July 13th, 2011
We arrived back in Singapore in the late afternoon via Ferry from Bintan, and I have to admit that it really set in that this trip would be over. You could tell everyone else was in a similar mindset, Linda in particular was more cranky. It was understandable these were the last couple of days that she would be spending with her daughter and son (Jen and Alex) and it would be back to the reality of life in Canada. In the end, we tried to make the best of the situation at hand.
We had big ideas- the Night Safari and I was hoping we might get to the bird sanctuary as well. When fatigue set in, we scaled our plans back. Alex and Kate were still in Bintan and would not be back for a few hours, so we decided to head to Holland Village for dinner. This area is sort of trendy, with bars, restaurants, and shops. The closest analogue I can think of in Toronto would be The Annex or High Park perhaps.
Doug and Anne decided to split off from us and go to a pub down the street while the rest of us headed into the hawker stalls (the open air food courts I've previously talked about). I was very reassured when I saw that each of the stalls were graded by the health authority. I chose one rated with an A but the worst grade I saw was a B. I picked up some beef ho fun for 4.50 Singapore dollars, that's maybe $3 Canadian in the usually more expensive Singapore. Everyone else got similarly good deals and we added some Tiger beer for good measure- we are really starting to sound like boozers aren't we? Two large beers between 4 people, and minimal public embarrassment- nothing to apologize for.
July 14th, 2011
The last day. It has come to this. The dread of returning to daily life ramps up but we remind ourselves we have a long travel day ahead of us the next day. We all headed out to the Botanical Gardens, a 20 minute walk from Jen's place. The highlight of a short but sweet visit was The Orchid Garden which contains a large number of orchid varieties including some that were developed in Singapore to celebrate the visits of world leaders including former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and one named after Canada's wisecracking former PM, Jean Chretien. Another bonus was the mossy forest/highlands- which simulated a climate much like Cameron Highlands, a nice place to cool off in another unforgiving summer day.
Andrea and I along with her parents went up Orchard Rd for some last minute shopping. This trek eventually took us into the massive Ion Orchard shopping centre, one of the many shopping spots along the strip. Andrea grabbed a shirt at Zara for our night on the town, and I was tempted to buy something but restrained myself. Pressed for time, we hopped on the subway to Sommerset- as I wanted to grab a souvenir for someone at the Charlie Brown Cafe.
After a quick dinner, we headed back for a quick swim in the pool. Another opportunity to get some relief from the heat. Then we all regrouped, freshened up, and headed pit to the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. Jen's partner Rennie met us there and we headed up to the top of the hotel for the chocolate buffet.
This was a crazy indulgent experience, chocolate of every imaginable variety- jams, mousse, fondue, breads, cookies, tarts, among other things. After one plate full, I could barely bring myself to eat more. It was $40, so I was not about to waste that money, so I went up for another round, this time mostly fruit. Still I probably gained pounds from this sitting alone.
Stuffed and feeling kind of gross, some of us got up to check out the view, on one side the harbor, on the other the infinity pool which looked to flow over the side of the building. Also, another great view of downtown Singapore, if only it didn't get dark so early, I would have been able to take less blurry pictures. Nonetheless, it was worth the money for the view.
July 15, 2011
After a restless sleep, the chocolate buffet hangover kicks in and then I look at our itinerary and the flight is leaving almost an hour earlier than we thought. We say hurried goodbyes to Jen and Rennie- emotional for some more than others. We still made it to the airport with enough time to check-in.
After saying our goodbyes to Alex and Kate who were going to another terminal for their flight to Winnipeg. We get inside the terminal building, and can't find our airplane counter. Turns out I read the itinerary wrong, and we are in terminal 1 instead of 2 where we should be. Hop on the tram to the right terminal, and we are on our way.
It all comes down to this, our vacation would be over after two marathon flights across the Pacific. What an incredible journey this was with all the ups and downs. I wouldn't go as far as saying it was a life changing experience or anything so obvious, but it was fun, crazy, and I would definitely return to that part of the world.
Next blog... "Cooperstown Bound"...
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
The First and Last Resort
July 12, 2011
If you are ready for a blog on the real scoop on Indonesia, you are going to be sorrily disappointed. Bintan is anything but the real Indonesia- it is pretty much a resort town. There is different restaurants and resorts in Bintan but they all seem to be part of the same whole- and there is nothing authentically Indonesian about the place. That being said, the beach is beautiful, white sands and clear water i.e. we are not in the Mekong anymore!
Finally, a day to just rest, rather than worrying about knowing where to go, what to do. Once we figured out the Singapore subway system, and got on the ferry, we were on our way. When we arrived to the resort, they gave us a welcome drink, and we went for lunch at the poolside restaurant. The food was average, a little overpriced, but that's pretty much what you can expect from a non-all inclusive resort. What we shouldn't have gotten was Carlsberg that tasted like water. I thankfully had ordered a ginger ale, but Andrea, Doug, and Alex were not so lucky. I am not sure if they ever did complain to management about it- they did to the server.
We sorted out our room situation after lunch, we ordered King beds in our rooms, and instead Andrea and I had two singles. That was not going to work for our last night in a hotel on the trip. After being moved to a room on the upper floor, we headed out to the beach. I walked as deep as I could into the South China sea without getting swept away- not trusting my swimming abilities in there. Alex, Kate and Doug snorkelled while Andrea goofed around with me.
I went back to shore, and took out my camera for some candid shots, when suddenly I hear yelling behind me. At first, I think it is about jellyfish coming onto the beach, but instead a worker at the resort is yelling out "dolphin, dolphin". I turn around and see the dolphin leaping in the air in the distance and back into the water. I point this out to the rest of the group in the water but the dolphin disappears quickly after another couple of more jumps. The dolphin was too fast and far away for me to get a good shot, the best I got was a splash in the water, which could have been anything.
After a time on the beach, we moved to the pool, and Andrea tried to give me an impromptu swimming lesson. I tried but still have a lot of room to grow, as I am a stubborn learner sometimes. Anyway, after a little prompting, I encouraged Andrea to come with me to the bar that you could swim up to for a drink. Not having had the pleasure of this novelty as she had in Aruba, I told her I would buy her one of the overpriced drinks, so I could partake and not feel like a complete alcoholic. It was the afternoon, not the morning and it was literally one drink, give me a break.
When dinner rolled around, there was no consensus on where to eat, so Andrea and I hopped on a shuttle to the Indian restaurant on the island. The highlight of the meal for me was the vegetable pakora which seemed to have more variety of vegetables (very deep fried) than I had found in Toronto. The food was the best we had in Bintan but my stomach immediately regretted it, too much spice at the time.
In spite of the upset stomach, I still pushed myself for a nice moonlight walk along the beach with Andrea. I thought I was seeing things but crabs did cross our path on the beach, and then we encountered a large snail on the path back to the hotel (a few inches in length). One of its brothers weren't so lucky, it got crushed on the sidewalk in the dark. We ran into Alex and Kate in the lobby of the resort, and found out that Alex was the accidental assailant of the snail. I will not repeat the account of the sound that the snail made when he stepped back on it- for the sake of those with weak stomachs.
The night ended as many nights did, watching bad TV, and fell asleep. Before we knew it, we were back on the Ferry to Singapore the next day.
Next up, the final chapter of my Southeast Asia...."So Long, Farewell Singapore".
If you are ready for a blog on the real scoop on Indonesia, you are going to be sorrily disappointed. Bintan is anything but the real Indonesia- it is pretty much a resort town. There is different restaurants and resorts in Bintan but they all seem to be part of the same whole- and there is nothing authentically Indonesian about the place. That being said, the beach is beautiful, white sands and clear water i.e. we are not in the Mekong anymore!
Finally, a day to just rest, rather than worrying about knowing where to go, what to do. Once we figured out the Singapore subway system, and got on the ferry, we were on our way. When we arrived to the resort, they gave us a welcome drink, and we went for lunch at the poolside restaurant. The food was average, a little overpriced, but that's pretty much what you can expect from a non-all inclusive resort. What we shouldn't have gotten was Carlsberg that tasted like water. I thankfully had ordered a ginger ale, but Andrea, Doug, and Alex were not so lucky. I am not sure if they ever did complain to management about it- they did to the server.
We sorted out our room situation after lunch, we ordered King beds in our rooms, and instead Andrea and I had two singles. That was not going to work for our last night in a hotel on the trip. After being moved to a room on the upper floor, we headed out to the beach. I walked as deep as I could into the South China sea without getting swept away- not trusting my swimming abilities in there. Alex, Kate and Doug snorkelled while Andrea goofed around with me.
I went back to shore, and took out my camera for some candid shots, when suddenly I hear yelling behind me. At first, I think it is about jellyfish coming onto the beach, but instead a worker at the resort is yelling out "dolphin, dolphin". I turn around and see the dolphin leaping in the air in the distance and back into the water. I point this out to the rest of the group in the water but the dolphin disappears quickly after another couple of more jumps. The dolphin was too fast and far away for me to get a good shot, the best I got was a splash in the water, which could have been anything.
