Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
Bhutan, Land of the Thunder Dragon! Here I Come!
Today's the day we head to Bhutan! Got up, packed and met up with our driver and off to the airport we went. Got to the airport in plenty of time, but unfortunately, the airport was still locked up. Yes, their airport actually locks down at night I guess. First time in all my travels that I have come across an airport that's locked down until the first flight. Then again, it's not a big airport so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. Finally a couple of armed soldiers came out and motioned for us to go in and go through security. Really interesting here- every time you go through a check, you are thoroughly patted down. It was a tad disconcerting.
We got through and went to check in to our flight and discovered we were the only people on our flight- all 6 of us. Gotta wonder how big the plane is if there's only 6 of us on it! The flight was delayed for a bit due to heavy fog, but by 10 we were airborne in one of the smallest planes I've ever been on. It was an 18 seater prop plane. It was so small that we just had to get a photo of us in front of the plane! 2 small steps took you up inside of it and when we were prepping to take off, every time the pilot gunned the engine the entire plane shook. There was a constant drone throughout our flight from the propellers so we had to yell at each other to be heard. However, the views we had as we flew to Bhutan were spectacular. We saw the Himalayas, Mount Everest as well as the 3rd, 4th and 5th highest mountains in the world. It was so breath taking. Landing in Paro was quite an experience as we had to come down hard between 2 mountains (Paro's located in a valley)- it was like taking a nose dive straight down in to the valley. There was some bumping around as we came in but we landed alright in the end.
Quick trip through immigration- everyone there smiling and happy- they take Gross National Happiness seriously here!- then we met our guide, Wangchu, and piled in to our van for our trip around Paro. Our departure from the airport was short lived as 1 of our group had left their passport back at the airport, so we had to circle back so we could get it. thankfully, with so few tourists coming to Bhutan, it wasn't an issue finding it. In fact, some of the employees were trying to locate us so that the passport could be returned to us. Passport collected, we headed off to the Paro Museum.
A quick tour of the museum, which had everything from weaponry to stamps to animals native to Bhutan to Buddhist artefacts- it was all there to be seen. Once we'd seen our fill, we headed up to Ta Dzong- a monastery built on the side of a mountain in Paro. It was quite lovely- gorgeous views of the valley and while we stood there admiring the view, we got to see another airplane fly in for a landing- dipping back and forth, manipulating between the mountains, then dropping quickly so they could land at the airport... really, not for the feint of heart! then it was down to an old pedestrian bridge, hundreds of years old, that spanned the river connecting the 2 sides of Paro. We crossed the bridge, stopping to admire the views and watch the activities going on around the river, then piled in our van for the drive to Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan.
Oh, forgot to mention lunch- our first meal in Bhutan! We went and ate at a restaurant on the main street of Paro. Very tasty meal of red rice, fried beef and veggies, potatoes & cheese, cooked veggies and fried cauliflower. Didn't eat all of it, but what I ate was great! (no cauliflower for me please).
Drive to Thimphu lasted just over an hour- we entertained ourselves by playing "Guess that Christmas tune". It is Christmas Eve after all. We also had a Santa camel with us- a little taste of the Middle East blended in with some Christmas kitsch. When we arrived in Thimphu, we walked in to our hotel and were greeted with a cheerful looking Christmas tree in the hotel lobby, all decked out for Christmas. Quite a surprise when you consider that the official religion is Buddhism- guess they wanted us to feel at home. It was not until I saw the tree that I actually realized it was Christmas Eve. Ate an early-ish dinner, then most of us headed up to our rooms to see if we could get the space heaters going to warm up our rooms and ourselves. The cold here is unbelievable-- chilled me to the bone. Ended up putting many layers of clothes on, then hunkered down under the down comforter to try to heat up. if that doesn't work, I may have to consider putting the space heater in my bed!
We got through and went to check in to our flight and discovered we were the only people on our flight- all 6 of us. Gotta wonder how big the plane is if there's only 6 of us on it! The flight was delayed for a bit due to heavy fog, but by 10 we were airborne in one of the smallest planes I've ever been on. It was an 18 seater prop plane. It was so small that we just had to get a photo of us in front of the plane! 2 small steps took you up inside of it and when we were prepping to take off, every time the pilot gunned the engine the entire plane shook. There was a constant drone throughout our flight from the propellers so we had to yell at each other to be heard. However, the views we had as we flew to Bhutan were spectacular. We saw the Himalayas, Mount Everest as well as the 3rd, 4th and 5th highest mountains in the world. It was so breath taking. Landing in Paro was quite an experience as we had to come down hard between 2 mountains (Paro's located in a valley)- it was like taking a nose dive straight down in to the valley. There was some bumping around as we came in but we landed alright in the end.
Quick trip through immigration- everyone there smiling and happy- they take Gross National Happiness seriously here!- then we met our guide, Wangchu, and piled in to our van for our trip around Paro. Our departure from the airport was short lived as 1 of our group had left their passport back at the airport, so we had to circle back so we could get it. thankfully, with so few tourists coming to Bhutan, it wasn't an issue finding it. In fact, some of the employees were trying to locate us so that the passport could be returned to us. Passport collected, we headed off to the Paro Museum.
A quick tour of the museum, which had everything from weaponry to stamps to animals native to Bhutan to Buddhist artefacts- it was all there to be seen. Once we'd seen our fill, we headed up to Ta Dzong- a monastery built on the side of a mountain in Paro. It was quite lovely- gorgeous views of the valley and while we stood there admiring the view, we got to see another airplane fly in for a landing- dipping back and forth, manipulating between the mountains, then dropping quickly so they could land at the airport... really, not for the feint of heart! then it was down to an old pedestrian bridge, hundreds of years old, that spanned the river connecting the 2 sides of Paro. We crossed the bridge, stopping to admire the views and watch the activities going on around the river, then piled in our van for the drive to Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan.
Oh, forgot to mention lunch- our first meal in Bhutan! We went and ate at a restaurant on the main street of Paro. Very tasty meal of red rice, fried beef and veggies, potatoes & cheese, cooked veggies and fried cauliflower. Didn't eat all of it, but what I ate was great! (no cauliflower for me please).
