Singapore, Singapore

March 27.28, 2009

I have heard a lot about Singapore and it was all true.

First of all the City is clean – really clean. I don’t think I have ever been in a big city that was so clean. The traffic follows all the rules. There are skyscrapers everywhere and malls in between.

We stayed in Little India, which, oddly enough, is full of Indians. Singapore definitely has specific areas where different folks are expected to live. We didn’t mind since the area was teeming with life at night. It was amazing to watch the temples overflowing and the shops selling saris, tires, shoes and anything else.

Lana went to the art museum (which she said was good) and I went on a tour of the “Battlebox”. This series of tunnels and rooms was the British command centre during the siege of Singapore. There was a series of dioramas on what happened on the last day of the siege, which, for a student of history, was really fascinating.

We wandered among the high-rises and along the river. Even though we had lived in the Toronto area for many years, I felt that Singapore made me feel like a country bumpkin. I would challenge anyone who thinks that North America is the most developed area on the planet to visit somewhere like Singapore (or Kuala Lumpur).

Of course, the cost had also increased along with the buildings. Actually the cost wasn’t as bad as we feared with things (once you had done the currency conversion) costing about the same as Toronto. Still for me it was a shock since I had gotten used to the much cheaper prices in Thailand and Malaysia.

On the other hand we did splurge on food. We had Indonesian, French, Italian and Indian all in two days. Had a nice visit over dinner with an Australian maritime engineer who was in town to convert a super tanker. Nice guy.

Definitely a city to visit and be awed by.

Mashed potatoes at the movies, buttered and fried coffee but not roasted.

March 25.26, 2009

Melaka, Malaysia

We made a short (2 hours) trip down Malaysia to Melaka. For hundreds of years Melaka was the centre of adventure in this part of the world. A logical port for the ships waiting for favourable trade winds there were, at times, 2,000 ships in the harbour. For 500 years local kingdoms, the Portuguese, the Dutch and the English and Japanese fought over it. A Ming Emperor even sent one of his daughters (with 500 retainers) to wed the local ruler.

Nowadays the biggest thing in Melaka is the mega-mall. To be honest it is a really big mall that seems to stretch for miles and it is air conditioned (a big plus in this part of the world).

There is a little left of Melakan history with a few old buildings and a little section of the original fort. There is a chapel that was built in 1540 of so and some really old tombstones but the town has changed. The fort site, which once guarded the harbour now looks over shops and business built on land reclaimed from the sea. There is a cool Chinatown with narrow streets and small shops. Unfortunately, my search for a kreis, the traditional knife of Malays, didn’t find anything that I could afford.

Wondering about the title of this entry? Well we went to the movies and one of the treats you could buy was mashed potatoes. Caramel corn was there along with a nice tub of lite and sweet corn.

How about the “buttered and fried but not roasted”. Well the coffee in Malaysia tastes a little different. Coffee beans here are not roasted but are fried in butter. Actually a lot of coffee is a blend of coffee, chocolate and sugar. Not bad once you get used to it.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

March 23.24, 2009

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I had expected the capital of Malaysia to be just another Bangkok but it’s not. First of all, there aren’t people living under tarps next to the high rises. Secondly, it is a lot cleaner than Bangkok. Thirdly where most of Bangkok’s charm comes from the mass of people continually moving around the streets downtown KL feels much more cosmopolitan.

One of the indicators of wealth in Asia (I think) is the number of scooters on the street. KL has far fewer than Bangkok and there are far more SUV type vehicles. Secondly, people actually seem to pay attention to the traffic laws, in the downtown area at least, it is a city that I would consider driving in.

I counted at least 14 large construction projects in and around the city. Large cranes were everywhere and the feeling was one of a “world city” if you want to use that term. The people aren’t quite as friendly as Thailand (but that might be an unfair comparison).

We stayed in 3rd floor walk-up guesthouse that was right in the downtown core. The street was lined with restaurants with a variety of non-Asian fare. This would include German, English, Russian, Indonesian and many bars where English was the language of choice. Of course a block over you could find a good roadside open-air restaurant serving Malay, Indian and Thai food. (Funny there are few Malay restaurants in Thailand but tons of Thai restaurants in Malaysia).

There was a huge shopping mall down the street and we wandered the streets comparing the two cities. We found our way to the Malay national museum, since our trip up the twin Petronas towers was a no go because of rain. The museum was well laid out and, to my delight, they had a temporary display on the traditional weapons in Malay culture. I am pretty sure that Lana enjoyed it as well although I kept losing sight of her amidst the swords, knifes and spears.

