ANC: Shots of Alaska

Here are some shots of Mount McKinley and its sister mountain to the West. I've been trying to find out the name of the peak. If anyone knows or has a website, please post. You'd think the peak names would be listed on Google Maps, but alas they are not...

The mountains and their glaciers are in the Denali National Park and Wildlife Preserve.

NRT: The Jet Lag Club

Hello folks from Narita, Japan

I'd like to tell you about one of the best layover bars Narita has to offer - the Jet Lag Club!

Its located on
508 Kamicho, Narita
Tel: 080-5504-0340
http://www.jetlagclub.com/

The owner of the JLC, Vincent, was a flight attendant in his previous life, and after settling in Narita, opened up the JLC. What better theme than one that he is personally familiar with - International Air Travel.

I used Photoshop to mark up a map for you. It ought to get you close. The walking distance was a half mile.


(link to original Google Map)

The bus from the Hilton drops you off near the Narita local train station. You go up the stairs to the walkway and walk through the train station. After a few up escalators, it'll dump you out at street level. Bear right and go over the pedestrian overpass, and then when the road comes to a "T", go right onto "Green Streen." It's not the real name of the street, but everyone calls it that because it has green painted sidewalks. Wander on the Green Street until you come to the Jet Lag Club on the left.

Inside you'll be treated to a vast array of interesting airline memorabilia and artifacts. Order a pint of your favorite beer and let your eyes wander around. You'll find yourself spending a lot of time just checking out the photos and posters surrounding you.

Happy hour is from 4 to 8 and The Jet Lag Club has the best prices in town. A popcorn machine will help you forget that you're hungry (and that it's really 6am back home...)

Vincent has been constantly upgrading the pub, and it now sports a dance floor complete with techno lights and such. The DJ spins his magic on Friday and Saturday nights. On the other nights, enjoy a trip back in time to music videos of the 70's, 80's and 90's.

The Jet Lag Club does not serve food, but has made arrangements with Pa Pa's restaurant to have their food delivered. I'll be blogging about Pa Pa's soon. Just ask the bartender for a menu.

Vincent is proud to have made the Jet Lag Club the first non-smoking bar in Japan. As a non-smoker, I can appreciate that. Just step into one of the other smoking bars for a few minutes and the clear air of the JLC will be missed.

Enjoy your visit to Narita and take a minute to soak up the Jet Lag Club! You'll have a great time!

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Some More Photos -->
The Bar

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Rabble rousers, one and all...

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Just a few of the items in Vincent's vast collection:

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Lots of stuff for sale at the JLC. This is a neat bottle opener that you put over the top of the bottle and push down. Magically, the bottle top pops off! A great unique party item!

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More beers! (Notice the shapely stein...)

LHR: Carnival

2008 Carnival Map (pdf)

I can't say enough about prior planning. I visited the Notting Hill Carnival this year, but I was late on Sunday. Somehow, I had the idea of the parade being an afternooon into evening affair. I don't know where I got this idea. The parade ending hours are clearly mentioned in most of the literature that I've now re-read.






So, I showed up at around 8pm on Sunday, about 1 hour after the official festivities ended. Missing all but the jerk chicken and rice... Next year, I'll be sure to go earlier. If I'd been aware that I was missing things, I wouldn't have hung out at the hotel bar for the amount of time that I did...

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The one neat thing that I ran across were the funny men-only urinals. Open air, yet still private.

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On my way back to the hotel, I came across a street rave music party. It was most likely an ordnance/curfew violation, but the cops didn't seem to care too much. Loud, active and young. I only stayed 15 minutes until the monotony of the beat wore me out.

I'd also recommend that you bring your own beers, in a backpack if you have one. There is apparently no open container law that is in affect for Carnival and everybody was openly partaking. There's probably some good money to be made with the recycling aluminum contract, as the beer cans were scattered everywhere. (a testament to the fun perhaps?)




Monday aftrnoon, the 25th, after a quick swim at the Hilton, I ventured back out to see what I could witness before the bus pickup time. I jogged there and back, and it was not too bad a run. About 10 minutes to get there there. Once there, I hung out at the southeast corner of the parade route, and got to see the first couple of floats. I was at a crosswalk that allowed you to get 'inside' the parade route (like the infield of the track). I was tempted to cross, but I'm glad I didn't. Had I gone inside, I'm not sure I would have been allowed back out for the next few hours. Keep that in mind if you're tight on time - stay outside the parade route for a quick exit.


