Riding busses is now a skill that Leighton and I have. One might think anyone could do it, but they'd be wrong. It's not easy to sit for hours and hours while maintaining bloodflow to your bum. It's not easy to keep yourself entertained. It's downright hard to relax each time the bus stops and they open the undercarriage compartment where your bag is. These things, however, are now second nature to us. And the four hour journey from Kuala Lumpur to Melaka was like butter. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
We got off our long distance bus and were met by a tall dark man who wanted to offer us accommodation at Le Village GH. After talking we discovered it is owned by the same people as our GH in KL. It was also just around the corner from the place we'd made reservations: Backpacker's Freak Hostel. We let the tall dark stranger escort us to the local bus that would take us the 6km into town for a ringgit, thanked him, and made it on board as it was pulling away.
We were told to ring the stop bell as we passed the "big ship." As the bus rumbled through the town square we had our first glimpse of Melaka's history-on-display. Each painted in an off-salmon red were Stadthuy's, Christ Church, and a few other buildings all built by the Dutch in the mid 1600's through to the end of their more than 154 year reign. The square was bordered by the Melaka River, a bridge into Chinatown, and the tourist information center.
We continued south with the river on our right and suddenly we were passing a giant replica Portuguese Galleon (the Portuguese ruled for 130 years starting in 1511)! We pushed the bell and hopped off, thanking the driver as we always do.
We checked out Le Village and weren't disappointed. It was almost an exact copy of Oasis in KL. For 35 ringgit a night we could have two small singles and a fan and share a bathroom with 15 other people.
We walked around the corner to BFH and walked in as a girl was walking out. We found the manager waiting for us. He showed us our room: a queen bed with furniture in the room! A brand new hostel (opened in Feb) meant a brand new mattress!! Best sleep we've had in months. Great staff and lounge, quiet corridors, and excellent security. We are very happy here! Free breakfast (and coffee) to boot!
We learned that Friday-Sunday there are two markets, one in Chinatown and one right next to our street that is more Malay people and vendors. We hit them both up that night! The Chinese market was over the bridge and into Chinatown. All along the famous Jonker Street the shops spilled out and overtook the entire footpath on both sides, leaving us and the thousands of others to walk in the middle of the closed street. It was the average market experience but with new and different smells and trinkets.
We saw umbrellas that were tucked into plastic holders and made to look like skinny little wine bottles. There were tiny Chinese dresses for real wine bottles to be uses as a sort if wrapping paper when gift giving. Wooden chairs, art, carvings, keychains, etc. A million gizmos and gadgets that did ridiculous things. And food. Oh the food!
Popiah! More expensive than in KL but just as amazing. Skewers of various meats and veg for .40 cents each ($0.15 usd) that we were meant to dip into a boiling vat of peanutty satay sauce and cook before we ate them... oops!! They were delicious anyway. On the second or these night at the market (we went each night) I tried rojak, a delightful "radish salad" that wasn't salad-like at all but more like stirfry with fat noodles and soft tofu. I died a little with each bite! That same night Leighton had Cendol for dinner. Haha. He was happy as a puppy with a ball! Shaved ice covered in coconut milk, a sugar-juice made from coconut bark, bits of fruit, and a sugary tea all poured over. Wasn't he supposed to be careful of his bloodsugar....????
The Malay market warrants it's own perusal but not as many highlights, or foreigners. The best thing there was a stand selling pancakes (another pancake!). These were, again, like crepes, but in two new ways. The diet night Leighton ordered 3 for 1 ringgit. They were very thin, about 6 inches across, and layered with some sugar, peanuts, and a sprinkle of creamed corn. When they were finished cooking they were folded up like a hard-shell taco. Crunchy and amazing! The second night we each ate a BIG one. The batter was layered on thick on a much bigger griddle. Way more sugar, peanuts, and corn. Fold at the last minute. Cut into peices. Eat. So full it was accidentally dinner. So worth it: only 2 ringgit!!
At the same market was a street artist making badges (buttons for the American readers). He started with a flourescent colored base and then used paint markers to draw a characature-like portrait of the buyer for just 6 ringgit, or about $2 USD/$2.60 NZD. I really wanted to get one but ended up not. They were really cool!
Melaka is home to a million bajillion museums. We visited about 6 or 7 including an art museum, history museum, ethnography museum, literature museum, education museum, youth organization movement museum, democratic leaders museum, maritime museum (which included a replica Portuguese galleon), and the former governor's mansion (in front of which was a 1957 Chevrolet that looked a hell of a lot like the '55 in my dad's garage). We also made it to the Chinese cemetery, where we saw 600 year old graves, and St. Paul's Church on the top of the hill overlooking the town. We walked by the Dutch cemetery and stopped for photos around the sole remaining gate tower of the Portuguese A'Famosa Fortress, dubbed St. John's Fort.
We meander up to a Malay heritage museum on Monday, but it was closed. We walked the rest of the 3km to the bus station to buy tickets to Singapore and then took the bus back. Another 6km in the midday's sun may have killed us. That day we went to the town pool do an afternoon swim! We returned the next two days as it was only 2 ringgit entry! An olympic sized pool!!
Arms tired from swimming, legs tired from walking, we spent Thursday watching a movie at the hostel and then went to buy gum for the fiend we're staying with in Singapore. After dinner we came back and now I'm writing this blog. We leave tomorrow afternoon and couldn't be more excited!
Our favorite meals here were banana leaf food, which was amazing! Five different types of veggie curry and a pile of rice a mike high topped with a giant ladleful of dhal curry served with a cup of sour yoghurt and one of tangy chicken broth on the side. So full we waddled home and then ate it for lunch the next day.
The other was satay! We actually found a restaurant where we couldn't miss the satay sauce bubbling away like fondue! Haha. It was incredible. Imagine fondue but with a spicy peanut sauce. Sticks of meats and tofu and veggies and dumplings. I ate 9, Leighton 8. Full to bursting again!
To Singapore we go. Thank God we have free accommodation because our era of uber-cheap eats will end. Instead of being $1-2 for a meal it will be $5+++ Still the same great foods though! I guess it's good we've been spending so little money the last 4 months of traveling!
