Asia Main Course Summer 2011

The Full Bangkok @ Bangkok (Krung Thep), Thailand

2011-07-28T08:46:21.000Z

After taking a 3 hour coach ride to Heathrow, the usual airport business and an eleven hour flight, and connection it felt very much like a long day - about 21 hours all in all, so the first thing we did on arrival was crash for a couple of hours. Up and out in the evening we found it was a bit of a way from the centre but were able to get our bearings and find something nice to eat in a seafood restaurant not far from the hotel. We kept upsetting the hotel taxi wranglers as we set off on foot everywhere, I don't think people do walking much but we wanted to explore.

Each trip out of the hotel meant running the gauntlet of a dozen massage parlours so eventually we succumbed. I had a foot massage and pedicure while Gary had the traditional (but not so petite) Thai woman marching up and down his back.

It's definitely effective and a fraction of the price you'll pay at home so treat yourself!

After day three the massage ladies stopped waving their menus at us and just waved hello, we felt like locals!

So good we've seen it twice @ Bangkok (Krung Thep), Thailand

2011-07-29T10:28:22.000Z

On the first full day we set out from the hotel. We needed a laptop repair shop as Gary's machine was DOA. Our hotel receptionist had given us the address of one in a nearby mall. Even though we knew better, we let the tuk-tuk driver trick us into going to his sponsors place.

Tip: every time we asked a taxi/tuk-tuk driver/man on the street to take us somewhere, they insisted that either where we were going was closed or not very good, we later found that this was garbage and they are just trying to steer you somewhere for their own ulterior motives. Wouldn’t it be great if we could get some local info from people who know what they are talking about but it seems not. Some of the taxis are honest and say if I take you it will cost this much but I have sponsors so must take you to this market or this tailors. However, others just blatantly lie.

We gave the address to the tuk-tuk man but despite our receptionist telling us it was open from 10:00 a.m., he insisted it did not open until 11.30. We later deduced that this gave him ample time to take us around all of his sponsors before taking us to where we wanted to go. This is one of those situations where you have to learn to be firm. He did explain that he had to take us to a market, I had thought we were going to a shopping centre which would not have been too much of a problem, however, and after weaving in and out of traffic for ages, he deposited us outside a solitary tailor's shop. We decided we did not want this so gave him his 20 Bhat and went off on foot. We had however lost a couple of hours due to this.

Getting back on track we started to walk through the city and found ourselves near to Wat Traimit one of the most important temples. Just across the street from it was a Chinese style gate and a man outside seemed keen to inform us of this fact. It was indeed reminiscent of the gates we had seen in China two years ago. We took a few pictures which were sufficient for a record and then crossed the road to the main temple, whose golden spire we could see rising up into the sky.

This temple houses the giant solid gold Buddha. We had been taken here on our previous trip but while I remembered the Buddha itself, I did not recall the beautiful settings, the temple in pristine white marble with golden turrets, and the complex with its several buildings with candles, votives and prayer stations which is breath-taking.

Corners of Bangkok @ Bangkok (Krung Thep), Thailand

2011-07-30T08:59:14.000Z

Today we set off out of the hotel and ignored the pleading of the taxi wranglers and tuk-tuks. We set off in the opposite direction towards the Victory monument. Here we climbed steps up onto a circular concourse which runs the perimeter of a large traffic interchange. From this we gained access to the Sky train and this is how we made our way into town today.

Our first target was the Jim Thompson House, a memorial to an interesting American ex-pat who made it his mission to revive the Thai silk industry: after a short but interesting tour where you can see his estate which he constructed from five traditional Thai style houses, you can buy all of the beautiful but pricey silk garments you could ever desire from their shop.

From there we crossed town again to the temple of the Emerald Buddha. This is a dazzling gold Buddha presented on an opulent plinth. Buddhist monks are in prayer in front of the dais.

Sadly the weather was a repeat of our last visit on this day and in between bursts of sun, we had to endure dark brooding skies which threatened rain at any moment. The monuments are stunning nevertheless.

The most amazing thing I've ever seen...? @ Bangkok (Krung Thep), Thailand

2011-07-31T08:07:58.000Z

This morning we decided to revert to our usual plan and explore under our own steam. We set out walk to Victory Monument and caught the Sky-train to near the river. We got on an express boat which cost an amazing 14 Bhat to Tian quay which is just a little way to Wat Pho.

This is the best river stop as it deposits you at the Wat with the Reclining Buddha. Although we had visited this the last time we were in Bangkok, I had forgotten how amazing it is. This 150 Ft long statue just has to be seen to be believed, I’m sure last time I said my photo did not do it justice and it is still true. I declared that this must be the most truly awesome thing that I have ever seen.

