Wednesday, July 30, Polonnarua, Sri Lanka
Well, today was a highlight of my trip. I doubt if I will have another day as good as this one this year. And there are two separate parts that made it great.
First, I took a bus from Anuradhapura to Polonnarua. I was seated beside a nice, but quiet, young man. About halfway through the trip he gave up his seat to a young woman he knew. She spoke English and was charming and beautiful. She is a 24-year-old nurse and was returning here for a family gatherhing. Her sister was also on the bus. When the bus made a stop, we all had drinks. I had hot tea. She told me I should contact her if I came back to Anuradhapura again in the future. Later, she moved to a seat beside her sister and the young man returned. I turned out that he could speak English also. By the time we got to Polonnarua, he and I had become friends, too, and he had given me his business card. I took a picture of the two of them sitting together on the bus, so I will send a copy to them when I get my film developed.
The best part of the day came in the afternoon. When I checked into my guesthouse, the owner suggested I see the museum across the street, then have lunch, and finally see the ruins. That sounded like a good plan, so I headed for the museum.
As I went through the exhibits, there was a school group there also. As uaual, some of the students asked me basic questions. Then the principal started speaking to me. He asked if I had been to the ruins yet, and I explained my plan. He said that was what they were doing also. Then he asked me to join them for lunch and the tour. I had been adopted for the afternoon!
When we left the museum, we sat under trees out back. The teachers served lunch for the adults while the students ate lunches they had brought for themselves. I was given a plate with rice and several curries. One was a fish curry that was delicious. My next favorite was a pickled comination of pearl onions, sweet peppers, carrots, and chili peppers. UMMMM! Another was a mixture of eggplant (aubergine) and dried fish, and another was a vegetable I didn't recognize. Like all the others, I washed my hands and ate from the plate using the fingers of my right hand.
The afternoon was then spent progressing through the ruins using the bus from site to site. The students had drums and would beat them and recite chants as we traveled. We would get out and tour each site with the principal telling the students what was significant while I read the same information in my guidebook. During the time we were at sites some of the students would try to talk to me. One in particular, a very studious looking young boy of about 16 who read from a guidebook he had brought with him, proved to be especially sweet and nice and asked if I would write back if he wrote me a letter. But many of them were nice kids. A few were the typically self-centered types trying to use their charm to ask for money when the principal was out of earshot.
At each site, I enjoyed the ruins. It's a magnificent old city that was capital of Sri Lanka after Anuradhapura. It's a little like a Sri Lankan Ephesus, since there are foundations and ruins lining long roads. I didn't get any photos though. The students wanted me to take photos of them, but not as a whole group; they wanted to be only with their best friends. So when the roll of film ended after about 5-6 shots, I didn't put a new roll in. The experience of the day was worth far more than getting photos of the sites.
When we saw the last site, I thanked the teachers and the principal and told them I could walk back to my guesthouse. By then, it was 5:30 p.m. and a heavy cloud cover was making the day starte to wane. The principal, however, said, "But won't you join us for bathing? We plan to bathe in the lake. Stay with us." So we rode to the lake where the boys all put on shorts or swim trunks using towels wrapped around themselves for modesty purposes while changing. I had no trunks, so I rolled up my pants legs above the knees. We went into the water while the girls sat above and watched. A few of the boys stood back to talk to me, but most went deeper. They asked if I played water games. Then they explained that one type is done by having a boy dive under the water while the others go after him trying to grab him and hold him under while he tries to get loose.
We had juice and cookies beside the lake after the bathing. Then they dropped me off in front of my guesthouse as they came back through town.
Thursday, July 31, 2003
Tuesday, July 29, 2003
Monday, July 28, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
I’m sitting under the ceiling fan trying to cool off. The altitude isn’t as high here as it expected, so I got hot and sweaty getting to my hotel which has no free rooms with a/c. I chose it because of its name: Randiya. It’s nice and clean—much nicer than where I was in Colombo and about ¼ cheaper.
I was up at 4:10 and left to catch the train at 4:25. I had bathed and shaved last night at bedtime. I walked to the train station in Colombo, getting there in 40 minutes. It was surprising to find people up and going already at 4:30. There were buses about every 15 minutes and several taxis tried to pick me up. I walked because I had to pass the time. But I would have slept later and caught a bus if I had known they would be running then.
My observation car turned out to be less than expected. I should have known that from what my guidebook had said about the trains. It said not to suffer the misery of less than first class. I’m glad I heeded it. First class observation meant a car that is many years old and one that hasn’t been upgraded since it was manufactured. The seats were plush (similar to upholstered auto seats) with worn upholstery. The double-glazed windows were spaced wit about 1 foot (38 cm) of wall space between them, and half of them had broken seals so that they were opaque. My seat happened to be on a row with the board space between windows, so I turned sideways and looked out the two windows—one just in front of me and one just behind me.
We went through hills with lots of jungle with swaying coconut palms. But it switched to being flat with trees as we approached here. It also looks very dry here, so I guess I’m safe from the monsoon rains a few more days.
Anuradhapura is Sri Lanka’s most sacred town. It’s existed since the 6th Century B.C. and was the capital of Sri Lanka from 377 B.C. through the 9th Century A.D. It is somewhat like Sukothai in Thailand where I visited last year, because it has ruins of palaces and religious monuments spread oput over a great area. Tomorrow, I will rent a bicycle and tour much of the area.
__
I’m totally exhausted. It’s as hot as a July day in Texas, and I’ve walked so much. The town is very spread out. My hotel is at least 3 km (1 ½ miles) from the train station. The bus station is another 2 km (1+ miles) from the train station. And not much is between any of it. I walked back to the train station and beyond to buy my tickewt for the Cultural Triangle (3 places I will visit over the next few days). I stopped on the way for a curry and rice lunch—rice with small amounts of various foods. I had curried potatoes, chicken, a dry yellowish mixture, dal (lentils), eggplant, and dried shrimp and two dried fish (each about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long with tail, head, eyeballs, etc.
I then walked and walked to get to the bus station for the bus to Mihintale. It’s a Buddhist site where the king was converted to Buddhism and has ruins dating from 243 B.C. and a still active monastery. I saw most of the ruins, but I refused to go further when they wanted a high admission fee (5 times what it had been when my guidebook was written 4 years ago). I told them the truth: I’m not a Buddhist and it’s not worth the price for me to want to see it.
I caught a bus back, came to the hotel, and showered. I read the paper and went out for a snack—fried lentil patty and a fried vegetable patty—both spicy and good. Now I’m going to bed.
Tuesday, July 29, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
By 8:00 a.m., I was on my rental bicycle headed for the ruins. As I expected, it was very much like touring Sukothai. There are many religious temples built in a “bell-with-a-handle” shape (a dome with a tower above). They are all built of brick, covered in plaster, and whitewashed to a BRIGHT white. Some of the temples are under restoration, so I saw one where restoration has just begun. The dome shape is obvious with bushes growing on it, yet the tower above still stands as always. On another (a GIANT dome) restoration was maybe 75% complete and it was interesting seeing they use a line of people (maybe 100 in all) to pass the bricks from ground level to the top where the restoration work is progressing.
I also saw ruins of two pools that served as reservoirs, a Buddha statue, an old garden area, and lots of foundations. I skipped paying extra to see the Bodi tree planted as a cutting from Inida in 236 B.C.
I went into town to look for food. A young man jumped from the back of a truck and asked what I wanted. When it was clarified I wanted Sri Lankan food for lunch, he pointed to a dumpy place and said, “Go there.” It was very simple inside, but the food was great. I was impressed that they brought me a clean plate with a piece of plastic wrap on it (so I wouldn’t have to worry about the water it had just been washed in and which was still on the plate under the plastic). Then they brought a large platter of rice and small bowls with chicken and sauce, dal, and various other vegetables. It was good except that one of the begetables was too salty for me.
Observations:
1. Twice I saw old men with oxen carts hauling things. These were OLD carts with homemade yokes, carts, and wheels.
2. Most poor Sri Lankans bathe in rivers and streams. The men leave on their underwear to do so and the women wear sarongs. Four times today I came across individuals or families bathing. One man was sitting in his shorts on the side of a canal dangling his feet in the water, so I stopped, took off my sandals and socks, and sat and visited with him a while with my feet in the water, too.
3. Sri Lankans are nicew people. They like to visit with tourists. Even the taxi (tuk tuk) drivers will answer questions about directions without expecting you to have to ride with them. And the “guides” who approach you at tourist sites accept “no” as a response without pushing. (It’s gets frustrating, though, to have to go through the procedure of answering all their “kind” questions and then telling them you don’t want a guide when approached by 6-8 potential guides at one site!) Even Sri Lankans who don’t speak English like to say hello and find out where a tourist is from. There’s always a bit of a surprise response to my being American. Most of the tourists here are from the EU.
4. Internet cafes are VERY overpriced here, and they all seem to have settled on the same price—8 rupees per minute ($4.94 per hour). I was paying 41 cents per hour in Colombo. The manager of this place agreed to let me type off line for 50 rupees per hour before getting on line.
Note: I am going to a couple of very small places within the next few days. (Think Goliad, Texas.) They are historical but may not be big enough to have cyber cafes or the cyber cafes if they exist may not be willing to have an off-line rate. I have not read my e-mail for two days and will not do so for another 2-3 days because of the high price of connecting and reading. Write, though, and I will read it when I get to Kandy around August 1.
I’m sitting under the ceiling fan trying to cool off. The altitude isn’t as high here as it expected, so I got hot and sweaty getting to my hotel which has no free rooms with a/c. I chose it because of its name: Randiya. It’s nice and clean—much nicer than where I was in Colombo and about ¼ cheaper.
I was up at 4:10 and left to catch the train at 4:25. I had bathed and shaved last night at bedtime. I walked to the train station in Colombo, getting there in 40 minutes. It was surprising to find people up and going already at 4:30. There were buses about every 15 minutes and several taxis tried to pick me up. I walked because I had to pass the time. But I would have slept later and caught a bus if I had known they would be running then.
My observation car turned out to be less than expected. I should have known that from what my guidebook had said about the trains. It said not to suffer the misery of less than first class. I’m glad I heeded it. First class observation meant a car that is many years old and one that hasn’t been upgraded since it was manufactured. The seats were plush (similar to upholstered auto seats) with worn upholstery. The double-glazed windows were spaced wit about 1 foot (38 cm) of wall space between them, and half of them had broken seals so that they were opaque. My seat happened to be on a row with the board space between windows, so I turned sideways and looked out the two windows—one just in front of me and one just behind me.
We went through hills with lots of jungle with swaying coconut palms. But it switched to being flat with trees as we approached here. It also looks very dry here, so I guess I’m safe from the monsoon rains a few more days.
Anuradhapura is Sri Lanka’s most sacred town. It’s existed since the 6th Century B.C. and was the capital of Sri Lanka from 377 B.C. through the 9th Century A.D. It is somewhat like Sukothai in Thailand where I visited last year, because it has ruins of palaces and religious monuments spread oput over a great area. Tomorrow, I will rent a bicycle and tour much of the area.
__
I’m totally exhausted. It’s as hot as a July day in Texas, and I’ve walked so much. The town is very spread out. My hotel is at least 3 km (1 ½ miles) from the train station. The bus station is another 2 km (1+ miles) from the train station. And not much is between any of it. I walked back to the train station and beyond to buy my tickewt for the Cultural Triangle (3 places I will visit over the next few days). I stopped on the way for a curry and rice lunch—rice with small amounts of various foods. I had curried potatoes, chicken, a dry yellowish mixture, dal (lentils), eggplant, and dried shrimp and two dried fish (each about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long with tail, head, eyeballs, etc.
I then walked and walked to get to the bus station for the bus to Mihintale. It’s a Buddhist site where the king was converted to Buddhism and has ruins dating from 243 B.C. and a still active monastery. I saw most of the ruins, but I refused to go further when they wanted a high admission fee (5 times what it had been when my guidebook was written 4 years ago). I told them the truth: I’m not a Buddhist and it’s not worth the price for me to want to see it.
I caught a bus back, came to the hotel, and showered. I read the paper and went out for a snack—fried lentil patty and a fried vegetable patty—both spicy and good. Now I’m going to bed.
Tuesday, July 29, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
By 8:00 a.m., I was on my rental bicycle headed for the ruins. As I expected, it was very much like touring Sukothai. There are many religious temples built in a “bell-with-a-handle” shape (a dome with a tower above). They are all built of brick, covered in plaster, and whitewashed to a BRIGHT white. Some of the temples are under restoration, so I saw one where restoration has just begun. The dome shape is obvious with bushes growing on it, yet the tower above still stands as always. On another (a GIANT dome) restoration was maybe 75% complete and it was interesting seeing they use a line of people (maybe 100 in all) to pass the bricks from ground level to the top where the restoration work is progressing.
I also saw ruins of two pools that served as reservoirs, a Buddha statue, an old garden area, and lots of foundations. I skipped paying extra to see the Bodi tree planted as a cutting from Inida in 236 B.C.
I went into town to look for food. A young man jumped from the back of a truck and asked what I wanted. When it was clarified I wanted Sri Lankan food for lunch, he pointed to a dumpy place and said, “Go there.” It was very simple inside, but the food was great. I was impressed that they brought me a clean plate with a piece of plastic wrap on it (so I wouldn’t have to worry about the water it had just been washed in and which was still on the plate under the plastic). Then they brought a large platter of rice and small bowls with chicken and sauce, dal, and various other vegetables. It was good except that one of the begetables was too salty for me.
Observations:
1. Twice I saw old men with oxen carts hauling things. These were OLD carts with homemade yokes, carts, and wheels.
2. Most poor Sri Lankans bathe in rivers and streams. The men leave on their underwear to do so and the women wear sarongs. Four times today I came across individuals or families bathing. One man was sitting in his shorts on the side of a canal dangling his feet in the water, so I stopped, took off my sandals and socks, and sat and visited with him a while with my feet in the water, too.
3. Sri Lankans are nicew people. They like to visit with tourists. Even the taxi (tuk tuk) drivers will answer questions about directions without expecting you to have to ride with them. And the “guides” who approach you at tourist sites accept “no” as a response without pushing. (It’s gets frustrating, though, to have to go through the procedure of answering all their “kind” questions and then telling them you don’t want a guide when approached by 6-8 potential guides at one site!) Even Sri Lankans who don’t speak English like to say hello and find out where a tourist is from. There’s always a bit of a surprise response to my being American. Most of the tourists here are from the EU.
4. Internet cafes are VERY overpriced here, and they all seem to have settled on the same price—8 rupees per minute ($4.94 per hour). I was paying 41 cents per hour in Colombo. The manager of this place agreed to let me type off line for 50 rupees per hour before getting on line.
Note: I am going to a couple of very small places within the next few days. (Think Goliad, Texas.) They are historical but may not be big enough to have cyber cafes or the cyber cafes if they exist may not be willing to have an off-line rate. I have not read my e-mail for two days and will not do so for another 2-3 days because of the high price of connecting and reading. Write, though, and I will read it when I get to Kandy around August 1.
Sunday, July 27, 2003
Sunday, July 27, Colombo, Sri Lanka
I'm at the Colombo Zoo. Like most tourist sites in this part of the world, I had to pay 6 times what the locals paid to get inside. It's a nice zoo though. It's supposed to be one of the best ones in this region of Asia. I came early, arriving at 10:00 a.m., but it is already HOT. How do the furry animals stand it? I plan to just wander here several hours watching the people as well as the animals.
____
Wow, I'm glad I came to the zoo early. By 12:30 it was jam-packed with people sitting in every conceivable shady area. Many were eating lunches they brought. Typically, they were a mixture of rice and some kinds of vegetables. Often it was a round yellow bean-like vegetable (garbanzas?). Most had a few pieces of meat that looked quite boney. This would all be wrapped in a banana leaf which was then wrapped in paper. To eat, the paper and banana leaf would be opened and the banana leaf would be the serving platter. Everyone in the family would eat from the same portion using his/her fingers to transfer the food to his/her mouth.
People dress well to come to the zoo. It's obvious that the clothes were selected because of their niceness. Little boys often wear shirts with bowties. Women have on very nice saris. Men mostly have dark slacks with very neat shirts.
I'm definitely a curiosity here. Everyone looks at me, often turning to look more after they have passed. I can't tell why other than the fact I am so light and am a foreigner. One man kept trying to get his daughter to watch some monkeys jumping from limb to limb, but all she would look at was me.
I will travel into the highlands tomorrow. I have a ticket for the train that leaves at 5:45 a.m.! It's for a reserved seat on a first class observation car. The trip will take 4 1/2 hours and will take me to the northern part of what is called the Cultural Triangle. I'll be in that area a few days exploring all the ruins from ancient cities (if the touts aren't too much trouble). I'm hoping it will be cooler up there, too.