Drive to Thimphu lasted just over an hour- we entertained ourselves by playing "Guess that Christmas tune". It is Christmas Eve after all. We also had a Santa camel with us- a little taste of the Middle East blended in with some Christmas kitsch. When we arrived in Thimphu, we walked in to our hotel and were greeted with a cheerful looking Christmas tree in the hotel lobby, all decked out for Christmas. Quite a surprise when you consider that the official religion is Buddhism- guess they wanted us to feel at home. It was not until I saw the tree that I actually realized it was Christmas Eve. Ate an early-ish dinner, then most of us headed up to our rooms to see if we could get the space heaters going to warm up our rooms and ourselves. The cold here is unbelievable-- chilled me to the bone. Ended up putting many layers of clothes on, then hunkered down under the down comforter to try to heat up. if that doesn't work, I may have to consider putting the space heater in my bed!
Around Kathmandhu
Slept in until 830- wahoo! then headed to Pumpernickel for breakfast. I ate TONS-- eggs, toast, croissant, fresh juice and coffee- great food and so cheap, less than $10!
We headed off to Shona's a shop where you can buy all kinds of trekking/ winter gear for cheap. Bought thermal underwear, fleece, jacket, socks and gloves -- I'm so not used to the cold now! We headed over to pay the balance of our trip to Bhutan, then hopped a cab to go see Pushupatti. Pushupatti is the 3rd holiest site for Hindus and a UNESCO World Heritage site. it was definitely a different experience. I was so shocked by how dirty the site was given that it's such a holy shrine. There's a river that runs through the site than empties into the Ganges, so this is where the funeral pyres are located. Here they're called 'gatz' (not sure of the spelling) and there are a series of stone slabs onto which the pyres are built. The gatz are all along 1 side and there's a bridge across the river between the series of gatz-es. The gatz on one side of the bridge used to be reserved just for the royal family and the other side of the bridge was for the regular folk. Nowadays people can use the pyres reserved for the royal family, but it's so costly that few can afford it.
We entered the site and crossed the bridge- we could see 2 bodies on pyres in the process of burning. The smell of burning flesh is something I'll not forget- it has a definite smell- one I can't quite define or put in to words.
We walked over the bridge and sat down across from the pyres while Chips explained the process- the bodies are washed, then covered in ghee and the fire is started in the cadavre's mouth. Once the body had burned, someone sifted through the ashes and anything that wasn't completely burned was then buried in the mud of the river. The then other ashes were simply swept off the gatz into the river. Sadly, the river was a mess with garbage, garlands and pieces of cloth. There were people in the river dredging it for goods I guess- I sure wouldn't want to be in there.
Up on the bridge and around the compound were sadhus- some kind of holy man. They had painted faces and in many cases, dreadlocks. Kinf of reminded me of hippies. Must admit, they freaked me out a bit. On the site lives the "Milk Baba"- a sadhu who supposedly only lives on milk, but he wasn't around that day. We then walked over across from the "royal site" and happened on a funeral ceremony and stopped to watch what they were doing. The body was wrapped up and laid on a kind of cot/stretcher on the stone walkway in front of a pyre. The family sat in front of the body, wailing and crying while friends comforted them. In one case, an older lady (presumably the wife or mother of the deceased man) had to be lifted up and carried away from the body when they went to begin preparations for the funeral pyre. After a time, the men took the body down to the river. They uncovered the feet and placed them in the river and then proceeded to wash the body. Once that was done, they covered the body in ghee, carried it over and placed it on one of the funeral pyres, then lit the pyre. At that point we opted to walk away as the smell of burning flesh became overpowering again. It was such a strong smell and there were only 2 or 3 bodies being cremated at that time- I can't imagine how strong the smell would be if there were many being cremated at the same time.
We walked up to the top of Pashupatti, grabbed a cab and headed to Bhoda, another UNESCO World Heritage site (& another Hindu site- or was it Buddhist? Can't recall now). When you enter the gates, you must walk around the square in clockwise fashion... not sure why, but that's how it's done. We walked around, then went into the site. When I walked up top, I was struck by how many prayer flags all strung up, then I was struck by the view- a 360 view of the square, nice.
We circled around, then went to a rooftop restaurant and had coffee as we watched the crowds and the sun set over Kathmandu. When it started to get cold, we headed back to Thamel so we could go shopping for our Christmas exchange gifts- then off to dinner at the Third Eye. Kathmandu has electricity issues, so lode shedding is common. Part way through dinner, BOOM! Power out. The restaurant went on back up generator so the people in the place could finish dinner, but they pretty much shut down after that and we ended up leaving around 10 to go back to the guesthouse. Tomorrow it is off to Bhutan!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Nepal and Bhutan- December 22, 2010
A group of us decided to visit Nepal and Bhutan for the short Christmas holiday- Evelyn, Chip, Tim, Lee, Kathy and myself. We've all traveled a bit so we're a pretty laid back group :)
We arrived in Kathmandhu last night- just a 4 hour flight from Dubai. Having been sick last week, the first thing I did was konk out on the flight over. Great nap! :)
We were met by a driver at the airport and walked outside- masses of people and a cacophony of noises greeted us. We piled in a van and 4 more joined us- a total of 10 in a van built for about 6. We made small talk with a couple in the van who were also from Dubai. They'd just moved to Dubai from Eastern Europe a few months ago and they sure thought they were superior to us! The man got really rude with one of our group when they said they didn't recognize the name and location of where they worked- he began snapping at us, "Don't you know Dubai?" and became quite rude to us. Tempted to respond with, "If we don't recognize where you work it can't be that good, can it?" but bit my tongue- he seemed to be looking to pick an argument, so we just stopped talking to them.
We checked in to the Kathmandhu Guest House, plain but clean- then headed out for dinner. Walking on the road in Kathmandhu is quite an experience (no sidewalks in a lot of places, so you have to walk on the road out of necessity)- trying to avoid cars racing up behind you or towards you, motorbikes doing the same, huge bunches of electrical wires hanging so low that you have to duck to walk under them (and I'm only 5'5"!), etc. We walked down a few stores to the Roadside Cafe for a great dinner of pizza and such and so cheap, especially compared to Dubai! it was here that I learned of a common event in Kathmandhu - load shedding. There isn't enough capability for electricity there all the time, so different parts of Kathmandhu go without power at different times of the day. Wow, lucky we don't need to do that!
After dinner, we walked back to the guest house and sat in their courtyard next to a fabulous outdoor chiminea/ fireplace and drank hot chocolate and chatted until the cold drove us inside for the night.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Christmas in Dubai
I celebrated Christmas and New Year's in Dubai. For both, I decided to invite people over who were staying in town and may not have family to celebrate with. it was a nice relaxed holiday and it was nice to spend it with friends...
