Another epic journey took me from the island of Ko Pan-Ngan south of the border to Malaysia. It was just a hop, skip, taxi, boat, bus, taxi, train, minivan...and we arrived in Penang twenty-four hours after leaving the beach at Haad Yao. The midnight train from Surat Thani was delayed by more than an hour but there was good company, nice food and lots to look at during the wait. I listened to Monique, a petite Dutch girl, talk at length about karma, chakras and other things she'd learned at an intense yoga retreat on Ko Pan Ngan. A shy young Muslim man wearing loose white pants, a long white tunic, a white fez hat and a groovy black leather jacket worked up the courage to come over and say hello to Kofi, trying not to stare too obviously at his cool trainers and dreadlocks.
When other trains rolled through the station, young children appeared from nowhere with trays of hot tea and coffee and biscuits, stepping up barefoot onto the train to roam the aisles selling their wares. I couldn't keep my eyes from the rainbow of passengers: after a month in the Buddhist and more Westernized parts of Thailand, it was amazing to see shrouded Muslim women and southern Thais with super-dark skin. Kofi and I were among the few Westerners on our train - most tourists opt for the air-conditioned trains instead of the fan service. When I rose from my sleeper berth in the morning to brush my teeth at the sink at the end of the carriage, I felt many pairs of eyes watching me. Later, when Kofi got up, the stares doubled.
At rooster's crow, we got off at Hat Yai Junction, still in Thailand, to change to the minivan service. It was mosques at dawn, with rotis, curry and hot tea for breakfast.We headed to Georgetown, the capital of Penang, an island off the west coast of northern Malaysia. I need to go south to Singapore for my return flight to Australia and Kofi was doing a visa run at the Thai consulate in Penang. The minivan dropped us in the middle of Chinatown and we quickly found a beautiful room at the stately Old Penang Inn on Love Lane. In the usual way of my travels, my first night in this new destination was a bit more expensive than the others, having been too tired to search for something cheap and dirty. On my second night I moved to Star Lodge and got a cheaper but equally lovely room with a cozy balcony. All in all, Georgetown provided the best accommodation of my whole trip in Asia.
Georgetown is a very walkable city, full of gorgeous colonial architecture and visually appealing little alleys and streets. It was a short walk to Little India, where every meal seemed to be better than the last. For breakfast, more hot rotis with lovely dahl and some hot, sweet tea to wash it all down. The roti has an amazing ability to be sweet, salty, dense and fluffy, all at the same time. I tell ya, them Indians know how to do dough!
I wandered the streets of Georgetown, admiring the sights and stopping for a lime juice from a street vendor on the boardwalk next to the sea. In the evening, I ran into Monique the Yogi and she introduced me to a lovely couple from Kentucky, two English teachers based in Bangkok. I haven't met many Americans on the road but the ones that are traveling have been pretty cool and much more enlightened than stereotyping would have us all believe. Kofi joined us later and we all trooped down to the local sidewalk pub for some open air drinks. It was hard to fend off attention with our group: a petite redhead, a tall skinny blonde, a black man, a large and affable American, and me. There was a constant stream of visitors coming over to our table to chat.
Once we'd had enough of the social musical chairs, we wandered in search of food. A very enthusiastic young woman at the Tourism Malaysia office had told me earlier about late-night eats, saying to look for the big lineup of people next to the Kapitan Mosque. Sure enough, the line at Nasi Kandar stretched to the kerb even at 1am. The food was delicious rice and many different curries, and it was worth the wait!
On my second day in Penang, I hopped on the city bus and ventured to Penang Hill to enjoy the beautiful view of the city and the "refreshing temperatures" - only in Asia is 27 degrees Celsius considered cool weather. Later, I explored the Kok Lek Si Temple, which is really a shrine to the gods of retail. To get to the actual temple, you have to walk up many steps through a gauntlet of shops and vendors. Here, I had the best example of bartering by walking away. With every step I took, the vendor-lady called out a lower price until the tee-shirt I'd examined went from 50 ringgits all the way down to 10. An excellent deal - and thank the gods for that!
