Tuesday 28 October 2008
Slight Return
Saturday 25 October - Sunday 26 October 2008
Bangkok - Abu Dhabi - London
So this is it, then. The end. But not quite yet. I woke up and finished off Pete's cereal again, well, I have a reputation to maintain. Then I hit up Chatuchat market again as, like the good Doctor, I was gonna need a bigger bag to carry my suit and other things back home. I thought I could find the place where we bought James's, but I should have known better - that place is a maze. I did find the "nice" part of the market though, full of arts and crafts, and eventually found a nice large cheap bag with wheels that I bartered down from 600 to 500 THB (about 8-9 GBP).
After that we hit up the main shopping centre for lunch and a Thai massage (and not the oil massage that I had last time). It wasn't as painful as I thought it might be - very relaxing actually. I had a look at some noise cancelling headphones and tiny child-like laptops called notebooks but couldn't reason myself to buy any, especially given that the pound had devauled against the baht from 61 THB to 55 THB (a 10% drop) in the five weeks that I had been abroad, with most of the change was actually in the last few days, making everything more expensive.
I showered, packed and headed to the airport, looked in the shops for headphones again but the cheapest were 90 GBP, and then killed time as ever through wifi. I boarded the plane and was by the window but it was dark outside and not much to see apart from the street lights of Abu Dhabi once we arrived. I drank, ate, slept and watched TV. Nothing to report here.
We arrived in Abu Dhabi and I had a over a couple of hours to kill. No wifi this time so I had to resort to Niall Ferguson's Empire. That man is a god amongst historians. I like it, I think it's good. However Abu Dhabi airport has the most annoying announcements ever. There's barely a minute that goes past without something being announced in a very annoying way, totally preventing any sleep. Plus they have departure lounges for planes holding hundreds of people with about 60 seats in it.
Anyway, for the London leg I was on the aisle and with an escape door row so I had about two miles of leg room this time, somewhat uncessary given my short legs but not bad all the same. I dosed for short periods of time but didn't sleep that well. From Heathrow it was a short tube journey to the flat, and the comforting familiarity of drizzle, cold and the encroaching darkness of the oncoming winter.
But just for a short while...
Bangkok - Abu Dhabi - London
So this is it, then. The end. But not quite yet. I woke up and finished off Pete's cereal again, well, I have a reputation to maintain. Then I hit up Chatuchat market again as, like the good Doctor, I was gonna need a bigger bag to carry my suit and other things back home. I thought I could find the place where we bought James's, but I should have known better - that place is a maze. I did find the "nice" part of the market though, full of arts and crafts, and eventually found a nice large cheap bag with wheels that I bartered down from 600 to 500 THB (about 8-9 GBP).
After that we hit up the main shopping centre for lunch and a Thai massage (and not the oil massage that I had last time). It wasn't as painful as I thought it might be - very relaxing actually. I had a look at some noise cancelling headphones and tiny child-like laptops called notebooks but couldn't reason myself to buy any, especially given that the pound had devauled against the baht from 61 THB to 55 THB (a 10% drop) in the five weeks that I had been abroad, with most of the change was actually in the last few days, making everything more expensive.
I showered, packed and headed to the airport, looked in the shops for headphones again but the cheapest were 90 GBP, and then killed time as ever through wifi. I boarded the plane and was by the window but it was dark outside and not much to see apart from the street lights of Abu Dhabi once we arrived. I drank, ate, slept and watched TV. Nothing to report here.
We arrived in Abu Dhabi and I had a over a couple of hours to kill. No wifi this time so I had to resort to Niall Ferguson's Empire. That man is a god amongst historians. I like it, I think it's good. However Abu Dhabi airport has the most annoying announcements ever. There's barely a minute that goes past without something being announced in a very annoying way, totally preventing any sleep. Plus they have departure lounges for planes holding hundreds of people with about 60 seats in it.
Anyway, for the London leg I was on the aisle and with an escape door row so I had about two miles of leg room this time, somewhat uncessary given my short legs but not bad all the same. I dosed for short periods of time but didn't sleep that well. From Heathrow it was a short tube journey to the flat, and the comforting familiarity of drizzle, cold and the encroaching darkness of the oncoming winter.
But just for a short while...
Friday 24 October 2008
Passenger
Friday 24 October 2008
Ko Pha Ngan - Surat Thani - Bangkok
I wake up late-ish, and Bond is nowhere to be seen. This is kind of important, and it was he who arranged my taxi, ferry, and bus to Surat Thani airport on the mainland, from which I would catch my flight back up north to Bangkok. And I don't have the ticket yet.
So there are a few calls made, it turns out he had some stomach ache and I feel really sorry for him as they have to drag him out and have him sort out the tickets. I don't know why one of the others couldn't do it. Anyway it's sorted and I'm on my way.
The ferry to the mainland is actually a car ferry, the first one I've seen. The trip is pretty "ordinary" so it's standard travel procedure: iPod on and listen to some awesome music to kill the time.
As the mainland heads into view it is an awesome though typical South East Asian landscape of dolomite-shaped limestone mountains covered in jungle. It looks awesome and I take a few snaps, though it was hard to get a good angle. We dock and I board a bus that has the most garish upholstery that I have ever seen - a multicoloured flouorescent rainbow flower pattern on a dark blue background. I take a picture of it just for the record. You wouldn't want to be hungover in this environment.
The bus takes us to Surat Thani, and I nervously look at my watch. Aside from the fact that I haven't eaten anything but snacks since breakfast it's now nearly 5 and my flight is at 7. Luckily it's a domestic flight so I don't need to check in ultra-early, but still I wonder how long it will take. We stop in Surat Thani town centre and everybody gets off the bus and leaves. I'm now standing on the side of the road, there's no bus, no people and I'm not at the airport.
A few minutes later a woman comes up to me and says "Airport bus, 10 past 5." Essential information indeed. A nervous five minutes is spent until the bus turns up at quarter past. And when I'm on board, it turns out I wasn't given a ticket that I should have, and there is a bit of a kurfuffle. I certainly wasn't going to be paying anything extra and after a while the situation seems to resolve itself without me having to do anything.
But the clock it ticking and we don't arrive at the airport until a smidgen after six. Am I too late? Have I missed my flight? Is this the most rhetorical question ever? (That one's for you, James!) No, check in closes at 6.30 so everything's fine.
I kill some time in the luxurious departure lounge that actually has really comfortable seats - what a genius idea! - by wifi-ing on my phone and eating a hearty meal of peanut M&Ms.
The Thai Airways flight has the largest leg space of any airline ever - even beating Etihad - but apart from that it's pretty uneventful. I arrive into the domestic airport at Bangkok (though it erroneously describes itself as International ... that was the past honey, live in the now!) and take a taxi to Pete's place.
He's not in when I arrive and their mentally unstable cats watches me with worried eyes. I'm starving so I head out to the part of Bangkok that I haven't been to yet - Kao San Road.
It's full of bright lights and typical traveller stuff. I find a Thai restaurant for some food and it's the cheapest thing ever. There's some spooky Thai horror movie on the TV which is quite funny. Afterward I walk up and down the road to find a bar that was recommended to me called Roof, but I can't find it. So instead I went to a bar that had a guy playing acoustic covers that sounded like it would be good fun ... it was called Roof.
I settled in as I was feeling a bit zoned out and listened to the music. A few songs later and suddenly there were lots of people looking out over the balcony, while simultaneously the staff were clearing out the place like it was closed. Then they stopped. I wandered over to the balcony to see what was happening; as well as the people looking out there was a crowd on the street looking back up.
What's going on?" I asked the people next to me. Turns out that one of the air con units below had caught fire, but it had subsequently extinguished itself. There was still an acrid smell of smoke in the air. Looks like I was seconds away from being burnt alive. Risking death on the streets of Bangkok, that's me.
I chatted with the people I had just spoken to for a while, two Swiss girls, one of the French variety and one German. The German one was very friendly and we talked for a good while before they moved on. I ordered a Mojito and an Australian girl started talking to me. We chatted for a while as well before I became too tired and taxied my way home.
Ko Pha Ngan - Surat Thani - Bangkok
I wake up late-ish, and Bond is nowhere to be seen. This is kind of important, and it was he who arranged my taxi, ferry, and bus to Surat Thani airport on the mainland, from which I would catch my flight back up north to Bangkok. And I don't have the ticket yet.
So there are a few calls made, it turns out he had some stomach ache and I feel really sorry for him as they have to drag him out and have him sort out the tickets. I don't know why one of the others couldn't do it. Anyway it's sorted and I'm on my way.
The ferry to the mainland is actually a car ferry, the first one I've seen. The trip is pretty "ordinary" so it's standard travel procedure: iPod on and listen to some awesome music to kill the time.
As the mainland heads into view it is an awesome though typical South East Asian landscape of dolomite-shaped limestone mountains covered in jungle. It looks awesome and I take a few snaps, though it was hard to get a good angle. We dock and I board a bus that has the most garish upholstery that I have ever seen - a multicoloured flouorescent rainbow flower pattern on a dark blue background. I take a picture of it just for the record. You wouldn't want to be hungover in this environment.
The bus takes us to Surat Thani, and I nervously look at my watch. Aside from the fact that I haven't eaten anything but snacks since breakfast it's now nearly 5 and my flight is at 7. Luckily it's a domestic flight so I don't need to check in ultra-early, but still I wonder how long it will take. We stop in Surat Thani town centre and everybody gets off the bus and leaves. I'm now standing on the side of the road, there's no bus, no people and I'm not at the airport.
A few minutes later a woman comes up to me and says "Airport bus, 10 past 5." Essential information indeed. A nervous five minutes is spent until the bus turns up at quarter past. And when I'm on board, it turns out I wasn't given a ticket that I should have, and there is a bit of a kurfuffle. I certainly wasn't going to be paying anything extra and after a while the situation seems to resolve itself without me having to do anything.
But the clock it ticking and we don't arrive at the airport until a smidgen after six. Am I too late? Have I missed my flight? Is this the most rhetorical question ever? (That one's for you, James!) No, check in closes at 6.30 so everything's fine.
I kill some time in the luxurious departure lounge that actually has really comfortable seats - what a genius idea! - by wifi-ing on my phone and eating a hearty meal of peanut M&Ms.
The Thai Airways flight has the largest leg space of any airline ever - even beating Etihad - but apart from that it's pretty uneventful. I arrive into the domestic airport at Bangkok (though it erroneously describes itself as International ... that was the past honey, live in the now!) and take a taxi to Pete's place.
He's not in when I arrive and their mentally unstable cats watches me with worried eyes. I'm starving so I head out to the part of Bangkok that I haven't been to yet - Kao San Road.
It's full of bright lights and typical traveller stuff. I find a Thai restaurant for some food and it's the cheapest thing ever. There's some spooky Thai horror movie on the TV which is quite funny. Afterward I walk up and down the road to find a bar that was recommended to me called Roof, but I can't find it. So instead I went to a bar that had a guy playing acoustic covers that sounded like it would be good fun ... it was called Roof.
