Thailand - Yes, back to Asia again!
Back to South and Southeast Asia again!
Anna's entry:
We have recently calculated that by now we have spent in total of about three years traveling in South and Southeast Asia. My spouse was recently asked by a friend of his "How could you spend so much time in that part of the world and still want to return there?" I find this question very puzzling... It is like asking "How could you enjoy life and still want to continue living?". I will try to summarize my reasons in one (long) sentence - because we enjoy genuine adventure, incredible natural beauty, exotic traditions, colourful festivals, unbelievable wild-life encounters, warm local hospitality, great food, excellent monetary value, and national-geographic-type experiences. Frequently we come across programs and documentaries about the same places Rob and I have explored - and, let me tell you there is no substitute of experiencing something interesting in real life v.s. hearing about it. Think about it, just Indonesia itself is an archipelago of over 17,000 islands! You can spend a life-time exploring that destination. Sure, on each trip we face a few practical challenges and at times go through a roller-coaster of emotions, but which destination is not challenging to do it right? I have recently started researching another continent to try and explore, and can honestly say - so far nothing came even remotely close to the high criteria we got to be so spoiled by in South and South East Asia...
Anyway, here is our most recent Asia journey route synopsis - Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka (new for us), Indonesia, Hong Kong. Here it goes...
Anna's entry:
We have recently calculated that by now we have spent in total of about three years traveling in South and Southeast Asia. My spouse was recently asked by a friend of his "How could you spend so much time in that part of the world and still want to return there?" I find this question very puzzling... It is like asking "How could you enjoy life and still want to continue living?". I will try to summarize my reasons in one (long) sentence - because we enjoy genuine adventure, incredible natural beauty, exotic traditions, colourful festivals, unbelievable wild-life encounters, warm local hospitality, great food, excellent monetary value, and national-geographic-type experiences. Frequently we come across programs and documentaries about the same places Rob and I have explored - and, let me tell you there is no substitute of experiencing something interesting in real life v.s. hearing about it. Think about it, just Indonesia itself is an archipelago of over 17,000 islands! You can spend a life-time exploring that destination. Sure, on each trip we face a few practical challenges and at times go through a roller-coaster of emotions, but which destination is not challenging to do it right? I have recently started researching another continent to try and explore, and can honestly say - so far nothing came even remotely close to the high criteria we got to be so spoiled by in South and South East Asia...
Anyway, here is our most recent Asia journey route synopsis - Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka (new for us), Indonesia, Hong Kong. Here it goes...
THAILAND
BANGKOK
I
have always liked Bangkok. My very first encounter with the city
happened in year 2001 - through my international work assignment, and at
that time I had no idea I would return here dozens of times. Over the
years, numerous entries have been posted on this blog, so I'll focus on
the relatively new stuff and experiences.
We arrived in Bangkok exhausted, after three nights without sleep - including the night prior spent on the floor at the international airport. I suggested to Rob that our first day in Bangkok we should just sleep, nothing else. The reality turned out quite different, and I take full responsibility of not delivering the promise...
In the last couple of years, the public bus connecting the subway-bus-city route got cancelled, so to keep us moving I reverted to an option of taking a local boat used by local commuters. Rob (justifiably so) called it "sewer canal surfing". We (the only two people) loaded up in backpacks jumped into the old creaky boat; the "captain" barely slowed down for us to jump in, and Rob ended up hanging onto the rope risking to end up in the canal (smelling like sewer) with all his belonging. Luckily, my mighty Rob was able to hang on, and eventually ended up in a wooden seat next to me, and we got "whisked away" to our neighborhood of Banglamphu. We checked in into our oh-soooooo-familair hotel (same floor, same room), with a couple of fluffy dogs walking around the reception area and a kitty sleeping in the electric box located above the entrance. I suggested that we'd grab something quick to eat, and on the way I intended get some local specific details about Loi Krathong festival - which I had planned our arrival for. Shortly after, we found ourselves walking through hidden narrow lanes in the part of neighbourhood that tourists never end up - we chatted with local old ladies, exchanged smiles with local kids, and got invited to watch a Thai boxing match right under the open sky. I also found out that that day was a special Buddhist pilgrimage day, so we ended up walking up with thousands of Buddhist believers towards the Golden Mount (grabbing a sample of roasted bugs offered to us), and climbing the mount upon which Wat (temple) Saket was located. When we finally conquered the mount it was already pitch dark. On the way back, I suggested that since we'd reached the point of no return, we might as well do some night photography that Rob is so good at, but Rob finally protested. "What happened to your proposal "Let's take the first day easy and just sleep?", he asked me. What can I say? We went "rogue" instead...