After a time on the beach, we moved to the pool, and Andrea tried to give me an impromptu swimming lesson. I tried but still have a lot of room to grow, as I am a stubborn learner sometimes. Anyway, after a little prompting, I encouraged Andrea to come with me to the bar that you could swim up to for a drink. Not having had the pleasure of this novelty as she had in Aruba, I told her I would buy her one of the overpriced drinks, so I could partake and not feel like a complete alcoholic. It was the afternoon, not the morning and it was literally one drink, give me a break.
When dinner rolled around, there was no consensus on where to eat, so Andrea and I hopped on a shuttle to the Indian restaurant on the island. The highlight of the meal for me was the vegetable pakora which seemed to have more variety of vegetables (very deep fried) than I had found in Toronto. The food was the best we had in Bintan but my stomach immediately regretted it, too much spice at the time.
In spite of the upset stomach, I still pushed myself for a nice moonlight walk along the beach with Andrea. I thought I was seeing things but crabs did cross our path on the beach, and then we encountered a large snail on the path back to the hotel (a few inches in length). One of its brothers weren't so lucky, it got crushed on the sidewalk in the dark. We ran into Alex and Kate in the lobby of the resort, and found out that Alex was the accidental assailant of the snail. I will not repeat the account of the sound that the snail made when he stepped back on it- for the sake of those with weak stomachs.
The night ended as many nights did, watching bad TV, and fell asleep. Before we knew it, we were back on the Ferry to Singapore the next day.
Next up, the final chapter of my Southeast Asia...."So Long, Farewell Singapore".
The Final Days in Thailand
July 9, 2011
Andrea and I waited by the gates of our hotel for a cooking school pickup, and to our surprise a couple of familiar faces would be in the van. Alex and Kate were already in the van, they had been picked up at the Eco Hotel- where they decided to stay in Chiang Mai. When we got to the school, we soon realized that they were not in our half day class but in a full day.
We met our instructor, whose English wasn't perfect but it was good enough to get the gist. The remainder of our group was a French family whose kids resembled those of Don Draper's kids on Mad Men. They had a bit of ADHD but were tolerable. Our other classmate was a young French woman as well. They would require translations once in a while, and I inadvertently would step in to give the answers at which point our instructor jokingly called me the "second teacher".
We started out with noodles, I opted to make my favorite Pad See Uw- apparently if mispronounced people will think you want to eat humans. Not being one for the occasional cannibalism, I chose to get the wording correctly. We followed this up by making curries the old fashioned way- with mortar and pestle, we were told to imagine the peppers were someone that really irritated us. That really seemed to get the juices flowing and soon the ingredients were pounded into a fine paste before being added to coconut milk for a sauce. We wrapped up with a stir fried basil chicken, and a coconut milk soup.
By the time, we got back to the hotel, we had a little bit of time to shower and relax before Andrea and I headed over to a spa for an afternoon Thai Massage. When you haven't had a massage for a year, you tend to develop a lot of knots in muscles, so there were points where it felt the masseuse was stabbing me in the neck with her elbows. Not exactly pleasant at the time, but it got the job done. Andrea giggled at points during the massage, especially when the masseuse hit her funny bone. After an hour of thai massage, we were separated and I went upstairs for an aromatherapy massage which was much more relaxing for me and Andrea went for some reflexology.
Rested and relaxed we headed over for some sushi at Gigantea. According to the research I did, this was a favorite of the Japanese community in Chiang Mai. I knew the address of the place and we had walked by the area the did before but Andrea and even myself started to doubt my sense of direction when we hit the street at a different point. This is one of those streets that curve and was packed, so it was easy to lose a sense of where you were. Hungry and tired, Andrea got frustrated, and I relented and went back to the street we knew better and find our way from there. We eventually found our way there and the sushi was as good as promised, it was just a little on the pricey size. I was still hungry afterwards because I couldn't afford to pay for more food there, so I ended up getting Whopper JR near the night bazaar.
July 10, 2011
With my stomach virus still giving me problems at breakfast and Andrea's mom not feeling all that well either, we decided not to go to the National Park for the day. The other half of the group- Alex, Kate, Linda, and Jen went on their own tour- which includes a visit to the 'long neck' village (you can google that to find out more details, but people basically use metal to extend their necks), white water rafting (I can't swim very well...nuff said), and another elephant village (Jen would later say she had to yell at one of the trainers for being rough with an elephant- he was beating it with a stick). Andrea and I sleep in more and watch some Asian Food Channel, which Andrea had become addicted to.
In the afternoon, we took a look in Chinese market, an then we went shopping along Thai Pae Rd, stopping for some mango sticky rice at Ratana's kitchen (a very economical restaurant that we had tried earlier in the trip- $2 for Pad Thai, c'mon). We stepped into an old colonial building that had been changed into a cafe/ceramics store. The building was beautiful and the garden cafe was idyllic. I ended up splurging on myself, by buying a bar of scented soap while Andrea bought some ceramics.
Later that night, we headed over to The Duke's, a western food restaurant, and had probably the best simulation of western food I had in the entire trip. I had a massive burger called the "Va Va Voom", which is a sloppy chili burger with Australian beef with side of fries and a hard cider. Andrea and I also shared some chili pepper poppers that dwarfed any Jalapeno poppers I've seen over here. We split the burger, and I had some of her steak sandwich- which was good but it was no burger.
July 11, 2011
In the morning before our flight, we headed out to do some last minute souvenir shopping along our street before the van came to pick us up and take us to the airport. I found a lot of my souvenirs that morning because at least I could be assured of the quality of the products versus some of the shady goods at the night market. We stopped for a tea at the most feminine tea shop- pink was literally everywhere- hot pink. I had a Chiang Mai Ice Tea which suspiciously tasted like Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade but was still tasty. I had some cucumber sandwiches which may have been plenty for a doll at children's tea party but it was clear afterwards that I would need to stock up on snacks before our cheapo flight on Air Asia.
On the plane, it was a bit of a flashback to our Bangkok minibus ride. The plane was up and down like a roller coaster for the first 5 minutes, and would have justified anyone's fear of flying. For the record, I was not scared, just a little nauseous- and getting over a stomach virus might I add. Thankfully, no need for the sick bag. The girl next to me just sort of giggled at the situation.
By the time we got to back to Singapore, there was just enough time to figure out our transport to Indonesia for the next day.
Next blog...."The First and Last Resort"...
Andrea and I waited by the gates of our hotel for a cooking school pickup, and to our surprise a couple of familiar faces would be in the van. Alex and Kate were already in the van, they had been picked up at the Eco Hotel- where they decided to stay in Chiang Mai. When we got to the school, we soon realized that they were not in our half day class but in a full day.
We met our instructor, whose English wasn't perfect but it was good enough to get the gist. The remainder of our group was a French family whose kids resembled those of Don Draper's kids on Mad Men. They had a bit of ADHD but were tolerable. Our other classmate was a young French woman as well. They would require translations once in a while, and I inadvertently would step in to give the answers at which point our instructor jokingly called me the "second teacher".
We started out with noodles, I opted to make my favorite Pad See Uw- apparently if mispronounced people will think you want to eat humans. Not being one for the occasional cannibalism, I chose to get the wording correctly. We followed this up by making curries the old fashioned way- with mortar and pestle, we were told to imagine the peppers were someone that really irritated us. That really seemed to get the juices flowing and soon the ingredients were pounded into a fine paste before being added to coconut milk for a sauce. We wrapped up with a stir fried basil chicken, and a coconut milk soup.
By the time, we got back to the hotel, we had a little bit of time to shower and relax before Andrea and I headed over to a spa for an afternoon Thai Massage. When you haven't had a massage for a year, you tend to develop a lot of knots in muscles, so there were points where it felt the masseuse was stabbing me in the neck with her elbows. Not exactly pleasant at the time, but it got the job done. Andrea giggled at points during the massage, especially when the masseuse hit her funny bone. After an hour of thai massage, we were separated and I went upstairs for an aromatherapy massage which was much more relaxing for me and Andrea went for some reflexology.
Rested and relaxed we headed over for some sushi at Gigantea. According to the research I did, this was a favorite of the Japanese community in Chiang Mai. I knew the address of the place and we had walked by the area the did before but Andrea and even myself started to doubt my sense of direction when we hit the street at a different point. This is one of those streets that curve and was packed, so it was easy to lose a sense of where you were. Hungry and tired, Andrea got frustrated, and I relented and went back to the street we knew better and find our way from there. We eventually found our way there and the sushi was as good as promised, it was just a little on the pricey size. I was still hungry afterwards because I couldn't afford to pay for more food there, so I ended up getting Whopper JR near the night bazaar.
July 10, 2011
With my stomach virus still giving me problems at breakfast and Andrea's mom not feeling all that well either, we decided not to go to the National Park for the day. The other half of the group- Alex, Kate, Linda, and Jen went on their own tour- which includes a visit to the 'long neck' village (you can google that to find out more details, but people basically use metal to extend their necks), white water rafting (I can't swim very well...nuff said), and another elephant village (Jen would later say she had to yell at one of the trainers for being rough with an elephant- he was beating it with a stick). Andrea and I sleep in more and watch some Asian Food Channel, which Andrea had become addicted to.