Christmas Holiday- Bali
This year I opted to not go home for holidays. The cost of the plane tickets were sitting around $3000+ and that was just too much money quite frankly for me to fly home. I opted instead to do a small vacation to Bali for less than half the cost of flying home.
Caira and I went to Bali for 10 days. The weather there was very humid and rainy-- I was surprised to feel the humidity as I thought I was used to it having lived in Dubai for 2.5 yrs at this point. We had a nice vacation-- lots of sleep and we explored a number of interesting places. 1 day we did some white water rafting down a gorge with a dad and his daughter. The sides of the gorge were all carved with pictures from various Hindu stories. We stopped in 1 spot and swam under a waterfall which was amazing. We had a nice chat with the dad and his daughter and ended up going back to their hotel and meeting his wife and youngest and sitting and chatting with them for some time.
Another day we went to the top of a mountain near the island's big volcano and biked 26 km down to an elephant sanctuary, biking through tiny Balinese villages. The people came out of their homes and called and waved to us as we biked through-- that was pretty cool. We also spent time shopping in various villages for items like silver, batik, wood carvings and such.
For me the best spot on the island was Ubud. It was such a neat mix of things going on-- while we were there there was a big temple celebration for the god of arts so everyone was dressed up and going to the temple and there were parades on the street. There were lots of little shops to check out and crafts and clothes being sold for cheap. We also went and visited the monkey sanctuary but truthfully I didn't enjoy that as I found the monkeys really agressive and they scared me somewhat.
We also visited a couple of temples along the way and got to see a cultural show (the Ka-chuk). It was so cool and we just laid back and enjoyed ourselves without feeling the need to do too much. On our way back home we stopped in Singapore for a day just to check it out-- we hit the night zoo and walked around Orchard Road for a bit.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Home Again
This summer was a different summer for me; since I was training for a big dragon boat competition, I could only manage 2 weeks home with my family. It was much shorter than I would have liked and my time home was quite busy. I spent time visiting with my family and trying to cram in visits with my friends in between time. It was not a relaxing visit as I was training every day and had managed to get a contact in dragon boating so that I could paddle with a team while I was home visiting. I had a great time with the team from home; they were so laid back and fun- I felt like I'd known them for a long time. We had some great chuckles and it was nice to paddle with such low key people. They were a good team and I got a good workout and learned some stuff along the way too!
Too soon it was time to leave and head back to Dubai...
Too soon it was time to leave and head back to Dubai...
Seattle
In July, I spent a week in Seattle attending a conference as part of my training to become a certified Literacy Coach. It was a wonderful week; I am part of such a wonderful group of teachers and every time we meet together I feel like I learn so much from them! We were also privileged to meet several authors in the field of literacy and literacy coaching and to talk to them and question them about their literacy areas/ literacy practices. I learned so much that week and each conference leaves me feeling re-energized and raring to go!
While I was in Seattle, I managed to meet up with a couple of dragon boat teams and practice with them so that I wouldn't be too out of shape when I returned to Dubai to train with my dragon boat team. It was so cool to paddle on Lake Washington with Mount Rainier looming overhead. I felt so at peace there with the mountains, the greenery, the water all surrounding me. One thing the teams did is that they would stop half way through and let team members jump in the water for a quick swim to cool down; I couldn't even imagine doing that-- the water was freezing and was the overall temperature out on the lake! The guys would get back in the boat and I swear I could hear their teeth chattering the whole way back, but I guess it was something they enjoyed doing.
Cesky Krumlov
My 3rd day in Czech Republic, I decided to take a day trip to Cesky Krumlov. Cesky Krumlov is about 3 hrs outside of Prague and is a designated UN Heritage Site. I hopped on a bus and headed out of town. It was such a beautiful drive; outside of Prague there are lots of green hills with villages located in the valleys. Often, the bus would chug up a lush green mountain and as we hit the peak, I would look down into the valley.and see the most beautiful villages-- houses with orange roofs all nestled together, usually beside a winding river. Along the way the bus stopped at the village that was the original home to Budweiser; strangely, I didn't see any signs or anything denoting that fact.
3 hrs later, we pulled in to the bus stop at Cesky Krumlov. At this point, so many people had gotten on the bus that people were forced to stand in the aisles while we made our way through the countryside. We all piled off the bus and I began the short walk to the town. Coming up to the entrance to the town literally took my breath away; here was the quaint medieval looking town nestled by a huge winding river, surrounded by beautifully lush mountains. The town had cobblestone streets and the narrow homes you'd expect to see in a typical medieval town. I spent most of the day wandering through the streets, eating and investigating many of the shops and sights of Cesky Krumlov. The town is also built up a hill on one side of the river, so I crossed over and hiked to the top of the hill to Cesky Krumlov Castle. As I walked into the courtyard, I had a start-- across the courtyard I saw a Canadian flag. A Canadian flag in Czech Republic, in a historic site in Cesky Krumlov? I was really curious, so I walked up and took a look. There was a sign posted on a door announcing that Dalhousie University was conducting a summer course there-- a university from my home province in CR! I tried to get in to talk to someone, but the door remained locked and I couldn't get anyone to understand what I was asking.
I turned away and decided to hike up the tower and see Cesky Krumlov from its highest point. The walk up the tower was a bit tough as it had wooden staircases and was open on one side; being afraid of heights, it made me very nervous though I was proud of the fact that I didn't freak out and turn and yell at the person behind me to back off like I did when I took the stairs down La Familia Segrada in Barcelona. I think that lady in Barcelona is still reeling from my freaking out at her. Mind you, the woman was running up on my heels and trying to push me to go faster which freaked me out all the more. Anyhow, the hike up Cesky Krumlov tower was worth it-- the view was amazing. I had a 360o view of the town-- I could see the visitors walking across the wooden bridge over the river, people inner tubing down the river, people hiking up the hilly part of Cesky Krumlov, etc. I stayed up there for a while and just enjoyed the view.
After I came down from the tower, I headed in to the castle. I had a wonderful tour of the Castle, although the English tour guide was awfully hard to understand-- being a Czech girl she had a bit of a funny lilt to her voice which made it hard to figure out what she was saying. We were unable to take any photos of the inside of the palace but it was quite awesome for a small town castle.
I spent the rest of the day finding some good food and meandering down the alleyways of the town. Around dinnertime I decided to catch the bus back in to Prague. My Czech being nonexistant, I just guessed and hopped on the bus; wrong decision. Somehow I managed to get on the milk run-- the bus that stopped in every town along the way. On the one hand, it was great b/c I got to see lots of towns and villages however, I was really tired and wanted to get back so I could eat and sleep so I didn't necessarily appreciate the 4 hrs it took to get back to town.