That's it. Really a failed attempt at visiting Carnival this year, but I'll be 1 year wiser for 2009!

LHR: The Tower of London

The weather coming into London was not too bad, so I decided to try the Tower of London after a short nap. If you decide to go, you'd be wise to visit this sites to get the lay of the land:
• http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerofLondon
• itInerary Planner
• PDF map of the Tower

Regarding Naps
I prefer short naps as opposed to 'hitting the ground running.' I find that I enjoy my sightseeing the best when I have about 2 to 3 hours of solid sleep. The challenge, however, is waking up and quickly departing for your tour. If you're like me, you just want to throw the alarm across the room and go back to sleep. But resisting that urge can be fruitful as the London sights are beautiful if the weather cooperates. The downside to the nap is that you will most likely be pushing daylight and museum closing times. Experiment to find out which nap schedule works best for you.

Reference Map


View Larger Map

Tube Directions
There are many Tube routes to get to the Tower of London "Tower" stop. The easiest would be the Circle line direct, but you could also take the Bakerloo and District lines, depending on which Edgeware Road tube stop was closest. Take the left exit out of the Tower station to take you to the large sundial in Trinity Place.
The sundial park is a nice overlook area to get your bearings and take a photo or two. When you're ready to continue, go through the pedestrian tunnel under Tower Hill Terrace Road, and then follow the signs for Ticketing.

Ticketing
The tickets for the Tower are £16.50, which is a bit steep, especially if you arrive late. You can buy tickets online for £16.50, but be sure the weather will be cooperating. Unfortunately, there are no discounts for late ticket purchases and the museum closes at 5:30. They stop admitting at around 5:00.

If you want to do a guided tour, the last guided tour starts at 3:30pm, so plan accordingly. I regret not getting the last guided tour, as it apparently is very lively and informative, given by one of the uniformed "Yoeman Warders." The lady at the counter said that it takes about 2-3 hours to take in all that the Tower has to offer. I arrived at 4:10, and almost didn't buy a ticket because I was only going to have an hour and a half to look around. I decided to purchase a ticket anyway, and vowed to walk briskly and not waste time with stuff I didn't find interesting.

Sights
The Crown Jewels are located inside the Tower walls in a very secure building. It's worth the look see, if the line is not too long. At first glance, the line snaked 100 feet beyond the entrancewayof the building. Later, the line shortened to inside the building and I decided to give it a go. Once inside, there was still about 10 minutes of Disney-roped line maze action before you see any goods. The jewels and Royal oppulence is quite impressive. Excellent craftmanship.

I did the Fusiliers museum for £1. It has an excellent chronology of the Fusiliers and their place in British Military History. However, there is quite a bit of reading and not as many artifacts as you might find in other similar museums. I'd skip it if you don't have the time, or have kids with you.

I did the Blood Tower self guided tour. The Blood Tower is where two princes were murdered, and it describes circumstances surrounding the incident. This was interesting and worth it, if you don't have to wait too long in line.

I did the Medieval house tour, which takes you through the Royal living quarters of the Tower. It has some neat factoids regarding Kingly accomodations and what life was like for His Highness back in the day. Upon exit from the throne room. you come out on the South terrace and have a nice view of the beautiful Tower bridge.

Exit
At around 5:40, the Yoeman Warders were politely encouraging folks to wrap it up and exit. I departed throught the gate near the Thames, and since I wanted to scope out the War Experience museum on the opposite bank of the river, I hoofed it across the Tower bridge. (The bridge has tours that explains its storied history, but they also end at 5:30.) Anyway, the walk across will give you great photo ops of the Tower and that crazy egg shaped building. Be sure to walk on the northwest side of the bridge, as you can't cross to the otherside once your on it.

Summary
I'm glad I went and the beautiful weather made it enjoyable just wandering around. However, if I had to do it over again, I'd try to arrive there no later than 3:15. This allows time to tag on with that last guided tour, and you'll have a little extra tme for yourself before they shuffle you to the exits at 5:30. Also, a little bit of web study helps to get familiar with the history and stories, which makes the visit much more enjoyable.