Siem Reap, Cambodia @ Siem Reap, Cambodia

2011-08-01T10:46:45.000Z

After the shortest flight I can remember we touched down at the sweetest little airport. It looks more like the entrance to a wildlife reserve than an international airport. It became an attraction in itself as all of the passengers appeared enthralled by the teeny plane and the dinky runway and the doll's house airport. Checking out took longer than necessary because we were all busy taking photos.

Anyway, we were met by the tuk-tuk taxi that we had booked from the hotel, he took us on a journey of about 20 minutes into town and soon we were ensconced in our garden style hotel.

We decided to get straight out and explore, so once again upsetting the predatory taxi drivers who lurked in the hotel garden, we walked into town. Siem Reap is walkable but the tuk-tuks are so cheap it is worth using them.

After sussing out a few restaurants for later, we found ourselves in a busy section full of roadside stalls, we bought a cheap guide book and set about finding ourselves some refreshment.

For some reason I can't now remember, we had decided to go without alcohol for a while and we had survived this first week on fruit juice and smoothies alone. So we sat down at the Warehouse bar and order smoothies again and very delicious they were too. This proved to be the end of our healthy living for this holiday as later in the evening when returned we found we were in "Pub Street" .... well it would be rude not to wouldn't it?

The most amazing thing ... oh I've done that already! @ Siem Reap, Cambodia

2011-08-02T08:33:55.000Z

Arising the next day, we had arranged with our tuk-tuk man that he would be our guide. He picked us up at eight and drive the 20 minutes up the road to the temple, he told how to organise our ticket. Against his advice we went for a single day - with hindsight, I think the three day pass would have been better.

We visited all of the main temples and I have to say it was one of those moments where I might break my unspoken rule of not using superlatives like confetti, the way most people do. It was awesome.

As always I dumbstruck by the work, the skill, the time it must have taken, the lifetimes of effort that it must have consumed. From the temples themselves which cover a vast area, to the carvings on the walls,giving an insight to the lives of the people who inhabited this world. It was amazing.

We spent about 5 hours that first day, looking at the various temples and when we declared at about 4 that we were tired, I'm sure our guide thought we were lightweights but delivered us back at our hotel.

After a siesta we got dolled up and went into town. We found a nice restaurant where we at in sedate surroundings and then made our way to Pub Street which had taken on a new persona and was a bustling lairy, loud and exciting party town atmosphere. Here we settled into the business of flinging ourselves off the wagon after being confronted with the offer of a bucket of margueritas! I like Siem Reap.

Kampong Phluk and Tonle Sap Lake @ Kampong Phluk, Cambodia

2011-08-03T07:35:38.000Z

Cambodia is home to Tonle Sap one of the largest lakes in Asia, which supplies most of the fish for Cambodia and its neighbours. The area is described as a flooded forest as at certain times of the year flooding makes the lake multiply in size and the waters rise to engulf the surrounding forests. The villages around are built on stilts to withstand this regular change in geographical circumstances. We made a visit to one of these villages by van and boat and then walked through the town. A woman selling pencils and notebooks for the school approached us. We had been advised that this was an overture to a scam so we simply gave a donation.

These floating villages are undoubtedly tourist traps, but this one was a little further away from Siem Reap than the other in this region and all of the tourist guides declared it much less tacky and much less spoiled than Chong Kneas for example.

Once again I realised how little I know and how much I underestimate people. Yes, these towns are simple compared to what we know, but they have everything they need. Houses which I imagine are pristine inside, shops, restaurants, and schools - albeit modest - and even hairdressers.

So not the primitive native homes we are encouraged to fantasise sentimentally about.

The boat ride to the village was fun and the images of the stilted houses are quite a sight to behold.

Battambang, Cambodia @ Battambang, Cambodia

2011-08-04T12:08:20.000Z

While strolling around near pub street we spotted several travel agents offering excursions. We plumped for the one which went by coach to Battambang. An early pickup from the hotel was followed by lots of hanging around and waiting for people but we got into Battambang at about Midday and proceeded to our hotel - The World Hotel. It was run by the sweetest people who seemed to have been in the hotel business for all of the 5 months the hotel had been open! The highlight of our stay was when we asked for a coffee. The manager and his wife took us into the kitchen and showed us a pristine Italian coffee machine which looked unused, they had a cupboard replete with coffee beans, coffee creamer and tins of Carnation milk and beautiful little espresso cups. Only trouble was they did not know how to use the machine. Mrs exhorted us with proud claims as to the quality of the coffee beans but we had to give them a quick tutorial in the making of the beverage.

