The Trip -- Epilogue

The month-long trip was a terrific experience and I am very happy to have undertaken it. Although the dates on the posts are the actual dates when the travel occurred, in reality I wrote about the trip after my return to San Francisco. I had made notes everyday and these notes I transferred to the blog.

This is an attempt at turning my personal encounters into words and some pictures, and if you found it interesting, so much the better. In fact, I've learned more writing this blog using Wikipedia and Wikitravel websites as references. First and foremost, I'll remember the people I met on my trip. They came in many shapes, sizes, colors and age groups; all were interesting in their own ways. One regret I've is that I wasn't able to undertake this with a companion. As you can well imagine, describing about travel is similar to describing a great meal you had at a restaurant. How do you describe the sights and smells? I guess, you just had to be there.

If you have any comments, go ahead and leave them on the blog itself. As for the friends I made on the trip who may read this blog, good times, good times. I hope we cross paths in the future. Take care.

Seoul -- Day 5 - Annyeng-yo haseyo!

I woke up early (5.30 am), freshened up and returned Matthias' alarm clock I'd borrowed. Just before my departure, I exchanged goodbyes with a few of the house mates and left with my trusty backpack carrying some good memories and leaving behind some good friends. Within a few minutes the bus arrived and with a heavy heart I left Seoul. Man it was such an experience.

The flights onward to San Francisco were fairly uneventful, but with a good book and my trusty iPod the journey came to an end. As soon as I landed in San Francisco, I got to see fat people again! Nowhere in Asia did I find anyone as obese as Americans. Oh well, home at last.

Seoul -- Day 4 -- DMZ

This was my last full day in Seoul, and also the penultimate day of my month-long backpacking tour. The previous night, I had made arrangements with Mrs. Kim to take a guided tour (48,000 won) to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) 50 km north of Seoul. I had an early breakfast and waited for the pickup at 8.30 am. FYI, there are many tour companies that offer this service. Most will have common pickup points in Seoul.

For those that are not aware, the DMZ was constructed along the 38th parallel as a result of World War II and is barely 50 km from Seoul, dividing Korea into North (capital Pyongyang) and South (capital Seoul). The 38th parallel became the de facto border for the Cold War. Almost a million N Korean soldiers are stationed along the DMZ, ready for any eventuality. So, it's easy to imagine the tension that S Koreans undergo on a daily basis. In fact, yesterday, when Matthias and I hiked up to Seoul Tower, we heard sirens blaring around 1.30 pm and all traffic nearby came to a standstill. This was apparently part of the drill S Koreans go through on a regular basis to prepare for a possible invasion by N Korea.

We drove in the van northbound for an hour and in the meanwhile, the guide gave us a good background and answered any questions we had. The drive to the DMZ passed through desolate areas, where little or no economic activity takes place. Mind you, this is one of the most dangerous places on earth today. Needless to say, security was extremely tight especially exacerbated by the recent nuclear bomb trials in N Korea. We arrived at Panmunjeom, where we all switched to official tour buses and had our passports checked. Incidentally, no private vehicles are allowed inside the DMZ. Once inside the DMZ, camera use is strictly controlled.

The highlight of the tour was the entry into the 3rd incursion tunnel discovered on October 17, 1978. There are four such incursion tunnels dug by N Korea, the last one discovered on March 3, 1990. You can enter the tunnels only with a hardhat, and believe me, you really need it. The tunnels are barely 2 meters high (6'8"), bored through solid granite and not always smooth. Visitors get to walk 350 meters through the tunnel and the feeling is indescribable. Very scary and claustrophobic. You see markers indicating places where dynamite was used to blast through granite and in some places the granite is painted over to look like coal. Scary.

Once out of the tunnel, there is a 10 minute propaganda film that's extremely amateurish and crappy. I did not enjoy that at all. Visitors are given a chance to overlook the DMZ at the Dora Observatory and perchance view the wildlife in the DMZ, it having become a haven for wildlife, because no man has set foot in it over the past 50 years. Unfortunately, the smog made it worthless to look through the binoculars or take pictures. The final part of the conducted tour is a visit to the Dorasan train station still undergoing construction. Should the two Koreas reunite, this will become the final station in S Korea to Pyongyang. All pretty tragic. Strangely though, I recalled the elegiac tune in Team America: World Police called "I'm so ronery".

Around 3.30 pm we returned to central Seoul for an impromptu jewelery "shopping" for the tourists. Boring! I returned to the guest house and met Matthias again. After a little rest, we left for another walk through the city, this time to the Dongdaemun market for window shopping and to get a feel for the nighttime activities. The market is huge and very well organized. Each alley had its own specialty such as food, jewelery, meat, seafood, eateries, shoes and utensils. We tried some street food similar to egg foo yung. It was interesting. Later we found a sports bar and grill that advertised chicken (restaurant featuring chicken are rare) and had dinner. We had a bucketful of fried chicken (Korean style) and lots of beer (14,000 won). We enjoyed it. It was, alas, time to return to the guest house and bid goodbye to Seoul. Annyeng-yo haseyo (goodbye)!

Seoul -- Day 3 -- Seoul Searching!

Over breakfast, I met Matthias (Germany) and we decided to explore parts of the city together. He is a painter and has been living in Hanoi for the past three years. It was nice meeting him, since I was able to practice my rusty German. We reached Seoul Station subway and tackled the "Namsan and Seoul Tower Walk" recommended by Lonely Planet. The directions were excellent and we were able to easily reach Seoul Tower. The entire walk was steep and uphill all the way. Unfortunately, the polluted air and the hot weather made the walk all the more strenuous. There was very little breeze and each step made for labored breathing. Along the way, we saw various statues of Korean heroes and a weird mini zoo. I haven't seen a more pathetic zoo in my life. Sad.

After reaching almost half-way up the 480 meter ascent, we decided to take the cable car instead to the peak (5,000 won round trip). Under better weather conditions, we'd have gladly climbed the stairs. We arrived at the peak, where there are a television tower, gift shops and an observation deck. There is a museum for special exhibits as well. You do get a panoramic view of the city, but the smog made the use of the observation deck useless. We stopped for lunch half-way up the peak and had a so-so bibimbap. On the whole, a walk I could've done without.

There was still plenty of sunlight and we decided to check out Namhansanseong (South Han Mountain Fortress) and the adjoining provincial park. From the description, it sounded really interesting. It is located 25 km southeast of Seoul and reachable by subway Line 8 to Namhansanseong station. Its history dates back to 672 AD, when it protected Korea from the Chinese. From Seoul Station it took us almost an hour to reach our destination, having to change 3 times. The directions said we could take any bus in the direction of the fortress. So we took a local small bus and were way off course. We lost valuable time and by the time we reached the entrance to the park on foot, it was getting dark. The park itself is beautiful and has an old-worldly charm to it. Plenty of active Koreans in matched fitness clothing were returning from their hike. If I were to live in Seoul, I would visit this park as often as I could.

Just for kicks, we tried reflexology or zone therapy. Normally you go to a reflexologist, who rubs the soles of your feet in specific patterns. But here, in the park, you simulate that by walking on stones laid in specific patterns. Some stones are sharp, while some are round. I walked barefoot on the stones for a couple of minutes, but couldn't bear it. Somehow, it felt different (relaxing? I can't say).

For my part, I wish we had arrived at the park in time, because everyone we talked to had enjoyed the hike immensely. We aborted our hike and took the subway back to the guest house, because I had to meet Mrs. Kim at 8.00 pm. In the meanwhile, we stopped for excellent pastries and coffee (it's not easy to find a coffee shop in Seoul). I met with Mrs. Kim and made arrangements for a guided tour to the DMZ the following day. After a brief rest, Matthias and I dined at a local restaurant (samgyeopsal with pork). The food was excellent and it cost 12,000 won. What we realized was that local restaurants carry only one kind of meat, beef, pork or chicken. If you can't read or understand Korean, all you can hope for is that you recognize the food by the pictures on display. You place the order in whatever language you can English, German or French or Japanese and pray that they understand what you wanted. It doesn't matter really, because it's an adventure anyway. Well, if you want a wider choice and an English menu, go to a more expensive restaurant. This time around, Matthias was the one inducted into the strange world of soju. Yeah!