Here are my photos from Cesky Krumlov:
3 hrs later, we pulled in to the bus stop at Cesky Krumlov. At this point, so many people had gotten on the bus that people were forced to stand in the aisles while we made our way through the countryside. We all piled off the bus and I began the short walk to the town. Coming up to the entrance to the town literally took my breath away; here was the quaint medieval looking town nestled by a huge winding river, surrounded by beautifully lush mountains. The town had cobblestone streets and the narrow homes you'd expect to see in a typical medieval town. I spent most of the day wandering through the streets, eating and investigating many of the shops and sights of Cesky Krumlov. The town is also built up a hill on one side of the river, so I crossed over and hiked to the top of the hill to Cesky Krumlov Castle. As I walked into the courtyard, I had a start-- across the courtyard I saw a Canadian flag. A Canadian flag in Czech Republic, in a historic site in Cesky Krumlov? I was really curious, so I walked up and took a look. There was a sign posted on a door announcing that Dalhousie University was conducting a summer course there-- a university from my home province in CR! I tried to get in to talk to someone, but the door remained locked and I couldn't get anyone to understand what I was asking.
I turned away and decided to hike up the tower and see Cesky Krumlov from its highest point. The walk up the tower was a bit tough as it had wooden staircases and was open on one side; being afraid of heights, it made me very nervous though I was proud of the fact that I didn't freak out and turn and yell at the person behind me to back off like I did when I took the stairs down La Familia Segrada in Barcelona. I think that lady in Barcelona is still reeling from my freaking out at her. Mind you, the woman was running up on my heels and trying to push me to go faster which freaked me out all the more. Anyhow, the hike up Cesky Krumlov tower was worth it-- the view was amazing. I had a 360o view of the town-- I could see the visitors walking across the wooden bridge over the river, people inner tubing down the river, people hiking up the hilly part of Cesky Krumlov, etc. I stayed up there for a while and just enjoyed the view.
After I came down from the tower, I headed in to the castle. I had a wonderful tour of the Castle, although the English tour guide was awfully hard to understand-- being a Czech girl she had a bit of a funny lilt to her voice which made it hard to figure out what she was saying. We were unable to take any photos of the inside of the palace but it was quite awesome for a small town castle.
I spent the rest of the day finding some good food and meandering down the alleyways of the town. Around dinnertime I decided to catch the bus back in to Prague. My Czech being nonexistant, I just guessed and hopped on the bus; wrong decision. Somehow I managed to get on the milk run-- the bus that stopped in every town along the way. On the one hand, it was great b/c I got to see lots of towns and villages however, I was really tired and wanted to get back so I could eat and sleep so I didn't necessarily appreciate the 4 hrs it took to get back to town.
Here are my photos from Cesky Krumlov:
Monday, August 11, 2008
Prague, Czech Republic
From Barcelona, I went to Prague. What an amazing city! Prague is like a fairytale city-- cobblestone roads, old, narrow homes and it is so relaxed and laid back. There are some minor vestiges of the communist era there but for the most part it is relatively unscathed and I often forgot that Prague had been under communist rule.
I managed to see the major sites while I was there-- Wenceslas Square, the Astronomical Clock, the central/historic square, the Charles Bridge, Mala Strana and Prague Castle. The eeriest place for me was walking through what used to be the Jewish Ghetto. It is now full of high end stores but during WWII, the Nazis had preserved this Ghetto, intending to turn it in to a "museum of an exterminated race". It gave me chills to walk through this section and realize how close that became a reality.
I spent 3 days wandering around Prague, enjoying the sites and sitting at cafes watching the world go by.
I managed to see the major sites while I was there-- Wenceslas Square, the Astronomical Clock, the central/historic square, the Charles Bridge, Mala Strana and Prague Castle. The eeriest place for me was walking through what used to be the Jewish Ghetto. It is now full of high end stores but during WWII, the Nazis had preserved this Ghetto, intending to turn it in to a "museum of an exterminated race". It gave me chills to walk through this section and realize how close that became a reality.
I spent 3 days wandering around Prague, enjoying the sites and sitting at cafes watching the world go by.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Barcelona- June 2008
Lori and I ran away to Barcelona to celebrate the end of the year and to say 'hello' to summer. We stayed near Catalunya Square and La Rambla. Our 4 days included lots of walking around, viewing historic sites and museums-- my favourite was the Picasso Museum. We ate lots of tapas which were so yummy. My favourite were the chicken croquettes-- Mmmm... We also lucked out in that we happened upon a human tower competition, something which occurs more in the provinces than in the city.
Barcelona is such a neat city and Lori and I quickly turned to the European way of life. We slept in, had a later breakfast, wandered around the city for a bit, had tapas and sangria, then wandered back to the hotel for an afternoon nap, then around 10p.m we'd head out for dinner. I could totally get used to this type of lifestyle!
We got to see some neat architecture by Gaudi such as La Segrada Familia. La Segrada Familia will be etched indelibly in my mind as it was there that I caught my shoulder on a piece of wrought iron fencing as I tried to hop it. I was left with a nasty gash which has now turned in to a nice scar about 3-4 inches long along my shoulder. That'll teach me to try to hop fencing that has modernist art attached to it!
This was such a nice way to come down from the end of the year and begin enjoying summer. From Barcelona, I went on to Prague...
Barcelona is such a neat city and Lori and I quickly turned to the European way of life. We slept in, had a later breakfast, wandered around the city for a bit, had tapas and sangria, then wandered back to the hotel for an afternoon nap, then around 10p.m we'd head out for dinner. I could totally get used to this type of lifestyle!
We got to see some neat architecture by Gaudi such as La Segrada Familia. La Segrada Familia will be etched indelibly in my mind as it was there that I caught my shoulder on a piece of wrought iron fencing as I tried to hop it. I was left with a nasty gash which has now turned in to a nice scar about 3-4 inches long along my shoulder. That'll teach me to try to hop fencing that has modernist art attached to it!
This was such a nice way to come down from the end of the year and begin enjoying summer. From Barcelona, I went on to Prague...