The town had a good array of colonial looking buildings as well as more typical streets teeming with people shopping and going about their business. While there we were adopted by a tuk-tuk driver who gave us a comprehensive city tour and then took us to the Bamboo Railway, the cities main claim to fame. In the evening we went to see the circus show of the young orphans doing great acrobatics and clowning.

The next day before heading back to Siem Reap we visited the pagoda at Phnom Sampon

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia @ Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2011-08-06T16:10:14.000Z

Leaving Siem Reap was sad as we loved it so much but we move on to our next stop. The flight and transfer were very straightforward and uneventful; we must be getting good at this now. Our hotel was in a busy area with markets and shopping malls all around, however it was again quite a distance from the main centre of the city. We have not done well in communicating our desires for location here as just as in Bangkok we are too far from the action. Despite this setback, the hotel is comfortable, if ordinary and we have plenty of room and facilities to hand. Turning out of the hotel again to explore we found our way to the sky train eventually and set off in search of said action. In Kuala Lumpur we visited the modern city centre in the evening by Sky-train. We found several good places to eat. For our daytime entertainment we visited Batu Caves, a cave complex in the northern outskirts of the city. We found the correct counter and bought our tickets for the princely sum of 2 RM each. When we got to the platform the train was advertised on the arrivals board. When the train pulled in, Gary strode onto the nearest carriage. Then I noticed that there were pink lady symbols on the side of the two nearest carriages - they were for ladies only. I pointed this out to Gary but it was too late the train was pulling out. We switched at the next station, Putra. However as we approached the following station, Gary realised that we were on the wrong line. While leaping up to get off I lost my ticket. I'm starting to go off this day. Finally on the right train, we arrived in about 30 minutes.

Batu caves attraction is, as you would expect a huge cave on the outskirts of KL. Dominating the approach is a gigantic statue of a Hindu deity with one of the biggest flights of stairs I have seen next to it. I can't say I was too impressed with the caves but it was as we expected. Tacky, grockley and full of garbage. There were some cheeky monkeys to amuse people but this seemed to bring out the less evolved elements of some of our fellow guests - grown men who felt that there was some merit in scaring, chasing and generally upsetting the monkeys.

At the bottom we bought postcards and shared a cold coconut juice straight from the nut, which was sublime. The proprietor was selling all manner of snacks including giant bags of Bombay mix, which we just had to sample.

We filled the other days with a walk though a nature park during which I paid the price for forgetting the insect repellent. I suffered literally dozens of bites on my legs, which caused me much suffering for several days after that. On another day we visited a bird park and of course the towers. First the Petronas Twin towers and secondly a trip up to the top of the KL tower or Menara Tower.

Pulong Pinang @ Penang (George Town), Malaysia

2011-08-12T22:35:56.000Z

On arriving here we had some housekeeping to sort out, we settled into the hotel, which was very pleasant. It was quite a way out of town, which justified its very reasonable tariff, but it was on a convenient bus route. We had organised a coach to get us from Kuala Lumpur to Penang and all had gone smoothly, the coach was comfy and reminiscent of the one we had caught in Mexico all those years ago. Only 18 seats, there was plenty of room to recline and there was also a waitress even though the menu left a little to be desired. However the long journey was made sufficiently comfortable ad we arrive in Penang mid afternoon and caught a taxi t deliver us to the hotel about 30 minutes away.

Today is Gary's birthday; we are now in Georgetown on Penang Island. At 00.01 I gave him a hug and his card and wished him happy birthday. A little later my sister on Skype and she serenaded him also. The plan for the day was to get the bus into town and go up Penang Hill. Then to do some more exploring and finish the day with a meal somewhere nice.

We caught the bus no. 103, which took us to the main bus station, then swapped onto the 204, which goes to the top of Penang Hill.

At the top are a couple of temples, an aviary, and some hotels. Of course after seeing the sights we had to go for a walk. This started off promisingly as there was a marked nature trail. After following this for more than an hour we thought we ought to be heading back. Asking directions yielded conflicting instructions we had to accept we were lost.

So we walked on far longer than necessary before deciding we were going to have to retrace our steps.

Occasionally a moped or van would pass us but we didn’t hold out hope of rescue. However by a stroke of luck the third vehicle that passed was driven by a guy called Rosnil who gave us a lift back to the funicular saving us at least an hour’s walk.

Once back in town we decided to take a walk around little India, as we had not seen it properly, then we went for dinner at the Eastern & Oriental Hotel. We ate from an opulent banquet on the terrace.