Back in the guest house, we met Charles (Singapore) and a new guy, Greg (Australia). We drank more beer and soju and had to call it an early night, because of my trip to DMZ the next day. Incidentally, I had to borrow Matthias' alarm clock; I had none, and I had to wake up early. Vielen Dank Matthias!

Seoul -- Day 2 -- Soju, soju and more soju!

After the last night's festivities, I woke up somewhat late and over breakfast I met Britt and his friend Charles, both New Zealanders. I had no specific plans and neither did they. Charles lives outside Seoul, where he teaches English as a second language to Koreans. We decided to walk the newly constructed footpath and park along the Han river. Han river, incidentally, bisects Seoul neatly and is almost a kilometer wide within the city limits.

Seoul has been growing fast, real fast and has been gaining a lot of international attention as well. In the wake of its hosting the Olympics in 1988 and the World Cup Soccer in 2002, there's been a lot of construction and beautification. The Han river walkway and park runs almost 17 kms and is now a popular area for outdoor activities like bicycling, fishing, running etc. They also unveiled a fountain to commemorate the World Cup 2002, supposedly the world's tallest capable of reaching almost 202 meters (673 feet). Earlier, there used to be a sewage plant on the Han river that let made the river dirty and smelly. It's much better now. Reports indicate that there has been significant improvement in smog and pollution. At any rate, the three of us walked about 5 kms of the stretch and chatted about Koreans, English as a second language and fashion.

We walked past the National Assembly building, an extremely drab one at that. It looked like a building from the Soviet Union days. It was Sunday and yet there were soldiers in riot gear near the assembly. Apparently, South Koreans have a habit of protesting for everything and so the cops are always ready for a new demonstration. We were very hungry and searched long for a restaurant. The only place we found open was Popeye's, yeah I know. Lame.

Walking in the city gives you a good idea of how huge the city is. In the newer parts of the city, the streets are very wide with 7 lanes of traffic. However, it is a challenge to cross the streets, because traffic doesn't stop and it isn't easy to find subways to cross either. The architecture of the city is a mishmash of modern glass structures and older nondescript buildings mixed with storefronts and restaurants. What is amazing is that there is very little urban art and very few outdoor cafes. Everything in Seoul takes place inside and every part of the city resembles every other part. In short, it is a generic cityscape with nothing to distinguish it -- say like Eiffel Tower, Golden Gate Bridge or Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur. It is not at all a scenic city.

After a late coffee, we walked to Seoul Station and to our surprise saw a few drug addicts, drunks and panhandlers. Seoul Station is a hub for local and long distance trains, and is a popular shopping place. We walked around with no particular destination in mind. In and around Seoul Station is the business district dotted with tall buildings from the corporate giants of Hyundai, KIA, LG and Samsung. Britt and Charles had to take off, so I bade goodbye and headed back to Kim's, where I met other house mates, Marc (France), Andreas and Matthias (Germany). Manuel, Charles and I went for dinner to a local restaurant for bulgogi and an excellent fish soup. We returned to guest house and picked up a few bottles of soju and beer. We had to bid goodbye to Andreas, because he was leaving early next morning. Again, plenty of conversation about politics and people. In short, a good time was had by all. Good night.

Seoul -- Day 1 -- Annyeng haseyo!

From Hong Kong airport, I took a red-eye flight to Seoul (Incheon) International airport, arrived at 4.30 am and exchanged some local currency. I had a hard time sleeping on the flight, and to top it all, I had to wait for an hour for the airport bus #602 to Hapjeong Subway Station (8,000 won). As of this writing, the public transportation to the airport is via buses; plans are underway to extend the trains. You may think that the buses are inconvenient, but they are actually extremely efficient and easy to use.

I arrived at the Hapjeong station and according to the instructions took the exit #8. The first lesson was that English directions are completely useless. The second lesson was that you have to pay careful attention to the exit numbers on the subway. After following the directions faithfully, I arrived at Kim's Guest House, probably one of the nicest guest houses around. Mrs. Kim, who runs the place, speaks excellent English and is very helpful and accommodating. I had an a/c room at 25,000 won (~25 USD) per night. A fantastic deal. Having slept little on the way in, I napped a little on the couch in the "living room". Nice thing about this place is that internet access is free, breakfast is included and laundry is free. Around 9.00 am, I met some of the house mates, Britt (New Zealand), Manuel (France), Andreas and Matthias (Germany), Miho and her brother (Japan). Breakfast is strictly do it yourself -- bread, jam, butter and coffee.

I showered and set out for the city. Hapjeong subway station is a 10 minute walk from the guest house and quite convenient, once you know your way around. ATMs in Korea are quite confusing, because very few accept foreign cards. Even then, finding one with English instructions is a bigger challenge. I found one ATM at a local bank that was bought by Standard Chartered.

Seoul Metropolitan Subway: It is one of the largest and most complex subway systems in the world. To get an idea of the complexity, see this map. It has to be efficient, because must serve a population of 23,000,000 -- Seoul metro is only second to Tokyo. Wow! I didn't realize it was so big until I arrived there. Trains run every 4-5 minutes, are very reliable, but always crowded. Cellphones work everywhere, and many commuters watch TV on them. And here's the thing -- no graffiti anywhere. It's a pleasure. There are clearly marked signs in English, Japanese and Korean, and local maps are available in every station. In as far as tickets are concerned, each ride is about 1,000 won (~ 1 USD), but smart cards (available at every subway station) give you a 100 won discount. You just flash it past each gate and the go. I also discovered that to cross streets near a subway, you have to use the underground pathways. It's a system that simply put -- works!

People: The Koreans are extremely polite and bow at every opportunity. They are very well dressed, and even a stroll is an excuse to wear formal clothes. Sure, like any major metro, they have their share of alcoholism, but the Seoul drunks are the politest I've seen. No violence, none whatsoever. I've never felt safer in a big city than in Seoul. The social system respects its elders and even on the subway, the seats for the elderly/handicapped/pregnant women remain unoccupied even if the train is overcrowded. Nice. Very few older Koreans speak English, but the younger generation is learning English in increasing numbers. In fact, many young people from New Zealand or Australia finance their travel in Korea by teaching English as a second language. The Koreans are very hardworking and it's not uncommon to hear about school children slaving away for 8-10 hours a day.

Now on to the sight seeing. I went to Changdeokgung Palace, one of the "Five Grand Palaces" in Seoul. The palace was completed in 1412 and suffered multiple invasions by the Japanese. It is a beautiful palace, but after a while the tour becomes very monotonous. I booked myself on a guided English tour (admission 3,000 won) leaving me 2 hours to grab lunch. I wandered around for a restaurant, but all signs are in Korean and the only recourse was to see the pictures and decide. Not knowing what to expect, I read Lonely Planet's recommendations and chose Bibimbap. It appears that the name is generic and each restaurant has its own variation, differentiated mostly by the side dishes. The meal was very cheap (4,000 won), but tasty. It had an interesting texture of rice, crunchy carrots, crispy mushrooms, chili sauce and of course, kimchi. Loved it!

I returned to Changdeokgung palace and joined the English guided tour (1 hour 20 minutes). The guide was very boring, spoke in a monotone and hurried everyone along. Man, did she have a plan! Had I known better, I would have taken a Korean tour and simply used the printed English guide. Once out of the palace, I took a break and had instant coffee (1,000 won) at a roadside stall. To make this coffee, a prepackaged mixture of coffee and sugar in a long tube is added to hot water and milk. To stir simply use the "tube" as a spoon. Ingenious.

I took the recommended "between the palaces walk" and walked about 3 kms on the sidewalks. What you notice is -- no Japanese cars! Almost all cars were Korean, save for a few BMWs and Mercedes. Almost every cab has a sign on the door saying "free translators". Since the cabbies speak no English, you can call a central telephone number from the cab and talk to an operator who then provides instructions to the cabbie. The cab drivers are very honest and pride themselves on providing a good service.

After about an hour, I arrived at Gyeongbokgung or the Grand Palace (admission 3,000 won). This palace was completed in 1394 during the Joseon Dynasty and like other places in Korea, destroyed multiple times by the Japanese. The palace is huge and impressive and obviously carries a special meaning for the Koreans, but the lack of English signboards made my experience somewhat deficient. With the same ticket I visited the neighboring Palace Museum of History for an hour with a guided audio tour. I didn't enjoy this museum much.