Various Notes:
1. I saw something I don't think I have seen before--birds cleaning each other. They were crow-like birds. One had his featers on his head ruffled, and the other was pecking inside. I assume he was trying to get at bugs or something.
2. Many men here were sarongs. They are either batik or are beautiful woven plaids for the most part. Instead of being a long sheet of cloth, they have been sewn together at the ends to make a cylindrical shape. A man steps into it, grabs it at two points on each side, pulls it tight around his waist, and then tucks it so that it holds tight. The fabric goes down to about ankle level, but sometimes men pull it up to different levels and re-tie it according to whatever they are doing and what works best for that chore. They look very comfortable and cool.
3. It is common to see an adult on a bicycle with another adult sitting across the crossbar. The bicycler is struggling to pump the petals. How hot and miserable it must be for the bicycler.
4. I'm getting a similar reaction here to the ones I got in other countries when I look people in the eye and say hello. It's almost like they don't expect a white person to do that. They smile in a very friendly way and say hello back to me.
5. I've lost some weight on the trip as I hoped and expected that I would. I meant to weigh myself at Joe's and Diane's apartment, but I forgot. I needed to lose weight, so I am glad for it and hope that I will lose even more before the trip comes to an end. From the waistband of my shorts and my belt, I would guess I've lost 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches in my waist since I left on June 15. It's due to a combination of reasons: a) I am getting lots of exercise with all the walking I do. b) I am eating fewer sweets, since desserts aren't as big a deal over here. c) I'm eating healthier foods with less meat and fewer fats than I do at home. d) I'm not eating pre-meal snacks like chips and salsa when I eat out.
I'm at the Colombo Zoo. Like most tourist sites in this part of the world, I had to pay 6 times what the locals paid to get inside. It's a nice zoo though. It's supposed to be one of the best ones in this region of Asia. I came early, arriving at 10:00 a.m., but it is already HOT. How do the furry animals stand it? I plan to just wander here several hours watching the people as well as the animals.
____
Wow, I'm glad I came to the zoo early. By 12:30 it was jam-packed with people sitting in every conceivable shady area. Many were eating lunches they brought. Typically, they were a mixture of rice and some kinds of vegetables. Often it was a round yellow bean-like vegetable (garbanzas?). Most had a few pieces of meat that looked quite boney. This would all be wrapped in a banana leaf which was then wrapped in paper. To eat, the paper and banana leaf would be opened and the banana leaf would be the serving platter. Everyone in the family would eat from the same portion using his/her fingers to transfer the food to his/her mouth.
People dress well to come to the zoo. It's obvious that the clothes were selected because of their niceness. Little boys often wear shirts with bowties. Women have on very nice saris. Men mostly have dark slacks with very neat shirts.
I'm definitely a curiosity here. Everyone looks at me, often turning to look more after they have passed. I can't tell why other than the fact I am so light and am a foreigner. One man kept trying to get his daughter to watch some monkeys jumping from limb to limb, but all she would look at was me.
I will travel into the highlands tomorrow. I have a ticket for the train that leaves at 5:45 a.m.! It's for a reserved seat on a first class observation car. The trip will take 4 1/2 hours and will take me to the northern part of what is called the Cultural Triangle. I'll be in that area a few days exploring all the ruins from ancient cities (if the touts aren't too much trouble). I'm hoping it will be cooler up there, too.
Various Notes:
1. I saw something I don't think I have seen before--birds cleaning each other. They were crow-like birds. One had his featers on his head ruffled, and the other was pecking inside. I assume he was trying to get at bugs or something.
2. Many men here were sarongs. They are either batik or are beautiful woven plaids for the most part. Instead of being a long sheet of cloth, they have been sewn together at the ends to make a cylindrical shape. A man steps into it, grabs it at two points on each side, pulls it tight around his waist, and then tucks it so that it holds tight. The fabric goes down to about ankle level, but sometimes men pull it up to different levels and re-tie it according to whatever they are doing and what works best for that chore. They look very comfortable and cool.
3. It is common to see an adult on a bicycle with another adult sitting across the crossbar. The bicycler is struggling to pump the petals. How hot and miserable it must be for the bicycler.
4. I'm getting a similar reaction here to the ones I got in other countries when I look people in the eye and say hello. It's almost like they don't expect a white person to do that. They smile in a very friendly way and say hello back to me.
5. I've lost some weight on the trip as I hoped and expected that I would. I meant to weigh myself at Joe's and Diane's apartment, but I forgot. I needed to lose weight, so I am glad for it and hope that I will lose even more before the trip comes to an end. From the waistband of my shorts and my belt, I would guess I've lost 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches in my waist since I left on June 15. It's due to a combination of reasons: a) I am getting lots of exercise with all the walking I do. b) I am eating fewer sweets, since desserts aren't as big a deal over here. c) I'm eating healthier foods with less meat and fewer fats than I do at home. d) I'm not eating pre-meal snacks like chips and salsa when I eat out.
Saturday, July 26, 2003
Saturday, July 26, Colombo, Sri Lanka
It's 2:00 a.m. and I just arrived at my hotel with so many impressions. First, the airport (where we arrived 5 minutes past midnight of July 25) is only about the size of the Corpus Christi Airport, but the flights are to/from Paris, Frankfurt, Dubai, Bangkok. Singapore, etc., and most of them arrive and leave between mightnight and 6:00 a.m. Second, the town is alive. At 1:00-1:30 a.m. as the taxi brought me into town, we passed city buses in operation, bakeries and food stores that were open, people in the streets, etc. Third, it seems nicer than India so far, but still not great. Will have to see as time passes. Fourth, my room is okay with a table and two straight-back chairs, a chest, a bed, a side chair, a bath with tub/shower, and a ceiling fan.
____
I slept fairly well. The bed is an open-springs and mattress with slats, and there aren't enough slats. It sags in places. Then at 6:00 a.m. as the sun came up, either monkeys, birds, or a combination of both started making lots of noise. I had to put in my ear plugs. (This guesthouse is called Lake Lodge because it is beside a lake, and I can hear lots of birds now.)
I'm a littler frustrated. The man the guesthouse arranged the taxi with is really a travel agent. He said he would come here this morning to take care of everything which means he plans for me to pay for the taxi and for him to push me to make travel arrangements and hotel reservations through him. I need to get to the tourist office and to the airline office before they close at 12:30 (which they do on Saturday).
____
Well, I paid the guesthouse owner for the taxi and didn't meet with the travel agent. Instead, I did my scheduled errands:
1. A very sweet young lady named Daneesha helped me at the tourist office. She gave me maps and brochures, reviewed my itinerary and gave me suggestions, and told me how to get to places I need to go here in town.
2. I went to the twin towers of the World Trade Center (Yes, they have such a place here!) and bought my air ticket to get to India. I had to extend my stay by 2 1/2 days because flights were fully booked until then. I got economy class one way to Trivandrum on August 10 for 6000 rupees ($61.69 U.S.).
3. I went to the railway station and bought my ticket for leaving Colombo for the highlands and the old cultural sites for Monday morning at 5:45 a.m.! I got a 1st class observation car seat for 277 rupees (only $2.85 U.S.) for the 4 1/2 hour trip.
4. Finally, I explored the old colonial center of town. I looked at the nice colonial buildings, went into an old department store, and looked at arts and crafts in a state-operated shop.
Sri Lanka is definitely a country with a cival war going on. (Actually, there is a cease fire with only an occasional skirmish at the moment.) There are police checkpoints everywhere. We passed several last night coming from the airport and were stopped once for a check of the driver's papers. About 1/3 of the old colonial core is barricaded so that only pedestrians can enter (through checkpoints where the soldiers have machine guns) because the President's home is there and they are afriad of an attack. And about 20% of the old colonial core has been barricaded as off limits to everyone because of the home. (There have been some nice buildings that have had to be abandoned because of it, and I'm sure many of the businesses on the barricaded streets have suffered because of a lack of through traffic.)
I feel more comfortable being here after my morning outing. I was not hassled as much as I expected, and I felt safer than I thought I might feel. (I was worried about touts, pickpockets, etc.) I was surprised how many people said hello to me just to be friendly (rather than because they wanted something). I"m thinking it will be a good visit.
There is a ball field beside my guesthouse, and there is a cricket game going on right now. It's between two teams sponsored by businesses. There's even a live band consisting of about 6-7 musicians with about half playing drums and the others playing brass instruments. It's very festive and has a real local feel to it (versus being something for the tourist).
The department store I saw this morning was very old in a wonderful ornate colonial building painted burnt orange and white. It had craky wooden floors. It was quite faded though with even much of the merchandise looking old. It had a small food store that was popular though.
____
It's 5:00 p.m., and I'm getting exhausted. I've walked and walked and walked today. I went from the guesthouse to the National Museum first. I toured it and enjoyed myself. It's quite nice. And I was glad to see there was far more than religious artifacts on display--puppets, masks, furniture, grave stones, parts of old temples, photographs, paintings, etc. There were many school children touring the museum, and they were fascinated with me. I would say hello to them, and they would giggle and gather around me to try to talk. They were all between about 10 and 15 years of age. I got frustrated, though, when a guy came up to me and said he was a museum employee and that I should see the gallery of the gold Buddha because it was about to close; he ended up being a self-appointed guide who wanted money for showing me around. I plan to file a complaint with the tourist office about it.
From the museum, I walked to the university and went through its grounds. There were three different cricket games in progress on various fields on the university grounds. There are no classes on Saturday, so there weren't many students around.
Then I walked to the Independence Memorial and saw it. From there, I walked to the seaside area because a student told me I would find an internet cafe here (which I did). Now I will begin to walk back to the hotel and find a restaurant on the way.
It's 2:00 a.m. and I just arrived at my hotel with so many impressions. First, the airport (where we arrived 5 minutes past midnight of July 25) is only about the size of the Corpus Christi Airport, but the flights are to/from Paris, Frankfurt, Dubai, Bangkok. Singapore, etc., and most of them arrive and leave between mightnight and 6:00 a.m. Second, the town is alive. At 1:00-1:30 a.m. as the taxi brought me into town, we passed city buses in operation, bakeries and food stores that were open, people in the streets, etc. Third, it seems nicer than India so far, but still not great. Will have to see as time passes. Fourth, my room is okay with a table and two straight-back chairs, a chest, a bed, a side chair, a bath with tub/shower, and a ceiling fan.
____
I slept fairly well. The bed is an open-springs and mattress with slats, and there aren't enough slats. It sags in places. Then at 6:00 a.m. as the sun came up, either monkeys, birds, or a combination of both started making lots of noise. I had to put in my ear plugs. (This guesthouse is called Lake Lodge because it is beside a lake, and I can hear lots of birds now.)
I'm a littler frustrated. The man the guesthouse arranged the taxi with is really a travel agent. He said he would come here this morning to take care of everything which means he plans for me to pay for the taxi and for him to push me to make travel arrangements and hotel reservations through him. I need to get to the tourist office and to the airline office before they close at 12:30 (which they do on Saturday).
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Well, I paid the guesthouse owner for the taxi and didn't meet with the travel agent. Instead, I did my scheduled errands:
1. A very sweet young lady named Daneesha helped me at the tourist office. She gave me maps and brochures, reviewed my itinerary and gave me suggestions, and told me how to get to places I need to go here in town.
2. I went to the twin towers of the World Trade Center (Yes, they have such a place here!) and bought my air ticket to get to India. I had to extend my stay by 2 1/2 days because flights were fully booked until then. I got economy class one way to Trivandrum on August 10 for 6000 rupees ($61.69 U.S.).
3. I went to the railway station and bought my ticket for leaving Colombo for the highlands and the old cultural sites for Monday morning at 5:45 a.m.! I got a 1st class observation car seat for 277 rupees (only $2.85 U.S.) for the 4 1/2 hour trip.
4. Finally, I explored the old colonial center of town. I looked at the nice colonial buildings, went into an old department store, and looked at arts and crafts in a state-operated shop.
Sri Lanka is definitely a country with a cival war going on. (Actually, there is a cease fire with only an occasional skirmish at the moment.) There are police checkpoints everywhere. We passed several last night coming from the airport and were stopped once for a check of the driver's papers. About 1/3 of the old colonial core is barricaded so that only pedestrians can enter (through checkpoints where the soldiers have machine guns) because the President's home is there and they are afriad of an attack. And about 20% of the old colonial core has been barricaded as off limits to everyone because of the home. (There have been some nice buildings that have had to be abandoned because of it, and I'm sure many of the businesses on the barricaded streets have suffered because of a lack of through traffic.)
I feel more comfortable being here after my morning outing. I was not hassled as much as I expected, and I felt safer than I thought I might feel. (I was worried about touts, pickpockets, etc.) I was surprised how many people said hello to me just to be friendly (rather than because they wanted something). I"m thinking it will be a good visit.
There is a ball field beside my guesthouse, and there is a cricket game going on right now. It's between two teams sponsored by businesses. There's even a live band consisting of about 6-7 musicians with about half playing drums and the others playing brass instruments. It's very festive and has a real local feel to it (versus being something for the tourist).
The department store I saw this morning was very old in a wonderful ornate colonial building painted burnt orange and white. It had craky wooden floors. It was quite faded though with even much of the merchandise looking old. It had a small food store that was popular though.
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It's 5:00 p.m., and I'm getting exhausted. I've walked and walked and walked today. I went from the guesthouse to the National Museum first. I toured it and enjoyed myself. It's quite nice. And I was glad to see there was far more than religious artifacts on display--puppets, masks, furniture, grave stones, parts of old temples, photographs, paintings, etc. There were many school children touring the museum, and they were fascinated with me. I would say hello to them, and they would giggle and gather around me to try to talk. They were all between about 10 and 15 years of age. I got frustrated, though, when a guy came up to me and said he was a museum employee and that I should see the gallery of the gold Buddha because it was about to close; he ended up being a self-appointed guide who wanted money for showing me around. I plan to file a complaint with the tourist office about it.
From the museum, I walked to the university and went through its grounds. There were three different cricket games in progress on various fields on the university grounds. There are no classes on Saturday, so there weren't many students around.
Then I walked to the Independence Memorial and saw it. From there, I walked to the seaside area because a student told me I would find an internet cafe here (which I did). Now I will begin to walk back to the hotel and find a restaurant on the way.
Friday, July 25, Singapore
I went from one end of the East-West Metro Line to the other end getting to the airport. It took 67 minutes and cost only $1.70 Singapore (or 98 cents U.S.). That's really rather fast and definitely a bargain. A taxi would have cost $30 Singapore ($17.34 U.S.).
I got to the airport quite early. Boarding isn't for another 4 1/2 to 5 hours, but I didn't want to take the Metro around 5:00 p.m. when it would be so crowded. Besides, Diane's brother arrives from the U.S. tonight at midnight, so my early departure gives her a chance to do some cleaning and organizing or maybe just some relaxing. Besides, Singapore Airport has lots of keep waiting passengers occupied. there is live cultural entertainment, a free movie theater (showing Star Movies), special areas with flatscreen TVs showing various cable channels (CNN, BBC, ESPN, Star Sports, etc.), an outdoor sunflower garden, etc. There's even an area with free internet access sponsored by Samsung if someone wants to jockey for a place at one of the computers. Of course, if you want to spend money, there is even more--a hotel, a health spa, electronic games areas, etc. The airport is attractive, too. There are beautiful live orchids everywhere along with nice sculptural fountains. While I've been wiating, I at at Burger King, exchanged my remaining Singapore dollars, watched a rugby game between Australia and New Zealand (a one-sided one which the Aussies won 48-6), and a live performance of a singer/musician/songwriter. The entertainer is a member of an a capella group in which is the mouth percussionist. He deomonstrated how he makes and puts together the sounds of the bass drum, snare drum (including rim hits), and top hat cymbols (both open and closed). He is really quite talented. His group is called Scritch (because they have an itch that needs scratching) and his e-mail address is mouthdrummer@excite.com.
Spending Updates: I spent 15 days in Malaysia and spent a total of $351.42 for an average of $23.43 per day. I spent 2 days in Singapore and spent a total of $56.27 for an average of $28.14. (That amount is low because I didn't have a hotel bill and because Joe and Diane limited what they would allow me to pay when we went out. Joe said, "I don't want to ruin your spending average for the trip!") Since the beginning of the trip, I have traveled for 39 days and spent $1018.40 (not including dental expenses of $89.87) for an average cost of $26.11 per day or $783.30 per month.
