Philosophic Travels - Thailand, Australia & South Africa
Friday, October 31, 2003
Patpong. So you guys want to know about this interesting place? It is a world famous tourist destination and from our experience, also a real tourist ghetto (yet another one).
For the most part Patpong is a throw back to the 1960's and 1970's seedy hetero and gay scene in Bangkok; a scene that was very prolific and has lead to the Patpong of today. The Neon lit buildings cover about 4 acres of land and some where between 35 and 40 go-go bars, discos and resturants litter the streetside. Although, the area was mostly supported by the Airline staff of over 15 airlines as well as the military and police services in the 1960's, it was the arrival of the US and Australian Soldiers in the early 1970's that really gave this place a name in North America.
Today, it is a much different place full of touts, outdoor vendors, and people trying to sell you everything under the sun from deepfried cockroaches and wormy-things to rip-off designer clothes...and of course the mainstay of the area - SEX.
It's the 'fuky-fuky' shows, porn and other seedy 'things' that have really given Patpong the name it has today. The go-go bars sport names like 'Pussy Galore' and 'Super Pussy' and we were also told of a place called 'Supergirls' that is infamous for its sex-on-a-flying motorcycle show. huh? gotta see that one to believe it.
Previously heading the words of our faithful travel companion, "The Lonely Planet" (which everyone and their dog has a copy of) we decided to read any of the warning that might be given before going to such a place. For the most part, there wasn't much really said about the area, however The lonely Planet cited the following:
"Avoid bars touting 'free' sex shows as there are usually hidden charges and when you try to ditch the outrageous bill, the doors are suddenly blocked by muscle bouncers"
This didn't quite happen to us, however we did accidently happen to walk down the promanade two streets down where all the bouncers were, but they were only there for the boy shows. ewwww.
We were greeted with many 'sales reps' with very graphic cards with and international menu of 'sexual postitions' and acts that can be had in this area. It all was very much of an experience..
As to what we actually got up to..Well it's late and we'll have to get to that tomorrow. hehe.
Seeing as though Lisa is sending out congratulations, I'll send out a few as well. A little thanks to all the folks who have commented on the site. Thanks for all your input, we appreciate the feedback.
Wednesday, October 29, 2003
Trains passing in the night. Travelling by trains, or "training" as it is called is an interesting experience. Everything changes around you. The only thing constant is the car you're in. People board, people depart, and there is always a constant flux of bodies moving back and forth. The view from the window offers gradual scene changes from rolling hills to flat landscapes, from rural areas to metropolitans. All this in the comfort of your own car. In a way "training" is much like watching a movie, except your in the movie; scenes changing, actors moving in an out of screen and all the time, acting in this foreign titled movie. Admission the price of the ticket, duration, the lenght of the trip.
Taking the train in Thailand has been an interesting experience. Referencing my experience in Europe, I thought that a 2nd class fair would suit our needs when leaving Bangkok 3 weeks ago. Anxious, from all the noise, hussle, and pollution we wanted to leave at the earlist convenience. However, we found out the all the 2nd class fairs had been booked and the only next available fair would be a 1st class ticket the next day - we booked the ticket.
Boarding the train, we were shocked with the standard of quality a first class ticket offered. The ticket offered a cabin to ourselves, but we were not comforted by this fact as the seats walls and floor were in a deplorable condition. The 'air conditioning' we had so eagerly paid for offered a random supply of 'havana heat' and 'meat-locker chills'. Our environment lacked the basic amenities, and the beds themselves had obscure and unknown residues left on them. Aside from my semi-conscious nightmares of the parasites unseen by the naked eye sharing our accomodation; it was an awful trip.
Two days coming back from southern Thailand, we again ventured onto the train to take us back to Bangkok. My fears of the first trip defintely haunted me. However, we were pleasantly surprised. Fresh linen covered the beds, towels, blankets and pillows plastic wraped and the floors and walls recently cleaned. Water, glasses and soap also provided. This was all very nice to see. Our ride back to Bangkok was a total of 11 pleasantly spent hours on a train.
My only conclusion to all this is, as with much of the things in Thailand, the expectation of the same quality of service would be much like the expectation of winning the lottery.
Tuesday, October 28, 2003
Hippies on Holiday. Well there seems to have been a metamorphasis of sorts. Not really the caterpiller to the Monarch, but one nonetheless, that has effected both Lisa and I. It seems that Lisa and I, dare I say us 'North Vancouver Yuppies' have changed into a more relaxed, easy going, lassie faire (excuse et moi, moi francaise et mal) couple of hippy look-a-likes.
Before we left, I didn't want to be bothered with the daily rituals of having to keep my hair, so I had Lisa just shave it all off. Yes, for those who know me, I did. I had it all shaved off. ( I bet you can't wait for the photos, hehe). Anyways, it has served it's purpose. But I must admit that I was equally as shocked with the result as many of you must imagine. With this, I also haven't bothered to touch a razor in a month.