We walked a good piece of the city although the temperatures and humidity were high. I was hoping that I would be used to this by now but I still generate enough water for a good-sized reservoir.

Splurged on a really good tapas meal in a great restaurant one night and ate at a local street food stall on a side street. Overall, we were impressed with the city and would love to come back.

Penang Island, Malaysia

March 21.22, 2009

The trip from Thailand ended in a dirty bus terminal in Georgetown Penang sitting underneath a large shopping mall. Penang is an island (although that is also the state name) which had been colonized by the British East India Company back when they were battling against the Dutch for the spice trade. It now has over a million people in the area.

At one time, it was kind of a mega-open port and trading centre for the whole area. Consequently, there were Arabs, Chinese, English, Indians (Tamils), Burmese, Japanese and even Armenians (I am really not sure how they got there) and many others that settled in the area along with the resident Malays.

Most of the population is about evenly divided between those with Chinese ancestry and those with Malay (or other local inhabitants). Since there are little similarity between Malay and Chinese languages many of the locals have learned some English as the common language and many of the signs and street names are in English. This does not mean that you can have a conversation with everyone but it does make it a lot easier to order beer and ask when the bus might be coming.

The old town, where we stayed, is a series of small narrow streets with crumbling buildings and street vendors like you see in Thailand. There wasn’t quite as much garbage however and it seemed cleaner. Remember that is cleaner on an Asian scale. If you are clean freak or abnormally concerned about germs it is best that you stay in your condo in Toronto or wherever. The buses ran regularly and you got the idea that everyone gets along – sort of.

My personal favourite thing were the open storm sewers on most the streets. They were about 18 inches across and 18 inches down. Just the thing when you are wandering around without a light or with too much alcohol in your system.

There were lots of old Colonial buildings and since the weather was balmy (34C) Lana and I did a walking tour of the old area including the local museum which was quite good for its size. With me leaving sweat puddles along the sidewalk, we breezed past a BMW safe driver course on the waterfront and then passed hundreds of closed shops since most Chinese shut down on Sunday. We did stop at a very cool Chinese clan compound.

In the old days, the Chinese and the Malays formed societies to help themselves. Eventually these became warring factions. The clan house is notable because it was used in the movie the King and I since they were prohibited from filming any of the movie in Thailand. The carvings and decorations in the main temple were extremely ornate and worth the visit.

By the way we were in the New Banana Guest House on Chulia Street and, if you like sweet things, there is a street vendor just up the road who makes a really tasty banana, sweet corn & coconut pancake thing. Five small ones wrapped in a banana leaf for 2 ringgit (about $0.60 CDN).

If you stay in the New Banana the rooms look new but it is noisy. They didn’t brick over the old windows or shutters but just put up office dividers so it is dark but you think you are right in the heart of the activity outside. Not bad if you want to keep track of what is happening on the street below. We had a private room with A/C but shared toilet & shower. Actually, it was a water closet with toilet along with a shower head and heated water unit attached to the wall. We wore our sandals while showering!

Malaysian Border

March 20, 2009

Hat Yai, Thailand

Another nine hour journey (with the bus and the waiting) down through Southern Thailand. The overnight stop was Hat Yai.

Hat Yai is know for a number of things. It is frequently a place where Muslin extremists and others clash. There had been a terrorist bombing here in 2006 and the Lonely Planet Guide doesn’t recommend it to everyone. It is also the pleasure city for everyone coming out of Malaysia who is looking for cheap booze and even cheaper women. (That sounds good but it is probably the other way around).

We didn’t get in until 10 p.m. and, after taxi drivers trying to rip us off at the bus station, wandered up and down the downtown looking for a guesthouse. Finally took a room in a hotel with a big lobby and rooms that needed more then a little maintenance. Had a burger at a western style pub and tried to count the number of working girls on the street.

I, of course, thought it was a wonderful place but Lana wanted to go so off we headed to Malaysia the next morning.

This was the first border that we crossed which was a serious one. Barbed wire fences, machine guns on the military (MP5s I think but I thought it would be in bad taste to ask to hold one) and a lot of serious looks. On the other hand, we just breezed through and it was all very efficient.

Once you get over the border, I immediately saw some differences with Thailand. There was less garbage, more heavy equipment and the road was marginally better. Unlike the Cambodian border, we got to keep the same van and driver for the whole trip as there is a lot more trade between Thailand and Malaysia than Thailand and Cambodia.

Ko Lanta, Thailand

March 17.18.19, 2009

Ko Lanta is a small island in the Andaman Sea. Most of it is long and narrow and, for many years, it was an undiscovered vacation paradise. Now it is kinda of discovered but it hasn’t suffered from the massive development and crowds that afflict Phuket.