It seems to rain at least once a day in Malaysia, a downpour every afternoon. But there are always pleasant ways to pass the time. I was booking my onward bus journey on Lebuh Muntri when the downpour began on my last night in Georgetown. The obliging travel agent/guesthouse owner just happened to sell beer. So I hunkered down with a Malaysian Jaz and chatted with the other travelers waiting out the weather: an Australian teacher on a visa run from Indonesia and a young Quebecois couple traveling with their four-year-old son. We braved the endless rain and scooted down the street to the Red Garden Food Paradise for some amazing Malaysian food.
So far, I've been surprised by Malaysia. I didn't expect much but I found nice company, excellent food, lovely scenes and comfortable food around every corner. My next stop is Melaka - lots of love to everyone back home.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Lazy languid lovely...Ko Pan Ngan
I've been slacking on the blogging these days...life is just so darned relaxed! I've been on the beach in Ko Pan Ngan for a week and it feels like only a moment.
The trip down south from Chiang Mai was a bit epic. I took the night train to Bangkok, then the day train to Surat Thani. The train actually arrives in Phu Phin, so was a pick-up truck taxi into Surat Thani. After a very welcome night's sleep, I got back on another bus to the ferry terminal. After a three-hour ferry ride and another pick-up truck taxi, I was squishing the sand between my toes just 48 hours since I left Chiang Mai.
Along the way, I met Kofi, a Canadian-Jamaican artist, former jock and part-time Rasta-man. He is Zen personified - the perfect person for me to meet coming out of my meditation retreat! We've spent many chilled out days on the beach, slowly sipping our pineapple juices, really tasting our food and feeling the moments. We're on the west coast of Ko Pan Ngan at Haad Yao beach, which is a good distance away from the bustling main tourist town of Haad Rin.
Ko Pan Ngan is famous for its full moon parties when thousands (sometimes tens of thousands) of travellers descend on Haad Rin for a drug-infested, all-night, rock-out dance party. I purposely avoided Full Mooning and arrived a week after the monthly party to find Haad Yao very quiet and relaxed. There are lots of couples and families, very few hawkers on the beach, and lots of seafood restos and massage huts.
The days go by both slow and quick: we've had leisurely breakfasts and nice swims in the morning when the tide is high. The water is that classic aquamarine that you see in movies and magazines, framed by palm trees. I've never been to a more beautiful beach. Afternoons have usually been nap-time for me, or a chance to continue reading my excellent book in the hammock. Evenings we settled down with a Chang beer or a Mai Tai to watch the sun go down and eat lovely food on the beach by candlelight and starlight. My favourite is spicy papaya salad, with peanuts and shrimp and drizzled with a sweet/salty/sour dressing of lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, etc. The weather is consistently sunny, with the occasional down-pour of hot rain. This place must be paradise because it is amazing even when it rains.
We rented a motorbike one day, which was the great extent of our activities. I realized that I hadn't left this little strip of beach in five days so it was good to get out and see the island. It doesn't take long to drive the length of the island and mostly you see the same thing: gorgeous beaches, mountains covered in lush palm trees, relaxed and happy people.
There's not much more to report. Thailand has been the perfect dénouement to my travels around South East Asia. I head to Malaysia tomorrow, on my way south back to Singapore. Hopefully I'll have more exciting things to write about next time! Lots of love to everyone back home.
The trip down south from Chiang Mai was a bit epic. I took the night train to Bangkok, then the day train to Surat Thani. The train actually arrives in Phu Phin, so was a pick-up truck taxi into Surat Thani. After a very welcome night's sleep, I got back on another bus to the ferry terminal. After a three-hour ferry ride and another pick-up truck taxi, I was squishing the sand between my toes just 48 hours since I left Chiang Mai.