I went from one end of the East-West Metro Line to the other end getting to the airport. It took 67 minutes and cost only $1.70 Singapore (or 98 cents U.S.). That's really rather fast and definitely a bargain. A taxi would have cost $30 Singapore ($17.34 U.S.).
I got to the airport quite early. Boarding isn't for another 4 1/2 to 5 hours, but I didn't want to take the Metro around 5:00 p.m. when it would be so crowded. Besides, Diane's brother arrives from the U.S. tonight at midnight, so my early departure gives her a chance to do some cleaning and organizing or maybe just some relaxing. Besides, Singapore Airport has lots of keep waiting passengers occupied. there is live cultural entertainment, a free movie theater (showing Star Movies), special areas with flatscreen TVs showing various cable channels (CNN, BBC, ESPN, Star Sports, etc.), an outdoor sunflower garden, etc. There's even an area with free internet access sponsored by Samsung if someone wants to jockey for a place at one of the computers. Of course, if you want to spend money, there is even more--a hotel, a health spa, electronic games areas, etc. The airport is attractive, too. There are beautiful live orchids everywhere along with nice sculptural fountains. While I've been wiating, I at at Burger King, exchanged my remaining Singapore dollars, watched a rugby game between Australia and New Zealand (a one-sided one which the Aussies won 48-6), and a live performance of a singer/musician/songwriter. The entertainer is a member of an a capella group in which is the mouth percussionist. He deomonstrated how he makes and puts together the sounds of the bass drum, snare drum (including rim hits), and top hat cymbols (both open and closed). He is really quite talented. His group is called Scritch (because they have an itch that needs scratching) and his e-mail address is mouthdrummer@excite.com.
Spending Updates: I spent 15 days in Malaysia and spent a total of $351.42 for an average of $23.43 per day. I spent 2 days in Singapore and spent a total of $56.27 for an average of $28.14. (That amount is low because I didn't have a hotel bill and because Joe and Diane limited what they would allow me to pay when we went out. Joe said, "I don't want to ruin your spending average for the trip!") Since the beginning of the trip, I have traveled for 39 days and spent $1018.40 (not including dental expenses of $89.87) for an average cost of $26.11 per day or $783.30 per month.
Thursday, July 24, 2003
Thursday, July 24, Singapore
We stayed on the Nanyang Technical University campus all day. Diane and I met Joe at his office around noon. He showed us around the building. Then we all went to one of the canteens on campus--a covered, open-air food court with about 10 individual food stalls serving various types of food (Malay, Indian, Muslim, Western, etc.) at very reasonable prices. Then we walked through a small rainforest area near the canteen.
After Joe returned to work, Diane and I went to another canteen for juice. I had honeydew melon. Then we went to a "carnival" being held for students. Mainly, it was sales booths offering computer-related items, clothes, magazine subscriptions, etc. What was fun to see was an activity center sponsored by Lipton Tea. It consisted of an inflatable border for a playing field with net goals on each end. There was a metal framework outside the field that supported 6 metal bars going across the field. Players wore belts around their waists that had rings attaching themselves to the metal crossbars. They could, therefore, move from side to side of the field, but not toward the goals. A ball was thrown, and the players tried to make goals by positioning themselves to kick the ball or hit it with their heads to go into the goal nets. It was human tethered fooshball! And it was fun to watch.
Friday, July 25, Singapore
It's a lazy day. I have spent all morning cleaning and packing. I will have lunch with Diane and Joe, then I will leave for the airport. It will be a slow trip all the way across town via the metro. My flight isn't until tonight, but I want to go before rush hour begins. I'll fly to Sri Lanka and arrive there at midnight. I have a reservation, and the guesthouse is sending a taxi to pick me up at the airport. That's about it for today.
We stayed on the Nanyang Technical University campus all day. Diane and I met Joe at his office around noon. He showed us around the building. Then we all went to one of the canteens on campus--a covered, open-air food court with about 10 individual food stalls serving various types of food (Malay, Indian, Muslim, Western, etc.) at very reasonable prices. Then we walked through a small rainforest area near the canteen.
After Joe returned to work, Diane and I went to another canteen for juice. I had honeydew melon. Then we went to a "carnival" being held for students. Mainly, it was sales booths offering computer-related items, clothes, magazine subscriptions, etc. What was fun to see was an activity center sponsored by Lipton Tea. It consisted of an inflatable border for a playing field with net goals on each end. There was a metal framework outside the field that supported 6 metal bars going across the field. Players wore belts around their waists that had rings attaching themselves to the metal crossbars. They could, therefore, move from side to side of the field, but not toward the goals. A ball was thrown, and the players tried to make goals by positioning themselves to kick the ball or hit it with their heads to go into the goal nets. It was human tethered fooshball! And it was fun to watch.
Friday, July 25, Singapore
It's a lazy day. I have spent all morning cleaning and packing. I will have lunch with Diane and Joe, then I will leave for the airport. It will be a slow trip all the way across town via the metro. My flight isn't until tonight, but I want to go before rush hour begins. I'll fly to Sri Lanka and arrive there at midnight. I have a reservation, and the guesthouse is sending a taxi to pick me up at the airport. That's about it for today.
Wednesday, July 23, 2003
Wednesday, July 23, Singapore
It's 1:00 p.m., and we are on a lunch stop for the Melacco Singapore Express Bus. I ate breakfast and used my last cash to pay part of the hotel bill, so I'm just resting here at the stop. I did save my coins so I could go to the toilet here though!
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The bus arrived on time. I found an ATM in the next block and then got a map from a nearby hotel. The man giving me the map suggested that I take the metro to the last station and then take a cab, so I did.
While here, I am visiting with friend's of a former colleague. Malcolm Butler left TAMU-CC for the University of Georgia, and Joe Riley, a colleague of his there, retired in May and took a 3-year appointment here with the National Institute of Education at Nanyang Technical University. He and his wife Diane invited me to stay with them the two days I will be here. Upon arrival by taxi, I was surprised that Nanyang Technical University is so modern and so spread out. I found the right apartment using directions Joe had e-mailed me and introduced myself to Diane, then Joe arrived just a few minutes later.
We visited while snacking on cheese and crackers. Then Diane served an Indian meal she had bought from a local man--tandoori chicken, rice, roti, and cucumber. I felt that we all got along well instantly. We visited about Joe's job, their adjustment to living in Singapore, my travels, the around-the-world air tickets, etc.
Around 8:45 p.m., we took the bus and metro to town. We walked along Clark Quay and Boat Quay. Then we took a boat tour down the river and into the harbor and back, seeing the riverside restaurants, the fancy hotels, the tall office buildings, the merlion fountain that is the symbol of Singapore, etc. Being on the water provided beautiful views of the city. We sat on a floating boat restaurant in the river and had a drink before returning to their apartment at 12:30 a.m.
Thursday, July 24, Singapore
I am doing laundry this morning. Diane and I will go to meet Joe around 11:30 for lunch. I will get to see more of the campus then. We have nothing special planned for the day. Joe has to work until 5:30 p.m. We will probably go out this evening.
It's 1:00 p.m., and we are on a lunch stop for the Melacco Singapore Express Bus. I ate breakfast and used my last cash to pay part of the hotel bill, so I'm just resting here at the stop. I did save my coins so I could go to the toilet here though!
____
The bus arrived on time. I found an ATM in the next block and then got a map from a nearby hotel. The man giving me the map suggested that I take the metro to the last station and then take a cab, so I did.
While here, I am visiting with friend's of a former colleague. Malcolm Butler left TAMU-CC for the University of Georgia, and Joe Riley, a colleague of his there, retired in May and took a 3-year appointment here with the National Institute of Education at Nanyang Technical University. He and his wife Diane invited me to stay with them the two days I will be here. Upon arrival by taxi, I was surprised that Nanyang Technical University is so modern and so spread out. I found the right apartment using directions Joe had e-mailed me and introduced myself to Diane, then Joe arrived just a few minutes later.
We visited while snacking on cheese and crackers. Then Diane served an Indian meal she had bought from a local man--tandoori chicken, rice, roti, and cucumber. I felt that we all got along well instantly. We visited about Joe's job, their adjustment to living in Singapore, my travels, the around-the-world air tickets, etc.
Around 8:45 p.m., we took the bus and metro to town. We walked along Clark Quay and Boat Quay. Then we took a boat tour down the river and into the harbor and back, seeing the riverside restaurants, the fancy hotels, the tall office buildings, the merlion fountain that is the symbol of Singapore, etc. Being on the water provided beautiful views of the city. We sat on a floating boat restaurant in the river and had a drink before returning to their apartment at 12:30 a.m.
Thursday, July 24, Singapore
I am doing laundry this morning. Diane and I will go to meet Joe around 11:30 for lunch. I will get to see more of the campus then. We have nothing special planned for the day. Joe has to work until 5:30 p.m. We will probably go out this evening.
Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Tuesday, July 22, Melaka, Malaysia
The hotel is quiet. I slept until I naturally awoke. They have a Malaysian buffet for breakfast, so I had noodles, fried rice, and other goodies. I also had toast, jam, and cereal.
I explored Chinatown, part of historical Melaka. But I went further than the tourist streets where I had been last time I was here. I walked up and down the "local" streets where the people living in the area work and shop. They are filled with shops that have existed for many years, often with no remodeling. Wooden, glass-doored shelving on walls is common. I found a street with hardware shops and furniture makers. I found another street with tinsmith shops where they were making milkcans and other items. I went to the only shop in the world where they still make shoes for women who bound their feet from early youth. The shoes look like toy shoes.
I also went back to Kampung Morten, a village within the city that consists of typical Malaysian-style houses. It was within there that I discovered a street with houses occupied by animists two years ago. At the time I didn't know what the miniature teacups, teapots, houses, etc., in the front yards meant. But a picture in National Geographic of similar homes identified the residents as animists.
While out, I bought my ticket to leave for Singapore by bus at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow. I also went to a specialty food company and bought several Malaysian products to take as a gift to the Rileys in Singapore. Now it's early afternoon and I will go to the pool with my book (Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder) for a while.
____
After a while at the pool, I went to the room and planned my itinerary through Sri Lanka. It's my next country, and I fly there on Friday night. I needed an itinerary, because I must buy a flight ticket from there to southern India during my first couple of days there. Without an itinerary, I wouldn't know what my date of departure would be. Now I have set one and can get the ticket while still in Colombo the first couple of days.
I then returned to the center of Melaka and toured the replica of the old Sultan's Palace from the 1400s. The original burned, but they found detailed plans of its construction and rebuilt it a few years ago as a tourist attraction. It had been closed for repairs when I was here before. At the time, I told myself it was a reason to come back here, so I had to see it this time around.
Tomorrow will be a travel day. When I arrive in Singapore, I will be visiting with Dr. and Mrs. Joe Riley. He's a retired science professor from the University of Georgia and is teaching at a university in Singapore as a part of a National Institutes of Education program. I may not be able to get onto the computer to update things; I won't know until I am there.
The hotel is quiet. I slept until I naturally awoke. They have a Malaysian buffet for breakfast, so I had noodles, fried rice, and other goodies. I also had toast, jam, and cereal.
I explored Chinatown, part of historical Melaka. But I went further than the tourist streets where I had been last time I was here. I walked up and down the "local" streets where the people living in the area work and shop. They are filled with shops that have existed for many years, often with no remodeling. Wooden, glass-doored shelving on walls is common. I found a street with hardware shops and furniture makers. I found another street with tinsmith shops where they were making milkcans and other items. I went to the only shop in the world where they still make shoes for women who bound their feet from early youth. The shoes look like toy shoes.
I also went back to Kampung Morten, a village within the city that consists of typical Malaysian-style houses. It was within there that I discovered a street with houses occupied by animists two years ago. At the time I didn't know what the miniature teacups, teapots, houses, etc., in the front yards meant. But a picture in National Geographic of similar homes identified the residents as animists.
While out, I bought my ticket to leave for Singapore by bus at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow. I also went to a specialty food company and bought several Malaysian products to take as a gift to the Rileys in Singapore. Now it's early afternoon and I will go to the pool with my book (Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder) for a while.
____
After a while at the pool, I went to the room and planned my itinerary through Sri Lanka. It's my next country, and I fly there on Friday night. I needed an itinerary, because I must buy a flight ticket from there to southern India during my first couple of days there. Without an itinerary, I wouldn't know what my date of departure would be. Now I have set one and can get the ticket while still in Colombo the first couple of days.
I then returned to the center of Melaka and toured the replica of the old Sultan's Palace from the 1400s. The original burned, but they found detailed plans of its construction and rebuilt it a few years ago as a tourist attraction. It had been closed for repairs when I was here before. At the time, I told myself it was a reason to come back here, so I had to see it this time around.
Tomorrow will be a travel day. When I arrive in Singapore, I will be visiting with Dr. and Mrs. Joe Riley. He's a retired science professor from the University of Georgia and is teaching at a university in Singapore as a part of a National Institutes of Education program. I may not be able to get onto the computer to update things; I won't know until I am there.
Monday, July 21, 2003
Sunday, July 20, Kampung Cherating, Malaysia
I've just had "pancake with maple syrup and banana." It was one large plate-size pancake with slices of banana on top and a spiral of maple syrup over it. And it was good. I'm having freshly-blended pineapple juice afterwards. It's another covered, open-air restaurant with a view toward the sea. Life is pleasant.
I've decided that what I like about cherating is its peacefulness. It's a quiet place, yet there is a wide choice of restaurants. It's untouched by package tourism, so everyone here is visiting on their own. The locals interact with the tourists. And 75% or more of the tourists are Malaysians. It's an easy place to take life easy.
Package tourism in nearby, though. My guidebook says there is a Club Med Resort just over the hill north of here. Fortunately, Club Meds are all-inclusive places and the guests tend not to venture beyond their confines. That leaves Cherating as a quiet, relaxing place for me and the few others who have come here. It's somehwat like Tioman Island without the hassle of getting to an island.
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Spent much of the hot part of the afternoon finishing House of Sand and Fog (3 1/2 starts out of 5). (The characters never redeemed themselves. They continued to be losers who got no sympathy from me. It was an Oprah book, so she must have loved them.) Returned to the Cultural Center at 4:30 p.m. and enjoyed watching a male singing group perform. It was a local style of music where a lead singer sings a few lines then the other 12 or so men repeat a line as a chorus while clapping and making hand movements. There were several Malaysians there, but I was the only Westerner.
Had a whole fried fish with rice and a thick, dark sauce for dinner. It was tasty, but I had difficulty enjoying it because flies showed up and wouldn't leave me alone as long as the food was there.
Monday, July 21, Melaka, Malaysia
Well, I'm living in luxury again. I'm on the 18th floor of The Emperor Hotel in Melaka with a queen size bed, video channels on TV, a pool, and a great view. I could easily just stay in this room and by the pool for the two days I will be here.
I rushed and was lucky this morning. I caught the first local bus from Cherating at 7:20 knowing that the morning bus from Kuantan to Melaka would depart at 9:00. When I got off the local bus about 6-8 blocks from the long-distance bus station, it was already 8:45. I walked fast and made it there at 8:55 with my shins in pain from stress. That extra 5 minutes had to be used to buy my ticket and get my luggage loaded in the hold, and I made it! (Otherwise, I would have had to wait for the afternoon bus leaving at 2:30 p.m.) We arrived here in Melaka about 3:00, and I came directly to The Emperor, since I had seen a newspaper ad with a special rate: $22.37 with breakfast.
I was in Melaka two years ago and have seen most of the sites here. It's a goopd city for tourists, and I'll go back to see the old Dutch center of town. Mainly I stopped here because I needed to break the trip between Cherating and Singapore where I'll spend 3 days starting Wednesday.
I've just had "pancake with maple syrup and banana." It was one large plate-size pancake with slices of banana on top and a spiral of maple syrup over it. And it was good. I'm having freshly-blended pineapple juice afterwards. It's another covered, open-air restaurant with a view toward the sea. Life is pleasant.
I've decided that what I like about cherating is its peacefulness. It's a quiet place, yet there is a wide choice of restaurants. It's untouched by package tourism, so everyone here is visiting on their own. The locals interact with the tourists. And 75% or more of the tourists are Malaysians. It's an easy place to take life easy.
Package tourism in nearby, though. My guidebook says there is a Club Med Resort just over the hill north of here. Fortunately, Club Meds are all-inclusive places and the guests tend not to venture beyond their confines. That leaves Cherating as a quiet, relaxing place for me and the few others who have come here. It's somehwat like Tioman Island without the hassle of getting to an island.
