After going in and out of Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur airports in recent weeks, nothing could have prepared me for the chaos that was arrival at Perth airport in Australia.
As one guy said to me, "this is the worst airport in the world".
And so it was. A 50 minute queue for a passport stamp. 20 minutes waiting for luggage to arrive. 2 hours to clear customs. Long queues, rude staff, inefficiency and a total inability to handle incoming passengers.
A customs officer standing around doing nothing said to me when I questioned the long queue "We can't cope when 3 planes come in at once". Maybe if he and his colleaugues who were standing about doing nothing helped out, things would go just a little faster.
Part of the problem is that Australia's customs rules are so hideously complicated that virtually everyone has something to declare. And customs staff are so hideously suspicious that if you don't declare anything you are almost certain to be inspected anyway.
But Perth Airport has become a joke. When it takes longer to clear customs than in major airports you know something is wrong. It's OK to have strict customs laws but there is no excuse for understaffing on such a huge scale.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Boat Ride on the Chao Phraya River
We were feeling brave so went down to the Oriental Pier on the Chao Phraya River to go for a boat tour. Brave because the Chao Phraya River and surrounds is home to more con men, liars, theives and touts that the rest of Bangkok put together.
There are large official looking signs citing "official" prices but ignore these. Ignore also the touts that follow you around and deal direct with the boat companies. Eventually we settled on 1000 baht for a private boat for 90 minutes (down from 1400 baht) and headed off.
It is actually a great trip and you get to see the river up close, along with all the folks who live along the river. The highlights are a visit to Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn) and some of the smaller canals which run off the river.
The downside is the boat captains, who incessantly pester you to go to crocodile / orchid / snake farms, to extend your tour or give him a large tip. When that failed the guy dropped us off a few stops early then looked genuinely suprised when he got no tip.
As soon as we alighted some idiot with badge describing himself as a "Boat Captain" shoved an obviously old, yellowing reciept in my hand and demanded 20 baht "landing fee". Rest assured folks, "boat captains" brandishing yellowing old tickets covered in Thai writing are *not* actually employed to collected landing fees and yes, this was another scammer.
Watch out for these guys.....there were three of them but 10 of us and they backed down when confronted.
The Chao Phraya River is a great place to explore but be prepared to put up with a lot of BS as part of your trip there.
There are large official looking signs citing "official" prices but ignore these. Ignore also the touts that follow you around and deal direct with the boat companies. Eventually we settled on 1000 baht for a private boat for 90 minutes (down from 1400 baht) and headed off.
It is actually a great trip and you get to see the river up close, along with all the folks who live along the river. The highlights are a visit to Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn) and some of the smaller canals which run off the river.
The downside is the boat captains, who incessantly pester you to go to crocodile / orchid / snake farms, to extend your tour or give him a large tip. When that failed the guy dropped us off a few stops early then looked genuinely suprised when he got no tip.
As soon as we alighted some idiot with badge describing himself as a "Boat Captain" shoved an obviously old, yellowing reciept in my hand and demanded 20 baht "landing fee". Rest assured folks, "boat captains" brandishing yellowing old tickets covered in Thai writing are *not* actually employed to collected landing fees and yes, this was another scammer.
Watch out for these guys.....there were three of them but 10 of us and they backed down when confronted.
The Chao Phraya River is a great place to explore but be prepared to put up with a lot of BS as part of your trip there.
Chinatown
We returned to Bangkok to stay in Chinatown, at the Grand China Princess Hotel on Yaoworat Road. A great old hotel and we scored a room with a balcony overlooking Chinatown and the Chao Phraya River.
Chinatown is home to Bangkok's biggest and best gold merchants and walking down Yaowarat Road takes you past literally dozens of big stores full of gold jewellry, chains and trinkets. The gold here is reputed to be the best in Thailand and folks travel from all over the city just to buy gold from Yaoworat.
Chinatown is also home to endless rabitt warrens of markets selling everything you could ever want from tools to torches to DVD's and clothes to food, food and more food. We spent days just exploring the tiny crowded lanes with bargains on every corner. This area is as close as you will get to the Bangkok of 20 or 30 years ago - not many tourists just plenty of commerce and crowds.
And the street food around here is wonderful :)
Chinatown is home to Bangkok's biggest and best gold merchants and walking down Yaowarat Road takes you past literally dozens of big stores full of gold jewellry, chains and trinkets. The gold here is reputed to be the best in Thailand and folks travel from all over the city just to buy gold from Yaoworat.
Chinatown is also home to endless rabitt warrens of markets selling everything you could ever want from tools to torches to DVD's and clothes to food, food and more food. We spent days just exploring the tiny crowded lanes with bargains on every corner. This area is as close as you will get to the Bangkok of 20 or 30 years ago - not many tourists just plenty of commerce and crowds.
And the street food around here is wonderful :)
New Years Eve bombings
Returning to our hotel room in Khon Kaen at ten to midnight, we were still unaware that Bangkok had been hit by a series of bomb explosions hours earlier, throwing the city into chaos.
Full of beer and blurry eyed I switched on the TV and saw the news. Unfortunately midnight arrived at that moment, and the city of Khon Kaen erupted into a series of explosions. Just big fireworks, but no one had pulled the plug on the party locally. Fireworks just arent as much fun when bombs are exploding.
From here on Thailand lost its generally happy demeanour and for the rest of our stay - particularly in Bangkok - the streets were full of jumpy people, soldiers with automatic weapons and security everywhere.
Here's hoping this kind of madness doesn't become part of life in Thailand.
Full of beer and blurry eyed I switched on the TV and saw the news. Unfortunately midnight arrived at that moment, and the city of Khon Kaen erupted into a series of explosions. Just big fireworks, but no one had pulled the plug on the party locally. Fireworks just arent as much fun when bombs are exploding.
From here on Thailand lost its generally happy demeanour and for the rest of our stay - particularly in Bangkok - the streets were full of jumpy people, soldiers with automatic weapons and security everywhere.
Here's hoping this kind of madness doesn't become part of life in Thailand.
Leaving Vientiane
Leaving Laos via the Freindship Bridge is a lot easier than arriving. There is no queue and no waiting and it took only moments before we were waiting for the 20 baht bus ride back to Nong Khai, Thailand.
There are 3 or 4 duty free shops to entertain you whilst you wait, otherwise there is little to do. We stocked up on goodies then the bus arrived and we waved goodbye to Laos as we zoomed across the Mekong back into Thailand.
Arrival in Thailand was painless (once you figure out where the immigration forms are) and we were through in 5 minutes. Our driver was waiting nearby to take us to the Nong Khai riverfront to watch the sunset over dinner and drinks.
There are 3 or 4 duty free shops to entertain you whilst you wait, otherwise there is little to do. We stocked up on goodies then the bus arrived and we waved goodbye to Laos as we zoomed across the Mekong back into Thailand.
Arrival in Thailand was painless (once you figure out where the immigration forms are) and we were through in 5 minutes. Our driver was waiting nearby to take us to the Nong Khai riverfront to watch the sunset over dinner and drinks.
Phra That Luang
If you visit Vientiane you will see this place sooner or later, whether you take a tour or are travelling on your own. Phra That Luang is the city's most impressive sight in a city with a very short list of "must see" sights.
Surrounded by masses of open space, the massive golden spire of Phra That Luang stands out as a truly Lao example of buddhist achitecture and is quite a sight, gleaming brighly in the sun. The sparse surrounds emphasise its size, as you can actually view the whole structure from afar without the usualy juble of buildings you find in other Asian cities.
There is a strip of vendors about 500 metres away from Phra That Luang, selling hats (you will need one), soft drinks and other trinkets.
Phra That Luang is a short drive from the center of town and easily reached by Jumbo (Tuk Tuk). If you walk here you can get a ride back into town as a few Jumbos hang around the entrance.
Surrounded by masses of open space, the massive golden spire of Phra That Luang stands out as a truly Lao example of buddhist achitecture and is quite a sight, gleaming brighly in the sun. The sparse surrounds emphasise its size, as you can actually view the whole structure from afar without the usualy juble of buildings you find in other Asian cities.
There is a strip of vendors about 500 metres away from Phra That Luang, selling hats (you will need one), soft drinks and other trinkets.
Phra That Luang is a short drive from the center of town and easily reached by Jumbo (Tuk Tuk). If you walk here you can get a ride back into town as a few Jumbos hang around the entrance.
Prataxui Monument
Vientiane's most visible sight is the Prataxui Monument, a gigantic concrete arch modelled after the Arc De Triomphe in Paris. Built with concrete originally intended for military purposes, it stands today as a giant reminder of this country's confusing political past.
For a few thousand kip you can climb the stairs up to the roof of the monument, and enjoy one of the few places in the city where it is possible to see a panoramic view of the Vientiane skyline.