The second day (Saturday) I "dragged" us to the Chatuchak market, we spent walking all over again. We located a great (and quieter) location of the market with various food stall and enjoyed our lunch. By the evening, Rob developed blisters (which I am fully responsible for), so I spared him another walk, and went to the night market located a few blocks from our hotel, and fetched him a freshly prepared phad thai along with fresh-of-the-grill BBQ pork skewers.
For the third day I decided to come up with some realtively easy activity - I took us to the Snake Farm (belonging to the Queen Saovabha Medical Institute). We watched the workers professionally handling and milking the snakes, and at one point one of the workers' hand got bit up by a snake; he was bleeding, but kept cool though. In between two sessions at the Snake Farm, we ended up having a curie lunch at a workers' cafeteria, and enjoying a walk at a Lumphini Park - with monitors lizards casually swimming and lounging around.
The fourth day I decided to give us a break treat. I love Thai massage, and at around $6 an hour (yes!), it is the best value I encountered anywhere. Thai massage technique is probably the most intimate medical treatment one can imagine. The body contact between a patient and a masseuse for some would be considered "uncomfortable", plus a masseuse uses all parts of her/his body to stretch, twist, lift, and turn a patient into a "contortionist". I was lucky to get a wonderful young Thai lady, who after one hour, basically gave me a new body. Let me tell you - never underestimate an enormous physical strength hidden under that tiny Thai female figure! I returned to that particular massage clinic a couple more times, and loved every visit.
The fifth day we spent riding public boats (wooden ferries) along the Chaophraya river, and stopping on the way at various temples and markets.olden There is quite a bit of contrast one can see along the river shores - from Golden palace roofs to slums. It is always nice to get away from tourist spots and enjoy real authentic Thai hospitality - we were invited to a free celebration with local drinks, and bought some honestly priced local food. We finished the day with Loi Krathong festivities - traditional dancing and music, food venues, and dropping lit-up candles wrapped up in banana leaves and flowers into the river - presumably an ancient ritual paying respect to the water spirits...
The sixth day we dedicated to "real" neighborhoods and people. We spent a part of it in Thonburi (the "other side" - away from the tourist ghetto); walked along the canals; ate with locals at stalls at honest local prices - when nobody treats your as an outsider and your soup bowl gets re-filled for free because you enjoy the food; and picked up some street treats - my favourite - sweet coconut rice baked over the coals in banana leaves flavoured with lemon grass.
We returned to Bangkok a couple more times on this trip connecting our trips around Thailand. On these occasions we chose to stay in China Town. Very different from Banglamphu. Lot's of shark-fin soups on offer - the despicable practice in my opinion. Needless to say, we wanted nothing to do with it. Instead we opted for freshly cooked spring rolls, sweet rotis, grilled chicken with sticky rice served with various chili (and other unknown) sauces (some of which were finger-licking good and some smelled absolutely disgusting), and numerous helpings of delicious sweet icy-cold Thai tea. I would like to say a little more about those non-touristy interactions Rob and I cherish so much during our travels. We got to know a lovely Thai lady who ran a street stall cooking spring rolls (my favourite were with chives and garlic, though the ones with vegetables and so-called glass (clear) noodles were great too) . They were fresh and delicious, and came with a yummy pineapple-chili sauce. Being outside "tourist ghetto", one really gets to know locals and they get to know you. On numerous occasions, she would insist treating us to a few free spring rolls, and every time we would leave Bangkok or come back, she always met us with a big genuine smile and welcome us back. Just the last visit Rob and I were treated by various local people to free chicken soup, sticky rice, chicken skewer, spring rolls, and even a stick of grilled chicken hearts - a local delicacy! All of this was a kind gesture of hospitality - and I think, most importantly, that was the message to us "thank you for being different as opposed to being a regular farang".