It was getting late (and I was tired too) and I rode the subway to Hapjeong station. I stopped for coffee at a pub called "Beer, Hof and Coffee". It was a complete ripoff (4,000 won). What I learned later on is that any restaurant that has "Hof" written on its signboards is good for drinking alcohol -- not coffee. I walked back to Kim's and joined a group of youngsters (Manuel from France, Charles from Singapore, Miho and her brother from Japan) for dinner. We went to a neighboring restaurant for galbi or Korean BBQ. We sat on the floor and generally enjoyed ourselves, not in the least due to a liberal supply of soju (similar to sake but flavored). Since most of us were new to the experience, the restaurant owner (through Manuel, who spoke some Korean) came by to help us with the grill and the meats. All ingredients were fresh and the taste, you ask? Heavenly. Soju certainly made the conversation much easier and on our way back to the guest house, we picked up few more bottles of soju and beer, and chatted away until the wee hours of the morning. As the night continued more people joined our group for an impromptu part-ay! Depending on whom I was talking to I switched between English, French and German. Good times!

Bali -- Day 6 -- Goodbye Bali!

This was my last day in Bali. After an early breakfast at the hotel, we checked out and made the long winding journey toward Kuta. We drove through picturesque highways and spent some time at a botanical garden. Incidentally, since Ayub was doing the driving and the navigating, I forgot the names of the places we visited. We stopped at a vegetable and fruit market, because Ayub and Dewi wanted to buy some for their families. Incidentally, I figured out that I could shoot 640 x 480 movie clips at 30 frames/second with my camera (Canon A610). Until this time, I was shooting at a measly 320 x 240 at 15 frames/second. Better late than never, I suppose.

On the long drive, Ayub played some popular music called dangdut that sounded very much like Bollywood music I was familiar with. Dandut has become more popular than ever. I was so intrigued by the music that I purchased a VCD for keepsake. We also discussed the origin of some of the Balinese/Bahasa vocabulary that I recognized as coming from Sanskrit. They were surprised that I could guess the meaning of many words. Wow, stuff that I learned almost a quarter of century ago came flooding back. As we neared Kuta, we dropped off Dewi at her home and Ayub dropped me off at Restu Bali Hotel to pick up my baggage. I repacked all my belongings and walked a few hundred meters to where Ayub offered a ride to the airport. With mixed feelings, I exchanged goodbyes with Ayub, compensated him handily for all the assistance and departed from Bali. Over the past few days, I came to appreciate his hard work, friendliness and honesty, and I leave him as a good friend. I shall definitely look him up during my next trip to Bali.

At the airport, I avoided the stalls inside and hopped over to a small cafe within the airport where the locals eat -- saved a whole lot of money. My flight for Hong Kong was leaving and the highlight of my trip came to a close. I shall return here someday. Terimah kasih, Bali and selamat ingal!

Bali -- Day 5 -- Road Trip

I had a quick continental breakfast at Adi Cottages, checked out and went to an internet cafe to check my mail. Around 9.30 am, Ayub came to Adi Cottages to pick me up for the road trip to north of Bali. He had hired an SUV (a small one at that) for 2 days at 180,000 Rp (~ 18 USD) per day. Accompanying him was his friend, Dewi, whom I recognized as one of the staff from the hotel. They were on a "clandestine" trip together at my expense. I didn't mind it all. Dewi knew very little English, so we mostly communicated through Ayub. We drove through some terraced paddy fields, then northbound to Kintamani, near Mount Batur, an active volcano. We took the detour downhill along the steep and winding road to Lake Batur, where we spent a few minutes taking in the beautiful, yet rustic surroundings. There are lots of campers that spend days on end climbing the mountain. I might consider it one of these days. We'll see.

On our return to Kintamani, we went to a recently-built popular restaurant that overlooked the volcano and had lunch. I offered to take Ayub and Dewi with me, instead they went to the lower level where the Balinese go (it's much cheaper), while I went to the rooftop (90,000 Rp) and had the lunch buffet. I think it's a form of discrimination to have the locals and the tourists eat at separate places and to, of course, be charged different rates. As they say, while in Rome... It was a good spread, but nothing to write home about. The view, however, was fantastic. Strong gusty winds blew across while I ate looking at the weirdly denuded sides of the mountain where the lava flow had obliterated all vegetation.

Our final destination was Lovina/Singaraja, a sleepy town on the north coast of Bali and a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of Kuta. The roads to Lovina are relatively narrow, winding and full of traffic. The lush greenery and the varying vegetation made the long, slow drive very enjoyable. Bali has only two seasons -- rainy and dry, but the temperature remains more or less the same. Therefore, many fruits such as mangoes and bananas, and vegetables grow all the year round.

We tried accommodations at many beach resorts and after some search, Ayub recommended a cottage right on the beach. For the life of me, I cannot remember the name of the place, since it's relatively new and construction was still going on. To get a good price, Ayub bargained and got the local rate for two a/c rooms at 125,000 Rp each. Had I gone there on my own, I would have easily paid at least 3 times that amount! Good to have a local friend. We checked into the hotel rooms and after a few minutes of resting in a/c, we met again under the canopy facing north toward Bali Sea, relaxed with a couple of Bintang beers and feasted on the freshly cut mangoes Dewi had bought at a roadside stand. Man, it was peaceful, however, too hot to swim yet. This is what beach side resort living is all about -- leisurely pace, calm waters, good food and of course nothing to disturb you. I can fully imagine coming here to write a book (if I only had the talent to do so).

After a nap, we had kopi bali at a beach side cafe about 10 minutes by car and waited for the sunset views. It lived up to my expectations - gorgeous colors, calm, soothing waters. We drove back to the motel and I swam in the calm sea for about 45 minutes. Interesting fact: the sands on the north coast of Bali are black and volcanic, while the sands in the south (Kuta) are white and sparkling. The water in Lovina was fairly warm and very conducive for a swim. Upon my return, there was a minor crowd of locals hawking cheap jewelery and useless trinkets as well as Balinese massages and dolphin sight-seeing tours. They left when we didn't buy anything.

We were ready for dinner and searched in vain for authentic Balinese food, but had to settle for the beach side cafe we had visited earlier. We had some beer, excellent Balinese satay, nasi goreng, a fish curry and a terrible calamari. Oh well. The total tab for three was only 91,000 Rp! Well, time for bed. Good night! I will definitely visit Lovina again.

Bali (Ubud) -- Day 4 -- Monkey Forest

After a quick breakfast at Masih Bungalow (banana pancakes, fruit and kopi bali), I checked out, exchanged the mountain bike I'd rented for a new one and rode on the new rickety bike to Monkey Forest Sanctuary (admission 10,000 Rp). Monkeys are sacred to the Balinese Hindus just as in India and they are revered. (These monkeys are macaques, the name is familiar, of course, to Americans for the macaca comment made by George Allen. That idiot!) For an additional 10,000 Rp, you can buy bananas to feed the animals. The sanctuary is used by the Balinese for religious festivals and is a haven for 115 different species of trees. It is a harmonious mixture of man and nature. The monkeys, by the way, are extremely aggressive and if you are not careful, they can snatch away your belongings. Watch out. The guides are very helpful if you want to take pictures. You can spend a good two hours in this sanctuary.

I retrieved my bike and rode back to Tutmak cafe for brunch (banana pancakes and iced coffee). I don't know, I just liked the pancakes so much, I suppose. Anyway, I took directions to Elephant Cave (Goa Gajah). The maps say that it's 3 kms from Ubud village, but I rode far more than 3 kms, because the signs are poor, I missed my way a few times and the locals don't understand the English term Elephant Cave. After I used the local name, Goa Gajah (Goa=cave, Gajah=elephant from Sanskrit) from Lonely Planet things went a lot easier. Riding through Ubud, you see plenty of artists' homes. Many of them work and display their art on location. I suppose, this where you've to visit to get the real stuff. The lush greenery and the gentle breeze mitigated somewhat the intense heat. I was drinking fluids like there was no tomorrow. After almost an hour of riding including miscues, I arrived at the Elephant Cave.