The rule here is that no building can be higher than the palm trees and the resorts are all small and family run. Our place, the Andaman Sunflower, has about 15 bamboo huts with room for a bed and a bathroom. The size of the bathroom determines the price of the room. The cheapest ones have a toilet and a showerhead in the same small room (very common in Southeast Asia). Ours has the shower and the toilet in separate cubicles with a sink in the middle.

All of the washrooms have a roof but are open to the outside air meaning that you might meet a small gecko (small lizard) there at night. The roofs are made of woven palm fronds. The beds are covered with large mosquito nets since the walls are meant to let in air and the bugs come along with it. This resort isn’t on the beach but that is only a one minute walk away.

The owners name is a German named Norm, who was raised in Brazil and Nigeria, and who used to run a multi national. Norm is an interesting guy and, most of the time, can be found manning the small bar and talking politics with the guests.

Right now it is really slow here so the big open common area/restaurant (made of bamboo and palm fronds) is empty most of the time.

Life here is slow and without distraction (except for the guys building a house on the next lot). We went snorkelling on the reef one day. Laid on a beach the next with the beach bar in the background. Took some bikes down to the town area one morning just to see if we could survive in the traffic. Chatted with an Austrian couple who work in Islamabad and who come here all the time on holiday.

One night Norm made everyone dinner and, despite being German, made a noodle and pork dish that was excellent.

The staff don’t speak much English but they are extremely helpful. They know where all the guests are and any request from doing your laundry to bringing you a beer is done right away. You never have to tell them the hut number or give them your name. It just appears.

Because it was the slow season we got a really good rate and were able to do this for a hut rate of $20 CN per day. That doesn’t include the beer of course.

The single road down the island is littered with “resorts”. All of them small and with their own bar and restaurant. Of course the staff that clean the rooms also work in the kitchen or the bar but that doesn’t matter. The are a lot of tourists here so the main road has a every kind of food you could name. Irish, German, Swedish etc etc are all represented. Many of the places are run by the Germans, the Irish or the Swedes but it the same Thai chef in the kitchen. I can only imagine the first time someone told them how to cook beans on toast.

Of course the best food and the cheapest is the Thai food. For about $4 CN you have order a main course that will really fill you up. Order a pizza and its twice that.

Going to miss this place.

Looked at the weather in BC and Ontario and see that the highs are back to the 3-9C range. Everyone there should be breaking out the swim suits there soon. Here it is about 30C but, if it is any consolation we did get some rain overnight.

Leaving for Malaysia tomorrow.

Krabi, Southern Thailand

March 15.16, 2009

Flew out of Bangkok, on a cheap flight with Air Asia, to the town of Krabi on the southern coast of Thailand. This was one of the areas where the tsunami hit a few years ago but whatever damage there was wasn’t apparent to us.

Stayed in Krabi one night just as a stopover. Our real destination were the islands in the Andaman Sea, Ko Lanta in particular.

The next morning we were picked up at our guesthouse by a guy driving a pickup. We hopped in the back and, with a few other folks picked up along the way, headed for the ferry. At the ferry terminal I saw pictures of a big air conditioned boat and thought “Great”. Unfortunately, that boat must have been out of service for the day as they crammed us on a couple of old narrow boats that felt like we were riding a school bus across the waves. Only two and a half hours to Ko Lanta. (No bathroom on board but the window next to me looked big enough to lean out)

Fortunately, since I hate big swells, the sea was calm. It must stay that way often as our boats couldn’t have survived anything bigger then a metre high wave. (We found out later that those boats only ran for part of the year anyway).

On the way to Ko Lanta we had to make a couple of drop offs at some smaller islands. There is no jetty or pier or anything for these. A couple of Thai long boats show up (long boats that have a long movable propeller attached to the engine that is both propeller and rudder) and they get kinda of close to the boat and you make a jump for it. Your luggage is thrown in the long boats general direction and you are off. I was hoping we were going to get a pier and eventually we did.

Bangkok, Thailand

March 13.14, 2009

Ah, to be breathing the unique air of Bangkok once again. Back at our “usual” guesthouse we feel right at home. We did nothing of substance for two days.

Went to Soi Cowboy – which is a street in Bangkok famous for its go-go bars and go-go girls (and also for the large number of old foreign men found on the street). Lana and I had a few drinks and watched it all like some kind of spectator sport.

I have never seen so many Dallas Cheerleader outfits or prom dresses or very short school girl outfits in my life. The neon lights are very bright and only some of the clients are shy.