Our wardrobe has also changed considerably. Our daily wear consists of a bathing suit, a sarong for Lisa and a locally purchased shirt for me. Included are Lisa's charming bracelets she purchased locally. Our evening wear includes (both of us) a pair of "Fisherman Pants" a unisex, unisized string tied cotton/hemp pantaloon. And with all our outfits, our everpresent flip-flops.
With our now matching tans, my overgrown facial hair and our traditional clothes we, if anything, give the impression of laidback beatnicks of the Koh Samui beach.
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Another note that I feel needs mentioning. I am quite glad that our little stint here in Thailand is coming to an end. Not due to our lack of enjoyment, but rather due to my natural tendancy to familiarity. Familiarity does breed contempt (at least for I). There are a few items worth noting, which I will include on list of irritants:
1. Noise: I (the grumpy 'old' one) does like noise too much. So places like Bangkok aren't always pleasant - at the best of times.
2. Pollution: Yes, this is a major issue. We haven't seen any stars in this part of the world, and the thought of all the particulants in the air sends shivers down my back.
Not that I want to be a drag, but for those who are interested in travelling, and are accustomed to their '1st world pleasures' (as I am guilty of), this must be duly noted.
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
Flip-Flop Ettiquette. I've noticed mothers across the world have implored their children not to drag their feet. This seems to hold true for all countries except Asia. I could never figure this out and had always left it to bad manners. However, I have now found that there is much more to this. The way of the 'flip-flop' seems to be more of an art, much like the art of tanning which needs much practice.
My lack of finesse with flip-flops became apparent in the many downpours we have had in the last few days, resulting in a constant upshoot of water with every step I took. These water projectiles from every slip-slop would dench the back of my legs, lower back and even reach nearby Lisa (who was not very amused).
I now understand the fine art of draging my feet and why only us Westerners call them FLIP-FLOPS...
In the last few days I can be found practicing my new found talents in the many puddles around.
Sunday, October 19, 2003
Street Side Gourmet. Most mornings Lisa and I wake early to make our morning jaunt to the local markets in the nearby town. The walk to the markets takes us along a 20 minute stretch of the beach before we move into one of the intersecting streets to meet the vendors with their goods.
Many of the stores are only opening their doors by the time we arrive, around 07h00. The store front vendors are met with other mobile street vendors on dirty two-stroke motorcycles with sidecars showcasing their food stuffs, all squacking and bardering their goods. In one particular morning in this marketplace, we were able to purchase 10 mini croissants (freshly deepfried), 10 haugouw (pork dumplings), 2 coffees (yes we were able to find coffees on this little island), 3 orders of chicken and rice (gotta save some for lunch too), 2 steamed BBQ pork buns, and a bunch of bananas (15) all for a nominal amount of 115 Baht; about 4 dollars.
I wouldn't claim that these street side establishments have anything close to our standards of hygiene. And, I admit I have a very fragile constitution and even so, haven't had any bad experiences....yet.
When it rains it pours. Last night the rain came down in a torrential downpour, tatooing against the windws all night long. We woke up to many little puddles on the floor, from our leaking shake roof. Without paying much attention we left our bungalow for our morning jaunt to the local morning markets in town. We arrived back in the room with a surprising phone call, notifying us that management has changed rooms on our behalf. This was a pleasant surprise, as much of our interaction with the locals left us believing their particiaption in any activity would be the bare minimun possible. They say the locals are much friendlier then the hotel folk, and we have found that to be true. However, this may just be becuase they have already been jaded by all the tourism in the community.
Saturday, October 18, 2003
I've never really been a sports fan, but walking by the english pub with the wide screen TV and seeing RSA standing for the opening anthem, we had to sit down and watch a match. Last night it was RSA Vs. England; Rugby World Cup. Bringing back memories of 1994 and other matches watched in SA, we ordered ourselves a pint and joined in on the spectator sport. I was looking forward to an exciting game...but I won't get into much detail about the game, for those who have already watched it. Probably, the best part was the Heineken at $2 a pint as RSA lost 6 to 24.
Shucks....
Friday, October 17, 2003
Thai Food. The other night a German couple that we met, mentioned a delicious dinner they had at one of the seafood restaurants here in Koi Samui. We decided to try it out and found one we liked better. Although the name didn't exaclty roll off the tongue "Starfish and Coffee Shop", the ambience was great.
The arched facade was of dark wine colour lit with dampened light and difused candles. The floor lead though multiple pillors to an open terrace ornamented with black wraught iron tables, chairs, and corner stands. The ambiant light reflected the gold and mocha coffee colours of the establishment. The aroma wafted in with a light blend of ocean breeze cooking seafood and mosquito coils (urg).
I selected a fresh butter fish, caught that day, and asked for it to be grilled in a light garlic and butter sauce. Lisa had ordered 3 HUGE prawns and also had them grilled in the same sauce. The meal was complemented with a side dish of spinach and garlic and fried rice with vegetables. Very yummy.
The evening was spent lamenting on the past days activities while listening to Nora Jones piped thoughout the place whilst sipping red vino. It was a memorable evening, at a price of only $21 dollars.
