that the paris metro is not at all suited to travelers. there were no lifts or escalators, only stairs that seemed to stretch forever. poor susie had to lug two heavy suitcases up and down flights of stairs. thankfully, one guy with a beautiful pair of white leather shoes helped me carry my suitcase down to the platform. and, as i will find out later, the french are actually quite a helpful lot.

we were finally able to check into the hotel at 930pm, tired, but happy and relieved to finally be where we're supposed to be. our receptionist, maia, was the nicest. he let us get settled in first, and gave us helpful tips when we decided to check out the neighborhood after we had everything in order.

so that was how we reached paris. more bloopers came after that, but the city endeared itself to me. :)

touch down, hong kong

we took the 8am flight to hong kong via philippine airlines, and i gotta say, i was pleasantly surprised. the flight boarded and left on time, and landed 10 minutes early. quite an uneventful trip, which is how i prefer my flights.

we left our big suitcases at the airport's left baggage facility. HKD 120/bag/day. a tad steep, but it sure is convenient.

then we went to casa g&c discovery bay (our friends' place) to drop off our stuff and play with their little one before setting off for tung chung.

one of the main reasons for the tung chung outing was to check out the canon s95 for susie. my man left the mall quite happy--he got the camera for HKD 3,280 (PHP 19,047.00) from fortress, and it included a bunch of freebies to boot: 8gb sd card, extra battery,a mini tripod, camera case, and even an sd card reader. a damned good deal.

i walked around the mall for a bit, trying to find something to buy, but nothing called out to me.

so now we're back at casa g&c. :) i think i'll go and join susie for a nap. i feel exhausted all of a sudden.

philippine airlines' great miles getaway

i just came back from the mabuhay miles center at pasay road, where i spent a good six hours in line just to book a ticket using my mother's mabuhay miles.

i found out about the great miles getaway promo of philippine airlines via email, and they told me that miles are now at 70% off! it came at the right time, since i needed to book susie and myself tickets to hong kong for the europe trip in october. airfare to european cities from hong kong are cheaper, so i decided to transit via hong kong this time. even with the taxes we paid for the redeemed tickets, it still out came out cheaper than buying tickets from manila to a european city.

booking and ticketing period for the promo is only from august 2 to 4, and travel is until december 7 only. i decided to go straight to the mabuhay miles center this morning so i can book and pay for the ticket already. when i got there at 830am, the line snaked from the second floor to the parking area of power realty building. the maintenance personnel of the building told us that people had started lining up at 5am. i expected a lot of people to be there for this promo, but i wasn't ready for THIS.

a few minutes later, i was finally ushered into the packed ticketing office on the second floor. i was given my transaction number: 5147. i looked at the screen to see what number was being accommodated then: 5023. niiiiice.

during the wait, i had made friends with rheean, who was also there to claim her tickets. she told me that she was able to book tickets over the phone, although she had to stay on the line for 8 hours. apparently, the promo started at midnight today, so she called the mabuhay miles hotline at 12, and was accommodated at 8am. it was an incredible feat, staying on the phone for 8 hours, but her tactic paid off: she was able to secure roundtrip tickets to hong kong for her and her baby, as well as osaka tickets for her and her friends.

while waiting, i asked my mom to try and book my dates over the phone. i was really lucky that she was able to get through and secure flights for the dates that i needed--i owe my mom a lot for this (since she also gave me her miles). at 230pm, my number was finally called, and my transaction went smoothly. at 3pm, i was able to have lunch.

it was one hell of an experience, but quite worth it, because I GOT MY TICKETS! i paid php 9806.00 for both susie and myself, which already includes travel tax. i'm hoping PAL comes up with a way to make their great miles getaway promo less of a hassle, but if this is how it goes next time, i've got a slew of tricks up my sleeve to make it worth my while.

this signals the start of the preparations for europe 2010. next up: visa application requirements.

seair flies to la union now?

i just found out that the san fernando airport is now open, and that seair now offers flights from manila to san fernando, la union.

flights are every monday, wednesday, and friday. in theory, this should be fantastic news for those who surf in san juan, la union, which is just 15 minutes away from san fernando. instead of taking the five-hour bus ride/drive to la union on weekends, flying should save you time on the road and give you more time to be one with the waves.

however, when i tried booking a flight to la union for june 11-14, i found out that the schedules aren't ideal for the usual la union weekend getaway. the flight leaves at 10am on friday, and arrives in san fernando at 11am (i also can't believe it takes an hour to get there--should be faster. manila to legazpi flights take 50 minutes.). this means you have to take friday off from work if you want to surf on the weekend, instead of just having saturday and sunday on the beach.

the flight back to manila leaves at 1130am and lands at 1230pm. this, again, eats up your working hours (of course, i'm talking about usual working hours for most people), and makes the idea of a weekend getaway quite useless.

then again, the flight wasn't made for those of us who are scrimping. roundtrip flights to san fernando, la union cost Php 7,375.20 per person, which is about seven times what you pay for a bus ride to LU.