Wondering around Bangkok (looking for a snake farm) and met an older gentleman who started to ask us questions and then said he was going to the temple across the street and insisted that we go with him. He took us to the different buildings, explaining how things worked (where the head monk lived, when the monks do devotions etc).

He pointed out that even through this was a very large and visible complex that it was not listed on any of the tourist maps. According to Thom (the gentlemen) this is a temple that many VIPs come to (like head of the Army) and tourists are not directed there. He talked us through making a small offering and then we were blessed with holy water. According to Thom one of the gods comes into the temple each night and renews the blessing on the water. He said it would make out lives happier and better so who were we to refuse.

He then took us to a little hole in the wall restaurant that had excellent food although don’t ask me what it was. I suspect that Thom was, as he told us, retired but I also suspect that he was also a “finder” for a travel agency. There are many of them in Bangkok and they will help you with directions or whatever and pretty soon you find yourself on the doorstep of the “cheapest travel agency” in Bangkok.

Thom directed us a place and we went in to make him happy. He had already spent the afternoon with us. When we came out he was gone. We didn’t buy anything from the agent but enjoyed the afternoon and I hope that Thom got something from it too.

The temples of Angkor Wat

March 9.10.11, 2009

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Aranyapathet-Poipet Border Crossing

Siem Reap. Cambodia

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

After another day of wandering through Chiang Mai and drinking beer at the guesthouse, (it is cheap after all) we took the overnight train again to Bangkok. It was another “shake and bake” ride with the train rattling throughout the night. We were on the end of the car and every time the door opened (to the next car) we got a breeze and a whiff of the toilets across the way.

Arrived at the Bangkok train station at 7 am and waited two hours in the heat for the bus to pick us up for the trip to Cambodia. Must be getting better at waving away taxi drivers as they don’t bug us as much as they used to.

After some interaction with the guy on the motorcycle (who always precedes the bus) we were picked up and were on the way to Cambodia. Until recently there was no through bus to Siem Reap but we were lucky enough to do this after they started it. You used to have to negotiate something at the border with a taxi driver for the four hour drive but we were booked through and anticipated no problems.

We had a nice air conditioned bus to the border but then found we had to unload everything and, through a tropical downpour, went through Thai border control and then through Cambodian border control. In between, carrying all of our bags, were the casinos which the Cambodian’s have erected, for all the Thais who want to gamble (illegal in Thailand). For the biggest land crossing between the two countries there was not much truck traffic. Most things were carried across by hand cart and reloaded on the other side rather than by any kind of semi-trailer or pickup.

After a long wait to get our passports stamped we were across and shown to a bus which was a slight upgrade from a school bus. No A/C but at least the windows opened. The ride in Cambodia was through a flat area of dry rice paddies with almost no hills or forest. The road had been recently paved (for most of the way at least) and was relatively smooth.

Cambodians, after watching the Thais drive, seemed to be very cautious and courteous drivers. The local farmers had a strange form of tractor where the driver sat on the cart he was pulling with long handles leading to the engine which was on a separate chassis.

Another four hours later and we were in Siem Reap. It is Cambodia’s second largest city (approx 150,000) and the gateway to Angkor Wat. The guest house was very clean with marble floors and walls, A/C in the room and even a heated shower. A small restaurant was located off the courtyard, which was good since we were not in the main tourist district and there was little of interest to walk to.

To see Angkor Wat you typically hire a driver who takes you to the various temples so that is what we did the next morning. Our driver’s name was Poe and he was 27 years old. He wanted to become a registered tour guide, not just a driver, and, as he put it, he had “no money and no honey”.

Cars are expensive in Cambodia and so the tourists are transported via a motorcycle trailer. There is a bracket on the motorcycle seat to which a covered trailer with seating for two is attached.

Poe took us first to the temple at Angkor Wat. It is reputedly the largest religious structure in the world and I have never seen anything like it. Built in the 12^th century by the Khmer Empire as the state temple it was originally dedicated to Vishnu (much of the Khmer culture comes from India as they were located on the trade routes from India to China) but in the 15^th century it was re-dedicated to Buddha. It has been in continuous use, more or less, since then.

The main complex is bounded by a huge moat (150m across) and a wall that is 4.5 m high and 1km by 500 m. You cross a bridge over the moat and then enter the first of numerous buildings. Some are long galleries with scenes of old battles carved on the walls. Others show the different torments and pleasures that await you in hell or heaven. The level of detail is astounding and the structures just keep going on and on.