While taking a night walk, we also accidentally encountered a group of Buddhist monks chanting and singing enthusiastically together. Their voices, and sense of unity and brotherhood were carried all over the temple complex, it was quite intense actually. Family has been my version of religion, and recently I have unexpectedly lost my brother (one of the most devastating experiences I have had)... At that moment, standing on the foreign land and listening to the monks's heart-throbbing singing, I felt that loss again, and that sense of lost sister-brother-hood that could never be replaced... Tears began running down my cheeks... We went to sit down at a Chinese Temple located across the street from the Buddhist temple. I could hear someone vigorously shaking their sticks - I wondered what was it that they were wishing so hard? I noticed that the chairs we were sitting in were turned with their backs against the alter - were those for people that have lost their believes? It was dim, poignant incense were burning, and large lit temple candles were flickering. I closed my eyes... Eventually, the sticks' shaking stopped - will their wish come true? After some time, we returned back to our hotel, and a cold strong shower brought me back to reality. After all, tomorrow is another day.
We finished up our Bangkok visit on December 5th - the King's Birthday.
LOPBURI
At the end of November the town of Lopburi celebrates an unusual event - Monkey Festival - that lasts for several days. Well, actually, the rest of they year the entire town is practically conquered by monkeys - they climb buildings' walls and windows, ride on top of trucks, occupy sidewalks, and basically behave like they own the entire town. Think twice walking under a store's canopy - we got peed on by a monkey lounging on top of it. But, during the Monkey Festival, the primates are treated in a very special way - they are basically, the Gods. That means, LOTs of offerings brought out for them on elaborately decorated tables along with marching bands and banners. This is just a short list of what's on offer for monkeys' eating pleasure - pineapples, oranges, bananas, apples, grapes, corn, eggs, cakes, wafers, chocolates, yogurts, fruit gels, cola products, and other numerous junk food you can imagine. Basically, you get the picture - monkeys are used to be spoiled. On one of our walks around local temples (which by the way are preserved quite beautifully), Rob concluded that monkeys had way too much food. So, he decided to help himself to a handful of chocolate wafers and oranges (by the way, it was not the first time). During the festivities, monkeys were crawling all over people's shoulders, heads, limbs, and at one point we saw a monkey grabbing a wig off a local Thai lady and running with it across the temple complex while being chased by a temple guard. It was quite amusing. The festivities concluded late at night with traditional dances (by people this time) and fireworks.
What we also liked about Lopburi was that it didn't seem spoiled by tourism. We encountered a genuine hospitality and honest pricing. We found a very basic stall by the side of the road where an elderly Thai lady was selling super-yummy grilled sweet-chili chicken skewers. We would buy every night from her, and she would always offer us a bag of free sticky rice to go with it, or she simply would add an extra or two skewers for free. In other parts of town, we would pick up a couple of super-ripe and super-delicious baby-pineapples. Then, we found a simple street stall with a few basic plastic tables and chairs where a local lady freshly cooked local specialties (again at honest prices). We would also buy a couple of bottles of freshly squeezed calamansi juice (about 60 cents for 300 ml bottle). Any, now of my favourite desserts - durian ice-cream made from durian, coconut milk and sticky sweet rice - yummy, well, at least in my opinion!
I also found out about a Buddhist temples complex located not too far from Lopburi where wild peacocks co-existed freely with monks. Local people assisted us with the public bus connections to get there. It was about 3 km of pleasant (but hot and humid) walk from the closest connecting bus pick-up along a path that followed sunflower fields. When we were approaching the temple complex, we could hear peacocks calling. And, yes - we did encounter quite a few of them, those gorgeous birds, several of which awarded us with a posh display of completely opened tales during their matrimonial dancing rituals. One of them came very close to Rob and opened a huge elaborately decorated tale right in front of us; I joked with Rob that the peacock sensed some competition there, so he really wanted to impress us with his tale. We also encountered an unusual completely white peacock. And, the high point was feeding the peacocks right from the palm of my hand. We finished the "peacock visit" with a climb up to the hill top where a peaceful Buddhist pagoda was located, and were awarded with a refreshing breeze and magnificent views of the surrounding valleys. On the way back, a complete stranger pulled over to the side of the road and offered us a ride on the back of his truck to the closest connecting bus point - see, this is what I am talking about - genuine non-touristy places have the highest rewards!
To finish up our Lopburi visit, we also took some walks along the river seeing more of real-Thai living and checked out some giant Buddhas. We finished up our last evening with settling in a couple of chairs in front of the breezy balcony of our simple hotel - there were metal bars across the windows and doors. We knew exactly why. While we were enjoying our delicious chicken skewers (bought from the same local Thai lady mentioned above), a female monkey came with a couple of babies that insisted to be included in the family gathering. This is our typical travel day - in the morning you feed wild peacocks from a palm of your hand, and in the evening you share you dinner with wild monkeys.