Monday, March 31, 2008
Istanbul- Day 2
I sat bolt upright, blinked and tried to look around the pitch black room. What time was it? How long had I been asleep? Had I slept too long? Suddenly, a voice pierced the darkness, loud and melodic (in a mournful kind of way), followed by a second, and another and another. It was the voices of the mullahs of the nearby mosques doing the call to prayer. I turned on my light and looked at my alarm clock-- 4:37 a.m. Are you kidding me? I was so tired but the call to prayer continued on. I started wondering if he was doing some kind of a sermon (I don't think the call to prayers in Dubai are this long! Really!) but he kept 'singing' so I knew it couldn't be a sermon. Funny how the call to prayer sounds so different in different countries. In Dubai, I'm assuming because of the environmental noise (construction, planes, etc.), I never hear the morning call to prayer unless I happen to be awake and laying in bed; then I'll hear 1 mullah after another start their calls-- it's actually kind of neat to hear the faint voices call out over the quiet-- it signifies the start of the day (at least to me)-- a kind of 'wake up and get going' call for me. In Bahrain, I don't remember hearing anything and in Jordan they were loud enough to partially wake up but it still seemed to be in the distance somewhere. This was like the speakers were right in my room. Of course, the Blue Mosque was directly behind my hotel so that probably made it seem even louder.
I managed to fall back asleep and work up at 7:30-- 10 hours of sleep-- fabulous! I don't remember the last time I slept that long. I went to breakfast on the hotel's rooftop restaurant- what a breath takingview! I could see the massive structures of the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofya looming over the old homes in Sultanahmet. As I looked at the Blue Mosque, I noticed the Egyptian obelisk in front of the Blue Mosque. This is when I realized I was in the heart of the action (historically speaking).
After breakfast, I grabbed my gear and went to see what used to be the Hippodrome. Major events are no longer held there as there's nothing left, but it's still a popular are having been turned in to a park. I started by visiting the obelisk; it's a massive structure and has a base that's made out of marble and has Egyptian reliefs carved in it. It is believed to have been made in 1500 BC and the base was believed to have been made in the 4th centure AD. It was wild to see this almost perfectly preserved Egyptian marker in the heart of old Constantinople. Next to the obelisk was the Serpentine Column or what was left of it as the serpents' heads were lost some time ago. This particular column dates back to 479 BC. The last column at this particular end of the Hippodrome area was the Column of Constantine Porphyrogenitus, a column that was restored in the 10th century AD.
From there, I walked back across to the north end of the square (close to Aya Sofya) and saw the covered fountain which was built to commemorate Kaiser Wilhem II's visit to Istanbul in 1898. I then crossed the street, bought a cheap scarf and headed to the Blue Mosque.
I managed to fall back asleep and work up at 7:30-- 10 hours of sleep-- fabulous! I don't remember the last time I slept that long. I went to breakfast on the hotel's rooftop restaurant- what a breath takingview! I could see the massive structures of the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofya looming over the old homes in Sultanahmet. As I looked at the Blue Mosque, I noticed the Egyptian obelisk in front of the Blue Mosque. This is when I realized I was in the heart of the action (historically speaking).
After breakfast, I grabbed my gear and went to see what used to be the Hippodrome. Major events are no longer held there as there's nothing left, but it's still a popular are having been turned in to a park. I started by visiting the obelisk; it's a massive structure and has a base that's made out of marble and has Egyptian reliefs carved in it. It is believed to have been made in 1500 BC and the base was believed to have been made in the 4th centure AD. It was wild to see this almost perfectly preserved Egyptian marker in the heart of old Constantinople. Next to the obelisk was the Serpentine Column or what was left of it as the serpents' heads were lost some time ago. This particular column dates back to 479 BC. The last column at this particular end of the Hippodrome area was the Column of Constantine Porphyrogenitus, a column that was restored in the 10th century AD.
From there, I walked back across to the north end of the square (close to Aya Sofya) and saw the covered fountain which was built to commemorate Kaiser Wilhem II's visit to Istanbul in 1898. I then crossed the street, bought a cheap scarf and headed to the Blue Mosque.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Istanbul- Day 1
Never, never, never again will I take a flight at 4:30 a.m. It is sheer madness! I managed to haul myself to the airport for my flight, but I was so exhausted that after I checked in and sat down near my gate, I simply threw my leg over my carry on and fell right asleep. Fortunately, I managed to wake up when they called the flight. I hauled my sad body on to the plane, fell in to a seat and promptly fell asleep again. Truthfully, I'm kind of impressed by my ability to sleep anywhere. :) I woke up a short while later when the flight attendants began paging a "Mr. Lee" to board the plane. Mr. Lee never showed up so we were late leaving as they had to take his bags off the plane before we could leave.
I arrived in Istanbul bright and early (7:30 a.m.) and got off the plane and lined up to pay a princely sum of 45 Euros for the priviledge of entering the country. I'm not sure why, but Canadians pay the highest rate for visas by far. Anyone know?? I grabbed my bags and hopped into a cab and drove smack dab into rush hour traffic Istanbul style. While we sat in the car, I looked around and enjoyed the view. The road ran parallel to the Bosphorus Sea. The Sea was choked up with tankers as far as the eye could see-- it's obviously a major port/ oil transport area. We drove in to the Sultanahmet area and I was immediately captivated by its charm-- narrow, steep, winding cobbelstone roads; skinny, tall houses in shades of red, pink, etc. lined the road as we drove up. All in all, it reminded me a lot of Old Quebec.
The cab dropped me off at the hotel but it turned out to be the wrong one (there are 2 hotels in the same district with the same name), so I had to get another cab driver to take me to the right hotel. The cab pulls up, opens up the trunk and throws my luggage in the wrong way so that it's sticking out of the trunk. He doesn't put the trunk lid down or secure the luggage in any way, but simply hops in the cab and takes off. These roads are amazingly steep and wind around corner after corner and I must admit that my heart was in my throat as we drove up the hill. I kept looking out the back window every time we went around a corner or hit a bump, half expecting to see my luggage tumbling down the road in the opposite direction to the one in which I was traveling and having the car behind us drive over my luggage (Please, not the bag with my expensive camera in it!). Thankfully we made it to the hotel with my luggage still in the trunk and still (relatively) in one piece.
As I checked in to the hotel, the manager mentioned to me that Grayline offered day long city tours and that there was one leaving in 10 mins. Since my room wasn't going to be ready for a couple of hours, it seemed worthwhile to hop on the bus and get an overview of the city. I left my bags with the concierge and hopped on the bus. There were about 15 others on the bus all from different countries and hotels. Our first stop was to the Egyptian, or Spice, Bazaar. As I wandered through the souk, I sampled more Turkish delight that I could hold, bought some apple tea for a teacher friend and at stall #20, had my first taste of apple tea. I'm addicted!