If the weather is cold and rainy, I'd skip the Tower and do an indoor museum. For maximum enjoyment, do a little research before you go regarding the Tower's layout and history. That way, you'll have some of the reading done and will be able to skip some of the queues near the placards without missing much.

If you go, post a comment on your experience. Thanks!

More Pictures

The Tower Green

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King's Throneroom

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White Tower

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Tower from the Tower Bridge

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Tower Western Wall and moat (note the trebuchet...)

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Tower Bridge from the south bank of Thames

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LHR: Oyster Card

It was raining when my captain and f/o told me to meet them at 'La Tasca', a Spanish Tapas restaurant. The tube now was a great option, and what a great time to learn about the Oyster card.

My only regret is that I did not try this sooner! It probably makes the most sense for someone who frequents London regularly, but since I seem to be getting a lot of LHR's in my line lately, I was probably the perfect candidate.

It was extremely easy to get one. Just walk up to the counter at any Tube station and buy one. The card costs 3, plus whatever amount you wish to initialize the card with. I initialized my card with 10, figuring that would be good for a few days of travel. And that was it!

Now, all you have to do to enter (and exit) the Tube turnstiles is wave your card over the yellow Oyster button and voila! Magic.

Here's some other cool stuff. Apparently, the Oyster system is smart enough to figure out what would have been the most economical fare to purchase based on what you've traveled. You'll only be charged the best price. For example, you travel one way 4 times - twice on the tube and twice by bus. If the all day pass would have been cheaper, then that is all that you'll be charged, rather than the separate one way fares.

It's also good on the London buses. No more fiddling with change and buying tickets...

If your balance ever gets too low, then you will be warned when you swipe. To recharge the card with more money, just go to a ticket machine and put more money on your Oyster card account. I haven't done this yet, but I hear it's pretty easy.

Well, that's it! Happy Oystering!

LHR: Alpha Restaurant, a late night option

After coming back from "On Anon", a club at Picadilly Circus, my bud and I were looking to grab a bite. It was around 1AM, and all of my haunts near the Hotel were closed. It was a Sunday, and maybe that had something to do with it...

Well, we got a tip from a streetcleaner dude, that Alpha restaurant was open. Sure enough, it was, and it was apparently getting a pretty good amount of phone in take-out orders. Maybe they've cornered the Sunday night late night hunger pang market.


Alpha restaurant is located a few hundred yards north of the Edgeware Flyover on the west side of the road (the Hilton side).

Address: 351A Edgware Road, Paddington, London,, W2 1BS (map)
Tel: 020 7402 4002 (Free Delivery)

The sign says they serve Pizza and Chicken, but I only saw chicken. And I didn't see anyone ordering the pizza, which ought to be a sign. I got a combo meal that included a chicken sandwich, a fried chicken piece (thigh), fried and a drink. The chicken sandwich and the fried chicken piece was actually quite nice. The fries were very tasty as well. There were huge squirt containers of mayo and hot chili-sauce stuff for you to create your own dipping areas on your styrofoam container thingie. The soda was one I'd never had before: Tango Apple Soda. It was unique and went well with the dinner (like a fine wine, I guess).

I give Alpha good marks, and it definitely fit the bill after hours when everything else was shut down. If you try the pizza, let me know how it is.

LHR: ATM Machine near Hilton Metropole

I heard a while back that there was a scam that ran for a little while at one of the ATMs on Edgeware. Apparently, someone put an ATM shell over the real ATM and was able to snag all the card information. Although this has never happened to me, it does raise an eyebrow.

If you're concerned about adding an extra level of safety to your trips to the cash machine, I suggest you use the ATM in the M & S store right across the street from the Metropole. It still charges the regular withdrawl fee (according to my bank statements) but it is probably the most secure location to withdrawl your money. The store is crawling with employees, it's well lit, and they probably have a security detail somewhere in the store. A crook would probably pass that locale for easier pickins.

FRA: Bornheim Excursion

On my last Frankfurt layover, I ran into my captain and friends in the lobby after a jog. He said he was going to one of his favorite restaurants in Frankfurt called Shöneberger. It is in a neat little community named Bornheim in the northeast of Frankfurt town center. He scribbled down some directions on the Frankfurt area map, and I told him I'd meet him there.