Yes, it's been 4 months. We have enough left to do it all over again so where we'll stop nobody knows!!! After Singapore comes Indonesia and then we'll probably fly to Taiwan or The Philippines. Fatigue is in the mind and two heads are better than one.
About Me
- Mike
- Backpacking adventures of me and Leighton as we explore all that SE Asia has to offer. We love comments and feedback!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Kuala Lumpur, not a Koala Bear in Sight
Kuala Lumpur is a city unlike any other. One that sits, nestled into a vast valley, casually basking in endless sun. With the charm of a people very recently at home in the jungle and the sophistication of a Western colony cum independent powerhouse, Malaysia chose KL for it's capital over the more historically important Melaka or Georgetown. From that decision came the ability to start from scratch. Build a city from the ground up, so to speak. It shows in the wide streets replete with 'teksi' lanes and ample sidewalks. The infrastructure is superb and it needs to be to support the mega load of towers.
Neither Bangkok nor Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh nor Hanoi, Vientien nor even Seoul have such a collection of skyscrapers in such close quarters, and certainly none as impressive as the Petronas Towers. From every angle they shimmer and shine like diamond-studded beacons. Their unique design alternates between rounded and right-angled corners. This comes from a design scheme of two squares and 4 circles interlocked. Each tower has way more than 4 "sides," which leads to a rounded and minaret like appearance. In fact "minar" means tower in Malay (from Arabic I'd assume).
The equally charming KL Tower (or Minar KL) is near enough the Petronas twins that you can see all three at one from the north or south side of the city. They literally tower over the other buildings of KL. And although it's hard to look good standing next to twin supermodels and their Iranian-decorated older sister, the other buildings of KL impress in many cases as well. Some are new and some are not, but they all come together to give their city a magnificent skyline.
On arriving in yet another Chinatown we found a decent place to stay with more shared bathrooms. The Oasis Inn is well-run and quaint with pretty good facilities and very fair prices. The fourth floor has a TV lounge and a kitchen equipped with free tea and coffee. FREE COFFEE!!!!! Someone has been very happy in the mornings :)
It was early afternoon when we arrived so we decided to walk to the KL Tower before dinner. We made it to KL Tower in our roundabout way but didn't go up because it was a lot of money and we decided that views from the top of towers are never as cool as views from directly under them. We were able to watch a video about the tower's construction while we were there. Interesting facts that now escape me about it's design and decor (like that the interior metal work was done by skilled craftsmen from Iran). Then we walked back toward Chinatown.
We wandered through he two-block-long Petaling Street Market here in Chinatown and were rewarded with many eager hawkers and European buyers bumping into us every three seconds. But hey, isn't that what Asia's all about? We ate some delicious food and hit the sack early.
The next morning we woke up sweaty and a bit tired, but there was coffee!! We decided to go straight to the towers and see what there was to see.
We quickly retraced our steps toward KL Tower and then veered toward the MATIC... I didn't get it either, which Leighton found hilarious. MAlaysia Tourist Info Center. Get it now? This was like a tourist info booth on steroids with a minor in art and landscape architecture. Pretty doesn't cut it. It was stunning! So wish that other cities had as much initiative. The information we got was super helpful and we even found a magazine with local event listings. We missed the MGMT concert but heard about a interior design expo called "Perfect Livin'". Then we walked to the towers.
We ended up in the mall that makes up the entire footprint of the towers and their connecting bits. It was massive and fancy. We got some soup called 'curry mee' from the food court. It was similar to our favorite Thai food, Kao Soy. Noodles and nibbly bits in a curry-like soup broth. Mmmmmmmmm
After shopping around for 5 hours (no joke) we found ourselves out the back and staring at a massive park that flanks the towers. This is the KLCC or City Center. Over 100 acres of public space right in the heart of the city. We meandered through and eventually made our way the Bukit Buntang shopping district. We skipped through it, only stopping for a cookie from a bakery. We got back to our hotel and collapsed.
We couldn't give up though because it was Saturday and Little India had it's night market! We set off toward it and found a frenetic street packed in both sides with stall after stall of scarves, clothes, books, gadgets, sunnies, knicks, knacks, and best of all: food!
We munched on something called popiah. It was similar to a spring roll but was wrapped in a pancake like a crepe and covered in a sweet and spicy sauce and topped with peanuts. Only 0.70 cents Malaysian each, roughly $0.25 USD. Could have eaten a hundred! So delicious and pretty healthy, too! Not to mention cheap and huge!
We ended up eating at an Indian street food stall. A cup of curry was only 2 ringgit ($0.66 USD) an naan was 1 ringgit. We each had a chickpea curry and split a chicken one with a naan each. Eight ringgit later dinner was done. Less than $3 for two hungry boys!
The next day we went to the National Museum (Muzeum Negara) and a super discount mall so Leighton could look for bags and belts and whatnot. He bought a really great pair of jeans for just over $23 USD and I almost bought a sweet T-shirt with pastel images of Chicago, but it was too small. This surprised me because my underware is now falling off because it's too big. Sometimes I look at recent pictures of me and I see my clothes hanging if me like I just escaped the famine.
It just goes to show that sightseeing and shopping for 8 hours a day is a valid form of exercise. Lord knows I eat too damned much of the food!!!
The museum was really great. We caught the tour a little late but the guide ended up snagging us just as she was headed into the interesting bit of history. We learned about the early Malay people and how they came to be Muslim. We saw beautiful artifacts from hundreds of years of trading with China and Europe and Arabia. Then we went upstairs and learned about the "invasions" of the Portuguese, the the Dutch and finally the British. Oh, and the Japanese, who ride bicycles down from Thailand.
Finally we saw exhibits all about the democratization of the Malay peninsula and how it became Malaysia. Very tidy operation, that museum. Very few questions left unanswered thanks in no small part to out tour guide (who had to run back to the hospital where she is a part time 66 year old doctor when she's not filling we role as a university professor).
Food, bed.