Elephant Cave: This cave is not readily visible from the street, but once you enter the premises and pay the admission (5,000 Rp), you have to change to the acceptable attire, a sarong, which they will loan you at the temple. Incidentally, a sign there says that women in their menstrual period are not allowed. I wonder how they are going to control that? At any rate, a very helpful guide, in fact one of the custodians of the temple, gave me a good history of the temple. Founded in the 11th century, it is perhaps the oldest Hindu temple in Bali. The deities are unlike what you might see in India. There is not much ornamentation, but on the other hand, you can see the Hindu Trinity (Brahma, Wisnu and Siwa -- note spellings) in the same location -- somewhat unusual in India. After an engaging conversation with the guide, I savored some tender coconut juice and went onward with my bike ride to Pejeng.

Pejeng: This is a region famous for its rice paddy fields -- the terraced fields that you see in tourist brochures. It is a sight for sore eyes, believe me. The ride itself took almost 2 hours because of undulating streets and having to stop every kilometer or so to get directions. The locals are indeed very friendly and it appears that you only have to say the word Ubud, and they know how to direct you. Terimah kasih (thank you), you lovely Balinese.

The ride back wore me out completely, not in the least because of the lousy bike. I went back to the rental place, returned my bike and went back to Tutmak for yet another iced coffee. I was tired (again) and this time I went to Adi Cottages, where I was going to spend the night. I was so glad to have a/c that I fell on the bed and snoozed for an hour or two. Feeling refreshed, I walked on Monkey Forest Road for a while and saw this women handing out fliers for different massages. What the hell, let me try a Balinese massage (70,000 Rp), I thought. It turned out that only the name changes, but the massage is the same. Marketing certainly works! The masseuse was very surly, yet grateful when I paid her. Maybe it was due to the lack of business, maybe it was her nature. Who can tell?

I walked back to Putra Bar for a few beers and some relaxing Jazz. I made small talk with the bartenders and learned of their pecuniary situation. Many of them subsist on the largess of foreign tourists who have spent considerable time in Ubud. Tough times! Here I also learned about the Balinese custom of naming children. The names are unisex. The first born is Wayan or Putu, the second is Made or Kadek, the third is Nyoman or Komang and the fourth is Ketut. The cycle repeats for fifth, sixth born etc. Interesting.

Based on the recommendation of the folks at Putra Bar, I went to the neighboring Cafe Bali (every third or fourth restaurant is called Cafe Bali) and had Balinese clear chicken soup and a full grilled red snapper in Balinese style. The total tab was 77,000 Rp; the spices were an interesting mix, but not hot enough for me. I enjoyed it, though. I followed it up with more beer and music at Putra Bar and retired thankfully at the air-conditioned Adi Cottage room. This was the end of my Ubud trip. I shall return!

Bali (Ubud) - Day 3 -- Arts and Crafts!

After a leisurely continental breakfast at the hotel (including of course the intriguing kopi bali), I checked out and left my excess luggage to be picked up later. Ayub picked me up on his motorbike to go to Ubud, the art and cultural center of Bali. Along the way, we stopped for a traditional Balinese dance recital (45,000 Rp) that included tales of Ramayana, however in a Balinese variant called Ramakavaca. The narrators used local Balinese with a few Sanskrit words sprinkled in, that I could recognize. A nice experience indeed. Later, we visited a Batik factory, where local artisans were working on cloth, walls and canvas. I got a painting of Barong on my shorts. I walked through the gift store, and despite the hard-sell, I didn't buy anything.

After a 30 minute ride, we arrived in beautiful Ubud. After hunting around, I settled on Masih Bungalow (located on Dewi Sita Road) and took a single room at 100,000 Rp, no a/c, but with breakfast included. Ayub returned to Kuta and was pick me up two days later at the same place.
To orient myself, I took a short walk toward Monkey Forest Road, where the famous Monkey Forest Sanctuary is located. I stopped at Cafe Bali for some satay and nasi goreng (80,000 Rp). It was not the best food I've had. On my way back I checked my email at an internet cafe (10,000 Rp/hour) and learned that uncle Ramasubbu, whom I had met in Chennai, India took a turn for the worse and passed into the Great Beyond. May his soul rest in piece!

A little down and out, I meandered toward Masih Bungalow and I stumbled into this beautiful cafe on Dewi Sita Road called Tukmak, by far one of the best cafes I've been to. It's somewhat expensive, but well worth the price. I had the best iced cappucino (17,000 Rp) ever. I was to return to this airy, beautiful cafe many times during my short stay. The wait staff speaks excellent English and is always ready with information about Ubud. Don't miss this place.

Just across from Tukmak was this tiny place advertising Balinese massage (70,000 Rp) for 2 hours and I ventured in. The masseuse was a very friendly woman of roughly 30 years, and she related during our limited conversation that she was having a tough time attracting customers -- another victim of terrorist bombings. It was not the best massage, but I was too tired to protest anyway. After a quick shower, I took a nice long walk through the streets of Ubud. My God, the number of arts and handicrafts stores -- hundreds. Wow! From what I gathered, most of them cater to clueless Western tourists and rip them off. The artisans are so good at imitation, it's hard to differentiate between the genuine art and the fakes. Caveat emptor. To get the real deal, go with someone local you can trust. I will definitely return to Ubud in the future just to purchase art (hopefully get the real art). Beautiful!

I had decided to move out of Masih Bungalow, because the heat was oppressive (no a/c) and the noise level from construction crews practically ruled out sleeping in late. On Monkey Forest Road, I hired a mountain bike for the next day's activities (15,000 Rp) and found Adi Cottages, which to my liking had good, clean rooms with air conditioning. A great place to stay. I bargained the price from 360,000 Rp to 225,000 Rp and booked it for the next day. Yes, you can bargain! Don't be afraid. So, I rode back to Masih Bungalow, left my bike behind and had dinner at a very trendy, yet traditional Bumbu Bali restaurant. You have the option of typical Western seating or traditional Bali seating -- a low table with floor seating on cushions. I chose the traditional style, but truth be told, my ankles were hurting after an hour. For victuals, I opted for a Balinese sampler meal (mixed satay, coconut and vegetable soup, gadi-gadi and rice pudding for dessert). Excellent! And by the way, they also offer Balinese cooking classes -- a half-day course for 120,000 Rp. Unfortunately, I did not have enough time to indulge in it. Too bad!

I felt great and in a good mood, I went to Putra Bar on Monkey Forest Road, one of the few places in Ubud to listen to live Jazz and reggae. It's very relaxed, laid back and friendly. That day, two guys played acoustic music and cheerfully took requests from the patrons. Not to be missed. Somewhat tipsy, I returned to Masih Bungalow for a well deserved rest.

Bali (Kuta) -- Day 2 -- Time for Outdoor Activity!

I had made arrangements with Ayub to meet a few hundred meters from the hotel. I had a continental breakfast with plenty of local fruit and kopi bali (Balinese coffee, served black with the grounds in the bottom of the cup). Over time I got used to drinking kopi bali and looked forward to it. The local fruits are plentiful, tasty and come in many varieties. It's a pleasure to see what real fruits taste unlike the non-organic crap we get in the US supermarkets.

Ayub took me on his motorbike (80 cc Honda) to Nusa Dua, about 45 minutes from Kuta. Nusa Dua is full of luxury hotels and a popular destination for water sports. We went to a water sports park (I forgot the name), where you can choose from para sailing, surfing, snorkeling, deep sea diving, fishing, jet skiing or just hang out on the beautiful beach. I hired a jet ski and tried snorkeling (435,000 Rp). Unfortunately, not having swum for the longest time because of contact lenses, I had to abandon snorkeling, but did manage to get a good swim in the turquoise waters of Nusa Dua; I had a hard time breathing through my mouth. Oh well, the next time, I'll be prepared! Instead, I went to the Turtle Island to see the fauna and learned about the ongoing preservation activities in Bali.

Fairly hungry from the activity, we returned to Kuta. On the way, I had backup copies made of my digital pictures. Lunch was at a roadside restaurant, where I tried the Balinese delicacy of suckling pig with rice (23,000 Rp) for the two of us. God, Balinese cuisine is excellent! The spices (shallots, ginger, garlic, turmeric, galangal root, cardamon, red peppers) are fresh and mixed in various proportions depending on the dish. Ayub had to be back at work around 4.00 pm and went to his home to meet his family. His daughter Feisha is a sweet little kid and not at all shy. In spite of not knowing any English, we were able to communicate quite well. She showed me pictures of her relatives and learned a couple of words in Bahasa (om for uncle and tante for aunt).

