Free, half price and discounted in London

It doesn't get any more free than that.  That was the view from my bedroom window on Sunday morning.  I had been woken up by the sound of seagulls.  We live quite close to the Thames River and are downstream from the Thames Barrier - I never tire of hearing seagulls!

I've decided to start a new series called "Free, half price and discounted in London" because while London can be an extremely expensive city it is amazing how much you can do for free.

Free

Thanks to this amazing article I signed up at See Film First. I received an email last week about a free film premier. Your have to be quick - shows at Odeon Greenwich were already sold out but I managed to secure tickets at Odeon Chatham. I caught a train out of London Bridge at 5pm and the trip took an hour. Luckily Stephen was there on the other side to pick me up and take me to the venue though as it gets a bit tricky after that and can take 30 minutes to walk.

We made it for the prompt 6.30pm start and there were no trailers and no other marketing. All I had to do was fill in a voluntary questionnaire the next day and you choose at time of booking whether you would like to be contacted for that purpose. All in all, it was definitely worth the £6 addition to my Zone 4 travel card and we will definitely do it again (even if we have to go to Chatham again). There are also lots of restaurants by the cinemas to eat at afterwards.

We saw Get Smart.  I guessed that the show had received horrible reviews in the States and they needed to test market it here before spending resources on the wider market.  Stephen enjoyed it and had a laugh.  While I didn't expect much I still found they pushed the limits of probability a bit to far a bit too often.  Still, I would rather go to the cinema for free and see a bad film than not go at all!

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Half Price

I have Google to thank for this.  I googled "2 for 1 Doctor Who Exhibition" and came up with a link to the Evening Standard / Eros Card special offer.  You have to sign up for an Eros card (which they actually post to you, it is not just an online thing) but all that does is get you more special offers in the future.  I'd say it is definitely worth the opt in.  The booking experience was easy with the phone being answered in one ring and the agent friendly and competent.  (I only mention it because I have never before experienced all three of those features in an English call centre).

The special ends on the 17 August.

Discounted

One of the best kept secrets in London England is the Bite Card.  The Bite Card gives you 20% off any food or drink purchase at any main line railway station.  That is a massive savings and I have never had trouble using the card.  If you travel frequently, keep it with your Oyster card and you'll find the two make very worthy travelling companions.  (Okay, that was corny).  Today I went to Delice de France and I had a leek and chicken pie for £1.40 after discount.

The Big Chicken Restaurant

If you drive on the normal bus route between Patong and Phuket Town, after passing through the area called Tungtong, and passing the Phuket Country Club you'll see a restaurant that is also a local landmark. Everyone knows where the Big Chicken is! You can't miss it... (see location on Google Earth)



Now, we must have driven past a thousand times, on the way to nearby Bang Wad reservoir for example. We have been living in the Kathu area for 5 years. Our house is about 5 minutes drive from the big chicken, but we only ate there for the first time quite recently. We figured it was just another local place, and as the decor is quite decent (I mean wooden chairs instead of plastic!) and there always seem to be nice cars parked outside, we thought it might be a bit more expensive than some other local places.





Actually, although many of the customers do seem to be well-off locals, the restaurant is quite cheap. Basic Thai dishes go for 40 - 80 Baht. We can get things like fried rice or chicken fried with garlic for 35 Baht. It always seems to be busy, and with high turnover you can keep the prices down.

Aside from normal Thai food, they have a long list of Isarn food (northeast Thailand), and (they say) Vietnamese food. Having never been to Vietnam I can't say if this is authentic, but I had a "Vietnamese" noodle and sausage soup which was very tasty (and only 50 Baht!).

There's also a healthy supply of BBQ chicken - which I guess is the house specialty and is why you find a 30 foot chicken outside!



We've been back about 5 times in the last month. When eating out is this cheap, why cook at home?! Oh, the restaurant is actually called "Tungtong", but everyone calls it the Big Chicken. Well worth a nibble if you are passing by.