____
Spent much of the hot part of the afternoon finishing House of Sand and Fog (3 1/2 starts out of 5). (The characters never redeemed themselves. They continued to be losers who got no sympathy from me. It was an Oprah book, so she must have loved them.) Returned to the Cultural Center at 4:30 p.m. and enjoyed watching a male singing group perform. It was a local style of music where a lead singer sings a few lines then the other 12 or so men repeat a line as a chorus while clapping and making hand movements. There were several Malaysians there, but I was the only Westerner.
Had a whole fried fish with rice and a thick, dark sauce for dinner. It was tasty, but I had difficulty enjoying it because flies showed up and wouldn't leave me alone as long as the food was there.
Monday, July 21, Melaka, Malaysia
Well, I'm living in luxury again. I'm on the 18th floor of The Emperor Hotel in Melaka with a queen size bed, video channels on TV, a pool, and a great view. I could easily just stay in this room and by the pool for the two days I will be here.
I rushed and was lucky this morning. I caught the first local bus from Cherating at 7:20 knowing that the morning bus from Kuantan to Melaka would depart at 9:00. When I got off the local bus about 6-8 blocks from the long-distance bus station, it was already 8:45. I walked fast and made it there at 8:55 with my shins in pain from stress. That extra 5 minutes had to be used to buy my ticket and get my luggage loaded in the hold, and I made it! (Otherwise, I would have had to wait for the afternoon bus leaving at 2:30 p.m.) We arrived here in Melaka about 3:00, and I came directly to The Emperor, since I had seen a newspaper ad with a special rate: $22.37 with breakfast.
I was in Melaka two years ago and have seen most of the sites here. It's a goopd city for tourists, and I'll go back to see the old Dutch center of town. Mainly I stopped here because I needed to break the trip between Cherating and Singapore where I'll spend 3 days starting Wednesday.
Saturday, July 19, 2003
Saturday, July 19, Kampung Cheratuing, Malaysia
Wow, I slept well and long--about 11 hours beginning at 10:30 p.m. All I remember is some thunder during the night and my usual vivid dreams.
Had a great sweet and sour chicken freshly made with lots of chicken and lots of vegetables with rice for lunch (for $1.05 U.S.). It was at an open-air restaurant facing the beach. Afterwards, I walked down the beach, but not many people were there yet. I stopped at a batik shop that has do-it-yourself facilities. About six people were working on projects, but only two were far enough along to admire. They were both by a married couple from England. I got a photo of him working on his. Then I walked to the highway, along it to the second entrance to the village, and back to the room without discovering anything special.
I'm not reading House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III. I've read 155 of the 365 pages and will finish it today or tomorrow. It's well written, but it's a book that makes me uncomfortable. The main characters are people who fail to make wise decisions and find themselves sinking deeper and deeper into trouble. I don't like it when people don't take control of situations and manage them wisely to avoid further problems. Whatever bad happens to the three main characters will be deserved aolthough they are likable people in general.
Oh, I can see that the Circus Lunar is run by a group of young hippies who speak English. This morning they were teaching local youngsters some basic tricks like spinning plates on dowel sticks. My guess is that these people figured out they could travel and lead a rather easy life by learning basic tricks and by performing as a band at local clubs. It would be interesting to know how long they've been together and where they have traveled during that time. As "free" a life as it sounds, they still are working. They put up/take down the tent, perform, cook meals, do laundry, etc. And I'm sure they have regular worries about money and whether there is enough to pay the bills (gasoline, bus maintenance, food, etc.) and keep going. They've just chosen a unique way to work for a living.
____
I bought a cup of homemade ice cream from a bicycle vendor and walked to the end of the village I had not explored yet. I found the Cherating Cultural Center and was invited onto the grouds. It was 2:45 p.m., and they had performances starting at 3:00. Other than about 6-7 Malaysians, I was the only person there. It's too bad others didn't know to come. I saw demonstrations of batik making, kite flying, traditional music (played with obe-like instruments, native drums, and a gone), and the hacky-sack-type game called sepak raga and played with a 15 cm (6 inch) diameter hollow ball made from interwoven strips of bamboo (rattan).
While there I had conversations with the batik artist, the center's manager, and another employee who is a security guard. All spoke English well. I was asked about Bush's war in Irak and was told that the Irakis are tribal people who have never been colonized and that it is natural that they should resist. At the same time, they said their biggest potential external problem here in Malaysia is related to the Koreas and the aggressiveness of North Korea. Internally, they said that corruption was their biggest problem. Although there is a campaign against it, they felt that the "big fish" will never be punished and that the problem will persist.
____
After writing the above while still at the center, the day turned even more fun. I was invited to play the gong with the band. Then the top spinners started their demonstration and got me involved in spinning one, too. (They use a long rope that gets thinner and thinner toward the tip. The thin part is wrapped around the top. What's left is wrapped around the arm with a loop at the end placed around the little finger.) More tourists arrived, too. Two young Malaysian men fron KL visited with me. Then an Irish family (man about 40, his wife, son, and daughter) visited with me for a while. They are here for a month while the kids are on their summer school holiday. Then I met a German man with a young Thai or Malaysia man. It was fun and interesting visiting with all of them. I didn't leave the cultural center until 5:30.
____
I'm sitting by the sea for dinner. I have a big glass of watermelon juice, and I've ordered sweet and sour fish with rice for dinner. There's a nice cooling breeze off the water and lightning in the distance. The paper yesterday said storms were headed this way, but so far it has been limited to bands of rain at night. I should be able to enjoy my dinner and be back in my room reading before this one arrives.
Note: Computers are expensive here in Cheratting. I won't post an update tomorrow. I will try to get onto a computer again Monday when I arrive in Melakka.
Wow, I slept well and long--about 11 hours beginning at 10:30 p.m. All I remember is some thunder during the night and my usual vivid dreams.
Had a great sweet and sour chicken freshly made with lots of chicken and lots of vegetables with rice for lunch (for $1.05 U.S.). It was at an open-air restaurant facing the beach. Afterwards, I walked down the beach, but not many people were there yet. I stopped at a batik shop that has do-it-yourself facilities. About six people were working on projects, but only two were far enough along to admire. They were both by a married couple from England. I got a photo of him working on his. Then I walked to the highway, along it to the second entrance to the village, and back to the room without discovering anything special.
I'm not reading House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III. I've read 155 of the 365 pages and will finish it today or tomorrow. It's well written, but it's a book that makes me uncomfortable. The main characters are people who fail to make wise decisions and find themselves sinking deeper and deeper into trouble. I don't like it when people don't take control of situations and manage them wisely to avoid further problems. Whatever bad happens to the three main characters will be deserved aolthough they are likable people in general.
Oh, I can see that the Circus Lunar is run by a group of young hippies who speak English. This morning they were teaching local youngsters some basic tricks like spinning plates on dowel sticks. My guess is that these people figured out they could travel and lead a rather easy life by learning basic tricks and by performing as a band at local clubs. It would be interesting to know how long they've been together and where they have traveled during that time. As "free" a life as it sounds, they still are working. They put up/take down the tent, perform, cook meals, do laundry, etc. And I'm sure they have regular worries about money and whether there is enough to pay the bills (gasoline, bus maintenance, food, etc.) and keep going. They've just chosen a unique way to work for a living.
____
I bought a cup of homemade ice cream from a bicycle vendor and walked to the end of the village I had not explored yet. I found the Cherating Cultural Center and was invited onto the grouds. It was 2:45 p.m., and they had performances starting at 3:00. Other than about 6-7 Malaysians, I was the only person there. It's too bad others didn't know to come. I saw demonstrations of batik making, kite flying, traditional music (played with obe-like instruments, native drums, and a gone), and the hacky-sack-type game called sepak raga and played with a 15 cm (6 inch) diameter hollow ball made from interwoven strips of bamboo (rattan).
While there I had conversations with the batik artist, the center's manager, and another employee who is a security guard. All spoke English well. I was asked about Bush's war in Irak and was told that the Irakis are tribal people who have never been colonized and that it is natural that they should resist. At the same time, they said their biggest potential external problem here in Malaysia is related to the Koreas and the aggressiveness of North Korea. Internally, they said that corruption was their biggest problem. Although there is a campaign against it, they felt that the "big fish" will never be punished and that the problem will persist.
____
After writing the above while still at the center, the day turned even more fun. I was invited to play the gong with the band. Then the top spinners started their demonstration and got me involved in spinning one, too. (They use a long rope that gets thinner and thinner toward the tip. The thin part is wrapped around the top. What's left is wrapped around the arm with a loop at the end placed around the little finger.) More tourists arrived, too. Two young Malaysian men fron KL visited with me. Then an Irish family (man about 40, his wife, son, and daughter) visited with me for a while. They are here for a month while the kids are on their summer school holiday. Then I met a German man with a young Thai or Malaysia man. It was fun and interesting visiting with all of them. I didn't leave the cultural center until 5:30.
____
I'm sitting by the sea for dinner. I have a big glass of watermelon juice, and I've ordered sweet and sour fish with rice for dinner. There's a nice cooling breeze off the water and lightning in the distance. The paper yesterday said storms were headed this way, but so far it has been limited to bands of rain at night. I should be able to enjoy my dinner and be back in my room reading before this one arrives.
Note: Computers are expensive here in Cheratting. I won't post an update tomorrow. I will try to get onto a computer again Monday when I arrive in Melakka.
Friday, July 18, Kampung Cherating, Malaysia
I traveled all day to cross the Malaysian penninsula and got here. It's a beach resort with a special aspect--it's a native kampung or village that just happens to have resort facilities. And it has lived up to its promise. It's just like staying in a small village that happens to be next to a beach. There's no bank, no supermarket. I haven't even found a post office. It has lots of places offering small bungalows for rent, quite a few restaurants, several bars (with a couple of them having live music), and the local people and their homes. That's about it.
The local people are excited today. You can see it by the way they cluster and stare and talk among each other. The reason for all of this: Circus Lunar has set up in town. It ha a small tent (one circle with folding chairs around it) and travels in two buses (one a two-story bus). They have one performing animal--a horse which was tied up and available for rent to ride at the beach today. The troup also has a band and it is scheduled to perform at one of the bars tonight after the circus performance.
This part of Malaysia is almost totally Muslim. The women go into the water at the beach covered from head to ankles. Most of the men do, too. Alcohol is sold only in the 4-5 bars that serve the western tourists. The states on this side of the penninsula have even implemented Islamic law. But the people are nice and friendly. And this is a popular resort for backpackers and for tourists from Singapore and inland cities of Malaysia.
I took the local bus from Kuantan to get to Cherating. Because I had my suitcase, I held back until everyone had gotten off the bus at the end-of-the-line tation and everyone getting onto it for the next trip had gone ahead. I was surprised when I got o that an elderly man had seen me and had sat in the front seat to save it for me. He told me to put my suitcase on the gear box cover and to sit in the seat. Then he asked where I was from. When I said, "USA," he got excited and said, "My sister lives there." He had a beautiful British eaccent and explained that he was a retired soldier from the British Royal Services.
My bungalow is basic but better than most in the village. It has a TV, a/c, and hot water. All the bungalows here at the Cherating Palm Resort are scattered around a landscaped garden. I have a folding chair I can put on the porch or in the garden. The windows are decorative colored glass panels, so there is no way to see in or out; that's the only thing that disappoints me. I like more light in a place.
I had dinner tonight at "The Deadly Nightshade" at The Shadow of the Moon Resort. Sound strange? It is a little. It's built on a hillside. The restaurant/bar is a big open-air structure on stilts with jungle growth all around. Customers sit on cushions on bamboo-framed sofas and the food is served on tables that are cross-sections of trees. There is a slanted corregated roof on each side and a cathedral woven bamboo roof in the center section. Birds and insects can be heard outside. It was a fun experience.
I traveled all day to cross the Malaysian penninsula and got here. It's a beach resort with a special aspect--it's a native kampung or village that just happens to have resort facilities. And it has lived up to its promise. It's just like staying in a small village that happens to be next to a beach. There's no bank, no supermarket. I haven't even found a post office. It has lots of places offering small bungalows for rent, quite a few restaurants, several bars (with a couple of them having live music), and the local people and their homes. That's about it.
The local people are excited today. You can see it by the way they cluster and stare and talk among each other. The reason for all of this: Circus Lunar has set up in town. It ha a small tent (one circle with folding chairs around it) and travels in two buses (one a two-story bus). They have one performing animal--a horse which was tied up and available for rent to ride at the beach today. The troup also has a band and it is scheduled to perform at one of the bars tonight after the circus performance.
This part of Malaysia is almost totally Muslim. The women go into the water at the beach covered from head to ankles. Most of the men do, too. Alcohol is sold only in the 4-5 bars that serve the western tourists. The states on this side of the penninsula have even implemented Islamic law. But the people are nice and friendly. And this is a popular resort for backpackers and for tourists from Singapore and inland cities of Malaysia.
I took the local bus from Kuantan to get to Cherating. Because I had my suitcase, I held back until everyone had gotten off the bus at the end-of-the-line tation and everyone getting onto it for the next trip had gone ahead. I was surprised when I got o that an elderly man had seen me and had sat in the front seat to save it for me. He told me to put my suitcase on the gear box cover and to sit in the seat. Then he asked where I was from. When I said, "USA," he got excited and said, "My sister lives there." He had a beautiful British eaccent and explained that he was a retired soldier from the British Royal Services.
My bungalow is basic but better than most in the village. It has a TV, a/c, and hot water. All the bungalows here at the Cherating Palm Resort are scattered around a landscaped garden. I have a folding chair I can put on the porch or in the garden. The windows are decorative colored glass panels, so there is no way to see in or out; that's the only thing that disappoints me. I like more light in a place.
I had dinner tonight at "The Deadly Nightshade" at The Shadow of the Moon Resort. Sound strange? It is a little. It's built on a hillside. The restaurant/bar is a big open-air structure on stilts with jungle growth all around. Customers sit on cushions on bamboo-framed sofas and the food is served on tables that are cross-sections of trees. There is a slanted corregated roof on each side and a cathedral woven bamboo roof in the center section. Birds and insects can be heard outside. It was a fun experience.
Thursday, July 17, 2003
Thursday, July 17, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Public mass transportation in KL is a good case AGAINST privatization of certain services. There are four rail lines and various local bus lines--all with separate owners. That means that a trip involving two rail lines and a bus requires standing in line 3 times to buy tickets, paying 3 times for one trip, and making some awkward transfers (since none of them share facilities). Furthermore, when a rail line goes bankrupt, as the KL Monorail Line has, it is lost as a part of the system and makes direct trips more difficult to make and leaves a hulking infrastructure abandoned and looking forelorn.
Well, the third try did it. I finally got a hotel I like here in KL. The location is good--across the street from a new mall and near both LRT lines. The room is bright and furnished nicely. The view is good--I can even see on of the Petronas Towers between two other skyscrapers. And the price is fine--80 ringgets ($21.05) including breakfast. Wish I had been here the other two nights.
I considered leaving town today, but I'm running out of places to go in Malaysia with too many days remaining until I should arrive in Singapore next Wednesday. I've just spent the day relaxing--reading the newspaper, going through the shopping mall, wandering over near the Petronas Towers, etc.
Tomorrow will be a long day of travel. I will cross the peninsula to the eastern side and check in at a small beach resort that is popular. It's called Kampung Cherating. I'll stay there for 3 nights, I guess.
Public mass transportation in KL is a good case AGAINST privatization of certain services. There are four rail lines and various local bus lines--all with separate owners. That means that a trip involving two rail lines and a bus requires standing in line 3 times to buy tickets, paying 3 times for one trip, and making some awkward transfers (since none of them share facilities). Furthermore, when a rail line goes bankrupt, as the KL Monorail Line has, it is lost as a part of the system and makes direct trips more difficult to make and leaves a hulking infrastructure abandoned and looking forelorn.
Well, the third try did it. I finally got a hotel I like here in KL. The location is good--across the street from a new mall and near both LRT lines. The room is bright and furnished nicely. The view is good--I can even see on of the Petronas Towers between two other skyscrapers. And the price is fine--80 ringgets ($21.05) including breakfast. Wish I had been here the other two nights.
I considered leaving town today, but I'm running out of places to go in Malaysia with too many days remaining until I should arrive in Singapore next Wednesday. I've just spent the day relaxing--reading the newspaper, going through the shopping mall, wandering over near the Petronas Towers, etc.
Tomorrow will be a long day of travel. I will cross the peninsula to the eastern side and check in at a small beach resort that is popular. It's called Kampung Cherating. I'll stay there for 3 nights, I guess.
Wednesday, July 16, 2003
Wednesday, July 15, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Wow, I walked, and walked, and walked today. On the tourist map, it shows that I walked from below the bottom of the map to almost the top of it. Everyone is amazed here when I tell them how far I went.