I settled in as I was feeling a bit zoned out and listened to the music. A few songs later and suddenly there were lots of people looking out over the balcony, while simultaneously the staff were clearing out the place like it was closed. Then they stopped. I wandered over to the balcony to see what was happening; as well as the people looking out there was a crowd on the street looking back up.
What's going on?" I asked the people next to me. Turns out that one of the air con units below had caught fire, but it had subsequently extinguished itself. There was still an acrid smell of smoke in the air. Looks like I was seconds away from being burnt alive. Risking death on the streets of Bangkok, that's me.
I chatted with the people I had just spoken to for a while, two Swiss girls, one of the French variety and one German. The German one was very friendly and we talked for a good while before they moved on. I ordered a Mojito and an Australian girl started talking to me. We chatted for a while as well before I became too tired and taxied my way home.
This Majestical Roof, Fretted with Golden Fire
Thursday 23 October 2008
Ko Pha Ngan
So again it was the day after the night before. I woke up and I was still drunk. I stumbled to the restaurant and had breakfast.
They day was pretty uneventful to be honest. I didn't feel like doing much and the day lent itself well to that temprament. I lay on the beach reading books for the first time in the trip. I finished Fooled by Randomness, which seemed apt given the Black Swans that were coming home to roost in the financial markets (and will continue to flock home for some time to come methinks).
I started and read a fair chunk of Unless I'm Very Much Mistaken, Murray Walker's autobiography, which at the start was interesting for me as it describes his career in advertising and what that world was like in the preiod from the post-war to the 1970s. He had a pretty impressive career and it shed new light on the character that we know and love as an over-enthusiastic error-prone commentator.
I vainly tried to get a tan but the tropical clouds had different ideas. It had its own benefit though when the sun came to set - the sky was sliently exploding with exotic colour that even Hamlet would have trouble seeing as a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours, no matter how messed up he was at the time. I digress, darling. Luckily I had my camera with me this time so I snapped away as though I had an 8 GB memory card to fill. Which, of course, I did.
That evening we went to the pool bar across the road which luckily served food as the resort was closed again and I didn't fancy a trip into Thong Sala just to eat. We had a pretty early night (the Scots had to wake up early to catch a boat) and I said goodbye to the Amanda and Johnny as I wouldn't see them in the morning.
Ko Pha Ngan
So again it was the day after the night before. I woke up and I was still drunk. I stumbled to the restaurant and had breakfast.
They day was pretty uneventful to be honest. I didn't feel like doing much and the day lent itself well to that temprament. I lay on the beach reading books for the first time in the trip. I finished Fooled by Randomness, which seemed apt given the Black Swans that were coming home to roost in the financial markets (and will continue to flock home for some time to come methinks).
I started and read a fair chunk of Unless I'm Very Much Mistaken, Murray Walker's autobiography, which at the start was interesting for me as it describes his career in advertising and what that world was like in the preiod from the post-war to the 1970s. He had a pretty impressive career and it shed new light on the character that we know and love as an over-enthusiastic error-prone commentator.
I vainly tried to get a tan but the tropical clouds had different ideas. It had its own benefit though when the sun came to set - the sky was sliently exploding with exotic colour that even Hamlet would have trouble seeing as a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours, no matter how messed up he was at the time. I digress, darling. Luckily I had my camera with me this time so I snapped away as though I had an 8 GB memory card to fill. Which, of course, I did.
That evening we went to the pool bar across the road which luckily served food as the resort was closed again and I didn't fancy a trip into Thong Sala just to eat. We had a pretty early night (the Scots had to wake up early to catch a boat) and I said goodbye to the Amanda and Johnny as I wouldn't see them in the morning.
Half a Person
Wednesday 22 October 2008
Ko Pha Ngan
OK so today was the Half moon party. I chat to a couple of girls who I haven't seen at the resort before and check to see if they are coming to the party. They are and it's all good.
I can't remember much about what happened during the day but not much eventful at any rate. I updated the blog at least.
Anyway evening came and it was the Half Moon Party. Since the Full Moon Party became a regular and large event, some canny individual had the idea of having Half Moon Parties (which would be twice as regular as well) and they also have a Black Moon Party on the new moon days. All they need now is someone to set up parties for the Waning Gibbous, Waning Crescent, Waxing Crescent and Waxing Gibbous Moons and there would be a party every three and a half days. Imagine the hangovers...
Anyway it was me, the Scottish couple, two other Scottish girls and the two English girls that I'd met in the morning that boarded the taxi to take us to the party location. Unlike the Full Moon party that takes place on the beach, this takes place inland, in the middle of the jungle. As such it's pretty much set up like an outdoor club, with strange flouorescent mobiles hanging from the trees and a 10 THB charge to go to the loos. Needless to say, as you're in the jungle, if you're sober enough you can take a back route through a fence and over a ditch and avoid the excessive cost. No loo paper though.
It's actually a lot better vibe than the Full Moon Party, as there is better music with proper DJs, rather than the cheesy rubbish that was playing before, and a more cohesive feel to the dancing area and the bars. There are fire twirlers of course, it wouldn't be the islands without them. There are people selling the glow-stick things that you can wrap round your wrist and I find myself with a fetching purple number.
The drink's a bit more expensive but it's a captive market so it's to be expected. I manage my consumption pretty effectively: I'm trashed by the end of the night. I see the Aussie guys who I met snorkelling on Ko Tao - they've turned up based on my recommendation. It all becomes a bit of a blur and the time seems to fly by pretty quickly until it seems like a good idea to head home, at which point everone seems to be lost. After a short while we gather everyone up together again and grab a taxi. I end up sitting on the floor with a large-sized spring roll in my hand, that tastes awesome.
Back at the resort we hang out on the beach again. Swimming trunks on, it's time to fool about in the water. Now this beach is strange enough as the water is about waist deep for at least a good 20 metres out to sea (no one could be bothered to walk further). But on this night it was even stranger as it was only ankle deep. Which is strange as the tides should have been neap given that it was a half moon, and additionally the water had never been below knee level the whole time I had been there. The cosmic ballet of the spheres was playing havoc with my drunken astronomical mind.
Anyway there was much palaver as one of the English girls had lost her key and they couldn't get into their house. The resort office was all locked up, the employees had left and there was no one answering the phone. The only way they could get in was by breaking one of the wooden panels on the door. I'm sure it cost them a fortune the next day.
Ko Pha Ngan
OK so today was the Half moon party. I chat to a couple of girls who I haven't seen at the resort before and check to see if they are coming to the party. They are and it's all good.
I can't remember much about what happened during the day but not much eventful at any rate. I updated the blog at least.
Anyway evening came and it was the Half Moon Party. Since the Full Moon Party became a regular and large event, some canny individual had the idea of having Half Moon Parties (which would be twice as regular as well) and they also have a Black Moon Party on the new moon days. All they need now is someone to set up parties for the Waning Gibbous, Waning Crescent, Waxing Crescent and Waxing Gibbous Moons and there would be a party every three and a half days. Imagine the hangovers...
Anyway it was me, the Scottish couple, two other Scottish girls and the two English girls that I'd met in the morning that boarded the taxi to take us to the party location. Unlike the Full Moon party that takes place on the beach, this takes place inland, in the middle of the jungle. As such it's pretty much set up like an outdoor club, with strange flouorescent mobiles hanging from the trees and a 10 THB charge to go to the loos. Needless to say, as you're in the jungle, if you're sober enough you can take a back route through a fence and over a ditch and avoid the excessive cost. No loo paper though.
It's actually a lot better vibe than the Full Moon Party, as there is better music with proper DJs, rather than the cheesy rubbish that was playing before, and a more cohesive feel to the dancing area and the bars. There are fire twirlers of course, it wouldn't be the islands without them. There are people selling the glow-stick things that you can wrap round your wrist and I find myself with a fetching purple number.
The drink's a bit more expensive but it's a captive market so it's to be expected. I manage my consumption pretty effectively: I'm trashed by the end of the night. I see the Aussie guys who I met snorkelling on Ko Tao - they've turned up based on my recommendation. It all becomes a bit of a blur and the time seems to fly by pretty quickly until it seems like a good idea to head home, at which point everone seems to be lost. After a short while we gather everyone up together again and grab a taxi. I end up sitting on the floor with a large-sized spring roll in my hand, that tastes awesome.
Back at the resort we hang out on the beach again. Swimming trunks on, it's time to fool about in the water. Now this beach is strange enough as the water is about waist deep for at least a good 20 metres out to sea (no one could be bothered to walk further). But on this night it was even stranger as it was only ankle deep. Which is strange as the tides should have been neap given that it was a half moon, and additionally the water had never been below knee level the whole time I had been there. The cosmic ballet of the spheres was playing havoc with my drunken astronomical mind.
Anyway there was much palaver as one of the English girls had lost her key and they couldn't get into their house. The resort office was all locked up, the employees had left and there was no one answering the phone. The only way they could get in was by breaking one of the wooden panels on the door. I'm sure it cost them a fortune the next day.
Tuesday 21 October 2008
The Great Escape
Tuesday 21 October 2008
Ko Tao - Ko Pha Ngan
So I'm off from Ko Tao. I have to say I was a little disappointed on two levels: Firstly the snorkelling as mentioned before, and secondly I guess I was looking for some idyllic island paradise like Uluwatu in Bali and it's not that, either. It's a bit like a small-scale Kuta / Legian mix. However by the third night I'd adjusted (you can't argue with reality, eh?) and had I stayed longer I'm sure I'd have encountered all sorts of mischief.
Anyway at the port on the way back I meet up with Jonny and Amanda (the Scottish couple) again and we both head back to Ko Pha Ngan. On the boat I listen to With Love and Squalor by We are Scientists just because it's awesome and also because I've had This Scene is Dead in my head for a while.
Once back at Phangan Beach Resort we settle in and then meet up for dinner at Jumanjy again. Bond and his girlfriend are there and we chat with them briefly before they leave, and after we drink and chat for the rest of the night. A couple of Jaegermeisters go down very nicely too.
Back at the resort the local dogs turn up and play with them for a bit. Jonny and I decide to play frisbee in the dark on the beach, which is interesting. I think drink has overtaken the Scot though and it's a bit chaotic. All in all a good night though.
Ko Tao - Ko Pha Ngan
So I'm off from Ko Tao. I have to say I was a little disappointed on two levels: Firstly the snorkelling as mentioned before, and secondly I guess I was looking for some idyllic island paradise like Uluwatu in Bali and it's not that, either. It's a bit like a small-scale Kuta / Legian mix. However by the third night I'd adjusted (you can't argue with reality, eh?) and had I stayed longer I'm sure I'd have encountered all sorts of mischief.
Anyway at the port on the way back I meet up with Jonny and Amanda (the Scottish couple) again and we both head back to Ko Pha Ngan. On the boat I listen to With Love and Squalor by We are Scientists just because it's awesome and also because I've had This Scene is Dead in my head for a while.
Once back at Phangan Beach Resort we settle in and then meet up for dinner at Jumanjy again. Bond and his girlfriend are there and we chat with them briefly before they leave, and after we drink and chat for the rest of the night. A couple of Jaegermeisters go down very nicely too.
Back at the resort the local dogs turn up and play with them for a bit. Jonny and I decide to play frisbee in the dark on the beach, which is interesting. I think drink has overtaken the Scot though and it's a bit chaotic. All in all a good night though.