The monument is set in pleasant grounds and there is a small park and fountain within the grounds. On the ground floor you can purchase snacks and refreshments.
There are several floors inside the monument, full of vendors selling souvenirs and trinkets. Prices here start at outrageous levels.....many times more expensive than prices at the morning market.
The vendors just seem to want to make a killing and appeared completely disinterested in actually selling stuff.....if I can't rip you off I don't want to sell to you at all" seemed to be the attitude.
Despite this it is worth visiting this wierd and wonderful monument.
For a few thousand kip you can climb the stairs up to the roof of the monument, and enjoy one of the few places in the city where it is possible to see a panoramic view of the Vientiane skyline.
The monument is set in pleasant grounds and there is a small park and fountain within the grounds. On the ground floor you can purchase snacks and refreshments.
There are several floors inside the monument, full of vendors selling souvenirs and trinkets. Prices here start at outrageous levels.....many times more expensive than prices at the morning market.
The vendors just seem to want to make a killing and appeared completely disinterested in actually selling stuff.....if I can't rip you off I don't want to sell to you at all" seemed to be the attitude.
Despite this it is worth visiting this wierd and wonderful monument.
Wat Si Saket
Next stop was Wat Si Saket which is a buddhist temple (now called a "museum" in socialist terminolgy) wedged in between the riverfront and Lane Xang Avenue.
Surrounded by beautiful yellowish stucco walls and pleasant gardens, the inner courtyard of Wat Si Saket is a real suprise. Thousands of buddha images line the inner walls of the temple and a central building houses the main buddha image.
It is almost suprising to see the place actually populated by monks, although in practice Laos allows Buddhism to continue much as it always has done.
Wat Si Saket is beautifully maintained (the inner courtyard at least) although the outer gardens are a little rambling and the walls could do with a little care. It is one of the few wats in the city that you should make a point of visiting.
Surrounded by beautiful yellowish stucco walls and pleasant gardens, the inner courtyard of Wat Si Saket is a real suprise. Thousands of buddha images line the inner walls of the temple and a central building houses the main buddha image.
It is almost suprising to see the place actually populated by monks, although in practice Laos allows Buddhism to continue much as it always has done.
Wat Si Saket is beautifully maintained (the inner courtyard at least) although the outer gardens are a little rambling and the walls could do with a little care. It is one of the few wats in the city that you should make a point of visiting.
Vientiane Morning Market
First stop in Vientiane, the capital city of Laos, was the famous Vientiane morning markets. We were looking for some breakfast and we soon found a place that did excellent stuffed omelettes with rice.
Paying the bill was a little confusing as I had changed a 1000 baht note for 270,000 lao kip and the bill was something like 140,000 kip for 9 people.
The markets sell black market booze and cigarettes, honey, lots of food and drinks and stuff like clothing. However the best part is the silverware stores upstairs. There are virtually no bargains in Vientiane (most things are cheaper across the river in Thailand) but silverware is the exception. You can also get some good deals on Lao rubies and Cambodian sapphires, if you have an eye for gemstones.
Dozens of little silver merchants do a brisk trade in silverware throughout the day.
There are also a few gold merchants but as with the gemstones be very careful.....if you can't tell gold plate from solid gold you can rest assured you will be robbed blind.
Paying the bill was a little confusing as I had changed a 1000 baht note for 270,000 lao kip and the bill was something like 140,000 kip for 9 people.
The markets sell black market booze and cigarettes, honey, lots of food and drinks and stuff like clothing. However the best part is the silverware stores upstairs. There are virtually no bargains in Vientiane (most things are cheaper across the river in Thailand) but silverware is the exception. You can also get some good deals on Lao rubies and Cambodian sapphires, if you have an eye for gemstones.
Dozens of little silver merchants do a brisk trade in silverware throughout the day.
There are also a few gold merchants but as with the gemstones be very careful.....if you can't tell gold plate from solid gold you can rest assured you will be robbed blind.
Off to Laos
On arrival at the Thai side (Nong Khai) of the Thai-Lao Freindship Bridge things went nice and simply. A minute to get a passport stamp then you buy a 20 baht ticket for a bus ride over to the Lao side.
They packed us into the bus like sardines then drove us over the mighty Mekong River to the Lao immigration building. Here, the fun really began. First up was a massive and very slow moving queue to pass through immigration. After a while it became obvious we were going to be stuck there for hours, however happily fate intervened. A gentleman tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I would like to rent transport for the day. On offer was a 9 seater van with driver for 1200 baht for all day....handy as there were 9 of us. The price was right and the clincher was when he whispered "and I get you out of the queue".
I agreed and true to his word the guy took our passports right to the front of the queue and they were stamped immediately. And we were off - well kind of - there was a 10 baht entry fee to pay for the privelege of visiting Communist Laos first.
Fees paid our driver began the 19 Km drive from the bridge into Vientiane city.
They packed us into the bus like sardines then drove us over the mighty Mekong River to the Lao immigration building. Here, the fun really began. First up was a massive and very slow moving queue to pass through immigration. After a while it became obvious we were going to be stuck there for hours, however happily fate intervened. A gentleman tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I would like to rent transport for the day. On offer was a 9 seater van with driver for 1200 baht for all day....handy as there were 9 of us. The price was right and the clincher was when he whispered "and I get you out of the queue".
I agreed and true to his word the guy took our passports right to the front of the queue and they were stamped immediately. And we were off - well kind of - there was a 10 baht entry fee to pay for the privelege of visiting Communist Laos first.
Fees paid our driver began the 19 Km drive from the bridge into Vientiane city.
Lao Consulate
We were planning a trip to Vientiane, Laos, just 180 km north of Khon Kaen. So we paid a visit to the Lao consulate in town to arrange visas.
The consulate is a utilitarian place, just an empty concrete floored waiting area with a few tables and a little window behind which two rather curt gentlemen reside. Encouraging tourism is clearly not thier top priority judging from their less than helpful manner.
However, to be fair, getting a visa is easy and quick here. The same process in Bangkok would have involved a lot of travelling, a long queue and a lot more bullshit.
Australians pay a fee of 1400 baht for the express service (1 hour turnaround) or 1200 baht if you can wait 2 days. Most people from europe/usa/canada pay a similar fee though there is some variation. ASEAN passport holders pay no fee.
We handed over the money and two passport photos and went for a 45 minute walk. On our return the visas were ready!
The consulate is a utilitarian place, just an empty concrete floored waiting area with a few tables and a little window behind which two rather curt gentlemen reside. Encouraging tourism is clearly not thier top priority judging from their less than helpful manner.
However, to be fair, getting a visa is easy and quick here. The same process in Bangkok would have involved a lot of travelling, a long queue and a lot more bullshit.
Australians pay a fee of 1400 baht for the express service (1 hour turnaround) or 1200 baht if you can wait 2 days. Most people from europe/usa/canada pay a similar fee though there is some variation. ASEAN passport holders pay no fee.
We handed over the money and two passport photos and went for a 45 minute walk. On our return the visas were ready!
Charoen Thani Princess Hotel, Khon Kaen
We got to the Charoen Thani Princess Hotel, Khon Kaen early.....just after dawn and hours before the standard noon check in time so I was expecting to be left waiting for a good few hours before getting a bed to sleep in.
This was where the staff at the Charoen Thani Princess made thier first good impression. Despite it being Christmas Eve and us turning up 5 hours early, they smiled and had us in a room in 10 minutes flat. That was much appreciated after a hard 24 hours of travelling non stop by car, air and rail.
This is no small gesture - most hotels will keep you waiting (whether they are full or not) until 12 or 1pm just because you didn't pay extra to check in early.
The Charoen Thani Princess Hotel was our home for 10 days and whilst the place is slowly getting tatty (as do all Thai hotels given time and lousy maintenance) it is comfortable and well run. There is a reasonable breakfast buffet, a moderately sized swimming pool and the hotel has a pleasant lobby with giant TV screen and bar.
The Charoen Thani Princess Hotel is home to a large entertainment complex, including the city's biggest and best disco "Zolid" as well as snooker, karaoke, cocktail lounge and massage parlour.
The hotel is well located with easy access to restaurants, nightlife, supermarkets and shopping. All rooms have quite good views over the city although the window handles are prone to snapping off!
Overall this place is a fair bit of comfort for a very low price.
This was where the staff at the Charoen Thani Princess made thier first good impression. Despite it being Christmas Eve and us turning up 5 hours early, they smiled and had us in a room in 10 minutes flat. That was much appreciated after a hard 24 hours of travelling non stop by car, air and rail.
This is no small gesture - most hotels will keep you waiting (whether they are full or not) until 12 or 1pm just because you didn't pay extra to check in early.