We watched a troop of monkeys make their way across a stone railing and I was firmly requested by several monks to make an offering of incense (and some money) in various dark grottos. The only fly in the ointment was the heat and humidity. At 35 C (95F) it was a tad warm. I soon found myself finding quiet places where I could wring out the shirt and slip it back on before I was found out. Even Lana was perspiring.

Angkor Wat is only the biggest temple in the area. The area was once the huge cosmopolitan capital of the richest and most powerful kingdom in Southeast Asia. Poe took us down the road to one of the five entrances to the old capital. The walls are still there and, if you walked them, you would find that they are 8 m wide at the top (26ft) and run for 12 km (7.5 miles).

Mostly the walls now enclose only the jungle since most of the buildings were wood and have long since decayed. Stone structures were considered appropriate only for the gods (and apparently walls).

We walked around the kings palace area which was 500m by 250 m. His private chapel still towered in the middle. There were the remains of the elephant walk – a vast central square where troops would parade – and you could stand where the royal family used to and image war elephants and cheering crowds.

The final temple we went to is one that has had very little restoration work done on it. There are huge trees growing out of the buildings and it looks much like it did when the first French explorers came across it.

That night Lana was tired and catching up on some sleep so I stayed in the little café and drank beer with several of the Cambodian guys who work for the guesthouse. We talked about their feelings about the countries around them and about the Khmer Rouge and the aftermath of their madness. This was prompted by them putting the movie called the “Killing Fields” on the café’s TV. Seemed a strange choice to me.

They were happy for the break since their day usually starts at 5 or 6 am and goes until 11 pm. On the other hand, if they are taking you to the temples, they will catch forty winks in one of the hammocks that hang everywhere.

Nest morning back to the Thai border on a bus so overcrowded that they stacked the backpacks in the aisle. To get out for the lunch stop you had to walk over the seats. Then a quick three hour hang up at the Thai border waiting for our bus.

Met a retired professor of English from Cambridge University with whom we ate dinner with and shared a cab in Bangkok. Fascinating guy who now lives mostly in Asia teaching post graduate students.

Back to our old hostel in Bangkok by 9 pm and then to sleep.

Elephants and Bamboo Rafts

March 8, 2009

Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand

Off in another van today with a different group of people for a fun jaunt in the Chiang Mai area. First stop is an elephant camp.

The number of elephants in Thailand is rapidly declining as their usefulness in various industries lessens. There are still some used in forestry but not as many as there used to be – better equipment and the deforestation of much of Thailand has not helped.

Unfortunately, this is not like riding horses where you just saddle-up. We are riding two to a metal platform strapped to the elephant’s back. Most of the animals have a handler riding on the neck except for ours. It’s attached to the animal in front by a fraying bit of rope loped around its ear. Hopefully enough to stop it should it decide to rampage throughout the jungle.

The skin of an elephant is tough yet amazing cool under our feet. The steel platform is slippery and, if not for the rails on the side, we would have slid off while going up and down the hills. When an elephant goes up and down the whole elephant goes up and down. With a horse there is a little give, with an elephant it is like a ship on a side of a big wave.

Our elephant tried several times to scoot around the lead one and, amazingly enough, a couple of harsh words from the handler on the lead animal was enough to send it back into place. A safety hint here for you boys and girls out there – keep your hands and feet away from the outside of the elephant – when they go by a tree they like to scrape along the tree and you would hate to leave some body parts behind.

After an hours ride through the bush we got to feed thembananas which they suck down like beers on a hot day. It is a little odd being searched by a trunk looking for more.

After the elephants we trekked to a waterfall near rice paddies and cooled off by the stream. Then the really fun part of the day. We went bamboo rafting.

They cut a bunch of thick bamboo to 30 ft lengths and then tie eight or so together. Then place three or four people on the raft, along with a poleman to steer. The raft promptly sinks about an inch under the water and off you go.

Now this was Sunday and the small river was full of Thais doing the same thing as us. Of course, we had a professional poling us along while most of the teenage Thais on the river were pretty hopeless at manoeuvring. The river was small with lots of rock and channels where rafts would get stuck or crash.

The tradition is that you splash all the other rafts and anyone along the river bank so within five minutes we were hopelessly wet (hence no pictures as our camera is not waterproof). It was a blast going down the river. Thais and tourists were laughing hysterically at the antics in the water. A fellow traveller we met had gone rafting the day before and told us of a snake in the water which her raftsman killed and wrapped around the raft pole to take home for dinner – they eat just about anything here!

We got out of the river at the equivalent of a picnic ground with lots of little platforms at the edge of the river filled with Thais eating lunch and chatting. We would have loved to do it again but the night was coming and time to go to the guesthouse.