In the afternoon, we took a look in Chinese market, an then we went shopping along Thai Pae Rd, stopping for some mango sticky rice at Ratana's kitchen (a very economical restaurant that we had tried earlier in the trip- $2 for Pad Thai, c'mon). We stepped into an old colonial building that had been changed into a cafe/ceramics store. The building was beautiful and the garden cafe was idyllic. I ended up splurging on myself, by buying a bar of scented soap while Andrea bought some ceramics.
Later that night, we headed over to The Duke's, a western food restaurant, and had probably the best simulation of western food I had in the entire trip. I had a massive burger called the "Va Va Voom", which is a sloppy chili burger with Australian beef with side of fries and a hard cider. Andrea and I also shared some chili pepper poppers that dwarfed any Jalapeno poppers I've seen over here. We split the burger, and I had some of her steak sandwich- which was good but it was no burger.
July 11, 2011
In the morning before our flight, we headed out to do some last minute souvenir shopping along our street before the van came to pick us up and take us to the airport. I found a lot of my souvenirs that morning because at least I could be assured of the quality of the products versus some of the shady goods at the night market. We stopped for a tea at the most feminine tea shop- pink was literally everywhere- hot pink. I had a Chiang Mai Ice Tea which suspiciously tasted like Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade but was still tasty. I had some cucumber sandwiches which may have been plenty for a doll at children's tea party but it was clear afterwards that I would need to stock up on snacks before our cheapo flight on Air Asia.
On the plane, it was a bit of a flashback to our Bangkok minibus ride. The plane was up and down like a roller coaster for the first 5 minutes, and would have justified anyone's fear of flying. For the record, I was not scared, just a little nauseous- and getting over a stomach virus might I add. Thankfully, no need for the sick bag. The girl next to me just sort of giggled at the situation.
By the time we got to back to Singapore, there was just enough time to figure out our transport to Indonesia for the next day.
Next blog...."The First and Last Resort"...
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Chilling in Chiang Mai
July 7, 2011
We take our seats at breakfast, and I couldn't help but notice how it didn't feel like we are in the middle of a city. The bed and breakfast is closed from the street, a hopping bar strip usually, and it's like your in the middle of a jungle hideaway. Tropical plants line the paths between suites- coconuts, bananas, and other fruit grow everywhere. It is helpful that we had a pool too.
We head towards the old town a little closer to lunch, and Andrea and I are already starving. Half the group go ahead while Andrea's parents join us for lunch at Mike's burgers. They made a good burger but still fairly average but combined with the tasty fries- much needed energy for the day ahead.
After lunch, we went through the old city wall and visited a few of the temples. I have to admit there is only so many Buddha statues one can see before they get kind of jaded about the whole thing, just like all the Virgin Marys in Mexico. That's when I saw a creepy fiberglass monk that looked realistic and seem to follow you with it's hollow stare.
As we exited this temple, we were again greeted by someone who conveniently had a Canadian friend and oh by the way, you should go to my buddy's tour agency to book your tour for the next day. We made it as if we would go there, and he immediately got on his phone as we left. As soon as he saw we were not headed in the direction of his buddy's, he crossed the street in attempt to get us back on track. We said we'd go tomorrow much to his chagrin. Obviously, he would have gotten a finder's fee for sending the business to his friend.
Later, we headed over to the Riverside bar, a favorite hangout of locals and tourists for some food and brews. It was packed by the time we left, and by then Alex and Kate were arriving but we didn't have the energy for a night on the town.
July 8, 2011
The next day, we went in a van up the mountain to Doi Ithanon temple, and big landmark in Chang Mai- a golden dome-like structure. This is the first temple that I had seen where they have a tram lift that ascends to it. The view of Chiang Mai was worth the price of admission and the temple itself was nice too (see jaded).
At this point, i could make a corny joke about Jade factories but that's where we went- it was across the street. We were shown a cheesy 5 minute video about Jade manufacturing that was straight out of the 80s. Subsequently, we took a tour where artisans were at work. A lot of this work was very detailed, and took weeks to finish. This of course came into play in the pricing, you could own a jade chess set for mere thousands of dollars (U.S.- not Thai Baht). Needless to say I did not purchase anything but some of the adults purchased less complex pieces.
At night, Andrea and I decided to have a cheap dinner at the night bazaar, and then take in a movie at the French Consulate. On paper, it sounded good, it was an old French romance film according to the ad. I forget how experimental Alain Resnais's films were, having never seen a full one myself. As soon as Andrea started to play with her hair, I knew I had lost her. Don't get me wrong there were times when I was looking at my watch, just seeing her bored made things worse. Then kids in the back started snoring. In the end, we watched the whole thing, and agreed it wasn't really our cup of tea but it had some good moments and artistic merit. And it was only 30 baht (about a dollar).
We ended the night how we started, at the night bazaar.
Next time... "The Final Days in Thailand"...
We take our seats at breakfast, and I couldn't help but notice how it didn't feel like we are in the middle of a city. The bed and breakfast is closed from the street, a hopping bar strip usually, and it's like your in the middle of a jungle hideaway. Tropical plants line the paths between suites- coconuts, bananas, and other fruit grow everywhere. It is helpful that we had a pool too.
We head towards the old town a little closer to lunch, and Andrea and I are already starving. Half the group go ahead while Andrea's parents join us for lunch at Mike's burgers. They made a good burger but still fairly average but combined with the tasty fries- much needed energy for the day ahead.
After lunch, we went through the old city wall and visited a few of the temples. I have to admit there is only so many Buddha statues one can see before they get kind of jaded about the whole thing, just like all the Virgin Marys in Mexico. That's when I saw a creepy fiberglass monk that looked realistic and seem to follow you with it's hollow stare.
As we exited this temple, we were again greeted by someone who conveniently had a Canadian friend and oh by the way, you should go to my buddy's tour agency to book your tour for the next day. We made it as if we would go there, and he immediately got on his phone as we left. As soon as he saw we were not headed in the direction of his buddy's, he crossed the street in attempt to get us back on track. We said we'd go tomorrow much to his chagrin. Obviously, he would have gotten a finder's fee for sending the business to his friend.
Later, we headed over to the Riverside bar, a favorite hangout of locals and tourists for some food and brews. It was packed by the time we left, and by then Alex and Kate were arriving but we didn't have the energy for a night on the town.
July 8, 2011
The next day, we went in a van up the mountain to Doi Ithanon temple, and big landmark in Chang Mai- a golden dome-like structure. This is the first temple that I had seen where they have a tram lift that ascends to it. The view of Chiang Mai was worth the price of admission and the temple itself was nice too (see jaded).
At this point, i could make a corny joke about Jade factories but that's where we went- it was across the street. We were shown a cheesy 5 minute video about Jade manufacturing that was straight out of the 80s. Subsequently, we took a tour where artisans were at work. A lot of this work was very detailed, and took weeks to finish. This of course came into play in the pricing, you could own a jade chess set for mere thousands of dollars (U.S.- not Thai Baht). Needless to say I did not purchase anything but some of the adults purchased less complex pieces.
At night, Andrea and I decided to have a cheap dinner at the night bazaar, and then take in a movie at the French Consulate. On paper, it sounded good, it was an old French romance film according to the ad. I forget how experimental Alain Resnais's films were, having never seen a full one myself. As soon as Andrea started to play with her hair, I knew I had lost her. Don't get me wrong there were times when I was looking at my watch, just seeing her bored made things worse. Then kids in the back started snoring. In the end, we watched the whole thing, and agreed it wasn't really our cup of tea but it had some good moments and artistic merit. And it was only 30 baht (about a dollar).
We ended the night how we started, at the night bazaar.
Next time... "The Final Days in Thailand"...
The Slow Ride Up the Mekong
July 5th, 2011
In the morning, our shuttle driver to the fairy is nowhere to be found, and the staff at the hotel doesn't seem to no what is going on. A staff member gets on the phone, and moments later our driver comes in on motorbike, still taking his helmet off as he turns the key on the ignition in the shuttle.
When we get to the Mekong, he does not seem to know where to drop us off, despite the hotel staff saying they know where it is. Jen gets frustrated with driver, and he finally figures out where to drop us off. When we get on the boat, we find out we are the only ones on the private boat along with a French family. Ahh, room to stretch out! A necessity when you were going to be on a boat for two days.
As the hours stretch on, it is easy for the mountains, river, and water buffalo to look all the same. The scenery is majestic though, even if the water could be clearer. All the mud and sediment falling in doesn't exactly give the Mekong a blue glow.
The hours pass, and the rocking of the boat does not do wonders for my already unstable stomach. This is when I realize that the stomach virus that had been plaguing Andrea since Bangkok has definitely caught up with me by now. Anne would have similar issues that night. I tried to consume as much rice as I could to ease my stomach a little.
By nightfall, we we in Pakbeng, beautiful view- not such a great town apparently. We were in the "ritz" of Pakbeng and we were sharing rooms with uncomfortable single beds and no mosquito nets despite being in a place where I saw the most insects in the entire trip. Ants were attacking other bugs and biting humans, and the Gecko population far outnumbered the human population due to the insect buffet they had at their disposal. Add to that no air-conditioning, and a fan that sounded like a helicopter, did not add up to a goodnight sleep. Still better than the flea bag guesthouses that were our other options. So I counted my blessings.