The Charoen Thani Princess Hotel was our home for 10 days and whilst the place is slowly getting tatty (as do all Thai hotels given time and lousy maintenance) it is comfortable and well run. There is a reasonable breakfast buffet, a moderately sized swimming pool and the hotel has a pleasant lobby with giant TV screen and bar.
The Charoen Thani Princess Hotel is home to a large entertainment complex, including the city's biggest and best disco "Zolid" as well as snooker, karaoke, cocktail lounge and massage parlour.
The hotel is well located with easy access to restaurants, nightlife, supermarkets and shopping. All rooms have quite good views over the city although the window handles are prone to snapping off!
Overall this place is a fair bit of comfort for a very low price.
The longest day
It was a long day. First up in Malaysia, a one hour cab ride to the airport. Then another 2 hours messing about at the airport before the plane took off. The flight itself took another 2 hours and by the time we reached the taxi rank at Bangkok airport it was dark.
The plan.....get a train or bus straight to Khon Kaen in North East Thailand without staying over in Bangkok. It was 6pm. A phone call to Bangkok's Hualamphong railway station confirmed that a sleeper train was departing at 8.30pm so we jumped in a taxi and asked him to get us there in time.
We made it with plenty of time to spare and I was feeling smug about how smoothly things had gone when I spied the train carriage. The train carriage with lots of hard wooden seats and *no sleeper bunks*.
I knew then we were in for a night of hell and had to be dragged kicking and screaming on to the train. The look of horror remained on my face until dawn, literally frozen on, as temperatures during that 9 hour journey almost reached freezing.
Just as the train was getting close to our destination and the air was warming up a little, some old Irish bastard from the first class car walked past on the way to the breakfast car and remarked "you won't make that mistake again will you". Lucky for him, I couldn't find anything heavy to throw at him.
The plan.....get a train or bus straight to Khon Kaen in North East Thailand without staying over in Bangkok. It was 6pm. A phone call to Bangkok's Hualamphong railway station confirmed that a sleeper train was departing at 8.30pm so we jumped in a taxi and asked him to get us there in time.
We made it with plenty of time to spare and I was feeling smug about how smoothly things had gone when I spied the train carriage. The train carriage with lots of hard wooden seats and *no sleeper bunks*.
I knew then we were in for a night of hell and had to be dragged kicking and screaming on to the train. The look of horror remained on my face until dawn, literally frozen on, as temperatures during that 9 hour journey almost reached freezing.
Just as the train was getting close to our destination and the air was warming up a little, some old Irish bastard from the first class car walked past on the way to the breakfast car and remarked "you won't make that mistake again will you". Lucky for him, I couldn't find anything heavy to throw at him.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Off to Thailand
Our last day in KL arrived and we packed up and hopped into a taxi bound for KL's Low Cost Carrier airport terminal (LCC) (Do these people have a fetish for acronyms or what?). You kind of feel like a cheapskate asking a cab to take you to the LCC, its a bit like asking for a ride to the soup kitchen.
An hour later we were in the rather tacky crowded building that is the LCC terminal. The price you pay for flying cheap with Air Asia is that 1) no seat allocations are given and 2) Malaysians feel the urge to form long queues to get on the aircraft, as if one seat on the plane is much better than another. Anyway, you end up queuing instead of relaxing.
Our plane left an hour late, because another plane was late, and both flights left from the same gate screwing up the queues. Because of this mixup we somehow ended up first on the plane (having lined up for the wrong plane altogether) much to the annoyance of those who had pushed and jostled and misbehaved for the past hour to get those very same seats.
Once on the plane, it was a nice flight, with the only notable exception being two bad mannered foreigners who put thier dirty great feet up on the cabin wall and who's photo I will shortly publish as an example of how not to conduct yourself whilst on an aeroplane !
An hour later we were in the rather tacky crowded building that is the LCC terminal. The price you pay for flying cheap with Air Asia is that 1) no seat allocations are given and 2) Malaysians feel the urge to form long queues to get on the aircraft, as if one seat on the plane is much better than another. Anyway, you end up queuing instead of relaxing.
Our plane left an hour late, because another plane was late, and both flights left from the same gate screwing up the queues. Because of this mixup we somehow ended up first on the plane (having lined up for the wrong plane altogether) much to the annoyance of those who had pushed and jostled and misbehaved for the past hour to get those very same seats.
Once on the plane, it was a nice flight, with the only notable exception being two bad mannered foreigners who put thier dirty great feet up on the cabin wall and who's photo I will shortly publish as an example of how not to conduct yourself whilst on an aeroplane !
Buses, buses and more buses
Walking back from Jalan Petaling we took a shortcut through Puduraya Bus station, KL's crowded, confusing central bus terminal. From here you can take a bus all over Malaysia and as far afield as Singapore or Thailand.
Famous for its agressive touts and thieves, Puduraya didn't disapoint and we were virtually chased through the terminal by numerous dubious gentlemen. Entertaining for us but if you arrive there tired with all your luggage, you really need to watch yourself here.
Puduraya even has its own multistorey hotel on its roof!
Walking out of Puduraya down to Jalan Imbi we encountered the longest queue of buses I have ever seen stretching for several kilometres in both directions. All belching diesel fumes. What a fun part of town!
Famous for its agressive touts and thieves, Puduraya didn't disapoint and we were virtually chased through the terminal by numerous dubious gentlemen. Entertaining for us but if you arrive there tired with all your luggage, you really need to watch yourself here.
Puduraya even has its own multistorey hotel on its roof!
Walking out of Puduraya down to Jalan Imbi we encountered the longest queue of buses I have ever seen stretching for several kilometres in both directions. All belching diesel fumes. What a fun part of town!
Shopping
We wanted to do some shopping and KL's dreary shopping malls just weren't hitting the spot. We decided to start with the KL Central Market, and try our luck.
The Central Market is well located near Chinatown, the older and more interesting part of the city. The Market has an interesting old facade and a long interesting history.
Sadly however the Market these days is two semi deserted floors of tourist stalls.....there are a few interesting independant clothing retailers which are unique but most the goods on offer are Petronas Towers ashtrays and cheap handicrafts imported from elsewhere in Asia.
Fifteen minutes later we left and headed over to Jalan Petaling, the large covered outdoor market area.
Jalan Petaling is a lot more lively and there are hundreds of stalls - fresh food, roasted nuts, clothing and yes even Petronas Towers ashtrays. There were also lots of tables being set up by pirated DVD vendors offered the latest movies for RM10 apiece.
The area is actually several streets, which have been enclosed with translucent blue roofing above. This has the effect of keeping away both the rain and the sun, so wandering around here is quite painless.
You still won't find any real Malaysian handicrafts or local goods, but the prices for what is on offer are reasonable if you haggle. There are lots of tourists about so all the usual junk tourists buy is on sale. You will find plenty to eat and drink around here and most people will enjoy visiting here.
Some folks even stay right in the middle of Jalan Petaling - a popular choice is the Swiss Inn Hotel located in the center of the action.
The Central Market is well located near Chinatown, the older and more interesting part of the city. The Market has an interesting old facade and a long interesting history.
Sadly however the Market these days is two semi deserted floors of tourist stalls.....there are a few interesting independant clothing retailers which are unique but most the goods on offer are Petronas Towers ashtrays and cheap handicrafts imported from elsewhere in Asia.
Fifteen minutes later we left and headed over to Jalan Petaling, the large covered outdoor market area.
Jalan Petaling is a lot more lively and there are hundreds of stalls - fresh food, roasted nuts, clothing and yes even Petronas Towers ashtrays. There were also lots of tables being set up by pirated DVD vendors offered the latest movies for RM10 apiece.
The area is actually several streets, which have been enclosed with translucent blue roofing above. This has the effect of keeping away both the rain and the sun, so wandering around here is quite painless.
You still won't find any real Malaysian handicrafts or local goods, but the prices for what is on offer are reasonable if you haggle. There are lots of tourists about so all the usual junk tourists buy is on sale. You will find plenty to eat and drink around here and most people will enjoy visiting here.
Some folks even stay right in the middle of Jalan Petaling - a popular choice is the Swiss Inn Hotel located in the center of the action.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Dinner at Ampang
Escaping from Chow Kit at full speed our host drove us up Jalan Ampang past KL's embassy row and we headed out of the city into the Ampang residential area.
After driving past mile after mile of bleak apartment buildings and housing developments, we arrived at our host's apartment and had a coffee. Then a five minute walk to the local community food center to experience a genuine Malay dinner.
It was rickety and run down but lit up with fairy lights and freindly. Maybe ten food stalls and a refreshment stand so we ordered half a dozen Malay soups and curries and refreshments. All went quite well until I ordered a bottle of Tiger beer and recieved a kick under the table for my sins.....there is no booze on the menu here.