More of our favourite places to eat in Phuket...

• Dairy Hut
• Pak Nam Seafood
• Kan Eang Seafood
• Phuket Restaurants

Turkey: A Village Experience

On Friday night we went on a "Village Experience" to a village called Sazköy near Bodrum.  We found this experience far more valuable than the night before.  Firstly, we had our awesome guide Orhan from Peninsula Tours (that took us to Ephesus) and I have to say that I have never met a more knowledgeable tour guide before.  He also has great empathy with local Turkish life and told us a lot about how every day Turks might struggle to make ends meet and so on. 

The tour started inside a mosque.  It was a tiny village mosque and Orhan explained a lot of the traditions and rituals of the local Muslim people.  Then we went to the local coffee shop had awesome apple tea.  I became popular amongst some Irish children as I encouraged them to use my water to cool down their tea!  They were also serving the bitter black tea that Turkish people like to drink but the apple tea was definitely a good choice.  I had two glasses.  The temperatures were in the late 30°c's (over 100°f) but strangely enough the tea cooled us down.

Our host was on the far right.  Women don't customarily enter coffee shops as it is a place for men to play games and drink coffee.  Some men do work or have their own businesses but many of the men are retired or unemployed.

We then took a long leisurely walk through the village.  It is hard to explain the Turkish countryside.  In many sense, it reminded us of a very dry South Africa.  A lot of the plants and scenery were similar to what you would find in Sabie for example.  But whereas we experience a lot of rain in summer in Johannesburg or the Lowveld, it is completely dry and arid in Bodrum. 

We absolutely delighted in identifying all of the different trees.  I remember olive, fig, plum and lemon trees but I am sure there were more. 

Orhan then took us to a lady who was making carpets.

What distinguishes Sazköy carpets from others is that the carpets are double-knotted and are extremely durable and strong.  They are all hand made and the average time for completing a carpet is three months.  Like the ceramic bowls, no template is followed and therefore each and every single carpet is a one off unique piece of art.

Although standards of living are more modern these days, they have preserved a little cottage to show how people used to live.  I could not help myself by that stage - I had to take a bit of a rest.

Thankfully it wasn't too much further and then we were invited into the home of a villager and served the most delicious meal I have eaten in years (excluding Stephen's Sunday roasts of course).

We sat cross-legged on the patio to eat our meal and drink iced-tea.  It was really fabulous and with Orhan explaining all of the food to us, it was a real treat and introduction to Turkish culture.

After the meal we were given a show of all of the different types of Turkish carpets, explaining the different pigments and materials as well as some of the pictures on them.  It was lovely.  Here is a link to the finished products:  Sazköy Carpets.  Stephen and I were so conflicted because we really, really wanted a carpet in natural colours (I think it would have been €100) but we just did not think we could put it anywhere in our home.  With two dogs and two cats it is not always easy to keep our house clean, never mind adding lovely, expensive carpets to the equation!  Of course, we had no idea that the credit crunch would lead to our landlord giving us notice when we got back from holiday.  Still- I might just arrange to buy a carpet through Peninsula Tours once we settle in the new house.

To be continued...

Complete Turkey & Manchester 2008:

stories ¦ gallery

Turkey: A Turkish Night

As can be expected, we got home on Wednesday evening (after travelling all day to see Ephesus) and we passed out.  We barely managed to eat dinner!

We spent the whole day on Thursday by the pool (bliss) and got ready later to go on a Turkish Night.

As we were waiting for the coach to arrive, we took in the beautiful sunset over the bay.  I don't think I have ever seen such an interesting coastline before (with my own eyes that is).

It was really lovely and even now, a couple of weeks after my holiday, it just brings a smile to my face and peace to my mind to remember it.

