So finally have a nice 360° image of the beach of Patong. You see its not crowed with people. Most of the tourists here are Russian and People from Scandinavian. Sometimes you hear French and i didn’t hear any Dutch.
Every day i goto the beach for some hours and rent a bed include a parasol for 100 Bath (2,60 euro) for a whole day. Around 13:00 i walk to the boulevard and there are the street food motorbikes again. Buy some nice lunch an walk back. Have a nice view with nice food and even more nice weather. Even Patong is very touristic its nice.
Maybe i will move to Kata Beach for 1 week, seems a beautifull beach as well and always good to see other locations.
So this evening i went to the streets where it all happen, drinks, beer, shots, ladies, boy’s ,food on the streets … you name it and you will find it here. On every meter they try you to get into their bar and have some drinks. On every corner you see a group of ladies for a massage… At “The Paradise Complex” you see the lady boy’s, and the gays walking around.
Near the beach you will find many restaurants and food on the streets. This is always so difficult, because the food on streets is do delicious but mostly fish, chicken, beef, or something between, without vegetables… When you goto restaurant you will get everything, but its more expensive.
I have made some images only for a little impression what you can expect here:
This is not about the beauty, not about happiness, but a little reflection of a person who live in Thailand.
I was chatting on a gay app called “Grindr” yes, for those who didn’t know. Im gay. but whatever…
I was chatting with a guy and was a nice conversation. We talked about some simple things and he told me he work as massage. I wanted goto a Thai Massage, but around my hotel lots of lady’s ask me: Wanna Massage… Wanna Massage… and it didn’t feel good. So i asked him where he worked.
He give me his location and i went to his salon. I told him i will arrive around 14:00 and outside he was waiting. Off course he was at work, so we went to the room and started the massage.
We talked also, normally you lay down and relax, but we had a conversation, a good one. I asked him some questions and he asked me questions. At a certain moment we talked about difference of Thailand and Netherlands. I asked him what i get per month for this job. He told me around 7000-8000 bath. It depends on how many customers he had. Yesterday he had 2 customers so get 100bath per customer. I paid 400bath (10 euro) for the oil massage. So 300bath goes to the owner.
He also told me that it isn’t enough for living (8000bath is around 204 euro). He send some money to his parents more land inward. They are not able to work anymore. So he has to live from 204 euro minus the amount he send to his parents. For me was that a moment of reflection.
He asked me to sit, so he can do my back and told me i was a very “friendly person” he said: lots of customers are touching me and are rude. After that saying to me i had again a reflection. How can someone rude agains a person who worked hard for his money? Work 6 days between 12:00 – 23:30 and 1 day off.
After the massage was done i thank you him for the open conversation and the nice massage as well. And people think now im crazy, but give him som extra for his family and himself. Because i will survive when i help someone… He need it.
True, its the normal way of living here, but if every tourist can be little more generous then the Thai people can live little bit better.
Here a nice image of the Great Wall of China in 360°
And another nice 360° image. This time of a shopping street in Beijing.
I went to the Olympic Park and visit the “Bird Nest”. This was the stadium where the opening of the Olympics in 2008 started. Its a impressive building, from the outside but also from the inside. Its huge, but feels small. I walked around and went also to the top to see the whole area. It was amazing to stand there, ok it’s not the premiere feeling of a opening, but still… We saw it on TV, we saw the firework and now im standing there.
After my Olympic Park visit i went too 2 temples: Lama Temple and Temple of heaven. Both very crowded with people. And seems i was the only white guy around there. The temples where colored so nice, and everywhere people pray, and give money to the buddha. When i was in temple of heaven 2 times people want on a photo with me, so i was the only white guy there, and a new attraction was born…
Today i went to Great Wall of China. This is the longest wall ever made by humans. Total length around 10.000km.It was a long journey to get there by bus. I was happy that i did a excursion otherwise i wasn’t able to find it my own and public transport. At this period of the year it was the best. Less people around so have some nice images created. After we went back in the hotel i had a dinner with a couple from Norway. Was a nice conversation and in meanwhile we ordered some delicious food in the upper floor of a shopping mall!