Along the way, I met Kofi, a Canadian-Jamaican artist, former jock and part-time Rasta-man. He is Zen personified - the perfect person for me to meet coming out of my meditation retreat! We've spent many chilled out days on the beach, slowly sipping our pineapple juices, really tasting our food and feeling the moments. We're on the west coast of Ko Pan Ngan at Haad Yao beach, which is a good distance away from the bustling main tourist town of Haad Rin.
Ko Pan Ngan is famous for its full moon parties when thousands (sometimes tens of thousands) of travellers descend on Haad Rin for a drug-infested, all-night, rock-out dance party. I purposely avoided Full Mooning and arrived a week after the monthly party to find Haad Yao very quiet and relaxed. There are lots of couples and families, very few hawkers on the beach, and lots of seafood restos and massage huts.
The days go by both slow and quick: we've had leisurely breakfasts and nice swims in the morning when the tide is high. The water is that classic aquamarine that you see in movies and magazines, framed by palm trees. I've never been to a more beautiful beach. Afternoons have usually been nap-time for me, or a chance to continue reading my excellent book in the hammock. Evenings we settled down with a Chang beer or a Mai Tai to watch the sun go down and eat lovely food on the beach by candlelight and starlight. My favourite is spicy papaya salad, with peanuts and shrimp and drizzled with a sweet/salty/sour dressing of lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, etc. The weather is consistently sunny, with the occasional down-pour of hot rain. This place must be paradise because it is amazing even when it rains.
We rented a motorbike one day, which was the great extent of our activities. I realized that I hadn't left this little strip of beach in five days so it was good to get out and see the island. It doesn't take long to drive the length of the island and mostly you see the same thing: gorgeous beaches, mountains covered in lush palm trees, relaxed and happy people.
There's not much more to report. Thailand has been the perfect dénouement to my travels around South East Asia. I head to Malaysia tomorrow, on my way south back to Singapore. Hopefully I'll have more exciting things to write about next time! Lots of love to everyone back home.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Happy Buddha
Hello! I haven't written in so long. Silence has been a theme these past two weeks. Yes, I'm into the solo part of my travels. Vietnam was very social and I really appreciated all the friends I made. But I've been craving some quiet time...and I sure got it.
The train ride from Bangkok to Chiang Mai was great: twelve hours passed very quickly in my comfy 2nd class sleeper berth. With a big pillow, clean sheets and warm blanket, it was easy to get a good night's sleep en route. In the morning, I was magically transported to the dry and mountainous north. Chiang Mai is a charming city, although it is a little bigger than I expected. I'm staying very close to the Thapae Gate, just outside the walled city and moat area. There is constant traffic around the city and I was surprised to see not one but about seven Starbucks coffee shops! Very strange. I haven't been doing much in Chiang Mai, just wandering and eating and devouring books. I spent a day at the pool. Another day, I rented a bike and tootled around but sometimes found the traffic a bit harrying. The night markets are pretty cool with lots of great, cheap food. But I had to avert my eyes from all the lovely things on sale.
I took the bus four hours north through the mountains to Pai to visit Rex and Aroon. I met Rex in Singapore; he is a friend of Carol Wee (do you remember the Queen of Singapore?). Rex and Aroon are Singaporean and Thai, respectively, and they are old hippies who live on a hill. The days with them were groovy: strong sweet tea in the morning, lounge around till brunch, maybe play some guitar (Rex is a whiz at flamenco style), lay in the hammock, etc. Rex was often killing time until 5pm, when Aroon decreed that he could open his first beer. I biked around the neighbourhood, into town and around the countryside. They took me to the hot springs for dinner and dip on my first night. Another day, we undertook a big hike into the woods to find a waterfall that Rex's friend told him about. We waded in the stream for hours, which cooled us in the dry heat. Eventually we were rewarded when we came upon a lovely waterfall where we had a nice lunch of egg-and-cheese sandwiches, followed by a dip in the cool water. It was really nice for me to have a homestay after two months in hotels and guesthouses. On my last night, I took over the kitchen and made spaghetti carbonara, Thai-style. Rex is a real foodie and wanted me to make something he wouldn't normally have. It was great to cook again and try a familiar recipe using new ingredients.
