TravelStream™ news feed for member jasonlew on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/jasonlew en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:21:02 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonlew/2/1219252140/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonlew/2/1219252140/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonlew/2/1219252140/tpod.html Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:21:02 -0400 South East Asian Vacasian!

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Bangkok, China

Day 16.

Last night was a rough one... full of gastroenteritis and nothing but. This morning was more of the same.

Without grossing anyone out, let's just say that I lay in bed under covers and close to the washroom all day and afternoon. In fact, when the 12noon check out time came, Tracie had to run down and tell them that we'd be staying for another half day, at least until we had to leave for our 4pm flight.

So, while I lay in bed, Tracie went out shopping to Khao San Road. She stopped back in a few times, once with an armload of t-shirts, and another time with lunch. But, with no appetite, I stayed in bed until we finally checked out at 2pm and went out to catch a taxi.

Our flight back home was routed through Hong Kong, where we had a 4 hour stop-over.

On the flight from Bangkok to Hong Kong, I looked pretty bad... or so Tracie told me afterwards. But, by the time we were boarding our flight from Hong Kong back to Vancouver, I was feeling much better.

At least I was eating, I guess. Better be, for an 11 hour flight.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonlew/2/1219164960/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonlew/2/1219164960/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonlew/2/1219164960/tpod.html Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:08:52 -0400 South East Asian Vacasian!

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Bangkok, Thailand

Day 15.

Our last day in Cambodia. This is definitely a place that I would come back to visit. We've both really enjoyed it here... maybe next time, we'll stay a little longer and see the country side.

This morning, we wanted to have a little walk around before we left... but the heat, was not cooperating. After just a few blocks, we quickly took our pictures, and were back poolside in the hotel by 10am. Getting some drinks from the bar, we sat and played scrabble for a few hours before it was time for lunch.

After checking out of the hotel, we stopped in at a Pho shop for lunch, before managing to find taxi that would take us to the airport.

By 6pm, we were back in Bangkok, and sitting in a taxi that was taking us to our hotel. After dropping our luggage off at the hotel, we headed out to find some dinner and get one last massage. It was the last official night of our trip.

The next day and a half after this point... was a total blur for me.

We stopped off at a few street-side food vendors, and munched on some skewers and spring rolls as we made our way back to Khao San Road. Even on a Tuesday night it was bumpin' with tourists and locals... no elephants this time though. Once the rain started to come down, we made our way to the massage place.

Another good massage later, we were back at the hotel. It was around 11am now.

From that point on, the next 4 hours was a mixture of a little sleeping, constant nausea, and a lot of vomiting. Without trying to gross anyone out, I didn't get much sleep that night... I was too busy vomiting and ruing my foolish eatings. Why?! You fool!

By the following morning, not much had changed.
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Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Day 14.

Today, was cooking class day! Early start, and we were out of the hotel and walking to class by 8:30am. By the time all the students had arrived, it was 9:30am, and we were zooming along by tuk-tuk to the local markets. We were dropped off in the middle of an open-air market, selling everything you could ever want to cook. Similar to the market in Bangkok, everything was bustling... people were buzzing around, produce sellers were weighing out foods and collecting money.... fish were jumping, crabs were dancing. It was pretty cool. The chef took us around the market and let us taste all the different herbs we would be cooking with.

The cooking course was held on a rooftop, above the loft owned by the course owner. There were rows of burners and chopping blocks. Once again, this course was a lot of fun. We learned how to prep all the herbs and veggies, as well as pound our own curry pastes! Delicious food, and lots of work... good times.

The course ended around 3pm. With some unfinished shopping to do, we made our way back to both the Russian and Central markets, where we rounded out our shopping, picked up the last of our souvenirs, and headed back to our hotel. On the way back, we ran into a traffic jam... where we got off, and meandered back to the 80cent happy-hour beer restaurant.

Still full from the cooking class, we skipped dinner and headed back to the hotel, where it was lights out by 9pm. We had planned to sit poolside and enjoy the resort a little... but no such luck.
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Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Day 13

Today is my birthday. Waking up in Cambodia... pretty cool.

As the days have passed and the trip has progressed, we've started a pattern of beginning our days later and later. Today was no exception. We rolled out of bed around 9:30am, and by the time we were ready to make our way out into the city, we had done some internet surfing and blogging, and had gotten a bite at the resort's restaurant. Imagine this: FRESH passionfruit juice, rolls with passionfruit jam, and fresh pineapple and watermelon... all served to you with coffee/tea by the poolside.

As we wandered along a nearby street lined with small restaurants and shops selling hand-made goods, we passed by a few street-side barbers. Yes, street-side hair cuts... and there were customers too! Just two chairs facing small mirrors, under a small tarp, with scissors and combs lying around. It wasn't that outrageous a sight... but it just struck me as ridiculous!