so, it's back to partas rides and arnes bus stop meals for us surf-lovin' cheapos.

airline fees to watch out for

i don't know if you guys heard of this yet, but florida-based spirit airlines is now charging USD 20-45 for carry-on luggage.

yep, that's carry-on, and not checked baggage, which means for passengers of spirit, gone are the days when you can exercise your mad packing skillz to fit everything in a tiny bag just so you don't have to pay for luggage when you travel.

the airline says they are charging this fee to improve safety and inefficiency, and in a way, i do see their point. bob thompson here echoes my sentiments, albeit in a more intense manner than i could ever muster:

while i wouldn't say it in the same way he did, i see his point. i've seen just how disruptive those "morons" are, and they are present in every flight i've ever gone on, and probably every flight you've been on as well. they get away with bringing a lot of stuff on board, while you, the diligent passenger, did your best to make all your things fit in your tiny bag. spirit airlines' reaction may be a tad too extreme, but i'm sure it will improve boarding efficiency, and will definitely lessen the load onboard.

however, i think they could have gone through a few other measures before settling for charging passengers a carry-on fee. i liked easyJet's way of measuring whether your carry-on can be brought on board or not: they have a little stand at the end of check-in counters with a container that has the correct dimensions for carry-ons. all you need to do is place your bag there, and if it fits, you can take it. doesn't matter how heavy it is, all they need to know is that it will fit in the overhead compartment.

another budget airline is setting the stage for yet another outrageous charging scheme. that oh-so-famous european budget airline ryanair is contemplating charging passengers for use of the lavatory for flights lasting an hour or less.

i can't resist quoting the following lines from the article:

The carrier said it is working with Boeing to develop a coin-operated door release so that when nature calls, passengers would need to deposit the change before being able to use the facilities.

The idea is to encourage people to use restrooms in airport terminals before boarding, Ryanair said. If the airline were to proceed, the changes would be at least 12 to 18 months away.

As part of the plan, the airline is also considering removing two of the three lavatories on some of its planes so it could squeeze in up to six extra seats. The move would help reduce fares by at least 5 percent, Ryanair said.

i, for one, find the lavatory fee a little too extreme. i actually shouldn't be that bothered, because i don't go to the restroom a lot, much less on board planes, but let's not take budget traveling to the extreme and charge "natural urges" a standard fee as well.

i'm updating you on these because these airline fees might reach our shores as well. at the moment, budget airlines have only taken out inflight meals and have retained standard services such as seating assignments. i wonder if any of our budget airlines will implement any of these schemes, and how pinoy travelers will react to these airline fees.

pasig ferry and binondo

because i haven't had the drive to go out of town recently, i thought i'd stay close to home and rediscover places here that give manila its charm.

so one march weekend, i, together with a bunch of friends, trooped to the guadalupe ferry station, and hopped on the ferry to escolta, hoping to fill our tummies with nummy chinese chow in binondo.

the ferry ride
the first time i rode the pasig ferry, the fare was just P25.00--flat rate, one-way. that was three years ago, and the price has now gone up to P45.00 one way. quite pricey, i have to say, but it's still one of the most comfortable ways to get to manila from our neck of the woods.

we got to the station 15 minutes before the next trip arrived. the ferry station is pretty decent--seats for waiting passengers, turnstiles by the ticket counter, and restrooms for the passengers' use. the staff were also helpful enough.

the ferry got to the station at 3pm on the dot. embarking and getting off was a breeze, and the ferry didn't waste any time at the dock. before we knew it, we were floating on the pasig on our way to escolta.

i found the ride much more relaxing this time, maybe because the air conditioning was fully functional, and our ferry didn't have a flatscreen with air supply karaoke videos playing. passengers are free to roam the ferry throughout the ride. there are also restrooms on board. we're all hoping that they put an area or a small bar where people can buy snacks and drinks.

an hour later, we got off the ferry and on to escolta. the binondo arch was just a few meters away.

in binondo
we didn't count on being in binondo so late, and some of us hadn't had breakfast or lunch to save tummy space for this trip. this, it seems, was a mistake. the moment we got to ongpin, we went to cafe mezzanine for our "first" meal.

because we were all famished already, we ordered a feast: kiampeng, different kinds of siomai, adobong tofu, pata tim, radish cake, lechon macau, and other things that i can't remember at the moment. we decimated the dishes in less than 10 minutes, and by then, we all felt stuffed and had no space for anything else.

so after cafe mezzanine, we decided to just explore and let our feet take us wherever. we saw shops selling jade, gold, and other trinkets, a lot of fruit stalls along the street, a chinese grocery that sells large and thick haw flakes, hardware stores, and a security equipment store.

we eventually ended up in soler, and found this quaint little cafe called cukeng coffee shop. we all needed a break, and decided to go in for a cup of tea or coffee. the place was homey and comfortable, and had knick-knacks all around, including an old-school coffee maker made of glass.

some of us ordered milk teas, and to our surprise, our orders came in lovely pots and cups. their coffee drinks looked great, too. it was funny to see sisig and lechon kawali in the menu of a coffee shop, though.