Back in Chiang Mai, I had just enough time to re-pack my bags and have another bite of the night market. On Friday morning, I set off for Wat Doi Suthep, a Buddhist temple on the mountain above Chiang Mai. My mission? A three-day Buddhist meditation retreat. I was a bit nervous about the retreat: the days started at 5am and ended at 10pm, no eating of solid foods allowed after noon, no books, magazines, notebooks or ipods, no sleeping during the day, etc. Oh, and no speaking to anyone except 15 minutes a day with the teacher-monk during progress report. Aside from about two hours of set activities, all I was to do was meditate and contemplate for the rest of the day. All participants wore loose white clothing. At first, it was very hard to just...do nothing. But by the end, I was serene and content. I've been wishing for a time when I wouldn't have to do anything or worry about anything or accomplish anything. Here was my chance - and I came to relish it.
Doi Suthep temple is an amazing complex. You have to climb about 300 stairs to reach the compound. The main temple area is wonderfully ornate, with a huge golden stuppa and countless statues of Buddha in every precious metal. This is a popular destination for tourists so the temple was abuzz during the day. I mostly avoided the hubbub, sticking to the meditation centre, which was tucked away in a quiet garden behind the temple. I spent a lot of time in the big, airy meditation halls or sitting under a tree in the garden. In the evening, the climax of the day was to go to the temple, now empty of tourists, and witness the nightly chanting of the monks and novices. I could sit for an entire hour, entranced by the sounds, and not even realize that so much time went by. It was very interesting to live amongst the temple community for a few days: it was like a little city with lots of monks, nuns, novices, and countless temple boys who kept the place very clean and tidy. Amazingly, the whole experience was free (donations welcome). I had simple but comfortable accommodation and the most amazing vegetarian meals. Three days was not enough and it was hard to come back down the mountain. Someday, I'd like to do the 21-day Foundation Course in meditation there.
Well, I could go on and on about my Doi Suthep experience, but I'm sure you get the idea. For now, I'm back in Chiang Mai and preparing for another night-train experience. This time, I'm headed south. I'll only stop in Bangkok long enough to change trains for Surat Thani. Next stop: the beach! Yes, I felt a little decadent leaving the meditation retreat because I "have" to go to the beach...but I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunity for meditation surfside. More news from the road to follow - lots of love to everyone back home.
The train ride from Bangkok to Chiang Mai was great: twelve hours passed very quickly in my comfy 2nd class sleeper berth. With a big pillow, clean sheets and warm blanket, it was easy to get a good night's sleep en route. In the morning, I was magically transported to the dry and mountainous north. Chiang Mai is a charming city, although it is a little bigger than I expected. I'm staying very close to the Thapae Gate, just outside the walled city and moat area. There is constant traffic around the city and I was surprised to see not one but about seven Starbucks coffee shops! Very strange. I haven't been doing much in Chiang Mai, just wandering and eating and devouring books. I spent a day at the pool. Another day, I rented a bike and tootled around but sometimes found the traffic a bit harrying. The night markets are pretty cool with lots of great, cheap food. But I had to avert my eyes from all the lovely things on sale.
I took the bus four hours north through the mountains to Pai to visit Rex and Aroon. I met Rex in Singapore; he is a friend of Carol Wee (do you remember the Queen of Singapore?). Rex and Aroon are Singaporean and Thai, respectively, and they are old hippies who live on a hill. The days with them were groovy: strong sweet tea in the morning, lounge around till brunch, maybe play some guitar (Rex is a whiz at flamenco style), lay in the hammock, etc. Rex was often killing time until 5pm, when Aroon decreed that he could open his first beer. I biked around the neighbourhood, into town and around the countryside. They took me to the hot springs for dinner and dip on my first night. Another day, we undertook a big hike into the woods to find a waterfall that Rex's friend told him about. We waded in the stream for hours, which cooled us in the dry heat. Eventually we were rewarded when we came upon a lovely waterfall where we had a nice lunch of egg-and-cheese sandwiches, followed by a dip in the cool water. It was really nice for me to have a homestay after two months in hotels and guesthouses. On my last night, I took over the kitchen and made spaghetti carbonara, Thai-style. Rex is a real foodie and wanted me to make something he wouldn't normally have. It was great to cook again and try a familiar recipe using new ingredients.