This morning went to Shanghai Railway Station to take the High-Speed train to Beijing. The ride was perfect. I bought a 1st class ticket and had almost my own cabin haha. The train will stop several times between Shanghai and Beijing and the whole journey took 7 hours. I shoot some images of the locations and now you have a little impression what i saw the whole day.
A cup of coffee cost 2,- euro, so thats normal. After u arrived at Beijing South a bought a metro card. When you know the metro system in other big cities, then every metro in every city is easy. Sometimes you have to ask something. There was a short part of the route with a old part of metro. So no signs, no map, nothing. I had to ask for it.
After i arrive at my hotel i booked my excursion to Great wall, costs 39,- euro. Pickup from hotel to Great wall, a guide, and when i arrive at Great Wall i will use a cablecar to get higher in te mountains. But you will see the images later.
Now below you can see some images i took in the train. Ohh im so happy with my Nikon 24-70mm f2.8. The train had a speed of 305km/hour. And all my images are sharp 😀
I went to the old city of Shanghai… Was difficult the find it because all small streets are filled with people and little shops. You have to look very well to see the beauty of this location. This location was build in the “Ming Dynasty” by a rich family the Pan-clan. It has been destroyed several times: Opium War, Taiping Protest.
They renovated all and you can see this, because it look old but it isn’t. Its ok, now we have a idea how it was in that period.
Here you have a impression of the Financial Area called “Lujiazui”. This district is located in the Pudong District of Shanghai.
Below you have a nice view of this area. Check the 360° degrees image:
Here some nice 360° images of Hong Kong:
So, first morning in Shanghai. It was a very unpleasant start. I arrived at my hotel in Huangpu District. Went to my room and with every step i feel more and more sad. Smell was like shit, the smell of wet dogs, 100 of them in 1 room. I opened my room and was almost crying. This was not the view how Hotels.com show the room. Was sitting on my bed and look around. Took some images because i want this for my memory (i’ll create a book of everything).
After 30minutes i decide to check-out and booked in meanwhile a other hotel. The reservation was ok. But because of my lost of my Macbook and the Payment of my Hong Kong Hotel and some other payments i knew my CreditCard limit was almost there. But ill took a taxi and went to “Novotel Shanghai”. Arrived there and explain everything (Thanks god they talk little bit english). It was no problem at all and they make a deposit of the amount i had on my CreditCard. At my room i called Rabobank and they give me the instructions to transfer money from my normal account to my Credit Card so i can use it when needed.
For now im at my hotel room, not coming out this day. Have to settle, have to be relax about this. I know problems are everywhere and you can solve it out. Im gonna edit my images, my panorama’s and my 360 degrees images. Next post will be a post of my Hotel in Hong Kong of “99 Bonham Hotel” that was a nice one! Loved it. Cheers
First 4 images was my previous hotel in Shanghai.
Below you see a 360 degrees of my current hotelroom.
Again i have a sad feeling by leaving Singapore. In April and Juli 2014 went to Singapore as well, and 2 times had the feeling i never want leave this nation. Tried to find my way to stay and live here. Its hard to find a job that fits so you can get a work permit. So if someone read this and have the opportunity to let me work in Singapore… let me know.
Im now at Changi Airport waiting for my flight to HongKong. Also a place i want see for so long period. Im gonna meet a friend over there so that will be great to meet him in his own country. We did meet already in Amsterdam. Later you will read and see the beautiful and maybe the other side of Hong Kong. I always curious who a country looks like when you leave the touristic path and see how the people living.
Today i went to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. This temple has a part of tooth of the Sakyamuni Boeddha.
you can visit this temple for free and when you done on ground floor go up and see this tooth yourself. You have to take of shoes and its not allow to take photo’s. The ground floor is allow. Below you see collection photo’s of this wonderfull temple
Here you can see the temple 360 degrees:
It was a experience !!! I was at the “New Bridge Rd” near my hotel. Crowd of people waiting for the countdown, Dragon dancers entertain the people. Most of the people are tourists. Some locals told me that the Chinese community are at home and watch the countdown on television.
It was also the first use of my lens i bought weeks ago. A Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 and its amazing what i can do now!!
Shoot night shots without a tripod. Ok off course its better to use, but when objects moving you can setup your camera well so its not needed.
It was a great night. I loved it, I enjoyed it, I was there!