The food was pleasant as was the company and the best part of the evening was experiencing dinner with the local families, who were dropping in for dinner after a day's work, and the sense of community that prevails. Dinner (twice as much as we could actually eat so we took some away with us in bags) and soft drinks for six people cam to a tad under RM70.
Just after leaving around 10pm it poured with rain so we headed home contented after an enjoyable and different evening.
After driving past mile after mile of bleak apartment buildings and housing developments, we arrived at our host's apartment and had a coffee. Then a five minute walk to the local community food center to experience a genuine Malay dinner.
It was rickety and run down but lit up with fairy lights and freindly. Maybe ten food stalls and a refreshment stand so we ordered half a dozen Malay soups and curries and refreshments. All went quite well until I ordered a bottle of Tiger beer and recieved a kick under the table for my sins.....there is no booze on the menu here.
The food was pleasant as was the company and the best part of the evening was experiencing dinner with the local families, who were dropping in for dinner after a day's work, and the sense of community that prevails. Dinner (twice as much as we could actually eat so we took some away with us in bags) and soft drinks for six people cam to a tad under RM70.
Just after leaving around 10pm it poured with rain so we headed home contented after an enjoyable and different evening.
Men dressed as ladies
Every journey hits the gutter sooner or later and we found the gutter on a visit to Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur's seedy and rather downmarket red light district. The area is home to a rabbit warren of food and fruit stalls, cheap clothing vendors, and loud shopping centres and bazaars blaring music as sleazy looking local chaps wander around the streets.
Our local guide for the evening drove us to Chow Kit in a four wheel drive vehicle (though Chow Kit has its own monorail station) so the first challenge was scouring every poky alley in search of a parking spot. That achieved, we explored the stalls and had some fresh fruit juice before going down to check out the street where all the action is.
Chow Kit ain't Manila or Bangkok. I dare say the nightlife is better in Baghdad than here. Dark run down streets populated by possibly the world's ugliest transvestites and the occasional aging woman dressed in a sari, all lurking about doorways and calling out sweet nothings. After a five minute walk around this somewhat pathetic area we headed off, we had seen the gutter and it wasn't worth seeing.
Our local guide for the evening drove us to Chow Kit in a four wheel drive vehicle (though Chow Kit has its own monorail station) so the first challenge was scouring every poky alley in search of a parking spot. That achieved, we explored the stalls and had some fresh fruit juice before going down to check out the street where all the action is.
Chow Kit ain't Manila or Bangkok. I dare say the nightlife is better in Baghdad than here. Dark run down streets populated by possibly the world's ugliest transvestites and the occasional aging woman dressed in a sari, all lurking about doorways and calling out sweet nothings. After a five minute walk around this somewhat pathetic area we headed off, we had seen the gutter and it wasn't worth seeing.
Petronas Twin Towers
For several days now we had spotted the Petronas Twin Towers from all over KL (you can hardly not spot them as they tower over the city, visible from virtually everywhere) so it was time to visit.
Sitting atop the Suria KLCC shopping centre and alongside a large park with swimming areas, the towers sure do impress close up. As I was about to take a photo, some guy offered to sell me a Rolex watch and looked quite suprised when I showed no interest whatsoever.
We hoped to get some free tickets to visit the skybridge joining the towers but couldn't be bothered getting there early so we turned up at 2pm and found there were no more tickets. No one in our group shed any tears over that as the towers look better from a distance and the views are better from the Menara Tower. So we explored Suria KLCC a little.
This is yet another massive shopping centre in a city full of shopping centers and this one was expensive, its only interesting feature an enormous christmas tree in the centre court. What we did enjoy was a place called California Pizza, where 3 of us devoured two excellent pizzas and exploited the unlimited free drink refills to the max.
Then we wandered off past the lake outside to the swimming pool and playground, which was packed with people enjoying the water and splashing about. Out walk ended at a modern looking silver mosque which was a nice backdrop for the sunset marking the end of another pleasant day in KL.
Sitting atop the Suria KLCC shopping centre and alongside a large park with swimming areas, the towers sure do impress close up. As I was about to take a photo, some guy offered to sell me a Rolex watch and looked quite suprised when I showed no interest whatsoever.
We hoped to get some free tickets to visit the skybridge joining the towers but couldn't be bothered getting there early so we turned up at 2pm and found there were no more tickets. No one in our group shed any tears over that as the towers look better from a distance and the views are better from the Menara Tower. So we explored Suria KLCC a little.
This is yet another massive shopping centre in a city full of shopping centers and this one was expensive, its only interesting feature an enormous christmas tree in the centre court. What we did enjoy was a place called California Pizza, where 3 of us devoured two excellent pizzas and exploited the unlimited free drink refills to the max.
Then we wandered off past the lake outside to the swimming pool and playground, which was packed with people enjoying the water and splashing about. Out walk ended at a modern looking silver mosque which was a nice backdrop for the sunset marking the end of another pleasant day in KL.
KL Taxis
The taxi service in KL has improved a lot over the years. 20 years ago, taxi cab drivers in this city were so notoriously dishonest you were almost guaranteed to be overcharged, insulted, dropped off at the wrong destination or just outright ripped off.
Today things have improved, though KL taxis still leave much to be desired. Even today it is a battle to get a meter switched on, even though most taxis have one. Only once in several dozen cab rides did I succeed in having the meter switched on. Mostly we were forced to use coupons.
Coupons are Malaysia's answer to taming the cab drivers. The airports, big hotels, tourist attractions and tranportation points all now offer taxi coupon booths where you state your destination, pay a fixed price, then hand the coupon to any cab driver who will happily take you directly to your destination.
Yes, the system cuts out most of the larceny of the days of old, but it also fixes cab fares at way above what it would actually cost you if the cab driver just turned on his meter. That trip that costs you RM8 by coupon is actually only RM3-4 using the meter.
Why the government is unable to direct cabbies to use thier meters in this day and age is a mystery. Cab drivers in Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong have all been tamed......why not KL?
Today things have improved, though KL taxis still leave much to be desired. Even today it is a battle to get a meter switched on, even though most taxis have one. Only once in several dozen cab rides did I succeed in having the meter switched on. Mostly we were forced to use coupons.
Coupons are Malaysia's answer to taming the cab drivers. The airports, big hotels, tourist attractions and tranportation points all now offer taxi coupon booths where you state your destination, pay a fixed price, then hand the coupon to any cab driver who will happily take you directly to your destination.
Yes, the system cuts out most of the larceny of the days of old, but it also fixes cab fares at way above what it would actually cost you if the cab driver just turned on his meter. That trip that costs you RM8 by coupon is actually only RM3-4 using the meter.
Why the government is unable to direct cabbies to use thier meters in this day and age is a mystery. Cab drivers in Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong have all been tamed......why not KL?
KL Tower
It was a rare sunny day in KL so we hotfooted it over to the KL Menara to check out the views of the city. The tower is situated on a hill so we made sure the cab driver took us to the entrance.
This massive telecommunications tower features an observation deck high in sky. You buy your ticket, take a lift up to the tower then join a queue. After a while we figured out the queue was just to recieve a headset from a girl in a santa suit so we pushed on past, not wanting headsets, and went to check out the views.
The views over the city are fabulous and we spent over an hour clicking away taking photos of the city skyline. The weather was clear enough so see as far away as the mountains fringing the city and beyond. A great way to see how the city has spread out into the large metropolis it is today. You also get some great views down into hotel swimming pools!
After enjoying the views there was a small and rather quiet selection of pricey shops downstairs, and the tower grounds are pleasant. There is even some kind of nature walk nearby, but in KL's sticky afternoon sun this wasn't on the agenda.
There is a rare 95 year old Jelutung tree just outside with benches underneath which offers both a nice view of the nearby skyscrapers and a pleasant breeze. We hung out here for a while enjoying the shade of this mighty tree before leaving.
Note that the taxis operating here work on fixed price coupons and will not under any circumstances turn on thier meters or negotiate - if you don't like it you have to walk down the hill yourself. The journey which cost us RM4 from our hotel cost us RM10 to return!
This massive telecommunications tower features an observation deck high in sky. You buy your ticket, take a lift up to the tower then join a queue. After a while we figured out the queue was just to recieve a headset from a girl in a santa suit so we pushed on past, not wanting headsets, and went to check out the views.
The views over the city are fabulous and we spent over an hour clicking away taking photos of the city skyline. The weather was clear enough so see as far away as the mountains fringing the city and beyond. A great way to see how the city has spread out into the large metropolis it is today. You also get some great views down into hotel swimming pools!
After enjoying the views there was a small and rather quiet selection of pricey shops downstairs, and the tower grounds are pleasant. There is even some kind of nature walk nearby, but in KL's sticky afternoon sun this wasn't on the agenda.