July 6th, 2011
On thr next day's journey, it was just our group on the boat, as the backpackers crammed into the public boat gawked at our decadence as we moved away from a fueling station. Alex and Andrea joked about re-enacting a Grey Poupon ad for them.
By late afternoon the next day, we arrived in Huay Xai- the Laos border town with Thailand. They dropped us at a dock that wasn't directly at the border and had to resort to taking an overpriced tuk tuk to the border ferry crossing which was a few minutes away. We bargained him down, and he did not seem to realize that maybe you should get your vehicle up a steep hill first before overloading it with people and luggage. Alex and I ended up helping push it up the hill but I banged my head on the way in.
We crossed the border a little after 4pm, and of course we were charged a premium by the border officials for crossing after 4pm. When we got onto the Thailand side, we had a confusing conversation with a minibus operator but after stopping briefly convinced them to drive our group to Chiang Mai then and there rather than waiting
until the next day.
Linda called Baan Orapin, and arranged an extra night in Chiang Mai. After that, we were full speed ahead, in a sometimes queasy ride as we winded around the mountains.
We arrived in Chiang Mai after 10, and settled in for the next day.
Next time... "Chilling in Chiang Mai"
In the morning, our shuttle driver to the fairy is nowhere to be found, and the staff at the hotel doesn't seem to no what is going on. A staff member gets on the phone, and moments later our driver comes in on motorbike, still taking his helmet off as he turns the key on the ignition in the shuttle.
When we get to the Mekong, he does not seem to know where to drop us off, despite the hotel staff saying they know where it is. Jen gets frustrated with driver, and he finally figures out where to drop us off. When we get on the boat, we find out we are the only ones on the private boat along with a French family. Ahh, room to stretch out! A necessity when you were going to be on a boat for two days.
As the hours stretch on, it is easy for the mountains, river, and water buffalo to look all the same. The scenery is majestic though, even if the water could be clearer. All the mud and sediment falling in doesn't exactly give the Mekong a blue glow.
The hours pass, and the rocking of the boat does not do wonders for my already unstable stomach. This is when I realize that the stomach virus that had been plaguing Andrea since Bangkok has definitely caught up with me by now. Anne would have similar issues that night. I tried to consume as much rice as I could to ease my stomach a little.
By nightfall, we we in Pakbeng, beautiful view- not such a great town apparently. We were in the "ritz" of Pakbeng and we were sharing rooms with uncomfortable single beds and no mosquito nets despite being in a place where I saw the most insects in the entire trip. Ants were attacking other bugs and biting humans, and the Gecko population far outnumbered the human population due to the insect buffet they had at their disposal. Add to that no air-conditioning, and a fan that sounded like a helicopter, did not add up to a goodnight sleep. Still better than the flea bag guesthouses that were our other options. So I counted my blessings.
July 6th, 2011
On thr next day's journey, it was just our group on the boat, as the backpackers crammed into the public boat gawked at our decadence as we moved away from a fueling station. Alex and Andrea joked about re-enacting a Grey Poupon ad for them.
By late afternoon the next day, we arrived in Huay Xai- the Laos border town with Thailand. They dropped us at a dock that wasn't directly at the border and had to resort to taking an overpriced tuk tuk to the border ferry crossing which was a few minutes away. We bargained him down, and he did not seem to realize that maybe you should get your vehicle up a steep hill first before overloading it with people and luggage. Alex and I ended up helping push it up the hill but I banged my head on the way in.
We crossed the border a little after 4pm, and of course we were charged a premium by the border officials for crossing after 4pm. When we got onto the Thailand side, we had a confusing conversation with a minibus operator but after stopping briefly convinced them to drive our group to Chiang Mai then and there rather than waiting
until the next day.
Linda called Baan Orapin, and arranged an extra night in Chiang Mai. After that, we were full speed ahead, in a sometimes queasy ride as we winded around the mountains.
We arrived in Chiang Mai after 10, and settled in for the next day.
Next time... "Chilling in Chiang Mai"
The Elephant In The Room
July 3, 2011
On our 2nd full day in Luang Prabang, we tried to take it easy... by climbing up 200 steps in the heat to another temple! The view was fantastic even if the temple was not much to look at. Luang Prabang is a small city, so you could see the whole place from this vantage point-as well as the grassy mountains, and the Mekhong and Namkong Rivers.
Earlier that day, we took in the National Museum, which like most things on this trip, we were under a time crunch. It closes for lunch, and we got there a little under an hour before that. The museum used to be a palace, and some of the artifacts included gifts from other nations. The US collection included a commemoration of the moon landing with a model lunar lander, and moon rock. Apparently, they had taken the Laos flag up to the moon. Canada's only gift in the museum- a plate.
The rest of our day was a little more restful as we enjoyed a quiet dinner, and a short jaunt into the night market.
July 4, 2011
In the morning, we are picked up by elephant village tours and taken towards their camp. Halfway up the mountain, it becomes clear that the days of rain have gotten the better of the dirt road. The van gets stuck in the wet red clay. So we get out of the van, thinking we will have to walk up the mountain in this but eventually they are able to push it out of the muck and we are on our way.
When we get to the elephant village, we see one of the elephants, Mason being fed and she seems to be in good spirits. This camp says they are ethical and give back to the community, and this seems to be true. There was no harm incurred to the animals while we were around, and the elephants were very good natured. The same cannot be said about all the elephant camps in Southeast Asia.
Soon enough, we are all riding the elephants in pairs with a trained mahout. The ride is bumpy at points as you are on top of a very large animal that is trying to climb uneven ground. The elephants would at times get distracted and start eating leaves, knock over small trees, or even do "their business". You haven't seen anything till you see an elephant poop.
We rode the elephants for about an hour before stopping to feed them. The large portions of bananas they consumed from our hands was merely a small snack in the elephants' day. It was nice to give them a reward for their hard work but part of me still felt bad for riding them in the first place.
Next, we hopped on a long motorboat up the river, without the elephants of course, to a large waterfall nearby. The boat itself was not the stablest and seemed to sit maybe an inch or two above the rushing water. We arrived, a little wet, but alive.
At the waterfall, there was a large natural pool, as well as the opportunity for zip-lining. I was hesitant to jump into the pool, as that current was fairly strong and I am not a strong swimmer. I did end up joining the rest of the group though, and Andrea made sure to do her usual 'shark attack' as soon as I got in the water. The water was full of tourists from all over Asia and Europe but a lot from Australia and France. After we were done, we hopped back into a boat, a stabler one this time, and back to the camp. We stopped for a quick buffet lunch and a swim in their resort pool while Anne and Linda decided to go souvenir shopping. On the way out, we almost lost Doug as he was busy talking to Australian couple and lost track of time.
We went back into town later for dinner, and then into the night market one last time. We came back to the hotel, enjoyed some Beer Lao, and a shot of Lao Lao (a strong rice liquor) before falling asleep to bad Thai music videos.
Next blog... "The Slow Ride Up The Mekong"
On our 2nd full day in Luang Prabang, we tried to take it easy... by climbing up 200 steps in the heat to another temple! The view was fantastic even if the temple was not much to look at. Luang Prabang is a small city, so you could see the whole place from this vantage point-as well as the grassy mountains, and the Mekhong and Namkong Rivers.
Earlier that day, we took in the National Museum, which like most things on this trip, we were under a time crunch. It closes for lunch, and we got there a little under an hour before that. The museum used to be a palace, and some of the artifacts included gifts from other nations. The US collection included a commemoration of the moon landing with a model lunar lander, and moon rock. Apparently, they had taken the Laos flag up to the moon. Canada's only gift in the museum- a plate.
The rest of our day was a little more restful as we enjoyed a quiet dinner, and a short jaunt into the night market.
July 4, 2011
In the morning, we are picked up by elephant village tours and taken towards their camp. Halfway up the mountain, it becomes clear that the days of rain have gotten the better of the dirt road. The van gets stuck in the wet red clay. So we get out of the van, thinking we will have to walk up the mountain in this but eventually they are able to push it out of the muck and we are on our way.
When we get to the elephant village, we see one of the elephants, Mason being fed and she seems to be in good spirits. This camp says they are ethical and give back to the community, and this seems to be true. There was no harm incurred to the animals while we were around, and the elephants were very good natured. The same cannot be said about all the elephant camps in Southeast Asia.
Soon enough, we are all riding the elephants in pairs with a trained mahout. The ride is bumpy at points as you are on top of a very large animal that is trying to climb uneven ground. The elephants would at times get distracted and start eating leaves, knock over small trees, or even do "their business". You haven't seen anything till you see an elephant poop.
We rode the elephants for about an hour before stopping to feed them. The large portions of bananas they consumed from our hands was merely a small snack in the elephants' day. It was nice to give them a reward for their hard work but part of me still felt bad for riding them in the first place.
Next, we hopped on a long motorboat up the river, without the elephants of course, to a large waterfall nearby. The boat itself was not the stablest and seemed to sit maybe an inch or two above the rushing water. We arrived, a little wet, but alive.