after a half hour of talking and goofing around in cukeng, we decided to head back to the ferry station. unfortunately for us, the schedule that they gave away at the guadalupe station wasn't followed. according to the schedule, the last trip on saturdays from escolta was at 8pm, but we arrived at the station at around 715pm, and we were told that the station was already closed. how's that for efficiency.

by this time, we were all exhausted already, so we tried looking for a cab. unfortunately, cabs are hard to come by in binondo, so we eventually ended up walking to intramuros, burning all the calories we've consumed in the process. everybody seemed happy about that little tidbit (that's why i had to write it here, too).

when we got to san agustin church, we hailed an avanza taxi, who offered to take all six of us back to makati for P200. we were in no mood to argue, and the price actually wasn't so bad, so we all hopped in and ended the day's adventure. :)

more photos of the pasig ferry ride and our day in binondo.

fly: hong kong express airlines

i'm going to start reviewing most segments of my trips so that i can provide more info to you guys. for this trip, i'm going to start with a review of hong kong express airlines.

i didn't quite know what to expect of this airline when we booked it via doljunts travel. all i was told was, it's not a budget airline (because they serve meals), and it takes off from NAIA terminal 1. but now that i've flown hong kong express, i can tell you a little more about it.

manila to hong kong
we arrived at NAIA at 545am, and was amazed at the long lines at the hong kong express counter (and most other counters, akshully). it took a while before we were attended to, but once at the counter, everything went smoothly. but maybe that's because none of us went over the baggage limit.

at 630am, we were given our boarding passes, and headed to immigration, but not before forking over P750 each for the terminal fee (i still don't get what this fee is for!). immigration and pre-boarding checks took a while. we cleared all of these in 30 minutes, just in time for boarding.

however, hong kong express didn't let us board until 730am, and i remember thinking that we were going to be late. after all, that's just 30 minutes to departure time, and boarding, with people taking so long putting their stuff in the overhead bins, takes a while!

amazingly, though, boarding was pretty swift, and we were taxiing down the runway at 8am. bonus points for hong kong express!

the flight attendants were nice enough, but service during the flight was nothing special. we were provided newspapers, blankets, and earphones. the food was below average. we were given a "chicken sandwich," which tasted like sour chicken adobo. my nephew franciz couldn't eat it at all, even though he told us he was really starving.

nuh-uh.

in-flight entertainment was also a dud. the only thing they showed were chinese videos, so we couldn't understand a thing. good thing it was just a two-hour flight. as for the plane, hong kong express uses boeing 737-800, which has a narrow aisle, but pretty good legroom when seated. lavatories for economy class are all the way to the back of the plane.

albeit those nega points, our flight landed earlier than the estimated arrival time. in my opinion, that more than makes up for the other boo-boos. for me, what really matters is i get to my destination on time. service and the other extras are just, well, extras.

hong kong express lands in a new wing of hong kong international airport, but they provide a bus to shuttle us to a gate in terminal 1, which leads straight to the immigration booths. this is very convenient compared to the other airlines i've taken to hong kong before, where you get to walk a long hall before reaching immigration. for me, this is one very great advantage to taking hong kong express (although arrival gates can change over time).

hong kong to manila
the flight from hong kong to manila departs at 930pm, which gives you a lot of time to do some last-minute shopping and sightseeing before you leave. however, we were a bit worried that we might have to lug our suitcases around with us in the city while waiting for our flight.

thankfully, hong kong express is one of the airlines that accepts in-town check-in at major airport express terminals (hong kong and kowloon stations). that means we could check-in any time within the day as long as we use the airport express to get to the airport. this really came in handy, and we enjoyed walking around the city without having to worry about pulling our suitcases around, or even rushing to make it a few hours before the flight to check-in, since we already had our boarding passes.

our boarding gate was also in the new wing, and it had slipped our minds that there was a shuttle bus to that other wing. shuttling to the new wing of the hong kong international airport came easy, though. as soon as you were at the gate, there was a bus waiting, and the trip took about five minutes tops.

boarding, once again, was late, but we left the airport on time as well. service this time around, however, was sloppy and a tad rude. the food was so-so (but better than the last, because my nephew was able to swallow a few bites), but again, the flight arrived earlier than expected.

conclusion
service and food leave much to be desired, but the convenience of exiting right at the immigration booths at HKIA (could be temporary, of course) and the impressive on-time record might just make me a fan of hong kong express. it also doesn't hurt that the flight home leaves at 930pm, which lets you see more of hong kong, without letting you miss a day of work.

price-wise, i was lucky enough to get a Php 10,000 per person rate for the period right after chinese new year. but if it were any other season, i wouldn't get this flight for that price. but if i do decide to fly hong kong express again, i'd check with a travel agent first.

airline information
hong kong express
route: hong kong-manila, hong kong to other points of asia
reservation hotline: +852 3151 1888
email address: call.center@hkairlines.com

the honeymoon

a week to go before i officially get hitched, and to set the theme for the coming week, i thought i'd write about the fun part of getting married: the honeymoon!