Back in Chiang Mai, I had just enough time to re-pack my bags and have another bite of the night market. On Friday morning, I set off for Wat Doi Suthep, a Buddhist temple on the mountain above Chiang Mai. My mission? A three-day Buddhist meditation retreat. I was a bit nervous about the retreat: the days started at 5am and ended at 10pm, no eating of solid foods allowed after noon, no books, magazines, notebooks or ipods, no sleeping during the day, etc. Oh, and no speaking to anyone except 15 minutes a day with the teacher-monk during progress report. Aside from about two hours of set activities, all I was to do was meditate and contemplate for the rest of the day. All participants wore loose white clothing. At first, it was very hard to just...do nothing. But by the end, I was serene and content. I've been wishing for a time when I wouldn't have to do anything or worry about anything or accomplish anything. Here was my chance - and I came to relish it.
Doi Suthep temple is an amazing complex. You have to climb about 300 stairs to reach the compound. The main temple area is wonderfully ornate, with a huge golden stuppa and countless statues of Buddha in every precious metal. This is a popular destination for tourists so the temple was abuzz during the day. I mostly avoided the hubbub, sticking to the meditation centre, which was tucked away in a quiet garden behind the temple. I spent a lot of time in the big, airy meditation halls or sitting under a tree in the garden. In the evening, the climax of the day was to go to the temple, now empty of tourists, and witness the nightly chanting of the monks and novices. I could sit for an entire hour, entranced by the sounds, and not even realize that so much time went by. It was very interesting to live amongst the temple community for a few days: it was like a little city with lots of monks, nuns, novices, and countless temple boys who kept the place very clean and tidy. Amazingly, the whole experience was free (donations welcome). I had simple but comfortable accommodation and the most amazing vegetarian meals. Three days was not enough and it was hard to come back down the mountain. Someday, I'd like to do the 21-day Foundation Course in meditation there.
Well, I could go on and on about my Doi Suthep experience, but I'm sure you get the idea. For now, I'm back in Chiang Mai and preparing for another night-train experience. This time, I'm headed south. I'll only stop in Bangkok long enough to change trains for Surat Thani. Next stop: the beach! Yes, I felt a little decadent leaving the meditation retreat because I "have" to go to the beach...but I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunity for meditation surfside. More news from the road to follow - lots of love to everyone back home.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Bangkokism
Bankgok is a verb unto itself. I'm here for the second time in six weeks...and what a difference the time has made. No longer the nervous travel newbie I was in early January: I felt relaxed as I arrived in the backpacker neighbourhood of Banglamphu, home of the famous Khao San Road. Short weeks ago I flew to Bangkok with dread. Just read the Lonely Planet and you'd be freaked out too: purse snatchers, flea-bag rooms, travel scams, etc. But my Bangkok has been good to me, welcoming me back like an old friend.
Now that I'm a travel veteran (haha), I know how things work a little better. From the airport, I shared a taxi with two other backpackers instead of coming into town alone. We took the escalator up to the departures level and caught a cab as it dropped another passenger off. The price? 250 baht instead of the usual 500 reserved for foolish first-timers. Back in Banglamphu, I knew my way through the back alleys and got a great room at the Bella Bella Guesthouse, where I stayed last time.