That night went to the Sunday market that literally fills the old city to overflowing. Hard to imagine the number of vendors, musicians and people in the streets. Every time you think you have seen it all another street opens up filled with people and stalls.

The White Temple and the Golden Triangle

March 7, 2009

North of Chiang Mai, Thailand

Today we were booked on a tour to the north and were picked up by van at 7 am. By the time the pickups were done the van was full (17 including the driver and guide). The first stop was the White Temple.

The White Temple was, and is, being built by a famous Thai artist who wanted to dedicate a temple to the King. The King in Thailand is revered and it is taken very seriously if anyone says anything bad about him. Serious as in they put you in jail. The King and Queen’s picture is everywhere. Not just in post offices and offices but everywhere including huge billboards on the side of the road. If you are in a public place, like a railway station, at 6 pm policemen start blowing whistles and everyone stands for the national anthem facing a portrait of the king. For those of you in Canada imagine what Stephen Harper probably dreams about and you’ll have it down.

The White Temple is made of concrete with pieces of glass embedded in it. The carvings (or castings) are all of figures from Buddhism and are amazing. The Temple is not large but is really impressive. Nearby was a gallery with some of his works in it as well and they were very powerful. Like most temples in Thailand they ask you to not take pictures inside out of respect. Unfortunately one guy with our party was doing that while trying not to be seen. I gave him one of my happy looks and he stopped. What a moron.

After the temple, we drove for another hour to the Maekong River at the famous Golden Triangle. The triangle got its name from the opium trade. The sandbars in the middle of the river are a no man’s land and don’t belong to either Burma, Thailand or Laos. Perfect for trading.

Now the triangle is changing. The Chinese are financing an airport on the Laos side, the Burmese already have a casino and Thailand is supplying something I’m sure. The river here is huge – far bigger then I ever thought. We are in the dry season now and were told the river will rise by another 6 to 7 metres (about 21 feet) in the wet season.

A quick boat trip over to a Laos market let me try some unique whiskey. It is rice whiskey but then they put cobras in it. The jar I sampled from had a snake in it about 2 metres long. Tasty. Supposed to be good for the libido.

Next was the depressing city of Mae Sai on the Burma border. We took some pictures across the border but declined the high visa price just to cross to get our passport stamed. The street vendors here were extremely aggressive and only ignoring their existence let you get through the crowd at all. Didn’t see the big military presence here that I thought there would be but it was clear it was not an open border. Traffic was flowing but Detroit – Windsor it was not.

After that then another long ride and a sad visit to the “long neck” people. They are a tribe from Burma that has been forced out due to the ongoing civil war there. For some reason the women of the tribe place heavy brass rings around their necks as they grow. This elongates their necks and gives them a permanent weight of about 15 pounds of more on their necks. The area were visited was just for them to sell a few handcrafts but mostly they were on display. Very sad.

Afterwards we did the three hour drive back to Chiang Mai. There is a drought in Thailand this year and it has compounded the dry season. We drove through a grass fire at the edge of the road and I could see others in the hills. Back by 9 pm. Long day.

Chiang Mai, Thailand

March 6, 2009

We took the overnight train (14 hours) to the northern city of Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is the second biggest city in Thailand and is kind of like its cultural capital. Lots of tourists go there as it is much less busy than Bangkok, the climate is a little better and beer is cheaper.

The overnight train was interesting. We were travelling 2nd class which meant we had a seat facing each other and, about 9 pm, the seats were converted into an upper and lower bunk with a little curtain separating you from the aisle. Unless you are lying on your bunk, with the curtain closed, there is no privacy. The washrooms are a couple of steel lined rooms at the end of the car. You have your choice of whether to use the Western style one or the Thai one.

The Thai one is a steel hole in the floor through which you can watch the tracks go by. There is a convenient garden hose there to wash the room down and a sink the size of a beer mug for your hands. On the Western side, they have mounted a toilet seat over the hole. (I made a mental note to never walk the railway tracks in Thailand).

You can buy over priced beer and food on the train if you want but they don’t have a problem if you bring your own.

When they were building the railway line they must have had some problem matching up the rails because it was a bumpy ride. I was on the top bunk with no window and barely enough room to move from my head to my toes. Afterwards I felt a bit like a piece of shake and bake chicken. Lana was quite comfortable on the bottom bunk with a window, reading light and shelf.

Got into Chiang Mai around 9:45 am and was picked up by the guesthouse’s very modern van. When we booked this trip with a Bangkok agent we were told that our room was an en suite which turned out to be sort of true. There was a toilet and a sink but the showerhead was just mounted on the wall. Once you got used to taking the toilet paper out of the room before turning on the shower part it mostly worked.