From there, we crossed the Galata Bridge to the Beyoglu/Taksim side of Istanbul. We drove past the military museum, a summer palace on the edge of the Bosphorus built for a daughter of the Sultan and Dolmabahce Palace. Shortly after passing by Dolmabahce Palace, our bus pulled over and we disembarked and headed to a boat for a private cruise of the Bosphorus. We cruised down the European side of Istanbul/the Bosphorus to the Bosphorus Bridge, the crossed over and cruised up the Asian side of the city. There were many beautiful Ottoman houses that lined the shore of the Bosphorus and it was easy to imagine the Sultans and their family, inner circle, summering on the Bosphorus. It was also easy to see that Istanbul was built up from the Sea as the older buildings are typically on the shore of the Bosphorus and the newere buildings are further up the mountain/hill away from the Bosphorus. The cruise itself was a bit rough as the waters were very rough on this day- the guide said it was partially caused by opposing currents from the Bosphorus and the Black Seas-- apparently they meet up on the section of the Bosphorus where we were cruising. Whatever the reason, we definitely bounced around a bit! While cruising around, we were able to see Rumele Fortress-- it was quite impressive.
All that cruising got us hungry, so we headed off for a traditional Turkish lunch at one of the local restaurants (stuffed peppers-- rice and currants I believe, plus some kind of a curried chicken dish), then it was off to Domabahce Palace. The palace was built in 1865 by Sultan Abdul Mecit. I was floored with how much crystal was in this place-- apparently the world's largest crystal chandelier hangs at this palace. The palace also contains the 3rd largest carpet in the world and even has a crystal staircase! (well, the spindles on the railing are crystal at any rate!). Apparently the Sultan took out a loan to finance the building of this palace-- I can see why! He even had an entry way built and reserved especially for him and another one built especially for his harem (there were at one point 1 000 concubines in the harem!). The Grand Hall is beyond description and as you look around, you can notice windows with what looks like carved 'grills' in front of them. It was behind these windows that the harem and other palace women could watch the goings on, formal gatherings, etc. that took place in the Grand Hall as the only women allowed in the Grand Hall was the Sultan's mother and perhaps his wife. This palace was so over the top that we were all made to wear pink plastic covers over our shoes lest we dirty anything. Oh how I suffer to get a peek at history!
Once we were done gaping over Dolmabahce Palace, we climbed back in our bus and headed for the Bosphorus Bridge. We literally left Europe behind and as we crossed the bridge, we crossed over to the Asian continent. Part way across was a sign saying, "Welcome to Asia". 2 yrs later and I'm back in Asia again! We headed for Camlica Hill which is a hill from which you can get great views of Istanbul. Unfortunately the temperature had dropped dramatically and a fog bank had started to roll in, making it impossible to stand outside for any length of time due to the cold weather and impossible to see much of anything due to the fog. I went in to the coffee house and had some Turkish coffee in an effort to thaw out and while waiting for the bus to come and get us.
I was dropped off at my hotel at 6 and went out to the main drag, found a nice restaurant, had dinner and drank some more of that yummy apple tea. I managed to stagger back to bed and collapsed on to the bed and fell sound, sound asleep.
Check out photos from my first day by clicking on this impossibly long link:
I arrived in Istanbul bright and early (7:30 a.m.) and got off the plane and lined up to pay a princely sum of 45 Euros for the priviledge of entering the country. I'm not sure why, but Canadians pay the highest rate for visas by far. Anyone know?? I grabbed my bags and hopped into a cab and drove smack dab into rush hour traffic Istanbul style. While we sat in the car, I looked around and enjoyed the view. The road ran parallel to the Bosphorus Sea. The Sea was choked up with tankers as far as the eye could see-- it's obviously a major port/ oil transport area. We drove in to the Sultanahmet area and I was immediately captivated by its charm-- narrow, steep, winding cobbelstone roads; skinny, tall houses in shades of red, pink, etc. lined the road as we drove up. All in all, it reminded me a lot of Old Quebec.
The cab dropped me off at the hotel but it turned out to be the wrong one (there are 2 hotels in the same district with the same name), so I had to get another cab driver to take me to the right hotel. The cab pulls up, opens up the trunk and throws my luggage in the wrong way so that it's sticking out of the trunk. He doesn't put the trunk lid down or secure the luggage in any way, but simply hops in the cab and takes off. These roads are amazingly steep and wind around corner after corner and I must admit that my heart was in my throat as we drove up the hill. I kept looking out the back window every time we went around a corner or hit a bump, half expecting to see my luggage tumbling down the road in the opposite direction to the one in which I was traveling and having the car behind us drive over my luggage (Please, not the bag with my expensive camera in it!). Thankfully we made it to the hotel with my luggage still in the trunk and still (relatively) in one piece.
As I checked in to the hotel, the manager mentioned to me that Grayline offered day long city tours and that there was one leaving in 10 mins. Since my room wasn't going to be ready for a couple of hours, it seemed worthwhile to hop on the bus and get an overview of the city. I left my bags with the concierge and hopped on the bus. There were about 15 others on the bus all from different countries and hotels. Our first stop was to the Egyptian, or Spice, Bazaar. As I wandered through the souk, I sampled more Turkish delight that I could hold, bought some apple tea for a teacher friend and at stall #20, had my first taste of apple tea. I'm addicted!
From there, we crossed the Galata Bridge to the Beyoglu/Taksim side of Istanbul. We drove past the military museum, a summer palace on the edge of the Bosphorus built for a daughter of the Sultan and Dolmabahce Palace. Shortly after passing by Dolmabahce Palace, our bus pulled over and we disembarked and headed to a boat for a private cruise of the Bosphorus. We cruised down the European side of Istanbul/the Bosphorus to the Bosphorus Bridge, the crossed over and cruised up the Asian side of the city. There were many beautiful Ottoman houses that lined the shore of the Bosphorus and it was easy to imagine the Sultans and their family, inner circle, summering on the Bosphorus. It was also easy to see that Istanbul was built up from the Sea as the older buildings are typically on the shore of the Bosphorus and the newere buildings are further up the mountain/hill away from the Bosphorus. The cruise itself was a bit rough as the waters were very rough on this day- the guide said it was partially caused by opposing currents from the Bosphorus and the Black Seas-- apparently they meet up on the section of the Bosphorus where we were cruising. Whatever the reason, we definitely bounced around a bit! While cruising around, we were able to see Rumele Fortress-- it was quite impressive.