I saw a film today: "Bride of Fire" from Iran. It was fascinating and very well made. It deals with the conflicts between the old tribal ways of doing things and modern living. It is quite tragic. For those familiar with the programs at the university, I've always thought that a few films like this should be the basis for the course we offer entitled "Multicultural Studies." It would be interesting to put a group of South Texas students into a room to see this film and then have follow-up discussions: Do you understand WHY ___? Do you see any parallels to what happened in this film and what has happened to you or to people you know in South Texas? Can you understand why each character reacted the way she/he did? How many of you feel that you are trapped by family expectations? Are you as "trapped" as the woman in the film was? Etc. I imagine this film is out or will be out on video someday soon. I recommend it.
Speaking of videos, I went to Chinatown today where they sell everything FAKE. They have the latest films on video. (Of course, you may see a shadow of a man pass in front of the picture, because it was filmed in the theater using a video camera!) They have fake luggage, fake purses, fake watches, etc.
Besides seeing the film and going to Chinatown, I went to the National Museum, the National Mosque, and explored several of the interesting buildings with Islamic architecture in the center of town.
I may leave the city tomorrow. I had planned to stay two more days, but I think I would be happier in a smaller, more interesting place. Will read my guidebook to see if there is anything left that I really need to see or do here. If not, I'll be out of town tomorrow morning heading for the eastern coast of Malaysia.
Wow, I walked, and walked, and walked today. On the tourist map, it shows that I walked from below the bottom of the map to almost the top of it. Everyone is amazed here when I tell them how far I went.
I saw a film today: "Bride of Fire" from Iran. It was fascinating and very well made. It deals with the conflicts between the old tribal ways of doing things and modern living. It is quite tragic. For those familiar with the programs at the university, I've always thought that a few films like this should be the basis for the course we offer entitled "Multicultural Studies." It would be interesting to put a group of South Texas students into a room to see this film and then have follow-up discussions: Do you understand WHY ___? Do you see any parallels to what happened in this film and what has happened to you or to people you know in South Texas? Can you understand why each character reacted the way she/he did? How many of you feel that you are trapped by family expectations? Are you as "trapped" as the woman in the film was? Etc. I imagine this film is out or will be out on video someday soon. I recommend it.
Speaking of videos, I went to Chinatown today where they sell everything FAKE. They have the latest films on video. (Of course, you may see a shadow of a man pass in front of the picture, because it was filmed in the theater using a video camera!) They have fake luggage, fake purses, fake watches, etc.
Besides seeing the film and going to Chinatown, I went to the National Museum, the National Mosque, and explored several of the interesting buildings with Islamic architecture in the center of town.
I may leave the city tomorrow. I had planned to stay two more days, but I think I would be happier in a smaller, more interesting place. Will read my guidebook to see if there is anything left that I really need to see or do here. If not, I'll be out of town tomorrow morning heading for the eastern coast of Malaysia.
Tuesday, July 15, 2003
Tuesday, July 15, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
First, let me say that I have just checked weather.com, and it looks as if the hurricane is going inland north of Corpus Christi. That's a relief. Corpus should get quite a bit of rain, I would imagine, but not as much as it would have gotten if the storm had passed south of the city.
____
I'm sitting in a shopping mall two blocks from my hotel waiting for the rain to stop. I traveleed by bus from 8:30 until 1:00 p.m. today to get here in KL from the Cameron Highlands. It took two hours of twisting and winding just to travel the first 64 km (38 miles) out of the highlands. It's a beautiful place, but how I would hate that drive in and out if I lived there!
I checked into the Plaza Hotel as soon as I arrived here. It's a 3-star place and includes breakfast. Strangely, though, there is no satellite or cable TV in 3-star hotels in Malaysia. There are only local channels. I've checked the rates at other 3-star places since checking in, and I may move to another hotel after tonight. One is 2/3 the price and includes free access to the sauna along with breakfast. It, however, is another 2-3 blocks further from the center of town. Another a block closer to the center of town is about 12% cheaper. I may move to one for one night and to the other for another night!
I wandered north of the hotel to explore and to pick up tourist literature. The first storm of the day came on that outing as I was returning to the hotel. I've now explored south to the beginning of the colonial center of town, and this storm hit me on the way back from there. I've used my umbrella for the first time on the trip because of these storms. It had started raining so hard when I ducked into the mall, however, that even the umbrella wasn't worthwhile.
From the moment we entered town, the Petronas Towers, the tallest buildings in the world, were obvious on the skyline. They're attractive from a distance of a few blocks away. And Malaysians are VERY proud of them. There is a commerial on TV each night with a montage of scenes of the country backed by patriotic music. The towers and the flag feature most prominantly in it.
One interesting observation: Walk signs at intersections here show a profile of a person with legs that move. When the light is first green, the legs move normally as a number display counts down the seconds to go. When the seconds to go reach 10, however, the person's legs start RUNNING! It's so cute. They aren't very tolerant of pedestrians here anyway, so if they are going to favor us with our own light, I guess they expect us to start running to finish getting across the street in time.
First, let me say that I have just checked weather.com, and it looks as if the hurricane is going inland north of Corpus Christi. That's a relief. Corpus should get quite a bit of rain, I would imagine, but not as much as it would have gotten if the storm had passed south of the city.
____
I'm sitting in a shopping mall two blocks from my hotel waiting for the rain to stop. I traveleed by bus from 8:30 until 1:00 p.m. today to get here in KL from the Cameron Highlands. It took two hours of twisting and winding just to travel the first 64 km (38 miles) out of the highlands. It's a beautiful place, but how I would hate that drive in and out if I lived there!
I checked into the Plaza Hotel as soon as I arrived here. It's a 3-star place and includes breakfast. Strangely, though, there is no satellite or cable TV in 3-star hotels in Malaysia. There are only local channels. I've checked the rates at other 3-star places since checking in, and I may move to another hotel after tonight. One is 2/3 the price and includes free access to the sauna along with breakfast. It, however, is another 2-3 blocks further from the center of town. Another a block closer to the center of town is about 12% cheaper. I may move to one for one night and to the other for another night!
I wandered north of the hotel to explore and to pick up tourist literature. The first storm of the day came on that outing as I was returning to the hotel. I've now explored south to the beginning of the colonial center of town, and this storm hit me on the way back from there. I've used my umbrella for the first time on the trip because of these storms. It had started raining so hard when I ducked into the mall, however, that even the umbrella wasn't worthwhile.
From the moment we entered town, the Petronas Towers, the tallest buildings in the world, were obvious on the skyline. They're attractive from a distance of a few blocks away. And Malaysians are VERY proud of them. There is a commerial on TV each night with a montage of scenes of the country backed by patriotic music. The towers and the flag feature most prominantly in it.
One interesting observation: Walk signs at intersections here show a profile of a person with legs that move. When the light is first green, the legs move normally as a number display counts down the seconds to go. When the seconds to go reach 10, however, the person's legs start RUNNING! It's so cute. They aren't very tolerant of pedestrians here anyway, so if they are going to favor us with our own light, I guess they expect us to start running to finish getting across the street in time.
Monday, July 14, 2003
Question for Readers
Over the past few weeks, I have been making a list of things that bother me when traveling. I have turned this into a way-it-out-to-be versus way-it-is-when-it-is-bothersome list. From there, I decided that what it really has become is two lists: the way things are in first-world travel nations versus the way things are in non-first world travel nations. (Do not think of this as the U.S. and Europe vs. the rest of the world. The U.S. and Europe fall on the negative side in some of the things I have delineated.) Think only of being a traveler and what has bugged you because it wasn't how it should have been.
I'm not going to publish my list here. I want to receive ideas from you readers. Then I will take your ideas and add them to mine (when they don't overlap) and come up with a final list. But here is one item from my list to help you understand what I mean: There should not be a price differential between what is charged foreign tourists and local people: First-world travel countries charge the same price for admission to tourist sites and and for transporation for foreign tourists as they do local citizens.
So, readers, write me an e-mail and tell me what has bugged you when traveling because it wasn't the way it should have been and tell me how it should have been.
rdrum@falcon.tamucc.edu
Over the past few weeks, I have been making a list of things that bother me when traveling. I have turned this into a way-it-out-to-be versus way-it-is-when-it-is-bothersome list. From there, I decided that what it really has become is two lists: the way things are in first-world travel nations versus the way things are in non-first world travel nations. (Do not think of this as the U.S. and Europe vs. the rest of the world. The U.S. and Europe fall on the negative side in some of the things I have delineated.) Think only of being a traveler and what has bugged you because it wasn't how it should have been.
I'm not going to publish my list here. I want to receive ideas from you readers. Then I will take your ideas and add them to mine (when they don't overlap) and come up with a final list. But here is one item from my list to help you understand what I mean: There should not be a price differential between what is charged foreign tourists and local people: First-world travel countries charge the same price for admission to tourist sites and and for transporation for foreign tourists as they do local citizens.
So, readers, write me an e-mail and tell me what has bugged you when traveling because it wasn't the way it should have been and tell me how it should have been.
rdrum@falcon.tamucc.edu
Sunday Night, July 13, Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
They have a small night market two blocks from where I'm staying. It was interesting to note that the busiest stall seemed to be one with a portable pizza oven. Lots of the young backpackers were lined up to get pizza.
As the guidebook had said it would, it turned quite cool when the sun went down. I took out my new travel jacket (a yellow, hooded raincoat/windbreaker) and it felt good. I felt sorry for the westerners I saw in their short sleeves. They must have been cold.
I went to a nearby Indian restaurant I had seen this afternoon. they have a heated clay pot for cooking their nan bread properly (by sticking the flattened dough to the inside of the wall of the jug until it loosens naturally). I ordered one of my favorite Indian dishes--chicken tikka, boneless chunks of chicken marinated in a spicy yogurt mixture and charcoaled on a grill. It came with nan, dal (curried lentils) and a green spicy mixture with a yogurt base. Of course, I showed my proer Indian eating habits by using my right hand only, by tearing the nan in a one-handed twisting move, and by picking everything up using my pieces of nan. I accomplanied it all with two glasses of hot tea.
Monday, July 14, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
Being here reminds me of being at a Danish summer house. The weather is like a good Danish summer day. The air is fresh and cool--almost too cool early in the day and in the evening. The birds are singing. Everything is green with lots of flowers blooming. During the daytime the temperature warms up to be almost too warm when directly in the sun, but it can cool down quickly if the clouds move in.
Since today was one of the sunny days, I went hiking. I took a trail beside a stream and followed it to its end. Then I followed the road beside the golf course to Brinchang, the next town up the valley. It's a smaller town than Tanah Rata, but it has bigger hotels. Then on the return, I took a different route. I turned off for a short detour to a tribal village (Orang Asli Village) but was disappointed to find it consisted of concrete and wooden huts with tin roofs rather than the expected bamboo huts. I ended the 10 km (6 mile) round-trip hike back in Tanah Rata in time for lunch--chicken sandwich, scone (with butter, cream, and jam), and tea.
The hike reminded me of one of the things that has happened here in the past. It was on a hike in the Cameron Highlands that Jim Thompson, a CIA agent famous for reviving the Thai silk industry (and whose home I toured in Bangkok last year), disappeared and was never found. No one knows what happened, but there is speculation that he was "taken."
Also during the hike today, I finished reading The Diagnosis by Alan Lightman. It's not a book I would recommend unless maybe it was for reading in a class for M.B.A. students.
They have a small night market two blocks from where I'm staying. It was interesting to note that the busiest stall seemed to be one with a portable pizza oven. Lots of the young backpackers were lined up to get pizza.
As the guidebook had said it would, it turned quite cool when the sun went down. I took out my new travel jacket (a yellow, hooded raincoat/windbreaker) and it felt good. I felt sorry for the westerners I saw in their short sleeves. They must have been cold.
I went to a nearby Indian restaurant I had seen this afternoon. they have a heated clay pot for cooking their nan bread properly (by sticking the flattened dough to the inside of the wall of the jug until it loosens naturally). I ordered one of my favorite Indian dishes--chicken tikka, boneless chunks of chicken marinated in a spicy yogurt mixture and charcoaled on a grill. It came with nan, dal (curried lentils) and a green spicy mixture with a yogurt base. Of course, I showed my proer Indian eating habits by using my right hand only, by tearing the nan in a one-handed twisting move, and by picking everything up using my pieces of nan. I accomplanied it all with two glasses of hot tea.
Monday, July 14, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
Being here reminds me of being at a Danish summer house. The weather is like a good Danish summer day. The air is fresh and cool--almost too cool early in the day and in the evening. The birds are singing. Everything is green with lots of flowers blooming. During the daytime the temperature warms up to be almost too warm when directly in the sun, but it can cool down quickly if the clouds move in.
Since today was one of the sunny days, I went hiking. I took a trail beside a stream and followed it to its end. Then I followed the road beside the golf course to Brinchang, the next town up the valley. It's a smaller town than Tanah Rata, but it has bigger hotels. Then on the return, I took a different route. I turned off for a short detour to a tribal village (Orang Asli Village) but was disappointed to find it consisted of concrete and wooden huts with tin roofs rather than the expected bamboo huts. I ended the 10 km (6 mile) round-trip hike back in Tanah Rata in time for lunch--chicken sandwich, scone (with butter, cream, and jam), and tea.
The hike reminded me of one of the things that has happened here in the past. It was on a hike in the Cameron Highlands that Jim Thompson, a CIA agent famous for reviving the Thai silk industry (and whose home I toured in Bangkok last year), disappeared and was never found. No one knows what happened, but there is speculation that he was "taken."
Also during the hike today, I finished reading The Diagnosis by Alan Lightman. It's not a book I would recommend unless maybe it was for reading in a class for M.B.A. students.
Sunday, July 13, 2003
Sunday, July 13, Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
I feel much better today. I got about 13 hours of sleep yesterday afternoon and last night. My nose cleared enough that I can breathe through it (although it is still a little runny), and I got over the worst of my pain in the calves of my legs that had bothered me since the long, steep walk down Penang Hill last week.
I'm writing this on one of my TWO balconies that my room in the Cameron Highlands has. I spent the morning coming here via two buses. I arrived at 1:30 p.m. and went immediately to a restaurant I had already picked out from the guidebook as being across the street from the bus station. I sat outside under an umbrella and ate roast duck with rice. I had a wonderfully thick banana shake to go with it. The sun was shining and the air was cool and fresh. I knew I had chosen a good place to come!
I was surprised on the way up here, because we passed hill tribesmen. We actually went through villages of them--clusters of bamboo houses built on stilts with palm frond roofs. I didn't expect to see that on a road coming to such a popular place. We passed one tribesman who had a group of tourists clustered around him as he demonstrated something, so maybe some of them make their living off tourism now.
I'm staying at the Hillview Inn. My room is on a back corner. That's why it has two balconies. The hills begin rising just behind the inn, so I have a view of the wild growth on the hillside as I sit here. Among the growth are a variety of blossoming plants. I see flowers that are yellow, red, orange, purpose, and pink. Best of all about being here however, is the fresh air and the peacefullness of it all. I think I could spend several days here! But I will limit myself to two. I hope to go hiking on one or two of the mountain trails tomorrow.
I feel much better today. I got about 13 hours of sleep yesterday afternoon and last night. My nose cleared enough that I can breathe through it (although it is still a little runny), and I got over the worst of my pain in the calves of my legs that had bothered me since the long, steep walk down Penang Hill last week.
I'm writing this on one of my TWO balconies that my room in the Cameron Highlands has. I spent the morning coming here via two buses. I arrived at 1:30 p.m. and went immediately to a restaurant I had already picked out from the guidebook as being across the street from the bus station. I sat outside under an umbrella and ate roast duck with rice. I had a wonderfully thick banana shake to go with it. The sun was shining and the air was cool and fresh. I knew I had chosen a good place to come!
I was surprised on the way up here, because we passed hill tribesmen. We actually went through villages of them--clusters of bamboo houses built on stilts with palm frond roofs. I didn't expect to see that on a road coming to such a popular place. We passed one tribesman who had a group of tourists clustered around him as he demonstrated something, so maybe some of them make their living off tourism now.
I'm staying at the Hillview Inn. My room is on a back corner. That's why it has two balconies. The hills begin rising just behind the inn, so I have a view of the wild growth on the hillside as I sit here. Among the growth are a variety of blossoming plants. I see flowers that are yellow, red, orange, purpose, and pink. Best of all about being here however, is the fresh air and the peacefullness of it all. I think I could spend several days here! But I will limit myself to two. I hope to go hiking on one or two of the mountain trails tomorrow.
Saturday, July 12, 2003
Saturday, July 12, Ipoh, Malaysia
I changed plans today. I had intended to go to the Cameron Highlands, but I found out it's a school holiday here. Popular places like that will be overrun and possibly fully booked. Besides, I don't feel well because of a cold.