Sunday was the Islamic Art Museum with a brief but wonderful stop at the National Mosque (Masjid Negara). The art museum was, in part, a history museum as well as a museum on Islam. It was wonderful!! It started with an excellent exhibit on architecture of mosques throughout the world and how the designs spread with the conquering of various places and the rise to power of certain regions. Then we saw textiles, weapons, carvings, pottery, jewelry, and many gilded Quran open to beautiful light pages. It was one of the better museums I've been to in Asia. We were there for a long time and then decided it was lunch time. So we walked back to the GH to refill our water bottles and set off for the malls.
We've become mall whores. They're so nice and cold! The food is only marginally more money but comes in far greater quantity and variety than on the streets. So there we ate and then shopped the whole of the afternoon. It was worth it. We burned so many calories an didn't have to be dripping sweat while we did it.
The next day, Monday, we headed to the Batu Caves via the "komuter" train. It was really cheap to ride (1 ringgit) and a very comfy and easy. We took it from the gorgeous train station, which is one of the earliest buildings in KL (circa 1900) and done up in a British-Mogul Indian-Arab-Malay style with lots of arches and towers.
The caves are Hindu religious sites. They're okay. Kind of boring. A big huge staircase leads up to them and there is a recently added giant statue of... Shiva? Vishnu? I know it's not Gimesh because he's an elephant.
We stopped at another mall on the way back and ate some more food court food (hotplate chicken for me and a soup served in a little hot wok for Leight). That night I bought a pretty cool wallet at the night market by our place.
Tuesday we woke up early by accident and then decided to run to the towers to try to get a ticket to go up to the skybridge. They sell out early but we thought they'd still have some. By 9 we arrived the line was really long and capped with a big sign proclaiming they were sold out. Boo!
We decided to walk up to the National Art Museum at the far north end of town. We found our way there and found out it was, wait for it, FREE!! It was pretty rad! The first exhibit was all about technology connecting underground music scenes and non-mainstream culture. It was interactive and exciting. The second was modern Malaysian art. I liked it. My favorite piece was also the only one I really understood. An office chair painted on a piece of glass overlaid against even and perfect rows of razorblades. Get it? The office is like suicide! So an art piece for people like us!
We walked back and hit up the malls for lunch and dessert before heading home and watching some TV in the lounge. We ate some gorgeous tandoori chicken from the same little Indian street stall and called it a night after an ice cream.
The next day (God, what day is it!?) we putzed around and went to some shopping places near us and then gave our weary legs a rest by watching some TV. Shwew. We needed it.
Then it was Thursday, our last day in KL! We went to the Putra World Trade Center for "Perfect Livin' 2011," a home design expo. It was really fun to walk around and see all kinds of different furniture and carpets and lighting and appliances, etc etc. I even got a free cappuccino!
We even made one woman believe we had just moved here and she launches into her real estate agent pitch. Turns out KL is pretty cheap to live in...
Then we ate lunch at yet another mall food court and we walked back the long way and ended up in the massive park near Chinatown. It was sort of like Central Park. Very urban jungle refuge in the jungle. Haha.
Friday morning we were up and at 'em, had some breakfast and then jumped on a shuttle to the bus station. It was a bit of a cluster *%#€ but eventually we got to the RIGHT station and on our bus to Melaka! Thanks to our anonymous friend who helped us get there!
PS- this is the longest blog in the world. I am so sick of writing it, you all must be entirely disgusted with reading it.
Neither Bangkok nor Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh nor Hanoi, Vientien nor even Seoul have such a collection of skyscrapers in such close quarters, and certainly none as impressive as the Petronas Towers. From every angle they shimmer and shine like diamond-studded beacons. Their unique design alternates between rounded and right-angled corners. This comes from a design scheme of two squares and 4 circles interlocked. Each tower has way more than 4 "sides," which leads to a rounded and minaret like appearance. In fact "minar" means tower in Malay (from Arabic I'd assume).
The equally charming KL Tower (or Minar KL) is near enough the Petronas twins that you can see all three at one from the north or south side of the city. They literally tower over the other buildings of KL. And although it's hard to look good standing next to twin supermodels and their Iranian-decorated older sister, the other buildings of KL impress in many cases as well. Some are new and some are not, but they all come together to give their city a magnificent skyline.
On arriving in yet another Chinatown we found a decent place to stay with more shared bathrooms. The Oasis Inn is well-run and quaint with pretty good facilities and very fair prices. The fourth floor has a TV lounge and a kitchen equipped with free tea and coffee. FREE COFFEE!!!!! Someone has been very happy in the mornings :)
It was early afternoon when we arrived so we decided to walk to the KL Tower before dinner. We made it to KL Tower in our roundabout way but didn't go up because it was a lot of money and we decided that views from the top of towers are never as cool as views from directly under them. We were able to watch a video about the tower's construction while we were there. Interesting facts that now escape me about it's design and decor (like that the interior metal work was done by skilled craftsmen from Iran). Then we walked back toward Chinatown.
We wandered through he two-block-long Petaling Street Market here in Chinatown and were rewarded with many eager hawkers and European buyers bumping into us every three seconds. But hey, isn't that what Asia's all about? We ate some delicious food and hit the sack early.
The next morning we woke up sweaty and a bit tired, but there was coffee!! We decided to go straight to the towers and see what there was to see.
We quickly retraced our steps toward KL Tower and then veered toward the MATIC... I didn't get it either, which Leighton found hilarious. MAlaysia Tourist Info Center. Get it now? This was like a tourist info booth on steroids with a minor in art and landscape architecture. Pretty doesn't cut it. It was stunning! So wish that other cities had as much initiative. The information we got was super helpful and we even found a magazine with local event listings. We missed the MGMT concert but heard about a interior design expo called "Perfect Livin'". Then we walked to the towers.
We ended up in the mall that makes up the entire footprint of the towers and their connecting bits. It was massive and fancy. We got some soup called 'curry mee' from the food court. It was similar to our favorite Thai food, Kao Soy. Noodles and nibbly bits in a curry-like soup broth. Mmmmmmmmm
After shopping around for 5 hours (no joke) we found ourselves out the back and staring at a massive park that flanks the towers. This is the KLCC or City Center. Over 100 acres of public space right in the heart of the city. We meandered through and eventually made our way the Bukit Buntang shopping district. We skipped through it, only stopping for a cookie from a bakery. We got back to our hotel and collapsed.
