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.

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!

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.

Hong Kong - Day 3, Lantau Island

By the third day, I was very comfortable using the public transport. I left Wang Fat Hostel early and after a quick coffee and scones at Starbucks, headed to Lantau Island, the home of Tian Tan Buddha statue, the world's largest outdoor seated bronze Buddha. To reach this take the subway at Causeway Bay in the direction of Sheung Wan, change at HK Central station to the Tung Chung line and get off at the final stop. This was a good time to get the daily MTR pass (50 HKD), since the one-way trip alone would have cost me 23 HKD. From the Tung Chung station, you can either take the bus to the statue or the picturesque cable car called Ngong Ping 360. I took the 90-minute bus ride on the way up (23 HKD), which took us through winding, scenic roads. It was a welcome change from the concrete I saw over the past couple of days.

The statue and the surroundings are imposing, to say the least. The 250 odd steps leading up to the statue are quite strenuous and not suitable for the lazy or the "gravitationally-gifted". Along with the entry to the museum beneath the statue, I also purchased a coupon for a vegetarian meal (70 HKD) at the Po Lam Monastery. The meal was very healthy, but very, very bland. It consisted of a mushroom soup with a strange looking vegetable or a root, I can't say which, a couple of excellent egg rolls, white jasmine rice and a wide assortment of steamed vegetables. Some spice would have been nice. See how good I am with rhyming? Spice and nice. Oh well! After some relaxation, I walked through the tourist trap called Ngong Ping Village. It was like a theme park, only without the excitement of rides. Avoid this village if you can.

I rode the cable car (55 HKD) on the way back and shared the ride with a Chinese family. They spoke no English and I "knew" a couple of words of Mandarin Chinese. It was of no use, because they spoke Cantonese and didn't understand a word I said. No matter, we exchanged a few smiles and pictures and I "spoke" with my arms and head. The views from the cable car were breathtaking and the sheer size of it makes it quite an engineering feat, I must say.

From the Tung Chung MTR station, I arrived at Prince Edward MTR on Kowloon island and took a 7-8 kilometer walking tour lasting roughly 3 hours. I passed through Mong Kok and took in the interesting sights including Ladies Market, Yuen Po Street Bird Garden and Flower Market, Goldfish Market, Tung Choi Street Market, etc., ending finally at the Jordan MTR station. Hong Kong is a shopper's paradise, but me, I'm no fan of shopping. So I just wandered and took in all the smells -- of food, of the humid, hot air, and of the exhaust fumes from automobiles. Not to be missed.

I returned to my hostel and met my roommates, Arnold and Rod, for dinner at a local restaurant. We wandered all over looking for a restaurant that served snake soup, because Rod wanted to try some. Arnold, the Taiwanese guy, asked around and finally located one. I can't tell you the name of the place. As for me, I had some excellent roast duck and took a sip of a snake soup that Rod had ordered. The taste wasn't bad, but psychologically, I couldn't make it past that sip. I did, however, try a glass of red rice wine, in which were preserved a couple of lizard-like reptiles and was considered an aphrodisiac. The wine was actually quite good and had no chance to verify the aphrodisiac claims of that wine. Too bad!

After dinner, we wandered a bit more locating a pub called Inn Side Out Bar near Causeway. The pub itself turned out to be very good and had a unique charm (or peculiarity). This one has outdoor seating, a rarity in Hong Kong. The tradition in this pub is that you get a limitless supply of peanuts in the shell and you discard the shells right on the floor. It's quite cool actually. Reminded me of my college days. I'll return to this place the next time. Like drunken sailors we returned to the hostel for a well-deserved good night's sleep. Whew, that was a long day!

Hong Kong -- Macau, Day 2

I woke up early and set out for Macau, the oldest Portuguese (and European) colony in China, now under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China. I had heard about Macau, the casinos, its rising prosperity (24,000 USD per capita income), increasing tourism from Mainland China and Hong Kong, the food and the renowned banking industry, etc. -- I wanted to experience it firsthand. From a historical standpoint, Macau traded extensively with the British East India Company (later British Raj). Portugal, in the meanwhile, controlled parts of India in the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1498 AD, Vasco da Gama discovered the trade routes to India and made parts of East and South Asia accessible to European colonial powers. As they say, the rest is history. Incidentally, Macau lies 70 km(43 miles) southwest of Hong Kong and is best reached by ferry.