Songkhla, Thailand @ Songkhla, Thailand

2011-08-14T18:30:44.000Z

The next stage of the journey is to return to Thailand and travel north towards Ko Samui. I felt a bit rough in the morning, as again I didn't sleep well due to the air con and next doors telly, which they had on all night.

After a bit of a lie in, we got up, showered and packed. Through not allowing me to touch too many of the laundry bags, Gary managed to pack most of our clothes into his case. We were ready to check out at 11 and as I had persuaded Gary that we did not want to get to the ferry by bus, we waited for a cab.

We made it to the ferry in about ten minutes but then had to wait 20 for the ferry to arrive, disgorge its passengers and let us on. Fifteen minutes later we disembarked. On the Butterworth side, we traversed a ramp, stairs, more ramp and a big flight of stairs then we had to cross a large yard over rough concrete to get to the train station.

In the station I instinctively knew there was going to be a problem. We did not have enough cash for the ticket. They had a card machine but the cashier told us it was for amounts of 50 RM or more. To add insult to injury the ATM was miles away and she just kept waving us away. We asked some other station workers if there was a left luggage office, which there was none. Finally a break when we asked for directions to the ATM we noticed a moneychanger outside so we swapped some of our remaining dollars for the 20 odd ringgits required. No doubt at an exorbitant rate but it saved us the slog to find the ATM. Note to other travellers make sure you have enough cash for all your business. Only occasionally were we able to use plastic. Also don't expect too much from this station: no credit cards, no left luggage, no facilities to speak of :-(

At the end of the train journey we arrived in Hat Yai and negotiated a moto taxi to take us to Songkhla, our next port of call.

Thale Noi @ Ban Thale Noi, Thailand

2011-08-16T16:37:53.000Z

Part of the plan was to take in some bird watching as we were in a new neck of the woods. I have to say I've been disappointed so far, especially since the guy in Cambodia told us we won't find much outside of nature reserves as people eat the birds! Such are the practicalities of life in poor countries, people don't have the luxury of looking at stuff, they need food. However, we are now in the vicinity of a very large lake which has two bird reserves in the area so we are heading for one of them.

Leaving Songkhla, we had ordered a Budget rent-a-car to arrive 9.00, arrived at 9.15 took credit card details and confirmed them by rubbing a piece of carbon paper over the card, he phoned in the numbers but it would not work without a pin. We had to go to Hat Yai to pay the deposit, therefore wasted an hour and a half on the road by 11.45. We were en route and Gary was driving pretty fast; at this rate we would be in Bangkok before the end of the day!

We stopped at a few points for scenery and an underwhelming waterfall. Then could not find the lake village we were aiming for. There were more vanishing roads before finally we found Thale Noi. We drove into a one-horse (or attraction) town and found a guesthouse. A small restaurant down the road – fried fish, BBQ crayfish, mmm. The proprietor negotiated a boat trip on the lake for Bird watching. Early to bed for early start.

Up at the crack of dawn, we were woken by a few short crows but then through a Tannoy system came screeching a monotonous male voice booming out over the resort. I assume he was telling every one of the delights that lay ahead of them this glorious day in Thale Noi, but I was convinced he was going to frighten away any bird life that was around for us to see. This continued for an hour and although I picked out the odd word like Phattalung and I think Battambang, 99.9% was unintelligible to me.

Once we were up and packed we settled up and left the hotel. The landlady was not to be seen but a gentleman accepted our 800 Bhat and tried to set us up with his mate’s boat, however we had already promised our trade to the lady at the restaurant. So we pulled out of the drive and set off back along the road, Which was full of people going about their business and it was only 6.45 am.

We met with our lady from the night before who gave us coffee and small doughnuts to take into the boat with us. Here we were equipped with lifejackets and leather cowboy hats and had a fantastic 4 hours on the lake spotting birds.

Nakhon Si Thammarat @ Amphoe Muang Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand

2011-08-17T16:56:59.000Z

In the North of the South
Moving on we drove away from Thale Noi and carried on North; we stopped at the city of Nakhon Si Thammarit. This is a fairly unassuming town with a couple of hotels, one of which we checked into. A walk around town at school kicking out time was fun as there were legions of moto buses with smart uniformed teenagers hanging out. There were also lots of kids walking along, many of whom waved at us out of curiosity. We spent a couple of nights here. The highlight was the A & A cafe where we had our evening meal on the first night and breakfast the next day. This was a lovely place opposite our hotel, which served meals, tea, cake and all sorts of nice things.