There is a rare 95 year old Jelutung tree just outside with benches underneath which offers both a nice view of the nearby skyscrapers and a pleasant breeze. We hung out here for a while enjoying the shade of this mighty tree before leaving.
Note that the taxis operating here work on fixed price coupons and will not under any circumstances turn on thier meters or negotiate - if you don't like it you have to walk down the hill yourself. The journey which cost us RM4 from our hotel cost us RM10 to return!
Beauty Contest
After a long day exploring KL we had popped out of our room on the 19th floor of the Berjaya Times Square Hotel and took the lift down to the mall below. When the lift door opened at the 6th floor of the shopping mall below, we heard loud rock music so we got out to see what was happening.
My lucky day.....it was some obscure beauty pageant complete with a bevy of bikini clad beauties from around the world. We hung around for a while taking photos of the lovelies and to see who won.
Miss Singapore was the lucky winner of the RM1000 first prize....not big bucks but she looked happy enough and the show sure kept hundreds of onlookers entertained.
My lucky day.....it was some obscure beauty pageant complete with a bevy of bikini clad beauties from around the world. We hung around for a while taking photos of the lovelies and to see who won.
Miss Singapore was the lucky winner of the RM1000 first prize....not big bucks but she looked happy enough and the show sure kept hundreds of onlookers entertained.
The world's biggest Hotel
Whilst at Genting we checked out the First World Hotel, which with 6118 rooms claims to be the largest hotel in the world. After wandering around this place for an hour, I can certainly believe it.
The lobby in this place is enourmous. There are maybe 30 or more check in desks, each with its own "take a number and take a seat" queue just to see someone. The lobby area is larger than many airports I have seen and there were maybe 500 or more people waiting out to check in or or out. You wouldn't want to be in a hurry.
Everything else is on a similar massive scale. There is a half kilometre long fairy-light lit underground drive for arriving guests, although many simply arrive and depart on the masses of elevators elsewhere into the Genting complex. The ground floor of the hotel has masses of shops, places to eat, medical facilities, everything really. We got as far as exploring the countless lifts heading up to the hotel rooms.
The whole idea of the place is to create an affordable hotel to cater for local tourists on a very large scale and on this level the hotel certainly succeeds. Room rates are cheap and if you book ahead there are amazing bargains to be had. Just expect to wait awhile when you are checking in !
The lobby in this place is enourmous. There are maybe 30 or more check in desks, each with its own "take a number and take a seat" queue just to see someone. The lobby area is larger than many airports I have seen and there were maybe 500 or more people waiting out to check in or or out. You wouldn't want to be in a hurry.
Everything else is on a similar massive scale. There is a half kilometre long fairy-light lit underground drive for arriving guests, although many simply arrive and depart on the masses of elevators elsewhere into the Genting complex. The ground floor of the hotel has masses of shops, places to eat, medical facilities, everything really. We got as far as exploring the countless lifts heading up to the hotel rooms.
The whole idea of the place is to create an affordable hotel to cater for local tourists on a very large scale and on this level the hotel certainly succeeds. Room rates are cheap and if you book ahead there are amazing bargains to be had. Just expect to wait awhile when you are checking in !
Inside Genting
Genting is an enormous complex, incorporating two casinos, half a dozen hotels including the world's largest, a convention center, an outdoor amusement park and a massive indoor theme park with hundreds of shops, restaurants and attractions.
First off we explored the Genting casino, moderately sized by world standards and with suprisingly high minimum bet levels on most tables - RM50 and higher for most games, with only a few roulette tables starting at RM10 per bet. There are also masses of one armed bandits and video gaming machines.
After some gambling and with RM700 winnings in the pocket it was off for a slap up meal of northern Indian fare served up by a beady eyes stall operater who treasured every ringitt he recieved and who i swear counted every lentil dished up by his employees. The food was reasonable but the serves so small it was almost funny.
Then it was time to explore the bizarra wolrd of the indoor First World Theme Park. This place is so large and bizarre it is hard to describe. There are mini versions of Big Ben, the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower.
There is "Snow World", an imitation river complete with Gondola rides, lots and lots of neon lights and stores selling souveniers and masses and masses of people. There was even a roaming band of young ladies and gentlemen dressed in Santa Suits and armed with a keyboard who moved about singing christmas carols.
You can move between the casinos and the various hotels and theme parks without ever going outdoors, via dozens of steep elevators connecting everything up. This is mass entertainment on a massive scale and it certainly seems popular with visitors.
First off we explored the Genting casino, moderately sized by world standards and with suprisingly high minimum bet levels on most tables - RM50 and higher for most games, with only a few roulette tables starting at RM10 per bet. There are also masses of one armed bandits and video gaming machines.
After some gambling and with RM700 winnings in the pocket it was off for a slap up meal of northern Indian fare served up by a beady eyes stall operater who treasured every ringitt he recieved and who i swear counted every lentil dished up by his employees. The food was reasonable but the serves so small it was almost funny.
Then it was time to explore the bizarra wolrd of the indoor First World Theme Park. This place is so large and bizarre it is hard to describe. There are mini versions of Big Ben, the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower.
There is "Snow World", an imitation river complete with Gondola rides, lots and lots of neon lights and stores selling souveniers and masses and masses of people. There was even a roaming band of young ladies and gentlemen dressed in Santa Suits and armed with a keyboard who moved about singing christmas carols.
You can move between the casinos and the various hotels and theme parks without ever going outdoors, via dozens of steep elevators connecting everything up. This is mass entertainment on a massive scale and it certainly seems popular with visitors.
Off to Genting Highlands Resort
Our hotel conceirge quoted RM300 for a car for the return trip to the Genting Highlands Resort, which is about 1 hours out of KL. We thought better of that and bought a RM70 taxi coupon outside for a one way trip. (the return journey later cost RM60)
Although central KL is a slow snarl of unmoving traffic, it doesn't take long to escape this and it is a smooth drive along the highway past the massive entrance to the Batu Caves and up into the mountains. The views are breathtaking, passing cloud swathed mountains and before long we are driving in heavy mist, taking the slow winding road up into the mountains.
At the base of Genting Highlands we are greeted by several machine gun toting soldiers who check the ID of the cab driver before we go up an even more winding road. Visibility is close to zero and our driver fancies himself a bit of a racing car driver so it a wonder no one throws up on the drive up there.
Finally we arrive at the main entrance to the Genting Resort Hotel, where visibilty is literally zero as the entire mountain is swathed in cloud, with cold, crisp air and strong winds.
It is the start of our surreal visit to Genting - we never actually see outside as the clouds never cleared, but a massive, indoor world awaits us.
Although central KL is a slow snarl of unmoving traffic, it doesn't take long to escape this and it is a smooth drive along the highway past the massive entrance to the Batu Caves and up into the mountains. The views are breathtaking, passing cloud swathed mountains and before long we are driving in heavy mist, taking the slow winding road up into the mountains.
At the base of Genting Highlands we are greeted by several machine gun toting soldiers who check the ID of the cab driver before we go up an even more winding road. Visibility is close to zero and our driver fancies himself a bit of a racing car driver so it a wonder no one throws up on the drive up there.
Finally we arrive at the main entrance to the Genting Resort Hotel, where visibilty is literally zero as the entire mountain is swathed in cloud, with cold, crisp air and strong winds.
It is the start of our surreal visit to Genting - we never actually see outside as the clouds never cleared, but a massive, indoor world awaits us.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Off to the pool
The other feature of note at the Berjaya Times Square Hotel in KL is the swimming pool. OK lots of hotels have pools but you have to check this one out to believe it.
For a start it is massive and runs all the way between the two towers of the hotel. There are several wading pools and the long central pool, which has waterfalls and fountains cascading down onto the swimmers. There are a couple of cool little shrines, some unbelievable views across KL and the Petronas Towers from several vantage points, and lots of little tables and nooks for sitting at and relaxing.
And wear else can you sit and watch muslim girls fully clad in robes swimming at one end of the pool and half a dozen scantily glad German girls splashing about at the other ?
For a start it is massive and runs all the way between the two towers of the hotel. There are several wading pools and the long central pool, which has waterfalls and fountains cascading down onto the swimmers. There are a couple of cool little shrines, some unbelievable views across KL and the Petronas Towers from several vantage points, and lots of little tables and nooks for sitting at and relaxing.
And wear else can you sit and watch muslim girls fully clad in robes swimming at one end of the pool and half a dozen scantily glad German girls splashing about at the other ?
Breakfast at Berjaya Times Square
I was almost dreading breakfast at our hotel, the Berjaya Times Square, because this massive hotel has 900 suites and the breakfast buffet resembled a zoo with hundreds of foks trying to get a seat, long queues and screaming children.
