Well its an amazing culture. If you look at their history they have been around forever. having been attacked by the Japanese, Mongolians, the French & even the English . they have went threw many changes.
The people turned out to be some of the friendliest people I have met on my trip . They are going threw this youthful enthusiasm as i imagine America was after WWII. The majority of people are making more money then their parents did. Everyone seems to be doing well. scooters etc. The younger people for the most part are learning English. more so in the big cities. It was nice seeing the older generation exercising together in the parks - dancing , laughing. They can be quite a fun group.
As salesman if you go to the pearl or silk markets in Beijing they are not afraid to grab you or pull you by the arm. Def the most forceful yet not mean that i have met in the world. Homeless people are def the most aggressive sometimes just repeating Money Money, i think the only word they spoke in English . They sounded like zombies saying brains brains- ironically if you pull out a camera they back away like garlic to a vampire - a lot of people especially military guards hate getting their photos taken.
Thursday 26 March 2009
CHINA Shang Hai, Xian, & Beijing
SHANG HAI
Good bar drinking area- there were backpackers who went on line and were able to look up whats nights were good where - Time out has a free magazine because they are just getting into that market and it seems pretty good.
The Bond - it has a scenic view of the city. La Rouge is a fancy bar there that had a very scenic deck to it.
I stayed at a cool hostel called the Shang Hai international youth hostel and it was pretty good. Little far from the bar district thou - find out what area has Omalleys Irish pub and that is the best hang out area.
XIAN
Szuahaua Hostel - Best hostel in the city has a great bar down stairs that is open late. They actually give you one free beer voucher each night to use for drinking.
Terra Cotta Warriors- Day trip - Pretty cool - Kind f self explanatory. They always take you to a gift shop thou and never , never buy from there- Everything is fractions of the price in the Muslim quarter. A Terra Cotta warrior ( Ceramic) should be like 50 if your the best haggler in the world to 80 - this is the
Be sure to rent bicycles and bike on the wall. Its actually bigger and longer than you think and although there should be 4 corners there isnt - so yeah you can bike really fast and it will still take you an hour and a half etc.
BEIJING
Much more sites to see than Shanghai- but it can get smoggy ( more than Shang hai and Xian) I heard that in the summer its gets really humid ( like Bangkok) , then all the heat from the air conditioners adds to it, then the smog traps in more heat- yeah it gets pretty bad- spring and fall are by far the best times to travel- also find out when the Chinese travel because i can only imagine the wall and summer palace just being j am packed. A little more polluted,
Best way to get around is to have your hotel right where you are going in Chinese. Then when you speak to the taxi driver or go to the subway you can point to the map and they will help you.
Big scam called the Tea Scam is you will met girls walking by themselves who speak English quite well who will invite you to have tea with them- apparently they take you to tea shops where you have just a cup of tea only to find out its incredibly expensive. These girls get a cut of what you spend. You will also get a load of people asking for you to see their art exhibits- those are just expensive art shops. Ignore them
Great wall of china - Do not go to the wall closest to Beijing- way over crowded, I went to the X ??????? one 1 hour away - we paid 400 of a deal on the map an split it amongst 4 people and it worked out well- leave early if you want to go see the Wing dynasty's tomb or whatever we arrived late to find the although they didn't close till 5 they stopped selling tickets at 4- th drive from the X to the Ming tombs was actually real scenic with loads of back roads threw the mountains,. It was nice to get away from the highway.
The Summer Palace. Awesome. Def a must see- research the powerful Dragon lady before you go. We had a guide which you don't need and she did give us several nice stories abut her- but we should have learned it before we even went there. Short summary - she was a concubine who rose the ladder to the point where she was able to control the emperor. She kept going threw emperors using them as pawns (they were pretty young-sometimes 7 years old) even imprisoning one of them till like 29 years old and yeah she poisoned a lot of people around her. She also had long 4 inch long nails too. Also maybe helpful to research why the French allied forces bombed China (opium wars) etc because they leveled the place and the Chinese later restored everything. Well maybe what makes it awesome is that unlike the rest of Beijing which is much ｍore industrialized, concrete etc, this is situated on a beautiful (half man made ) lake.
Leos Hostel is apparently the hostel to stay at in Beijing.
knee- jow-sha- ma what is your name
Wah- G-yow nicholas (yow) going up myname is nicholas
shay shay thank you
knee how - hello
knee how ma how are you?
when you add a ma to the end it can turn it into a question
Good bar drinking area- there were backpackers who went on line and were able to look up whats nights were good where - Time out has a free magazine because they are just getting into that market and it seems pretty good.
The Bond - it has a scenic view of the city. La Rouge is a fancy bar there that had a very scenic deck to it.
I stayed at a cool hostel called the Shang Hai international youth hostel and it was pretty good. Little far from the bar district thou - find out what area has Omalleys Irish pub and that is the best hang out area.