At the waterfall, there was a large natural pool, as well as the opportunity for zip-lining. I was hesitant to jump into the pool, as that current was fairly strong and I am not a strong swimmer. I did end up joining the rest of the group though, and Andrea made sure to do her usual 'shark attack' as soon as I got in the water. The water was full of tourists from all over Asia and Europe but a lot from Australia and France. After we were done, we hopped back into a boat, a stabler one this time, and back to the camp. We stopped for a quick buffet lunch and a swim in their resort pool while Anne and Linda decided to go souvenir shopping. On the way out, we almost lost Doug as he was busy talking to Australian couple and lost track of time.
We went back into town later for dinner, and then into the night market one last time. We came back to the hotel, enjoyed some Beer Lao, and a shot of Lao Lao (a strong rice liquor) before falling asleep to bad Thai music videos.
Next blog... "The Slow Ride Up The Mekong"
Thursday, July 14, 2011
The Rain Comes In Luang Prabang
July 1st, 2011
After being lucky in the so called rainy season in Southeast Asia, we touch down in Luang Prabang and it's raining- for two days straight. The airport looks like about the size of a gift shop, and as soon as we cross customs we decide to change our money over as ATMs are few and far between in Laos. In fact, I saw maybe one bank our whole time there. No Western chains- not even KFC which seemed to follow us everywhere else.
We checked into the hotel, and get into our room, and Andrea screams out. There was a dead mouse in the toilet. She was too freaked out to try and flush it, so I had to get the hotel staff to dispose of it. Disaster averted.
We walked into town around the river, setup a cooking class for the next day, and we split up for dinner.
July 2nd, 2011
Most of us (with the exception of Andrea's parents) headed to the Tamarind restaurant for a Lao cooking class. They took us to the market to see what would a typical Lao person might pick up. First up, was a snack known as "cat poop" which was essentially a stringy version of caramel corn. We were also shown the vegetables and spices they use, and finally the meat. This portion of the tour was smelly and disgusting for the most part- tripe, pig's feet, pig brains, and everyone's favorite- congealed blood! They use it in soup apparently.
It was back on the tuk tuks on a bumpy dirt and gravel road to our cooking classroom. Tamarind has their own farm out there. They even harvest their own monkfish which they breed. We started by making an eggplant and tomato chili dip, then moved onto a lemon dill monk fish wrapped into a banana leaf and steamed. Folding those leaves is harder than it looks! Both of these dishes were very flavorful, and we had ample time to use a mortar and pestle, which is good for getting out excess aggression.
Things took a more exotic turn when we made a stew with water buffalo, and river plants. We had the option of pork which was a no go, although I'm not sure how kosher water buffalo is! It was kind of gamey tasting, and was not the best dish of the day.
The last main dish was stuffed lemongrass- yes you can stuff a thin stalk root. Basically, you cut notches around the stalk until you can form the strings into a basket. I had a little bit of trouble forming it but the instructor helped me stuff the chicken moisture in. Roll it in egg and then throw it on the fire. By the time it was cooked, we sat down and enjoyed the fruits of our labour.
After the meal, we learned how to make coconut sticky rice and combined with some fresh fruit for dessert. By this time, everyone else was stuffed but I was hungry about ten minutes later. I guess at 30, I'm still growing ...well maybe outwards.
As the sun set, we descended into the night market. I learned a new negotiating technique- not negotiating at all and just asking what the price is, saying nothing, and starting to leave. I got a good deal on a souvenir this way. Andrea and I milled around in the market for awhile before calling it a night.
Next episode... "The Elephant In The Room".
After being lucky in the so called rainy season in Southeast Asia, we touch down in Luang Prabang and it's raining- for two days straight. The airport looks like about the size of a gift shop, and as soon as we cross customs we decide to change our money over as ATMs are few and far between in Laos. In fact, I saw maybe one bank our whole time there. No Western chains- not even KFC which seemed to follow us everywhere else.
We checked into the hotel, and get into our room, and Andrea screams out. There was a dead mouse in the toilet. She was too freaked out to try and flush it, so I had to get the hotel staff to dispose of it. Disaster averted.
We walked into town around the river, setup a cooking class for the next day, and we split up for dinner.
July 2nd, 2011
Most of us (with the exception of Andrea's parents) headed to the Tamarind restaurant for a Lao cooking class. They took us to the market to see what would a typical Lao person might pick up. First up, was a snack known as "cat poop" which was essentially a stringy version of caramel corn. We were also shown the vegetables and spices they use, and finally the meat. This portion of the tour was smelly and disgusting for the most part- tripe, pig's feet, pig brains, and everyone's favorite- congealed blood! They use it in soup apparently.
It was back on the tuk tuks on a bumpy dirt and gravel road to our cooking classroom. Tamarind has their own farm out there. They even harvest their own monkfish which they breed. We started by making an eggplant and tomato chili dip, then moved onto a lemon dill monk fish wrapped into a banana leaf and steamed. Folding those leaves is harder than it looks! Both of these dishes were very flavorful, and we had ample time to use a mortar and pestle, which is good for getting out excess aggression.
Things took a more exotic turn when we made a stew with water buffalo, and river plants. We had the option of pork which was a no go, although I'm not sure how kosher water buffalo is! It was kind of gamey tasting, and was not the best dish of the day.
The last main dish was stuffed lemongrass- yes you can stuff a thin stalk root. Basically, you cut notches around the stalk until you can form the strings into a basket. I had a little bit of trouble forming it but the instructor helped me stuff the chicken moisture in. Roll it in egg and then throw it on the fire. By the time it was cooked, we sat down and enjoyed the fruits of our labour.
After the meal, we learned how to make coconut sticky rice and combined with some fresh fruit for dessert. By this time, everyone else was stuffed but I was hungry about ten minutes later. I guess at 30, I'm still growing ...well maybe outwards.
As the sun set, we descended into the night market. I learned a new negotiating technique- not negotiating at all and just asking what the price is, saying nothing, and starting to leave. I got a good deal on a souvenir this way. Andrea and I milled around in the market for awhile before calling it a night.
Next episode... "The Elephant In The Room".
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Too Much or Not Enough Bangkok
June 30th, 2011
We head out again towards the temples and again later than expected. Linda and Jen are out of commission by now as Linda needed a doctor at the hotel to prescribe her antibiotics for her eye and skin issues that don't seem to be disappearing. So Alex and Kate join myself, Andrea and her parents for the last couple of temples.
We head to Wat Arun- the Temple of the Dawn. The temple is on the other side of the river, so we talk the public water transit over to a dock that's a bit of a walk north of the temple. At the dock, there is a big market full of double parked tuk tuks- all which want to give us a ride. We walk.
The temple is very detailed- statues of mythical beings line every level. We hiked up the temple as high as we could, stopping at every level to explore- and then to the top to see a view of the Bangkok skyline.
On our way out of the temple, we get turned around. Alex and Kate advise us not to trust the water taxis to take us across the river- as they will overcharge. Only later did we find out there was some sort of ferry that could have taken us over. So after unsuccessfully finding a tuk tuk (imagine that!), we hoof it back to the public boat dock, and take it one stop across the river to the Grand Palace.
Making it a little bit before the gates close, we try to explore the palace under a time constraint. Not an easy task considering the whole complex was comparable in size to Angkor Wat. We decide to focus on the old palace, and see what we can otherwise. The centerpiece is The Emerald Buddha- so sacred they don't allow you to photograph it from within the temple. I tried to get a shot from one of the windows but to no avail.
Still within the palace, we pass by a government residence. There is armed guards everywhere, so needless to say we keep on moving. Soon enough, it is time to go, and we all regroup and rush via transit to the Pullman Centre for a Thai traditional show and dinner.
There is a bad thunderstorm brewing and we get caught in it, and we scramble to find the theatre. When we get there, Jen and Linda are already there, and we realize a bait and switch has occurred. The show is not going to occur in the main Aksara theatre as promised. Instead, it's on a make shift platform in a room next to a busy buffet. We all opt not to stay and head back to the hotel- at which most of us are tired and sweaty, and decide to part ways for dinner.
Andrea and I had freshened up and head towards a Japanese restaurant on the street of our hotel, as Andrea was jonesin' for sushi. Her parents asked to join and we obliged. It was rainy and mucky on the streets, and we had no chance to research the place with the Internet being very expensive at the hotel. After a walk that seemed to take forever, found out there was no sushi. We went back down the street, and no one could decide where to go. Finally, choosing the Lebanese place across the street! Oh well, it was a delicious meal in the end.
July 1, 2011
The following day we hit Bangkok airport blurry eyed, with a tv commercial being filmed next to us. Everyone was rushing to get pass security only to be delayed an hour and half. The airline staff could not tell us why we were delayed, telling Doug- "We'd like to know too". Wrote a blog, checked facebook, before they finally said we were boarding. Next thing, you know we landed in Laos.
Next mission, "The Rain Comes in Luang Prabang"...
We head out again towards the temples and again later than expected. Linda and Jen are out of commission by now as Linda needed a doctor at the hotel to prescribe her antibiotics for her eye and skin issues that don't seem to be disappearing. So Alex and Kate join myself, Andrea and her parents for the last couple of temples.