We couldn't give up though because it was Saturday and Little India had it's night market! We set off toward it and found a frenetic street packed in both sides with stall after stall of scarves, clothes, books, gadgets, sunnies, knicks, knacks, and best of all: food!
We munched on something called popiah. It was similar to a spring roll but was wrapped in a pancake like a crepe and covered in a sweet and spicy sauce and topped with peanuts. Only 0.70 cents Malaysian each, roughly $0.25 USD. Could have eaten a hundred! So delicious and pretty healthy, too! Not to mention cheap and huge!
We ended up eating at an Indian street food stall. A cup of curry was only 2 ringgit ($0.66 USD) an naan was 1 ringgit. We each had a chickpea curry and split a chicken one with a naan each. Eight ringgit later dinner was done. Less than $3 for two hungry boys!
The next day we went to the National Museum (Muzeum Negara) and a super discount mall so Leighton could look for bags and belts and whatnot. He bought a really great pair of jeans for just over $23 USD and I almost bought a sweet T-shirt with pastel images of Chicago, but it was too small. This surprised me because my underware is now falling off because it's too big. Sometimes I look at recent pictures of me and I see my clothes hanging if me like I just escaped the famine.
It just goes to show that sightseeing and shopping for 8 hours a day is a valid form of exercise. Lord knows I eat too damned much of the food!!!
The museum was really great. We caught the tour a little late but the guide ended up snagging us just as she was headed into the interesting bit of history. We learned about the early Malay people and how they came to be Muslim. We saw beautiful artifacts from hundreds of years of trading with China and Europe and Arabia. Then we went upstairs and learned about the "invasions" of the Portuguese, the the Dutch and finally the British. Oh, and the Japanese, who ride bicycles down from Thailand.
Finally we saw exhibits all about the democratization of the Malay peninsula and how it became Malaysia. Very tidy operation, that museum. Very few questions left unanswered thanks in no small part to out tour guide (who had to run back to the hospital where she is a part time 66 year old doctor when she's not filling we role as a university professor).
Food, bed.
Sunday was the Islamic Art Museum with a brief but wonderful stop at the National Mosque (Masjid Negara). The art museum was, in part, a history museum as well as a museum on Islam. It was wonderful!! It started with an excellent exhibit on architecture of mosques throughout the world and how the designs spread with the conquering of various places and the rise to power of certain regions. Then we saw textiles, weapons, carvings, pottery, jewelry, and many gilded Quran open to beautiful light pages. It was one of the better museums I've been to in Asia. We were there for a long time and then decided it was lunch time. So we walked back to the GH to refill our water bottles and set off for the malls.
We've become mall whores. They're so nice and cold! The food is only marginally more money but comes in far greater quantity and variety than on the streets. So there we ate and then shopped the whole of the afternoon. It was worth it. We burned so many calories an didn't have to be dripping sweat while we did it.
The next day, Monday, we headed to the Batu Caves via the "komuter" train. It was really cheap to ride (1 ringgit) and a very comfy and easy. We took it from the gorgeous train station, which is one of the earliest buildings in KL (circa 1900) and done up in a British-Mogul Indian-Arab-Malay style with lots of arches and towers.
The caves are Hindu religious sites. They're okay. Kind of boring. A big huge staircase leads up to them and there is a recently added giant statue of... Shiva? Vishnu? I know it's not Gimesh because he's an elephant.
We stopped at another mall on the way back and ate some more food court food (hotplate chicken for me and a soup served in a little hot wok for Leight). That night I bought a pretty cool wallet at the night market by our place.
Tuesday we woke up early by accident and then decided to run to the towers to try to get a ticket to go up to the skybridge. They sell out early but we thought they'd still have some. By 9 we arrived the line was really long and capped with a big sign proclaiming they were sold out. Boo!
We decided to walk up to the National Art Museum at the far north end of town. We found our way there and found out it was, wait for it, FREE!! It was pretty rad! The first exhibit was all about technology connecting underground music scenes and non-mainstream culture. It was interactive and exciting. The second was modern Malaysian art. I liked it. My favorite piece was also the only one I really understood. An office chair painted on a piece of glass overlaid against even and perfect rows of razorblades. Get it? The office is like suicide! So an art piece for people like us!
We walked back and hit up the malls for lunch and dessert before heading home and watching some TV in the lounge. We ate some gorgeous tandoori chicken from the same little Indian street stall and called it a night after an ice cream.
The next day (God, what day is it!?) we putzed around and went to some shopping places near us and then gave our weary legs a rest by watching some TV. Shwew. We needed it.
Then it was Thursday, our last day in KL! We went to the Putra World Trade Center for "Perfect Livin' 2011," a home design expo. It was really fun to walk around and see all kinds of different furniture and carpets and lighting and appliances, etc etc. I even got a free cappuccino!
We even made one woman believe we had just moved here and she launches into her real estate agent pitch. Turns out KL is pretty cheap to live in...
Then we ate lunch at yet another mall food court and we walked back the long way and ended up in the massive park near Chinatown. It was sort of like Central Park. Very urban jungle refuge in the jungle. Haha.
Friday morning we were up and at 'em, had some breakfast and then jumped on a shuttle to the bus station. It was a bit of a cluster *%#€ but eventually we got to the RIGHT station and on our bus to Melaka! Thanks to our anonymous friend who helped us get there!
PS- this is the longest blog in the world. I am so sick of writing it, you all must be entirely disgusted with reading it.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Hat Yai Isn't So Bad and Georgetown Might Be The Best
We left Phuket ready for anything and after yet another entire day on a bus we arrived in Hat Yai wanting only to shower and eat. We, of course, refused a tuk-tuk at the bus station because the walk was less than 2km to the hotels. Unfortunately we had NO idea which direction to walk in and ended up walking in circles for 20 minutes until we found the right road. Only we didn't know it was the right road. After asking directions from some white people who didn't speak English and thier Thai friend who didn't know where she was, Leighton and I decided to just ask the tuk-tuk man how much it cost to go to the hotel.