XIAN
Szuahaua Hostel - Best hostel in the city has a great bar down stairs that is open late. They actually give you one free beer voucher each night to use for drinking.
Terra Cotta Warriors- Day trip - Pretty cool - Kind f self explanatory. They always take you to a gift shop thou and never , never buy from there- Everything is fractions of the price in the Muslim quarter. A Terra Cotta warrior ( Ceramic) should be like 50 if your the best haggler in the world to 80 - this is the
Be sure to rent bicycles and bike on the wall. Its actually bigger and longer than you think and although there should be 4 corners there isnt - so yeah you can bike really fast and it will still take you an hour and a half etc.
BEIJING
Much more sites to see than Shanghai- but it can get smoggy ( more than Shang hai and Xian) I heard that in the summer its gets really humid ( like Bangkok) , then all the heat from the air conditioners adds to it, then the smog traps in more heat- yeah it gets pretty bad- spring and fall are by far the best times to travel- also find out when the Chinese travel because i can only imagine the wall and summer palace just being j am packed. A little more polluted,
Best way to get around is to have your hotel right where you are going in Chinese. Then when you speak to the taxi driver or go to the subway you can point to the map and they will help you.
Big scam called the Tea Scam is you will met girls walking by themselves who speak English quite well who will invite you to have tea with them- apparently they take you to tea shops where you have just a cup of tea only to find out its incredibly expensive. These girls get a cut of what you spend. You will also get a load of people asking for you to see their art exhibits- those are just expensive art shops. Ignore them
Great wall of china - Do not go to the wall closest to Beijing- way over crowded, I went to the X ??????? one 1 hour away - we paid 400 of a deal on the map an split it amongst 4 people and it worked out well- leave early if you want to go see the Wing dynasty's tomb or whatever we arrived late to find the although they didn't close till 5 they stopped selling tickets at 4- th drive from the X to the Ming tombs was actually real scenic with loads of back roads threw the mountains,. It was nice to get away from the highway.
The Summer Palace. Awesome. Def a must see- research the powerful Dragon lady before you go. We had a guide which you don't need and she did give us several nice stories abut her- but we should have learned it before we even went there. Short summary - she was a concubine who rose the ladder to the point where she was able to control the emperor. She kept going threw emperors using them as pawns (they were pretty young-sometimes 7 years old) even imprisoning one of them till like 29 years old and yeah she poisoned a lot of people around her. She also had long 4 inch long nails too. Also maybe helpful to research why the French allied forces bombed China (opium wars) etc because they leveled the place and the Chinese later restored everything. Well maybe what makes it awesome is that unlike the rest of Beijing which is much ｍore industrialized, concrete etc, this is situated on a beautiful (half man made ) lake.
Leos Hostel is apparently the hostel to stay at in Beijing.
knee- jow-sha- ma what is your name
Wah- G-yow nicholas (yow) going up myname is nicholas
shay shay thank you
knee how - hello
knee how ma how are you?
when you add a ma to the end it can turn it into a question
Thursday 19 March 2009
HONG KONG, CHINA
Ok HOng KOng is a pretty cool and definitley worth a visit. In the last ten years control was turned over from the Brits to The Chinease so it feels like your culturally in China yet has a lot of the oragnizational aspects of British Culture. Thus before moving to the mailand its a great middle ground before entering China. Also its a great place to get a visa last miture (need 3 days) and I personally liked it. Theres a great expat community living in the Soho area that is all about meeting fellow westerners. Hong Kong isnt cheap but yet its not as expensive as say Japan. Known for its Dimsum food which I learned is only available during lunch time. HK seemed very safe and clean as well.
Attractions The Big Buddha, The Peak ( great for photos of the city) and Stanley Beach - a small harbour that makes for a nice day trip. If you have kids with you there is Disneyland and the Ocean Park. Kowloon park was nice because it has a little lake where a number of pink flamingo were at. It looks like they even have several large swimming pools for the summer.: ) The laser shows start at 8 pm and are ok. It's free and its anice touch to add to the city.
Quin Xia or something like that is the busy bar area that isn t quite as pricey as Long kwi fong. Wednesday night is their ladies n ight where a lot of bars women can drink for free. Long Kwai FOng is the busiest bar scene- and it has a ladies night on Thursdays. Wednesday a lot of the ex pats ( and locals ) go to the Happy Valley Race track. Apparently it is only open on Wednesdays and maybe sundays (double check) and is packed with thousands of betters. Bars I hit up the Chinease hand was cheap and busy with older Brits. They had a decent happy hour with great prices and its lasted most o fthe night- skipping the hours of 10 to 12. I heard thed temples were ok but if you are comparing them to the mainbland then they arent quite as impressive.