The guesthouse turned out to be clean and, like most guesthouses here, it has a common area that is also a restaurant, it sells beer and you can book any tour in town. It is common for the staff’s children to play around the place and the pool table is used mostly by the staff. Still it is a good place to stay and we don’t have any complaints. It is a bit like staying with a friend of a friend.

We spent the rest of the next two days wandering around the old city, which is surrounded by an old moat and wall. The streets are narrow and the street vendors everywhere. We visited some of the big temple complexes and watched the monks go about their business.

One night we went to the night market in another part of the City but only a 15 minute walk away. It is an entertaining nightly collection of vendors selling everything from cheap silk to fake Rolexes to wooden carvings. The smaller the stall the more negotiable the price. If they are really desperate then they will start shouting lower the prices as you walk away. One Canadian dollar is worth about 28 Thai baht and the majority of prices were in the 100-200 baht range. If we were just visiting Thailand then we would probably have purchased some of the carving and things but no room on the backpacks. Beside they were probably made in China anyway.

Had dinner at a nearby place that was owned by a Thai woman with an Australian husband who gets pressed into service as a helper each night. We talked with him a bit and he told us how they had relocated to the Chiang Mai because they didn’t like Bangkok. Dinner by the way is about 100 baht ($4) each not counting drinks.

Most Thai’s, and most visitors, end up drinking Chang beer. A large bottle is usually 60-75 baht and most places keep them very cold. Not many Thais drink Singha beer or the other brand. They sell that to the tourists for higher prices.

Bangkok, Thailand

March 4.5, 2009

Spent another couple of days wandering around the inner part of the City. It is amazing how some people make homes in small little hovels just down the block from modern condominiums. Overall the people are very friendly and certainly we haven’t felt at all uncomfortable.

The city is, by NA standards, dirty and smog filled but everyone seems to get along somehow. Traffic is fierce with lots of new cars and trucks on the road. Most people seem to ride scooters or motorcycles however they don’t seem to be bound by any of the traffic laws. Many of the curbs are very high – partly to channel rain water (this is the tropics) and, I would guess, to keep the scooters confined to the road.

By the way, when you are riding the transit system you can not but be impressed with the majority of Thai people. In massive heat and humidity they all look like they just showered and changed. If they have a uniform or if they work in an office then they are always immaculate. I have no idea how they do it in this climate.

If you don’t want to ride the transit system then you can take a taxi (looks just like a NA taxi) or a tuk tuk. A tuk-tuk has one wheel on the front and two on the back. It will hold two passengers in the back under a low roof and the driver sits in the middle front. They are everywhere in the cities and can be a source of irritation as they follow you down the street. If you take a tuk tuk always negotiate the price before you get into it and pay no more than that when you get out. Many tourists get ripped off because they assume there is some standard rate which there isn’t.

Bangkok, Thailand

March 3.4, 2009


The 7 hour flight from Perth didn’t leave until 5:50 pm so we didn’t actually get to Thai soil until almost midnight. Passport control was quick and the airport was very large and high tech. Bangkok has 6 million people and is such a regional transportation hub it has two major airports – one for international flights and the other for domestic.

We had booked in with a hostel near the downtown commercial district and supposedly an express bus from the airport would drop us near there. I couldn’t get any internet access in the airport to confirm the address so we just showed the address that we had to some of the staff standing near the bus pickup. Hopped on a modern express bus after some really brief conversations with staff there who, like most Thai here, seem to know at least 10-15 words of English. Whether they are the right words or not is what makes the night fun.

Our bus driver took us over massive freeways and onto busy streets for at least 20 minutes with us as the only passengers. Eventually he started to pick up some more locals but no other tourists. After about 30 minutes, he turned and made a motion for us to get off.

We got off on a main road running under the overhead monorail tracks. A gloomy sight if I ever saw one. What made it more comforting was the fact that the street signs were in Thai, the temperature was 28C and the humidity was about 80%. Perfect weather for carrying heavy bags down a dark street that you aren’t sure is the right one.

When you first see Bangkok at night it looks like a giant slum. There are skyscrapers built next to decrepit three story apartments with tarp covered shanties filling the alleys. The street lighting is sporadic and the streets seemed to be full of people not doing much of anything.

Hauling our backpacks we walked a short distance down the street and found the hostel. Got up to the room and, not being able to sleep just yet, wandered back down the street to look at some of the food stalls in the street.