We head to Wat Arun- the Temple of the Dawn. The temple is on the other side of the river, so we talk the public water transit over to a dock that's a bit of a walk north of the temple. At the dock, there is a big market full of double parked tuk tuks- all which want to give us a ride. We walk.
The temple is very detailed- statues of mythical beings line every level. We hiked up the temple as high as we could, stopping at every level to explore- and then to the top to see a view of the Bangkok skyline.
On our way out of the temple, we get turned around. Alex and Kate advise us not to trust the water taxis to take us across the river- as they will overcharge. Only later did we find out there was some sort of ferry that could have taken us over. So after unsuccessfully finding a tuk tuk (imagine that!), we hoof it back to the public boat dock, and take it one stop across the river to the Grand Palace.
Making it a little bit before the gates close, we try to explore the palace under a time constraint. Not an easy task considering the whole complex was comparable in size to Angkor Wat. We decide to focus on the old palace, and see what we can otherwise. The centerpiece is The Emerald Buddha- so sacred they don't allow you to photograph it from within the temple. I tried to get a shot from one of the windows but to no avail.
Still within the palace, we pass by a government residence. There is armed guards everywhere, so needless to say we keep on moving. Soon enough, it is time to go, and we all regroup and rush via transit to the Pullman Centre for a Thai traditional show and dinner.
There is a bad thunderstorm brewing and we get caught in it, and we scramble to find the theatre. When we get there, Jen and Linda are already there, and we realize a bait and switch has occurred. The show is not going to occur in the main Aksara theatre as promised. Instead, it's on a make shift platform in a room next to a busy buffet. We all opt not to stay and head back to the hotel- at which most of us are tired and sweaty, and decide to part ways for dinner.
Andrea and I had freshened up and head towards a Japanese restaurant on the street of our hotel, as Andrea was jonesin' for sushi. Her parents asked to join and we obliged. It was rainy and mucky on the streets, and we had no chance to research the place with the Internet being very expensive at the hotel. After a walk that seemed to take forever, found out there was no sushi. We went back down the street, and no one could decide where to go. Finally, choosing the Lebanese place across the street! Oh well, it was a delicious meal in the end.
July 1, 2011
The following day we hit Bangkok airport blurry eyed, with a tv commercial being filmed next to us. Everyone was rushing to get pass security only to be delayed an hour and half. The airline staff could not tell us why we were delayed, telling Doug- "We'd like to know too". Wrote a blog, checked facebook, before they finally said we were boarding. Next thing, you know we landed in Laos.
Next mission, "The Rain Comes in Luang Prabang"...
Monday, July 11, 2011
What Happens in Bangkok Doesn't Stay In Bangkok
June 28, 2011
We hit the road in a van to the Cambodia-Thailand border but with two extra passengers. We would find out later these were family members of the driver. The drive is uneventful otherwise until we reach the border. The place is a chaotic zoo, and a Thai minibus driver finds us as we are about to cross the border. We cautiously accept his terms but with a stipulation, half now, half when we get to Bangkok and its a van just for us.
Less than an hour in, we stop for a natural gas fill up for the van and we get an unexpected delay. The minibus doesn't have the proper certification for getting the gas. After an hour of waiting, and the driver being uncommunicative, we are on our way. This is when he driver decides he needs to get us there when we were promised. The minibus gets faster and faster, reaching speeds of over 150km/hr. Every time we hit a bump or went over a hill, it was like being at Canada's Wonderland- in an "oh my god, this coaster is out of control" kind of way. Jen who was in the front slept soundly. Fairly sure, time slowed as we hit the speed of light.
Finally, we arrive in Bangkok at the beautiful Davis hotel. This place could be a home away from home if it weren't for the fact that they did not have free WI-FI.There was nice carpeting, big screen TV, fridge, and a palatial bathroom. I was ready to finally relax and we head off to a recommended authentic Thai food restaurant. By this time, everyone is cranky, tired, and damn hungry. We arrive at the restaurant instead it is a "Thai/Chinese" seafood restaurant. Most of the items on the menu appear to be fish cooked with the head and scales intact. Then there is confusion with how we are getting drinks, as there is a definite language barrier, and the starts adding bottles to our cart and giving us 1/3 of a glass pepsi because that's all that's left in the bottle.
I am not feeling good at all, and settle on one of the few chicken dishes, which turns out to be good but seriously lacking in anything other than chicken and pure spice. Andrea opts to share her small soup which is enough for 4 people- more spice. As my stomach comes to a bubble, Jen and Doug (Andrea's dad) come to blows over etiquette and culture shock. Perhaps, we should have gone to the gas station McDonald's at this point. After dinner, we all retire to our rooms to cool off and get some rest for the next day.
June 29, 2011
It's our first full day in Bangkok and we hoped to start off early in the morning. Instead, breakfast seems to take 2 hours and we are not off until around noon. By this time, it's blazing hot in Bangkok, and we hop onto the LRT. We got off near the Marina, but miss the public boat. We don't quite understand the boat transit system and opt not to wait for the next boat, not realizing its about 20 minutes away at most. So, we head out on foot through Chinatown. Not the best idea.
First off its hot, and the streets are just as narrow as KL. Then there is street vendors and crowds blocking almost every walk way. Then we encounter the 'helpful people' gauntlet. This is how the story goes, they ask us where we are from, or remark on our nice accent, tell us about one city they know in Canada and how they have a friend there. Give us some somewhat helpful suggestions, and then try to lead us to their friend the Tuk Tuk driver to take us where we want to go.
It is a amazing that we were to able to see anything. We got to the Golden Buddha and the amazing Reclining Buddha. The latter statue has to be a a couple of stories in height but laying down. It is an impressive site and one not to be missed in Bangkok. After this, we head over to the Grand Palace but we missed the last entrance by 4 minutes! It had to wait to the next day.
We got on a boat back to the LRT station, and headed back to the hotel. Andrea and I jumped into the swimming pool for a quick swim before the thundershowers came. Dinner came easily that night as I noted a nice little Thai place along the road near the hotel- 'Lemongrass' which every seem to enjoy. Small victories! Unfortunately, both the Banana Flower and Pomelo salads has small bits of shrimp in them (I didn't know this before Andrea and I ordered them), and I couldn't take part in that part. We shared a couple of other dishes and it was a good end to a crazy day.
Next episode- "Too Much Or Not Enough Bangkok"...
We hit the road in a van to the Cambodia-Thailand border but with two extra passengers. We would find out later these were family members of the driver. The drive is uneventful otherwise until we reach the border. The place is a chaotic zoo, and a Thai minibus driver finds us as we are about to cross the border. We cautiously accept his terms but with a stipulation, half now, half when we get to Bangkok and its a van just for us.
Less than an hour in, we stop for a natural gas fill up for the van and we get an unexpected delay. The minibus doesn't have the proper certification for getting the gas. After an hour of waiting, and the driver being uncommunicative, we are on our way. This is when he driver decides he needs to get us there when we were promised. The minibus gets faster and faster, reaching speeds of over 150km/hr. Every time we hit a bump or went over a hill, it was like being at Canada's Wonderland- in an "oh my god, this coaster is out of control" kind of way. Jen who was in the front slept soundly. Fairly sure, time slowed as we hit the speed of light.
Finally, we arrive in Bangkok at the beautiful Davis hotel. This place could be a home away from home if it weren't for the fact that they did not have free WI-FI.There was nice carpeting, big screen TV, fridge, and a palatial bathroom. I was ready to finally relax and we head off to a recommended authentic Thai food restaurant. By this time, everyone is cranky, tired, and damn hungry. We arrive at the restaurant instead it is a "Thai/Chinese" seafood restaurant. Most of the items on the menu appear to be fish cooked with the head and scales intact. Then there is confusion with how we are getting drinks, as there is a definite language barrier, and the starts adding bottles to our cart and giving us 1/3 of a glass pepsi because that's all that's left in the bottle.
I am not feeling good at all, and settle on one of the few chicken dishes, which turns out to be good but seriously lacking in anything other than chicken and pure spice. Andrea opts to share her small soup which is enough for 4 people- more spice. As my stomach comes to a bubble, Jen and Doug (Andrea's dad) come to blows over etiquette and culture shock. Perhaps, we should have gone to the gas station McDonald's at this point. After dinner, we all retire to our rooms to cool off and get some rest for the next day.
June 29, 2011
It's our first full day in Bangkok and we hoped to start off early in the morning. Instead, breakfast seems to take 2 hours and we are not off until around noon. By this time, it's blazing hot in Bangkok, and we hop onto the LRT. We got off near the Marina, but miss the public boat. We don't quite understand the boat transit system and opt not to wait for the next boat, not realizing its about 20 minutes away at most. So, we head out on foot through Chinatown. Not the best idea.
First off its hot, and the streets are just as narrow as KL. Then there is street vendors and crowds blocking almost every walk way. Then we encounter the 'helpful people' gauntlet. This is how the story goes, they ask us where we are from, or remark on our nice accent, tell us about one city they know in Canada and how they have a friend there. Give us some somewhat helpful suggestions, and then try to lead us to their friend the Tuk Tuk driver to take us where we want to go.