Monday 20 October 2008
Burn, Baby, Burn!
Monday 20 October 2008
Ko Tao
The next morning I woke up and in a pool near my room I saw loads of tadpoles. Mating season it is, then.
I had snorkelling booked and so I had to get up at a horrendously early 7.30 to meet at 8.30 in the hotel. At first I was worried that the only other people on the tour would be three old Australians and one old English woman, but luckily by the time we arrived at the boat there were around 30 or 40 of us.
We set off and immediately it started chucking it down again. However it didn't last too long and, after all, we were going to be in the water, so it didn't really matter. We stopped off at a bay and started snorkelling. Now I love snorkelling, something I first fully realised when I was on holiday in Sharm-el-Sheik and there was the clearest water I have ever seen and small coral reefs filled with fish about three metres from the shore.
I guess I was spoilt. There was coral and fish here, but in much smaller numbers and not as colourful. The coral here for the most part seemed to be brown, like it was dead or something. I hope not, but compared to Egypt it wasn't great. There were a fair few fish here and apparently a few small sharks, though unfortunately I didn't get to see them.
The rest of the trip consisted of travelling to a few other bays and snorkelling around. And it was during this that, despite the sun screen that I was wearing, I burnt my back pretty badly! There was bay after bay, and after a while I had "bay fatigue," partly because the bays were less and less impressive as the day went on.
The end of the trip was Ko Nang Yuan - a group of three islands connected by two sand bars at the north west of Ko Tao. It's pretty beautiful but everything is very expensive (at least for my budget). However my back was properly burnt by now so I couldn't do any more snorkelling. I walked to the top of one of the islands which had a pretty nice view, and the peak was full of amazingly hot but miserable-looking Russian girls, and northern English lads.
On the trip back to Ko Tao I was chatting to a Dutch couple, as well as some Swedes that I'd been hanging out with for most of the trip, but I also met some Aussies, one of which had a nasty welt on his leg. Turns out he earnt it when trying to jump the burning rope at Hadd Rin while drunk. Even funnier, was that he had done exactly the same thing the year before and had sworn never to do it again. Such is the power of alcohol.
Once back home I bought some aloe vera after-sun and liberally applied it. I then slept for a bit and wondered around the town again, treating myself to a pizza. It's actually physically impossible to eat Thai the whole time.
I was feeling pretty knackered and wasn't feeling like making anything of the evening. I had a couple of drinks in a couple of places but nothing was clicking for me. Then I went to watch the fire twirlers again and managed to get a bit of it on video. The bar I was at is the main beach party bar on the island and after a while I joined in the spirit of things. Especially once they started playing that David Byrne Lazy track, and I met some Scottish people dancing like loons. A couple of songs later I thought I should head off to bed again, only to realise that I wasn't feeling tired anymore. They played that We All Live and Die track as well, which was great and something I hadn't heard in a while. "If in doubt always go out," as a very wise man once said*. The music was good and the beers were cheap enough so I kept at it for a while, but soon enough the tiredness came back and I went to bed at a pretty respectable 12.45.
*It was me.
Ko Tao
The next morning I woke up and in a pool near my room I saw loads of tadpoles. Mating season it is, then.
I had snorkelling booked and so I had to get up at a horrendously early 7.30 to meet at 8.30 in the hotel. At first I was worried that the only other people on the tour would be three old Australians and one old English woman, but luckily by the time we arrived at the boat there were around 30 or 40 of us.
We set off and immediately it started chucking it down again. However it didn't last too long and, after all, we were going to be in the water, so it didn't really matter. We stopped off at a bay and started snorkelling. Now I love snorkelling, something I first fully realised when I was on holiday in Sharm-el-Sheik and there was the clearest water I have ever seen and small coral reefs filled with fish about three metres from the shore.
I guess I was spoilt. There was coral and fish here, but in much smaller numbers and not as colourful. The coral here for the most part seemed to be brown, like it was dead or something. I hope not, but compared to Egypt it wasn't great. There were a fair few fish here and apparently a few small sharks, though unfortunately I didn't get to see them.
The rest of the trip consisted of travelling to a few other bays and snorkelling around. And it was during this that, despite the sun screen that I was wearing, I burnt my back pretty badly! There was bay after bay, and after a while I had "bay fatigue," partly because the bays were less and less impressive as the day went on.
The end of the trip was Ko Nang Yuan - a group of three islands connected by two sand bars at the north west of Ko Tao. It's pretty beautiful but everything is very expensive (at least for my budget). However my back was properly burnt by now so I couldn't do any more snorkelling. I walked to the top of one of the islands which had a pretty nice view, and the peak was full of amazingly hot but miserable-looking Russian girls, and northern English lads.
On the trip back to Ko Tao I was chatting to a Dutch couple, as well as some Swedes that I'd been hanging out with for most of the trip, but I also met some Aussies, one of which had a nasty welt on his leg. Turns out he earnt it when trying to jump the burning rope at Hadd Rin while drunk. Even funnier, was that he had done exactly the same thing the year before and had sworn never to do it again. Such is the power of alcohol.
Once back home I bought some aloe vera after-sun and liberally applied it. I then slept for a bit and wondered around the town again, treating myself to a pizza. It's actually physically impossible to eat Thai the whole time.
I was feeling pretty knackered and wasn't feeling like making anything of the evening. I had a couple of drinks in a couple of places but nothing was clicking for me. Then I went to watch the fire twirlers again and managed to get a bit of it on video. The bar I was at is the main beach party bar on the island and after a while I joined in the spirit of things. Especially once they started playing that David Byrne Lazy track, and I met some Scottish people dancing like loons. A couple of songs later I thought I should head off to bed again, only to realise that I wasn't feeling tired anymore. They played that We All Live and Die track as well, which was great and something I hadn't heard in a while. "If in doubt always go out," as a very wise man once said*. The music was good and the beers were cheap enough so I kept at it for a while, but soon enough the tiredness came back and I went to bed at a pretty respectable 12.45.
*It was me.
The Frog Chorus
Sunday 19 October 2008
Ko Tao
So today is Grand Prix day. I've found a venue to view it but I'm not sure what time it's on. I turn up at 12 and it actually starts at 2... so I have a couple of hours to kill. Luckily there's another random guy there from Bournemouth that's done the same thing, so we sit and chat for a bit while we wait for the time to pass.
The race itself is nothing special except for the fact that Lewis won and for some reason there were no penalties. It's just not proper Formula One in my book if there aren't some obviously pro-Ferrari / anti-McLaren penalties, and I really think the F1 stewards need to be more consistent in their approach, or more people will start to lose faith in the sport.
Anyway after that I just took things easy, going for a swim in the clear water. I met the Watford girls from Ko Pha Ngan again in a bar and made plans to meet up with them, but a rainstorm prevented me. Later in the evening I watched a showing of the Dark Knight again as it was so awesome, though the sound quality at the place I saw it wasn't great.
I ended up at some random bar and chatting to the barman, who was from Burma which I'm pretty sure is a first for me, and some random Swedes. I was pretty tired for some reason plus I had to get up early for snorkelling the next day so I headed to bed at midnight.
When I arrived back at the resort there were massively loud animal noises going on. It was the frogs. I don't know if it mating season or something but they were out in force. Some random guy I spoke to told me the males make the familiar noise - like a single wooden door creak - and the females make something much more strange and bizarre - it sounded like a single cow moo but at a slightly higher pitch (though not much, it still sounded pretty much like a cow). This was then followed by two more at slightly lower volume. I went looking for one but despite the noise level I couldn't find one. Or any cows either for that matter. Very strange.
Ko Tao
So today is Grand Prix day. I've found a venue to view it but I'm not sure what time it's on. I turn up at 12 and it actually starts at 2... so I have a couple of hours to kill. Luckily there's another random guy there from Bournemouth that's done the same thing, so we sit and chat for a bit while we wait for the time to pass.
The race itself is nothing special except for the fact that Lewis won and for some reason there were no penalties. It's just not proper Formula One in my book if there aren't some obviously pro-Ferrari / anti-McLaren penalties, and I really think the F1 stewards need to be more consistent in their approach, or more people will start to lose faith in the sport.
Anyway after that I just took things easy, going for a swim in the clear water. I met the Watford girls from Ko Pha Ngan again in a bar and made plans to meet up with them, but a rainstorm prevented me. Later in the evening I watched a showing of the Dark Knight again as it was so awesome, though the sound quality at the place I saw it wasn't great.
I ended up at some random bar and chatting to the barman, who was from Burma which I'm pretty sure is a first for me, and some random Swedes. I was pretty tired for some reason plus I had to get up early for snorkelling the next day so I headed to bed at midnight.
When I arrived back at the resort there were massively loud animal noises going on. It was the frogs. I don't know if it mating season or something but they were out in force. Some random guy I spoke to told me the males make the familiar noise - like a single wooden door creak - and the females make something much more strange and bizarre - it sounded like a single cow moo but at a slightly higher pitch (though not much, it still sounded pretty much like a cow). This was then followed by two more at slightly lower volume. I went looking for one but despite the noise level I couldn't find one. Or any cows either for that matter. Very strange.
Sunday 19 October 2008
Things We Lost in the Fire
Saturday 18 October 2008
Ko Pha Ngan - Ko Tao
So I wake up reasonably early and eat breakfast, shower and pack. It's at the last moment that I realise I can't find my iPod. I fret and search for a bit but I can't find it and I give up. I'm in a bad mood but I have a taxi and a ferry to catch so there's not much I can do.
We board the boat to Ko Tao and it's a nice fast catamaran this time. I just sit and snooze a bit. The seats are nice and comfy and when we arrive at the port I don't want to leave. Also, I don't actually have anywhere to stay in Ko Tao, so this is a bit interesting.
I speak to the first taxi driver I meet and after a bit of discussion I manage to find a not-too-expensive place to stay. Post-full-moon this island fills up so apparently there aren't many cheap places left. But by picking somewhere a whole 10 minutes walk away from the main beach I manage to save some money.
I walk around a bit to get a feel for the place. From the guidebook write up I was expecting something a bit more like Uluwatu in Bali - pretty basic accommodation but awesome scenery. It's neither of those - it's pretty good accommodation and only as much awesome scenery as on Ko Pha Ngan. Once night falls however the bars along the beachfront start to look very cool, bean bags, chinese lanterns, wooden buildings and furniture and so on. However I don't have anyone to share them with. I breifly met my neighbours at the resort I was staying at but they were into their thing I was still feeling crap from the iPod situation so I didn't force myself on them.
However after dinner I accidentally bumped into the Scottish couple I met at the last island, and we hit up a few of the bars and played a bit of pool. Turns out Lewis is on pole, which is nice. And I found my iPod - I had hidden it in my clothes so it wouldn't get stolen - and forgotten which bit of clothing it was.
Ko Pha Ngan - Ko Tao
So I wake up reasonably early and eat breakfast, shower and pack. It's at the last moment that I realise I can't find my iPod. I fret and search for a bit but I can't find it and I give up. I'm in a bad mood but I have a taxi and a ferry to catch so there's not much I can do.