Ayub had purchased his small house (~ 500 square feet, 2 bedrooms) at a cost of 25,000,000 Rp (~ 2,500 USD) and pays monthly installments of $15! Just consider, my two months' rent alone in San Francisco will be enough to buy his house. Who knows, I might buy something here some day. At any rate, Ayub dropped me off close to the hotel on his way to work. I returned to Roscoe's pub for a couple of beers. After a nice long shower, I walked along Kuta beach, took in the gorgeous sunset and had a Balinese massage on the beach. I felt really sorry for the masseuse. According to her, the women have to get an official permit to work on the beaches, but sadly there was no clientèle. Both wife and husband work in Kuta and have a little girl to take care of. They have to make do with nasi (rice) and gado-gado every day. Meat of any kind is only for that rare occasion. She was so glad when I tipped her something extra after the massage. Life is tough!

I walked roughly 2 hours along the beach and saw the typical beach side "attractions" -- Hard Rock Cafe (the site of one of the terrorist bombings), McDonalds and Pizza Hut to name a few. Security at the larger hotels along the beach side was very tight. Armed guards inspect every person and vehicle entering the premises. A little eerie for a vacation, I must say. Of course, empty taxis and jobless tourist guides are everywhere. Pretty sad!

Tourists and backpackers hang out at the numerous bars and trendy restaurants along Poppies Gang II street and Jalan Legian. Great place for people-watching. One thing you have to bear in mind is that the street signs are unintelligible. Combine that with the narrow streets and the dim lighting, and you are guaranteed to lose your way.

I dined at Nasi Bali restaurant on Jalan Legian, very close to my hotel. I opted for a prix fixe Balinese menu (110,000 Rp) consisting of chicken soup with galangal root, nasi goreng, pork satay and black rice pudding. Boy, I am more and more impressed by Balinese cuisine. I shall definitely seek out a Balinese restaurant in San Francisco. Nothing like a couple of beers to top off this long, exciting and hot day. Next day, it was off to Ubud, interior Bali.

Bali (Kuta) -- Day 1 -- Restu Bali Hotel

It was a long, tiring night at the Hong Kong international airport. My 3 1/2 hour flight to Denpasar at 10.00 am was uneventful. The airport was very cheery and I looked forward to a fantastic time in Bali. Upon arrival, I got a visa for a week (10 USD). Since I had not made any hotel arrangements, I decided to book a room at the airport itself. After going through the brochures I settled on Restu Bali Hotel (435,000 Rupiah for two nights ~ 24 USD per night). This hotel is situated on the main strip in Kuta along Jalan Legian about 1/2 km from the beach.

Kuta is the principal tourist destination in Bali and approximately 15 minutes by taxi from the airport. There are plenty of hotels, restaurants and bars in Kuta Beach and Jalan Legian is the hotbed for nightlife in Bali. However, since 2002, this area has been under a deep economic crisis due to two terrorist bombings. Since most of the Balinese economy is from tourism, the effects of terrorism are very visible -- empty hotels, empty streets, empty stores, empty bars, empty beaches and empty restaurants. It's hard to imagine why someone would commit such dastardly acts on a people who are among the most peaceful and gentlest I've ever met. Unlike the rest of Indonesia, the Balinese are 85% Hindu and their commitment to non-violent ways are always on display. More about the Balinese later!

I took a cab to Kuta (45,000 Rupiah ~ 5 USD), once again a ripoff, not that I minded it that much. One thing you have to get used to is the number of zeros in the currency. You feel like a millionaire in Bali especially when you use the ATMs, and they are plentiful in Bali! First order of business was to get acquainted with the hotel and the surroundings. The hotel was very nice and had two Jacuzzis and two huge swimming pools. My room was for two persons with nice bathrooms and plenty of towels. The hotel was built in a typical Balinese style and reminded me a little of temples in India, however, without the ostentatious decorations. The hotel staff were extremely polite, helpful and spoke English with varying degrees of familiarity. The hotel was practically empty, maybe the fact that it was off-season had something to do something with it as well.

I relaxed for an hour in the Jacuzzi and never saw any other guests. After a quick shower, I checked with the hotel reception for restaurant recommendations. In the meanwhile, one of the hotel staff, Ayub, an extremely nice, polite man, suggested that the following day I try some outdoor activities. He was going to be my de facto guide throughout my stay in Bali. I sauntered along Jalan Legian and had an early dinner at Made Warung restaurant (it was also recommended by Lonely Planet). I relaxed with a bottle of Bintang beer until food. I had some excellent pork satay and nasi goreng (104,000 Rp). I shared my table with two young Japanese girls who spoke very little English. Nevertheless, with sign language and some Japanese words I knew, we had a great time.

Dinner done with, I walked back along Jalan Legian and took in the hundreds of (empty) arts and handicrafts stores, sporting goods stores, jewelery stores, restaurants, clothing stores and the always open bars. The merchandise was touristy for the most part and in my opinion a little schlocky. Of course, you cannot avoid the guys standing around offering you fake watches and shades or hawking "massage parlors". In an effort to survive, many of them convert their motorbikes into impromptu taxis. If you are traveling alone, it's a good deal to take one of these motorbikes. I stopped at Roscoe's Bar near my hotel and had two more Bintang beers (16,000 Rp each). You don't have to tip, although they were very glad when I did so. I returned to my hotel room and slept early, for the next day was going to be hectic.

KL-Hong Kong -- Day 4 -- Goodbye Again!

This was my last day in KL. I checked out of Pondok lodge, left my luggage at the guest house and went downstairs to meet Perng for breakfast. He took me to a local Malaysian-Chinese place where we had typical breakfast, noodles for me, some tripe with noodles for Perng and plenty of hot tea. We went to KLCC (below Petronas Towers) just to chat and had some soy milk beverage (it didn't taste too bad). He gave me a brief lesson in Malay history; we talked about the neo-Islamic architecture and watched some classical South Indian music played in the KLCC podium (it was nearing Diwali-time). Around 12.30 pm, I had to bid goodbye to Perng, since I was scheduled to fly out at 4.45 pm.

I went back to the lodge, picked up my luggage and took a cab to KLIA (12 MYR). From KLIA, I took the most excellent KLIA ekspres (sic) and arrived early. For 35 MYR, you arrive right at the airport within 1/2 hour avoiding all the traffic. I had the lousiest nasi goreng at the airport food court. The plane ride to Hong Kong was uneventful, but on the downside, I had almost 12 hours before my flight to Den Pasar (Bali). The time was too short to venture into Hong Kong Island for an overnight stay.

The best option was to the Hong Kong airport hotel. Unfortunately, it was too damn expensive (1,800 HKD plus 18% service charge/tax) ~ 220 USD. I could have afforded it, but in the spirit of the backpacking trip I declined and walked back to the terminal, and slept fitfully on the none-too comfortable chairs near the arrival lounge. Had I known better, I would have checked in and used the comfortable "barca-loungers" inside the terminal. Oh well! To pass time, I read, listened to my iPod, slept, woke up, read, listened to iPod, drank water, slept and so on. On to Bali!

Malaysia -- Day 3 -- Hello again, Kuala Lumpur!

I woke up early and not wanting to disturb my two roommates, Nicholas and Marianne, I stepped outside, saw the sunrise, heard the birds chirping and updated my diary entries. Since there was still plenty of time left, I took a little nap that turned into a big mistake -- I overslept and missed my ferry ride back to Jerantut that was scheduled to leave at 9.30 am. Damn! No point crying over spilled milk. So, I bade a hasty goodbye to my roommates and rushed to the pier only to see my ferry pull away. I talked to the kind lady at the counter, who miraculously arranged private transportation by car to Jerantut through Mohammad, one of the locals. To make the best of a bad situation, I had a sumptuous, leisurely breakfast.

Around 10.30 am or so, Mohammad was ready with his beat up Honda Prelude to take me to Jerantut. The ride lasted an hour-and-a-half, and I was well in time to catch my 3 1/2 hour bus ride to KL. I thanked Mohammad profusely (terimah kasih, terimah kasih, terimah kasih) and compensated him handily. Despite the lack of a common language, we were able to communicate some. Upon arrival, I had a quick bite to eat, climbed the charter bus to KL and met the Dutch couple, Nicolas and Eti again. Like all Dutch people I've met before, they spoke excellent English. We spent many a pleasant hour chatting with each other.

