Trip Report IV

G'day everyone.
Table of contents:
1) Undercharged by cab driver.
2) Dealing with fear of heights.
3) Burned photos to CD.
4) Weekend, Tara's birthday.
5) What I've been drinking.
6) What I've been eating (Kluang).
7) Sunday night-Monday night.
8) Tuesday-Wednesday.
9) Travel tips, showering.
10) What I'm eating (Bangkok)
11) I love Bangkok.
Excerpts from emails:
12) Hands on hips, cultural no-nos.
14) Eating with hands.

1) 18/7/02 Got undercharged by the first taxi driver I've met who spoke no English whatsoever. Also fares do need to be negotiated at Peak Hour, so make that 3 times I've been overcharged.

2) One thing is that a couple of months ago I got a sense from the Holy Spirit one night that all I would have to do to not be afraid of heights was to remember not to be afraid, and ever since then as long as I remember not to be afraid I don't have a problem. This has proven very handy hanging around 6 storey malls with escalators suspended out over open space between levels, the situation which used to freak me out the most. Now I'll handle a situation like that without a problem, come unexpectedly upon a 1 storey drop, forget not to be afraid and almost collapse (well, it happened once).

3) Burned my first CD this evening. Took the pictures (most of which are on the web at ) which I had uploaded from my camera to my uncle Sri's computer and burned them onto a CD, along with the program that came with the camera, that Intel expect me to pay $30 AUD for the privilege of being able to install under Windows XP. At least now I'll be able to get at my cameras documentation (& a bit of clip art). So I should be able to record Ben's song onto an audio CD when I get back (not to mention the rest of my songs).

4) Here I am in Bangkok. I caught the morning train to KL on Saturday morning, enjoyed the view and had one good conversation, then went straight to Tara's birthday party (my cousin once removed I believe, Priya's daughter). Great party & I got some good shots. There was a cake shaped like a clown, a candle shaped like a jack-in-the-box which didn't get used (but I got a picture it was so cute), a treasure hunt for chocolates and party games, and, of course, more absolutely wonderful food. I was very pleased to find out the next day that one of the best dishes was actually cooked by my uncle Dr Vaithynathan as the party had been catered. I stayed the night in Dushyan's room and the next day, after a big sleep in, went to a mall for a while then spent some time writing postcards before relaxing with everyone in front of the TV with large quantities of mangosteens, longans & something similar to rambutans.

5) Why can't we make iced teas, iced coffees, frappachinos, blended ices, juices, milkshakes & smoothies out of custard apple [soursops or durian blenda], jackfruit, honeydew melon, peaches, strawberries, lychees, sugar cane, barley, kiwi fruit, star fruit, mangos, paw paw [papaya], guava, pineapple, lemon, lime & coconut in Australia, not to mention why don't they use rambutans, mangosteen, longans, durian etc. in Malaysia & Thailand. I haven't tried every one of these combinations, but I'm working on it.

6) While I was in Kluang I tried mangosteen (delicious) and durian (all-right) for the first time, not to mention wild boar which was delicious and unlike any meat I've ever tasted before.

7) Sunday night we went to my uncles club for dinner, then I went to aunty Anu & uncle Jega's place for the night as my pack was there & it's easier to get to the airport from. This morning everything went smoothly with my flight (had a baby boy beside me to keep me amused trading quizzical looks for smiles). I arrived and had a good chat to my mum while my luggage came through (the first months bill was $12.40 AUD so global roaming isn't sending me broke). Caught a taxi to the Youth Hostel, checked in and started walking around the area. Right nearby are the Dusit palaces, and although I've been to the Vimanmek Teak Mansion before (last year), there are heaps of smaller palaces, museums and a zoo I will have to start checking out tomorrow. I got there at 2.15pm and it closed at 3.15pm so I only had time for the overview tour. Came back to the hostel and in a moment of insanity decided to stay in my crowded dorm, with no air conditioning during the day, tonight to see how it goes before deciding if I'll upgrade to a room with A/C & it's own bathroom at 280 Baht/night (21.75 Baht/AUD at the airport, don't know what it is in the street yet). You can only book Youth Hostel dorm rooms over the internet. Last year I was spending 390 Baht/night at the cheapest place I could find in Kaosan Rd for a similar individual room. After getting back from my walk (chalked up another few kms) I've gone next door to the hostel to an internet cafe that's about 75% the price of the best in Kaosan Rd, and just undercuts the Youth Hostel. There are definite advantages to being out of the tourist district.