I had breakfast (sausage and eggs) at the Ferry terminal near Cheung Wan MTR, a terrible mistake. Avoid sausage in Hong Kong -- it tastes really bad and looked like no other sausage I had ever eaten. To get to Macau use one of the many ferry operators between Hong Kong and Macau. The ferries run every 20 minutes or so. I took the TurboJet Ferry at a cost of 140 HKD (~ 16 USD); there is a first class @ 240 HKD. The trip is an hour long each way and pass through Hong Kong emigration as well as Macau immigration. Upon arrival, I took a 2 1/2 hour walking tour of the Macau peninsula suggested by Lonely Planet. I took the walk and was happy to get a feel for the city, from the new and the old to the weird and typical. I had mentioned in my previous posting that the "ladder streets" in Hong Kong were fast disappearing; Macau still has them.

Macau's casinos, financial districts and governmental buildings are connected by wide, paved streets, while the commercial and the residential areas are narrow, winding and sometimes steep. All street signs are in Portuguese and in Chinese, however, you'll have a hard time finding anyone that speaks Portuguese or English, for that matter. Portuguese has little or no significance to the people in their daily life today, perhaps only some official types speak it. You will still see a lot of Western influence in the architecture, though. Right in the middle of the alleyways, I found an Indian restaurant, something that I never expected as well as a signboard pointing to an Alliance Française of Macau. Wonders will never cease.

I visited the very informative and interesting Macau Museum, passed through the various shopping districts similar to those in Hong Kong. The final stop in my 3 hour walk was lunch at the highly recommended A Lorcha, very close to the A-Ma Temple. This restaurant carries traditional Portuguese cuisine. I had a sopa de marisco (seafood soup), porco balichao tamarino (pork with tamarind and shrimp paste) washed down with an excellent oporto (port wine). The lunch tab was 160 Macanese pataca or MOP$; MOP$ is pegged to the Hong Kong dollar.

With a few hours to kill, I hopped over to the Taipa village, which, to my chagrin, was a waste of time. Avoid it! To get around, I used the excellent public transport system in Macau. The signs and directions are neatly marked and the cost was approximately 2.5 MOP$ a ride. I also peeked into a couple of casinos -- Golden Casino and the newly opened Wynn casino. According to Wikipedia, the Macanese casinos have revenues greater than those of Las Vegas. Imagine that! Many more casinos are expected to open over the next couple of years.

After a long and tiring day, it was time take the one hour ferry ride back to Hong Kong. I took the subway back to Wang Fat Hostel, and I managed to get the crazy Korean guy moved to another room. Good riddance! I met my new roommates, Arnold from Taiwan and Rod from Calgary, really nice guys. Since I was feeling a tired and satiated from all the food, I had a couple of fruits and some yogurt and called it a night.

Hong Kong MTR: The subway system is fantastic, frequent and easy to use. All signs are in English and Cantonese. A typical ride is 10 HKD (~ 1.25 USD). MTR is huge and reaches the all the important parts of Hong Kong. There is no graffiti to speak of and cellphones work even underground. You can purchase an all day pass on the MTR for 50 HKD (~7 USD) and travel between Hong Kong Island, Kowloon as well as Lantau Island, the home of the new Disneyland Resort. BART in comparison is dirty, expensive, infrequent and overrated. Whoever called BART the number one public transportation system in the US has not seen the subway system overseas. We've a lot to learn from them.

Hong Kong - Day 1

This was the beginning of my month-long and wonderful trip through South and Southeast Asia. This was also the very first time I traveled overseas as an American citizen - a strange feeling, to be sure. After more than four decades of calling myself an Indian, I now identify myself on all official documents as a citizen of the Red, White and Blue. No matter, in my heart I am still an Indian. Now on to the story.

A long 13 hour flight from San Francisco ended at the Hong Kong airport at 6.25 am on September 19th. I quickly passed through customs, obtained some local currency (1 USD = 7.8 HKD) and took bus number A11 (cost HKD 40 ~ 5 USD) for a 45 minute journey to Causeway Bay - Stop no 13 on the Hong Kong main island. The first thing that hit me after alighting from the bus was the crowd at the traffic lights-- man, millions appeared from nowhere.

Wang Fat Hostel:
The directions given by Wang Fat Hostel (No A2, 3/F, Patterson Bldg, 47 Patterson Street) on Hostels.com were quite accurate, but it took quite an effort locating it. In addition to the street address, you have to know on which story/floor of the building the hostel is located. In the example above, 3/F is the third floor, A2 is the house number on the 3rd floor and finally 47 is the street address for Patterson Street. Hong Kong is a vertical city much like New York City, only more densely populated. At any rate, I arrived at Wang Fat Hostel at 8.30 am very much jet lagged and exhausted. I checked into the Hostel and found my "room" -- a tiny one approximately 8 feet by 12 with bunk beds! Damn, the last time I had seen bunk beds was about 22 years ago in Germany. Now this room was one of 3 bedrooms in A2 the entire apartment was no more than 800 square feet. The bathroom was a mess, but at least there was some TP.