We board the boat to Ko Tao and it's a nice fast catamaran this time. I just sit and snooze a bit. The seats are nice and comfy and when we arrive at the port I don't want to leave. Also, I don't actually have anywhere to stay in Ko Tao, so this is a bit interesting.
I speak to the first taxi driver I meet and after a bit of discussion I manage to find a not-too-expensive place to stay. Post-full-moon this island fills up so apparently there aren't many cheap places left. But by picking somewhere a whole 10 minutes walk away from the main beach I manage to save some money.
I walk around a bit to get a feel for the place. From the guidebook write up I was expecting something a bit more like Uluwatu in Bali - pretty basic accommodation but awesome scenery. It's neither of those - it's pretty good accommodation and only as much awesome scenery as on Ko Pha Ngan. Once night falls however the bars along the beachfront start to look very cool, bean bags, chinese lanterns, wooden buildings and furniture and so on. However I don't have anyone to share them with. I breifly met my neighbours at the resort I was staying at but they were into their thing I was still feeling crap from the iPod situation so I didn't force myself on them.
However after dinner I accidentally bumped into the Scottish couple I met at the last island, and we hit up a few of the bars and played a bit of pool. Turns out Lewis is on pole, which is nice. And I found my iPod - I had hidden it in my clothes so it wouldn't get stolen - and forgotten which bit of clothing it was.
Saturday 18 October 2008
After the Goldrush
Friday 17 October 2008
Ko Pha Ngan
So by now pretty much everyonbe that I was hanging out with had left except for the Scottish couple I first met when I arrived, and Bond, the guy who works the bar.
With the weather not great I take a bike into Thong Sala and get a haircut. I wak in, they say "Haircut?" I say "Yes" and that's all that was said (in English at least). I left them to it, they seemed to know what they were doing, and it all worked out alright in the end.
That evening Bond set the remaining guests up to go to an English bar, not necessarily the greatest idea for me but when in Rome and all that. And at least there would be people that I know there. We had some food and played some pool - Killer Pool, which I don't think I'd played before. I survived to the last 6 from about 16 so I think I acquitted myself pretty well.
We then moved on to another bar called Jumanjy which was like a smaller, more hotch-potch version of the Dead Fish restaurant that we went to in Siem Reap. It was pretty cool too and apparently they were holding a Half Moon party there in three days, so might be worth a trip back. Went to bed at a respectable 1.00 as we're off to Ko Tao tomorrow.
Ko Pha Ngan
So by now pretty much everyonbe that I was hanging out with had left except for the Scottish couple I first met when I arrived, and Bond, the guy who works the bar.
With the weather not great I take a bike into Thong Sala and get a haircut. I wak in, they say "Haircut?" I say "Yes" and that's all that was said (in English at least). I left them to it, they seemed to know what they were doing, and it all worked out alright in the end.
That evening Bond set the remaining guests up to go to an English bar, not necessarily the greatest idea for me but when in Rome and all that. And at least there would be people that I know there. We had some food and played some pool - Killer Pool, which I don't think I'd played before. I survived to the last 6 from about 16 so I think I acquitted myself pretty well.
We then moved on to another bar called Jumanjy which was like a smaller, more hotch-potch version of the Dead Fish restaurant that we went to in Siem Reap. It was pretty cool too and apparently they were holding a Half Moon party there in three days, so might be worth a trip back. Went to bed at a respectable 1.00 as we're off to Ko Tao tomorrow.
Friday 17 October 2008
Firestarter
Thursday 16 October 2008
Ko Pha Ngan
So I've been pretty lazy, not doing too much, and maybe that's the point. I saw The Dark Night last night, and I can't remember exactly when it was duriong the movie, but I remember thinking to myself - this is the most awesome thing I've ever seen! I liked it. I saw The Bank Job and that was pretty good too.
Just tookit easy on this day and we went back out to Haad Rin in the evening, and unsurprisingly it was pretty dead, but nice and relaxed instead. There were some impressive fire twirler people around and about, and they strung a long burining rope between two tables and drunk people tried to skip it. It looked really dangerous but not that many people were killed. Survival of the fittest and all that.
We returned to the resort at the much more reasonable hour of 3.30.
Ko Pha Ngan
So I've been pretty lazy, not doing too much, and maybe that's the point. I saw The Dark Night last night, and I can't remember exactly when it was duriong the movie, but I remember thinking to myself - this is the most awesome thing I've ever seen! I liked it. I saw The Bank Job and that was pretty good too.
Just tookit easy on this day and we went back out to Haad Rin in the evening, and unsurprisingly it was pretty dead, but nice and relaxed instead. There were some impressive fire twirler people around and about, and they strung a long burining rope between two tables and drunk people tried to skip it. It looked really dangerous but not that many people were killed. Survival of the fittest and all that.
We returned to the resort at the much more reasonable hour of 3.30.
Wednesday 15 October 2008
You Saw the Whole of the Moon
Tuesday 14 October
Ko Pha Ngan
So after the previous night's Red Bull I hardly sleep well and end up getting up at about 2. I grab breakfast, go to the internet place to book my flight back to Bangkok and update the blog and relax on the beach and in the water. Ben is worse for wear this morning, as are a few others. The sunset it awesome. At this time of year as there is still weather, there are still clouds in the sky and the skyscape and atmospherics look amazing. You can be in hot sunshine while you watch a large thunderstorm dump its load on Ko Samui over the channel. Or see whisps of high-level cloud surround the moon in pale grey-blue at night. And the sunsets create burning boulders of cloud across the sky.
There is a free barbeque at the resort before carriages to the party. The moon is up and bright. There are no clouds in the sky but there is still a wide, pale halo around the moon that covers about a fifth of the heavens. Everyone applies some body paint - I get an Adam Ant stripe on my face (only the 40-something report manager gets the reference) and I draw the Vietnamese symbol for longevity on my arm which receives a lot of love. the stripe is a bit wonky though and I end up washing it off later anyway, as I keep on rubbing it off accidentally.
I kick off with a gin and tonic and then eat and drink (albeit responsibly) until its time to leave. We arrive back at the main beach I get stuck in. There is much dancing and drinking. There are more people but it's essentially the same as before. We find a collapsed man and check he's OK - turns out he's staying on Ko Samui and didn't know that he was on the wrong island! We've all been there...
We take a taxi and a chicken schnitzel back to the resort and meet up with the whole group back on the beach. There's some random silliness and as the sun comes up I start to pass out so I hit the sack.
Ko Pha Ngan
So after the previous night's Red Bull I hardly sleep well and end up getting up at about 2. I grab breakfast, go to the internet place to book my flight back to Bangkok and update the blog and relax on the beach and in the water. Ben is worse for wear this morning, as are a few others. The sunset it awesome. At this time of year as there is still weather, there are still clouds in the sky and the skyscape and atmospherics look amazing. You can be in hot sunshine while you watch a large thunderstorm dump its load on Ko Samui over the channel. Or see whisps of high-level cloud surround the moon in pale grey-blue at night. And the sunsets create burning boulders of cloud across the sky.
There is a free barbeque at the resort before carriages to the party. The moon is up and bright. There are no clouds in the sky but there is still a wide, pale halo around the moon that covers about a fifth of the heavens. Everyone applies some body paint - I get an Adam Ant stripe on my face (only the 40-something report manager gets the reference) and I draw the Vietnamese symbol for longevity on my arm which receives a lot of love. the stripe is a bit wonky though and I end up washing it off later anyway, as I keep on rubbing it off accidentally.
I kick off with a gin and tonic and then eat and drink (albeit responsibly) until its time to leave. We arrive back at the main beach I get stuck in. There is much dancing and drinking. There are more people but it's essentially the same as before. We find a collapsed man and check he's OK - turns out he's staying on Ko Samui and didn't know that he was on the wrong island! We've all been there...
We take a taxi and a chicken schnitzel back to the resort and meet up with the whole group back on the beach. There's some random silliness and as the sun comes up I start to pass out so I hit the sack.
Monday 13 October 2008
Pure Shores
Monday 13 October
Bangkok - Ko Pha Ngan (continued)
The next morning I woke up early, and then started to worry. Where was I? How long until the station I need to get off at? And where are those fried eggs that I'd ordered for breakfast and paid for last night?
The train was due to arrive at 6.30. Just before that it stopped but I looked out of the window and it wasn't a station. Then, as the train pulled off I saw that it was - the station platforms don't run the length of the train! I stewed in a soup of confusion for a while but though a protracted conversation with my fellow Thai passengers that mainly consisted of hand signals and ticket pointing, I worked out that we were yet to arrive at my station. Wanting a second opinion just to be sure I popped into a second carriage and confirmed it was correct with some other English-speaking travellers. And the fried eggs were surprisingly good.
Once off the train we boarded a bus to take us to the boat. There was some more confusion as at the first port we arrived at, the Ko Samui passengers disembarked, and more Ko Pha Ngan passengers arrived, then at the next port we all left the bus and the boat ended up going to Ko Samui first anyway! I'm sure there must be a logical explanation for it all somewhere...
By the time we arrived in Ko Pha Ngan it was once again raining like a dog's mother, but luckily I had a taxi waiting for me. Once at the resort I see that I have booked a fan room with no air con. It must have been the only thing available at the time. I ask if I can upgrade and luckily due to a last minute cancellation I can, thank god!
The resorts pretty sweet, beach with palm trees across blue (though not completely clear) water with the blue hazy hills of Ko Samui visible across the channel, and the wooden huts of the resort behind us. It's good to be back on an island again. I take it easy for a bit and then go for a swim in the sea. From this point onwards for the rest of the night I meet about 25 new people from Australia, Ireland, UK and Kiwiland and instantly forget all their names.
We drink a few beers at the resort, I play a few games of pool and win more than I lose, which I think is the first time that's ever happened. Teaching James has made me a better player. Ben, whose birthday it is tomorrow gets bought a bunch of drink in advance of midnight. Nicely lubricated we head of for Haad Rin, the party town on the island and the location for the Full Moon party the next day. It's fucking crazy.
Bars line the beach and pump out cheesy dance, the beach is pretty much full of people dancing. Buckets of Red Bull and Vodka sell for about 220-300 BHT, or less than 5 GBP. I have one and the Red Bull gets to me in a big way. It's hardcore over here, I think it contains crack or something. Anyway we generally dance and have fun but there's not much else to it.
We end up getting a taxi truck back but there are some crazy paralytic Sweedes on the back who manage to lose a shoe and seem to be contemplating jumping off the moving vehicle. We stop, they find their shoe, and everyone has a drunken shout at them for being idiots.
Back at the resort we have a last minute swim in the star light before heading to bed. It's actually cool enough at night to sleep without air conditioning.
Bangkok - Ko Pha Ngan (continued)
The next morning I woke up early, and then started to worry. Where was I? How long until the station I need to get off at? And where are those fried eggs that I'd ordered for breakfast and paid for last night?
The train was due to arrive at 6.30. Just before that it stopped but I looked out of the window and it wasn't a station. Then, as the train pulled off I saw that it was - the station platforms don't run the length of the train! I stewed in a soup of confusion for a while but though a protracted conversation with my fellow Thai passengers that mainly consisted of hand signals and ticket pointing, I worked out that we were yet to arrive at my station. Wanting a second opinion just to be sure I popped into a second carriage and confirmed it was correct with some other English-speaking travellers. And the fried eggs were surprisingly good.