Only 50 baht (~$1.66) later we arrived at Cathay Guest House. It was by far the biggest room we'd ever stayed in. I mean, it must have been a dorm room at some point, but now there were only 2 small beds in it. The bathroom was comical. Overall though it was good. Quiet and immaculately clean beds. We set off into the city to explore and forage. Winner!!
Hat Yai is exciting. It had more going on than most of the places we've been the last month. Lots of good food options and a fun ambience helped, too. We got a good night's sleep and woke up early enough to have a few hours in the city before our noon departure. We changed and spent the last of our baht and had what we assume was our last serving of pork for a while, then piled into the minibus bound for Malaysia: country number 5!
The minibus was fast and the highways in both Thailand and Malaysia are excellent. The only thing that came of it was further evidence that I attract crazy. Crazy comes at me like I've got a big neon sign advertising "free counseling" and "give-a-damns." A few other instances on the trip come to mind, but they aren't as vivid as these.
Case #1: The Other American
So we get in the van and it pulls around the block to another office with more people waiting. In comes the quiet, unassuming Indonesians, the tubby French bar owner and his Thai girlfriend, an elderly Malaysian man, two dowdy German girls, and The Other American. Tall, platinum blond pixie cut hair that's thinning on top, huge sunglasses, and a mouth that gives Julia Roberts a run for her money. Before the door is closed the driver has already yelled at her for putting her feet up and sitting in the wrong seat. She immediately turns around and starts talking to me. Me, the furthest person from her. Not Leighton who's just behind her. She word vomited all over me for the entire hour to the border. At the border some more comes up; Leighton casually plays his 'I'm deaf and don't speak English' game. Lady, by the way, represents all evils of America. Oil company exec in charge of throwing the EPA's fines into the shredder. Hates Obama. Republican who lives in Alaska and probably voted for Palin. Gross.
Oh, and randomly her son lives in Gurnee and down the street from Julie.
Case #2: Angry Malaysian
As we were getting our bags back into the van after immigration there was a Malaysian man wearing an Australian style bush hat who was standing near the car. Was he an official? Attached to the van service? No. He was waiting for me.
"Where are you from?"
"Uhh..." I said, not sure if Malaysia is one of the places, like Vietnam, where I pretend to be a Kiwi. "USA" I just went for it.
"Ohhhh! You lucky, man! You have no problem to come to my country. You come in and travel around and no problems!"
"Yeah, we are lucky. It's nice to come here. I'm excited to visit Malaysia!" I said, oblivious to the giant trap.
"Fuck America! Fuck that place! I go there and they treat me like a criminal. Always check my passport. 'Where you go?' 'Why you go there?' Fuck America! I just want to travel."
"... Yeah, I don't know. It's different there." I stumbled.
"Why?! Why they do that?! What so fucking wrong with my people? You people come here no problem..."
At that point I all but ran for the van door and jumped in. He was still ranting when we pulled away a few minutes later.
So what is that all about? I attract the crazy. Maybe I'm that crazy? No. I'm calm. I don't say anything too insane to strangers...
So then we drove another 2 hours during which time my headphones remained firmly in my ears, although not always on. Best to avoid more vomit from The Other American. We came up to Butterworth and circled around to the ferry port. Then, just as we were getting used to the idea of it, we left mainland Malaysia and floated across the northern mouth of the Straights of Melacca over to Pulau Penang, Penang Island.
Having never heard of Georgetown except from the Lonely Planet I didn't entirely know what to expect. Would it really be the cosmopolitan semi-metro island it claimed? From the ferry our first glimpse said 'yes.' A city! Buildings! Roads! We could see it all: the clock tower rising shyly from the row of pastel-hued colonials lining the dock, the 66 story Komtar office building, endless condo blocks disappearing into the verdant green mountains. It was exciting. I was excited. As excited as I'd been the first time I arrived in Thailand years ago and saw my first towers of limestone and jungle.
Our van dropped us off in the heart of backpackerland. It was there, in Chinatown that we found accommodation at The Stardust Guest House. It was another big room in a quiet upstairs room. The shared bathroom was clean but annoying. Our first of the trip though. They had a strict no clothes washing policy. Leighton and I violated it daily. Ha!
We did heaps in Georgetown. The highlights were the downtown, the tropical rainforest national park, the mall (sooo cold) and the beach. It was a very good week. Everyday we walked for hours and oggled food stalls and sun-drenched boulevards until the daily 4 o'clock rain storm. Then we ran home and hid until the 7 o'clock abatement. We usually had an hour of dry skies to grab some dinner at the Indian place or the roti man or the Chinatown food market that served basically everything else. Then we walked to Little India for some of the best (and cheapest) samosas EVER! Half the nights we had to run back to the guest house in the rain, hiding in doorways and under street food awnings. It all added up to the most adventurous week we've had in a very long time.
The food was a nice change. Instead if the average fried rice or noodles we had been eating for 3 months. With the confluence of so many different cultures came food of every scent, color and texture. The best and mist unique was nasi kandar (kandar rice). Picture a banana leaf piled with rice. On that rice is the sauce from at least three different curries. Completely surrounding the rice is 2-3 kinds of vegetables, each in their own sauce and spice mixture, and whatever meat you want straight from a stew of curry and juice. Squeeze a lime on top and grab some chapati (tortilla chips but better) and pay the man $3. If your stomach doesn't explode at least your tastebuds will.
Pictures to come soon. They tell more of the story and better, anyway.
Kuala Lumpur was next and we were looking forward to the big city. Time for Africa and plenty of Asia left to explore...
Only 50 baht (~$1.66) later we arrived at Cathay Guest House. It was by far the biggest room we'd ever stayed in. I mean, it must have been a dorm room at some point, but now there were only 2 small beds in it. The bathroom was comical. Overall though it was good. Quiet and immaculately clean beds. We set off into the city to explore and forage. Winner!!
Hat Yai is exciting. It had more going on than most of the places we've been the last month. Lots of good food options and a fun ambience helped, too. We got a good night's sleep and woke up early enough to have a few hours in the city before our noon departure. We changed and spent the last of our baht and had what we assume was our last serving of pork for a while, then piled into the minibus bound for Malaysia: country number 5!