All that cruising got us hungry, so we headed off for a traditional Turkish lunch at one of the local restaurants (stuffed peppers-- rice and currants I believe, plus some kind of a curried chicken dish), then it was off to Domabahce Palace. The palace was built in 1865 by Sultan Abdul Mecit. I was floored with how much crystal was in this place-- apparently the world's largest crystal chandelier hangs at this palace. The palace also contains the 3rd largest carpet in the world and even has a crystal staircase! (well, the spindles on the railing are crystal at any rate!). Apparently the Sultan took out a loan to finance the building of this palace-- I can see why! He even had an entry way built and reserved especially for him and another one built especially for his harem (there were at one point 1 000 concubines in the harem!). The Grand Hall is beyond description and as you look around, you can notice windows with what looks like carved 'grills' in front of them. It was behind these windows that the harem and other palace women could watch the goings on, formal gatherings, etc. that took place in the Grand Hall as the only women allowed in the Grand Hall was the Sultan's mother and perhaps his wife. This palace was so over the top that we were all made to wear pink plastic covers over our shoes lest we dirty anything. Oh how I suffer to get a peek at history!
Once we were done gaping over Dolmabahce Palace, we climbed back in our bus and headed for the Bosphorus Bridge. We literally left Europe behind and as we crossed the bridge, we crossed over to the Asian continent. Part way across was a sign saying, "Welcome to Asia". 2 yrs later and I'm back in Asia again! We headed for Camlica Hill which is a hill from which you can get great views of Istanbul. Unfortunately the temperature had dropped dramatically and a fog bank had started to roll in, making it impossible to stand outside for any length of time due to the cold weather and impossible to see much of anything due to the fog. I went in to the coffee house and had some Turkish coffee in an effort to thaw out and while waiting for the bus to come and get us.
I was dropped off at my hotel at 6 and went out to the main drag, found a nice restaurant, had dinner and drank some more of that yummy apple tea. I managed to stagger back to bed and collapsed on to the bed and fell sound, sound asleep.
Check out photos from my first day by clicking on this impossibly long link:
 |
| Dolmabahce Palace |
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Abu Dhabi
I went to Abu Dhabi on Saturday for the first time since I moved to the UAE. It's very pretty and much greener than Dubai. It also seems quieter than Dubai. I really enjoyed driving along the water front as well as touring through town. I'd forgotten that it was Saturday and that a number of places (like the Women's Coop) would be closed. I guess I'll have to go back another day...
Saturday, March 8, 2008
On the road to Abu Dhabi
Today I went down the road to Abu Dhabi. I'm embarrassed to admit that though I've lived in the Middle East for 1.5 yrs, I've never been to Abu Dhabi. I was told that it was quieter than Dubai and that the royal family lives there. It definitely was different-- lots of greenery, low rise buildings (though you can see many cranes and high rise buildings are rising up out of the sand) and has a much different vibe from Dubai.
Anyhow, on the road to Abu Dhabi I ended up behind a Toyota pick up truck. It took me a couple of minutes to realize what was in the flat bed as my mind was wandering. When I finally took a look, I think I actually shook my head a couple of times because I wasn't sure I was really seeing the scene in front of me. Not sure if he was heading to/from the camel market or camel races, but he sure looks comfortable back there doesn't he?
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Dubai Orienteering Challenge
I've decided that signage in Dubai is a combination of comedy and a waste of time. Because of the constant construction very few signs are accurate, so you either have to know exactly where you're going or you try to make the best guess possible and hope you end up in the right lane or in the right place. Today for example, I was driving back from Al Mamzar and saw a sign that said "Bur Dubai" and a sign that said "Jumeirah". I live in Bur Dubai so I took the exit-- wrong! I ended up in the wrong part of Bur Dubai stuck in massive traffic. I should have taken the "Jumeirah" exit which, though it doesn't state it, would take me to the right area of Bur Dubai. See what I mean??
Now to the signage. I will be taking photos and posting them because you really have to see them to believe them. I'm not sure how to describe them. You're driving on the highway and suddenly you see this sign with 2 loop-de-loops and an arrow that's 180 from the direction in which you're traveling. It means you take an exit ramp, immediately take an off-ramp and go back up to the road on which you were traveling (but in the opposite direction), then head back the way you came. They're just the funniest things I've seen. There's one about a block from my apt and I'll go get a photo of it in the next day or so. It took me several months to completely understand these signs (or as best as I could) -- I really couldn't grasp that I was supposed to drive exactly the way it was sketched out on the sign. It really is funny.
Now to the signage. I will be taking photos and posting them because you really have to see them to believe them. I'm not sure how to describe them. You're driving on the highway and suddenly you see this sign with 2 loop-de-loops and an arrow that's 180 from the direction in which you're traveling. It means you take an exit ramp, immediately take an off-ramp and go back up to the road on which you were traveling (but in the opposite direction), then head back the way you came. They're just the funniest things I've seen. There's one about a block from my apt and I'll go get a photo of it in the next day or so. It took me several months to completely understand these signs (or as best as I could) -- I really couldn't grasp that I was supposed to drive exactly the way it was sketched out on the sign. It really is funny.
Dubai Mini-vacation
Today I decided to try a new beach. I really haven't done much beaching since I came to Dubai-- I'm just not a 'go lay on the beach and do nothing' kind of girl. However, I thought I'd give another kick at the can and see if I liked it. Dubai has so many beaches that it'd be a shame not to try some out.
Today I went to Al Mamzar Beach. It is actually in and around Al Mamzar Park. I zipped through the Shindagha Tunnel and headed to Al Mamzar. The drive out reminded me of Al Ain-- every few metres we had a roundabout to go around. I must have gone around 4 or 5 before I go to the turnoff to Al Mamzar Beach. Then I had another couple roundabouts to navigate before I got to the beach- how people around here don't get dizzy is beyond me! :)
After paying my 30 AED fee (cars are charged a flat fee; pedestrians are charged 5 AED), I drove through the park to the beach. I actually had 4 beaches to choose from. I decided to go as far back as I could and went to beach 3. When I walked through the little gate/pagoda to the beach area, my mouth dropped open. In front of me was white sand, azur water and the bluest sky you could ever imagine. There was also virtually no one on the beach, so I quickly nabbed a couple of shots.