The subway is very convenient, its easier to understand than mainland china and is open till12ish 1ish. Taxis are very cheap and a great way to get around as well. The Harbour view is a great hotel to stay in and can be as low as 79 US dollars a night. The exchange rate is 7 to 1 by the way. Tons of outdoor markets and such however shopping for the most part is cheaper on the mainland.
Attractions The Big Buddha, The Peak ( great for photos of the city) and Stanley Beach - a small harbour that makes for a nice day trip. If you have kids with you there is Disneyland and the Ocean Park. Kowloon park was nice because it has a little lake where a number of pink flamingo were at. It looks like they even have several large swimming pools for the summer.: ) The laser shows start at 8 pm and are ok. It's free and its anice touch to add to the city.
Quin Xia or something like that is the busy bar area that isn t quite as pricey as Long kwi fong. Wednesday night is their ladies n ight where a lot of bars women can drink for free. Long Kwai FOng is the busiest bar scene- and it has a ladies night on Thursdays. Wednesday a lot of the ex pats ( and locals ) go to the Happy Valley Race track. Apparently it is only open on Wednesdays and maybe sundays (double check) and is packed with thousands of betters. Bars I hit up the Chinease hand was cheap and busy with older Brits. They had a decent happy hour with great prices and its lasted most o fthe night- skipping the hours of 10 to 12. I heard thed temples were ok but if you are comparing them to the mainbland then they arent quite as impressive.
The subway is very convenient, its easier to understand than mainland china and is open till12ish 1ish. Taxis are very cheap and a great way to get around as well. The Harbour view is a great hotel to stay in and can be as low as 79 US dollars a night. The exchange rate is 7 to 1 by the way. Tons of outdoor markets and such however shopping for the most part is cheaper on the mainland.
Friday 13 March 2009
THAILAND, BANGKOK How to get around and have a good time
If your looking for a culture change and plan on visiting Asia once in your life, Thailand should be on your list of countries to visit.- An absolutly great country to visit. Its cheap- (24 Baht - 1 US) , its safe (little to no crime targeted at foreigners) , and if you are looking for a place to go during the winter especially Jan feb and march - its one of the best countries with a beach to go. known as the country of smiles, the people are actually pretty friendly. The food is great and yeah, its cheap. Some of my favorites-are seafood of all sorts, spring rolls, Pad thai, curry, and watermelon shakes & juices. Fortunatly silverware is more common in Thailand then say in China & Japan. Tiger is the local beer, Sam sun or something like that is the cheap whisky, and Mai tais the local drink.
Rules of Thailand. There is a king and the rule of thumb is that you should never say anyting bad about the king. Locals love him. Also never point with the bottom of your foot at something.(verybad) the bottom of your feet are unholy so yeah putting your feet up is trouble. Your head is holy so think twice aiout patting kids on the head. could be offensive. Bangkok Thais are a bit ruder than most thais but thats probably just from too many years of foreigners- Thais in Bangkok, like New Yorkers and Parisians have met thousands of foreigners so they arent bursting to ask you where your from and what you do unless they want to sell you something. Yes it can get humid there which is a downer but thats when you should be swimming, getting a massage in an air conditioned spa, or on a boat or something. With more 7 elevens than you could ever imagine you can avoid some of the late night buying pitfalls of someother countries in the world. oh by the way dont expect clean bathrooms in Thailand. They are rare. In cheap hostels its not uncommmen to have the shower be above or near the toilet. unless your staying in 3 star hotels, and finding a working seat belt ina taxi.
You dont drink from the tap so bottled water is a must. Ice can be a similar issue - but most tourist bars etc are good. Bangkok is the hub. Koh San road is the meeting point for back packers- If you ever fly in there - never take an airport taxi - always go outside- haggle for a 300 cab (12 bucks) and your off. Bangkok is a beautiful place if your drunk. Other than that its good for only a couple days. Ideal plan. take a tuk tuk to the palace, oh.. men are not allowed to wear shorts and women cant show shoulders so wear the right clothes. After the palace walk (or tuk tuk) to the the laying down Buddha. From the Buddha catch a water taxi not far from there- I like the last shop on the left for buying things when you are in the water taxi place- after that its Thai massages for 7 bucks, and since its humid as hell, jump in the pool on the roof of D & D hotel. ( I snuck in there a couple times)
Sundown is my favorite time in Bangkok. Even thou you cant actually see the sunset its when everything comes to life. There is a street parallel to Koh San Road that is great for food. For some reason its been safe for me to eat from the vendors on the road. Other Bpers testify to this and live almost all meals off of it. I like the place on the opposite side of the road from koh san roads side- Had the best fish (red snapper) I have eaten in all of Thailand. On that same side of the road - down a ways I had the best bucket - like a frozen mai tai or smething and it was AMAZING. oh dont expect much for ambiance....all it is is 50 locals sitting out on the street at little plastic miniture tables drinking. You should spend one night sitting on Koh San road to watch the people. Wow its crazy. I believe that if you open shop on that road- you will definitly see a friend or two you've met in life in time. There isn't any road in all of the world that is so concentrated with backpackers. yes there are other busy roads in the world - but they have tourists- this is only Backpackers. It's the central launching spot for anyone backpacking Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
After that theres a hidden terrace bar on the roof of a bar at the end to the left. Its a good late night bar. Thats where I saw the 2 Swedish guys on serious drugs get their asses kicked and thrown down 4 flights of steps. (old story I sent out two trips ago) Oh I met the owner again and he remembered that night- apparently the guys returned the next day with the police. He had a smashd face and a broken nose and in the bar he started yelling a the bar owner. Apparently the bar owner hit him square in the face again - and they kicked them out again. Point of story - dont mess with the bar owner and dont expect the police to help you out. Oh that reminds me never use credit cards for anything (except plane tickets over the web) in Thailand cuz after a night of drinking with a CIA agent (long story) he told me this. Apparently people have problems with credit cards being used etc even at the high end hotels.