Once off the train we boarded a bus to take us to the boat. There was some more confusion as at the first port we arrived at, the Ko Samui passengers disembarked, and more Ko Pha Ngan passengers arrived, then at the next port we all left the bus and the boat ended up going to Ko Samui first anyway! I'm sure there must be a logical explanation for it all somewhere...
By the time we arrived in Ko Pha Ngan it was once again raining like a dog's mother, but luckily I had a taxi waiting for me. Once at the resort I see that I have booked a fan room with no air con. It must have been the only thing available at the time. I ask if I can upgrade and luckily due to a last minute cancellation I can, thank god!
The resorts pretty sweet, beach with palm trees across blue (though not completely clear) water with the blue hazy hills of Ko Samui visible across the channel, and the wooden huts of the resort behind us. It's good to be back on an island again. I take it easy for a bit and then go for a swim in the sea. From this point onwards for the rest of the night I meet about 25 new people from Australia, Ireland, UK and Kiwiland and instantly forget all their names.
We drink a few beers at the resort, I play a few games of pool and win more than I lose, which I think is the first time that's ever happened. Teaching James has made me a better player. Ben, whose birthday it is tomorrow gets bought a bunch of drink in advance of midnight. Nicely lubricated we head of for Haad Rin, the party town on the island and the location for the Full Moon party the next day. It's fucking crazy.
Bars line the beach and pump out cheesy dance, the beach is pretty much full of people dancing. Buckets of Red Bull and Vodka sell for about 220-300 BHT, or less than 5 GBP. I have one and the Red Bull gets to me in a big way. It's hardcore over here, I think it contains crack or something. Anyway we generally dance and have fun but there's not much else to it.
We end up getting a taxi truck back but there are some crazy paralytic Sweedes on the back who manage to lose a shoe and seem to be contemplating jumping off the moving vehicle. We stop, they find their shoe, and everyone has a drunken shout at them for being idiots.
Back at the resort we have a last minute swim in the star light before heading to bed. It's actually cool enough at night to sleep without air conditioning.
Journey South
Sunday 12 October
Bangkok - Kho Pha Ngan
So I woke up fairly late but just at the right time to watch the Japanese Grand Prix and the second win for Alonso this year, and Lewis get another unfair penalty. He really needs a Ferrari drive.
After that I quickly squeeze in a trip to the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, which are both awesome in their over-the-top style-clash, and I love it. I was even given some nice powder blue elastic trousers to fit over my shorts, as yur clothing is meant to be respectful.
In the taxi on the train back we become stuck in a traffic jam and as a result time is tight, so I'm not able to buy the noise-reduction headphones I'd been thinking of buying, and barely enough time to shower, pack and grab a bit to eat for supper.
I had about 45 minutes until my train and the only thing stopping me was a tube journey of most of the entire single line in Bangkok's metro system. Neither Pete (who's not a public transport kind of guy) nor I knew how long it would take, so it was all a bit touch and go.
Luckily the ride was only 30 minutes and I had time to spare. The train journey was always going to be interesting, as there were no first class tickets available when I tried to book, so second class it was. Frist class is two people in a lockable cabin, second was one whole carriage of people with separate beds. It was an overnight train and luckily the carriage I was in had air conditioning. But it wasn't a problem. Once they'd sorted all the beds you had a curtained-off space to yourself that was pretty comfortable. At first I thought it would be too hot, even with the air con but thankfully that wasn't the case. As I'd had not too much sleep the night before and a hectic day that day, I was soon fast asleep.
Bangkok - Kho Pha Ngan
So I woke up fairly late but just at the right time to watch the Japanese Grand Prix and the second win for Alonso this year, and Lewis get another unfair penalty. He really needs a Ferrari drive.
After that I quickly squeeze in a trip to the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, which are both awesome in their over-the-top style-clash, and I love it. I was even given some nice powder blue elastic trousers to fit over my shorts, as yur clothing is meant to be respectful.
In the taxi on the train back we become stuck in a traffic jam and as a result time is tight, so I'm not able to buy the noise-reduction headphones I'd been thinking of buying, and barely enough time to shower, pack and grab a bit to eat for supper.
I had about 45 minutes until my train and the only thing stopping me was a tube journey of most of the entire single line in Bangkok's metro system. Neither Pete (who's not a public transport kind of guy) nor I knew how long it would take, so it was all a bit touch and go.
Luckily the ride was only 30 minutes and I had time to spare. The train journey was always going to be interesting, as there were no first class tickets available when I tried to book, so second class it was. Frist class is two people in a lockable cabin, second was one whole carriage of people with separate beds. It was an overnight train and luckily the carriage I was in had air conditioning. But it wasn't a problem. Once they'd sorted all the beds you had a curtained-off space to yourself that was pretty comfortable. At first I thought it would be too hot, even with the air con but thankfully that wasn't the case. As I'd had not too much sleep the night before and a hectic day that day, I was soon fast asleep.
One Night in Bangkok Makes a Hard Man Humble
Saturday 11 October
Bangkok
So we went to Chatuchat Market to see what all the fuss was about. It's huge and easy to get lost in. We had been told that it was divided into different sections, with parts devoted to various products but we found pretty much the same types of stalls repeated over and over, with the odd unique place tucked in between.
James needed to buy a large bag to bring everything back in (the news suits are pretty large) so we hunted down one of those. I've found that I'm better at bartering than I used to be - after all, you can always ask for a lower price - they can always say no. The only thng that's forcing you to stop is when you agree. It's a fun challenge.
We go on to buy some of the traditional Red Bull t-shirts and then I snap up a couple of Loungecore CDs in homage to the music that's been following us. After that we bid adieu to the good DOctor as he takes his taxi back to the airport. I go off and pick up my suit. It's quite tight, but looks the part.
After that I go to watch some kickboxing. It's fairly violent, though only as bad as any other type of combat sport as far as I can tell. One guy was knocked out but walked from the ring so he was OK I guess. There's also a whole load of traditional ceremony that goes on before each bout, praying to various entities including the corners of the ring, and ritualised movements that go with it.
After that I meet up with Pete and Catherine in a nearby food hall and have a bit to eat, before heading out for the night. The first stop is Patpong where all the titty-bars are. As well as the bars the streets are full of market stalls. I noticed some good fake Ed Hardy t-shirts which at GBP 10 are about a tenth of the price back home. Hawkers kept approaching me trying to get me into the girly bars, while others just held out cards saying "DVD sex" which seemed strange - who would want to have intercourse with a media format?
After walking around there for a bit I decided to head out clubbing, to the Bed Supperclub, which seems to be the coolest "joint" in town right now, not least as it combines all the best parts of a restaurant, a nightclub and a bedroom in one large space-pod like building. The crowd was about 50-50 Asian to Western, possibly slightly more Westerners, and remarkably there didn't seem to be any hookers. To start off with I wasn't feeling that into it, but a couple of drinks later I started chatting to people and working my way on to the dancefloor. As Pete had predicted, a crowd of Thai girls crowded round this single Westerner. One thing led to another, and everyone had an enjoyable night.
Bangkok
So we went to Chatuchat Market to see what all the fuss was about. It's huge and easy to get lost in. We had been told that it was divided into different sections, with parts devoted to various products but we found pretty much the same types of stalls repeated over and over, with the odd unique place tucked in between.
James needed to buy a large bag to bring everything back in (the news suits are pretty large) so we hunted down one of those. I've found that I'm better at bartering than I used to be - after all, you can always ask for a lower price - they can always say no. The only thng that's forcing you to stop is when you agree. It's a fun challenge.
We go on to buy some of the traditional Red Bull t-shirts and then I snap up a couple of Loungecore CDs in homage to the music that's been following us. After that we bid adieu to the good DOctor as he takes his taxi back to the airport. I go off and pick up my suit. It's quite tight, but looks the part.
After that I go to watch some kickboxing. It's fairly violent, though only as bad as any other type of combat sport as far as I can tell. One guy was knocked out but walked from the ring so he was OK I guess. There's also a whole load of traditional ceremony that goes on before each bout, praying to various entities including the corners of the ring, and ritualised movements that go with it.
After that I meet up with Pete and Catherine in a nearby food hall and have a bit to eat, before heading out for the night. The first stop is Patpong where all the titty-bars are. As well as the bars the streets are full of market stalls. I noticed some good fake Ed Hardy t-shirts which at GBP 10 are about a tenth of the price back home. Hawkers kept approaching me trying to get me into the girly bars, while others just held out cards saying "DVD sex" which seemed strange - who would want to have intercourse with a media format?
After walking around there for a bit I decided to head out clubbing, to the Bed Supperclub, which seems to be the coolest "joint" in town right now, not least as it combines all the best parts of a restaurant, a nightclub and a bedroom in one large space-pod like building. The crowd was about 50-50 Asian to Western, possibly slightly more Westerners, and remarkably there didn't seem to be any hookers. To start off with I wasn't feeling that into it, but a couple of drinks later I started chatting to people and working my way on to the dancefloor. As Pete had predicted, a crowd of Thai girls crowded round this single Westerner. One thing led to another, and everyone had an enjoyable night.
Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday
Friday 10 October
Bangkok
After the slightly disappointing commuter boat trip the previous day, we decide to go on a tourist trip round the canals on the rive gauche of Bangkok, to see the arse end of the city in the best possible sense.
While we're waiting in a cafe for the trip to start, the sound system is playing the hits of Boney M, and I'm transported back to some of the first pop songs I ever heard. They weren't just playing the well-known classics like Daddy Cool and Rasputin (never has the contoversial historical figure's life been summed up so succintly as in the lyric "there was a cat that really was gone") but also songs I don't think I'd heard in over 25 years, like Painter Man. I mean, who'd want to be a painter man? One of life's greater philosophical questions I think you'll agree.
Anyway after that took the canal trip, seeing plenty of Wats from afar, as well as houses on sticks, a boat full of monks, plenty of catfish that crowded like sharks round prey for the bread that we threw them, and the odd bit of marshland that still remains. Our guide told us about Thailand and the royal family, and the symbols and traditions associated with both.
We also hit up Wat Arun (a.k.a. the Temple of Dawn, not to be confused with the Indiana Jones film) which was nice. Once back at the flat I went for massage which was very relaxing and helped with my posture. I'm going to have more of those I reckon. And I know what you're thinking, but no, it didn't end with a "happy finish". The parlour was in the middle of a shopping centre after all.
That evening one of Pete's friends was having a birthday dinner which we went along to, and was in the form of a Thai and Western combined all-you-can-eat buffet, which Pete won by a mile. I'm still worried about his plans to run a marathon... We went to a cocktail lounge after that and experienced some full-on loungecore from a live band there. It was clear to us at this point that for pretty much the whole trip, we'd been exposed to worryingly high levels of lounge music. It was awesome.
After that a few of us went to a nightclub. The first place we visited was dead except for a very enthusiastic live band playing covers to a room of waiters. I felt sorry for them. Then we went to a small bar/club and had a bit of a dance. One of the girls in the group tried to set me up with the other single girl there, but she wasn't that great. She had a mullet after all. I took a taxi home, it was on the meter.