It is a amazing that we were to able to see anything. We got to the Golden Buddha and the amazing Reclining Buddha. The latter statue has to be a a couple of stories in height but laying down. It is an impressive site and one not to be missed in Bangkok. After this, we head over to the Grand Palace but we missed the last entrance by 4 minutes! It had to wait to the next day.
We got on a boat back to the LRT station, and headed back to the hotel. Andrea and I jumped into the swimming pool for a quick swim before the thundershowers came. Dinner came easily that night as I noted a nice little Thai place along the road near the hotel- 'Lemongrass' which every seem to enjoy. Small victories! Unfortunately, both the Banana Flower and Pomelo salads has small bits of shrimp in them (I didn't know this before Andrea and I ordered them), and I couldn't take part in that part. We shared a couple of other dishes and it was a good end to a crazy day.
Next episode- "Too Much Or Not Enough Bangkok"...
Steven P and The Temple of Doom
June 26, 2011
After prodding, we relented to the hotel and let their tuk tuk service take us on a tour of the Angkor temples for measly $13 US per tuk tuk for the entire day!
First up, the biggie- Angkor Wat. It was very hot at this point so taking on the biggest temple was quite possibly a tactical error on our part but on we went. The temple is impressive though, surrounded by a moat, it is awe inspiring as you tread up the walkway into the front of the temple. Then you realize beyond the facade, there is a lot more to see. By the time, we climbed to the top of the main building we were already drenched in sweat. The view was worth it though.
After crossing through a gauntlet of children trying to sell us crap- one child even offered a half eaten bun he received from a tourist for a dollar, we made it back to our tuk tuks and on to the next temple. We made a short stop at a smaller temple where Linda decided to buy a book from a 'nice girl' at the front of the temple. I'm fairly sure it was a photocopied version of the book but copyright laws don't seem to matter in Cambodia. I had a brief freak out when I thought my Iphone had been stolen, but Andrea was able to find it in a hidden corner of my bag.
The next major stop was to Ta Prohm- the Jungle temple as seen in 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom' and one of the Tomb Raider movies. Tree roots were tangled with the ruins of the temple, weaving in and around every obstruction. It as if nature had reasserted its claim on the land from the long gone Khmer empire. That's when we saw what looked like oversized beehives, thankfully there occupants did not come out to greet us. No snakes or giant rocks followed either!
We climbed another couple of smaller temples and crossed the elephant terrace before reaching the Bayon temple. The detail in this temple is impressive. Faces of Buddha were everywhere as if watching you from all sides. This was our final stop on the Angkor tour before finding some western food on Pub street.
June 27, 2011
On our last full day in Siem Reap, and coincidentally my 30th birthday. We celebrated by eating at the Blue Pumpkin for lunch- an Apple inspired net cafe and diner. We headed out from there to a tour of a Silk Farm, which wasn't my first choice for my birthday but I went with it.
The Silk Farm was somewhat interesting as you really began to understand what goes into silk production. I got to find out the fun fact of that they boil cocooning silk worms alive to harvest silk thread. This is apparently necessary for the
process. Also, some people eat the boiled worms afterwards, I opted not to try it.
We went shopping at the day and night markets as well, but I was not as enthusiastic to buy anything there. The others picked up a few things, but I was irritated by the constant sales attempts. I really don't need a plastic Rolex.
We finished the night with dinner at the Red Piano- the apparent 2nd home of the Tomb Raider crew during filming. They even named a drink after Angelina but I chose to get beer instead. The food was decent enough and helped cured one of my many headaches on the trip.
The next day we hit the road to Bangkok but that's for the upcoming episode.
Next up..."What Happens in Bangkok Doesn't Stay in Bangkok"...
After prodding, we relented to the hotel and let their tuk tuk service take us on a tour of the Angkor temples for measly $13 US per tuk tuk for the entire day!
First up, the biggie- Angkor Wat. It was very hot at this point so taking on the biggest temple was quite possibly a tactical error on our part but on we went. The temple is impressive though, surrounded by a moat, it is awe inspiring as you tread up the walkway into the front of the temple. Then you realize beyond the facade, there is a lot more to see. By the time, we climbed to the top of the main building we were already drenched in sweat. The view was worth it though.
After crossing through a gauntlet of children trying to sell us crap- one child even offered a half eaten bun he received from a tourist for a dollar, we made it back to our tuk tuks and on to the next temple. We made a short stop at a smaller temple where Linda decided to buy a book from a 'nice girl' at the front of the temple. I'm fairly sure it was a photocopied version of the book but copyright laws don't seem to matter in Cambodia. I had a brief freak out when I thought my Iphone had been stolen, but Andrea was able to find it in a hidden corner of my bag.
The next major stop was to Ta Prohm- the Jungle temple as seen in 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom' and one of the Tomb Raider movies. Tree roots were tangled with the ruins of the temple, weaving in and around every obstruction. It as if nature had reasserted its claim on the land from the long gone Khmer empire. That's when we saw what looked like oversized beehives, thankfully there occupants did not come out to greet us. No snakes or giant rocks followed either!
We climbed another couple of smaller temples and crossed the elephant terrace before reaching the Bayon temple. The detail in this temple is impressive. Faces of Buddha were everywhere as if watching you from all sides. This was our final stop on the Angkor tour before finding some western food on Pub street.
June 27, 2011
On our last full day in Siem Reap, and coincidentally my 30th birthday. We celebrated by eating at the Blue Pumpkin for lunch- an Apple inspired net cafe and diner. We headed out from there to a tour of a Silk Farm, which wasn't my first choice for my birthday but I went with it.
The Silk Farm was somewhat interesting as you really began to understand what goes into silk production. I got to find out the fun fact of that they boil cocooning silk worms alive to harvest silk thread. This is apparently necessary for the
process. Also, some people eat the boiled worms afterwards, I opted not to try it.
We went shopping at the day and night markets as well, but I was not as enthusiastic to buy anything there. The others picked up a few things, but I was irritated by the constant sales attempts. I really don't need a plastic Rolex.
We finished the night with dinner at the Red Piano- the apparent 2nd home of the Tomb Raider crew during filming. They even named a drink after Angelina but I chose to get beer instead. The food was decent enough and helped cured one of my many headaches on the trip.
The next day we hit the road to Bangkok but that's for the upcoming episode.
Next up..."What Happens in Bangkok Doesn't Stay in Bangkok"...
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
A Whole Different World
Cambodia is unlike anywhere I had ever been before. The closest thing I can remember is the more rural parts of Mexico. This is not paradise. The streets are mostly paved but remnants of the old dirt roads are everywhere. Anyone wanting an all inclusive Dubai resort vacation would be sadly disappointed.
The Cambodians are surviving, and Siem Reap shows signs that they could thrive one day. It's a poor country but make no mistake this a place of history, culture, art, and of course good old fashioned commerce.
When we arrive at the airport, the hotel has a few tuk tuks there to pick us up- our first introduction to this form of transportation. For those who don't know, a Cambodian tuk tuk is basically a motorcycle propelled rikshaw, the designs get more advanced depending on the country but the basic idea remains the same.
Once we get to our hotel, we are cordially greeted by the staff and given a towel and water. They were almost a little too helpful, trying to get us to set up a tour of the temples or silk farm right then and there. We had to explain that we were tired and would need to settle in. This almost annoying helpfulness would pervade our stay even though I am sure they meant well. We ended up insisting that we would walk into town.
On our walk, we walked past many broken buildings- neglected due to lack of money. The most striking of which was a beautiful Chinese style hotel that looked it was burnt out. I guessed it might have been from the era of Pol Pot but I never confirmed this.
Also on our way we encountered many roadside food stands, Buddhist monks, and more tuk tuk drivers. We often wondered whether "hey lady, you want a tuk tuk?" was the only English they knew. In fact, many t-shirts and bags in the market were plastered with the saying to poke fun at the tuk tuk drivers and possibly the agony of the tourists.
We went to the Artisans of Angkor that afternoon, and witnessed the process of how they learned their craft from stone carving to wood to creating metal souvenirs. What was stressed was the quality control process it went through, and how the items were of higher quality than those found in the night market. Convinced by the sales pitch, I bought myself a $1 bookmark and some souvenirs for others which I won't disclose at this time.
The night ended at The Singing Tree, a great cheap restaurant where we consumed the economical Angkor beer, and gorged ourselves on 5 large portions of veggie spring rolls and potato chips. Apparently Cambodia did not get the memo that you only get 2 spring rolls per plate for an inflated price. Anyway, we had our mains after that, before squeezing ourself into the hotel tuk tuks and back to rest for the night.
Next adventure... "Steven P and The Temple of Doom"
The Cambodians are surviving, and Siem Reap shows signs that they could thrive one day. It's a poor country but make no mistake this a place of history, culture, art, and of course good old fashioned commerce.
When we arrive at the airport, the hotel has a few tuk tuks there to pick us up- our first introduction to this form of transportation. For those who don't know, a Cambodian tuk tuk is basically a motorcycle propelled rikshaw, the designs get more advanced depending on the country but the basic idea remains the same.