Ok next day- if you are fortunate enough to be around on a weekend you should go to the kick ass outdoor market open on Friday, saturdays and sunday till 6 pm. Haggle everything and go nuts. Tshirts, jeans, used sneakers (yeah I meant used- like second hand) and earrings are some of the best things to buy. The back up shopping market is the cool night markets in pat pong ( need to get exact name) They are located near the tourist area which ironically is located near the hooker districts. Its half an hour from Koh san road- Do not let the taxi driver con you into wasting your time by taking you to a tailor. Its a complete waste of time. A lot of people get their orders screwed up by tailors and you have no grounds to complain because they say its your fault in how you explained it.
So speaking of hookers-its Thailand - the sex capital of the world. If your not a complete prude you should see what all the hooplah is all about. If your not into it- thats cool - its not about getting a hooker but about seeing a different way of life. Unlike most prostitution that is done behind closed doors, this is in your face. All you have to do is walk down the street. It makes you do a double take when you hear about old men doing trips by themselves to Thailand for that supposed business trip. Bangkok is actually number two for cities involved in it. There is some city that is a hour or two south of Bangkok that is decicated solely to prostitution - I dont know the name but when you walk out of the baggage area at the airport you will be whistled at from above from cab drivers holding signs for the place. The 3rd city is Phuket. So if you are in Bangkok and you are going to see it firsthand than Pat pong is the most popular. Soy cowboy and one that starts with an N or M are over there as well. There will not be a shortage of old men with thai girls walking around. Dont be surprised to walk by a bar that has a number of girls dancing on top of the bar half naked with old ladies trying to drag you in there. It is quite common for backpackers to travel in groups and check out the ping pong shows. They are essentially brothels so its best to not go alone. A scam is that they convince guys usually alone to stop in " to just see what its like") even thou the guy doesnt buy anything - they bring out drinks for you and then someone who majically appears next to you. This is the same scam as what happens in Argentina, Turkey and numerous other places. You automaticaly owe for hers and yours drink and that can be a fortune. Many guys have run out and gotten away but yeah apparently it can be dangerous. I recomend if you want to see one wait ti ll you meet a fun group in the hostel and grab a drink in that area. If alone than they spot a group of say 8 or ten older couples and ask to jump in the group- they will understand- otherwise dont ask and just pretend to be in the group, noone will mess with you. It is pretty funny to watch the actually shows. The most famous trick is why they call it the ping pong hows. Its because... well they actually launch one out of their...well.. and its goes like 7 feet. Even thou they claim to have 30 tricks on the list they use to entice you to into teh place I only saw one other trick which involved smoking a cigarette from below. ok too much info. but after that I was getting hit up to buy girls expensive drinks etc so I got out of there. Anyways it ws an experience to see.
So what else is there to do in Bangkok. Day trips. well you can take a couple day trips- the first being to a tiger sanctuary, the second to the famous WWII Bridge over the River Quay, and the third to a temple called Ayuthaya or something like that. They are cheap like 20 or 30 bucks fo rthe whole day. After that its off to the other cities. Most people do 1 of three things. Head north to Chang Mai, or head south to Phuket or Koh Sumoi. All are direct flights and unless you have an enormous amount of freetime flying is the way to go. Thai buses are not as nice as most other countries and flying is dirt cheap. If you are going to fly- Air asia is the way to go -Its like 40 bucks for a 2 hour flight. they are cheap new and as long as your bag is under 15 kilos then your good. But that is the scam - 15 kilos - 1 pound over - 2 dollars- they make money off everyone being over. So always weigh your bag in the airport - and put everything heavy (except liquids) into your carry on. Like Vietnam, and several other countries they wont weigh your carry on and you are home free. Oh padlock your luggage- unlike the states you are allowed to do this. Now to decide which one to go to - depends on if you are going to the Full Moon Festival in Koh Panang. Why is this festival important. Well its the best party going on in the country ( I think) and it also determines where the backpackers will be the night of the full moon. For example if you are going to Ko Pi Pi and its the same week before the full moon - then it will be pretty quiet. THis occurs once a month and obviously changes so look it up before you decide anything. The key thing is that the week building up is the most fun . Also you want to get their a week earlier so taht you can get a decent room for a resonable price. The actual night is pretty much chaos wiht 10,000 people crammed on a little beach. Watch your valuables that night. A lot of bungalows or hotel rooms get hit by thieves who have copied the keys before. If you are swimming or skinny dipping then remember their are thieves who are watching tourists waiting for that particular opportunity. My advice is to set up places to meet at at certain times such as dinner at 8 at ____, otherwise we are at the partof the bar at ____ at 11 and a back up bar is 3 am at _____. There are also half moon parties for those who dont like the huge crowds.