The minibus was fast and the highways in both Thailand and Malaysia are excellent. The only thing that came of it was further evidence that I attract crazy. Crazy comes at me like I've got a big neon sign advertising "free counseling" and "give-a-damns." A few other instances on the trip come to mind, but they aren't as vivid as these.
Case #1: The Other American
So we get in the van and it pulls around the block to another office with more people waiting. In comes the quiet, unassuming Indonesians, the tubby French bar owner and his Thai girlfriend, an elderly Malaysian man, two dowdy German girls, and The Other American. Tall, platinum blond pixie cut hair that's thinning on top, huge sunglasses, and a mouth that gives Julia Roberts a run for her money. Before the door is closed the driver has already yelled at her for putting her feet up and sitting in the wrong seat. She immediately turns around and starts talking to me. Me, the furthest person from her. Not Leighton who's just behind her. She word vomited all over me for the entire hour to the border. At the border some more comes up; Leighton casually plays his 'I'm deaf and don't speak English' game. Lady, by the way, represents all evils of America. Oil company exec in charge of throwing the EPA's fines into the shredder. Hates Obama. Republican who lives in Alaska and probably voted for Palin. Gross.
Oh, and randomly her son lives in Gurnee and down the street from Julie.
Case #2: Angry Malaysian
As we were getting our bags back into the van after immigration there was a Malaysian man wearing an Australian style bush hat who was standing near the car. Was he an official? Attached to the van service? No. He was waiting for me.
"Where are you from?"
"Uhh..." I said, not sure if Malaysia is one of the places, like Vietnam, where I pretend to be a Kiwi. "USA" I just went for it.
"Ohhhh! You lucky, man! You have no problem to come to my country. You come in and travel around and no problems!"
"Yeah, we are lucky. It's nice to come here. I'm excited to visit Malaysia!" I said, oblivious to the giant trap.
"Fuck America! Fuck that place! I go there and they treat me like a criminal. Always check my passport. 'Where you go?' 'Why you go there?' Fuck America! I just want to travel."
"... Yeah, I don't know. It's different there." I stumbled.
"Why?! Why they do that?! What so fucking wrong with my people? You people come here no problem..."
At that point I all but ran for the van door and jumped in. He was still ranting when we pulled away a few minutes later.
So what is that all about? I attract the crazy. Maybe I'm that crazy? No. I'm calm. I don't say anything too insane to strangers...
So then we drove another 2 hours during which time my headphones remained firmly in my ears, although not always on. Best to avoid more vomit from The Other American. We came up to Butterworth and circled around to the ferry port. Then, just as we were getting used to the idea of it, we left mainland Malaysia and floated across the northern mouth of the Straights of Melacca over to Pulau Penang, Penang Island.
Having never heard of Georgetown except from the Lonely Planet I didn't entirely know what to expect. Would it really be the cosmopolitan semi-metro island it claimed? From the ferry our first glimpse said 'yes.' A city! Buildings! Roads! We could see it all: the clock tower rising shyly from the row of pastel-hued colonials lining the dock, the 66 story Komtar office building, endless condo blocks disappearing into the verdant green mountains. It was exciting. I was excited. As excited as I'd been the first time I arrived in Thailand years ago and saw my first towers of limestone and jungle.
Our van dropped us off in the heart of backpackerland. It was there, in Chinatown that we found accommodation at The Stardust Guest House. It was another big room in a quiet upstairs room. The shared bathroom was clean but annoying. Our first of the trip though. They had a strict no clothes washing policy. Leighton and I violated it daily. Ha!
We did heaps in Georgetown. The highlights were the downtown, the tropical rainforest national park, the mall (sooo cold) and the beach. It was a very good week. Everyday we walked for hours and oggled food stalls and sun-drenched boulevards until the daily 4 o'clock rain storm. Then we ran home and hid until the 7 o'clock abatement. We usually had an hour of dry skies to grab some dinner at the Indian place or the roti man or the Chinatown food market that served basically everything else. Then we walked to Little India for some of the best (and cheapest) samosas EVER! Half the nights we had to run back to the guest house in the rain, hiding in doorways and under street food awnings. It all added up to the most adventurous week we've had in a very long time.
The food was a nice change. Instead if the average fried rice or noodles we had been eating for 3 months. With the confluence of so many different cultures came food of every scent, color and texture. The best and mist unique was nasi kandar (kandar rice). Picture a banana leaf piled with rice. On that rice is the sauce from at least three different curries. Completely surrounding the rice is 2-3 kinds of vegetables, each in their own sauce and spice mixture, and whatever meat you want straight from a stew of curry and juice. Squeeze a lime on top and grab some chapati (tortilla chips but better) and pay the man $3. If your stomach doesn't explode at least your tastebuds will.
Pictures to come soon. They tell more of the story and better, anyway.
Kuala Lumpur was next and we were looking forward to the big city. Time for Africa and plenty of Asia left to explore...
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Phuket and an Old Friend
When we finally arrived in Phuket Town on the island of Phuket we were tired and hungry and a little cranky. All we wanted to do was eat and have a shower. But first we had to get to our final destination. Normally we like to walk from a bus depot to our hotel. Sometimes we ask them to come pick us up. In this case we could do neither. So, a tuk-tuk was in order.
Unfortunately, in Phuket tuk-tusk are more expensive than 14 hour bus rides in Vietnam. And no matter how hard you haggle the price doesn't change because they all agree on rates before the day starts. So after milling around and getting crankier we decided to just get in the damned tuk-tuk and pay the 300 baht ($10). Then there was the matter of a destination.
"Do you know Palai Green?" I asked.
"You go boxing?"
"NO! Palai Green. A house. Near Chaifa East Rd. Near the zoo."
"You go Patong? Karon beach? What hotel you stay?"
"Not a hotel. A house. Palai Green." I was desperate at this point, showing him the location on a map and pointing to the name on my iPod.
"Ahhhhhh! BaLai Geeeeen!" he moaned. At least he got it. At least we got there.
And as we were rounding the corner toward 'Balai Geeeeeen' we heard "Mike" from the shadows, and out came Melinda! Her roommate, Sarah, and her were just grabbing dinner from a small roadside cafe. Melinda jumped in and took us the rest of the way to her house. We settled in quickly and then walked back and ate some really good and really cheap Thai food and got to know each other for the second time.