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Onwards then to the Turkish Night.  The tour consisted of a short coach trip to a restaurant on the outskirts of Bodrum town.  All of the seating was outside and was situated in semi-circle around a central stage.  The food was a self-service buffet of all sorts of Turkish foods.  The entertainment included four dances.  Unfortunately, not many of my photos came out for the evening even though I tried to use the sports setting on my digital camera!

First, there was a traditional folk dance from a more northern or central part of the country - perhaps the Black Sea region. 

This was followed by a traditional knife dance and then a dance by a male belly dancer.  He was really excellent and he really managed to whip the whole crowd up into a frenzy. 

Finally, there was a traditional female belly dancer but she wasn't very good and she certainly didn't entertain like Alex.

All in all, I would have to say that the evening was a great disappointment.  For a Turkish Evening, there should have had a better master of ceremonies to explain in detail what we were eating and (most importantly) the history behind the various types of dances.   I had known of the knife dance beforehand but was none the wiser after attending the Turkish Night.  The dances were very intricate and it would have been lovely to know some of the meaning behind them.

In the end, when we went into a village the following evening, we were able to come much closer to Turkish culture and to understand more about how people eat and live.

For an amazing evening experience, I would have to say that the Arabian Night we took in Dubai in 2005 was a million times better than this.

Before I leave you thinking that we were miserable, we weren't.  We had a great time and even met a nice couple from Yorkshire to share it with. 

To be continued...

Complete Turkey & Manchester 2008:

stories ¦ gallery

Event: Update: Race for Life 2008

I did not realise - you can sponsor me (post-race) for the run I did on 20 July 2008 and the money will go to Cancer Research UK.

Exploring Phuket Town

I have always liked Phuket Town. Big enough to be interesting, small enough to be easily explored, busy but without crazy traffic (most of the traffic bypasses the town), lots of interesting areas, hills and views, parks, temples, local people who seem rather detached from the tourism that grips the main beaches. Phuket Town is where you can find local life a plenty, local festivals and a different nightlife scene to the tourist zones.

I realised today there is a lot of information relating to Phuket Town on this blog, so this post is a way to tie it all together. I still want to blog more about the town - the big fresh market for example and the Chinese shrines, and one day I must "blog" a ride on the local buses that run from town all over the island. There are also loads of little specialist shops that you just can't find anywhere else. As I say, I like Phuket Town, always something new to find.

 

Old Phuket Town

A few square blocks in the center is where to find the best of the "Sino-Portugese" architecture, old buildings and quiet cafes. I took a walk around there some time ago (for the blog) looking at this quiet area with an old fashioned feeling

• Phuket Heritage Trails tour in Phuket Town
• Phuket Photo Walk 2010
• Phuket Photo Walk 2009
• A walk around Old Phuket Town
• Phuket Thai Hua Museum
• Old Phuket Street Festival
• Mongkhon Nimit Temple

Hills and Views

On the north side of Phuket Town you find a couple of hills where you can find views, monkeys, a couple of restaurants, temples and local folk getting some fresh air. Rang Hill is more popular, featuring a fitness park and a well known restaurant (Tunk-Ka). Further east is "Monkey Hill" (actually called Khao To Sae), where there are lots of monkeys near the top, some views (but its quite jungly) and a little monkey temple.

• Rang Hill
• Monkey Hill

Markets

Yes I will blog the main central market one day! It's just opened in 2010 after a rebuild. There's also a "new" fresh food market just outside town on Chao Fa road and more a couple of blocks south of the main market. At the weekend there's the weekend market just outside town at Naka Temple, well worth a visit.

• Weekend Market

 

Festivals

Phuket Town is the center for several festivals such as Chinese New year, the Old Phuket Festival, the Phuket Food Festival and the one and only Phuket vegetarian Festival. If you are in Phuket when a festival is on, make an effort to see something! The vegetarian festival in particular is quite incredible, with daily processions through town.