I met a nice young couple at the bus station in Kuala Kangsar this morning. They are the ones who told me about the holiday. We visited as we waited for the bus to Ipoh. Then we sat together on the bus and continued to visit during the 45 minute trip. Her name is Wing and his is Danny. When we got to Ipoh, they brought me in a taxi to a hotel they recommended and then refused to let me pay for the taxi. They asked if I would like to go shopping with them, but I was really tired. I went to the room and slept for 2 hours in a deep sleep. Now I have had lunch and am on the computer, but I plan to go back to bed in the hotel early tonight, I think.
I changed plans today. I had intended to go to the Cameron Highlands, but I found out it's a school holiday here. Popular places like that will be overrun and possibly fully booked. Besides, I don't feel well because of a cold.
I met a nice young couple at the bus station in Kuala Kangsar this morning. They are the ones who told me about the holiday. We visited as we waited for the bus to Ipoh. Then we sat together on the bus and continued to visit during the 45 minute trip. Her name is Wing and his is Danny. When we got to Ipoh, they brought me in a taxi to a hotel they recommended and then refused to let me pay for the taxi. They asked if I would like to go shopping with them, but I was really tired. I went to the room and slept for 2 hours in a deep sleep. Now I have had lunch and am on the computer, but I plan to go back to bed in the hotel early tonight, I think.
Friday, July 11, 2003
Thursday Night, July 10, Taiping, Malaysia
I went to Night Safari, and it was GREAT. It starts after dar at the Taiping Zoo. They use downward lights on the pathways and moonlight lighting on the exhibition areas. The effect is amazing. The fencing almost disappears, and you're upon an animal before you know it because of the shadows. The sounds from the animals, the birds, the insects, etc., are fascinating. And the zoo was so uncrowded that 90% of the time I was completely alone with the animals in the dark. Some experiences:
1. I hadn't seen the Malaysian wild pig this afternoon, so I was gazing into his area as I slowly walked along trying to see if he was out or not. Suddenly, just one meter (one yard) in fromt of me in a dark area, he snorted loudly, jumped up, and started running away!
2. As I walked by the Malaysian Honey Bear exhibit, one of the bears paused from his walking around the enclosure and sniffed. Then, as I continued walking, he turned and walked beside me until he to to the end of his enclosure. As I walked away, he began to make a strange sound. I went back to see what was happening. He had his paws over his nose and eyes and was making a fluttering, gurgling type noise. It seemed something related to the purring of a cat. After about a minute, he stopped and looked up at me again.
3. The dromedary camel whistles. He did it several times.
4. As I walked by the black leopard enclosure, he stepped out of a shadow walking beside me just one meter (one yard) away. It was a surprise, and it seemed almost like the fence wasn't there because of the darkness.
5. As I walked through a back part of the zoo, the lights went completely out. Via REAL moonlight (through the cloud cover), I could see the path and the animals. I think I liked this the best, since it was just me and the animals together in the REAL night time!
The Night Safari is a good idea. Other zoos should do the same thing. And they should have an adults-only night occasionally, since kids tend to get excited and to yell when absolute quiet is what is best for this experience.
Friday, July 11, Kuala Kangsar, Malaysia
Happy birthday to me,
Happy birthday to me....
After a short bus trip, I arrived in Kuala Kangsar, the residence of the sultan for this region of Malaysia. I checked into the "Rest House," a former mansion on the edge of the royal grounds that has been converted into a hotel. I have a HUGE ruoom with a patio overlooking the river here. The place is somewhat faded; however, it is supposed to be the best place in town.
I spent the morning walking through the royal grounds, stopping to snap photos of the various buildings. There are three palaces and a whole village of houses where employees of the sultan and their families live. The oldest palace from the late 1800s through 1936 (a temporary palace built because flooding destroyed the previous one) is open as a museum. It's built in Malay style with beautiful wooden floors, woven bamboo walls, and lots of carved wood trim that looks like filigree. The main palace is huge with big, golden onion-shaped domes on top. Aropund it all is a beautiful landscaped park. I sat at an outdoor restaurant looking through the fencing toward the main palace as I ate lunch on an outdoor patio. I had a glass of hot tea (thick with milk and sugar) and a plate of noodles with chicken.
During the afternoon, I explored the town. It is home to several prestigious private schools. I went purposely to see Malay College. It's considered the most prestigious school in Malaysia ("the Eton of Malaysia") and was established to educate the children of the sultan. Anthony Burgess taught there and did some of his writing there. I also explore the riverfront area which is landscaped as a nice park and searched for famous old buildings throughout town. In place of birthday cake, I stopped at a bakery and bought two coconut desserts--a sweet bun filled with shredded coconut with brown sugar and a small coconut tart. The bun was the best. Then I bought a newspaper and spent about two hours reading it.
Tonight, I will eat Indian food, I think. A large portion of the Malaysia population is of Indian descent. This town isn't known for its restaurants, but my guidebook recommended an Indian place. So that's why I will go there.
I went to Night Safari, and it was GREAT. It starts after dar at the Taiping Zoo. They use downward lights on the pathways and moonlight lighting on the exhibition areas. The effect is amazing. The fencing almost disappears, and you're upon an animal before you know it because of the shadows. The sounds from the animals, the birds, the insects, etc., are fascinating. And the zoo was so uncrowded that 90% of the time I was completely alone with the animals in the dark. Some experiences:
1. I hadn't seen the Malaysian wild pig this afternoon, so I was gazing into his area as I slowly walked along trying to see if he was out or not. Suddenly, just one meter (one yard) in fromt of me in a dark area, he snorted loudly, jumped up, and started running away!
2. As I walked by the Malaysian Honey Bear exhibit, one of the bears paused from his walking around the enclosure and sniffed. Then, as I continued walking, he turned and walked beside me until he to to the end of his enclosure. As I walked away, he began to make a strange sound. I went back to see what was happening. He had his paws over his nose and eyes and was making a fluttering, gurgling type noise. It seemed something related to the purring of a cat. After about a minute, he stopped and looked up at me again.
3. The dromedary camel whistles. He did it several times.
4. As I walked by the black leopard enclosure, he stepped out of a shadow walking beside me just one meter (one yard) away. It was a surprise, and it seemed almost like the fence wasn't there because of the darkness.
5. As I walked through a back part of the zoo, the lights went completely out. Via REAL moonlight (through the cloud cover), I could see the path and the animals. I think I liked this the best, since it was just me and the animals together in the REAL night time!
The Night Safari is a good idea. Other zoos should do the same thing. And they should have an adults-only night occasionally, since kids tend to get excited and to yell when absolute quiet is what is best for this experience.
Friday, July 11, Kuala Kangsar, Malaysia
Happy birthday to me,
Happy birthday to me....
After a short bus trip, I arrived in Kuala Kangsar, the residence of the sultan for this region of Malaysia. I checked into the "Rest House," a former mansion on the edge of the royal grounds that has been converted into a hotel. I have a HUGE ruoom with a patio overlooking the river here. The place is somewhat faded; however, it is supposed to be the best place in town.
I spent the morning walking through the royal grounds, stopping to snap photos of the various buildings. There are three palaces and a whole village of houses where employees of the sultan and their families live. The oldest palace from the late 1800s through 1936 (a temporary palace built because flooding destroyed the previous one) is open as a museum. It's built in Malay style with beautiful wooden floors, woven bamboo walls, and lots of carved wood trim that looks like filigree. The main palace is huge with big, golden onion-shaped domes on top. Aropund it all is a beautiful landscaped park. I sat at an outdoor restaurant looking through the fencing toward the main palace as I ate lunch on an outdoor patio. I had a glass of hot tea (thick with milk and sugar) and a plate of noodles with chicken.
During the afternoon, I explored the town. It is home to several prestigious private schools. I went purposely to see Malay College. It's considered the most prestigious school in Malaysia ("the Eton of Malaysia") and was established to educate the children of the sultan. Anthony Burgess taught there and did some of his writing there. I also explore the riverfront area which is landscaped as a nice park and searched for famous old buildings throughout town. In place of birthday cake, I stopped at a bakery and bought two coconut desserts--a sweet bun filled with shredded coconut with brown sugar and a small coconut tart. The bun was the best. Then I bought a newspaper and spent about two hours reading it.
Tonight, I will eat Indian food, I think. A large portion of the Malaysia population is of Indian descent. This town isn't known for its restaurants, but my guidebook recommended an Indian place. So that's why I will go there.
Thursday, July 10, 2003
Thursday, July 10, Taiping, Malaysia
I'm sitting at an open air, but covered, restaurant on top of Maxwell Hill, and it's raining heavily. When I first started this way before noon, it looked as if it were raining up here, so I decided not to come. Instead, I went to Taiping Zoo. It's a very nice zoo with a good collection, especially of animals and birds from Malaysia. It was so hot and humid, however, that it was miserable being there. And many of the animals were hiding from the sun and heat themselves.
As I exited the zoo, I asked a young man directions for getting to the station for taking a jeep to Maxwell Hill and asked if he thought it was raining up here. (The clouds looked fairly light by then.) He said that although this is the wettest part of Malaysia, there has been no rain for 5 days. So I walked to the base of the hill and caught a jeep at 2 p.m. About 2/3 of the way up the 13 km (8 mi) steep, twisting roadway (which only 4-wheel drive vehicles can traverse), it began to rain hard. So when we arrived at the top, there was nothing to do but sit here in the open-sided kantina and watch and listen as the lightning, thunder, and rain occurred.
Eventually, the rain stopped, and there was a call saying that there was heavy rain down below. They decided that our trip up the hill would be the last one of the day and that we should go back down with our driver who was still there rather than waiting 2 hours until we were scheduled to go down. That was good, since there was nothing really to do up there. I should have taken my book I'm reading now, but it was packed in another bag and didn't get transferred to my "daily" bag.
The zoo here is open in the evenings from 8 p.m. until midnight for "Night Safari." The young man who gave me directions was a manager there and encouraged me to come back tonight. When I got a large bottle of water for my trek to catch the jeep up the hill, he said it was free--compliments of him. It's amazing how nice people continue to be.
Also, the family that went up the hill in the jeep with me offered to share their fried chicken with me on top. They took photos with me and said they would send me copies. And they offered me a ride into town in their car when we got back down from the hill.
I'm sitting at an open air, but covered, restaurant on top of Maxwell Hill, and it's raining heavily. When I first started this way before noon, it looked as if it were raining up here, so I decided not to come. Instead, I went to Taiping Zoo. It's a very nice zoo with a good collection, especially of animals and birds from Malaysia. It was so hot and humid, however, that it was miserable being there. And many of the animals were hiding from the sun and heat themselves.
As I exited the zoo, I asked a young man directions for getting to the station for taking a jeep to Maxwell Hill and asked if he thought it was raining up here. (The clouds looked fairly light by then.) He said that although this is the wettest part of Malaysia, there has been no rain for 5 days. So I walked to the base of the hill and caught a jeep at 2 p.m. About 2/3 of the way up the 13 km (8 mi) steep, twisting roadway (which only 4-wheel drive vehicles can traverse), it began to rain hard. So when we arrived at the top, there was nothing to do but sit here in the open-sided kantina and watch and listen as the lightning, thunder, and rain occurred.
Eventually, the rain stopped, and there was a call saying that there was heavy rain down below. They decided that our trip up the hill would be the last one of the day and that we should go back down with our driver who was still there rather than waiting 2 hours until we were scheduled to go down. That was good, since there was nothing really to do up there. I should have taken my book I'm reading now, but it was packed in another bag and didn't get transferred to my "daily" bag.
The zoo here is open in the evenings from 8 p.m. until midnight for "Night Safari." The young man who gave me directions was a manager there and encouraged me to come back tonight. When I got a large bottle of water for my trek to catch the jeep up the hill, he said it was free--compliments of him. It's amazing how nice people continue to be.
Also, the family that went up the hill in the jeep with me offered to share their fried chicken with me on top. They took photos with me and said they would send me copies. And they offered me a ride into town in their car when we got back down from the hill.
Wednesday, July 09, 2003
Late Tuesday, July 8
I walked through the old city of Georgetown today. I toured their excellent history and art museum to learn about the groups of people who have come here, why, and what they did. It's an amazingly diverse community with many religions, languages, etc. I took photos of several of the old colonial buildings, saw the old fort and the clock tower, and ate dinnerat a Muslim restaurant--chicken in soy sauce with sliced cucumbers, rice, onion soup, and a glass of watermelon juice. I'm back at the hotel at 7:00 p.m. and exhausted.
Wednesday, July 9
The mullahs called us all to prayer at 5:57 a.m.! One thing I hate about Muslim countries is the loud speakers they put on mosques. Like most religions, they don't trust their belivers to do what they out to do, so they use this loud speaker method to try to coerce them into praying together the 5 (or is it 6?) times a day they are supposed to pray.
___
I'm sitting under a giant tree at the Botanical Gardens. They are a vernicely kept parkland with trails, streams, gardens, and open grounds. They are at the base of Penang Hill.
I took two buses and two cable cars to get to the top of Penang Hill. While waiting for the second bus, I smelled a bakery behind me and bought picnic supples--a small pizza-like main course and two small cinnamon rolls. The hill is so high and so steep that it is necessary to change cable cars halfway up the 700 m (900 yd) ascent. Tropical rain forests surround the tracks, and groups of playful monkeys are passed on the way up. The air at the top is cooler and fresher than that below. There are great views down to Georgetown, although there was haze today. On top, there are trails, playgrounds, restaurants, and other diversions.
After looking around, I took a trail back down. It was 5 km (3 miles) and VERY steep. It was hurting my knees to walk down. The scenery was great, though. There were beautiful butterflies. My favorite was irridescent blue, but when it landed, its wings closed so that it looked like a brown leaf. Also, there was an insect with an interesting sound. It consisted of 4 notes (short, long, short, long) with the first and last notes being the same and with the second note lower than the first and the third note higher than the first.
I wanted to see a famous waterfall that I saw in paintings at the museum yesterday, but I missed a trail marker on the way down the hill. To get there, I would have to hike 2 km up again, and I'm just too tired and hot for that. It's certainly more pleasant just sitting under this big tree here in the gardens.
By the way, it is so nice to be able to read signs again. Malaysia uses the western alphabet. Even if it's a Malaysian word, I know how to pronounce it when I see it.
___
Well, the bus only comes once an hour to the Botanical Gardens, and one apparently broke down. I waited 1 1/2 hours with no bus in sight, so I started walking toward town (about 8 km or almost 5 miles away). I tried to get a bus after getting to a major road, but I was the only person at the bus stop, and what I was doing wasn't working to get them to stop. So I just decided to walk the whole way. I arrived at the hotel at 7:30 p.m. and had been walking, except for about 2 hours at the gardens, since noon. It was a long way, but it was a good trip with plenty to do on the way. I stopped at a store and found calamanci juice, made from an orange-lime type of fruit that looks like a kumquat and a very refreshing drink I loved when I was in The Philippines 35 years ago.
I walked through the old city of Georgetown today. I toured their excellent history and art museum to learn about the groups of people who have come here, why, and what they did. It's an amazingly diverse community with many religions, languages, etc. I took photos of several of the old colonial buildings, saw the old fort and the clock tower, and ate dinnerat a Muslim restaurant--chicken in soy sauce with sliced cucumbers, rice, onion soup, and a glass of watermelon juice. I'm back at the hotel at 7:00 p.m. and exhausted.
Wednesday, July 9
The mullahs called us all to prayer at 5:57 a.m.! One thing I hate about Muslim countries is the loud speakers they put on mosques. Like most religions, they don't trust their belivers to do what they out to do, so they use this loud speaker method to try to coerce them into praying together the 5 (or is it 6?) times a day they are supposed to pray.
___
I'm sitting under a giant tree at the Botanical Gardens. They are a vernicely kept parkland with trails, streams, gardens, and open grounds. They are at the base of Penang Hill.
I took two buses and two cable cars to get to the top of Penang Hill. While waiting for the second bus, I smelled a bakery behind me and bought picnic supples--a small pizza-like main course and two small cinnamon rolls. The hill is so high and so steep that it is necessary to change cable cars halfway up the 700 m (900 yd) ascent. Tropical rain forests surround the tracks, and groups of playful monkeys are passed on the way up. The air at the top is cooler and fresher than that below. There are great views down to Georgetown, although there was haze today. On top, there are trails, playgrounds, restaurants, and other diversions.
After looking around, I took a trail back down. It was 5 km (3 miles) and VERY steep. It was hurting my knees to walk down. The scenery was great, though. There were beautiful butterflies. My favorite was irridescent blue, but when it landed, its wings closed so that it looked like a brown leaf. Also, there was an insect with an interesting sound. It consisted of 4 notes (short, long, short, long) with the first and last notes being the same and with the second note lower than the first and the third note higher than the first.