Here is the address of Shoneberger:
Berger Strasse 237
50528 Bornheim, Frankfurt am Main
Tel: 0 69-94 50 66 11
Fax: 0 69-94 50 66 12

I wasn't really that hungry, so I wasn't in a big rush to get there, but I liked the idea of venturing out of my normal Frankfurt box. After a relaxing shower, I set out to join them.

To get to Bornheim, you'll need to take the subway, called the U-bahn in Germany.

Come out of the Marriot Hotel and head left along the strassenbahn tracks. There are two glass teepee structures to get down to the U-bahn, take the first one with the stairs not the elevator, as it will put you in a better spot to buy your tickets underneath. The one with the elevator will take you directly to the platform level, which might be convenient if you already have your ticket. This station is called Festhalle/Messe, which will be important to know for the return ride.

Buying your ticket is not really that hard. First select the region that you want to travel in. For the majority of Frankfurt travel, you won't be venturing outside of City Zone (50). Next, select your fare. A one way ticket was €2.10. The day pass is €5.60. The machine will tell you how much you owe. Insert your money and it'll print your ticket.

If you are travelling with a group of up to five, you may want to buy the 'group ticket' wich is more convenient and in most cases cheaper. Just be aware that if you are on the train, you must be travelling with the person that is holding the group ticket. I've have yet to see ticket enforcers on the train, but it's not worth the risk. The group ticket is good for unlimited travel in the zone(s) requested for the rest of the day.

Also, if the weather is bad, you can buy your ticket at the Strassenbahn stop right in front of the Hotel. The stassenbahn will take you the few hundred feet or so to the U-bahn station, which might save you from wet and rainy walk.

To get to Bornheim, you want to take the U4 train labeled Seckbecher/Landstrasse. Get off on the Bornheim/Mitte stop. When you emerge from the station, orient yourself to the map below and head the 450 yards to the Shoneberger Restaurant.


View Larger Map

To the right is a map of the U-bahn from urbanrail.net.

I did not eat at the restaurant, because when I finally arrived, my buds had just finished up their meal. However, they all gave their food rave reviews. Please add a comment about this restaurant if you've eaten there...

Now reunited with the gaggle, we headed off to an apfelwien place. I wish I could remember the name exactly, but it was something like Apfel Suss. It just up the street a little further from Shoneberger (away from the U-bahn station) and on the opposite side of the street. You enter a narrow hallway and follow it to an open air eating area.

Apfelwein, translated apple wine, is perhaps and acquired taste. To me, it basically tastes like fermented apple juice. You can have it straight up or "sauergespritzter(with spritzer). This is simply apfelwein with tonic water added. Just order a bottle of "wasser mit gas" (water with bubbles, or tonic water), and add it to taste (usually about 30%) with your glass of apfelwein. There is also a variant of that called sussgespritzter (sweet spritzer) which is basically a sprite or 7-up added to the apfelwein. It's not bad, although it does up the sweetness factor a tad. Try them both and see which one suits your fancy.

By this time, I was getting hungry, so I ordered the classic German dish, Jaegerschnitzel ("Hunter's Schnitzel", thin veal fried, with a dark mushroom sauce). The Jaegerschnitzel dish at this restaurant was phenomenal! Whether it was really that good, or whether I was just that ready to eat, I can't really say, but I scarfed it all down none the less.

We topped off the night at a bar called Sugar, which is back next to the first restaurant (Shoneberger). A nice little bar with chic modern ambiance.


At the conclusion of festivities, going back to the Marriot was not complicated. Take the same U4 train, but in the opposite direction. Be sure to get off at the Festhalle/Messe stop. The most important thing to plan for is the time of the last train. The U-bahn ceases operations at 1am, so the last train will come by a little bit before that. Ask the concierge to look up the train schedule for the last U4 to catch. Depending on the day, the last two should be at 12:21 and 12:41am. We were there at 1230AM and made the last train. Don't miss it or it'll be a fairly expensive cab ride back to the hotel. When you exit the tepee structure thingie at the Festhalle stop, look for a strassenbahn that headed your direction. If there's one coming, you can save a few minutes of your trip by hopping on a getting off at the next stop which is the Marriot. If there is no train coming, it's probably quicker just to walk (weather permitting).