Nicolas is going to school while Eti works for a travel agency in Amsterdam. She is of Indonesian origin and adopted at a very young age by a Dutch family. Her biological family had to separate her from her identical twin sister for financial reasons (basically sold her for money). Her father has since passed away and only recently has she been able to get in touch with her biological family in Indonesia. She knew very little Bahasa, but she is now learning it in all earnest to reconnect. Eti told me that she was going to write a book about her experience as a immigrant adoptee in the Netherlands and about the differences and similarities of twins reared in different cultures. It ought to be interesting. I wish her luck.

We arrived in KL downtown, walked to the subway station and unfortunately, the entire system was down due to a computer glitch. Bummer! I didn't have a place to stay, but they were booked in Pondok Lodge Hostel in the Golden Triangle area and I went along with them. We took a cab from the train station and surprisingly paid according to the meter, 7 MYR instead of 25 MYR "tourist fare". I was fortunate to get an a/c room at 55 MYR (~ 15 USD) per night. Pondok lodge is a popular backpackers' destination and justifiably so. The rooms were clean, the staff very helpful, free breakfast and close to typical tourist spots. I highly recommend this place. We freshened up, met on the rooftop of the lodge, had a few beers we bought at a store and chatted. The view of the high-rises in downtown KL would have been excellent but for the ubiquitous smog.

We strolled in the Golden Triangle -- this area is filled with expensive, trendy bars with a lot of ex-pats and tourists. Did I mention it was expensive? We glimpsed at the prices in a German bar -- 34 MYR (~ 10 USD) for a glass of Paulaner Salvator! Dinner was at a local Malaysian joint (good nasi Pattaya, lousy tandoori chicken, good murtabak ayam, nasi goreng and a Malaysian fish curry). The total tab was 45 MYR. That was a great, satisfying meal.

We then walked around the neighboring Chinatown looking for mosquito repellent (yes we had to!). In Chinatown, of course, you see a lot of eateries and smelled the infamous durian fruit. The stink from this "fruit" is indescribable. Travel and food writer Richard Sterling says:

"... its odor is best described as pig-shit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away. Despite its great local popularity, the raw fruit is forbidden from some establishments such as hotels, subways and airports, including public transportation in Southeast Asia."

See the image (courtesy Wikipedia) prohibiting the fruit in Singapore.

Once sated from food and our curiosity satisfied, we walked back and had a few cocktails at Ceylon bar, just below the guest house. Each of us had three drinks for a bar tab of 50 MYR each. Not very cheap, but harmless fun nevertheless. Nothing like alcohol give you a good buzz and to put you to sleep. So, to all a good night!

Malaysia -- Day 2 -- Taman Negara National Park

After a short "overnight" stay of 4 hours at Hotel Sri Emas in Jerantut, I had a long overdue shower and got ready at 8.00 am for my trip to Taman Negara. At 130 million years old, it is one of the oldest (and largest) living rain forests in the world. It became a protected region in 1939 and has since become one of the most popular destinations for ecotourism in Malaysia. I went to the NBK travel agency and made reservations that included bus transfer to Tembeling pier, 3-hour ferry rides to and from Taman Negara, a visit to Orang Asli (Malaysian aborigine village) and finally a bus ride from Jerantut to KL. The travel agency was very nice and the folks very helpful. The total cost of my Taman Negara stay was 130 MYR. Over breakfast, I met again the French couple, Nicholas and Marianne.

The bus ride was very comfortable and at the Tembeling pier we used the restroom, because for the next 3 hours there was going to be no opportunity. Plenty of bottled water was at hand and necessary. The ferry ride was very relaxing and refreshing, but after two hours, we were itching to set our feet on solid ground. Upon arrival in Taman Negara, Nicholas, Marianne and I checked into Tahan guest house, a strenuous 10 minute walk from the pier. There were no individual rooms, so we shared a room with bunk beds at 10 MYR per night per guest. Tahan guest house is a sweet little cottage run by Muslims. Their custom forbids alcohol usage inside the rooms and no footwear was allowed either. I felt very much at home and I shall definitely be returning there.

I had lunch (12 MYR) at the pier (a Malayan fish curry with rice and coconut juice). I had chosen to see the Orang Asli village (orang = old in Malay, asli = real) at 3.30 pm. I wanted to do the very popular canopy walk. Typically, this is a group activity and a guided tour, but since I was running out of time, I rented a ferry (40 MYR) and went bravely to do this.

Normally, the canopy walk takes 20 minutes across one of the most exciting suspended bridges in the world. I stepped off the ferry, and instead of turning left, I turned right. A colossal mistake! I ended up walking alone in the rain forest through relatively empty paths for an hour. I usually enjoy a strenuous trek, but this wasn't the time or the place for it and I ran out of -- gasp -- drinking water. I was sweating profusely, my throat was parched and I was tired. To top it all, the signs are really, really poor. Anyway, I stumbled around desperately looking for a path to the river bank and once I found it, I reached the water joyously and waited for a ferry to pick me up. I was 2 km upstream from my purported drop-off point and was literally "up a shit creek without a paddle". After an interminable half-an-hour, a flagged down a ferry and the local fisherman took me back to the drop off point. Communicating with him was a problem. My ferry took me back to the landing, and my "savior" had a big laugh at my expense with his buddies. God knows what they told each other!

I rested a few minutes, drank drink plenty of water and joined the group visiting the Orang Asli. The aborigines reminded me of the Todas I had seen many years ago in Ooty, South India. Our guide spoke good English and gave us a glimpse into their history, lifestyles and habits. We learned (a little) to make fire using rattan fiber, a piece of hardwood and bamboo shavings, to use a blowpipe and to drink water from branches cut from trees. Survival skills in the jungle apparently. Interesting stuff! The aborigines were very friendly but there was no way to communicate with them.

I had a set dinner of a vegetarian soup, chicken satay and a whole grilled fish (14 MYR) at a riverside restaurant. Excellent! At 9.00 pm, I joined a night safari that took us in open-air jeeps through palm tree plantations. I met a young Dutch couple this time, Nicolas and Eti. We were outside for an hour-and-a-half, but all we saw were a couple of owls and leopard cats -- these leopard cats were more cats than leopards. It was nice to be out in the open, though, with fresh breeze in our faces, mitigating somewhat the hot night air. It was a long, hectic day and I went to sleep immediately.

Singapore - Malaysia -- Day 1 -- Johar Bahru

Here begins the second half of my journey with a well-deserved break in India. I arrived at Singapore Changyi Airport and from Terminal 2, I took the subway to Bugis station. The subway system in Singapore is absolutely fantastic; it is clean, fast and always on time and a pleasure to use. It was around 12.30 pm and I had a bit to eat (nasi goreng and coke) on Queens Street, very close to the fish market. I then hopped over to the taxi stand and took a shared taxi (S$ 8) across the Causeway to Johar Bahru on the Malaysian side. The immigration and customs were all processed while sitting in the cab. A nice touch! Incidentally, while taking the cab ride, there are signs instructing Singapore drivers not to drive empty to Johar Bahru and fill up in Malaysia, because gas is cheaper. The fine for such a "violation" is S$ 500 (~ 350 USD). Singapore is a "fine" city indeed.

You see the difference as soon as you step your foot into Johar Bahru. It's not quite as clean and as well organized. I walked a bit to the train station and bought a second class ticket with a sleeper (34 MYR) to Jerantut, the gateway to Taman Negara National Forest. The train was to leave only at 7.56 pm (and arrive at 2.54 am); I had almost 5 hours to kill. So I left my backpack at the train station and wandered in Johar Bahru with no particular plan. After searching a bit, I found an ATM and withdrew cash for the rest of my stay in Malaysia.

Johar Bahru is filled with people of Indian descent, mostly Tamilians. It is a peculiar thing with emigrants; their behavior and taste are frozen to the time they left their place of origin -- in Johar Bahru's case the 70's. What many of them don't realize is that their places of origin have moved on, but the emigrants haven't changed in the least bit. The city was dusty and hot -- no surprise there, and in the heat, many Indian vendors were preparing for Diwali, the festival of lights. Loud music everywhere and all sorts of things to eat too. Interesting town, but not worth wasting a vacation on.