We stopped in for lunch at this restaurant called Frizz. As we ate, we noticed a sign for a Cambodia food cooking course! By the time we headed out from the restaurant, we had signed up for a class tomorrow!

Here in Phnom Penh, there were pretty much no identifiable taxis... only tuk-tuks. The tuk-tuks look a little different here. While the basic tuk-tuk elements remain... half motorcycle, seating area in back, dude wearing a huge helmet up front... it just looked different. I couldn't put my finger on it. Maybe they're bigger.

Either way, we grabbed a tuk-tuk, and headed out to the Russian Market... so named because apparently, this was where the Russian people used to buy they're goods (instead of at the other markets in town). The market was similar to the markets we had seen in Thailand... little silver jewelry shops, souvenir shops... but with much fewer fake Gucci bags, more shops selling antique trinkets, and a fresh produce/seafood/meat market within. We made our way through the cramped stalls and narrow walkways, but finally succumbed to the stifling heat, and stopped at the market for some fresh lemonade.

We both agreed: out of all the markets we've been to, this was probably our favourite. It was just more friendly here. You could still barter prices, but it's all done with a smile. In fact, the general atmosphere and vibe of the city was a positive one. Everyone you pass on the street seems to be making their way around the city... and probably through life... with a good attitude and nature... and well, just more positively! While the city streets are often garbage strewn and the buildings are run down, the people are beautiful and healthy-looking. It's hard to describe in words... but we both got a great vibe from our surroundings.

From the there, we headed to the Central Market. This market is located in what looked like an old bus station, under this giant dome that housed circles of little silver jewelry booths, fake watches, and fake electronics. Oh, did I mention that back in Hong Kong and Bangkok, we'd frequently come across shops selling a "Hi-phone", a "My-phone", and various other fake ipod items? It was pretty funny. Here, no hi-phones, but lots of fake ipods. We left after walking around for an hour or so, but not before acquiring a few fake Rado watches, and Burberry polos!

Next stop, Seeing Hands Massage. This place, as described in the Lonely Planet, trains blind people in massage, providing them a way to earn money and make use of their enhanced sense of touch. In order to get there, we had to hop a ride on the back of a motorcycle... or "moto". No tuk-tuk benches on these ones, they were just motorcycles... where you sit on the seat behind the driver... often more than one of you.

The massage of pretty good I guess. I was just a little strange, I guess.

I want to talk more about the motos! Walking along the streets, you'd rarely see a moto with only one person on it. In fact, I witnessed some of the most amazing feats... 4 adult men on one moto, 5 people (3 adults with small child wedged in between each of them) on one moto, 7 sacks of potatoes on the back of one moto, this ridiculously large basket full of stuff on one moto... it was just mind-boggling. That's just how people commute here. Back at home, if you have a small child, you have this big SUV with child-seat. Here, your infant sits in your lap while you zoom around the city on a moto. It was just something else to witness!

Back at the resort, we went for a swim in the pool, then night over.
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Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Day 12... Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Today, on our way to Cambodia! Even with a Lonely Planet in hand, I still wasn't sure what to expect from this new country. We were up later this morning, planning on trying out the Arabic restaurant just downstairs from the hotel.

By noon, we had enjoyed an absolutely fabulous brunch (fresh out of the oven flatbread!), piled our bags into a taxi, and were on out way to the airport. The flight to Phnom Penh would be a little over an hour.

One thing we've noticed with all these flights through Air Asia, was the absolute bare-bones nature of the Air Asia airport terminals. Nothing fancy, at all. One set of bathrooms, simple check-in booths, one airport even hand-wrote our boarding passes!

We landed in Phnom Penh around 4pm, and a $9 taxi ride later, we pulled up to what was probably the most picturesque hotel/resort we've ever seen. I wish I had taken more pictures. In fact, I wish we had just spent more time lounging within the resort walls, like most of the resort occupants seemed to be doing. Either way, it was something else... and I think we got one of the most desired rooms, right in the centre overlooking the outdoor pool!

After unloading our luggage, we made our way out to the river-side boardwalk, Sisowath Quay. The road experience here in Phnom Penh can be likened to Bangkok, but slower. Everyone walks, rides, bikes, and drives just like in Bangkok, but everything is done at speeds slower than 40km/h. No one seem to be rushing, which makes the chaotic road patterns seem much less hazardous! But, just like Bangkok, the concept of uncontrolled intersections pretty much applied to any and all traffic intersection. The country probably would've saved a lot of money on stop-signs.

We stopped in to some authentic Khmer food at a local open-air restaurant, and enjoyed two staple dishes, the Lok Lak and Amok. After just a taste of these, we wanted to make sure we find a Cambodian cooking class. 80cent beers made for a good night as we watched olympic soccer on the restaurant TV.

Back at the hotel, we hit the hay after wandering around the resort a little.