We took a train back to Bangkok. On the way, there were giant Buddhas, stupas, temples, villages, hammocks hanging along the train lines, tent cities, residential buildings covered in drying laundry and satellite dishes, newly built freeways, skyskrapers, and finally the intense and vibrant Bangkok Hualamphong train station...
TRAT
It was a 5-hour bus ride from Bangkok to Trat. We'd done this route a couple of times before. This time around, a tiny (stand-only) toilet room on a bus lost electricity, so it was pitch-dark inside. You could leave the door open, but then you'd be facing other passengers. The bus route had a lot of curves, so try aiming at the actual toilet in complete darkness when you're thrown from side to side, especially if you are a girl.
We reached a familiar bus station in the afternoon, and started walking with our large backpacks towards the city center. On the way, we decided to stop at a huge grocery store to load up on the week-worth supply of groceries for our next stop - Ko Wai Island, or as Rob calls "Exile Island"... The heat index hit 46ºC (115ºF) that afternoon, and by the time we reached our place, we were soaked in sweat. In the evening, when the temperature dropped to 32ºC to (90ºF), it felt like a cold front went through.
We stayed at the same hotel as a few years ago at $5 a night run by a sweet old lady. As a few years before, we were greeted by the same loud "Sawadee Kah!" ("hello!) from a miner-bird siting in a cage near the entrance. The bird's Thai pronunciation was impeccable, and many people mistake the bird's talking with an invisible owner near-by. The bird could also fool you by asking you in English "where are you going?", but the accent wasn't as perfect as its Thai counterpart. Across our hotel there was a traditional Thai massage school, and for $6/hour I enjoyed another full-body massage.
Later that evening, we walked down to a near-by lively night market for dinner - deep fried crab fingers, sweet coconut sticky rice with freshly sliced mangoes, fish-chili patties (for me), deep fried chicken (for Rob); for desert we enjoyed succulent sliced pineapple followed by sticky rice balls covered in shredded coconut and stuffed with coconut-banana mix inside; and our drink of choice that night was Rob's and mine favourite - icy-cold sweet-and-creamy Thai tea (self-served from the always-to-the-rescue Thai 711 store). The total cost of the entire evening culinary adventure (for the two of us) - about $5.
KO WAI
We stayed on this island a few years ago (an entry has been posted on this blog prior), but I always wanted to return back.
Having experienced a family tragedy recently, I still was going through an emotional and even physical pain, I felt like I needed a place to heal, or at least to escape to. I always felt comfortable here, in Thailand, and it was my first obvious choice. In my mind, I went through a list of places and experiences that would be low-key and would allow me an opportunity to think, accept, relax, and start healing. Ko Wai was one of those places. We stayed in a wooden isolated bungalow ($15/night) on stilts with a large veranda over-looking the crystal-clear ocean. Just a few feet away gentle waves were caressing the shore, tall palm trees separated our bungalow from a thick jungle behind. At night crickets would start their chirping from a jungle side, and we could also hear some animals crawling on top of our thatch rood. Cute geckos were laughing on the wooden beams about out bed covered in tall mosquito net. We were swimming and snorkeling three times a day - we would just jump into the warm waters from the beach. Even though the marine variety was nothing special (compared to the incredible marine encounters we'd had), it was still peaceful and relaxing for me. Sometimes, while relaxing on the back and feeling almost weightless I could watch sea-eagles soaring in dark blue skies above me... In the morning I would walk about 400 meters along the ocean shore to a restaurant to pick-up a cup of hot water for my coffee (the electricity on the island was available only for a few hours at night, usually after 7 p.m.). I would walk back to our bungalow along the soft white-sand beach, surrounded by palm trees on one side and ocean and mountains on the other, and inhaling a fresh aroma of coffee (I brought a few packets with me from Bangkok) while carrying the cup and trying not to spill it... In the evening (when electricity was available and using our immersion heater) we would make a cup of hot spicy soup followed by a snack of sesame-peanut-brittle or roasted nuts or popcorn (that we brought among other groceries from Trat), and a sip of JD honey-whisky (which was a left-over from our flight amenities, and which Rob hated).
During the day, after a long swim or snorkel I would walk about 30 meters to the primitive cold-water shower constructed out of concrete under palm trees. There were practically no people on our part of the island, so you could enjoy the shower with a door wide opened to the jungle. Speaking of which...