It was so lovely-- I set up shop under a palm frond umbrella, read for a bit, then napped while listening to the thunder of the waves hitting the shore. The smell of the salt was in the air, and , except for the fact that it is warmer here, I could almost pretend that I was at Crystal Crescent Beach in NS. 'K, the water here is WAY warmer! After a while, more people came along and I was struck by the interesting mix of beach goers-- Russians in their bikinis and (gulp!) Speedos (we really need to ban those things!), other westerners in their bathing gear and local/ Gulf visitors including some women who went in to the ocean fully covered-- I actually wondered if they had gone in with their regular clothes on or if they had a bathing suit under their long cover. One lady was even bobbing and diving in the water while wearing her shayla. I was truly impressed that she was able to keep that on. Had it been me, I'd have lost it the first time the waves crashed over me. Perhaps she had a barrette or something to keep it in place. Other ladies were wearing long pants, 'coats' (they kind of looked like lab coats) & shaylas, but they didn't go in the water. Wednesdays is ladies' only days, so perhaps then they do not need to cover up when they go in the water? I was so taken with the differences I was seeing, yet no one batted an eye about it. I just think it's so neat and interesting to see the difference in cultures.
After 1.5 hrs, I decided to go as I had had a headache all morning that was now getting worse. I chose a good time to go b/c a group of elementary school boys from Al Ain showed up with their teachers just as I was going-- so much for a quiet beach at that point!
Driving back to Dubai, I was thinking that I felt like I'd been on vacation and was now heading back to town, yet the beach is only 15 mins from home. That is what I love about Dubai-- you never have to go far to feel like you've had a wonderful vacation and that your batteries are re-charged and you're ready to face another crazy week!
Today I went to Al Mamzar Beach. It is actually in and around Al Mamzar Park. I zipped through the Shindagha Tunnel and headed to Al Mamzar. The drive out reminded me of Al Ain-- every few metres we had a roundabout to go around. I must have gone around 4 or 5 before I go to the turnoff to Al Mamzar Beach. Then I had another couple roundabouts to navigate before I got to the beach- how people around here don't get dizzy is beyond me! :)
After paying my 30 AED fee (cars are charged a flat fee; pedestrians are charged 5 AED), I drove through the park to the beach. I actually had 4 beaches to choose from. I decided to go as far back as I could and went to beach 3. When I walked through the little gate/pagoda to the beach area, my mouth dropped open. In front of me was white sand, azur water and the bluest sky you could ever imagine. There was also virtually no one on the beach, so I quickly nabbed a couple of shots.
It was so lovely-- I set up shop under a palm frond umbrella, read for a bit, then napped while listening to the thunder of the waves hitting the shore. The smell of the salt was in the air, and , except for the fact that it is warmer here, I could almost pretend that I was at Crystal Crescent Beach in NS. 'K, the water here is WAY warmer! After a while, more people came along and I was struck by the interesting mix of beach goers-- Russians in their bikinis and (gulp!) Speedos (we really need to ban those things!), other westerners in their bathing gear and local/ Gulf visitors including some women who went in to the ocean fully covered-- I actually wondered if they had gone in with their regular clothes on or if they had a bathing suit under their long cover. One lady was even bobbing and diving in the water while wearing her shayla. I was truly impressed that she was able to keep that on. Had it been me, I'd have lost it the first time the waves crashed over me. Perhaps she had a barrette or something to keep it in place. Other ladies were wearing long pants, 'coats' (they kind of looked like lab coats) & shaylas, but they didn't go in the water. Wednesdays is ladies' only days, so perhaps then they do not need to cover up when they go in the water? I was so taken with the differences I was seeing, yet no one batted an eye about it. I just think it's so neat and interesting to see the difference in cultures.
After 1.5 hrs, I decided to go as I had had a headache all morning that was now getting worse. I chose a good time to go b/c a group of elementary school boys from Al Ain showed up with their teachers just as I was going-- so much for a quiet beach at that point!
Driving back to Dubai, I was thinking that I felt like I'd been on vacation and was now heading back to town, yet the beach is only 15 mins from home. That is what I love about Dubai-- you never have to go far to feel like you've had a wonderful vacation and that your batteries are re-charged and you're ready to face another crazy week!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Dubai Shopping Festival / Pharmacy hawkers
The Dubai Shopping Festival has started once again. I know there's all kinds of sales, etc. on at this time, but I find that people shop a lot throughout the year; it can't be that shopping increases that much more during the Shopping Festival? If so, it must hit epic proportions this next month!
So I went to my local pharmacy earlier today as I have a cold. All I wanted was cough syrup and drops, yet the new pharmacist there kept trying to paw off other medications on me. I asked if the syrup would help me sleep and he brought out sleeping pills and tried to convince me to buy them (cough syrup, cough drops and sleeping pills-- now THERE's a good combo!). Then he tried to have me buy antibiotics to help clear some supposed phlegm in my chest (this after I chose a cough syrup that would do the job). Finally he tried to have me buy multi-vitamins with calcium and when I told him I had multi-vitamins at home, he was convinced that they couldn't have Calcium in them and kept on with his sales pitch until I told him to STOP, I was not buying anything more. Had I bought what he suggested, I would have walked away with cough syrup, medicated drops, sleeping pills, antibiotics, and multi-vitamins with calcium. This on top of my asthma meds which I'd told him about. Talk about possible med OD... yikes, what was he thinking?? I was so annoyed with the 'hawking' of goods that I left as fast as I could and swore I'd never go back there again. Hopefully there's another pharmacy in my area that doesn't do that.
So I went to my local pharmacy earlier today as I have a cold. All I wanted was cough syrup and drops, yet the new pharmacist there kept trying to paw off other medications on me. I asked if the syrup would help me sleep and he brought out sleeping pills and tried to convince me to buy them (cough syrup, cough drops and sleeping pills-- now THERE's a good combo!). Then he tried to have me buy antibiotics to help clear some supposed phlegm in my chest (this after I chose a cough syrup that would do the job). Finally he tried to have me buy multi-vitamins with calcium and when I told him I had multi-vitamins at home, he was convinced that they couldn't have Calcium in them and kept on with his sales pitch until I told him to STOP, I was not buying anything more. Had I bought what he suggested, I would have walked away with cough syrup, medicated drops, sleeping pills, antibiotics, and multi-vitamins with calcium. This on top of my asthma meds which I'd told him about. Talk about possible med OD... yikes, what was he thinking?? I was so annoyed with the 'hawking' of goods that I left as fast as I could and swore I'd never go back there again. Hopefully there's another pharmacy in my area that doesn't do that.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)