She was just as I remembered her: funny and laid-back, honest and effortlessly charismatic, and just a touch silly. I was a nervous wreck, for once. When we got back to their house we played some cards and had some drinks. I paced and blabbered and must have seemed like such a fool. Thankfully Leighton stepped up and got his conversation face on and acted normal enough for us both. By the end of the night we had learned a new card game and been reacquainted. All was well.
The next morning the girls left for work and we walked to a 7/11 for what was now our 'usual' breakfast. Then we went back to their house and turned on the TV. That is, essentially, where we stayed for the next 6 days. We were a little travel weary by then. Tired of being on the move, bored of Thailand's epic beauty, and so sick of reading that all we wanted to do was just veg out. So we did. And it was wonderful.
But that's not all we did. We made it in to town a few times and explored the colonial era (Portugeuse) buildings and ate some really good food. We went to the beach one day and were totally disgusted by all the fat Europeans (not a single non-white person in sight, it was like Hitler had won) and by the outrageously overpriced food. Were we back on Koh Pha Ngan? What was going on!? Foolish.
We figured out how to use the local busses and did pretty well getting to and fro. We did plenty of walking still as the bus stop was down the main street about 3km. Just outside a Tesco, which is how we came across the ingredients we need to cook a little Korean Bibimbap for the girls. That meal was an effort as neither of us had been in a kitchen for months!
Anyway, the whole week went by quickly and we were suddenly on our way again. Hat Yai here we come!
Unfortunately, in Phuket tuk-tusk are more expensive than 14 hour bus rides in Vietnam. And no matter how hard you haggle the price doesn't change because they all agree on rates before the day starts. So after milling around and getting crankier we decided to just get in the damned tuk-tuk and pay the 300 baht ($10). Then there was the matter of a destination.
"Do you know Palai Green?" I asked.
"You go boxing?"
"NO! Palai Green. A house. Near Chaifa East Rd. Near the zoo."
"You go Patong? Karon beach? What hotel you stay?"
"Not a hotel. A house. Palai Green." I was desperate at this point, showing him the location on a map and pointing to the name on my iPod.
"Ahhhhhh! BaLai Geeeeen!" he moaned. At least he got it. At least we got there.
And as we were rounding the corner toward 'Balai Geeeeeen' we heard "Mike" from the shadows, and out came Melinda! Her roommate, Sarah, and her were just grabbing dinner from a small roadside cafe. Melinda jumped in and took us the rest of the way to her house. We settled in quickly and then walked back and ate some really good and really cheap Thai food and got to know each other for the second time.
She was just as I remembered her: funny and laid-back, honest and effortlessly charismatic, and just a touch silly. I was a nervous wreck, for once. When we got back to their house we played some cards and had some drinks. I paced and blabbered and must have seemed like such a fool. Thankfully Leighton stepped up and got his conversation face on and acted normal enough for us both. By the end of the night we had learned a new card game and been reacquainted. All was well.
The next morning the girls left for work and we walked to a 7/11 for what was now our 'usual' breakfast. Then we went back to their house and turned on the TV. That is, essentially, where we stayed for the next 6 days. We were a little travel weary by then. Tired of being on the move, bored of Thailand's epic beauty, and so sick of reading that all we wanted to do was just veg out. So we did. And it was wonderful.
But that's not all we did. We made it in to town a few times and explored the colonial era (Portugeuse) buildings and ate some really good food. We went to the beach one day and were totally disgusted by all the fat Europeans (not a single non-white person in sight, it was like Hitler had won) and by the outrageously overpriced food. Were we back on Koh Pha Ngan? What was going on!? Foolish.
We figured out how to use the local busses and did pretty well getting to and fro. We did plenty of walking still as the bus stop was down the main street about 3km. Just outside a Tesco, which is how we came across the ingredients we need to cook a little Korean Bibimbap for the girls. That meal was an effort as neither of us had been in a kitchen for months!
Anyway, the whole week went by quickly and we were suddenly on our way again. Hat Yai here we come!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Ayutthaya & Food Porn
We took a side trip to the old capital. It was similar to Ankor, but not nearly as big or pretty.
Also... some food porn:
Relaxin the Days Away on Koh Pha Ngan
I don't have much to say about our stay in Koh Pha Ngan's Haad (beach) Yao. It was really beautiful and we spent almost all of our time relaxing. We woke up, got coffee and breakfast from the 7/11, went to the beach, had lunch from 7/11 (usually a very cheap hot dog), went back to the beach, went home, showered, read, got dinner and watched the sunset, went home and slept.
It was amazing. I loved every minute we spent on the beach! We are now both VERY brown. Yay!
So... the motor bike incident sucked. Basically I crashed it within 15 seconds of renting it, right in front of the guy I rented it from. Not happy about that. It was expensive and the guy is basically a huge creep who buys his wife nice things with the money he extorts from tourisits. Literally, charges $100 or more to completely replace parts that have a scratch that are less than 2cm long. These parts actually cost about $15 to replace. So... somewhere Buddha and Jesus are crying because people like this man pray to them and claim to be "good" human beings. Karma's a bitch is all I have to say.
We got a bit bored of it all by the end and are excited for Phuket. We'll be staying with a girl I knew in high school who lives there now. We are looking forward to some more downtime and a TV. HOORAY!
It was amazing. I loved every minute we spent on the beach! We are now both VERY brown. Yay!
So... the motor bike incident sucked. Basically I crashed it within 15 seconds of renting it, right in front of the guy I rented it from. Not happy about that. It was expensive and the guy is basically a huge creep who buys his wife nice things with the money he extorts from tourisits. Literally, charges $100 or more to completely replace parts that have a scratch that are less than 2cm long. These parts actually cost about $15 to replace. So... somewhere Buddha and Jesus are crying because people like this man pray to them and claim to be "good" human beings. Karma's a bitch is all I have to say.
We got a bit bored of it all by the end and are excited for Phuket. We'll be staying with a girl I knew in high school who lives there now. We are looking forward to some more downtime and a TV. HOORAY!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Bangin Bangkok: Guest Contributor's Premier
Oh my, I (Leighton) have been given the responsibility of reporting on our week in Bangkok! Be warned, this will not be in chronological order so may get confusing. Let's go...