For once, we had struck gold, as we arrived at the "business breakfast room" which was part of the upgrade deal we had booked. This place was nice and we lingered there every morning - in a hotel with thousands of guests it was rare to see more than 3 or 4 of the 20 tables in the dining area occupied.
More importantly the food was good, the coffee was sublime, both rarities considering "free" hotel breakfasts are usually pretty mediocre. Not this place. Polite but unobtrusive service which allowed us to linger, chat, read newspapers and drink extra coffee.
For once, we had struck gold, as we arrived at the "business breakfast room" which was part of the upgrade deal we had booked. This place was nice and we lingered there every morning - in a hotel with thousands of guests it was rare to see more than 3 or 4 of the 20 tables in the dining area occupied.
More importantly the food was good, the coffee was sublime, both rarities considering "free" hotel breakfasts are usually pretty mediocre. Not this place. Polite but unobtrusive service which allowed us to linger, chat, read newspapers and drink extra coffee.
Looking for DVD's
Word was that there were lots of software and DVD pirates operating out of two shopping centres in the Bukit Bintang Area of KL so we went to take a look, purely for research purposes.
An hour later we had searched BB Plaza and Sungei Wang Plaza (two medium sized, adjacent malls with lots of electronics on sale) up and down and not a single dodgy disc in sight. The long arm of the law had apparantly struck and the pirates are no more.
Thats great for Bill Gates and Hollywood but it kind of takes the spice and fun out of these shopping centres. Rest assured the pirates haven't gone, they have just moved on elsewhere.
An hour later we had searched BB Plaza and Sungei Wang Plaza (two medium sized, adjacent malls with lots of electronics on sale) up and down and not a single dodgy disc in sight. The long arm of the law had apparantly struck and the pirates are no more.
Thats great for Bill Gates and Hollywood but it kind of takes the spice and fun out of these shopping centres. Rest assured the pirates haven't gone, they have just moved on elsewhere.
Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister opens a public toilet
Believe it or not we stumbled on to the highlight of our visit to KL - Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister opened a public toilet on the main strip. We know you won't believe this tale so look out for a photo feature soon to prove it is true.
We walked on to the strip to find it packed with police officers, photographers and serious looking guys in suits. Then suddenly large smoke machines started up from both doors of a beautifully appointed public toilet. Then two lovely maidens in traditional Malay costumes took seats in front of the toilet.
This was followed by thousands of bubbles pouring out of both sides of the toilet, then the Deputy PM himself arrived at the toilet and gave a speech to the mass of journalists. Then he, erm, went inside the toilet and christened it.
Quite a sight and probably the only time in my life I will ever see a politician publicly opening a toilet without being mocked for doing so !
Malaysia's typically restrained newpapers resisted the temptation to make any smart remarks about the opening though one Chinese chap in a pub later remarked of the Deputy PM's efforts "that's about all he is good for".
Another Hotelzasia scoop.
We walked on to the strip to find it packed with police officers, photographers and serious looking guys in suits. Then suddenly large smoke machines started up from both doors of a beautifully appointed public toilet. Then two lovely maidens in traditional Malay costumes took seats in front of the toilet.
This was followed by thousands of bubbles pouring out of both sides of the toilet, then the Deputy PM himself arrived at the toilet and gave a speech to the mass of journalists. Then he, erm, went inside the toilet and christened it.
Quite a sight and probably the only time in my life I will ever see a politician publicly opening a toilet without being mocked for doing so !
Malaysia's typically restrained newpapers resisted the temptation to make any smart remarks about the opening though one Chinese chap in a pub later remarked of the Deputy PM's efforts "that's about all he is good for".
Another Hotelzasia scoop.
Bukit Bintang
We alighted at Bukit Bintang monorail station and walked down to street level to be greeted by the sight of an enormous McDonalds sign surrounded by dozens more fast food chain neon signs.
My first instinct was to get back on the monorail and leave as this looked too touristy for my liking. However, our group perservered and we were rewarded by the sight of Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister officiating over the opening of a public toilet. But more about that in the next post.
Back to Bukit Bintang. Essentially a long strip packed with fast food joints, restaurants and places like starbucks all selling expensive food and drinks. There are also shopping centres and plenty of hotels.
Garish and with all the comforts of home this part of town will appeal to first time travellers for a few days but most will find thier feet and move on to more interesting parts of town.
There is an element of some parts of the strip being a place to see and be seen and it is certainly worth dropping in at the start of the evening to check out.
My first instinct was to get back on the monorail and leave as this looked too touristy for my liking. However, our group perservered and we were rewarded by the sight of Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister officiating over the opening of a public toilet. But more about that in the next post.
Back to Bukit Bintang. Essentially a long strip packed with fast food joints, restaurants and places like starbucks all selling expensive food and drinks. There are also shopping centres and plenty of hotels.
Garish and with all the comforts of home this part of town will appeal to first time travellers for a few days but most will find thier feet and move on to more interesting parts of town.
There is an element of some parts of the strip being a place to see and be seen and it is certainly worth dropping in at the start of the evening to check out.
Tiffin Lunch
Having escaped KL Sentral we sat down for a break at a little Indian tea shop located just outside the monorail ticket office. We picked this joint by chance but it turned out to be the best little pitstop in all of KL.
Piping hot sweet tea for two, cokes for two others and half a dozen delicious curry puffs....all of which cost under RM7.00 ! Beat that for value and very tasty to boot.
Plus for free there is the atmosphere of the fellow diners, mostly very serious looking Indian gentlemen enjoying an ernest chat of tea and snacks. Chairs are cheap little plastic things and the few tables are cheap and rickety but you are right on the streetside watching life pass by.
We liked this spot so much we ordered more food just so we could hang about longer.
Piping hot sweet tea for two, cokes for two others and half a dozen delicious curry puffs....all of which cost under RM7.00 ! Beat that for value and very tasty to boot.
Plus for free there is the atmosphere of the fellow diners, mostly very serious looking Indian gentlemen enjoying an ernest chat of tea and snacks. Chairs are cheap little plastic things and the few tables are cheap and rickety but you are right on the streetside watching life pass by.
We liked this spot so much we ordered more food just so we could hang about longer.
KL Sentral
We arrived at KL Sentral, the city's sentral train station, from Bangsar Megamall planning to link up with a monorail train back to our hotel.
This massive gleaming transport junction is the starting point for KL's trains and monorail lines, as well as a direct train service to KL international airport. A brilliant idea, concieved by a former PM known for his big ideas, though in practice the place is confusing and poorly integrated.
In fact to link up with the monorail line we had to walk through the terminal, walk out the back past a ramp packed with buses, walk half a kilometre along a covered path lined with market stalls then across a street to find the monorail station.
KL Sentral is handy if your'e planning to travel to and from the airport by train, though this is only really economical for single travellers, groups of two or more will find it cheaper and easier to take a cab. Remember also the train does not go to the Low Cost Carrier Terminal so if you flew in on the cheap you are up for another bus fare from KLIA to the LCCT.
There are two massive and identical hotels at KL Sentral if you are keen to stay on top of a transport hub linking you with the whole city.
This massive gleaming transport junction is the starting point for KL's trains and monorail lines, as well as a direct train service to KL international airport. A brilliant idea, concieved by a former PM known for his big ideas, though in practice the place is confusing and poorly integrated.
In fact to link up with the monorail line we had to walk through the terminal, walk out the back past a ramp packed with buses, walk half a kilometre along a covered path lined with market stalls then across a street to find the monorail station.
KL Sentral is handy if your'e planning to travel to and from the airport by train, though this is only really economical for single travellers, groups of two or more will find it cheaper and easier to take a cab. Remember also the train does not go to the Low Cost Carrier Terminal so if you flew in on the cheap you are up for another bus fare from KLIA to the LCCT.
There are two massive and identical hotels at KL Sentral if you are keen to stay on top of a transport hub linking you with the whole city.
Off to the Megamall
It was starting to rain so we all jumped in a taxi and drove off to Mid Valley Megamall in KL's Bangsar district, just to see how big the place really was.
Big ? Yes indeed. This place is enourmous with level after level of franchise stores, Department stores and food outlets. Up top there is a large food court and even a bowling alley. The whole place was packed with people out doing christmas shopping. Megamall is a kind of "in" place to be seen shopping, though why is unclear - this place is no bargain center and the stores on offer are the same chain and franchise stores you can find anywhere on the planet.
Never mind that Malaysia is a predominately muslim country, Megamall had a giant christmas tree in the center concourse complete with a fake world of snow and singing and dancing chinese fairies. It really was a little too much to bear so we headed off for a long lunch on the top floor instead.