At a local pub I had a beer, which at 15 MYR is indeed very expensive, but that is the case in all of Malaysia anyway. Some more walking around, some more water, rinse and repeat. Around 6.30 pm or so, I walked into an Indian eatery and got some biriyani and roti channai. It was filling and not the best food. The people running the eatery were very nice and friendly though. I also got some tea, but did not like it all. Finally, I pickup up my luggage and got ready to board the train.

The train was similar in many ways to those in India. Families with wailing kids, upper and lower berths, somewhat mysteriously functioning doors on the trains, dull colors, squat-down toilets, faded curtains etc. It had a quaint and homely feeling to it. The train started slowly and picked up speed only gradually. In some sections, the train swayed quite a bit, but it was no cause for worry. The travel is supposed to offer excellent views during the day, but sadly I took the night train. So, no views of greenery for me. There is excellent information about train travel here and the route too.

Finally arrived at Jerantut station at 3.15 am and met a nice young French couple, Nicholas and Marianne. A bus (or rather a minivan) was waiting to take us to Sri Emas guest house, a short 10 minutes away. I took the only room available, an air-conditioned room (30 MYR) for just three hours. I didn't mind it, because I was sleep deprived and badly in need of a shower. Time to sleep.

India - - Day 4 -- Shortest Stay in India ends!

The previous night's sleep was disturbed, because it was the last night of Dussera and as a finale, devotees drew chariots through the neighborhood and set off firecrackers until 2 am. It was noisy and cacophonous. It was also raining partially; the early October rains mixed with the sulfur fumes emanating from the firecrackers reminded me of my childhood. Ah nostalgia! After breakfast, I went to the neighborhood internet cafe to figure out what I was going to do once I reached Malaysia. As an aside, internet cafes are plenty and cheap in Bangalore. After consulting the Lonely Planet guide and some web searching, I settled on Taman Negara National Park in northern Malaysia.

I contacted my old buddy, Bhaskar and met him in Brigade Road. We went to Century Club, one of the oldest clubs, where he is a member. I had a little trouble entering the place, because I wasn't "properly" attired; T-shirt and a pair of jeans are a big no-no. I managed to "borrow" a jacket from the staff to enter the club. This club is the equivalent of a country club in the US, where only members and special invitees are allowed. The atmosphere reminds one of how things used to be during the colonial days. Plenty of greenery, good and inexpensive food and drinks at hand, but only if you are lucky enough to be a member. We had some beer and snacks and caught up with some gossip. I would have stayed longer, but I had to return home for lunch and prepare to leave Bangalore.

After lunch, I repacked all my stuff, relaxed for an hour or two, and started reading up on Taman Negara National Park. I chatted with my parents and siblings and after a sumptuous dinner, I left for the airport with my brothers, who came to see me off. It was the shortest stay of my life in India and it was bittersweet to leave so soon. Life goes on! God knows when I will see my parents again.

India -- Day 3 -- Return to Bangalore

The following day, we took some pictures with uncle Ramasubbu and coincidentally, they were the last pictures of his long and active life. I was really fortunate to have made that trip, for never again was I going to see the "patriarch" of the family. As I recall, that day was sunny, he could sit up for his feeding. After many years of delightful conversations with the man, it was sad to see him a mere shell of his former self.

After breakfast and lunch at uncle Ramasubbu's place, it was time to return to Bangalore. It was also October 2nd or Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. It was a dry day, i.e., no alcohol sales, so it was probably a bad day for some of the alcohol-dependent folks. Me, Venkatesh, my brothers and Prakash squeezed ourselves into Prakash's Daewoo Matiz, a 800 cc car @ 50 bhp for the 350 km journey to Bangalore. I was thinking of what people in the US might have done with a car like this.

Traffic in Chennai was needless to say horrendous, but once we departed the city, it was nice to see a newly improved National Highway 7. Unlike in the past, the roads were much broader and smoother, although you have to pay a toll to use the roads. After a 7 hour journey, we arrived in Bangalore to encounter even more traffic. I wonder how Bangalore is going to cope with increasing traffic in the future. How do multinational companies function in Bangalore, given the horrible infrastructure? In my opinion, Chennai would have been a better choice. We had dinner and called it a day. My back was sore from the car travel, and I welcomed the chance to just rest a while.

India -- Day 2 -- A Flying Visit to Chennai

After a restful day meeting my parents and the family yesterday, I went to breakfast with my nephews, Siddarth, Arun and Vijay at Shanti Sagar, close to my house. I received word from Chennai that an uncle of mine, Ramasubbu was very, very ill and probably in his last days. So I consulted with a cousin, Venky and made arrangements to fly to Chennai despite the extremely short sojourn in India. With some difficulty, we managed to get flight tickets via SpiceJet airlines (4,600 INR for two tickets). See the boarding pass on the top!

Bangalore Airport had changed since my last visit in December 2005. It had become even more crowded. As comparison, we used to have 8-10 flights a day in 1987, while today there are 12 flights in an hour. According to some reports, it's the third busiest airport in India after New Delhi and Mumbai. Imagine that!

At any rate, after a one-hour flight we landed in Chennai and paid our respects to uncle Ramasubbu. He was looking really haggard and we could tell that he was in a pretty bad shape. After much deliberation, we decided to have a boys' night out at Gandhinagar Club. There were a whole bunch of guys, me, Venkatesh from Bangalore, Ramamurthy, Ram and Lakshman (my brothers), Krishnamurthy, Prakash (a friend of my brothers'), Ramasamy and Venky (from San Jose, CA). It was a real blast and the food was adequate. Strangely, some guys were drinking single malt Scotch Whiskey with water. Blech! As the saying goes, a good time was had by all, and we went back to Ramasamy's house for the night. I was very tired.

India -- Day 1 -- Surprise for the family!

My flight to Bangalore via JetStar Asia was uneventful after all the excitement of the previous day and I landed in Bangalore at 3.00 am local time. For the first time in my life, I arrived in India as a US citizen and had butterflies in my stomach. Unlike my previous post, I got through customs and baggage claim fairly quickly. I took a cab (350 INR), wasn't ripped off and reached home at 4.15 am. I rang the doorbell and after a couple of minutes my mom opened the door. Surprise! She had never expected to see me at all, since I hadn't informed anyone of my arrival. She stood transfixed for 3 minutes wondering in her befuddled state, if she should let me in! Poor thing, it must have been too much for her. I went inside and after a few words, crept into bed and slept fitfully until 7.30 am. I woke up and surprised my dad and my nephew, Vijay. By 8.00 am the word was out and more surprises for the rest of the family. Nice way to do it.

Mom fixed breakfast, lunch and dinner, and I met the rest of the clan. What a pleasant day for me and my parents. After inquiring about everyone's whereabouts, I went to the neighborhood salon for a haircut (imagine me having one!), pedicure and a manicure. I spent a relaxing 2 hours at the salon. Meanwhile, it was Dussera season in India and the beginning of the holiday/festival season. It was unusually cloudy and raining a bit at that time. This was also the time my brothers, Ram and Lakshman, took their annual "pilgrimage" to Pondicherry without their families -- basically a whole lot of drinking. At any rate, it was nice to rest body and mind in the midst of family.

Kuala Lumpur -- Day 2 -- Selamat Ingal!

I skipped the rich breakfast spread at the hotel, because Perng decided instead to take me to a local Indian eatery. I checked out of the hotel too, since I was leaving for India later that evening. Anyway, the breakfast at the Indian eatery was great. I had murtabak (stuffed naan unique to Malaysia), rava dosa, excellent kopi (coffee), while Perng had kottu paratha (chopped paratha with meat toppings), idly (strangely with veggies and chicken).

He drove me through Petaling Jaya neighborhood, formerly a middle class neighborhood with factories, through parts of KL and Chinatown. The architecture of KL has changed since the 80's with the rising fortunes of Malaysia and the subsequent introduction of neo-Islamic buildings by the erstwhile Prime Minister, Mohatir Mohammad. Many newly constructed official buildings have signs in Arabic, where previously there was no known influence. We had coffee, chatted about Malaysian and Chinese history, and finally Perng dropped me off at KLIA Central Stesen (sic). I dropped off my luggage at KLIA (15 MYR) and took a metered cab (8 MYR) to the orchid garden (admission 12 MYR) and also visited the excellent KL Bird Park (admission 35 MYR for tourists, 15 MYR for Malaysians). I enjoyed a good couple of hours there, returned to KLIA Central and proceeded to Pudu Raya bus station to board my bus to Singapore.