The cost per night was approximately 17 USD -- not a bad deal at all. It is a win-win situation for the budget-conscious travelers and the hostel owners. In terms of access to public transportation though, you just can't beat it. It's right near the Causeway Bay MTR (Mass Transit Railway) station on the Hong Kong island.

I lazed around for a while and got a coffee and a scone at the neighboring Starbucks, perhaps the only place to get a decent coffee in Hong Kong. It appears that coffee drinking is not such a popular activity. Over coffee, I consulted my trusty Lonely Planet guide and took the subway to the Peak Tram station, from then up an interesting funicular (cable railway) that cost 55 HKD. On the way, I met Darren, an English doctor from Bristol on his way to New Zealand. The destination was Victoria Peak, which at approximately 552 meters from the sea level is the highest point in Hong Kong and supposedly provides fantastic views of the skyline. Unfortunately, the sky was smoggy and consequently, no "picture postcard" views. Pollution was a familiar sight throughout my Asian trip. Incidentally, the Peak is a tourist trap with the usual shopping malls and overpriced restaurants. Anyway after a quick look-see, we hiked around the Peak for a couple of hours in the intense heat and passed through Po Lam reservoir. The brochures said it was great, but in reality it was a letdown. It was nice to see some greenery though.

After the strenuous hike, we went to one of the restaurants on the Peak and had some Tiger beer and an excellent dim sum (130 HKD per person). After lunch we rode the funicular down to the base and took the subway to the Sheung Wan MTR station on the main island. We strolled through Hollywood Road, a road filled with antique stores, jewelery shops and carpet shops. Earlier this area used to be famous for its "ladder streets" (steep inclined streets with steps) giving it a Shanghai like atmosphere, but much of it has been torn down today to make way for new buildings.

We took a peek at the 18th-century Man Mo temple, perhaps the oldest and the most famous in Hong Kong. Enormous incense cone coils hang from the ceiling, each representing a fervent wish made by a worshiper. The whole interior has a mysterious feel to it -- intriguing, smoky and hot. We were very thirsty and it was quite an ordeal locating a pub near Sheung Wan MTR. Finally, we located a dive and got a local San Miguel beer. After a good hour-and-a-half, Darren left because he had to catch his onward flight to Auckland. Goodbye Darren!

I took the subway at Sheung Wan MTR, switched trains at Central to Tsim Sha Tsui MTR and reached Kowloon island. I strolled along Nathan Road and the Kowloon Pier, more popularly known as Avenue of the Stars. This Avenue is the Hong Kong equivalent of Hollywood Walk of Fame. There are huge statues of Jackie Chan, Andy Lau and other cinema giants, none that I recognized though. Although touristy, it was a pleasant enough to while away the time. I hung out there and gazed in awe at the imposing skyline. It looked much better at night. I was tired and around 8 o'clock rode the subway back to Causeway Bay MTR and ate at a neighboring traditional Hong Kong restaurant. As I recall, I ate some fried flat noodles with chicken (65 HKD). I headed back to the hotel for presumably a good night's sleep, but there was a nasty surprise waiting for me....

So, I walk into my "room" and there was this Korean guy, Winston. We introduced ourselves and he mentioned that he was a writer. His computer was on and he was typing frantically on it. He was approximately 45 years old, scrawny and he smelled awful -- think of the homeless guys you see in San Francisco. For all I know, he must have worn the same clothes for at least a month. At any rate, I wanted to sleep desperately because of the jet lag and I bade him good night. I climbed up the bunk bed with great difficulty, given that it was not built for adults and I had no prior experience climbing bunk beds. So much so for saving money! I listened to my iPod and tried in vain to get some sleep. I twisted and turned and woke up abruptly around 11.00 pm, and there he was, Winston still typing something.

He was ready to eat -- at 11.00 pm. He filled his rice cooker with noodles and from a drawer near his bed took a couple of eggs from a whole stack and tossed them into the noodles. The vapors from the rice cooker added to my discomfiture. He ate noisily, slurped and smacked his lips loudly. Damn! I slept fitfully yet again for the next couple of hours and woke up at 2.30 am and there he was, Winston, cooking yet again, this time, some plain rice with some unfamiliar powder. His computer was still on and a bedside lamp was on as well. After another bout of fitful sleep, I woke up all tired at 6.00 am to face a brand new day. God knows when he sleeps or where he works. His co-workers must certainly hate him, at least I do. Oh well, so it goes...