Bangkok
After the slightly disappointing commuter boat trip the previous day, we decide to go on a tourist trip round the canals on the rive gauche of Bangkok, to see the arse end of the city in the best possible sense.
While we're waiting in a cafe for the trip to start, the sound system is playing the hits of Boney M, and I'm transported back to some of the first pop songs I ever heard. They weren't just playing the well-known classics like Daddy Cool and Rasputin (never has the contoversial historical figure's life been summed up so succintly as in the lyric "there was a cat that really was gone") but also songs I don't think I'd heard in over 25 years, like Painter Man. I mean, who'd want to be a painter man? One of life's greater philosophical questions I think you'll agree.
Anyway after that took the canal trip, seeing plenty of Wats from afar, as well as houses on sticks, a boat full of monks, plenty of catfish that crowded like sharks round prey for the bread that we threw them, and the odd bit of marshland that still remains. Our guide told us about Thailand and the royal family, and the symbols and traditions associated with both.
We also hit up Wat Arun (a.k.a. the Temple of Dawn, not to be confused with the Indiana Jones film) which was nice. Once back at the flat I went for massage which was very relaxing and helped with my posture. I'm going to have more of those I reckon. And I know what you're thinking, but no, it didn't end with a "happy finish". The parlour was in the middle of a shopping centre after all.
That evening one of Pete's friends was having a birthday dinner which we went along to, and was in the form of a Thai and Western combined all-you-can-eat buffet, which Pete won by a mile. I'm still worried about his plans to run a marathon... We went to a cocktail lounge after that and experienced some full-on loungecore from a live band there. It was clear to us at this point that for pretty much the whole trip, we'd been exposed to worryingly high levels of lounge music. It was awesome.
After that a few of us went to a nightclub. The first place we visited was dead except for a very enthusiastic live band playing covers to a room of waiters. I felt sorry for them. Then we went to a small bar/club and had a bit of a dance. One of the girls in the group tried to set me up with the other single girl there, but she wasn't that great. She had a mullet after all. I took a taxi home, it was on the meter.
Cabaret!
Thursday 9 October
Bangkok
So for a want of anything better to do in Bangkok, we take a commuter boat trip (25p flat fare for any journey). The good Doctor has done most of the touristy stuff in Bangkok already so it's kind of hard to find something to do. But that's OK, we just take it easy.
So we board a boat and head up river. There's not that much to see from the river though, just the roofs of the Grand Palace and the odd Wat (temple) here and there.
The guidebook says the boats stop at a certain pier, but we find out that they don't, and end up going too far north. No worries though, we take the next one back and stop somewhere to eat some food in a cafe.
Then we take a taxi to a Sky Train station. Now the good Doctor has a phobia of Thai taxis, having had some bad experiences in the past. However over the following days I took a bunch of them and had no problems at all. In fact the only time I had any problem was on this occasion, when the first taxi we found triedto charge us 200 THB flat fare, and not on the meter. No worries again though, as there are so many cabs about we hailed another within seconds and he took us on the meter, eventually costing about 90 THB. Maybe bad taxis can sniff out doctorates, or something!
Anyway later that evening we head out with Pete and Catherine to this random German-themed venue. It's a large arena with a stage, it has its own brewery in house brewing German-style beer (made in Thailand), and then they have a series of performances on the stage while you eat which vary from the ridiculous to the sublime. The beer is served in four foot high clear cylinders with a tap at the bottom. And the food is Thai-German fusion, if you can possibly get your head round such a concept. Frankfurters with oyster sauce. Coleslaw with beansprouts. Sauerkraut with crispy duck. For some reason, and god knows how, it actually works.
But it's the performances on the stage that steal the show. We came in to a fat guy singing a heavily Thai-accented version of Delilah by Tom Jones. There was an impressive acrobatic display. There were guys singing saccharine Thai pop hits. There were other covers including an acoustic (and accented) version of a Scorpions song that wasn't Winds of Change but sounded so similar it was irritating that you weren't hearing the more famous song. There were Chinese dragons on large balls. There was a version of that rap song Low complete with full dance routine. All the music and singing was live though, and pretty impressive and skillful at that.
But the biscuit was taken by some bizarre cabaret performance that involved a guy and another guy dressed as a woman, moving as though they were marionettes or automatons, playing out a story, you know, the usual robot-boy meets robot-girl-who-is-a-boy-in-drag, kiss, get married, have a child, arguments, what looks like some domestic violence, and it all ends with a man in tight pants pretending to be a baby crying but actually looking like some freakish paedophile. We've all been there.
It was all in Thai so who knows what subtle subtexts and piercingly observant social commentary was really going on, but Pete thought it was a freakshow too so maybe my inital thoughts were right. A truly unique experience.
Bangkok
So for a want of anything better to do in Bangkok, we take a commuter boat trip (25p flat fare for any journey). The good Doctor has done most of the touristy stuff in Bangkok already so it's kind of hard to find something to do. But that's OK, we just take it easy.
So we board a boat and head up river. There's not that much to see from the river though, just the roofs of the Grand Palace and the odd Wat (temple) here and there.
The guidebook says the boats stop at a certain pier, but we find out that they don't, and end up going too far north. No worries though, we take the next one back and stop somewhere to eat some food in a cafe.
Then we take a taxi to a Sky Train station. Now the good Doctor has a phobia of Thai taxis, having had some bad experiences in the past. However over the following days I took a bunch of them and had no problems at all. In fact the only time I had any problem was on this occasion, when the first taxi we found triedto charge us 200 THB flat fare, and not on the meter. No worries again though, as there are so many cabs about we hailed another within seconds and he took us on the meter, eventually costing about 90 THB. Maybe bad taxis can sniff out doctorates, or something!
Anyway later that evening we head out with Pete and Catherine to this random German-themed venue. It's a large arena with a stage, it has its own brewery in house brewing German-style beer (made in Thailand), and then they have a series of performances on the stage while you eat which vary from the ridiculous to the sublime. The beer is served in four foot high clear cylinders with a tap at the bottom. And the food is Thai-German fusion, if you can possibly get your head round such a concept. Frankfurters with oyster sauce. Coleslaw with beansprouts. Sauerkraut with crispy duck. For some reason, and god knows how, it actually works.
But it's the performances on the stage that steal the show. We came in to a fat guy singing a heavily Thai-accented version of Delilah by Tom Jones. There was an impressive acrobatic display. There were guys singing saccharine Thai pop hits. There were other covers including an acoustic (and accented) version of a Scorpions song that wasn't Winds of Change but sounded so similar it was irritating that you weren't hearing the more famous song. There were Chinese dragons on large balls. There was a version of that rap song Low complete with full dance routine. All the music and singing was live though, and pretty impressive and skillful at that.
But the biscuit was taken by some bizarre cabaret performance that involved a guy and another guy dressed as a woman, moving as though they were marionettes or automatons, playing out a story, you know, the usual robot-boy meets robot-girl-who-is-a-boy-in-drag, kiss, get married, have a child, arguments, what looks like some domestic violence, and it all ends with a man in tight pants pretending to be a baby crying but actually looking like some freakish paedophile. We've all been there.
It was all in Thai so who knows what subtle subtexts and piercingly observant social commentary was really going on, but Pete thought it was a freakshow too so maybe my inital thoughts were right. A truly unique experience.
Thursday 9 October 2008
I'm Wicked and I'm Lazy
Wednesday 8 October 2008
Bangkok
We wake up late again, able through the sky to get into town. Bangkok has a Sky Train which with a massive amount of oversight they forgot to build as a monorail. Instead they decided to live in the past with the outdated two. But once we're in town we don't know what to do! The whole of the centre seems to consist entirely of shopping centres. Not exactly the so-called 'real' local experience that I'm looking for. Though I guess in a way it is - the Thais like to shop! Particularly for electronics. We did however see some car showrooms in one shopping centre, and, given that they were on the second floor, it makes you wonder how you drive your latest purchase out.
We get fitted for a suit. I've never had one of these before and the cheapness of doing it in Bangkok is a chance that I can't resist, in a girls-buying-clothes-they-don't-need-in-a-sale sort of way.
We go out to a french restaurant for a dinner. And I update my blog! I feel a recursive sense of Deja Vu coming on...
We get fitted for a suit. I've never had one of these before and the cheapness of doing it in Bangkok is a chance that I can't resist, in a girls-buying-clothes-they-don't-need-in-a-sale sort of way.
We go out to a french restaurant for a dinner. And I update my blog! I feel a recursive sense of Deja Vu coming on...
Wednesday 8 October 2008
Return to Sender
Tuesday 7 October 2008
Angkor Wat (Siem Reap) to Bangkok
We wake up late as we're no longer on an organised trip and we can, so we do. We go to the market nearby and I buy some wrist bands which look verycool and zen chic.
We chill out and watch some news as the markets continue to collapse and Iceland starts to boil.
We go to Siem Reap airport, which is surprisingly nice - the Cambodians really do know the value of the asset that they have here, though they charge you money to leave the country, which is a nasty surprise.
Back in Bangkok we go back to Pete's and take it easy. We eat at a small roadside stall nearby which has good food and costs a shocking GBP 2.60 for the whole meal.
We chill out and watch some news as the markets continue to collapse and Iceland starts to boil.
We go to Siem Reap airport, which is surprisingly nice - the Cambodians really do know the value of the asset that they have here, though they charge you money to leave the country, which is a nasty surprise.
Back in Bangkok we go back to Pete's and take it easy. We eat at a small roadside stall nearby which has good food and costs a shocking GBP 2.60 for the whole meal.
Tuesday 7 October 2008
Angkor... Wat!?!
Monday 6 October
Angkor Wat
So we meet up with our driver again and tuktuk it over to Angkor Wat . It's very hot and I sweat like a bitch once more. However the temple is awesome and rightly deserves its place in the pantheon of international treasures.
Of course what people think of as Angkor Wat is actually a series of many different temples (not sure of the exact number but something definitely over 10) with the actual Temple called Angkor Wat the biggest and most impressive, and indeed in the best condition. It's three concentric sqares with five parabolic towers in the centre. Each sucessive inner section was only accessible by higher and higher echelons of society, with the centre reserved for the king. The towers in the centre and the huge version of the Ramayana (the Hinduu creation story) on the walls of the second square are the highlights.
After Angkor Wat we go to Angkor Thom, which again is one name for a whole section of temples, separately famous for their massive heads - big, contentedly smiling face sculptures about six feet high that point out in every direction. The main temple of this complex contains hundred of them and is a sight to behold. Incidently the temples are still in use even today, and statues of the Buddha or Vishnu and his pals can be found in most of them, together with a (human) attendant and votive offerings and incense burning in front of them.
We see a whole bunch of other temples but they merge into one somewhat - a bit of temple fatigue creeps in, but more or less the last one - Ta Prom - is also a highlight and completes the triumvirate of the best temples.