the honeymoon should be more fun if we followed deuteronomy 24:5, though (yep, i'm quoting a biblical passage), which says:

“When a man is newly wed, he need not go out on a military expedition, nor shall any public duty be imposed on him. He shall be exempt for one year for the sake of his family, to bring joy to the wife he has married."

but unfortunately, time and money rank high in our priorities, and a year on vacation is just not an option (because i believe going on a year-long vacation is a fantastic way to bring joy to any wife, or even husband). since we're planning to go to spain in october to visit susie's relatives, we thought we'd just opt for something simpler for the after-wedding vacation.

we've booked tickets to boracay--a place that's perfect for a whatever-goes getaway. we've paid for our rooms at true home hotel as well. the place looks cozy and quaint, and i'm pretty excited to write about it. i also vowed to be at the beach as much as i can this year, and this boracay honeymoon-ish trip is just the thing to get it all started.

before we decided on boracay, though, there were a few other destinations that we wanted to check out, since a honeymoon is the perfect time to splurge and explore a new place. here are some of the places on our list:

batanes
susie loves lighthouses, and i love the countryside. batanes is exotic and cool, and i've always wanted to see the place, especially after seeing these photos by my good friend owee salva:

basco lighthouse

breakwater jackstones :p

fantastic, right? :) and should i ever find myself in that part of the philippines, i would want to stay in fundacion pacita batanes. i think it just adds to the experience (even though the prices are pretty steep).

sumilon island, cebu
we saw this island along the southeastern cebu trail when we went to see the churches along the coast, and it's been on susie's list of places to go ever since. i haven't done much research on the place, but from what i've seen, the place is secluded and peaceful. i think sumilon blue water island resort is the only accommodation available on the island.


hangzhou, china
i came across hangzhou when i was looking for a good place to study mandarin in, and i swore to myself that i will one day visit this place. the west lake alone drew me in, and susie was just as enthusiastic when i told him about it. it's just a couple of hours away from shanghai by train, and to me, hangzhou has that feel of eternal autumn, which i find very scenic and serene, perfect for that honeymoon ambience people are always talking about. (photo by andrew goudie)

macau, china
true, we've all been to macau at one point in our lives, but susie and i have never seen macau since the boom of the big hotels, and we've never explored the place together yet. we thought of going all-out and booking a stay at the venetian, as a honeymoon splurge, but we thought twice after seeing that the love connection package was priced at HKD 3,388 for just a night's stay. maybe next time. :)


siem reap, cambodia
we've both been there, and we both want to go back. there are still some sights, especially temples, that we didn't get to see. i also wanted to visit the artisans area, and a stay in the villa is always a good enough reason to go back to siem reap again. plus, i heard the roads from poipet are now fixed, so the camry drive from the thai border shouldn't take so long now. worth checking out again, definitely.




belfast, northern ireland
a far jump from the rest of the places here, i know. the giant's causeway is on my list of things to see before i die, and 'sus is just as interested to go around the place. we both thought of doing a self-drive tour in the republic for our honeymoon, but there was just too much to see and do that we couldn't think of a way to cram everything in a week's time. since the causeway was in northern ireland, i thought just visiting that one first would be a good start. if this pushed through, i would have booked us in the old rectory guest house. nummy breakfast. :">


florence and bologna, italy
most people would automatically opt for venice or rome when honeymooning in italy, but sus and i have often steered clear of places that are packed with people. while florence is also a tourist-y place, it's not as populated as rome, and i want to check out the uffizi with 'sus telling me all about the masterpieces in it. bologna came as a suggestion to me, because there are ryanair flights to bologna from madrid, and after some research, i found out that bologna is the culinary capital of italy. great food always makes for unforgettable travel experiences!

there are definitely a lot of other destinations to cover, but these are some of the places we've discussed when we were talking about the honeymoon. we're not quite sure how a honeymoon is different from any old regular trip--we try to enjoy all our trips anyway, whether we're alone or with other people.

but like i said, a honeymoon is a good excuse to splurge and travel, and even to write a new blog, hence this post. :) i just wanted to get my ideas out, and get yours as well. where would/did you go for your honeymoon?

ikea mondays

mondays in madrid are the worst for tourists. most museums and other places of interest are closed, and to make up for this, susie and i would go to ikea over at san sebastian de los reyes.

to do this, we had to go to the plaza de castilla metro stop, which is just a short ride from cuzco or tetuán. plaza de castilla is a huge intercambiador, or transportation interchange, where one can take a bus or train to other parts of spain.

bus 156, which goes to san sebastian de los reyes in 30 minutes, is in dársena 23. buses usually leave every 15 minutes, and the fare is €1,65 one way. you pay this when you get on the bus. it's always best to have exact change (avoid paying in bills or the driver will not be happy).

san sebastian de los reyes is warehouse city. there are plenty of industrial stores, such as media markt for gadgets, leroy merlin for your hardware needs, and of course, IKEA! for some reason, my trips to ikea from singapore has made me equate the place with good food rather than good furniture. that's because i never miss out on their delicious swedish meatballs whenever i go there, no matter what part of the world i'm in.