I wanted to see a famous waterfall that I saw in paintings at the museum yesterday, but I missed a trail marker on the way down the hill. To get there, I would have to hike 2 km up again, and I'm just too tired and hot for that. It's certainly more pleasant just sitting under this big tree here in the gardens.
By the way, it is so nice to be able to read signs again. Malaysia uses the western alphabet. Even if it's a Malaysian word, I know how to pronounce it when I see it.
___
Well, the bus only comes once an hour to the Botanical Gardens, and one apparently broke down. I waited 1 1/2 hours with no bus in sight, so I started walking toward town (about 8 km or almost 5 miles away). I tried to get a bus after getting to a major road, but I was the only person at the bus stop, and what I was doing wasn't working to get them to stop. So I just decided to walk the whole way. I arrived at the hotel at 7:30 p.m. and had been walking, except for about 2 hours at the gardens, since noon. It was a long way, but it was a good trip with plenty to do on the way. I stopped at a store and found calamanci juice, made from an orange-lime type of fruit that looks like a kumquat and a very refreshing drink I loved when I was in The Philippines 35 years ago.
Tuesday, July 08, 2003
Tuesday, July 8
I was up early (5 a.m.) and caught the train for Butterworth at 6:30. Sat with a young Korean man, a student of international trade, who is on his way to Indonesia. He shared fruit with me (rambutan?--the red hairy one). There were no problems in customs. I got a 3-month stamp for staying in Malaysia. Of course, I will only be here about 15 days.
A young Malaysian man was sitting across the aisle from me and offered me a cookie. We visited for the last hour of the trip. He looked like a Malaysian Matthew Broderick. When we arrived at Butterworth, he led me to the ferry and, when I said I needed to find an ATM because I had no money, paid for my ferry ride. He then guided me to an ATM when we arrived here in Georgetown, Penang. People are always being so friendly and helpful to me!
I'm on the 9th floor of the Oriental Hotel, another place of slightly faded glory. It's quite nice compared to a couple of the backpacker places in the neighborhood that are only about $3-4 a day cheaper! Below me I can see local neighborhoods with tiled-roof two-story houses. In the near distance slightly to the left is the old centerof town with banks, a tall clock tower, etc. Slightly to the right in the near distance are the new developments--a shopping mall, the tallest (46 floors, I think) office building in town, and highrise apartments. Behind everything is the beautful light turquoise colored water that surrounds this island. Mountains (really big hills) can be seen in the far distance in all directions on the mainland. As we approached by ferry, the city surprised me wth its beauty. I can see why everyone has always said they like Penang.
Spending Update: During my 13 days in Thailand (Wednesday evening, June 25, through Tuesday afternoon, July 8) I spent $225.71 ($315.58 with my dental costs included) for an average of $17.36 per day ($24.27 per day including dental costs). Since departing on my trip, I have traveled 22 days and spent $610.71 (not including dental expenses of $89.87) for an average cost of $27.76 per day.
I was up early (5 a.m.) and caught the train for Butterworth at 6:30. Sat with a young Korean man, a student of international trade, who is on his way to Indonesia. He shared fruit with me (rambutan?--the red hairy one). There were no problems in customs. I got a 3-month stamp for staying in Malaysia. Of course, I will only be here about 15 days.
A young Malaysian man was sitting across the aisle from me and offered me a cookie. We visited for the last hour of the trip. He looked like a Malaysian Matthew Broderick. When we arrived at Butterworth, he led me to the ferry and, when I said I needed to find an ATM because I had no money, paid for my ferry ride. He then guided me to an ATM when we arrived here in Georgetown, Penang. People are always being so friendly and helpful to me!
I'm on the 9th floor of the Oriental Hotel, another place of slightly faded glory. It's quite nice compared to a couple of the backpacker places in the neighborhood that are only about $3-4 a day cheaper! Below me I can see local neighborhoods with tiled-roof two-story houses. In the near distance slightly to the left is the old centerof town with banks, a tall clock tower, etc. Slightly to the right in the near distance are the new developments--a shopping mall, the tallest (46 floors, I think) office building in town, and highrise apartments. Behind everything is the beautful light turquoise colored water that surrounds this island. Mountains (really big hills) can be seen in the far distance in all directions on the mainland. As we approached by ferry, the city surprised me wth its beauty. I can see why everyone has always said they like Penang.
Spending Update: During my 13 days in Thailand (Wednesday evening, June 25, through Tuesday afternoon, July 8) I spent $225.71 ($315.58 with my dental costs included) for an average of $17.36 per day ($24.27 per day including dental costs). Since departing on my trip, I have traveled 22 days and spent $610.71 (not including dental expenses of $89.87) for an average cost of $27.76 per day.
Monday, July 07, 2003
Monday, July 7
I spent the morning coming to Hat Yai, a big, commercial center one hour from the Malaysian border. I came via mini-bus packed as one of four sardines in the back seat for 3 hours! It became obvious that I couldn't make it all the way to Georgetown on the island of Penang in one day, so this was the logical place to break the trip.
I'm checked into a nondescript hotel that has the advantage of being two blocks from the train station. The bad news about it is that the hotel room smells strongly of cigarette smoke. The good news is that the cable TV has lots of English language channels--CNN, BBC, Bloomberg, and FOX (yuck!) news channels and several sports and movie channels. That's probably because most of the business in Hat Yai comes from Malaysian men (who tend to speak English). Another interesting thing is that those businessmen, coming from a conservative Muslim country, also apparently come here to take advantage of the loose morals in Thailand. The first thing the bellboy asked when we got to the room as wether I wanted to order a girl!
Final Observations/Comments from Thailand:
1. People here in the south call me Joe. I guess it comes from G.I. Joe. When I was in The Philippines 35 years ago, all American men were called Joe there for that reason.
2. All over town, there are people sitting at folding tables on the sidewalk with 2-3 mobile phones in front of them. They sell usage by the minute. It's the modern version of the phone booth!
3. As I searched for an Internet cafe yesterday, I found several television cafes. Like Internet cafes, there are booths. Each has a TV, however, with headphones. You pay by the hour to watch TV. One person might be watching a football game while the one next to him might be watching a soap opera.
4. One of the nice things about Thai people--male, female, young, old--is that as soon as you look them in the eyes, nod, and say hello, they ALWAYS break into a big, friendly smile!
I spent the morning coming to Hat Yai, a big, commercial center one hour from the Malaysian border. I came via mini-bus packed as one of four sardines in the back seat for 3 hours! It became obvious that I couldn't make it all the way to Georgetown on the island of Penang in one day, so this was the logical place to break the trip.
I'm checked into a nondescript hotel that has the advantage of being two blocks from the train station. The bad news about it is that the hotel room smells strongly of cigarette smoke. The good news is that the cable TV has lots of English language channels--CNN, BBC, Bloomberg, and FOX (yuck!) news channels and several sports and movie channels. That's probably because most of the business in Hat Yai comes from Malaysian men (who tend to speak English). Another interesting thing is that those businessmen, coming from a conservative Muslim country, also apparently come here to take advantage of the loose morals in Thailand. The first thing the bellboy asked when we got to the room as wether I wanted to order a girl!
Final Observations/Comments from Thailand:
1. People here in the south call me Joe. I guess it comes from G.I. Joe. When I was in The Philippines 35 years ago, all American men were called Joe there for that reason.
2. All over town, there are people sitting at folding tables on the sidewalk with 2-3 mobile phones in front of them. They sell usage by the minute. It's the modern version of the phone booth!
3. As I searched for an Internet cafe yesterday, I found several television cafes. Like Internet cafes, there are booths. Each has a TV, however, with headphones. You pay by the hour to watch TV. One person might be watching a football game while the one next to him might be watching a soap opera.
4. One of the nice things about Thai people--male, female, young, old--is that as soon as you look them in the eyes, nod, and say hello, they ALWAYS break into a big, friendly smile!
Sunday, July6
Today was one of those special days that happens occasionally. As I was walking to the National Museum, I came to Wat Mahathat, a temple from 757 A.D. with a chedi spire topped aby 962 kg (about 2000 lbs) of gold. The sun was right, so I decided to go inside to take a photo. A group of young people rushed up to me with a form in their hands. I recognized the situation, because I've encountered it before. They were students studying English and had an assignment to get the questionnaire completed by a foreigner. I didn't mind doing it, but things turned out differently this time.
After we completed the form and took the usual photos, they asked if I had time to come with them. We went inside a temple and took another photograph. They had me shake the can of numbered sticks until one fell out and they read me my fortune based on its number--only good things, they said. They bought incense and flowers and we went inside the base of the chedi where they had me light the incense, bow, stick it in the sand, and leave the flowers behind. They took me to the top of the chedi with an orange cloth in my hands to represent the monk's fabric, and we walked around the base of the chedi 3 times. They had me rub the rounded part of a gong until it made a vigrating sound. They had me drop coins into 108 ceramic jars. They offered to buy me checken and rice for lunch, but I wasn't hungry. Then they gave me a bag of gifsts--a framed set of images representing local folk tales, a shadow puppet from a local craftsman, and a bag of special dessert sticks (that look like a crunchy version of beeswax candles). They were all 14 years old and very nice. Their English was poor enough that it was difficult to talk much. But the experiences made my day.
I toured the National Museum. Then I stopped for a haircut on the way back into town. I came to the hotel and bathed to get rid of the loose hair.
I had been hearing loud music behind the hotel yesterday and today, so I thought I would investigate. It wasn't easy getting there, because it was on a deadend alley. I had thought it might be a temple celebration because of the sounds. As I approached, however, I could see it was a private party. I was seen and was approached by one of the celebrators and invited to join them. I resisted since it was a private affair. (It looked like a wedding celebration, because a young man was wearing a gold band around his head and a long white lace shirt that came to his knees and was receiving envelopes from guests. I couldn't see a bride, however.) The man who pulled me into the celebration encouraged me to dance with the 7-8 women who were dancing to the music of a band consisting of about 10 men playing exotic instruments. When I did, the crowd of about 100 people sitting at tables under a tent roared and applauded, and the man took several photos with his camera. One of the women brought me a glass of red soda pop, then the man who invited me brought another glass with some type of alcoholic drink. No one spoke enough English for ne to know what was happening. They invited ne to eat, but it was too awkward not being able to communicate with anyone. I congratulated the man with the gold headband and lace shirt, and I excused myself with everyone waving good-bye to me.
I went across the street from my hotel to the fish restaurant I had seen last night. The owner, who got a master's degree from a university in Los Angeles, helped me decide what to get. I splurged by ordering two dishes--a whole fish wrapped in banana leaves and foil and cooked over charcoal and a dish of sweet and sour shrimp. Both were good, but the fish was outstanding--soft and tasty and served with two types of spicy sauces.
While there, I described the ceremony I had visited, and the restaurant owner said that the man with the gold band and lace shirt was 31 years old and, as custom dictates, will now become a Buddhist monk for 3 months. The envelopes contain money to help offset the expenses for the part.
Today was one of those special days that happens occasionally. As I was walking to the National Museum, I came to Wat Mahathat, a temple from 757 A.D. with a chedi spire topped aby 962 kg (about 2000 lbs) of gold. The sun was right, so I decided to go inside to take a photo. A group of young people rushed up to me with a form in their hands. I recognized the situation, because I've encountered it before. They were students studying English and had an assignment to get the questionnaire completed by a foreigner. I didn't mind doing it, but things turned out differently this time.
After we completed the form and took the usual photos, they asked if I had time to come with them. We went inside a temple and took another photograph. They had me shake the can of numbered sticks until one fell out and they read me my fortune based on its number--only good things, they said. They bought incense and flowers and we went inside the base of the chedi where they had me light the incense, bow, stick it in the sand, and leave the flowers behind. They took me to the top of the chedi with an orange cloth in my hands to represent the monk's fabric, and we walked around the base of the chedi 3 times. They had me rub the rounded part of a gong until it made a vigrating sound. They had me drop coins into 108 ceramic jars. They offered to buy me checken and rice for lunch, but I wasn't hungry. Then they gave me a bag of gifsts--a framed set of images representing local folk tales, a shadow puppet from a local craftsman, and a bag of special dessert sticks (that look like a crunchy version of beeswax candles). They were all 14 years old and very nice. Their English was poor enough that it was difficult to talk much. But the experiences made my day.
I toured the National Museum. Then I stopped for a haircut on the way back into town. I came to the hotel and bathed to get rid of the loose hair.
I had been hearing loud music behind the hotel yesterday and today, so I thought I would investigate. It wasn't easy getting there, because it was on a deadend alley. I had thought it might be a temple celebration because of the sounds. As I approached, however, I could see it was a private party. I was seen and was approached by one of the celebrators and invited to join them. I resisted since it was a private affair. (It looked like a wedding celebration, because a young man was wearing a gold band around his head and a long white lace shirt that came to his knees and was receiving envelopes from guests. I couldn't see a bride, however.) The man who pulled me into the celebration encouraged me to dance with the 7-8 women who were dancing to the music of a band consisting of about 10 men playing exotic instruments. When I did, the crowd of about 100 people sitting at tables under a tent roared and applauded, and the man took several photos with his camera. One of the women brought me a glass of red soda pop, then the man who invited me brought another glass with some type of alcoholic drink. No one spoke enough English for ne to know what was happening. They invited ne to eat, but it was too awkward not being able to communicate with anyone. I congratulated the man with the gold headband and lace shirt, and I excused myself with everyone waving good-bye to me.
I went across the street from my hotel to the fish restaurant I had seen last night. The owner, who got a master's degree from a university in Los Angeles, helped me decide what to get. I splurged by ordering two dishes--a whole fish wrapped in banana leaves and foil and cooked over charcoal and a dish of sweet and sour shrimp. Both were good, but the fish was outstanding--soft and tasty and served with two types of spicy sauces.
While there, I described the ceremony I had visited, and the restaurant owner said that the man with the gold band and lace shirt was 31 years old and, as custom dictates, will now become a Buddhist monk for 3 months. The envelopes contain money to help offset the expenses for the part.
Saturday, July 05, 2003
Saturday, July 5
It's 8:00 a.m., and I am sittingh beside the beach at Na Than, the main town on Koh Samui. I originally thought I would take the boat from here and catch a bus on the other side. But now I've been told there is a bus from here. YOu get it, then it goes on the ferry. It's not until 11:30, so there was no rush for me to get up and get here.
___
I went to a bakery and ate two rolls--one pineapple filled and the other chocolate filled. I finished my book. Then I waited at the bus station. Now we are on our way via the ferry to the mainland. I was concered about two things before we left: 1) The man who looked like he might be our driver also looked like an alcoholic. @) The boat it looked like we were taking looked like a rust bucket. I was glad to see, as we departed, that the alcoholic was the ticket taker and not the driver. And rather than turning down the pier to the rust bucket, we drove out of town to another pier. The ship we're on isn't too bad, but it has seen many years of service. The Australian I met on the other boat coming to the island explained that all Thai ferries are used ones that have been discarded by Japan. Well, we've traveled halfway to the mainland, and everything seems okay so far!!
___
I decided I deserved some luxury for a change. Therefore, I've checked into the Nakhon Garden Inn in Nakhon Si Tammarart, my last stop, I guess, in Thailand. The hotel has a medium-sized two-story open-air lobby like is popular in Hawaii. There are two three-story wings with rooms with a lush tropical garden between. My room has cream-colored glazed tile floors and orange brick walls. The king-size bed is made of a nice dark wood and has a woven plaid bedspread in greens, purples, pinks and golds. There are large framed woven mats of stripped bamboo on the wall behind the bed. On the side wall is a framed weaving in green, orange, and gold in stripes, plaids, and squares. There's a desk and mirror and a side chair made from the same wood as the bed, a large mini-fridge, and a ceramic lamp that looks like it was locally crafted. There is a plate of fresh fruit on the desk. Of course, there is TV, a/c, and a bath with hot water. I could have stayed in a clean, pleasant fan room at the Thai Lee Hotel for only 140 Baht ($3.25 U.S.), but I'm splurging as I said earlier at 445 Baht ($10.67 U.S.)! I think I deserve it!