Part of Bangkok only comes alive at night and the street vendors lining many of the streets is an essential part of that. The street we stumbled onto hosted any number of mobile carts that would be gone by 3 am and magically reappear sometime in the afternoon the next day.

Most Thai’s seem to have two or three jobs and, when they aren’t working, they seem to be eating or shopping on the streets. You can get everything from your groceries to takeout to whatever there.

Spent the next day walking around parts of Bangkok. They have an excellent monorail and subway system with the station signs in English and Thai. Once you get your bearings it is not bad. Once you get off those lines the challenges are a little significant.

You realize quite quickly that everyone connected with the tourism industry is looking to make money from you. It is just not the ones that overcharge you directly but also those who will not tell you the “whole” story. For example, we needed to take a river ferry down to the old market area but the staff at the ticket desk just kept pointing to a sign that described the whole day ticket. Thinking we had no other option we eventually bought it.

Once we were on the ferry we watched Thais get on and off and just pay for a ticket from a woman walking down the length of the boat. Quick lesson learned for the next time we take a ferry ride!

The pressure on you to buy (anything) is directly proportional to your distance from a known tourist area. The more tourists the more aggressive the vendors can be.

Australia vs. New Zealand

Australia vs. New Zealand

We have been asked by some of our New Zealand friends to compare NZ and Australia. Hmmm. Ok here goes.

New Zealand Wins in the following

Better food
Better drivers (except for idiots on motorcycles)
Nicer people (by a hair)
Shorter distances to drive
Bigger mountains
Nicer museums
Great staff at tourist centres (really really good staff)
No snakes (although personally I like snakes)
Able to buy beer and wine in the grocery stores in most places
A reality based view of the world and their spot in it
Almost no traffic lights
Much cleaner cities
More consistent climate overall
Their coins are not as massive as the Australian ones
All pay phones accept any credit card

Australia Wins in the following

Cheaper in general
Real Pubs (almost all the ones in NZ have become upscale bistros)
Lots more wildlife (although much of it is motionless on the roadside)
Better shopping choices
Smoother roads
Big city hustle and bustle (if you want that kind of thing)
Really wide-open spaces
Most of the people on the roads are not tourists driving on the wrong side
If you are lonely, Australians will not let you stay that way
If you like long road trips then Australia is the place
Authentic bush is a very long way from anywhere

Ties

No Tipping!
All prices shown include taxes
They both have plastic money that flips out of your pocket.
Many things are more expensive then Canada (even taking in the exchange rate)
Way too many US based fast food places
Not nearly enough free wireless access (at least five years behind North America)
Many things like pay phones are massive bulky things that look like something from the Dr. Who TV show

There I hope that helps everyone.

Australian Road trip

In case anyone is interested, we clocked over 8,000 km in Australia. We did over 7,500 starting from Sydney then to MacKay then back to Sydney and then along the southern coast and up to Adelaide.

We clocked another 800 or so in Western Australia. All in about 30 days, in case you are interested.

I am a little tired of driving but we did get to see a lot of great parts of this country. (Lana added the bit about seeing the country - as full time navigator I am sure she is exhausted.)

Perth and area , South Australia

February 28, 2009

Landed at Perth at 8:30 a.m. Picked up the rental car and headed for the City centre to pick up a package sent by our daughter Charlotte (did I mention that she is really a good daughter – handling all of our mail etc while we are gone).

If you didn’t already know American Express will let cardholders have mail delivered to their offices worldwide for later pickup. This was a lot more important 20 years ago but still has its place especially if you are always on the move – like us.

Perth seems a nice City with a small pedestrian mall downtown. Seems to be lots of construction going on around and in the City. Someone told us that if we liked Adelaide (which we did) then we would like Perth. Not sure if that applies but it is a smaller town then Melborne or Sydney and seems to have an independent streak. Of course, it is a really long ways from any other big city so maybe that is justified.

Spent the first night in a caravan park near Freemantle (a beach style suburb of Perth). Freemantle is really quite interesting with lots of small shops, street musicians and over priced restaurants. However, anyplace with three used bookshops is fine by me.

Glenelg, South Australia

February 27, 2009

Spent the last day in South Australia in a hotel (pub to you un-travelled types). Actually we spent the night in a room over the pub since we had to be up at 4:15 am for our flight to Perth.

Glenelg is one of the seemingly endless beach areas that cover the coast around Adelaide. It has a nice beach, a number of high priced restaurants and zealous parking police (don’t ask).

But since it was close to the airport, and we didn’t want to be folding up a tent that early in the morning, if seemed OK. The organic pizza across the street was pretty tasty if pricey.