After lunch the four of us enjoyed a session of bowling.....now this was starting to feel like fun again....I knew there was a reason why we came here. Fully computerised and ultra modern, the bowling alley does everything for you except throw the ball for you.
None of us were good bowlers.....much to the merriment of the many young ladies in muslim veils playing in the surrounding lanes.
When we finished bowling we went looking for the train station rumoured to exisit in the mall, as the traffic outside was gridlocked. It took a long, long time to find as everyone we asked either didn't know or just invented directions and signage sucks!
Big ? Yes indeed. This place is enourmous with level after level of franchise stores, Department stores and food outlets. Up top there is a large food court and even a bowling alley. The whole place was packed with people out doing christmas shopping. Megamall is a kind of "in" place to be seen shopping, though why is unclear - this place is no bargain center and the stores on offer are the same chain and franchise stores you can find anywhere on the planet.
Never mind that Malaysia is a predominately muslim country, Megamall had a giant christmas tree in the center concourse complete with a fake world of snow and singing and dancing chinese fairies. It really was a little too much to bear so we headed off for a long lunch on the top floor instead.
After lunch the four of us enjoyed a session of bowling.....now this was starting to feel like fun again....I knew there was a reason why we came here. Fully computerised and ultra modern, the bowling alley does everything for you except throw the ball for you.
None of us were good bowlers.....much to the merriment of the many young ladies in muslim veils playing in the surrounding lanes.
When we finished bowling we went looking for the train station rumoured to exisit in the mall, as the traffic outside was gridlocked. It took a long, long time to find as everyone we asked either didn't know or just invented directions and signage sucks!
Little India
It was a miserable grey KL morning and sightseeing wasn't on the agenda so we hit the monorail and found ourselves in KL's Little India district. Lots of seedy old buildings and not so many skyscrapers and tourists so this is a pleasant area to explore.
There are some great stalls around here selling Indian snacks and meals at low, low prices, and if you are in the market for a sari this is the place for you. It is also the best place in town to find competitively priced moneychangers, we got RM2.80 for 1 Australian Dollar compared to as low as RM2.70 elsewhere in town.
So we spent the profits on a nice hot curry lunch for four washed down with fresh iced lime juice. Just the thing to counteract the weather.
There are some great stalls around here selling Indian snacks and meals at low, low prices, and if you are in the market for a sari this is the place for you. It is also the best place in town to find competitively priced moneychangers, we got RM2.80 for 1 Australian Dollar compared to as low as RM2.70 elsewhere in town.
So we spent the profits on a nice hot curry lunch for four washed down with fresh iced lime juice. Just the thing to counteract the weather.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
KL Monorail
KL's monorail system is great for whizzing around town and most rides start from only a RM 1.20 or so. There are several monorail lines and train lines as well, and unfortunately they are not terribly well integrated.
If you get confused you can get to the main station (KL Sentral) from most places, and changeover there.
If the monorail is going your way, it is a great way to see the city from above and avoid KL's notorious slow traffic. We took a few rides just for fun and to explore the city. We managed to link up with a train somewhere along the line and it was a cheap way to get around.
The monorail stations are big and easy to spot all over town. The trains themselves are clean, sometimes very crowded but airconditioned. The ugly concrete pylons supporting the monorail lines all over the city are plastered with advertising and quite bright.
With Imbi station outside our front door we literally found ourselves taking monorail trips to nearby Bukit Bintang just to grab a bite to eat.
If you get confused you can get to the main station (KL Sentral) from most places, and changeover there.
If the monorail is going your way, it is a great way to see the city from above and avoid KL's notorious slow traffic. We took a few rides just for fun and to explore the city. We managed to link up with a train somewhere along the line and it was a cheap way to get around.
The monorail stations are big and easy to spot all over town. The trains themselves are clean, sometimes very crowded but airconditioned. The ugly concrete pylons supporting the monorail lines all over the city are plastered with advertising and quite bright.
With Imbi station outside our front door we literally found ourselves taking monorail trips to nearby Bukit Bintang just to grab a bite to eat.
Berjaya Times Square
We had booked apartments at the Berjaya Times Square Hotel in Jalan Imbi in Kuala Lumpur and arrived overawed at the massive scale of the place. There is a 10 storey shopping mall, an amusement park, IMAX movie theatres, restaurants and two massive blocks of apartments separated by a huge pool area withgreat views over KL. There is also a food clourt on level 10 with reasonable food.
Check in was really, really slow with only half a dozen staff on duty in such a big hotel. 40 minutes later we had our keys and were in our apartment. Ok it was a little tattier than the hotel's brochures suggest, but there was a living area, bedroom, kitchen and large bathroom and wc. Lots of room and everything you could possibly want to buy or eat in the mall below.
We even had a panoramic view over the city, directly overlooking KL's old Pudu Prison.
When we tired of exploring the hotel complex and pool we hit the shopping mall and wandered for hours. Then outside where the Imbi monorail station is at the front foor, linking you up to the whole city.
This is a great spot to stay, and many folks never even leave the building. You can even stock up on beer and food at a supermarket in the mall on the LG floor or the 7/11 outside the front of the hotel. Locally there are other big hotels and a lot of seedy old chinese restaurants, snooker halls and karaoke bars.
Check in was really, really slow with only half a dozen staff on duty in such a big hotel. 40 minutes later we had our keys and were in our apartment. Ok it was a little tattier than the hotel's brochures suggest, but there was a living area, bedroom, kitchen and large bathroom and wc. Lots of room and everything you could possibly want to buy or eat in the mall below.
We even had a panoramic view over the city, directly overlooking KL's old Pudu Prison.
When we tired of exploring the hotel complex and pool we hit the shopping mall and wandered for hours. Then outside where the Imbi monorail station is at the front foor, linking you up to the whole city.
This is a great spot to stay, and many folks never even leave the building. You can even stock up on beer and food at a supermarket in the mall on the LG floor or the 7/11 outside the front of the hotel. Locally there are other big hotels and a lot of seedy old chinese restaurants, snooker halls and karaoke bars.
Air Asia Flight from Bangkok to KL
We arrived at Bangkok's gleaming new Suvarnbhumi (pronounced "suwannaphum") airport just on time to be early in the queue for our Air Asia flight to Kuala Lumpur. Just as well, as the ticketing service was a bit haphazard & you need to assert yourself to stop queue jumpers.
Air Asia gives no seat allocation so it was a mad long rush through the long central "tube" of the airport to get to the departure gate. Everyone pushed and shoved to get seats but thats the price you pay for using budget airlines!
The flight itself was great and immediately on take off the stewardness that no outside food or drink was allowed and you could buy this stuff on the flight. This was the cue for a plane load of people to open packed lunchs and start eating them guiltily. The stuff on sale looked pretty bad and not as tasty as indicated on the flashy menus.
Arrival at KL's Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) was chaos, the place is slow, crowded, your baggage takes forever to arrive. Eventually we got outside, scoured around for a moneychanger shop (it's in the departure terminal, oddly enough) and changed enough money to pay the RM65 coupon cost for the 75 kilometre drive into KL.
It took maybe 90 minutes to reach our hotel......half of that time spent crawling through traffic in the last few kilometres to our hotel.
Air Asia gives no seat allocation so it was a mad long rush through the long central "tube" of the airport to get to the departure gate. Everyone pushed and shoved to get seats but thats the price you pay for using budget airlines!
The flight itself was great and immediately on take off the stewardness that no outside food or drink was allowed and you could buy this stuff on the flight. This was the cue for a plane load of people to open packed lunchs and start eating them guiltily. The stuff on sale looked pretty bad and not as tasty as indicated on the flashy menus.
Arrival at KL's Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) was chaos, the place is slow, crowded, your baggage takes forever to arrive. Eventually we got outside, scoured around for a moneychanger shop (it's in the departure terminal, oddly enough) and changed enough money to pay the RM65 coupon cost for the 75 kilometre drive into KL.
It took maybe 90 minutes to reach our hotel......half of that time spent crawling through traffic in the last few kilometres to our hotel.
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Up in the Sky
After another long day on the train we were back in Bangkok for a few nights before flying off to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We arrived at the Baiyoke Sky Hotel in Pratunarm and got lucky...the standard rooms were all full up so they upgraded us to a "Sky Zone" room on the 65th floor.
The room was massive and had maybe 15 metres of floor to ceiling windows with an amazing panoramic view of Bangkok. Apart from the extra space and the huge windows, the only other real difference between the "sky zone" rooms and the standard rooms are a sofa to sit on and the shampoo comes in little bottles instead of from a dispenser on the wall.
Oh, and they give you free entry to the observation deck, normally 180 baht. That came in handy as I was taking a group of 10 guests up there the next evening and that saved me 1800 baht !