Since I know my way around the neighbourhood, I easily sought out my favourites: a comforting ham and cheese sandwich on fresh baked bread at Wild Orchid Villa, spicy noodles with seafood and a Chang beer at Tuk Tuk resto, and a delicious fresh-squeezed orange juice from the nicest street vendor. You can get anything in Bangkok, at any time of day. And cheap! My noodle dish was 50 baht, which is about $1.75 Canadian. The juice was only 25 baht. With these prices and tastes, you could eat all day. On my walk home from the internet cafe around 10pm, the street vendors were just starting their night selling their creations: pad thai made to order, fresh fruit shakes from any exotic fruit imaginable, banana pancakes drizzled with chocolate, mango sticky rice, etc.
The city gets a late start, especially at weekends; evenings are pumping and it doesn't stop until dawn. You can buy every kind of vice here - pirated dvds and books, tons of clothes, rich food, booze, tobacco, and of course, sex. Many men come here as sex tourists and there is a hunger in their eyes. It is so strange to see. Combine this with the fact that I couldn't stop staring at the first lady-boy I saw on the street...and I realize that I'm not such a hardened traveler after all.
I met up with English Elliott, a Bangkok veteran, and he's been showing me his Bangkok outside of the backpacker bubble. He stumbled into Khao San around 8pm on Sunday and I minded his bags while he hunted for a room. By 10pm, we were ready for a night out, Bangkok-style. W hopped in a tuk-tuk into the city and went to Tawan Dang, a massive German beer garden with an excellent live band. Elliott speaks pretty good Thai and is quite a charmer so we got the best table: front row, center. It was a lively crowd with flowing beer and endless dishes of Thai food.
After the show, I got my first glimpse of Patpong, Bangkok's red-light district. Walking down Patpong's alleys, you catch glimpses into the girlie bars where bikini-clad bar girls dance on a stage. Elliott and I hunkered down over some Mai Tais at a regular bar and gawked at the sex tourists walking by with their "dates." Elliott's assessment of the situation was brilliant, said in his London accent: "These blokes are here because they couldn't pull a bird back home." After we finished our drinks, we wandered a bit more but soon became tired of the touts with their menus of tricks performed by bar girls: "Come to our show! What you want? We have pussy ping pong, pussy smoke a cigarette, pussy write a letter, etc. You come in, no charge!" Plus, Elliott, being a staunch heterosexual, almost went blind when we walked down the gay alley and he glimpsed some nubile young Thai men dancing enthusiastically in white g-strings . At 4am, it was time to go home.
During the rest of my time in Bangkok, I've enjoyed the tourist comforts and relative quiet in Banglamphu and explored the flashy Siam Square district, marvelling at this city in which luxury shopping centres juxtapose gleaming white air-con Louis Vuitton stores against the chaos and congestion of the streets outside. At first I took cabs for about 100 baht per ride ($3.50 CAD) but then I realized that the public bus was just as fast and only 7 baht (about 25 cents). The average temperature is 37 degrees Celsius in the day and a balmy 27 degrees at night. In this heat, you can't move too fast and I stop constantly to rehydrate and maintain my blood sugar levels. Thankfully, street vendors sell refreshingly sweet iced tea or slices of mango with a packet of sugar and chili for dipping.
On my last night in Bangkok, I met with Elliott for a farewell drink at Moon Bar on the 61st floor of the Banyan Tree Hotel. Since I only spent 7 baht getting there on the bus, I guess I can justify spending 300 baht on a martini? The view of the city was amazing and the colours were beautiful as the sun went down: a pink aura against white buildings. Yes, Bangkok has been good to me.
Today, I'm killing time before my night train to Chiang Mai, trying to stay cool. More stories from Northern Thailand to follow soon...lots of love to everyone back home.
Now that I'm a travel veteran (haha), I know how things work a little better. From the airport, I shared a taxi with two other backpackers instead of coming into town alone. We took the escalator up to the departures level and caught a cab as it dropped another passenger off. The price? 250 baht instead of the usual 500 reserved for foolish first-timers. Back in Banglamphu, I knew my way through the back alleys and got a great room at the Bella Bella Guesthouse, where I stayed last time.