There you have it! Give Bornheim a shot. It has a quaint friendly atmosphere that get's you out of the big city of Frankfurt for a few hours.

LHR: Best Supermarket Beer Prices

If you're looking to have a crew room party, there is a good price on beer up the street from the Hilton Metropole (map).

SS Supermarket is very short walk (900 ft) from the hotel and for your perserverence, you'll be rewarded. At S.S. Supermarket, pint cans of Grolsch and Stella are 0.99p, but you can get 6 for £5 ( 0.83p ea). There are other beer brands there with similar savings if you buy in bulk.

To get to SS Supermarket, take a left out of the hotel and travel northwest on Edgeware towards the flyover (British for overpass...). There is an easy underground pedestrian walkway to spit you out on the other side of the flyover. After exiting the pedway at the top of the ramp you'll see the store about 150 feet further down on the on the opposite side of Edgeware with a convenient crosswalk right in front of it.

Here's a Map

If time is of the essence or you're just feeling lazy, you can go to Food City right across from the hotel on Praed street. The prices there are roughly the same, but they don't do any discounts.
For you late nighters, plan ahead, as alchohol sales are prohibited after 11pm (I think...please post if you know for sure).

If anyone knows a cheaper place, let's hear about it!

LHR: CADS Bar

Home of the best beer prices in London!

CADS Bar is located in the basement of the Norfolk Towers Hotel, on the corner of Norfolk Place and Norfolk Square (map).

Address:
34 Norfolk Place, Paddington, Westminster, London, W2 1QW

Fans of the TV show "Cheers!" will find the ambiance refreshingly reminiscent, right down to the outdoor stairwell entrance. You know it's gotta be good because there are many locals and tradesmen that make their way down for a swig or two. (All together now: "Norm!")

There are two big screen TV's on either side of the bar. It is extrememly crowded during big soccer games. They used to have Karaoke on Thursday nights, but I'll have to find out if that still applies.

There is kitchen on site and the food is quite good. The pork chops got a very favorable review from a crewmate on my last visit. The kitchen is closed on Monday.

Best of all, the beer is the best priced in London. Pints of Carling and San Miguel are £1.90, with more crafty beers a few pence more.

So, next time you want to quench your thirst, and do it with some local Londoners and stop by CADS Bar. Tell 'em you saw this post on the web!

LHR: Cheminee Restaurant

Hello from London!

For this entry, I'm reporting about Cheminee Persian Restaurant located just a few blocks from the Hilton Metropole Hotel.

The Address is:
17 Bouverie Place
Paddington, London, W2 1RD (Google Map)
Tel: 020 7402 1313
Hours: 12:00 - 23:00 every day.
View their menu (pdf)

Of course, Persia today no longer exists with that name, instead now being called Iran, the name change occurring in 1935. If you'd like to brush up on your Persian history, visit the Persian Empire entry on Wikipedia.

The atmosphere at Cheminee is quaint and warm. There are about 24 seats inside, which shares space with a real naan oven. If you prefer to dine al fresca, there are about 10 seats on the sidewalk area.


The naan oven is a neat attraction, although it can add a few degrees to the temperature inside. You may want to dress flexibly so you can remove an outergarment if you find yourself in close proximity to the oven. The oven is a neat addition to the restaurant and adds a little authentic ambiance. It's nice to see your naan order prepared and baked right in front of you (see video below). The bread is rolled and holed, then slapped on the inside wall of the oven using a pillow-like oven mitt. The finished bread is scraped off the side of the oven and cut into pieces before making it to your table in the bread basket.

I have been to this restaurant before, and each time I have been very pleased with the food. As an appetizer, the naan bread along with the hummis is a sure winner. The pickled veggies were very tasty, if that's something you fancy.

My main course was a combo plate (#20) which consisted of a mixed green salad, a skewer of lamb and a skewer of chicken, and a serving of white rice. For about 9 pounds, it was delightful. A very good dish if you want a little of both.

The service was not lightning quick, yet still timely and polite by Euro standards.
I would certainly recommend this restaurant. Because of the small seating area, if you go in a group larger than 7 (we had 9 that night) they may not be able to seat you at a single table.

Give it a go and let me know what you think!