on my first visit to ikea in s.s. de los reyes, i got so attracted to all the food, that i got myself a dish of meatballs, or albóndigas, (10 pieces) with mashed potatoes and lingonberry sauce (€4,50), and a plate of salmon (€5,50). that's two huge plates for €10,00, which was the usual price i would pay for a menu del dia in the city center. not bad, eh?

on our second trip, i knew better. i had read that ikea had a promo from 5pm until closing--10 pieces of meatballs, with potatoes and lingonberry sauce, is sold at just €1,00! being the cheapskate that i am, i timed our visit the following monday to coincide with the special offer, and we ended up having such filling el cheapo meals!

it's okay to be such gluttons in ikea, because after eating, you still have the rest of the store to walk through. i enjoyed looking at their sample houses in the premises, which had a lot of good interior design suggestions. there were so many things there that i wanted to buy, and i swore that the next time i'm going to madrid, i have to take an empty suitcase and fill it with ikea stuff.

first week in madrid

time flies so fast here in madrid, and it would take forever to tell you every little thing i've gone through, so here are some snippets:

museo nacional centro de arte reina sofia
repository of modern and contemporary art, where i got to see picasso's famed guernica. the museum used to be a hospital, and if you're thinking visiting, try to allot three to five hours if you want to go through everything. we got pretty tired exploring, and we only saw two floors!

a part of the permanent collection was closed, though, but it was just as well. call me an uncultured swine, but i really can't handle that much modern art in one day.

if you need a break from all the swirling colors, there are quaint bars and restaurants right across the museum, where you get to enjoy authentic spanish food, and enjoy live entertainment too! that day, i saw jugglers, and listened to a man play the spanish guitar while finishing my merluza.






estacion de atocha

madrid's oldest railway station, inaugurated in february of 1851, is still teeming with life and activity to this very day. inside the station, you will find tall, tropical plants that lend a sense of warmth to the otherwise fast pace of the people inside.

this was also where i took the train to toledo, a province in the south of madrid.

the trains are now pretty modern (most of them, anyway), and i had so much fun during my first visit, and when i was there to leave for toledo. trains are lovely, lovely things.

for train routes and fares, check out renfe.





plaza mayor
just one of the many must-see sights in madrid, along with puerta de alcala, fuente de cibeles, and palacio de la comunicacion.

i remember that i was hit by the reality that i was in europe when i was strolling in this plaza: an accordion was playing in the distance, there were pigeons at my feet, and tables filled with coffee-ing people were everywhere.

*sigh*




andencero
platform zero, or the old metro chamberi station, no longer functions as a metro stop, but as a museum that tells of the history of the madrid metro.

the station has been restored, retaining the tiles that used to cover its walls. the ads of old are also still intact, and a wall of the platform has been used to project old school ads to give you a feel of how busy chamberi was back then.

the concept is just genius--the old ticket booths are still there, and they even play a video of the metro's history. the attendants are very friendly, and they accommodated the kindergarten group that visited with us on the same day.

and best of all, entrance is free!





museo sorolla
this is one of the places i really enjoyed. it's the former home of artist joaquin sorolla.

it's filled with his paintings (the photo is entitled nadadores), and has preserved his studio just the way it was when he painted there. from the way his house looks, he seems like a guy i could have gotten along with.

the three gardens are also open to the public. you only pay a fee if you're going inside the museum. ain't that cool?



el parque del buen retiro
a sprawling park close to the golden triangle of museums, the park's name, when literally translated, is "the park of pleasant retreat," and it really does live up to that name.

you see an entertaining mix of every little thing that can give you pleasure--lush grassy areas where i saw people taking in the sun, a large estanque that had a boating area, there are art installations here and there, and even some breakdancing and live music performances. there are small kiosks to get refreshments from, and even a rosaleda for the flora lovers.

the photo on the left is my, and probably everyone's, favorite part of the park--the palacio de cristal. it's located in the heart of retiro, and just so pleasing to the eye that i took around 8 photos of it.






toledo

the photo is of the cathedral of saint mary of toledo, just one of the many outstanding sights you will find in this city. toledo is just 30 minutes away from madrid via the renfe AVE, and i highly recommend it for people who have a few days to kill in madrid.

i was bowled over by the train station alone, but toledo holds many more surprises. another thing that amazed me is the synagogue of santa maria blanca, which has moorish, jewish, and catholic elements in one place of worship.

the place is also known for its swords, and i was salivating when i saw LOTR swords there. i badly wanted to take home a sting replica, but it was too expensive, and probably would make me pay for excess baggage when i get home.





so that was my first week in the spanish capital (and toledo). more on food, and the other places i've visited, when i find the time and energy. :D

the flight to europe

europe welcomed me with open arms by shocking my senses. after a grueling 14-hour flight from manila to amsterdam, i landed, thankfully in one piece, at amsterdam schiphol airport, where the sun was shining brightly at 7 in the evening.

now i know why people who've been to europe appreciate it so, especially those who come from the philippines. the long-haul trip is no joke, and even i, someone who actually enjoys plane rides, felt like breaking down 10 hours into the trip.

it's not that the flight was uncomfortable. in fact, KLM provided everything for a comfy and entertaining flight: games, movies, tv shows (the big bang theory!), pillows, blankets, and food every few hours. i never went hungry, and the food was really good. the bathroom on board was clean, and they even had ginger and basil hand soap.

the torture was in having to sit in one place for 14 straight hours. after a while, the beauty of having so many movies and tv shows and games in the palm of my hand lost its novelty, and i found myself checking the flight tracking screen every minute.

but hey, i passed the first test, and i'm expecting europe to treat me nice. landing in madrid, i was greeted by weather that contrasted that of scorching manila. so far, i've only seen snippets of the city that would be my home for 30 days, but i'll take in a little of it every day. :)

now for some breakfast.

getting ready for the spain trip

just a few updates on the spain trip, lest you think i've gone AWOL on you. :p

i'm now all packed and ready to go. i actually had a little panic attack, because my weird memory told me that KLM allows carry-on luggage with a length of 17 inches, whereas my carry-on is 19 inches long. don't know where i got that information though, because upon checking a few minutes ago, KLM flights have the following carry-on baggage restrictions:

Each passenger is allowed to carry on one bag and one personal item such as a purse or briefcase. Assistive devices and outer garments do not count as personal items. All carry-on luggage must fit in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you and adhere to the following requirements:

• Maximum Dimensions of Carry-on Luggage: 22in x 14in x 10in/55cm x 35cm x 25cm (length x width x height)
• Maximum Weight of Carry-on Luggage: 22 lb/10 kg

(taken from seatguru by tripadvisor)

thank goodness that was cleared up. i had been going out of my mind trying to figure out how to fit the items in my carry-on into a smaller bag. actually, everything in the carry-on can still fit in my suitcase, but i want the laptop and a few clothes to be on my person should i encounter some mishap with baggage claim at madrid barajas.

upon weighing my bags, the carry-on comes to 5 kg, while the big elle suitcase weighs 15 kg, just 5 kg short of the limit. that means i can buy 5 more kilos of stuff. (as if i had the money!)

i'm pretty proud of my packing skills--they really came in handy this time. the suitcase has a lot of space left, and i actually thought i brought a little too much stuff. i used the sanitary napkin packs to pad the sides of the suitcase to protect some of the electronics. :D

this is also my first time to pack large amounts of toiletries. since i'll be there for a month, a month's worth of shampoo sachets will take up more space than a bottle of shampoo that will also last me a month. i was told that spain has dry weather, so i packed my lotion and facial moisturizers as well. still can't imagine what "dry" weather is, though. i've always lived in humid philippines.

i've photocopied my passport (details page and visa page), as well as my travel insurance, just in case i lose them. i'm also thinking of scanning them and saving a softcopy in my email. still thinking about that, because, you know, email is not completely secure.

i've tried my best to read up on the various spanish regions that i could visit, but the first item i read up on, which was the tren de la fresa (the strawberry train) to aranjuez, has me all daydreamy already, that i can't move on to other places. can you really blame me for being excited, when the train ticket includes

a guided visit to Aranjuez's beautiful gardens and palace, and all passengers receive a plate of Aranjuez's famous delicious strawberries en route.

trains, strawberries, gardens, and palaces! hoowee! maybe i should get this trip out of the way, so as not to distract me from the bullfighting and the flamenco that i also want to see. not to mention the tapas that are waiting to be eaten.

my friend kate was kind enough to buy me a spain guidebook, so i can get some reading done on the plane. the trip is from manila to amsterdam for 14 long hours, then another 2-hour flight from amsterdam to madrid. i think i'm gonna feel like a limp vegetable when susie comes to greet me at barajas.

good thing i arrive in spain a little before midnight. i can go straight to sleep instead of trying to fight jetlag. :p

will write more updates on the spain trip when i get there. seven more days!

cartoon taken from here.

leaving for hong kong

after spending a very "normal" birthday, i wake up the next day all excited about my hong kong trip. i got up at around 5am, plenty of time to get to NAIA terminal 3 at 6, just two hours before our flight.

unlike the last time, the whole check-in procedure went well this time, since we already knew where the travel tax counters were. and because we were there at such an early hour, we didn't have to wait long. we checked in, paid the terminal fee, then went through immigration.

more restaurants can now be found in the pre-departure area, and i almost bought myself a jamaican beef pattie until i saw that one beef original cost P60. so i just settled for miso soup at the japanese stall, which went for just P35.

flight left a few minutes late, and i found more interesting cebu pacific merchandise, most especially the little coin purses. i wanted to get the HKG one, but they only had the orange CEB. maybe next time. i wasn't even interested in joining the contest this time--didn't like the prize.

we encountered some turbulence during the flight, just as i was on the toilet peeing. it's no fun when you hear the pilot declare that the fasten seatbelt sign is on and that no one should attempt to go to the lavatories, while you try to keep yourself from falling off the best seat in the house.

but we got to hong kong safe and sound, with me getting more and more excited as i take a whiff of the sweet hong kong international airport air. immigration lines were long, but i felt like jumping already. at baggage claim, i was amused to find that they neatly lined up our luggage, all orderly-like.

we located an atm, got our HKDs, and tried to figure out where the buses were. i suddenly found myself in a bad mood, which meant that i was hungry. so we stopped by cafe de coral, where i ate noodles with mushroom, and all was well again with the world. it took us a while to figure out where the buses to the city were, but we figured it out.

hong kong excitement

it's less than a week before i leave for hong kong, probably my favoritest city in the world. it's my second time to spend my birthday season there, and i'm hoping that i get to see new places this time.

but i want this hong kong trip to be more relaxing than the last. that, however, hasn't stopped me from trying to figure out every last detail on how to get from one point to the next. this is my first time staying in the western district, and i want to know how to get around before i get there.

that's where the loveliness of the internet comes in. a simple google search of "western district, hong kong" has yielded a very useful map of hong kong central and the western district. i've been zooming in and out of the map, scrolling left and right, looking for the places i want to go to.

i was also really happy when i found out that we get a chance to use the hong kong tram, since our part of western district is too far west that the MTR doesn't even reach there. the hong kong tram is a much cheaper alternative, costing just HKD 2 per ride, no matter where you get off. you can check out the hong kong tram route map to see where it can take you. speed, of course, is a problem, but since i'm not in a hurry, then it's a nice, leisurely, and cheap way to see hong kong. :)

counting down the days before i gotta go! to hong kong! :D

the train from aranyaprathet to bangkok

all good things must come to an end, and we were feeling really mopey when we had to leave siem reap. we decided to up the adventure ante by taking the train from aranyaprathet to bangkok.

we woke up bright and early today, to make sure that we get to poipet early. we left siem reap at 9am (with heavy hearts), and went on the three-hour shaky ride back to the thai-cambodian border. our driver this time was really quiet, and kept downing bottles of red bull. we were a bit scared, but we reached the border in one piece. the cost of the taxi from siem reap to poipet is much, much cheaper than going the other way around, i think we just paid USD 10 this time.

this time, no extra charges were asked of us at immigration, and everything went uneventfully well. we walked to the tuk-tuk depot and had them drive us to the aranyaprathet train station.

the station was an old, yet very pretty, in my opinion. the well-preserved wooden structure transported back in the old days when trains were the only way to go. we lined up to get our train tickets, a measly THB 48 each (such a steal compared to the THB 220 bus tickets), and waited for 1:55pm to roll around.

to pass the time, we went out of the station to the stalls, to see if we could get something to eat. i was so excited when i saw crickets and silkworms for sale, but since i hadn't eaten anything yet, i had to pass on the critters. instead, i got myself some grilled chicken on a stick to eat on the train.

with our meals in tow, we boarded the train. finding adjacent seats for four proved quite a challenge, because a lot of people had already boarded. but we eventually got a set near the back, a few cars away from "second class." we settled down, and i took in the look of the train. it definitely could use a little cleanup, but it wasn't all that bad.

the train to aranyaprathet consisted mostly of third class seats, with the second class ones simply having reclineable seats. the entire wasn't air conditioned, and i was worried that we might be sweating throughout the entire six-hour journey, but the train was cool the entire time, because we passed through a lot of rice fields and greenery.

we left on time, but since the train station signs would almost always be in thai, we were all filled with a sense of fear that we might have taken the wrong train, or that we're going the other way. we started to relax some time around 6pm, 2 hours before we arrive at the bangkok hualamphong station, since we saw signs of bangkok busy-ness already.

the first three hours of the train ride was still pleasant, and we all managed to find ways to amuse ourselves. on the fourth hour, however, we started to get restless, and every now and then, would take turns walking the long train hallway, moving from car to car, to rid ourselves of boredom. ayeen actually played with a baby on board, and once in a while, we would entertain the thought of buying some of the refreshments being peddled by the vendors on the train.

throughout the train ride to bangkok, though, i was filled with envy. the thais really seemed to use their train system a lot, and i wanted the same thing to happen with our PNR trains. students used the train system every day to get to and from school, and people carrying goods from aranyaprathet to bangkok used it to ferry their goods more conveniently. it was such a lovely idea, having a train system at your disposal.

we arrived at the station a few minutes late, so we were rushing on the way out. but i got a chance to take a look at hualamphong station, and once again, felt a rush of envy in my veins. the station was packed, people were seated on the floor with their bags, waiting for their trains. it was such a lovely mess, i couldn't help but stop and take a snapshot.

the hualamphong train station is also pretty accessible to the bangkok MTR, so we took the MTR to saladaeng station, and made our way to take a nap hostel, our bangkok headquarters.