The next day, feeling that we spent too much money on the previous nights meal, we both decided to eat at one of the hawkers kiosks, which offered an even more delicious menu of 'Thai curry with seafood' that came with many variaties; including crab, calamari and prawns. This is over a bed of steamed rice and a banana milkshake (Owen) all at a more reasonable price of $3 dollars.
Now that's more like it ~True Thai cuisine.
Island life it tough. We have been on the island of Koh Samui for around 8 days and have already pre-paid for another 10. Koh Samui is one of Thailand's third largest island with an area of 250 square kilometers. It is also the largest of the group of over 80 islands surrounding the island; many of which are not inhabited. I don't know the GPS corrid's for you smart-asses out there but it is about 560 kilometers south of Bankok, and is definately more laidback then Phuket, from what I've been told.... pass some more pina-colada dude.
There are even activities here. There is a buddist monk that was mummified in the the lotus position two decades ago and is now perched up on some hilltop sporting some Raybands that we are interested in seeing. There is also 'well-known' rock formation symbolically VERY phallic that we are also for some reason interested in seeing. Then there are the nature hikes, waterfalls and of course the BEACH.
Given that we have been here for 8 days and done nothing but try (for me) working on my tan, there are more then enough activities to keep us busy here for months... heheheh
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
Weathermen lie. For two months before we left on our holiday, I was checking cnn.com and the weather reports for all the places are visiting. Bangkok was consistantly "Thunderstorms w/ heavy rain". Worried, I confronted my co-workers and they replied with convincing stories of about the monsoon season...yeah right! Still as the day to our departure came closer, the weather really didn't improve that much. What we did find is that in bangkok, the sun really doesn't ever shine. It's just a glowing haze through all the pollution. As for the rain, it must of been manufactured by the swiss as it always rained between 12h00-13h00. So in some regard, it didn't matter what you wrote for the weather, it was mostly right.
I guess the same is for all the other places we have been too. It does rain once, maybe even twice, but more to just cool us all down more than anything else, and really for only a few moments. Anyways, if it wasn't for the rain, it would be far too damm hot.
What the weatherman doesn't talk about, which in my opinion is much more important, especially due to the number of casualities it must claim are those loud sounding thuds I hear throughout the day. Thuds caused by large round objects falling from the sky. These are mostly caused by coconuts, which don't really seem to be of much interest to the locals. But if I work out a few calculations, falling from a tree 40 feet high, at a rate of decent 60 feet/second/second and a weight of up to five pounds, these delicious treats could really squash your impressive three pound universe. It is far more important to talk about these things in these lands than it is the weather.
Thursday, October 09, 2003
The Philosphy. I don't think that we have really talked much about this in the blog. Lisa and I have agreed that these three months were going to be treated a bit differently than a typical holiday. Most holidays are a bit shorter than we are taking, but more importantly, it is the philosophy of the holiday or 'experience' that matters.
First Mantra: "We will try everything....almost"
We'll try and do everything (almost) while on holidays. There are few exceptions to this rule. I guess if you stay with us in this blog, you'll find out what we're made off?
Second Mantra: " Travel light"
For starters we agreed that we will take nothing. Well, almost nothing. We have our credit cards and a little over the shoulder bag. Nothing more. We don't need it. In the last 4 days, we realised that we need even little. We purchased some comfortable local clothing and mailed the rest of our clothes home.
Third Mantra: "Go where the wind blows"
We have no set plans for Thailand, so we'll go...where ever.
That's it for now, off to catch a train to Surat Thani.
Wednesday, October 08, 2003
Thai's are really hard to trust. I realise this isn't a very flattering comment by a tourist that has spent only 4 days in the country, but in the last 4 days we have been lied too, misinformed, ripped-off and alittle disillusioned. Not that I am complaining, we only "lost" a dollar or two from these events and we both accept all this as part of the experiance we are looking for; it is all still a bit disheartening.
So, the first day a tuk-tuk driver pulls up to us, it's about 2:30am our time and offers to take us to a hotel for the night. We start the 'barter' process at 250bt, he pulls the line "I have kids and a family too...", ok I offer 140 bt. "I am poor...I need to make some money, kind sir" and we settle on 150bt. Expert barter extrondinare I am. Anyhow, two days later a little wiser I am paying 20bt for the same ride. Live and learn. Right?
Ok then, day two we are looking for TAT, the tourism authority of Thailand and set on our way. I might add that I never leave home (atleast north vancouver) without my trusty compass. I orienteer the route and off we go. Midway, a mid-aged man intercepts us and offers to help us on our way. Thai's are very kind people
Then there was the uniformed woman with the fake tourism badge outside the train station, the holiday Inn worker telling us that she met us at the holiday inn (bogus)and she wants to show us some shops, an elderly man that wanted show us something special?, the long boat driver that recieved a commission for every store that he took us to, the tuk-tuk drivers that recieve a petrol voucher for taking tourists to shops, and the story goes on. Tourists are charged more for the same services as the locals, and that is an acceptable custom here. Maybe it is a cultural difference that we are not used to? As a minority I feel targeted and I'll be quite glad when we leave bangkok.
~and I can't find any coffee around here either...
Cheers for now.