8) Woke up and found out there were no single rooms left. The problem is there's no room to spread out a map, eat mangosteens or sort out my clothes because I'm in a top bunk. Got some apples since I could eat them while walking and they served for lunch and dinner. Visited 3 of the smaller palaces with their museums then went to sleep about 2.30pm until after 7pm. Sat around chatting with other travellers & found someone to give my Vietnamese money to. I had $270 000 Vietnamese which equals $18 US, he gave me $10 US and we both came out well (considering it had been given to me). This morning swapped bunks to a lower bunk, which solves my problems, then caught a cab over to Suman's work today as today & tomorrow are public holidays & there's not much to do. He has to work since most of his staff are on holidays, but we got opportunities to chat and went out to lunch together. He's suggested some ruins just out of Bangkok for me to visit tomorrow.

9) Having earplugs, a small torch & a sleeping mask (didn't mention that in the first email) is a definite advantage in a dorm room. The other tip is to have your soap handy at night. The travel towel works but you really need a small real towel to finish off with for comforts sake. The two together would still be less space than a big towel & just as effective, and would dry out for 3 showers a day (unlike a big towel). I can't believe that I'm taking 2 showers a day with changes of clothes, brushing my teeth twice a day +/-1, shaving at least once in 36 hours and almost always within 24, and in Australia I regard it as evidence of the Holy Spirit's work if I manage to be showered, shaved, teeth brushed and in clean clothes. You probably didn't want to know that, but with the CFS I just didn't get it all together very often. By the way, the tip in the first email about rolling up your clothes works only if you fold them neatly flat first. It was told to me by a friend and sure enough I can fold an ironed shirt, then roll it up and stuff it in a side pocket of a backpack, then pull it out without a crease.

10) One thing about this area is that there are food stalls, like in Kaosan Rd but not nearly as many or varied, but there are also lots of fresh fruit stalls which I didn't have before. I think I'll continue skipping lunches and eat fresh fruit during the day (I've gone off my see-food diet). Who knows, maybe if keep up the walking, keep up the self restraint (not something I've ever had a lot of), and eat a bit of fruit I'll end up being just fat when I leave instead of obese. Tried fried frogs in chilli & basil for dinner tonight. It's true what they say about it tasting like chicken, but there's too many tiny bones for my liking.

11) The other thing is I'm reminded of how much I love Bangkok. You walk around the block and you run into palaces, there's interesting food stalls everywhere (as in Malaysia) & for some reason the whole place just feels friendlier than any other city I've ever been in.

Excerpts from emails I've sent (edited):

12) I don't know why standing with hands on hips is offensive in Malaysia (& Thailand as well I believe), it's just one of those cultural things, I suppose like shouting someone a beer and not joining them or something. You also have to be careful not to touch people's heads (i.e. don't pat a child on the head) because it's where the soul is, and not to sit with your feet pointing at anyone (particularly their head). In the tour of the Vimanmek mansion we stop in a throne room with pictures of the king & queen and we have to sit on the floor with our feet pointing behind us so as not to be higher than their pictures or pointing our feet at them.

14) When eating with hands you have several dishes with a variety of small servings &, yes, serving spoons in them. This means that after your first serving you need to use your left hand to serve with, which is a big no-no but it seems to be what my family do. The food needs to be in bite size portions or soft enough to break up with one hand, although my relies' can break up a crab with one hand (I give up at that point and grab it with both hands). You have some carbohydrate to gather up your food with, and to mop up chutneys and gravy. Don't know if you've ever seen the movie 'Sabrina,' but there's a seen with Harrison Ford & the character Sabrina eating with hands, and he says 'this would be difficult with soup.' Well you just mop it up with your carbohydrate (dosas, rotis, chapattis, rice, naan or puttu). After going on about how convenient it is, you do have to wash your hands before & after (& in my case, sometimes during) your meal, and sometimes when I'm really tired I prefer to just grab a spoon & dig in.

Blessings,
Joe Krishna Mithiran