Since I know my way around the neighbourhood, I easily sought out my favourites: a comforting ham and cheese sandwich on fresh baked bread at Wild Orchid Villa, spicy noodles with seafood and a Chang beer at Tuk Tuk resto, and a delicious fresh-squeezed orange juice from the nicest street vendor. You can get anything in Bangkok, at any time of day. And cheap! My noodle dish was 50 baht, which is about $1.75 Canadian. The juice was only 25 baht. With these prices and tastes, you could eat all day. On my walk home from the internet cafe around 10pm, the street vendors were just starting their night selling their creations: pad thai made to order, fresh fruit shakes from any exotic fruit imaginable, banana pancakes drizzled with chocolate, mango sticky rice, etc.
The city gets a late start, especially at weekends; evenings are pumping and it doesn't stop until dawn. You can buy every kind of vice here - pirated dvds and books, tons of clothes, rich food, booze, tobacco, and of course, sex. Many men come here as sex tourists and there is a hunger in their eyes. It is so strange to see. Combine this with the fact that I couldn't stop staring at the first lady-boy I saw on the street...and I realize that I'm not such a hardened traveler after all.
I met up with English Elliott, a Bangkok veteran, and he's been showing me his Bangkok outside of the backpacker bubble. He stumbled into Khao San around 8pm on Sunday and I minded his bags while he hunted for a room. By 10pm, we were ready for a night out, Bangkok-style. W hopped in a tuk-tuk into the city and went to Tawan Dang, a massive German beer garden with an excellent live band. Elliott speaks pretty good Thai and is quite a charmer so we got the best table: front row, center. It was a lively crowd with flowing beer and endless dishes of Thai food.
After the show, I got my first glimpse of Patpong, Bangkok's red-light district. Walking down Patpong's alleys, you catch glimpses into the girlie bars where bikini-clad bar girls dance on a stage. Elliott and I hunkered down over some Mai Tais at a regular bar and gawked at the sex tourists walking by with their "dates." Elliott's assessment of the situation was brilliant, said in his London accent: "These blokes are here because they couldn't pull a bird back home." After we finished our drinks, we wandered a bit more but soon became tired of the touts with their menus of tricks performed by bar girls: "Come to our show! What you want? We have pussy ping pong, pussy smoke a cigarette, pussy write a letter, etc. You come in, no charge!" Plus, Elliott, being a staunch heterosexual, almost went blind when we walked down the gay alley and he glimpsed some nubile young Thai men dancing enthusiastically in white g-strings . At 4am, it was time to go home.
During the rest of my time in Bangkok, I've enjoyed the tourist comforts and relative quiet in Banglamphu and explored the flashy Siam Square district, marvelling at this city in which luxury shopping centres juxtapose gleaming white air-con Louis Vuitton stores against the chaos and congestion of the streets outside. At first I took cabs for about 100 baht per ride ($3.50 CAD) but then I realized that the public bus was just as fast and only 7 baht (about 25 cents). The average temperature is 37 degrees Celsius in the day and a balmy 27 degrees at night. In this heat, you can't move too fast and I stop constantly to rehydrate and maintain my blood sugar levels. Thankfully, street vendors sell refreshingly sweet iced tea or slices of mango with a packet of sugar and chili for dipping.
On my last night in Bangkok, I met with Elliott for a farewell drink at Moon Bar on the 61st floor of the Banyan Tree Hotel. Since I only spent 7 baht getting there on the bus, I guess I can justify spending 300 baht on a martini? The view of the city was amazing and the colours were beautiful as the sun went down: a pink aura against white buildings. Yes, Bangkok has been good to me.
Today, I'm killing time before my night train to Chiang Mai, trying to stay cool. More stories from Northern Thailand to follow soon...lots of love to everyone back home.
Vietnam Photos
I've posted some of my favourite Vietnam snapshots below: junks in Halong Bay, three beautiful girls whom I met on the road, me and moto on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, a vendor in the Hoi An market and...my favourite pic from a road-side public toilet. Sometimes, you gotta pay to pee and this picture say it all.
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