Once we get to our hotel, we are cordially greeted by the staff and given a towel and water. They were almost a little too helpful, trying to get us to set up a tour of the temples or silk farm right then and there. We had to explain that we were tired and would need to settle in. This almost annoying helpfulness would pervade our stay even though I am sure they meant well. We ended up insisting that we would walk into town.
On our walk, we walked past many broken buildings- neglected due to lack of money. The most striking of which was a beautiful Chinese style hotel that looked it was burnt out. I guessed it might have been from the era of Pol Pot but I never confirmed this.
Also on our way we encountered many roadside food stands, Buddhist monks, and more tuk tuk drivers. We often wondered whether "hey lady, you want a tuk tuk?" was the only English they knew. In fact, many t-shirts and bags in the market were plastered with the saying to poke fun at the tuk tuk drivers and possibly the agony of the tourists.
We went to the Artisans of Angkor that afternoon, and witnessed the process of how they learned their craft from stone carving to wood to creating metal souvenirs. What was stressed was the quality control process it went through, and how the items were of higher quality than those found in the night market. Convinced by the sales pitch, I bought myself a $1 bookmark and some souvenirs for others which I won't disclose at this time.
The night ended at The Singing Tree, a great cheap restaurant where we consumed the economical Angkor beer, and gorged ourselves on 5 large portions of veggie spring rolls and potato chips. Apparently Cambodia did not get the memo that you only get 2 spring rolls per plate for an inflated price. Anyway, we had our mains after that, before squeezing ourself into the hotel tuk tuks and back to rest for the night.
Next adventure... "Steven P and The Temple of Doom"
Monday, July 4, 2011
Malaysian Maladies
Next on the itinerary was a night's stop in Putrajaya, which is a suburb of Kuala Lumpur. We stayed at the Pullman Hotel which is a massive resort that looked like a modern castle. It was a little pricy but Andrea's cousin was staying there for his conference and it was relatively close to the airport.
The hotel was certainly nice to look at but the service was not that great at times. Apparently, Jennifer and Linda's room had gum on one of the door frames and was far from clean. Our room did not seem to have any issues though,and the housekeeping staff were quick to help me with getting a power adapter. One big positive was that Andrea and I finally had our own room again.
We had a nice walk down the clean river walkway before returning to the hotel for a decent but not great buffet. Beggars can't choosers I suppose. The best part was a make your own pasta bar after days of mostly southeast Asian food.
In the morning, we headed to the airport where an issue came up. Linda had something that resembled pink eye but was likely related to a perm gone wrong. She had chemical burns and puffy eyes when she had first gone on the trip. Jennifer figured it was related infection.
After the airline counter clerk noticed her eyes, they tried to ask her to go to the airport clinic at our expense. Jen and Linda argued with the clerk, noting she was not a doctor. At this point, we were all worried that we would miss our flight even if a clinic had time to make a diagnosis- good or bad.
Eventually, the manager came over, and Jennifer said Linda had all her prescriptions from the doctor in Singapore in her suitcase. At this point, Linda could not get her suitcase open.
The manager offered to let us go while her situation was sorted out but we refused as we would not go without everyone. He soon realized he would be pissing off eight customers if he didn't resolve the situation, so he let her through and we got on our flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Next tale... "A Whole Different World"...
The hotel was certainly nice to look at but the service was not that great at times. Apparently, Jennifer and Linda's room had gum on one of the door frames and was far from clean. Our room did not seem to have any issues though,and the housekeeping staff were quick to help me with getting a power adapter. One big positive was that Andrea and I finally had our own room again.
We had a nice walk down the clean river walkway before returning to the hotel for a decent but not great buffet. Beggars can't choosers I suppose. The best part was a make your own pasta bar after days of mostly southeast Asian food.
In the morning, we headed to the airport where an issue came up. Linda had something that resembled pink eye but was likely related to a perm gone wrong. She had chemical burns and puffy eyes when she had first gone on the trip. Jennifer figured it was related infection.
After the airline counter clerk noticed her eyes, they tried to ask her to go to the airport clinic at our expense. Jen and Linda argued with the clerk, noting she was not a doctor. At this point, we were all worried that we would miss our flight even if a clinic had time to make a diagnosis- good or bad.
Eventually, the manager came over, and Jennifer said Linda had all her prescriptions from the doctor in Singapore in her suitcase. At this point, Linda could not get her suitcase open.
The manager offered to let us go while her situation was sorted out but we refused as we would not go without everyone. He soon realized he would be pissing off eight customers if he didn't resolve the situation, so he let her through and we got on our flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Next tale... "A Whole Different World"...
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Cooling off in the Camerons
After a stressful day in KL, we took a curvy 4 hour bus to ride to the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. Most of the roads were at best 1 and a half lanes in size. It was still very humid in Cameron but the temperature was noticeably cooler- 5 degrees at least if not more. Still with no air con, clothes would not dry easily, and were still sticking to us at times.
We journeyed into town the first night for a super cheap Indian set course meal that was nearby a site that was simply labelled on the map- 'unfinished construction site'. It looked as thought it was sitting there for years, and mold was growing on it much like most of the run down building in KL. Still it was clear that this would be a much more relaxing than our previous day- with breathtaking views all around us.
On the second day, we headed out on two half day tours. The first was to a tea plantation which was actually pretty cool despite the fact that the tour took 5 minutes and they promptly directed us to the restaurant and gift shop afterwards. The views from the restaurant were still amazing, something out of a postcard (pictures to come- probably when I get back. I'm literally writing on a computer in Laos that seems to be as fast as dialup from 1995!).
When the tea plantation was finished, we traveled further up into the mountains. The roads got narrower if you can believe it. So much so, that the driver had to keep honking his horn to make sure anyone ahead knew we were coming. We got to the top and it was very misty, I think we were literally inside a low cloud, so the view from the top was not as good as it could be but still a great experience nonetheless.
The second tour of the day started after a short lunch with a visit to a flower plantation that was nice- it had many variety of flowers and seemed to go on forever. It went downhill from there. We were paraded from 'farm' to 'farm' which were in fact gift shops for a fruit farm, a cactus farm, and so on. With the exception of the view from the watercress plantation, it felt like a big waste of time.
At the end of the tour, they took us to a steamboat restaurant. Now, this is not a riverboat cruise, it is a place where the group throws ingredients into a big hot bowl of water or stock to make a communal soup. Everyone was confused whether everyone got a plate of vegetables or just one. I found out of course that this usually entails seafood, which I cannot eat. Andrea's mom, Anne, and her aunt Linda agreed to get a separate steamboat with me but it ended up being all for not. I was already sick, having had some bad food or water or perhaps even heat sickness, and I could not eat hardly anything. I felt bad but there was nothing I could do, add to that Anne and Linda inadvertently dropped a bowl full of chile peppers into the soup and could not eat anyway. Steamboat wasted.
We retreated back to the hotel, where I took medication, and slept and slept and slept, and finally felt better in the morning. Next thing, we were back on the bus for KL for our final day in Malaysia.
Next up- "Malaysian Maladies"...
We journeyed into town the first night for a super cheap Indian set course meal that was nearby a site that was simply labelled on the map- 'unfinished construction site'. It looked as thought it was sitting there for years, and mold was growing on it much like most of the run down building in KL. Still it was clear that this would be a much more relaxing than our previous day- with breathtaking views all around us.
On the second day, we headed out on two half day tours. The first was to a tea plantation which was actually pretty cool despite the fact that the tour took 5 minutes and they promptly directed us to the restaurant and gift shop afterwards. The views from the restaurant were still amazing, something out of a postcard (pictures to come- probably when I get back. I'm literally writing on a computer in Laos that seems to be as fast as dialup from 1995!).
When the tea plantation was finished, we traveled further up into the mountains. The roads got narrower if you can believe it. So much so, that the driver had to keep honking his horn to make sure anyone ahead knew we were coming. We got to the top and it was very misty, I think we were literally inside a low cloud, so the view from the top was not as good as it could be but still a great experience nonetheless.
The second tour of the day started after a short lunch with a visit to a flower plantation that was nice- it had many variety of flowers and seemed to go on forever. It went downhill from there. We were paraded from 'farm' to 'farm' which were in fact gift shops for a fruit farm, a cactus farm, and so on. With the exception of the view from the watercress plantation, it felt like a big waste of time.
At the end of the tour, they took us to a steamboat restaurant. Now, this is not a riverboat cruise, it is a place where the group throws ingredients into a big hot bowl of water or stock to make a communal soup. Everyone was confused whether everyone got a plate of vegetables or just one. I found out of course that this usually entails seafood, which I cannot eat. Andrea's mom, Anne, and her aunt Linda agreed to get a separate steamboat with me but it ended up being all for not. I was already sick, having had some bad food or water or perhaps even heat sickness, and I could not eat hardly anything. I felt bad but there was nothing I could do, add to that Anne and Linda inadvertently dropped a bowl full of chile peppers into the soup and could not eat anyway. Steamboat wasted.
We retreated back to the hotel, where I took medication, and slept and slept and slept, and finally felt better in the morning. Next thing, we were back on the bus for KL for our final day in Malaysia.
Next up- "Malaysian Maladies"...
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