So the 3 options that have airports. CHANG MAI is nice. Its famous for trekking which can be broken down into 2 or 3 days. I took the 3 day trek and thourly enjoyed it. It takes you thru the mountains, you visit and sometimes sleep in small villages with pigs, roosters and animals all running around. I bought a sling shot and had fun with that until i used it wrong and yeah that hurt. The last day you take a bamboo raft down the river. very cool, and an elephant ride as well. Elephants are cool to ride and a heck of a lot easier than horses. I ended up visiting the temples and actually wasnt really blown away by them. The summer palace was cool if your into flowers, gardens and such, and the temple with the hundreds of stairs you must climb to get to is cool. But if you have only a week or two in Thailand then stick to the south and enjoy the shopping and beaches. Chang mai is cool but theres no beach so if your tight on time than option 2 and 3 may be better.
Option 2, Phuket is a tourist city preffered by older men who want all the luxeries of the resorts with what most of them come for, beaches and hookers. Stay there a day and enjoy the beach. It is one of the best in Thailand. Shopping is not recommend anywhere in Thailand unless your doing it for fun. This is because everything comes from Bangkok which is ofcourse less expensive. There are a couple cool outdoor clubs , and the I hit up an Elephant ride trek there too.
Option 3, Koh Sumoi. Koh Sumoi is a smaller version of Phuket. Its the site of my famous moped that got trashed story. Its allright for a night -(if that) but its the launching pad to get to Koh Tao and more imporatantly Koh Panang. Koh Panang has the full moon festival.
And thats about it. Hopefully you can plan your last day or two in Bangkok to squeeze in some shopping and remember your mosquito repellent (with deet ofcourse)
Rules of Thailand. There is a king and the rule of thumb is that you should never say anyting bad about the king. Locals love him. Also never point with the bottom of your foot at something.(verybad) the bottom of your feet are unholy so yeah putting your feet up is trouble. Your head is holy so think twice aiout patting kids on the head. could be offensive. Bangkok Thais are a bit ruder than most thais but thats probably just from too many years of foreigners- Thais in Bangkok, like New Yorkers and Parisians have met thousands of foreigners so they arent bursting to ask you where your from and what you do unless they want to sell you something. Yes it can get humid there which is a downer but thats when you should be swimming, getting a massage in an air conditioned spa, or on a boat or something. With more 7 elevens than you could ever imagine you can avoid some of the late night buying pitfalls of someother countries in the world. oh by the way dont expect clean bathrooms in Thailand. They are rare. In cheap hostels its not uncommmen to have the shower be above or near the toilet. unless your staying in 3 star hotels, and finding a working seat belt ina taxi.
You dont drink from the tap so bottled water is a must. Ice can be a similar issue - but most tourist bars etc are good. Bangkok is the hub. Koh San road is the meeting point for back packers- If you ever fly in there - never take an airport taxi - always go outside- haggle for a 300 cab (12 bucks) and your off. Bangkok is a beautiful place if your drunk. Other than that its good for only a couple days. Ideal plan. take a tuk tuk to the palace, oh.. men are not allowed to wear shorts and women cant show shoulders so wear the right clothes. After the palace walk (or tuk tuk) to the the laying down Buddha. From the Buddha catch a water taxi not far from there- I like the last shop on the left for buying things when you are in the water taxi place- after that its Thai massages for 7 bucks, and since its humid as hell, jump in the pool on the roof of D & D hotel. ( I snuck in there a couple times)
Sundown is my favorite time in Bangkok. Even thou you cant actually see the sunset its when everything comes to life. There is a street parallel to Koh San Road that is great for food. For some reason its been safe for me to eat from the vendors on the road. Other Bpers testify to this and live almost all meals off of it. I like the place on the opposite side of the road from koh san roads side- Had the best fish (red snapper) I have eaten in all of Thailand. On that same side of the road - down a ways I had the best bucket - like a frozen mai tai or smething and it was AMAZING. oh dont expect much for ambiance....all it is is 50 locals sitting out on the street at little plastic miniture tables drinking. You should spend one night sitting on Koh San road to watch the people. Wow its crazy. I believe that if you open shop on that road- you will definitly see a friend or two you've met in life in time. There isn't any road in all of the world that is so concentrated with backpackers. yes there are other busy roads in the world - but they have tourists- this is only Backpackers. It's the central launching spot for anyone backpacking Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
After that theres a hidden terrace bar on the roof of a bar at the end to the left. Its a good late night bar. Thats where I saw the 2 Swedish guys on serious drugs get their asses kicked and thrown down 4 flights of steps. (old story I sent out two trips ago) Oh I met the owner again and he remembered that night- apparently the guys returned the next day with the police. He had a smashd face and a broken nose and in the bar he started yelling a the bar owner. Apparently the bar owner hit him square in the face again - and they kicked them out again. Point of story - dont mess with the bar owner and dont expect the police to help you out. Oh that reminds me never use credit cards for anything (except plane tickets over the web) in Thailand cuz after a night of drinking with a CIA agent (long story) he told me this. Apparently people have problems with credit cards being used etc even at the high end hotels.