Good day... I'm liking Cambodia.
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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Day 11

Today, we were out of the hotel by 10am. In the first example of the Lonely Planet letting us down, we headed out to find the Pudu Market. It was described quite favourably in the book, raving about the energy of the market, with fresh produce and squawking poultry. We should've known when we stepped out of the skytrain exit. The area of relatively run-down, at least compared to the metropolitan area we had seen until now. Most of the shops were either small and dirty moto repair shops, pawn shops, or closed store-fronts. After walking in what turned out to be the wrong direction for over 20 minutes in absolutely stiffling heat, we wandered into what was the wholesale textile district... pretty much 4 square blocks of nothing but multi-story wholesale clothing shops. We stopped in at a tiny food stop for some bbq pork buns and cold drinks... as well as directions to the market.

Another 15 minute walk later, we stumbled upon the market... but not before walking through what must be considered one of the dodgier areas of KL. Lots of garbage strewn across the streets, lots of pawn shops, lots of "interesting" smells. When we finally found the market, we had one look, looked at each other... and both realized that we really didn't have interest to actually go inside. Outside the building was a market just closing up... produce was literally, all over the floor... along with piles of discarded wood and metal. The market itself was inside a dark "building" shaped like a small airport hangar. We took one picture, and looked for a cab.

Next stop, the Berjaya Times Square shopping centre. 10 minute cab ride later, air conditioning! We headed up to the cinema and snapped up two tickets for WALL-E. Being able to preselect you seats in the theatre seems like sort of a good idea. They don't let you enter the theatre until 10 minutes before, and you just head straight to your seats instead of having to save seats or stink-eye people who are doing just that.

Good movie. Freezing cold movie theatre.

Shopping and dinner later, we made our way back to the Bukit Bintang area, where we did the "Bintang Walk". It was supposed to be a short walking tour of the best shopping neighbourhood of KL... the "Ginza or Champs Elysee of Kuala Lumpur". While not quite living up to the hype, there were lots of shops to see... as well as more of the fish spas!

Back at the hotel, movies of TV ended our night.
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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Day 10

This morning, we were up early and ready to go. We had big plans today... first stop, Petronas Towers.

Quick skytrain ride, short walk, a stop in for an overly-priced ice-coffee, and we were there. I'm not too sure the historical significance of the Petronas towers (if there is any), but they were enormous... and pretty impressive. The upper floors were all office buildings for the Petronas gas company, but the bottom 6 floors were all shopping mall... with a luxurious store from probably every single big name in fashion on the main floor. It was sort of funny, because all the "other" stores (i.e. not Gucci, Tiffany's, Prada, etc.) were stuck up on the other floors.

After we found out that they were out of tickets to go up and walk across the skybridge that connects that two towers, we made our way down to the aquarium below the towers. We must've arrived on summer school field-trip day, because there were groups of little kids running around everywhere. After plenty of pictures, we stopped in at the food fair for lunch before heading back to the hotel for a rest stop.

Next stop was the walking tour of Chinatown detailed in the Lonely Planet. Half way through the walk, we came across the indoor Central Market. Lots of unique souvenir and jewelry shops. But the high light for me, was definitely the Cute Fish Spa. The sign and video says it all. Little fishes swarming your feet, nibbling in between your toes! It was hilarious... well worth the 5 ringgits ($1.50) for 10 minutes. We finished the walk, but not after witnessing a small high-rise fire being put out by 3 firetrucks.

Back at the hotel, we showered up and headed out to find a good open-air street restaurant, which we found just a few blocks away. We ordered some toad... which seriously tasted like chicken meat. Anyone know what bilitongs are? I didn't either until I ordered it... some sort of sea snail.

We passed through several of the many shopping centres, and we were back in the hotel before 11.

Bed time
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Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia

Wow, the last day and a half have been an interesting whirlwind, to say the least. I now sit in my living room, at home in Vancouver, up since 5am. I did want to make sure I completed this travel blog... so here we go.

Day 9... to Kuala Lumpur

This morning, we had half a day to kill before we had to be at the airport. The hotel breakfasts thus far have been spectacular! In both the Bangkok hotel and here, there has been ridiculous variety and quality of foods... for a breakfast!

With so much time to spare, we made our way down to the beach... ice cream drumsticks and crosswords in hand. By the time we had to check out, it was around noon, and we found out way to the airpot via ridiculously overpriced (by Thai standards) taxi-bus.

But, before we knew it, we were touching down in Kuala Lumpur. We paid for a hotel shuttle, and 45 minutes, we were dropped off on the roadside... with instructions that the hotel was just down the street, a street that apparently the bus could not fit through. No problem, we thought. 20 minutes later, wandering the streets carrying our enormous backpacks, we found our way to our hotel thanks to a local woman who saw how lost we were.

