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.

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.

Bangkok -- Day 3 -- Grand Palace and Shopping

After an elaborate breakfast, I set out early for the Louis Pasteur Snake Farm, now known as Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute. This is one of the principal places for toxicology research in Thailand. From my Sktrain stop (Saphan Khwai), I went to Siam Central Station and switched trains to get to Sala Daeng. From there it was a brisk 20 minute walk to the snake farm. I met Jessica from the guest house and we watched a slide show on venomous snakes as well as a live demonstration. It was very informative and impressive. See the picture on the top. Brave guy, eh? It's a Burmese python and picture taken by Jessica. Thanks Jessica.

From there I went to see the pièce de résistance of Bangkok tourism, the Grand Palace. It was to open to the public only at 1.30 pm, so the museum staff, who, by the way, are extremely helpful, directed a tuk tuk driver to take me to yet another Buddhist temple, this time the Mount Buddha (I wasn't impressed). It's fun riding these tuk tuks, although Ralph Nader would have a fit since these are truly "unsafe at any speed". It is a pollution nightmare, rickety and noisy. The only thing going for it is that it's cheap to ride for short distances. Most of these tuk tuk drivers are not locals, don't speak any English and don't know the city too well either. Tuk tuks are mostly for show and meant to con tourists into needless shopping. The drivers get "petrol credits" from the government to "promote tourism". So if you take one of these, don't feel too bad about not paying much.

The driver was a real nice, polite guy and helped me to a local roadside stall for lunch, although he refused to join me when I asked him to. I had a wonderful meal (some transparent noodles with chicken and plenty of basil as well as chilies) accompanied by 3 diet cokes -- it was hotter than hell, both temperature-wise and food-wise. I was sweating even more, but, what the hell, I enjoyed the food. It was heaven! I finally returned to the Grand Palace in time.

This is the residence of the king of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest serving Head of State, having been on the throne since 1946! Words cannot do justice to its grandeur, although on the minus side it's expensive to enter -- 500 Baht. It is a sprawling campus, housing many current and previous royal residences, including Wat Phra Kaew, the so-called Emerald Buddha. It's easy to get lost in the opulence and the majesty of this palace. It's one of those things -- you have to be there.

Having completed these, I caught a cab to the clothier I had mentioned in a previous post and had my suit and jacket re-fitted. I spent an hour or so there, but the cab driver, Boo, waited all the time for me to come out. He agreed to take me the next day to the famous floating market, an hour and a half from Bangkok. (More on that later) I asked Boo to recommend a good place for yet another Thai massage and he did not disappoint! This time around, it was only 350 Baht. I had agreed to and paid Boo 200 Baht for his assistance.

Anyway, I was tired, yet relaxed and went to a seafood place that looked good. I should have known better. I saw the price for a crab (170 Baht) and was thrilled beyond belief. So, I pointed to a crab still in its shell, picked up some vegetables à la carte and ordered all of it. The restaurant advertised seafood any style I wanted, so I said chili pepper crab. After the great meal came the sticker price shock -- 3200 Baht (~ 90 USD)! After asking if there was a mistake, I realized that the price was 170 Baht per hundred grams, and the vegetables? Some ungodly sum. RTFM really!

After this costly mistake, I went back to the guest house for a beer or two and met Darren. I informed him about the trip to the floating market and fortunately, he agreed. Wow! A small victory after a disastrous meal. So it goes. Good night!

Bangkok -- Day 2 -- Chatuchak Market

Over continental breakfast at Asha Guest House, I met Darren from the previous night's alcohol induced (or enhanced) festivities. Darren is an intelligent, cool guy of 24 years old from Calgary, Canada and just out of school. He had/has a more adventurous backpacking plan than mine, his lasting roughly 4 months. I envy him. This was Sunday and the best thing to do was to visit Chatuchak weekend market, probably the largest flea market in the world. So off we went. We took the Skytrain to Mo Chit station, alighted and saw hundreds of stores all close together selling things that you normally see in flea markets to some that you do not expect -- live animals, mostly pets like puppies, kittens, hamsters, fishes of all sorts, turtles, various birds and so on. The cacophony was overwhelming, not to mention the immense crowds as well as the smells of food roasting, frying and everything in between. We pondered if there was a method to the madness? The short answer is, yes, there is. They have maps that clearly delineate the sections for pets, clothing for pets, antiques, clothing, food court, shoes, accessories etc. You've got to see it to believe it. If you ever run out of anything and need to find it (and of course, if you are in the Bangkok near the Mo Chit Skytrain station), you will find in Chatuchak. Great stuff!

We went to Saphan Taksin Skytrain station, boarded the ferry on the way to the Wat Pho temple, the largest Reclining Buddha statue in the world. A short while before, we walked through the fish markets along the Chao Phraya river and saw dried fish and seafood in varieties I hadn't imagined. We stopped for lunch at a fairly "upscale" restaurant, which catered to the tourists near the Grand Palace and had signs in English. I had some excellent pork satay and fried rice. Darren had pad Thai (he was new to Thai food), and we had coconut milk to go with. The price was about 70 Baht apiece. The temple was breathtaking in its size and the statue was impressive, to say the least. The reclining statue is roughly 150 feet long and completely plated in gold. At the foot of the statue are intricately carved patterns in jade. Apparently, this temple was the birthplace of Thai massage. It is the crown jewel of Buddhist temples and the Thais are justifiably proud of this enormous and ancient temple. Every Thai I met asked me if I had seen Wat Pho. Prepare to be impressed.