When using primitive island facilities/toilet (especially in/near the jungle), I would recommend the following PROCEDURE TO FOLLOW (especially at night):
-- First, examine all surfaces (walls, ceiling, floor) for ALL crawling features;slowly climb the squat toilet (especially in the dark, without electricity);
-- Check the toilet paper (if you are lucky to have one) for attached spiders;
-- Keep chasing mosquito while on the toilet (remember malaria is present on many islands);
-- Flush with a bucket of water replenished with salty water from the ocean near-by;
-- Try to safely locate the door latch to exit;
-- Walk back to your bungalow slowly and avoid stopping on any nocturnal crawling creatures;
-- Don't get startled by flying large bats in the jungle top;
-- Enjoy the exotic moment.
As far as marine file goes, here is what we saw while snorkeling:
Brain coral, boulder coral, fine table coral, blue coral, stag-horn coral, mushroom coral, barrel sponge, bubble anemone, sea cucumbers; parrotfish, batfish, anemone fish, sergeant major, crocodile needle fish, sweet lips, sting rays,angle fish, neon tetras, gobbies, butterfly fish, spadefish, surgeonfish, rabbitfish, snapper, milkfish, wrasse, porcupine fish, giant clams, shrimp (living under anemone patch), crabs, 2 tiger shells, and 2 octupai either fighting or having a passionate embrace.
HUA HIN
We avoided Hua Hin for years (due to the popular "tourist-infested" factor), however, it was a logical stop-over option on our way heading South. After all, the King is still visiting the place, perhaps, we should pay our respects as well. We stayed at the ocean-front pier (former fisherman community) at a simple, but quite adequate hotel on stilts. Prices in Hua Hin are quite a bit higher, so what would have been in other parts of Thailand a $10/night room, was $17/night here. There was a nice breezy terrace, and the hotel was located well for night markets and other walks.
To our surprise, the town preserved a mellow disposition, and once the locals learned about us being different from other tourists, we felt quite accepted. On our first walk around town, we got to know a kathoey (ladyboy), and throughout our visit there we would always enjoy our friendly chats and local practical advice. We also found a couple of decent food stalls at a night market, so our meals were set quite adequately and cheaply. We did various walks and hikes - to a giant Buddha, hill top, along the beach (the latter being quite mediocre to say the least - no, actually, it was one of the least appealing gloomy beaches I've encountered in Thailand despite all the condo construction going around the coast there). Lots of expats (for various reasons) seem to have been settled there, so not much exotic spirit left as you can imagine. A different ladyboy (and a good-looking one in my opinion) was hopelessly hitting on Rob - I insisted Rob should take this as a compliment by now.
The morning of our departure the water was completely shut off, and I finished up my showering procedure by borrowing the cold water from the toilet tank - a relatively new, and I'd like to think, an innovative experience. We departed Hua Hin around mid-night, and the train was quite a nice surprise for us. We are used to long over-night train journeys (in India), but this was the first "sleeper" train for us in Thailand. The beds were comfy, private, with curtains and crispy clean sheets and blankets provided, and we didn't even have to make our beds - the train official did it for us! We had a restful night, and arrived fresh around 8 a.m. at our next stop - Trang.
TRANG
This is our third visit to Trang and a detailed entry has been posted on this blog prior. So, I am going to mention just a few new things.
Trang is known for its best night (food) markets in Thailand. I would agree with that. Though this time around, the variety of food (though still very decent) has not been as interesting as two years ago. We tried a new dessert and local specialty - what looked (and smelled) like a sweet waffle turned out to be a sweet eggy omelet with salty shredded coconut. Yes, Thai tastes can be quite strange - we still remember how several years ago, we bough a box of super cute donuts only to find out that inside they were stuffed with stinky salted shrimp covered in sweet cream. Anyway, we also stumbled upon a simple eatery where an honest welcoming local lady and her grandma treated us to several curry lunches - they were cheap and delicious. Over the years traveling around Thailand (and eating strictly local food - no restaurants catered to Westerners), we finally have figured out how to pick the right Thai dishes and avoid truly uneatable local specialties (we are talking all kinds of innards, chicken blood, and bitter bamboo shoots cooked in absolutely the stinkiest shrimp paste - when you have to vacate the space the smell is so bad).