Bus ride to Singapore: The bus was scheduled to leave at 5.30 pm and I had arrived an hour early. I had two chicken burgers (6 MYR) and a soda at a stand. Enjoyed it. It was murderously hot, sweaty, dirty and replete with exhaust fumes from the buses. There was huge throng of wailing kids, women in conservative Muslim garbs, teenagers, old people, beggars and what not. I waited patiently for the bus -- 5.15 pm, 5.25 pm, 5.45 pm, 6.00 pm and still no bus. I was nervous about missing my flight from Singapore. A co-passenger, Sam from Singapore, was sympathetic and assured me that I was in the right place -- after all, at that point, time was paramount. The bus finally arrived and departed at 6.20 pm; that meant arrival in Singapore at approximately 11.30 pm. The bus was fortunately comfortable, but we were stuck in heavy rush hour traffic of KL with traffic approaching speeds of 10 kmph (~ 6 mph)! After an hour or so of stop and go traffic, we were finally on the highway. The bus driver played some action-thriller on the DVD player and I paid little or no attention to it. Around 9.00 pm we stopped for an "unscheduled" break at a roadside eatery. I had some noodle soup to stave off hunger. The bus was delayed by almost an hour-and-a-half when we reached the border town of Johar Bahru. We went through Malaysian emigration and a few hundred meters of walking through Singapore immigration.

Things were looking pretty bleak. To top it all, I had no Singapore currency. I traded just enough Malaysian ringgits with some passengers for cab fare. I probably paid too much. Sam, the afore-mentioned gentleman, helped me through Singapore customs by taking me through the channel for Singapore residents. A big thank you to Sam and Singapore customs!! Without them there might not have been a visit to India at all. I got off at the very first stop (Woodlands), ran 200-300 meters with my baggage and all, and jumped into a cab for a 30 minute ride to Changyi airport. I made it in time (12.43 am) before the gates closed for my flight at 1.25 am! Whew, that was close! I settled into my seat for the JetStar Asia flight to Bangalore. I'm nervous as I write this episode. Home at last!

Kuala Lumpur -- Day 1 -- Apakabar!

My first day in KL, I woke up relaxed and breakfasted at the hotel at an additional 15 MYR (~4 USD). The spread was fantastic, all sorts of meats, vegetables, noodles, potatoes, pancakes, Indian dosa (written as tosa), Chinese noodles etc. The richness and variety of Malaysian cuisine were in full display. Mind you, this was just breakfast. Imagine lunch and dinner! Food was going to be great in Malaysia. Completely satisfied, I walked to the neighboring bus station to get bus tickets to Singapore for the next day, but they were all sold out; I had to go the main bus terminal at Pudu Raya. At any rate, I took KL rapid transit (2.60 MYR) to get to KLCC, the train station for Petronas Towers.

Petronas Towers is the crown jewel of KL tourism, and it is promoted everywhere. The admission is free, but you have to get a ticket and wait your turn. Security is very, very tight. Since you are on a schedule, there's nothing to do but to shop and eat. With 2 hours to kill, I strolled through the KLCC shopping center -- it's beautiful architecturally, but boring. I stepped outside for a stroll and met these three British teenage/twenty-something girls on a holiday in KL. They were also scheduled to visit the towers at the same time and hence I decided to have lunch with them for company-- at Pizza Hut. I know, horrible isn't it? With all the interesting food in KL, these girls wanted only pizza, that too pepperoni. What a letdown? Anyway, we were put in different groups, so we parted ways. The visit to the towers was ho-hum. If you've seen one skyscraper, you've seen them all. Fortunately, my camera batteries quit on me and I was spared the pain of taking more tourist pictures. A good thing too.

I then took rapid transit to Masjid Jamek station and walked through the streets to get a feel of the street life. The streets are noisy, polluted and crowded, vehicles belch smoke and drivers honk and amidst all this commotion, the three main ethnic groups, Chinese, Malays and Indians conduct their businesses and blast their brand of music from loudspeakers. The cacophony is colorful and you can tolerate it somewhat but the heat was something else. It was blazing hot throughout and you had to drink copious amounts of fluids. After walking an hour in the heat, I reached Pudu Raya street, where is located the long-distance bus terminal. I bought a ticket for the 6.30 pm bus to Singapore for the following day. The ride was supposed to take 5 hours, leaving me sufficient time to catch my flight to India at 1.45 am, or so I thought...

I wasn't in much of a mood to do more sightseeing, and it was too late in the afternoon anyway. So, I went back to my hotel in Petaling Jaya. For the first time in my trip, I actually felt bored. Somehow, I did not like KL at all -- from a sightseeing standpoint. I lay in my bed and watched TV -- some soccer, the beginning of The Bourne Supremacy with Malay subtitles and some stupid music show. What was interesting was that I was able to comprehend a few words in the subtitles.

Malay is an interesting language and spoken widely with many variants, extending from Malaysia and Indonesia to southern Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore. According to Wikipedia, there are very few true Malay words and therefore a majority of the vocabulary is words borrowed from other languages with Malay spellings. For example, stesen (station), bahasa (Sanskrit bhasha=language), dunia (Arabic duniya=world), katil (Tamil kattil=bed or cot) and putera (Sanskrit putra=son). So, if you are familiar with many Indian languages, grasping the meaning of many Malay words will not be difficult, however, the grammar is a different ballgame.

I went out for a walk with my iPod and explored the neighborhood around the hotel. I checked my email at an internet cafe (3 MYR/hour) and had coffee and cake at The Coffee Bean (14 MYR). After another hour of wandering around, I went to a local Indian restaurant and had dinner -- some chicken biriyani (4 MYR) and roti pratha (similar to Indian paratha, but deep fried). It was a tasty and satisfying meal -- a big change from the lunch at Pizza Hut that afternoon. I returned to the hotel, called my buddy Perng and made arrangements to meet him for breakfast the next day. Instead of watching TV, I read parts of Catch 22. Time to sleep!

Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur -- Day 5 -- La-körn!

I departed early from Asha Guest House and shared a cab ride with Dave, who was on his way to meet his dad in Israel. This time, the fare was only 120 Baht compared to my arrival (600 Baht). Good deal! Incidentally, there was a little bit of confusion whether I had to fly from the old airport or the new one. Fortunately, there was no change. Oh I forgot, while in Bangkok, my credit card had been rejected a couple of times "suspicious" pattern of usage. To sort it out, I purchased a telephone card for 200 Baht from the guest house and called the US customer support line. There was another 120 Baht left on the calling card, I exchanged the card for money with Darren. Good thing too, because it paid for my cab ride back to the airport.

After connecting at Hong Kong, I arrived around 6.30 pm in Kuala Lumpur (KL), where my buddy, Perng, picked me up. We used to work together in the Silicon Valley 5 years ago. He has since relocated to KL and had no plans of returning to the US. We reminisced about the hectic days before the NASDAQ and Silicon Valley meltdown in 2000. He had made reservations at Hotel Armada in Petaling Jaya, a Southwestern suburb of KL, very close to the light rail station of Asia Jaya. At 210 Malaysian ringgit (~58 USD), this was the most expensive accommodation on my trip. The hotel was good, but catered more to business travelers -- I wasn't here on business anyway.

Perng took me to a local Chinese Malaysian restaurant for dinner, where we had steamed white fish, fried rice and some soup. I enjoyed the dinner very much and cost approximately 100 MYR (~ 35 USD). To catch up with old times, he took me to a neighborhood bar, where he bought a bottle of Scotch whiskey. Most of the patrons were male and everyone was drinking hard liquor on a weekday -- probably a macho thing. What happens is, you buy a bottle of whiskey or whichever poison and they put your name on the bottle. On your next visit, you can get the same bottle and finish the rest of it. A few pretty women are employed by the bar to come to your table and make small talk. They continuously fill up your glass -- the motive being to have you drink as much as possible. The women are strictly for show -- no hanky panky. After a couple of hours, it was time to go; Perng had to work the next day. I tried to watch some TV, but got bored and slept a long time -- a welcome relief from the hectic activities.