Ok next day- if you are fortunate enough to be around on a weekend you should go to the kick ass outdoor market open on Friday, saturdays and sunday till 6 pm. Haggle everything and go nuts. Tshirts, jeans, used sneakers (yeah I meant used- like second hand) and earrings are some of the best things to buy. The back up shopping market is the cool night markets in pat pong ( need to get exact name) They are located near the tourist area which ironically is located near the hooker districts. Its half an hour from Koh san road- Do not let the taxi driver con you into wasting your time by taking you to a tailor. Its a complete waste of time. A lot of people get their orders screwed up by tailors and you have no grounds to complain because they say its your fault in how you explained it.
So speaking of hookers-its Thailand - the sex capital of the world. If your not a complete prude you should see what all the hooplah is all about. If your not into it- thats cool - its not about getting a hooker but about seeing a different way of life. Unlike most prostitution that is done behind closed doors, this is in your face. All you have to do is walk down the street. It makes you do a double take when you hear about old men doing trips by themselves to Thailand for that supposed business trip. Bangkok is actually number two for cities involved in it. There is some city that is a hour or two south of Bangkok that is decicated solely to prostitution - I dont know the name but when you walk out of the baggage area at the airport you will be whistled at from above from cab drivers holding signs for the place. The 3rd city is Phuket. So if you are in Bangkok and you are going to see it firsthand than Pat pong is the most popular. Soy cowboy and one that starts with an N or M are over there as well. There will not be a shortage of old men with thai girls walking around. Dont be surprised to walk by a bar that has a number of girls dancing on top of the bar half naked with old ladies trying to drag you in there. It is quite common for backpackers to travel in groups and check out the ping pong shows. They are essentially brothels so its best to not go alone. A scam is that they convince guys usually alone to stop in " to just see what its like") even thou the guy doesnt buy anything - they bring out drinks for you and then someone who majically appears next to you. This is the same scam as what happens in Argentina, Turkey and numerous other places. You automaticaly owe for hers and yours drink and that can be a fortune. Many guys have run out and gotten away but yeah apparently it can be dangerous. I recomend if you want to see one wait ti ll you meet a fun group in the hostel and grab a drink in that area. If alone than they spot a group of say 8 or ten older couples and ask to jump in the group- they will understand- otherwise dont ask and just pretend to be in the group, noone will mess with you. It is pretty funny to watch the actually shows. The most famous trick is why they call it the ping pong hows. Its because... well they actually launch one out of their...well.. and its goes like 7 feet. Even thou they claim to have 30 tricks on the list they use to entice you to into teh place I only saw one other trick which involved smoking a cigarette from below. ok too much info. but after that I was getting hit up to buy girls expensive drinks etc so I got out of there. Anyways it ws an experience to see.