So we arrive at Survarnabhumi International to be greeted with 30 something degrees temps and sunny skies, hallelujah! No more thermal underwear, woollen clothes or pants. We took the airport express bus to the legendary Khao San Rd where we hunted for a room. Prices were higher than expected so we ended up at the end of Rambutri Rd (adjacent to Khao San) in a reasonably priced guesthouse with more amenities than expected for the price (a/c, cable and a private bathroom - score!)
A highlight of our time was meeting up with now Bangkok locals the wonderful Jane and Lindsay (fellow CELTA graduates from our Chiang Mai class from November.) Jane keyed us up on the sky train and ferry services which were amazingly cheap and got us around the city in no time. While we're on transport: we of course did another insane amount of walking to take us to many the parts of the city public transport didn't. We also mastered a single bus route, the number 982? 152? I can't remember, but took us in a not so direct but round about way to the train station a few times where we rode the long distance train for day excursion and our final departure from the city, but more about that later. Back to Jane and Lind's who were great hosts recommending spots to see and meeting up on their days off. We were also the honorary first guests to Lindsays amazing 18th story apartment in the Pin Klao suburb of the city. We had a great day of snacks, beers and movies with her in her living room! Yes, her apartment has rooms! Can you sense my excitement? It put any Korean apartment I ever saw to shame as did the price which was a lot more reasonable than we expected. We later met up with her colleagues and had some drinks in Kaho San. Having a day to lounge in a clean, nice home with movies and no noisy neighbors was heaven! Being this transient for so long really does make you appreciate the small things that only 'home' can offer :)
We managed to spend a fair amount of time in the downtown area of Siam browsing the insane shopping metropolis that is this region. Mall after pristine mall with 10+ stories with stores ranging from Watsons and Adidas to Gucci and a Lamborghini dealership!?! A shoppers heaven and an oasis from the heat for us as we participated in a good deal of window shopping.
The temples, though gaudy covered in gold and all sparkly, were a change and striking in their own right, especially under spot lights at night where they shimmered in a beautiful way. We ventured through Wat Pho, little India, China town and Ratchadamri (where most of the embassies are located) so Michael could add pages to his puny American passport!! We saw the locals exercising in Lumphini Park and participating in religious ceremonies for Magha Puja (one of the many public holidays in Thailand which I knew as I remember the first time I was looking at teaching English, I sat throughout a meeting at my old job counting the number of public holidays each country had in my diary and so it turned out Thailand was number one! Interesting hey!). We also saw hookers in force in a few dirty alleys in Siliom and were invited to Ping Pong shows (which we did not attend!!) couldn't get a bottle of beer as it was the religious holiday. We also saw some Mui Thai boxing, did a day trip in the sweltering heat to Ayatayah to see the ancient capital.
Anyway, this has gotten way to scattered and long, I've missed bits and forgotten others. Important points to note are that I'm happy to be back in the tropics, loving the food and generally impressed with Bangkok.
Next, off on a night train to the islands...
Thanks for reading this less elegant than usual update!
Xo Leighton
So we arrive at Survarnabhumi International to be greeted with 30 something degrees temps and sunny skies, hallelujah! No more thermal underwear, woollen clothes or pants. We took the airport express bus to the legendary Khao San Rd where we hunted for a room. Prices were higher than expected so we ended up at the end of Rambutri Rd (adjacent to Khao San) in a reasonably priced guesthouse with more amenities than expected for the price (a/c, cable and a private bathroom - score!)
A highlight of our time was meeting up with now Bangkok locals the wonderful Jane and Lindsay (fellow CELTA graduates from our Chiang Mai class from November.) Jane keyed us up on the sky train and ferry services which were amazingly cheap and got us around the city in no time. While we're on transport: we of course did another insane amount of walking to take us to many the parts of the city public transport didn't. We also mastered a single bus route, the number 982? 152? I can't remember, but took us in a not so direct but round about way to the train station a few times where we rode the long distance train for day excursion and our final departure from the city, but more about that later. Back to Jane and Lind's who were great hosts recommending spots to see and meeting up on their days off. We were also the honorary first guests to Lindsays amazing 18th story apartment in the Pin Klao suburb of the city. We had a great day of snacks, beers and movies with her in her living room! Yes, her apartment has rooms! Can you sense my excitement? It put any Korean apartment I ever saw to shame as did the price which was a lot more reasonable than we expected. We later met up with her colleagues and had some drinks in Kaho San. Having a day to lounge in a clean, nice home with movies and no noisy neighbors was heaven! Being this transient for so long really does make you appreciate the small things that only 'home' can offer :)
We managed to spend a fair amount of time in the downtown area of Siam browsing the insane shopping metropolis that is this region. Mall after pristine mall with 10+ stories with stores ranging from Watsons and Adidas to Gucci and a Lamborghini dealership!?! A shoppers heaven and an oasis from the heat for us as we participated in a good deal of window shopping.
The temples, though gaudy covered in gold and all sparkly, were a change and striking in their own right, especially under spot lights at night where they shimmered in a beautiful way. We ventured through Wat Pho, little India, China town and Ratchadamri (where most of the embassies are located) so Michael could add pages to his puny American passport!! We saw the locals exercising in Lumphini Park and participating in religious ceremonies for Magha Puja (one of the many public holidays in Thailand which I knew as I remember the first time I was looking at teaching English, I sat throughout a meeting at my old job counting the number of public holidays each country had in my diary and so it turned out Thailand was number one! Interesting hey!). We also saw hookers in force in a few dirty alleys in Siliom and were invited to Ping Pong shows (which we did not attend!!) couldn't get a bottle of beer as it was the religious holiday. We also saw some Mui Thai boxing, did a day trip in the sweltering heat to Ayatayah to see the ancient capital.
Anyway, this has gotten way to scattered and long, I've missed bits and forgotten others. Important points to note are that I'm happy to be back in the tropics, loving the food and generally impressed with Bangkok.
Next, off on a night train to the islands...
Thanks for reading this less elegant than usual update!
Xo Leighton
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