We stayed at the same Chinese guesthouse as a few years ago. It was cheap and adequate, and even had a sort-of-working cold-water bathroom. I loved the plumbing initiative there - the plumbing was connected to the taps and the wall, but there was no outlet for the used water, basically it was routed back to the bottom of the sink, and essentially the water was dumping all over the floor keeping the entire bathroom a mini-wading pool. Also, by the end of our stay there I noticed my legs were covered in multiple red bites. I was uncertain if I got those here in Trang, or Bangkok, or Hua Hin, or on the train, but I was certain what those bites were - bed bugs! Bad news! That meant 6 month of the entire backpacking equipment quarantine upon return (we do it anyway, but this was more obvious).
There was another experience that I like recollecting. I went for a full body Thai massage that recently opened by the Trang railway station - $8/hour. The enthusiastic polite young lady had some English language skills, and during the massage she kept asking me to admit I was an actress. OKAY... I told her I wasn't, but she kept telling me that my secret would be safe with her, she would not share it with anyone. I kept re-assuring her that I REALLY was NOT an ACTRESS, but she felt like I just did not want to trust her. To make her feel better I told her I had always felt artistic, and she eventually gave me a sigh of relief and a big smile and said "I knew you were related to movies!". Either out of respect to movies, or trying to help me ease a persistent pain in my shoulders (courtesy of the stress from a recent family loss), she asked me to come back so she could really focus on the specific area of my body. She warned me it would be an intense massage, I would be in pain the next morning and to ease it, I must complete the massage just before I'd go to bed - so my muscles could get a good night rest. So, we scheduled another massage date - between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. that evening. I obeyed. I was the only patient that night, Rob came with me to the appointment and the Thai lady insisted he would make himself at home and set him up in a lounging chair. The massage was truly intense - she stretched, pulled, pushed, heated, oiled, rubbed, etc. my muscles as if the life depended on it. I was at point of no return and had to trust her at the time, though I started questioning in the next days to come if it had been worth it, or if it even was healthy. It took some time for muscles to heal, but it has been about 7 months since that massage and no pain in the area whatsoever. We finished our massage night-date by talking about Thailand, the King, and people. She was very critical of her co-patriots and in complete state of adoration of the King. Was it genuine? We would never know. In Thailand, you are not allowed to criticize the Royalty. Over the years, I've never figured out if the "love" for the King is genuine, or an "expected worshiping" of the leader...
HAT YAI
Rob and I never look forward to Hat Yai, even after dozens of times we have been here. We always wonder if we'd be lucky enough to avoid bed bugs infestation horrors (we had experienced here in prior visits) in otherwise adequate, clean, and conveniently located hotel. Rob always has a sigh of relief when he smells a strong bug-spray in the room. My personal "favourite" part of our hotel room is the bathroom. It always has an oh-so-familiar moth-balls aroma, and the moth-balls are strategically positioned in all drains. And, then, when you have to use the toilet, you really feel like a Queen! You have to climb several steep steps to reach the squatty, just like you would climb a throne!
It took us 7.5 hours to reach Hat Yai from Trang instead of the usual 2.5 hours. There were transportation cartel shenanigans, multiple bus changes and delays, bad weather, crawling over-packed bus - so basically, we were happy to finally arrive. Hat Yai was our last stop in Thailand prior to the land border crossing with Malaysia, Rob and I were determined to treat ourselves to a Sky Dinner Buffet that we'd heard about during prior visits. We located the restaurant on the 47th floor, the night views were fantastic, and so was the excellent variety of food! Except for the obnoxious tourists (mostly wealthy Malaysians and Chinese), who truly exhibited barbaric and disrespectful behaviour and table manners, we loved our outing!
We booked a van for our next day border crossing with Malaysia from our usual travel lady. We had very nice companions - a lady from South Africa, and an interesting Malaysian gentleman (or "My Malaysian Grandpa" as I'd refer to him later) who I got to know quite well during our 5-hour drive. My Malaysian Grandpa was an intelligent deep person. We talked about politics, corruption, families, attitudes, and I got an insider knowledge of what's going on along the borders and various transportation shenanigans. He pointed out things to me during our journey that normally tourists would be oblivious to. He also helped us to suppress the scam (attempted by our dishonest Thai driver) by supporting our "van revolt" refusing to pay the bribes. He also looked after us and our backpacks when we had to stay in long border-crossing lines waiting for entry-exit stamps. We arrived in Georgetown, Malaysia - our next stop, in the afternoon....
posted by Rob and Anna @ 1:03 PM
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