would i go on that train ride again? hmm... maybe not. it drove me crazy keeping still for six hours, not knowing if we're going the right way, and not even being able to carry a conversation with anyone on the train. but while the train from aranyaprathet to bangkok proved too much, it's an experience i don't regret. if anything, it got me itching to test out other rail systems in the world.


check out more photos of our train ride from aranyaprathet to bangkok.

the road to siem reap

now's the part where i tell you all about how i got to siem reap from bangkok. :)

we landed in bangkok on schedule, around 1230am manila time. the immigration line was longish, and we spent quite a while inside the airport looking for ATMs. had we known that there were a lot of these just outside, we wouldn't have hung out there as much.

we took a public taxi (it was pink! i nearly died!) from the airport to take a nap hotel, just so we could leave some of our things behind to make it easier to cross the border. louise, the girl at the front desk, was very accommodating--she even helped us get a taxi to morchit bus station.

we arrived at the bus station at around 2am, bangkok time. i was pretty impressed; the station exceeded all of my expectations. it was clean, it wasn't crowded, it wasn't noisy. of course, we were there at an ungodly hour, and some people had slept on the floor, or on the seats, waiting for the ticket booths to open up. lucky for us, a 7-11 was inside the terminal, and we got to have our first bangkok meal (cup noodles and microwavable food, which were all very satisfying).

at around 245am, ticket counter 30 had opened up to sell tickets for the 330am bus to aranyaprathet, our trip. it was fun communicating with the ticket lady using nothing but numbers: i signaled 4 with my hands to indicate the number of people, and she answered by telling me how much the total was (THB 884 for 4 tickets). after i paid, she gave me 2 tickets, and said, "two seat, two seat," pointing at each ticket, indicating that one ticket is good for two. then she said, "121," to let me know that our bus leaves from stall 121.

our bus left on time, and i got to experience bangkok and thailand sans the traffic. it was a pleasant ride--the roads were well-paved and the driver seemed to know what he was doing. we got front row seats, and i was worried that i would witness a lot of close calls on the road, but no such moments came up. it's kind of strange and scary traveling so far in unfamiliar roads. it would have felt safer had there been a lot of signs in english, but the whole trip was a kind of guessing game, and trusting that what you read online were reliable tips from genuinely helpful people.

thankfully, it was, and we arrived in aranyaprathet at 730am, then took a tuk-tuk to rongklua market. our tuk-tuks stopped at a travel agency first, trying to get us to pay up for visas, but unfortunately, they couldn't make any money off of us, since filipinos can enter cambodia for free. one tout even shook susie's hand when we told him that we were filipinos. "oh! philippine! FREE!" he exclaimed. to me, it sounded like he was proclaiming our country's independence.


we eventually found our way to thailand's customs bureau, where we got ourselves stamped out of the country. after that, we crossed the great, intricate arch of the kingdom of cambodia (couldn't take pictures, though. had to walk fast!). we walked to the immigration office to get clearance to enter, and was promptly asked to pay THB 200 for a stamp, something you really shouldn't pay for. at this point, we were all too tired and a tad wary to argue with the officer in charge, so we just forked the cash over. he did make everything easy for us border-crossers when he did that.

the hard part was getting the cab to siem reap. there was a tout who followed us from the thai immigration all the way to cambodian immigration, forcing us to get a cab from him. it turns out he works for the association of mafia taxis that we were going to get anyway, and we all hated that fact. we didn't want to give him any business, but you hardly control the outcome of these negotiations when you're in another country.

after paying our THB 2,400 cab fare, everything went uphill. our driver, roum, was a friendly man, telling us stories every now and then and answering our questions about cambodia. in between conversations with him and susie, we three ladies nodded off at various intervals, with roum's indian music serving as our lively
lullaby.

as expected, the roads that lead to siem reap were a mix of smooth asphalt roads and red soil that shook us for a good two hours. that's why we were so excited when our driver roum finally said, "welcome to siem reap!" after a few minutes of driving, he had us transfer to a tuk-tuk, driven by one of his "friends," who will be taking us to our hotel.

his friend seemed dismayed when we said we had already booked tours with the hotel aside from accommodation. the subtext was clear: no money to be made from these people. so he just asked us to pay him THB 200 for a ride that was supposed to be free.

but all that seems like a dream now, because the villa is such a paradise of a budget hotel.

stay tuned for my feature of the villa, and of course, for tales of angkor wat and angkor thom.

more photos of the road trip from bangkok to siem reap.

travel information:
bangkok suvarnabhumi airport
official website: http://www.airportthai.co.th/airportnew/sun/index.asp
to find information on airport layout and other travel details
taxi from airport to silom area: THB 550 (no meter)

morchit bus terminal
also known as chatuchak station, or morchit 2
bus routes for central, north, and northeastern areas
address: kamphaeng phet 2 road, bangkok
MRT subway: kamphaeng phet

air aran pattana bus
first class bus from bangkok to aranyaprathet (buy from ticket window 30)
fare: THB 221 per person, with free water
trip duration: 4 hours

the ultimate guide to going overland from bangkok to siem reap
only tales of asia has the most comprehensive guide on this journey.