• Phuket Vegetarian 2009 Photos
• Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2008 Photos
• Phuket Vegetarian Festival - More Photos
• Phuket Vegetarian Festival - Videos
• Jui Tui Shrine (near the market)
• Phuket Food Festival

 

Around Phuket Town

Out of the center of town are various interesting areas as well as the large shopping centers like Central, Lotus and Big C. At Sapan Hin you find lots of open spaces for exercise, a sports center, a chinese shrine, sea views and a mangrove walkway (being renovated last time I went there). On the edge of town is Suan Luang Park, a large green space very popular at weekends, and every morning and evening you find locals jogging, walking and doing tai chi. Just to the east of town, past the Rasada ferry terminal (for boats to Krabi and Phi Phi) is Sirey Island, still quiet and home to sea gypsies.

• Sirey Island
• Suan Luang Park
• Sapan Hin
• Phuket Butterfly Garden



Eating out in Phuket Town

I am making an effort this year to try some Phuket Town restaurants. We've eaten recently at Natural restaurant, Rimtang and Uptown. Phuket Town is a good place to get "real" local food. Once I have a good long list of restaurants in town, there will be more information here. For now, check:

• Phuket Restaurants

There's plenty more to blog yet! Phuket Town is worth a bit of your time if you want a day off the beach and want to see a bit of local life. The contrast between the town and the beaches is quite something. More to come soon! I want to blog markets, buses, more temples, more restaurants...

Turkey: The Ancient City of Ephesus

"Ephesus ... was a city of ancient Anatolia. During the period known as Classical Greece it was located in Ionia, where the Cayster River (Küçük Menderes) flows into the Aegean Sea. It belonged to the Ionian League.
Ephesus hosted one of the seven churches of Asia, addressed in the Book of Revelation of The Bible, and the Gospel of John might have been written here. It is also the site of a large gladiator graveyard.
The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC), and both were destroyed by the Goths in 263. The emperor Constantine I rebuilt much of the city and erected a new public bath. The town was again partially destroyed by an earthquake in 614. The importance of the city as a commercial centre declined as the harbour slowly filled with silt from the river.
Today's archaeological site lies 3 kilometers south of the Selçuk district of İzmir Province, Turkey." - Wikipedia

Link: The Ephesus Guide at kusadasi.biz

I simply don't know enough about ancient history to give an accurate description of Ephesus, hence the Wikipedia link. Next time I go to a site like this, I will definitely try read up more on it beforehand though. Nevertheless, we arrived at the site at about 11am in searing 42˚c heat. In a word, it was amazing. Absolutely breath taking. Hopefully some of my photos will show that.

That is the Eastern Gymnasium in the background. At first I marvelled at how they seemed to build the structure of the university into the mountain but then later I realised that they simply hadn't excavated the whole structure yet. (Please note: laughing at me at this point would be considered rude). This really is Archaeology for Beginners.

From the Greek or Roman word for "small theatre", the Odeion could sit about 1,400 people.

The Temple of Domitian was one of my favourites - the Emperor Domitian (51AD - 96AD) erected it in honour of himself and it was effectively torn down after his death.

These statues are at Heracles Gate, but if I understand correctly, these statues were moved here and used to occupy a higher place, perhaps over the Pollio Fountain.

The Trajan Fountain was my very favourite. I just loved the clean lines and beautiful architecture. I would have loved to see this structure at its original height of over 12 metres tall!

The Temple of Hadrian was awesome - it was so ornate. Like the Temple of Domitian, it was built to honour a person as opposed to a god and it was dedicated to the Roman emperor.

 

You would have to see the Celsus Library to appreciate its wonder and majesty. The son of the Roman consul Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus built the library as a mausoleum for his father.

And finally, at the end of a very hot day, you walk down Marble Street which is the main road between Ephesus and the harbour. You come upon the main Ephesus Theatre which could sit a massive 25,000 people and which is host to the Efes Festival each Spring. Elton John has even played here!

The road out of Ephesus has a couple of exhibits. I found the coffins and the milestones most interesting: