Should I Stay or Should I Go

July 19, 2012
Amman
Marriott Amman

A huge decision was on my plate today... to go or not to go. Whether tis nobler in the mind to spend $250 or to miss out on one of the 7 wonders of the world... what to do?

I did what any normal person would do... put off my decision. I started the morning at a nice breakfast buffet and followed that up with an hour at the pool, which rated an A+ for sunshine, but a C- for crap in the pool (leaves, bugs, etc).

So now it was 10am and I had to make a decision... was it worth it to take the 3 hour drive to Petra to see one the 7 Wonders of the World... the trip cost $140 for a private driver to and from (3 hours each direction) + $70 entry fee to the site, +$20 for a horse ride to save my feet from walking, + $7 for an awesome JORDAN hat (not Air Jordan, but the Kingdom of Jordan), + about $10 for waters and snacks. So my options were to either do nothing at the hotel and spend no money, or spend $250 and make some memories.

Memories were made!

My driver who I didn't even speak more than 10 words to in our 6 hours together picked me up at 10:45am. He seemed like a quality guy, he just didn't speak too much English and my Arabic skills were severely lacking as well. The trip is about 250km and took us about 3 hours to arrive. The drive was unremarkable unless you like desert, camels, goats, unfinished houses (tons of them) and roads without markings.

Driving in Jordan is quite unique. On the roads that have two lanes in each direction there are no center lines painted to keep drivers in their lanes... thus cars just do as they please, the slower people pull over to the shoulder while other cars pass... there are speed bumps every 5 miles or so to keep the highway from turning into a speedway I guess, very annoying for a rookie like me.

Once we transitioned onto the smaller two lane road (one in each direction), the line painting machine must not have been working of late. There is no center line and thus people just pass as they please. Shockingly it works and I only feared for my life about 6 times during the 6 hour journey.

We arrived in Petra about 3500 years after the first settlers did (back in 1500BC)... and a few years after Indian Jones and the Last Crusade was filmed there. Upon arrival you have the opportunity to hop on a horse for the 1 mile ride down to the "siq", narrow passageway (see pictures). This was my first horse ride since I was about 12 years old and I felt bad for my poor horse trying to lug my big old body in 105 degree weather.... at least it was downhill.

We made it to the drop off point and I was on my own, equipped with 3 bottles of water, a hat, my shades and I turned my NIKE RUN app on... it was 105 degrees at this exact moment and once my two hours were done I had walked 4.86 miles in the dust. The nike frees were not happy but I seemed to fare a lot better than most of the tourists.

I have never been to a tourist attraction that had a bigger collection of people looking like absolute crap as they walked the final 200 meters to the exit gate. Sunburned, sweat everywhere, dusty shoes and socks and just an overall look of defeat was on the face of many. You'd be amazed at some of the outfits that these people wore, sundresses, jeans, flip flops... when going to battle, you must be prepared my friends.

Another interesting thing about Petra are the local Bedouins who call this place home. Featuring a very distinct look, usually darkly complected with sometimes light eyes, they are the keepers of the land. Within the site there are 50 plus kids who are selling various trinkets, taking care of the animals, etc. The older ones run the souvenir stands, drive the horse carriages or help run the donkeys. It's an interesting and very friendly group of people... some pictures can be found here: http://digitaljournalist.org/issue0607/petra.html

The walk was worth every step as the views were unbelievable and the pictures below prove it. The ride home was a bit quicker and we arrived back at the Marriott a tad before 7pm. A successful, albeit a bit expensive day.

There's A Bear on the Plane

July 18, 2012
Bangkok - Amman
Marriott Amman

...and he's sitting right next to me in seat 1 J. He didn't start out as a bear, but rather a jolly ole Jordanian Santa Clause. A frequent traveller on Royal Jordanian Airlines my seat mate was very friendly to everyone and instantly struck up a conversation with me.

Normally, I don't really say anything to my seat mate. I'm in my own zone and I want to eat, sleep, and watch my movies... no time for small talk. My new friend had no boundaries and he was a close talker, constantly leaning over the armrest to get his point across. Don't get me wrong he was a very friendly guy, but with the flight's scheduled departure of 12:30am pushed back to 1:30am, I wasn't in much of a mood to socialize.

So once we were airborn I put on my headphones and watched some movie that was basically a diversion. I was too tired to even enjoy the meal service and before I knew it I was sound asleep.

Royal Jordanian has a nice business class product. The seats are fully flat and there should be enough space in between the seats to ensure uninterrupted slumber. Well... about half way through the 4 hour flight I hear a BEAR on the plane, yes my seat mate was snoring like he was in hibernation. I think fat people snore more... not sure if there is any scientific reasoning behind this, but it just seems to make sense and my Santa seat mate was letting everyone in the cabin know that he was enjoying his sleep at 35,000 feet.

The snoring didn't bother me much as my headphones were in and I was beyond tired... however about 5:00am, I felt an arm on my hip as I was sleeping on my side. Luckily I know how to say "that's not a pillow in Arabic" and I rustled, flipped, turned, and repositioned myself because I think Santa's hand had touched me!

That was the last incident of the flight and needless to say, the 8 hour flight was not full of uninterrupted sleep.

We arrived in Amman at 6:40am and then the fun really began. I've been to a lot of airports in my day and this could possibly be the worst (other than a few in the Caribbean that are tiny and thus you can't expect too many things out of them). Amman is a city of nearly 6 million people and one should expect a more efficient airport... well they are scheduled to open up new terminals at the end of 2012, but this wasn't a bricks and mortar problem... it was a people and organizational problem.

To enter Jordan most nationalities must purchase a $28 Visa upon arrival. This should not take an hour to do... granted there were about 20 people in line, but I've never seen people move so slow. After obtaining the Visa you continue to the next counter for immigration, which took about 3 minutes. So it took me 75 minutes to get through this disastrous airport... you never get a 2nd chance to make a first impression. I was definitely considering just saying "screw Amman", and just continuing on my journey to Amsterdam then and there.

But I figured my rooms were already taken care of and sometimes it takes a trip to the 3rd world to appreciate everything that we have.

Travel complications continued as public transportation is non existent in Amman with the exception of the Airport Express bus that is supposed to come on the hour every hour and promises a 40 minute journey from the airport to downtown for about $3. Well, after waiting for 30 minutes, the bus never came so I took a taxi which cost me 10 times that much... so much for not taking taxis.

Luckily with my Executive Platinum status I was able to check into my hotel at 8:00am. After passing through the metal detector to enter the lobby, standard fare in Amman since a few hotels got bombed a few years back, I was welcomed with open arms. Jordanians are known for their hospitality and the Marriott did a great job. They invited me up to the 12th floor lounge for a complimentary breakfast which was a good way to start the day... then I made my way down to room 526 to find my room upgraded to a huge suite... gotta keep on loving being platinum!

Today was a day where I just wanted to relax. I was still tired from the flight and the five hour time difference was playing tricks on me. So I took a quick nap, went to the pool, relaxed in my suite and ate dinner up in the lounge... then before I knew it the time was 9pm and I was ready for bed. A quiet start to my days in Amman... while just 100 miles to the north all hell was breaking loose in Damascus, Syria.

As I tossed and turned in bed for a bit I knew how lucky I was because somewhere in Amman, the Bear was snoring once again.

She'll Never Give Him Back

July 14-17 2012
Singapore - Bangkok
Park Plaza Soi 18

Survival is the name of the game in Bangkok. If you are a tourist you are trying to survive the heat, humidity and overall craziness of this Southeast Asian gem. If you are a local, you are trying to survive the traffic which is absolutely insane and if you are a Muay Thai fighter... you are just trying to survive to fight another fight.

Arrival into Bangkok was delayed for about 30 minutes due to congestion at the airport so we were able to enjoy some extra time in the air above the very green Bangkok suburbs. Upon landing I boarded the City Express train for the 20 minute ride into the downtown area. This was my first time in Bangkok and with every first time there is some trepidation about how things are going to play out... I didn't get off to a good start!

I knew exactly my station and the correct exit to take out of the station, I just happened to turn left instead of crossing the street as I searched for my hotel. This little blunder cost me about 2 miles of walking, 30 minutes of sweating, but I became a better man for it. Finally after finding someone who spoke English... it's tough to find among the locals... I finally found the Park Plaza tucked away on a little side street bordered by small restaurants and a bunch of massage parlors...legitimate massage parlors.

Upon check in I checked my watch and it was nearly 6pm... I needed something to do, so I hopped on Trip Advisor and searched out the top touristy thing I could find...MUAY THAI fighting popped up... why not?

The subway was only 4 stops from my home so it was almost like a home match for me to go and see... only problem is that as soon as I exited the subway station a monsoon came roaring down on me and within 2 minutes I was soaked from head to toe. The arena was only 1/4 mile from the subway exit but it was the longest 5 minute walk of my life. I finally arrived, thankful that it was still 90 degrees out and I would soon dry.

Muay Thai is comparable to UFC fighting. The fighters can strike with their lets, feet, hands and/or elbows and there was much pageantry involved. The first of 10 matches began at 8:30pm and it was between a pair of 14 year olds... yes 14 year olds without any type of headgear or anything... and American mom's are complaining about concussions in football?

The first few fights featured younger kids and nothing too violent happened... one kid might have broke his leg as he couldn't walk on it after getting leg whipped pretty good. As the evening progressed we had two people go out on stretchers, no blood, no tears and plenty of yelling and screaming from a fired up crowd.

The crowd was a mixture of foreigners who paid around $50 for ring side seats... which was a ripoff, but with two different types of pricing we had no other choice. In the "cheap seats" were the locals, who seemed to be having more fun and paid like $5 for their seats. If a foreigner wants the "cheap seats" it will still set him back $40. Not quite so sure how that is a fair business practice.

As the fighters continued beating the Thai out of each other we were also shown a French, Belgium and Japanese fighter who all performed quite well... except for the Japanese guy who got knocked out. I had to leave at 11:40 with 3 fights still to go as the Metro closes down at midnight and I didn't want to be walking home.

Day two in Bangkok was mellow. Some pool time, a pair of massages (morning and night) and some good food were the highlights. Back to the massages... for $6 you can get an hour massage. Throw in a $1 tip and you are set. All around Bangkok there are massage businesses everywhere... I mean everywhere. Just on my street alone there are 4 located next store to each other. They all offer the same prices and these are "legitimate" massages. I'm sure that other massages exist, but that's for the people on the Hangover III tour to find out.

Day three was spent reuniting with a kid who came to California to play some hoops this past April. He lives in Thailand and gave me a quick little tour and bought me a great big lunch at a place called "Cabbages and Condoms". Not the most appealing name for a restaurant and when he told me where we were going I wasn't quite sure if his accent said something that I didn't quite comprehend. But low and behold, the proof is in the pictures (see below) and the back story behind the place is impressive as the man who owns the restaurant uses a majority of the proceeds for HIV education and prevention in Thailand which is a huge problem. Not sure if a restaurant with this name would last too long in the USA, but it's a thriving place in Bangkok.

After lunch, we went to the super mall of super malls... the MBK center. Arguably, the largest and most confusing mall that I've ever been to, this place was a bargain shoppers delight. Each floor dedicated to a different commodity with about 50% of the goods for sale being knock offs. Watches for $3, Tshirts for $3, and all sorts of other crap at bargain basement prices. This place was enormous with most of the stores no larger than 8 x8 foot boxes and with no set floor plan it was easy to get turned around and disoriented. I survived with no purchases...other than Mr. Donut and hopped back on the Sky Train to return to my hotel.

Later that evening I returned out into the Bangkok night going to one of the famous night markets where one could purchase much of the same stuff that was at the MBK center, but you could also buy girls (and even women) if you were so inclined... I was not. It was amazing that this street had been rebuilt so quickly after Phil, Stu and the crew burned it down in the Hangover. After a delicious Burger King dinner...that was actually terrible (I can't eat $2 Pad Thai every night), I made it back to the Park Plaza ready for another night of slumber.

Speaking of the Park Plaza... this hotel gets the award for the best bed of the trip thus far... room temperature was perfect, the only problem was the TV didn't have a sleep timer, or at least I couldn't figure it out, if only I could read THAI.

My final day in Bangkok once again started at the pool. Swam a few laps, enjoyed the morning sun and got myself mentally prepared for today's river cruise. I did not prepare well enough!

Bangkok has a huge river running through the middle of it which is similar to the streets of Bangkok, totally congested with traffic. There were boats going every directions, small boats, large boats, even trained together barges all using the same dirty water. I paid $5 for the tourist boat cruise. This cruise would take me and 50 of my new friends along the river stopping every 5 minutes or so at a pier where we could disembark and see the tourist attractions at each place. My goal was to just stay on the boat, snap my pictures (see below) and turn it into a round trip affair.

I wasn't aware that the boat never turned around and it just continued up the river. So instead of being a 30 minute one-way trip, I was not 70 minutes in to the journey and headed for Burma. I decided that I needed off that boat and of course no one knew English to help me out. I exited at the next Pier and looked for a Tuk Tuk or a taxi. I had to get to the metro station and once I did I'd be home free...that wasn't so easy.

Armed with my pocket sized metro map I made my way through the unknown to tourists part of Bangkok... I was the only white face (although I'm tanning nicely) and the only person over 5'8". All I could think of was the line in the Hangover II, "Bangkok has him now and she'll never let him go" . I was determined to not let Bangkok get me!

I asked a few tuk tuk drivers and none of them had any clue what I was talking about. After walking 1.6 miles, thank you NIKE RUN app, I found a bank and a girl who at least new 4 words of English. I milked her for every single word and she found me a driver to take me to the closest station which turned out to be 5 miles away... that would have been a long walk.

Heading into my journey I was determined to not use taxis... I caved in due to necessity and I apologize. But to go 5 miles and spend 20 minutes in a taxi and only have it cost $2.35, I don't feel so guilty. I made it to my station, paid the $1.10 fare to get back home and finally was back in my hood... or on my SOI I should say. I had to get a going away massage and it was as good as the first ones. I picked up my luggage at the hotel and had my final pad thai of the trip and made my way back to the airport.

On the way to the airport... on the train again, I saw a famous person... or maybe it wasn't really a famous person. Remember the scene in the Hangover II where the kid is getting a tattoo. Well on the train next to me was a kid, no older than 10, with a full tattoo from shoulder to elbow... yes a real tattoo and he was with his girlfriend who was about 15. I don't think he was the real kid, but definitely inspiration for the character. Only in Bangkok.

Asia's been great... a bit hot and humid but it's time for a new adventure. The wild card of the trip is up next... the wild world of the Middle East and Amman, Jordan. See you soon.

So I Bought A Zoo...

July 13, 2012
Hong Kong - Singapore
Metropark Causeway Bay - Grand Mercure Roxy (Singapore)

The earliest flight of the trip was scheduled for a 8:50am departure which meant I had a 5:45am wake up call to answer. One of the great things about Hong Kong is the ease in which one can travel on public transportation. I was able to leave the hotel at 6:00am and I was at the airport counter at 7:00am. In between was a short walk, a 10 minute metro ride and 25 minutes on the Airport Express.

Today's flight was my first of the trip with Cathay Pacific. Cathay is one of my favorite airlines as their service an attention to detail is unrivaled. Today was no exception. Greeting each passenger in business class by their name is an excellent touch and they were voted best Business Class product by SkyTrax just two days ago.

The three hour flight to Singapore was uneventful and we touched down at Changi Airport in Singapore just a bit after noon. After finding the complimentary hotel shuttle I arrived at my hotel close to 1:30 and was eager to check in and enjoy the mid-afternoon tropical sunshine.

I had less than 24 hours in Singapore and thus I booked an afternoon city tour and Night Safari. Prior to the safari I had a quick afternoon meal at the noodle shop adjacent to the hotel... possibly the best meal of the trip as I ordered the honey pork with noodles!

The city tour drove through most of the tourist spots and then we headed to the Night Safari located about 25 minutes from the city center. The Night Safari is an interesting concept in that it's basically a zoo for all of the nocturnal creatures. It sits adjacent to the Singapore Zoo and is open from 7:30pm - Midnight.

The Safari takes it's guests through 7 distinct regions of the world and the animals that are found in each. Most guests travel the park via the tram which covers the area in about 60 minutes, while some visitors choose to go on the walking paths... being that I've already walked too much this trip, I chose the tram.

Using a lighting system that resembles that of a full moon, the animals are illuminated just enough for the human eye to see, but not enough for the non-human i-phone to capture. Thus... no photos of animals, but I much prefer the animals that I'll see on my "real" safari in South Africa at the end of the trip.

The Night Safari was indeed very interesting and one could even get an ice cream at the park's Ben & Jerry's stand. Just $11 for a milkshake and $9 for a double scoop. Singapore is definitely not cheap!

After dropping off several of the other people in our tour at their various hotels, I finally reached my place at 11:30pm... exhausted!

So to recap... I flew to Singapore to eat 1 meal and go to the zoo!

When In China...

July 12, 2012
Shenzhen - Hong Kong
JW Marriott Shenzhen - Metropark Hotel Causeway Bay

A 7:00am wake up call was on the books today and I headed up the 23rd floor pool for a morning swim. Upon arrival, the sun was hidden by a batch of quickly moving clouds and within 20 minutes it was nothing but blue skies above.

The pool looks out over the Shenzhen Country Club (golf course) and then the downtown area just beyond that. It's a very nice space which I had to myself until this cute Chinese couple of about 30 came and the husband tried to teach his wife how to swim... unsuccessfully !!!

After their splashing around, I hopped in and swam some laps while enjoying the bright sun and warm air. Returning to the room about 9:15am, I had 45 minutes to pack up and check out before Ziyue and his "Driver" picked me up.

Right at 10am, Ziyue and his driver pulled up in a big maroon Mercedes Benz. Being chauffeured around the city was a bit more than I was anticipating but I could definitely get used to it. Our first stop was Splendid China which was the 1st amusement park in China, but in reality was a huge park where each region of China was represented on a miniature scale. The Great Wall, instead of being nearly 7,000 km long, was only 1,000 meters long, and most other sights were on a 1:10 scale. We had a nice English speaking tour guide named Ricky, who was eager to tell me every intricate detail of the 50+ different regions represented. In 90+ degree weather, it was a bit tough staying focused, but I tried my best.

The highlight for me was feeding koi fish from a baby bottle... I can now check that one off my bucket list !

After the "amusement park" that only had 2 rides (a gondola boat) and a zip line which I was too big for, we hopped back in the air conditioned Benz and made our way to lunch.

Lunch was held in this huge 2nd floor room with probably 100+ tables, smoke filled air, and not a Westerner in sight. Ziyue, who had decided that "ALEX" was going to be his Western name, ordered for the group (driver included). In about 5 minutes our order was received, chicken feet, intestine, dim sum, deep fried beef brisket, and a few other unrecognizable items. Very Chinese and very stomachwrenching for me to eat... but I did my best because when in China... do as the Chinese.

After lunch we headed to the Lo Wu border crossing which has a huge shopping mall attached. This is a shopping mall of "counterfeit" merchandise and it's quite a site to see. We looked around for a few minutes, were solicited, stalked and begged to buy from seemingly every vendor, but I got out of there with not a single purchase made... it was time to say our good byes and return to Hong Kong.

Another 60 minute subway ride and I was dropped off just a block from my hotel for the night, the Metropark Causeway Bay. This hotel was probably a 3-4* and was a bit outdated, however the view was great and the free drink coupon at check in was an added plus.

After a quick nap, I was headed out on the town. I made a quick stop back at Southorn Playground to see if any good hoop games were going on... not much tonight so I preceded to head to the Kowloon side of Hong Kong for a quick dinner at McDonald's... it's good to find a familiar place to eat! Ironically, this was also the first meal I'd paid for in 4 days... pretty impressive if I might say so myself!

After McDonald's I made my way down the famous "Ladies' Market". This is a pedestrian only street, 4 blocks in length where hawkers sell all sorts of merchandise. From counterfeit BEATS headphones, to watches, shirts, purses, luggage and more... most anything can be had for a cheap price here at the Ladies market.

I escaped unscathed and it was nearly 10:30pm and a 5:55am wake up call was in the not so distant future. I headed home and was under the covers by 11:15pm... day #8 in the books.

Kobe, Lebron , Jason or Alex?

July 11, 2012
Hong Kong - Shenzhen (China)
Harbour Grand Kowloon - JW Marriott Shenzhen

The Harbour Grand is a 5* hotel located right on the breathtaking Victoria Harbour. My new friend, Sandy, who is the Director of Sales met me for breakfast at 9am and we spoke for an hour about the potential for our group staying at her hotel next time we visit. She showed me some of the additional rooms and suites and I must admit, they were quite nice. Not on the level of either of the JW Marriott's I stayed at, but probably closer to a 4 1/2 *.

After the tour I made it up to the rooftop pool, where it was considerably less crowded than yesterday afternoon. I was able to get in some uninterrupted laps in and enjoyed the morning sunshine.

I checked out at 11:30am and hopped on the subway for the 60 minute trip back to China, Shenzhen to be exact. There are two ports of entry in Shenzhen (from the Hong Kong side) and my entry port Lok Ma Chau was pretty quite, aside from about 50 1st and 2nd grade students who live in China but attend school in Hong Kong. They were out of control, but quite funny as well.

Immigration was a breeze and I was back on the subway... Shenzhen version... in a matter of minutes. It was just three stops to my hotel and after about 5 minutes in the train and a 10 minute walk from the station, I was checking in at the JW Marriott Shenzhen.

This was another "Free" room based on Marriott's summer promotion and I was once again upgraded to the Club Level, which included an upgraded room and concierge club access. If the JW in Beijing was a 5*, this hotel was probably a 4.8*. Things were exquisite, however there was just a small level missing in terms of attention to detail. I'd still highly recommend the JW Shenzhen though.

Shenzhen is a city of 10+ million people and just 30 years ago there were less than 300,000 people. This is one of the fastest growing cities in the world and they've done a great job managing the growth with an excellent infrastructure that has been put in place.

My goal in Shenzhen was to meet one of the future Knights of St. Joseph HS. This fall we are having 5 Chinese students and one of them lives in Shenzhen... HUANG, Ziyue.

Ziyue, along with his mother, father and cousin met me at the hotel for a buffet dinner and gave me a great welcoming gift of a gold dragon which will be proudly displayed in my office. Ziyue and his cousin both speak good English, while the parents mostly used them for translating everything. It was a lot of fun and Ziyue offered to take me on a city tour in the morning... which I readily accepted.

Most Chinese students arrive in the USA with a self-chosen Western name which helps us non-Chinese speakers who have trouble pronouncing words in the Chinese language. Ziyue came to the dinner thinking that he was going to choose "Jason" as his Western name, but he wasn't 100% sure. He asked my advice and my suggestions of "Lebron" or "Kobe" were met with some concern.

He told me that he'd think about names tonight and let me know in the morning.

Dinner was great, the company was even better and I think Ziyue's mom and dad feel more comfortable now with the fact that they are sending their only child across the world to continue his education. We gave our pleasantries and I returned to my room for an early night of slumber.

Heaven Is A Playground

July 10, 2012
Beijing - Hong Kong
JW Marriott Beijing - Harbour Grand Kowloon

My final day in Beijing began with another outstanding breakfast buffet before taking the airport express train to the airport.

Weather was once again hot, humid and the air was grey as usual. The 50 minute trip cost about $4.00 so it's definitely a bargain as are most things in Beijing as the government wanted Beijing to be "an affordable" city to visit because most people might only have the opportunity to visit once in their lifetimes. A subway ride costs just 30 cents, and most tourist activities are either free or very cheap. Very unlike most capitol cities around the world where prices are usually hyper inflated.

The3 hour flight to Hong Kong was pretty non-descript. Hong Kong is one of my favorite cities in the world and very easy to navigate. Beginning with the Airport Express train that takes you to the center of the city in just 24 minutes where you are met by a hotel shuttle bus, things are easy in "Asia's world city".

Check in to the Harbour Grand Kowloon was seamless and I was met by the director of Group Sales who was intrigued by me for some reason... so after telling her that I bring groups to Hong Kong on occasion, she offered to meet me at breakfast tomorrow morning to give me her sales pitch and a hotel tour... kind of like a timeshare presentation with a nice free breakfast buffet as the prize.

That afternoon was spent trying to catch some late afternoon rays on the rooftop pool... which as you can see by the pictures below is one of the coolest pools I've ever swam in.

My goal this evening was to play basketball and fulfill one of the missions of my trip, and give reason for bringing my size 14 Kobe's around the world with me. From my past trips I knew there were public courts in Central that always seemed to be bustling. Tonight was no exception.

I arrived at the Southorn Playground around 8pm to 90 degree weather with 90 % humidity and four full courts of hoops action. With a mixture of locals and foreigners there were ability levels running the gamut... and for my first 3 on 3 game I had two locals who were absolutely horrendous and we lost 11-5. After sitting out for about 15 minutes while two other games finished, I picked up a Brit and a Frenchman and we proceded to win four straight games. After about two hours my feet were burning, knees aching and I don't think I had ever sweated so much, but there's nothing like playground basketball. Just like the movie "Heaven is a playground" the cast of characters and the storylines are constantly changing...however I hope the playground in heaven doesn't leave me sweating so much that I start thinking that I took the elevator down instead of up before I got to the pearly gates.