This temple has over the years been surrendered to the jungle, and as a result the temple is mixed together with trees with their thick, sinewy, tentacley roots twisting ans reaching round the stonework like alien invaders frozen in time. As a result the structure of the temple is fragmented and interrupted, either by the trees themselves, or by fallen masonry. The result is a complete maze of passageways, courtyards, paths and shadowy chambers that is absolutely fantastic to walk around. I even found the invauable lost treasure of Kha-Thrah, which I swapped for a bottle of water as I was so thirsty. However I was a bit disappointed that I wasn't hit by any poison arrows shooting out of the walls, or chased by a lost tribe or a huge, circular boulder, but I thought it churlish to ask for my money back.
Afterwards we were tired and literally drained from all the sweat, so we snoozed a bit and took it easy in the afternoon.
In the evening we drink for a bit and have nice indian meal (though the Doctor eats the second hottest thing he's ever had, and the next day suffers from a cauterised oesophogus), we head back to Dead Fish again as we loved it so much, and in a bar after that I find that they sell all of the 2 Many DJs albums which are very hard to find (or were when I last checked, most people have only heard of volume 2), so I acquire a copy.
Oh, and the ftse falls about 400 points and Iceland melts or something.
Angkor Wat
So we meet up with our driver again and tuktuk it over to Angkor Wat . It's very hot and I sweat like a bitch once more. However the temple is awesome and rightly deserves its place in the pantheon of international treasures.
Of course what people think of as Angkor Wat is actually a series of many different temples (not sure of the exact number but something definitely over 10) with the actual Temple called Angkor Wat the biggest and most impressive, and indeed in the best condition. It's three concentric sqares with five parabolic towers in the centre. Each sucessive inner section was only accessible by higher and higher echelons of society, with the centre reserved for the king. The towers in the centre and the huge version of the Ramayana (the Hinduu creation story) on the walls of the second square are the highlights.
After Angkor Wat we go to Angkor Thom, which again is one name for a whole section of temples, separately famous for their massive heads - big, contentedly smiling face sculptures about six feet high that point out in every direction. The main temple of this complex contains hundred of them and is a sight to behold. Incidently the temples are still in use even today, and statues of the Buddha or Vishnu and his pals can be found in most of them, together with a (human) attendant and votive offerings and incense burning in front of them.
We see a whole bunch of other temples but they merge into one somewhat - a bit of temple fatigue creeps in, but more or less the last one - Ta Prom - is also a highlight and completes the triumvirate of the best temples.
This temple has over the years been surrendered to the jungle, and as a result the temple is mixed together with trees with their thick, sinewy, tentacley roots twisting ans reaching round the stonework like alien invaders frozen in time. As a result the structure of the temple is fragmented and interrupted, either by the trees themselves, or by fallen masonry. The result is a complete maze of passageways, courtyards, paths and shadowy chambers that is absolutely fantastic to walk around. I even found the invauable lost treasure of Kha-Thrah, which I swapped for a bottle of water as I was so thirsty. However I was a bit disappointed that I wasn't hit by any poison arrows shooting out of the walls, or chased by a lost tribe or a huge, circular boulder, but I thought it churlish to ask for my money back.
Afterwards we were tired and literally drained from all the sweat, so we snoozed a bit and took it easy in the afternoon.
In the evening we drink for a bit and have nice indian meal (though the Doctor eats the second hottest thing he's ever had, and the next day suffers from a cauterised oesophogus), we head back to Dead Fish again as we loved it so much, and in a bar after that I find that they sell all of the 2 Many DJs albums which are very hard to find (or were when I last checked, most people have only heard of volume 2), so I acquire a copy.
Oh, and the ftse falls about 400 points and Iceland melts or something.
Monday 6 October 2008
Jungle Boogie
Sunday 5 October 2008
Phnom Penh to Siem Reap (Angkor Wat)
So we get up early and catch a tuktuk to docks, as we've booked a high speed boat up the Tonle Sap river to Siem Reap - the town that basically exists to service the tourists for the Angkor Wat temple complex.
So we get up early and catch a tuktuk to docks, as we've booked a high speed boat up the Tonle Sap river to Siem Reap - the town that basically exists to service the tourists for the Angkor Wat temple complex.
We board the boat. It's a bit cramped and though it's cool at first, as the outside temperature rises through the day it gets a bit hot and sticky inside. But luckily as it's a boat, you can sit outside and the weather was beautiful and as we were motoring along at a good rate, it was pretty cool (though it was a bit of a false economy as it exacerbated any potential sunburn). Also the riverside scenery was beautiful - jungle and marshland, and people in long, thin wooden boats fishing and rowing across the river. At one point I saw a small boat full of goats, its owner ferrying them across the river. And towards the end there were floating villages and wooden shacks on stilts hugging the shoreline.
We arrive in Siem Reap and check into the hotel - after the low-end hotel we had just stayed in, we decided to go for something more upmarket, and it paid off. It was a sweet place.
After settling in we drive to our first temple, a relatively small one on a hill, where we see over the whole surrounding area. There are elephants ferrying people up and down the hill. There are a fair few tourists though not too many, interestingly most of them were Asian, not Western. We watch the sunset.
After returning to the town we hit the G&Ts again. Then we go to one of the coolest places I have ever been. Bizarrely called Dead Fish Tower Restaurant, it's a huge place spread over many layers and platforms, with various stairs linking the place together, with a bunch of hand-operated dumb waiters, some diagonal in direction. We chat to a waiter who is, like all Cambodians we have met, very friendly, smiley, and with surprisingly good English, better than most Thais and Vietnamese that we've met. He even teaches us a few phrases in Cambodian. The place is amazing and I take a few pics and a video of the place to capture what it's like. There are even live crocodiles, that's how cool it is.
After that we go to a bar who's name is the most obvious pun for the area and a favourite of mine - Angkor What? By chance we meet bar manager, a large boisterous Indian, and chat to him about football. He ends up buying us shots, albeit of Sambuka, but you can't have everything, eh?
Holiday in Cambodia
Saturday 4 October 2008
Phnom Penh
"Well you'll work harder
With a gun in your back
For a bowl of rice a day
Slave for soldiers
Till you starve
Then your head is skewered on a stake"
Holiday in Cambodia, Dead Kennedys
So like Jack Bauer in a particularly surreal nightmare, we have 24 hours to "do" Phnom Penh and all its sites. We cover all of the main ones off: Phnom Wat (literally means "hill temple" which is where the town was founded. The temple that sits there is a particularly gaudy and disco-inspired Buddhist place of worship), the National Museum (a collection of Buddhist relics from all over but mostly Angkor Wat), S-21 (details follow), the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda (a mass of temples and royal buildings with extensively detailed decor).
But S-21 is the stand-out museum. It's the Cambodian Auschwitz. After the Khmer Rouge took the capital, they emptied it out in a crazy ultra-Maoist communist ideal that all Cambodians would be rice farmers, each acre producing three tons a year. Despite the fact that this was logistically impossible. They also wanted the country to be self-sufficient, isolationist, devoid of class, devoid of money, religion, education, trade, family (marriage and blood relatives were outlawed) and indeed anything that would contribute to the successful running of a country on any level. People were forced to "marry" at random with the sole purpose of producing more children to ultimately work as farmers.
But in this new, sickening utopia run by the sociopathic, psychopathic Khmer Rouge those that didn't believe in the "ideal" were the enemy. This was the metropolitan elite, the intellectuals, the academics, the ethnic minorities and anyone that disagreed. As well as those who wore glasses. And god knows, anyone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The majority of these were taken to S-21, a former school south-west of the centre of Phnom Penh where they were brutalised, tortured, and killed without mercy. Shackled with iron bars to iron bed frames they were interrogated, electrocuted, beaten and murdered in an attempt to produce a confession, often with the interrogator and the suspect both unaware of what was meant to be confessed.
The beds and bars are still there, along with photos taken when the Vietnamese, provoked by Khmer Rouge military action on their border, invaded the country and captured the capital and discovered the prison, with 14 dead inmates still in their cells. The pictures of dead Cambodians, their bodies twisted, damaged and destroyed, lying still in positions of pain on their metal bed frameworks, with blood collected in pools and splashed around, evidence of the sickening torture that they must have endured, tell you everything that you need to know about what happened there.
The one thing you're left wondering is "Why?" What were they possibly trying to gain? Along with their genocidal and society-destroying tendencies, the KR (like most communist regimes) were also gripped by intense paranoia. But it's hard to understand what they really thought their ultimate aim was. It was never going to work, and the reasons for the deaths of the millions of people that they killed were quite clearly senseless.
As a footnote it's worth mentioning that after the Vietnamese invasion and the end of KR rule, the UN failed to recognise the rulers that the invaders put in place as an interim government to help Cambodia rebuild itself for years, as the KR were an elected government. It has to be one of the stupidest mistake they could have made, and as a result it was solely up to the Vietnamese and their resources to rebuild the country.
After that we took some time to recover. By the evening we hit the bars, had a few gin and tonics and then dinner at a Khmer restaurant. We visited a few other bars, ending in a place playing U2, REM and Tina Turner covers which provided a suitably surreal end of the evening.
Into the Heart of Darkness
Friday 3 October 2008
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to Phnom Penh
So we get up early for the bus from Saigon to Cambodia and its capital Phnom Penh. It takes seven hours or so and although there's air con it's still pretty hot. At the border we're shifted around to various places and lose passports as the tour leader takes them to sort out the visas. We're put into a holding cafe while we wait for everything to get sorted and eventually the guy comes back and we're off again.
So we're now in Cambodia, and the main difference is that there's no buildings, just jungle, countryside, palm trees and the odd wooden shack. I start reading the history of the place in the guidebooks - it's probably a mistake. This is the country that suffered the worst genocide in percentage terms ever - around a quarter of the people were killed and almost all of the ethnic minorities. I get into very dark place. I listen to my iPod on shuffle and some appropriately dark tracks come up. Minimalist techno. Dark rock. Even Richard Cheese's version of Holiday in Cambodia comes up and the irony is bittersweet. The bus arrives at a ferry and we're stationary for about an hour as vehicles are slowly shuffled on and off. If ever there was a need for a Vietnamese style construction project it is here. Also it's clear that compared to the Thais and Vietnamese, the Cambodians are much darker skinned and more Indian-looking.
Finally we end up on some random street corner of no particular interest in Phnom Penh and we offload from the bus. Of course there's a tuktuk there to take us to a hotel we've picked. It's a stinker but dirt cheap. We go out for a bit in the evening but we're tired from a long day and an early start.
The streets are full of land mine survivors with missing limbs. This place is very poor. There are children constantly begging or selling every five yards. Compared to the chaos and high-rise commercialism of Saigon the poverty is a bit of a shock, especially for James who gets a bit wary of the people. But as before the poverty here puts a lot of things in perspective for people in the West.
Friday 3 October 2008
Co Chi Coup
Thursday 2 October 2008
Saigon (Ho CHi Minh City)
So we get up early and get a bus to the Co Chi Tunnels - these are the tunnels that the Viet Minh built initially suring the French War but then mainly and extensively during the American War to hide and also attack. The tunnels were built at random and by independent people so no one knew the whole system. They were so long that the Americans actually built a base on top of them, not knowing that they were already there.