On one of the days we had decided to make a trip to the Khao Luang National park. The guidebook and Internet promised us all sorts of wild life delights. We had geared up for an early start but in the end it was not that early after all. We headed out of town along the main road, which lead us to a military road check. The officer on guard spoke to us in Thai, me guessing that he wanted to see our driving licences as the previous one had. However this guard did not appear to speak any English at all and we tried to figure out what he wanted. He looked at us; he shook his head and looked to his colleagues who could offer him no assistance. Finally we decided that he wanted to know where we were going. My attempt at Khao Leung got no further so then we waved the map at him and pointed at the place on it where we thought we were going. Smiles! That seemed to do the trick and he waved us on.

We followed our directions as best as possible but soon came to a point where the milestones confused us. They seemed to be telling us that the junction we had approached was the road we thought we were already on. So we drove up and down it for a bit before going back to route one.

However, once underway the roads kept disappearing and we found that quite major roads had been washed away by torrential rain. (A few weeks after our return home, Thailand was engulfed in terrible floods that threatened Bangkok itself.)

We found ourselves back near the coast and stopped a couple of times to look at the water and paddle in the Andaman Sea. Once we were heading for home we found a small fishing village where we stopped for a cola and were looked after by a delightful hostess before we went on our way.

Khanom @ Ban Phlao, Thailand

2011-08-19T13:57:25.000Z

Another departure, we had one more night before we were due in Ko Samui. We checked out the coastal towns and decided on Hat Nai Plao, a small resort near to the ferry. The hotel had a Moroccan theme (or so they thought). After settling into a brand new room, we were treated to dinner in the hotel as they had double booked the luxury room we had reserved. It was the birthday of the owner’s son and we were invited to join them. During that meal the hostess offered us a trip to go pink dolphin spotting off the coast.

We had a 7.00am start. We left our things as they were, planning to do all of the packing and preparation later. The hostess had asked was if we knew where the dolphin spotting bay was and when we said no she declared that she needed a map but of course could not find one. She then explained that she would lead the way on a moped and that we would follow in the car. This seemed OK but by now I have decided that Thais do not do maps as a rule.

We followed on a long and circuitous journey that lasted for nigh on 40 minutes and we began to wonder how we were going to find our way back from this place later. Once we had stopped, I asked our guide to point out on the map where we were, she looked at it and said “Roughly here”. We were in fact not far from the ferry terminal, which we would use later.

We had driven into a small cove with a snack-shop and a bar. The hotel lady spoke to a couple of women on their porch and we were directed to park our car and after we got out, to don life jackets. Looking out to sea there was a fishing fleet in the little harbour and towering cliffs covered in vegetation surrounded the bay. We took a few photos before getting on board the boat which was similar to the one we had taken at Thale Noi a couple of days ago, if a little bigger. I think in response to our concerns about finding our way back the two girls from the hotel put on their own life jackets and told us they were coming with us.

Once the journey was underway we chugged out into the coastal waters hugging the many small islands that dotted the coast. Close up you could see that the rock is striated and the bases were eroded away quite significantly. I could see now how you got the illusion that the islands are floating on the sea. I also thought about the origin of the dessert Floating Islands but that’s surely something entirely different.

While travelling along we saw prawns skipping along the surface and small lizards (or as she described them, small alligators) in the water. We did see dolphins and there were pink however you will have to take my word for it, as my photos were rubbish!

Koh Samui, @ Koh Samui (Ko Samui), Thailand

2011-08-20T14:00:37.000Z

Destination Ko Samui: Mission Accomplished
After leaving Hat Nai Ploi, we headed back to the ferry and after a few minor deviations picked up the signs. Gary saw dolphins swimming in the harbour – the regular grey ones this time. Once off the ferry, we headed for the hotel. It was a shorter ferry journey than expected 1½ hours instead of 2½ hour crossing and the journey to the resort quite quick and easy - 20 minutes. The room was exactly as advertised and the resort looks like what we have imagined too. Here's to a week of luxury.

The plan had been that after an action packed month we would land at Ko Samui and chill. Well here we are.

After cocktails in the resort bar we went out to explore the surroundings. Aside from lounging by the pool a bit of eating nice food, drinking loads and mooching around, there was not a massive amount to report.

We used our hire car to take a circumnavigation of the island and spent my birthday doing a boat trip, which included getting very wet - even before we started the snorkelling! and picnic on a (not so) deserted island paradise. When I got back to our room, there was birthday cake waiting for me on the bed… aah.

On the tour around the island we stopped at one of the famous landmarks, phallic rocks at Grandmother and Grandfather point - all a bit lost on me. On the way back we discovered a lovely cafe restaurant with a stunning view, we went in for iced coffees and the vista.

We managed to fulfil our goal of a relaxing at the end to the summer.