So what else is there to do in Bangkok. Day trips. well you can take a couple day trips- the first being to a tiger sanctuary, the second to the famous WWII Bridge over the River Quay, and the third to a temple called Ayuthaya or something like that. They are cheap like 20 or 30 bucks fo rthe whole day. After that its off to the other cities. Most people do 1 of three things. Head north to Chang Mai, or head south to Phuket or Koh Sumoi. All are direct flights and unless you have an enormous amount of freetime flying is the way to go. Thai buses are not as nice as most other countries and flying is dirt cheap. If you are going to fly- Air asia is the way to go -Its like 40 bucks for a 2 hour flight. they are cheap new and as long as your bag is under 15 kilos then your good. But that is the scam - 15 kilos - 1 pound over - 2 dollars- they make money off everyone being over. So always weigh your bag in the airport - and put everything heavy (except liquids) into your carry on. Like Vietnam, and several other countries they wont weigh your carry on and you are home free. Oh padlock your luggage- unlike the states you are allowed to do this. Now to decide which one to go to - depends on if you are going to the Full Moon Festival in Koh Panang. Why is this festival important. Well its the best party going on in the country ( I think) and it also determines where the backpackers will be the night of the full moon. For example if you are going to Ko Pi Pi and its the same week before the full moon - then it will be pretty quiet. THis occurs once a month and obviously changes so look it up before you decide anything. The key thing is that the week building up is the most fun . Also you want to get their a week earlier so taht you can get a decent room for a resonable price. The actual night is pretty much chaos wiht 10,000 people crammed on a little beach. Watch your valuables that night. A lot of bungalows or hotel rooms get hit by thieves who have copied the keys before. If you are swimming or skinny dipping then remember their are thieves who are watching tourists waiting for that particular opportunity. My advice is to set up places to meet at at certain times such as dinner at 8 at ____, otherwise we are at the partof the bar at ____ at 11 and a back up bar is 3 am at _____. There are also half moon parties for those who dont like the huge crowds.
So the 3 options that have airports. CHANG MAI is nice. Its famous for trekking which can be broken down into 2 or 3 days. I took the 3 day trek and thourly enjoyed it. It takes you thru the mountains, you visit and sometimes sleep in small villages with pigs, roosters and animals all running around. I bought a sling shot and had fun with that until i used it wrong and yeah that hurt. The last day you take a bamboo raft down the river. very cool, and an elephant ride as well. Elephants are cool to ride and a heck of a lot easier than horses. I ended up visiting the temples and actually wasnt really blown away by them. The summer palace was cool if your into flowers, gardens and such, and the temple with the hundreds of stairs you must climb to get to is cool. But if you have only a week or two in Thailand then stick to the south and enjoy the shopping and beaches. Chang mai is cool but theres no beach so if your tight on time than option 2 and 3 may be better.
Option 2, Phuket is a tourist city preffered by older men who want all the luxeries of the resorts with what most of them come for, beaches and hookers. Stay there a day and enjoy the beach. It is one of the best in Thailand. Shopping is not recommend anywhere in Thailand unless your doing it for fun. This is because everything comes from Bangkok which is ofcourse less expensive. There are a couple cool outdoor clubs , and the I hit up an Elephant ride trek there too.
Option 3, Koh Sumoi. Koh Sumoi is a smaller version of Phuket. Its the site of my famous moped that got trashed story. Its allright for a night -(if that) but its the launching pad to get to Koh Tao and more imporatantly Koh Panang. Koh Panang has the full moon festival.
And thats about it. Hopefully you can plan your last day or two in Bangkok to squeeze in some shopping and remember your mosquito repellent (with deet ofcourse)
Tuesday 3 March 2009
Dubai- United Emirates finding a room
Ok Dubai- One of the most improtant places I had to visit on my trip - For Real estate all I hear about is Dubai, DUbai, Dubai. well. It was cool. I mean compared to a lot of other places in the Middle east- there are several fun bars and a very diverse group of people living there. So quirks- Because bars are not exactly allowed in muslim society per se. The loop hole is that youare able to drink in hotels- hence all the bars are connected to the huge hotels in the area.
So I arrive in Dubai. I land at the airport- I realize again that I know nothing about the place. My usual first plan of attack is talking to Backpackers is flawed since they - like hippies-are non existant in this neck of th ewoods. I go to my first ever hotel booker- ( I usually avoid them) and ask them where is the bar area- they ( the bookers who are indian) explain to me that since it a muslim society - they are no perse bars- but all the major hotels- like the Hilton- The Meridian etc have bars inside of them where all the foreigners go. I reastate my question and ask them where are all the major hotels located.
So I get his info- actually book a cheap hotel that is not so far from teh big hotels- in the indian area of town. After running into som many places where English was a second language- staying in the supposedly dirty Indian area was actually uplifting. i like Indian people- they generally are nice, friendly and Indian food rocks. Sure you smell like Curry for hours, but its good food.