The hotel was great! It wasn't fancy or anything, especially compared to the hotel we had just come from in Phuket, but it was very cozy. And, best of all, it was just one block from the nearest skytrain station, Bukit Bintang... which also turns out to be the main shopping area of KL. There were at least 5 shopping malls within 5 minutes from our hotel.

But tonight, we were heading to the Petaling Night Market. I think we both had the idea in our heads that local markets were the best ways to experience the local culture in each of the cities we planned on visiting. However, after this market, I think we both had had enough... of night markets at least. Most of the markets we had been to were almost the same... lots of fake goods (albeit, decent looking fakes), lots of "new friends, and buddies", lots of pressure sales, lots of bartering, and lots of crowds. I think it has gotten so touristy, that any local culture that may have been woven into these markets has long since gone.

Still, we bumped our way through the stalls in the sweltering heat... taking breaks in air-conditioned shops along the way.

We skytrained our way back to the hotel, and we were done for the night.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonlew/2/1219107780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonlew/2/1219107780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jasonlew/2/1219107780/tpod.html Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:59:52 -0400 South East Asian Vacasian!

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Phuket, Thailand

Day 7... Lounging in Phuket.

This morning, we slept in and lounged around after breakfast until it was time to head to the airport. We had a 1pm flight, so we checked out by 11, paid for our mini-bar eats, and grabbed a taxi to the airport. 45 minutes and 300baht later, we were lined up for check-in and walking through the metal scanners.

We flew Air Asia, the cheapest airline flying between these areas. It apparently is very popular, as the airport lobbies were packed with people... some in line-ups, some running to catch their plane, and others just getting in everyone else's way.

Everything went as planned, and by 3pm, we were in a mini-bus, headed to Kata beach to find our beach-side resort! We were wondering why the bus ride was so cheap, when we made an unannounced stop at a local tourism agency, where we were asked to exit the bus to "get our tickets checked". After a few minutes listening to the tourism agent try and offer us "best deals in Phuket" for snorkeling, etc... it became pretty clear that the bus company had an "agreement" with this agency, to bring their customers through for a mandatory stop. When we had all piled back into the bus, everyone on the bus was grumbling about the time-wasted by this stop.

Nevertheless, we reached out resort by 4:30pm... where we had our room upgraded due to a mistake in booking! Well, we went from "Superior" to "Deluxe"... seemed backwards to us. The room was gorgeous! Definitely the most luxurious on the trip so far. Everything was draped just so. But, this city was about the beach! So, off we went!

We grabbed our beach towels and trunks, and made our was down to the beach. It was just a 3 minute walk, and we were paying our 200 baht to sit on padded lounge chairs under a beach umbrella. White sand, blue waters, rushing waves, not too many people... this was perfect! However, after half an hour... I found out that I'm just not the type to lounge on the beach all day. We strategically hid our stuff under our towels, and went out in the waters! We were our there for only a few moments, when swoosh!... big wave came and knocked us both over. It was my first time swimming in waves... lots of fun. We frollicked amongst the waves for the next half hour, aiming to stay for the sunset. I rushed back to the hotel to get my camera... and got back just in time to miss the entire thing!

Dinner beach-side at a local Thai restaurant. Good food, pretty good views... into the darkness, and we were back in the hotel. DVD rentals were free, so we grabbed a bunch, and holed up for the rest of the night.
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Phuket, Thailand

Day 8... I have 10 minutes to write this entry before the taxi arrives!!

This morning, we had grand plans to see the equivalent of downtown Phuket... or Phuket City. Unfortunately, today was also the Queen's birthday (aka Mother's Day in Thailand). That meant, that for the most part, everything was closed. They really celebrate their king and queen here, and there are giant 2 story posters of the king and queen posted all over the streets of Bangkok.

We hopped on what we called a truck-tuk... or a flat-bed truck that had been modified to accomodate benches for passengers on it's back. 30 minutes later, we had bumped along through the streets of Phuket and hopped off at the "city centre". Unfortunately, the city centre was closed. A taxi ride later, we were dropped off the "shopping centre". This area featured two small shopping malls across the street from one another. We hoped to get back to the beach by 3pm, so we quickly made our way through the shops, stopping to load up on local dried fruits and chinese buns!

By 3pm, we had our own umbrella and lounge chairs on the beach, and were soaking in the sunshine. All around us were little sand-side surf shops that rented surf boards and those little body/wake/boogie boards. Whatever they're called, we rented two of them and spent the next hour gliding through the giant waves that were coming in. It was the best time!

Unsurprisingly, swimming against the waves tired us out pretty quickly. I had the itch for a plate of spaghetti, so we found an Italian restaurant and had what I guess was Thai-style spaghetti.

Tiring day.

Bed time for sure... but not before watching Harrison Ford battle the terrorists in Air Force One on DVD!!
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