We see all the history and the different tachniques used in building and hiding the tunnels. We hear about the techniquues the Americans used to try to get rid of them, none of which worked successfully. We watch the booby traps that the Vietnamese created for the Americans. Painful.
And we get to crawls through the tunnels which, as my family will tell you, is something that I loved.
After we returned to the city we had lunch at a Vietnamese "fast food" place which was very tasty. After that the good Doctor and I went to Reunification Palace, formerly the Presidential Palace of South Vietnam during the war, and previous to that the colonial headquarters of the French. The initial building in French colonial style was destroyed and it was rebuilt during the war as a 1970s eyesore. Walking round it you get a great sense that it would make a great baddy's lair from a 70s James Bond - it's all tasteless furniture and colours in an opulent style. But the basement is interesting, all old telecommunications equipment and maps, where the war operations were run from. I half expected to see some uniformed minions drive past on an electric buggy - two at the front and two at the back, facing backwards.
By the time we were ready to leave it was raining like a bitch once again so we caught a taxi which was actually pretty cheap.
In the evening we went to the Contintental Hotel where Graham Greene wrote and set The Quiet American, before dinner and going to bed at an unreasonably early 10.30.
Saigon (Ho CHi Minh City)
So we get up early and get a bus to the Co Chi Tunnels - these are the tunnels that the Viet Minh built initially suring the French War but then mainly and extensively during the American War to hide and also attack. The tunnels were built at random and by independent people so no one knew the whole system. They were so long that the Americans actually built a base on top of them, not knowing that they were already there.
We see all the history and the different tachniques used in building and hiding the tunnels. We hear about the techniquues the Americans used to try to get rid of them, none of which worked successfully. We watch the booby traps that the Vietnamese created for the Americans. Painful.
And we get to crawls through the tunnels which, as my family will tell you, is something that I loved.
After we returned to the city we had lunch at a Vietnamese "fast food" place which was very tasty. After that the good Doctor and I went to Reunification Palace, formerly the Presidential Palace of South Vietnam during the war, and previous to that the colonial headquarters of the French. The initial building in French colonial style was destroyed and it was rebuilt during the war as a 1970s eyesore. Walking round it you get a great sense that it would make a great baddy's lair from a 70s James Bond - it's all tasteless furniture and colours in an opulent style. But the basement is interesting, all old telecommunications equipment and maps, where the war operations were run from. I half expected to see some uniformed minions drive past on an electric buggy - two at the front and two at the back, facing backwards.
By the time we were ready to leave it was raining like a bitch once again so we caught a taxi which was actually pretty cheap.
In the evening we went to the Contintental Hotel where Graham Greene wrote and set The Quiet American, before dinner and going to bed at an unreasonably early 10.30.
Thursday 2 October 2008
A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts
Wednesday 1 October 2008
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)So this day was a trip around the Mekong river area and also a few sights of the city. We took a bus out of town to catch a tourist boat across the Mekong. There is currently a normal ferry for cars, with a Danish flag on the side as apparently the Danish helped set it up. The Vietnamese are also in the process of building a huge bridge across this part of the river (which includes two large islands in the centre). There is a lot of construction going on in Vietnam. There seem to be new elevated roads being built everywhere. It's easy to overlook the commercial revolution that is going on in this country of 80m people, when it's bigger brother - China - is grabbing all the headlines.
Once across the river we saw a place where they made sweets from coconuts. I bought a couple of packets of coconut, peanut and sesame mix. After that we took a bike-truck (a motorbike with a bit added on the back where six people can sit) through the back roads and jungle of the river bank. We visited a few other places and had lunch somewhere, then back across the river to the bus back home.
With the sunny weather, the jungle foliage and the outside trips I even managed to catch some sun, albeit in t-shirt tan format. It truly is the rainy season here but the mornings are on average sunny, and I'm looking forward to hitting the beaches in Thailand.
Back in town we took a cyclo tour - this is where you get a bicycle with a reclining chair attached to the front, and then pedaled round the manic streets. It's great fun and I took some good videos of it with my phone. We visited the "War Remnants Museum" which used to be called the "War Crimes Museum" until they changed the name because for some reason it annoyed the Americans. It's truly shocking some of the stuff in there, particularly the things that future US Senator Bob Kerrey did, and all the stuff about Agent Orange. I took some photos of some of the plaques in there, as the tales they told spoke more of the horror than most of the rest of it.
Interestingly, the US spent about USD 700 billion in Vietnam, more than in the Second World War by a long distance, and about the same (though much more in relative terms) than the current financial system bailout that it still being discussed.
We saw a couple of other sites as the rain started to fall again, before heading back to the hotel and to a restaurant for our final group meal. It was also Sylvia's birthday, so that, combined with saying goodbye to Hung, made it an emotional night. We then hit up a few bars in town, the Blue Gecko, the Rex Hotel (a fifth floor outside bar with a view of the city, and live lounge music band) and a bar called Apocalypse Now which was full of hookers, pool sharks and techno music, and I know that the good Doctor particularly enjoyed it - very much his kind of place! (Only kidding!) And some of the others apart from us, Stephen and Hung actually made it out for a late one.
The End of the Ho Chi Minh Trail
Tuesday 30 September 2008
Hoi An to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)
So this day we had the luxury of waking up late as there was no pre-8 a.m. meet for any trips. We went out to buy some food for our trip as there wouldn't be any on the plane. We drove to Da Nang airport and caught a JetStar flight to Ho Chi Minh City.
Ho Chi Minh is still to this day known as Saigon even by the locals despite changing its name in 1975, as in Vietnamese it's five words long and much easier to say the old way. Once we were at the hotel we had an air conditioning unit that didn't work, and it took about five goes to get the hotel to change our room (a guy who didn't speak English kept on coming in and wiggling the broken air direction fan, suggesting that this would fix the problem even though the room was still muggy-warm).
After that we went to a meal in an outside market, having Vietnamese barbeque, that consisted of skewers of meat and seafood, with salad and rice pancakes to roll it all in. After that we went to a bar called Go Go, which unfortunately didn't have the suspected dancers, but beer and pool as ever. The pool table was a bitch and I think even the great Stephen only won one game.
Saigon is a much more modern city than Hanoi, with lots of high rises, wide roads and many more mopeds. Even pavements are fair game in this city. The neon, rain, crowds and dirt gave it a very Bladerunner-esque feel, a bit like a poor man's Tokyo. But probably not the most pleasant place in the world, particularly compared to the more historic and slow-paced citied we had just been to.
Hoi An to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)
So this day we had the luxury of waking up late as there was no pre-8 a.m. meet for any trips. We went out to buy some food for our trip as there wouldn't be any on the plane. We drove to Da Nang airport and caught a JetStar flight to Ho Chi Minh City.
Ho Chi Minh is still to this day known as Saigon even by the locals despite changing its name in 1975, as in Vietnamese it's five words long and much easier to say the old way. Once we were at the hotel we had an air conditioning unit that didn't work, and it took about five goes to get the hotel to change our room (a guy who didn't speak English kept on coming in and wiggling the broken air direction fan, suggesting that this would fix the problem even though the room was still muggy-warm).
After that we went to a meal in an outside market, having Vietnamese barbeque, that consisted of skewers of meat and seafood, with salad and rice pancakes to roll it all in. After that we went to a bar called Go Go, which unfortunately didn't have the suspected dancers, but beer and pool as ever. The pool table was a bitch and I think even the great Stephen only won one game.
Saigon is a much more modern city than Hanoi, with lots of high rises, wide roads and many more mopeds. Even pavements are fair game in this city. The neon, rain, crowds and dirt gave it a very Bladerunner-esque feel, a bit like a poor man's Tokyo. But probably not the most pleasant place in the world, particularly compared to the more historic and slow-paced citied we had just been to.
Wednesday 1 October 2008
Still more rain
Monday 29 September 2008
Hoi An
So it was raining once again today. Raining, like a bitch. I mean you think you've seen rain, but you ain't seen rain like this, honey. It was creating rivers in the streets knee high, washing away sand, rubbish, small children and some of the less secured parts of town.
Our activities in the morning were cancelled, apart from one. There was a small orphanage nearby were orphans, and disabled and disowned children were looked after. A lot of children are disowned in Vietnam either because they are born out of wedlock and the mothers are ashamed of losing their virtue, or if they are disabled, they don't want to look after them. Of course some children are still being born disabled due to the effects of Agent Orange, even now.
It was hard not to cry. There was a room full of disabled children, some simply just lying there, some crying, others came up to us and gave us a hug. In a country where most people sleep with one family to a room, with a couple of matresses between them, these children were even worse off. It was gut wrenching. We gave some donations.
Afterwards I did a web search and found that a British woman had set up a charity to work with this specific orphanage, you can find it here: http://www.kianh.org.uk/
Please give generously.
After that we went to lunch at what has to be the best, and most expensive, restaurant so far - The Mango Rooms. But before we arrived there the heavens really opened and we were soaked. We sat in the restaurant while we waited for it to calm down. Once we were back at the hotel there wasn't much to do so we surfed the internet and then slept for a good while. In the evening we went out to a restaurant and then back to the same bar as the previous night. We drank some beer and played some pool and I actually managed to beat Stephen (the pool king on this tour) in a game of doubles, which was a miracle.
Everyone else went to bed and I hung out with some random people for another drink at another bar. But to get to the ba we had to walk along the river path, which by now was flooded over by the river. I only had flip flops on though so it wasn't too much of a problem for me.
We arrived at the other bar and it was nothing special so I stayed for one and then called it a night.
Hoi An
So it was raining once again today. Raining, like a bitch. I mean you think you've seen rain, but you ain't seen rain like this, honey. It was creating rivers in the streets knee high, washing away sand, rubbish, small children and some of the less secured parts of town.
Our activities in the morning were cancelled, apart from one. There was a small orphanage nearby were orphans, and disabled and disowned children were looked after. A lot of children are disowned in Vietnam either because they are born out of wedlock and the mothers are ashamed of losing their virtue, or if they are disabled, they don't want to look after them. Of course some children are still being born disabled due to the effects of Agent Orange, even now.
It was hard not to cry. There was a room full of disabled children, some simply just lying there, some crying, others came up to us and gave us a hug. In a country where most people sleep with one family to a room, with a couple of matresses between them, these children were even worse off. It was gut wrenching. We gave some donations.
Afterwards I did a web search and found that a British woman had set up a charity to work with this specific orphanage, you can find it here: http://www.kianh.org.uk/
Please give generously.
After that we went to lunch at what has to be the best, and most expensive, restaurant so far - The Mango Rooms. But before we arrived there the heavens really opened and we were soaked. We sat in the restaurant while we waited for it to calm down. Once we were back at the hotel there wasn't much to do so we surfed the internet and then slept for a good while. In the evening we went out to a restaurant and then back to the same bar as the previous night. We drank some beer and played some pool and I actually managed to beat Stephen (the pool king on this tour) in a game of doubles, which was a miracle.
Everyone else went to bed and I hung out with some random people for another drink at another bar. But to get to the ba we had to walk along the river path, which by now was flooded over by the river. I only had flip flops on though so it wasn't too much of a problem for me.
We arrived at the other bar and it was nothing special so I stayed for one and then called it a night.
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