I had two more nice conversations tonight. First, the young lady at 7-11 was curious about why I am here and what I will do. I told her my planned itinerary for seeing the local sites tomorrow. I could tell she was so proud that I was here and had a full program planned. Second, as I was returning to the hotel and was just across the street, an older man enthusiastically asked, "Where you from?" When I replied, "USA," he became so excited. He said he lived in Illinois for 20 years and recently returned to Thailand after retiring. He said he asks all the time where people are from and never finds an American; they are usually Europeans or South Americans. He said his cousin owns my hotel. And he was impressed that I'm traveling alone and chose to come here. He wanted to know why I'm here, how long I'm staying, where else I've been, etc. He said, "I ask a hundred people, and no one says, 'USA.'" He was getting a fish dinner to go from a restaurant across the street. I may eat there tomorrow.
It's 8:00 a.m., and I am sittingh beside the beach at Na Than, the main town on Koh Samui. I originally thought I would take the boat from here and catch a bus on the other side. But now I've been told there is a bus from here. YOu get it, then it goes on the ferry. It's not until 11:30, so there was no rush for me to get up and get here.
___
I went to a bakery and ate two rolls--one pineapple filled and the other chocolate filled. I finished my book. Then I waited at the bus station. Now we are on our way via the ferry to the mainland. I was concered about two things before we left: 1) The man who looked like he might be our driver also looked like an alcoholic. @) The boat it looked like we were taking looked like a rust bucket. I was glad to see, as we departed, that the alcoholic was the ticket taker and not the driver. And rather than turning down the pier to the rust bucket, we drove out of town to another pier. The ship we're on isn't too bad, but it has seen many years of service. The Australian I met on the other boat coming to the island explained that all Thai ferries are used ones that have been discarded by Japan. Well, we've traveled halfway to the mainland, and everything seems okay so far!!
___
I decided I deserved some luxury for a change. Therefore, I've checked into the Nakhon Garden Inn in Nakhon Si Tammarart, my last stop, I guess, in Thailand. The hotel has a medium-sized two-story open-air lobby like is popular in Hawaii. There are two three-story wings with rooms with a lush tropical garden between. My room has cream-colored glazed tile floors and orange brick walls. The king-size bed is made of a nice dark wood and has a woven plaid bedspread in greens, purples, pinks and golds. There are large framed woven mats of stripped bamboo on the wall behind the bed. On the side wall is a framed weaving in green, orange, and gold in stripes, plaids, and squares. There's a desk and mirror and a side chair made from the same wood as the bed, a large mini-fridge, and a ceramic lamp that looks like it was locally crafted. There is a plate of fresh fruit on the desk. Of course, there is TV, a/c, and a bath with hot water. I could have stayed in a clean, pleasant fan room at the Thai Lee Hotel for only 140 Baht ($3.25 U.S.), but I'm splurging as I said earlier at 445 Baht ($10.67 U.S.)! I think I deserve it!
I had two more nice conversations tonight. First, the young lady at 7-11 was curious about why I am here and what I will do. I told her my planned itinerary for seeing the local sites tomorrow. I could tell she was so proud that I was here and had a full program planned. Second, as I was returning to the hotel and was just across the street, an older man enthusiastically asked, "Where you from?" When I replied, "USA," he became so excited. He said he lived in Illinois for 20 years and recently returned to Thailand after retiring. He said he asks all the time where people are from and never finds an American; they are usually Europeans or South Americans. He said his cousin owns my hotel. And he was impressed that I'm traveling alone and chose to come here. He wanted to know why I'm here, how long I'm staying, where else I've been, etc. He said, "I ask a hundred people, and no one says, 'USA.'" He was getting a fish dinner to go from a restaurant across the street. I may eat there tomorrow.
Friday, July 4
I'm celebrating Independence Day with a coconut shake. Shakes are one of the great things here in Thailand, Laos, and mahybe some of the other neighboring countries. I could gulp them all day.
It was a quiet day. I continued to read and am now only about 40 pages from finishing a 500+ page book (The Connections) which I started two days ago.
I walked on the beach in the morning and again in the afternoon. I picked up laundry I had done. I was on the computer for 25 minutes. That's it. Now I am having Phad Thai with a coconut shake for dinner, my only meal of the day.
I'm celebrating Independence Day with a coconut shake. Shakes are one of the great things here in Thailand, Laos, and mahybe some of the other neighboring countries. I could gulp them all day.
It was a quiet day. I continued to read and am now only about 40 pages from finishing a 500+ page book (The Connections) which I started two days ago.
I walked on the beach in the morning and again in the afternoon. I picked up laundry I had done. I was on the computer for 25 minutes. That's it. Now I am having Phad Thai with a coconut shake for dinner, my only meal of the day.
Friday, July 04, 2003
Thursday, July 3
I'm sittingon the porch of bungalow. It's a long one with two slatted lounge chairs, a bamboo tamble, and a folding chair. Around the edge is a banister made from branches about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter and spaced about 8 inches (12 cm apart. At one end of the porch is a crocus (krokus?) about 14 feet (4 m) tall. Other plants around the porch have blossoms (red, organge, pink, white, and yellow ones) and there have been a couple of hummingbirds flittering from one to the other of the orange blossoms. In fact, there appears to be an abandoned humminbird nest in the tree. Various colors of large butterflies are flying around everywhere. As I look toward the sea, I must look through a large cluster of palm trees, each with many coconuts clining at the bas of the fronts. The water is a pale greenish-blue and very calm. In the evenings, frogs come out that are about half the size of my fist. Their croaking makes them sound 3-4 times that size though. And those sounds are joined with others from insects. During the daytime, it is the birds that are heard mostly. Some have rather strange, non-singing sounds that are skawking and clicking.
The room inside is quite nice, too. The floors are a beautiful dark hardwood. The walls are covered with woven bamboo. There are two cane chairs with padded seats and a cane table between them. There is a fan that cools the room, and it is surprising how cool it feels at night here. There really is no need for a/c. There are windows facing three directions. From my bed, I can look out one to the sea.
The beach here is a curving one with a creamy white soft sand. It is lined with restaurants facing the beach at the fronts of the various hotels and sets of bungalows. At night, twinkling lights come on at all the restaurants, and several of them set up bonfires on the beach for guests to sit around. The bay is filled with several very colorful fishing boats which have their anchors stuck in the sand of the beach. There are a couple of smaller islands that exist like periods at the end of the beach, and during low tide it is possible to walk to them and be on the more private small beaches that they have.
I've spent the day here at the room doing almost nothing. I've sat on the deck, lain in the bed, etc., and just relaxed. I've now completed over half of the book I started yesterday.
Friday, July 4
Happy 4th of July, Americans. I've spent the day relaxing again. I'm now 3/4 of the way through my book. I'm out now to pick up a yogurt for a late lunch, to pick up laundry I dropped off to be done yesterday, and to update this. There's no more news other than the fact that I plan to leave for Nakon Si Thammarat tomorrow morning. And I should be entering Malaysia probably on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.
I'm sittingon the porch of bungalow. It's a long one with two slatted lounge chairs, a bamboo tamble, and a folding chair. Around the edge is a banister made from branches about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter and spaced about 8 inches (12 cm apart. At one end of the porch is a crocus (krokus?) about 14 feet (4 m) tall. Other plants around the porch have blossoms (red, organge, pink, white, and yellow ones) and there have been a couple of hummingbirds flittering from one to the other of the orange blossoms. In fact, there appears to be an abandoned humminbird nest in the tree. Various colors of large butterflies are flying around everywhere. As I look toward the sea, I must look through a large cluster of palm trees, each with many coconuts clining at the bas of the fronts. The water is a pale greenish-blue and very calm. In the evenings, frogs come out that are about half the size of my fist. Their croaking makes them sound 3-4 times that size though. And those sounds are joined with others from insects. During the daytime, it is the birds that are heard mostly. Some have rather strange, non-singing sounds that are skawking and clicking.
The room inside is quite nice, too. The floors are a beautiful dark hardwood. The walls are covered with woven bamboo. There are two cane chairs with padded seats and a cane table between them. There is a fan that cools the room, and it is surprising how cool it feels at night here. There really is no need for a/c. There are windows facing three directions. From my bed, I can look out one to the sea.
The beach here is a curving one with a creamy white soft sand. It is lined with restaurants facing the beach at the fronts of the various hotels and sets of bungalows. At night, twinkling lights come on at all the restaurants, and several of them set up bonfires on the beach for guests to sit around. The bay is filled with several very colorful fishing boats which have their anchors stuck in the sand of the beach. There are a couple of smaller islands that exist like periods at the end of the beach, and during low tide it is possible to walk to them and be on the more private small beaches that they have.
I've spent the day here at the room doing almost nothing. I've sat on the deck, lain in the bed, etc., and just relaxed. I've now completed over half of the book I started yesterday.
Friday, July 4
Happy 4th of July, Americans. I've spent the day relaxing again. I'm now 3/4 of the way through my book. I'm out now to pick up a yogurt for a late lunch, to pick up laundry I dropped off to be done yesterday, and to update this. There's no more news other than the fact that I plan to leave for Nakon Si Thammarat tomorrow morning. And I should be entering Malaysia probably on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.
Wednesday, July 02, 2003
Wednesday, July 2
It was a day of traveling and meeting people. On the two-hour boat trip to Koh Samui, I visited with an Australian man who has married a Thai woman and lives here on the island. He's retired (early retirement because of arthritis) from working at a power plant. here, he rents motorcycles, has just bought a Sony Play Station games business, and is starting a motorcycle tour business guilding people through the mountains near the Burmese border.
I came to Choeng Mon when I arrived and got a fan room with a large porch. Both the room and the porch have sea views. The walls of the room are woven bamboo, so it has a distinctive atmosphere. Choeng Mon is like a small village on a beautiful, curved, golden sand beach. There are about 8-10 hotels, about 20 restaurants, and other businesses here in the village. It's quitet and rather idyllic.
I met a young French couple (Virginie and Alain) who are in the cabin two doors from me. We visited for about an hour. They are in Thailand for three weeks. They went north but encountered constant rainfall. They are here now for their final 10 days.
I visited with the owner of a Thai business across the road. He has telephone calls, Internet, a convenience store, motorcycle and jeep rental, laundry service, and a restaurant! He works from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. each day! And he's a happy , friendly man. I ate dinner (green curry and chicken over rice) at his restaurant this evening.
Finally, I visited with three men from Bangladesh who own a tailoring shop here. They came here because there are no tourists in Bangladesh. They were friendly and helpful, giving me suggestions of what to eat when I am in southern India next month.
I've booked my room here for 3 nights. I will probably leave here on Saturday, but I may elect to stay longer. I need to read in my guidebooks and decide what I want to do. The beach is a nice one which is said to be the nicest on the island. And the atmosphere is quiet and slow-going. I've already read 1/4 of the book I started yesterday, so I figure I will finish it before I leave here. When I get rid of it and the book I have already read (maybe by exchanging them for one replacement book at one of the exchange shops) my load will be a little lighter.
It was a day of traveling and meeting people. On the two-hour boat trip to Koh Samui, I visited with an Australian man who has married a Thai woman and lives here on the island. He's retired (early retirement because of arthritis) from working at a power plant. here, he rents motorcycles, has just bought a Sony Play Station games business, and is starting a motorcycle tour business guilding people through the mountains near the Burmese border.
I came to Choeng Mon when I arrived and got a fan room with a large porch. Both the room and the porch have sea views. The walls of the room are woven bamboo, so it has a distinctive atmosphere. Choeng Mon is like a small village on a beautiful, curved, golden sand beach. There are about 8-10 hotels, about 20 restaurants, and other businesses here in the village. It's quitet and rather idyllic.
I met a young French couple (Virginie and Alain) who are in the cabin two doors from me. We visited for about an hour. They are in Thailand for three weeks. They went north but encountered constant rainfall. They are here now for their final 10 days.
I visited with the owner of a Thai business across the road. He has telephone calls, Internet, a convenience store, motorcycle and jeep rental, laundry service, and a restaurant! He works from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. each day! And he's a happy , friendly man. I ate dinner (green curry and chicken over rice) at his restaurant this evening.
Finally, I visited with three men from Bangladesh who own a tailoring shop here. They came here because there are no tourists in Bangladesh. They were friendly and helpful, giving me suggestions of what to eat when I am in southern India next month.
I've booked my room here for 3 nights. I will probably leave here on Saturday, but I may elect to stay longer. I need to read in my guidebooks and decide what I want to do. The beach is a nice one which is said to be the nicest on the island. And the atmosphere is quiet and slow-going. I've already read 1/4 of the book I started yesterday, so I figure I will finish it before I leave here. When I get rid of it and the book I have already read (maybe by exchanging them for one replacement book at one of the exchange shops) my load will be a little lighter.
Tuesday, July 01, 2003
Tuesday Night, July 1
I'm sitting by the river in Surat Thani. They use the same loud, uncomfortable longboats that I rode on the Mekong River last year as ferries to take people between sides of the river and an island. It's a nice reiverside. Where I am has been paved and landscaped as a long promenade. On the other side are houses built on stilts out over the water.
I went to the night market to eat last night. There were rows and rows of wonderful food stalls. I decided to eat at one operated by a muslim woman. I had checken with yellow rice and a bowl of broth. Afterwards, I saw a man making something that looked like coconut donuts. I bought one and was surprised to find it was a shrimp "donut." It was a shrimp-flavored tempura-like batter that was fried in rings. It was fine, but it didn't satisfy my sweet tooth. From there I found real donut dough-like squiggles and bought a bag of them and a green sweet paste to dip then in. Ummm. By the way, I saw a stand selling fried brug worms, fried grasshoppers, etc., but I was already full!!!
Wednesday, July 2
I was awakened early by bad smells. Since this is a fan room, I had the window open. The temperature had been fine, and I had slept okay. But the food smells--bitter ones, especially--began to enter the room around 5:15 a.m. The mixture of various unfamiliar smells was too strong to ignore. I managed to sleep off and on tossing and turning, but I gave up the battle by 6:30.
It's been 3 days since I finished my last book, so I started a new one last night. It's The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen and is a National Book Award winner. The main character is a bit of a loser who has a doctorate in humanities and was fired from his professorship in "Textual Artifacts" (where he tried to teach criticism) because of an affair with a student. He's in his 30s, borrows money to get by, wears leather pants and has a quarter inch rivit in one ear. His thoughts about life are so ethereal that some of my friends in Denmark would call him a "professor type." I don't think I will like him. But his parents are also major characters, and the author does such a good job of describing their lives as they face living together all the time after his retirement and they also face his problems related to Parkinson's Disease. The book is very well written.
By the way, I got the information I needed to assure me that the last thing I needed done in Corpus Christi got done on time with no problems, so I am relaxed and ready to head to Koh Samui. It's a wonderful island near hear. Do a Google search on it, and you should find plenty of photos. The specific area where I think I will stay is called Choeng Mon if you want to do a search using that name.
I'm sitting by the river in Surat Thani. They use the same loud, uncomfortable longboats that I rode on the Mekong River last year as ferries to take people between sides of the river and an island. It's a nice reiverside. Where I am has been paved and landscaped as a long promenade. On the other side are houses built on stilts out over the water.
I went to the night market to eat last night. There were rows and rows of wonderful food stalls. I decided to eat at one operated by a muslim woman. I had checken with yellow rice and a bowl of broth. Afterwards, I saw a man making something that looked like coconut donuts. I bought one and was surprised to find it was a shrimp "donut." It was a shrimp-flavored tempura-like batter that was fried in rings. It was fine, but it didn't satisfy my sweet tooth. From there I found real donut dough-like squiggles and bought a bag of them and a green sweet paste to dip then in. Ummm. By the way, I saw a stand selling fried brug worms, fried grasshoppers, etc., but I was already full!!!
Wednesday, July 2
I was awakened early by bad smells. Since this is a fan room, I had the window open. The temperature had been fine, and I had slept okay. But the food smells--bitter ones, especially--began to enter the room around 5:15 a.m. The mixture of various unfamiliar smells was too strong to ignore. I managed to sleep off and on tossing and turning, but I gave up the battle by 6:30.
It's been 3 days since I finished my last book, so I started a new one last night. It's The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen and is a National Book Award winner. The main character is a bit of a loser who has a doctorate in humanities and was fired from his professorship in "Textual Artifacts" (where he tried to teach criticism) because of an affair with a student. He's in his 30s, borrows money to get by, wears leather pants and has a quarter inch rivit in one ear. His thoughts about life are so ethereal that some of my friends in Denmark would call him a "professor type." I don't think I will like him. But his parents are also major characters, and the author does such a good job of describing their lives as they face living together all the time after his retirement and they also face his problems related to Parkinson's Disease. The book is very well written.
By the way, I got the information I needed to assure me that the last thing I needed done in Corpus Christi got done on time with no problems, so I am relaxed and ready to head to Koh Samui. It's a wonderful island near hear. Do a Google search on it, and you should find plenty of photos. The specific area where I think I will stay is called Choeng Mon if you want to do a search using that name.
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