We took a cab see the Pasteur Institute Snake Farm near Sala Daeng Skytrain station, but were unlucky to reach it near closing time. The cab driver, Sam spoke excellent English and was a treat to talk to. His knowledge of international politics was amazing and gave a good account of the reasons for Taksin Shinawatra's coup. Of course, like every other cab driver in Bangkok, he was very eager to take us shopping and have us partake of the sex trade in Bangkok. You've got to understand that plying cabs is their vocation, but the real money is in selling the "services" to the tourists. They get a percentage of the proceeds of the "sale". That's how they roll in Bangkok!

We walked many, many kilometers along the Lumphini Park, probably one of the largest green spots in the city good enough for jogging and outdoor activities, and through Sala Daeng and further on to Chong Nonsi Skytrain station. It was too late for the tourist attractions, so we took the Skytrain back to the guest house and stopped at a local internet café for news and email. This particular café was fantastic and had leather seats and a high speed connection -- all for a paltry 15 Baht per hour. An army of Thai youngsters was busy with playing games on the internets (sic). Later on, we stopped at a pub for a few beers of Singha and tried a couple of local sausages. My advice? Avoid them. We tried some local fruits and they were fantastic. The sheer variety of fruits was overwhelming -- and the taste? Intense. Wow! We returned to the guest house for dinner and a few more beers with the house mates. Well, why not? Dinner was a spicy ground chicken curry with plenty of basil and some rice. It was finally time to hit the sack and do some reading. End of Day 2.

Bangkok -- Day 1 -- Sa-wäd-dee

I arrived in Bangkok toward midnight somewhat apprehensively, given the recent political turmoil in Thailand. I had received several emails from friends warning me not to go. Fortunately, the fears of violence and travel restrictions on foreigners were unfounded and I had a great time in Bangkok. Arriving in Bangkok on my first visit I expected to be ripped off and I wasn't disappointed. I hailed a taxicab at the international arrival terminal from a "metered" taxi-stand and paid 600 Baht (~ 12 USD) for a ride to Asha Guest House. Had I known better, I would have paid no more than 200 Baht. Oh well, live and learn, I suppose. The directions to the guest house, that I had printed out in English turned out to be useless, because the cabbie neither knew the location nor could he read the directions -- a rude introduction to Bangkok, to be sure. I finally reached my guest house at 1.45 a.m., completely travel-weary and sleepy.

I got a single non-a/c room (300 Baht ~ 8 USD). The room was spacious, but the lighting was inadequate for reading. As far as the guest house is concerned, it is fantastic, given the reasonable price, relatively easy access to public transportation, excellent English-speaking staff and amenities and not in the least the guests. There were people, young and old, from various countries, from Australia and New Zealand to Canada, US and myriad European nations. Many were traveling like me, while many were just hanging out and enjoying the cheap accommodations.

After a reasonably good night's sleep, I had an excellent continental breakfast (70 Baht) at the guest house with plenty of fruit, coffee, toast and orange juice. I took directions the the Skytrain station called Saphan Khwai, but the signs were quite confusing and finding English-speaking who could direct me turned out to be quite a task. Since the recent coup in Bangkok, security was very tight and soldiers were on full alert throughout the city. Finally, I got to the train station and got a little glimpse of the street life in Bangkok. It reminded me so much of Chennai, India. The weather was (always) hot and humid, vehicular exhaust smoke and naturally the accompanying pollution were ubiquitous, honking motorbikes were everywhere. The smell of fish, seafood, exotic spices and cooking oils were inescapable.

I took the Skytrain to Saphan Taksin, the terminus on the eastern bank of Chao Phraya river. Chao Phraya is the main artery running through Thailand and much of the life is dependent on this river. Much to my disappointment, the water was brown and muddy, apparently due to the recent rains. I mistakenly purchased an all day pass (100 Baht) on the ferry; it's cheaper to pay for each ride. I disembarked the ferry at the pier leading to the Grand Palace; unfortunately, I was told that the palace was closed for reasons of security. (Note: You will be accosted by locals who will "guide" you through the tourist sites and take you shopping. They are compensated by the local merchants, with whom you make purchases. These guys are good with the "soft sell". Be your own judge!) I met this Thai man posing as a professor of history. He hung out with me all day, but never did say anything about the history. I went along with the charade. He took me to the Sitting Buddha and Standing Buddha (Wat Indrawiharn) temples, and we made traditional offerings of incense sticks and lotus stalks at each temple. For lunch, we went to a run-down place by the river and had pad Thai and the best iced coffee of my life -- all this for barely 65 Baht (~ 2USD). We also walked through the fish market and the flea market, where street vendors sold old coins, objets d'art and other curiosities.

After lunch, I was taken to a locally renowned clothier, where I got some hand-tailored formal clothing at a fraction of the cost in the US. I did not, however, buy any jewelery. Finally, to cap off a "successful" tourist visit, we went to a 2 hour Thai massage. I paid 500 Baht for it, but I probably got ripped off. Live and learn! The Thai man got this for free, I think. We finally departed, and along the way I stopped by Siam Square to buy a bilingual map of Bangkok and an English-Thai phrasebook. In retrospect, the phrasebook was useless, because the Romanized Thai did not reflect the actual pronunciations. Siam Square on the other hand was a shopper's paradise and apparently the hot spot for the Bangkok high rollers.

It was time to call it a day, and I returned to the guest house (Saphan Khwai Skytrain station) for dinner and drinks. I met my house mates, Will, Emma, Dave, Darren, Jessica, et al and had an excellent dinner (minced pork with basil leaves, rice) and plenty of cheap beer called Singha and Tiger. The strange thing is, they give you ice cubes along with the beer. You might laugh at the idea, but once you see how the locals do it, you appreciate the gesture, because the heat warms up the beer quite quickly. A successful, albeit expensive end to my first day in Bangkok.