So off the Rush Inn. Its surprising not esy to get to because im takeing the bus (which t he foreginers rarely take) and everything is in arabic. Everyone always says - oh Across from the York international hotel. So noone knows my hotel but everyone knows the York so that becomes my landmark- ok so i get there- Biggest room of my whole trip- cost me more than most of the rooms thou 60 bucks ( 4 month budget keeps me around 40 a day) so yeah its cool-
So I manage to get ahold of my friend Lauries friend in Dubai- never met the guy but he lives there adn well I dont know anyone so we talk and meet up at a bar. After a night of drinking- Stells and heinkins are the only beers on draft- 10 dollars a pop- they say lets fgo th eYork - im like great thats right by my place- I can probably walk home. So im like yeah is there a cool bar there- they ar like " yeah " " You will LOVE it" so we are off. So after a cab that is extremely expensive ( they all arethere) we get there- so we walk in - huge cover chage get into the bar- and....hookers... hudreds and hundreds opf hookers.... im like shit.. so were already in...this apparently is where a lot of guys go cuz its open late ( a lot of bars shut early in Dubai) every 5 seconds a girls is grabbing my arm - asking me to leave. Now the idea of spending whats left of my money to get Aids at 33 pretty much keeps me acting like a pretty straight laced guy at the bar. they didnt jump on any grenades either so after a hundred no's sand 3 more beers ( 30 bucks) we are all out of there. So I walk outside and low and behold is my hotel - kind of funny that because I asked for a cheap but nice hotel that I ended up there- so that is Day 1 of Dubai
So I arrive in Dubai. I land at the airport- I realize again that I know nothing about the place. My usual first plan of attack is talking to Backpackers is flawed since they - like hippies-are non existant in this neck of th ewoods. I go to my first ever hotel booker- ( I usually avoid them) and ask them where is the bar area- they ( the bookers who are indian) explain to me that since it a muslim society - they are no perse bars- but all the major hotels- like the Hilton- The Meridian etc have bars inside of them where all the foreigners go. I reastate my question and ask them where are all the major hotels located.
So I get his info- actually book a cheap hotel that is not so far from teh big hotels- in the indian area of town. After running into som many places where English was a second language- staying in the supposedly dirty Indian area was actually uplifting. i like Indian people- they generally are nice, friendly and Indian food rocks. Sure you smell like Curry for hours, but its good food.
So off the Rush Inn. Its surprising not esy to get to because im takeing the bus (which t he foreginers rarely take) and everything is in arabic. Everyone always says - oh Across from the York international hotel. So noone knows my hotel but everyone knows the York so that becomes my landmark- ok so i get there- Biggest room of my whole trip- cost me more than most of the rooms thou 60 bucks ( 4 month budget keeps me around 40 a day) so yeah its cool-
So I manage to get ahold of my friend Lauries friend in Dubai- never met the guy but he lives there adn well I dont know anyone so we talk and meet up at a bar. After a night of drinking- Stells and heinkins are the only beers on draft- 10 dollars a pop- they say lets fgo th eYork - im like great thats right by my place- I can probably walk home. So im like yeah is there a cool bar there- they ar like " yeah " " You will LOVE it" so we are off. So after a cab that is extremely expensive ( they all arethere) we get there- so we walk in - huge cover chage get into the bar- and....hookers... hudreds and hundreds opf hookers.... im like shit.. so were already in...this apparently is where a lot of guys go cuz its open late ( a lot of bars shut early in Dubai) every 5 seconds a girls is grabbing my arm - asking me to leave. Now the idea of spending whats left of my money to get Aids at 33 pretty much keeps me acting like a pretty straight laced guy at the bar. they didnt jump on any grenades either so after a hundred no's sand 3 more beers ( 30 bucks) we are all out of there. So I walk outside and low and behold is my hotel - kind of funny that because I asked for a cheap but nice hotel that I ended up there- so that is Day 1 of Dubai
Jordan
Ok too busy to even write on this thing- Ok summary- Jordan was great- met up with Zanes mom for lunch- was great to meet up with someone who I didnt have to start with what my name is - where im from etc. Its one thing where 7 times a day I get asked where im from - bu tits annoying as hell when you pass by an indian tailor - and "excuse me, hey ,...hey where you from - ...like I get hit by indian talilors wanting to make me suits 5 times a day- but they always start trying to get you into a conversation with small talk- ......every day...... so anyways, Didnt know thta like 80% of th epeople who live in Jordan are Palestinian. They came over in the 40's 60's etc . I asked why the solution to the gaza problem would be to just allow the rest of them to live in Jordan They explained to me that they already have 17% unemployment- you bring in th atmany people and unemployment will sky rocket- which obvoiously would cause other problems. Since this was during the Isreal/ Gaza war a couple weeks ago the rest of the time I tried not to announce I was American. Even thou I found the people incredibly friendly and outwardly giving- I still practiced my Dutch speaking English accent. : )
Monday 9 February 2009
DUBAI, United Emirates
Mandala - very cool place to watch gondolas in the river pass by.
Metropolitan club house- on a gold course very cool place for a drink
Barista- One of the best outside bars I have seen - like a club with no entree fee- Beer thou (like everwhere ) are 8 to 10 dollars each
What to avoid- Drinking if you can- was expensive- you need a license to buy alcohol at a store.
Metropolitan club house- on a gold course very cool place for a drink
Barista- One of the best outside bars I have seen - like a club with no entree fee- Beer thou (like everwhere ) are 8 to 10 dollars each
What to avoid- Drinking if you can- was expensive- you need a license to buy alcohol at a store.
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