And life has a way of giving with one hand and taking away with the other......on leaving the Baiyoke Sky charged 1800 baht for maybe 30 minutes worth of long distance calls worth a tenth of the price.
The room was massive and had maybe 15 metres of floor to ceiling windows with an amazing panoramic view of Bangkok. Apart from the extra space and the huge windows, the only other real difference between the "sky zone" rooms and the standard rooms are a sofa to sit on and the shampoo comes in little bottles instead of from a dispenser on the wall.
Oh, and they give you free entry to the observation deck, normally 180 baht. That came in handy as I was taking a group of 10 guests up there the next evening and that saved me 1800 baht !
And life has a way of giving with one hand and taking away with the other......on leaving the Baiyoke Sky charged 1800 baht for maybe 30 minutes worth of long distance calls worth a tenth of the price.
Sofitel Raja Orchid Hotel, Khon Kaen
Just for a treat we checked in for a 5 night stay at the Sofitel Raja Orchid Hotel in Khon Kaen. Whilst this is Khon Kaen's most expensive hotel, it is luxurious and a bargain considering what such a 5 star place would cost in a major city.
To put it simply this place is great. Huge well appointed rooms, luxurious bathrooms and every little extra you could possibly imagine is provided. Rooms have a great view over the town and the hotel has a beautful atrium style lobby with lots of sofa's to hang out on and relax or read a free newspaper.
And the beds....so comfortable I would have to rate the Sofitel beds as the most comfortable I have slept on to date.
Most importantly the staff were genuinely helpful and freindly, in particular the outdoors security guys who went out of thier way to chat with guests and help out. And this place has a pool area with outdoor bar to die for.
The only real failing of this place was the breakfast buffet.....the food on offer whether Thai or Western was incredibly bland. After a day or two we ceased to show up for our free breakfasts as the fare was hotter and spicier on the streets outside.
Not withstanding this complaint, this is a great place if you want a lot of luxury at a great price and the location is good. Right outside there are pubs, restaurants, shopping and lots to do.
In the evenings the Sofitel has its own beer house, some high class restaurants and several nightclubs offering music and Karaoke. When I visited the clubs I found them mostly deserted, possibly because the drinks were about double the price they were outside. Or maybe they just start late :)
We will be back, for sure.
To put it simply this place is great. Huge well appointed rooms, luxurious bathrooms and every little extra you could possibly imagine is provided. Rooms have a great view over the town and the hotel has a beautful atrium style lobby with lots of sofa's to hang out on and relax or read a free newspaper.
And the beds....so comfortable I would have to rate the Sofitel beds as the most comfortable I have slept on to date.
Most importantly the staff were genuinely helpful and freindly, in particular the outdoors security guys who went out of thier way to chat with guests and help out. And this place has a pool area with outdoor bar to die for.
The only real failing of this place was the breakfast buffet.....the food on offer whether Thai or Western was incredibly bland. After a day or two we ceased to show up for our free breakfasts as the fare was hotter and spicier on the streets outside.
Not withstanding this complaint, this is a great place if you want a lot of luxury at a great price and the location is good. Right outside there are pubs, restaurants, shopping and lots to do.
In the evenings the Sofitel has its own beer house, some high class restaurants and several nightclubs offering music and Karaoke. When I visited the clubs I found them mostly deserted, possibly because the drinks were about double the price they were outside. Or maybe they just start late :)
We will be back, for sure.
Dinner on the Lake
The sun was setting and 23 of us in two vehicles were circling Khon Kaen's Kaen Nakorn Lake, trying to choose somewhere for dinner. Not an easy task - it's a 3.6 Km walk around the lake and there must be a hundred or more restaurants to choose from.
Chinese, Thai, Korean, Steakhouses, Japanese, Lao, Indian and more to choose from. And then there's the themed places, the places with live music, the rock and roll joints and those with hordes of singing ladies.
We settled on a nice place, one of the few actually built out over the lake. Though I never knew the name of the place, it was pleasant and the food good and reasoably priced for this kind of establishment.
Heaps of food, beer and soft drinks for 2300 came to a little over 2400 baht. Now that's around $3 a head for a classy meal on the waterfront.....great value for money.
Chinese, Thai, Korean, Steakhouses, Japanese, Lao, Indian and more to choose from. And then there's the themed places, the places with live music, the rock and roll joints and those with hordes of singing ladies.
We settled on a nice place, one of the few actually built out over the lake. Though I never knew the name of the place, it was pleasant and the food good and reasoably priced for this kind of establishment.
Heaps of food, beer and soft drinks for 2300 came to a little over 2400 baht. Now that's around $3 a head for a classy meal on the waterfront.....great value for money.
Thai Lao Freindship Bridge
We were in Nong Khai so we decided to drive down to the Thai-Lao Freindship Bridge spanning the Mekong River to have a close look at it. After all, Australian tax dollars funded this might concrete bridge and we fancied a close up look.
Here's a tip - take a guide if you want to do the same. We stopped twice to ask directions and then had to haggle a little with the officials in charge of the bridge to get access - the bridge is on Highway Department land and you have to enter thier compound to get real close to it. This is an international border crossing and you can't just wander about wherever you feel like.
A five minute walk from where the officials were busily watching TV and smoking cigarettes we reached a beautiful shady spot on an embankment overlooking the Mekong andright alongside the bridge. There are some signs in Thai and English explaining when and how the bridge was built and what it cost.
The views across to Laos are very nice and we watched some children playing in the river as the sunset.
Here's a tip - take a guide if you want to do the same. We stopped twice to ask directions and then had to haggle a little with the officials in charge of the bridge to get access - the bridge is on Highway Department land and you have to enter thier compound to get real close to it. This is an international border crossing and you can't just wander about wherever you feel like.
A five minute walk from where the officials were busily watching TV and smoking cigarettes we reached a beautiful shady spot on an embankment overlooking the Mekong andright alongside the bridge. There are some signs in Thai and English explaining when and how the bridge was built and what it cost.
The views across to Laos are very nice and we watched some children playing in the river as the sunset.
OK who locked the gate
We drove up into the mountains to visit the massive Wat JD Mongkol temple complex in Roi Et province. This massive site was still under construction when we last visited a year ago so we thought we would drop in and see how works were progressing.
The layout of the place is that you arrive to find a large government tourist shop (OTOP shop), a parking lot and lots of vendors. There is a massive gate from which you drive another half kilometre or so up a steep road to reach the temple grounds. Except some fool had locked the gate. Blocking access to a perfectly good road and a parking lot right at the front door of the temple.
Inquiries with the local vendors revealed that the gate was locked three months previously, and that no-one knew why, and that it was killing business for the vendors. Eventually one suggested that the authorities had locked the gate so folks were forced to park outside the govenment tourist shop, and hopefully spend money there.
This has backfired, as many older visitors just can't manage the steep walk. As most visitors are in fact elderly folks coming to pay respects, they have stopped coming. And because the temple needs donations to continue the massive construction works, work has slowed right down as donations dwindle.
Eventually the officials will figure this out and unlock the gate, until then, well, visitors are welcome to WALK the rest of the way.
Not to be deterred as we had several older folks with us, some of us walked up and tried reasoning with the temple officials. Suprising they saw sense in this and opened a rear gate to allow us to drive in. They didn't ask for money but we gave them a tip anyway for having the grace to see reason.
The layout of the place is that you arrive to find a large government tourist shop (OTOP shop), a parking lot and lots of vendors. There is a massive gate from which you drive another half kilometre or so up a steep road to reach the temple grounds. Except some fool had locked the gate. Blocking access to a perfectly good road and a parking lot right at the front door of the temple.
Inquiries with the local vendors revealed that the gate was locked three months previously, and that no-one knew why, and that it was killing business for the vendors. Eventually one suggested that the authorities had locked the gate so folks were forced to park outside the govenment tourist shop, and hopefully spend money there.
This has backfired, as many older visitors just can't manage the steep walk. As most visitors are in fact elderly folks coming to pay respects, they have stopped coming. And because the temple needs donations to continue the massive construction works, work has slowed right down as donations dwindle.
Eventually the officials will figure this out and unlock the gate, until then, well, visitors are welcome to WALK the rest of the way.
Not to be deterred as we had several older folks with us, some of us walked up and tried reasoning with the temple officials. Suprising they saw sense in this and opened a rear gate to allow us to drive in. They didn't ask for money but we gave them a tip anyway for having the grace to see reason.
Udon Thani
We drove in to Udon Thani, some 55 Km south of the Thai-Lao border, and stopped for a spot of lunch in one of the City's many noodle shops. Beef Balls with bean sprouts, chili, shaved beef and two types of noodles freshly boiled. All for 25 baht and absolutely delicious.
Udon Thani is famous for two things - the archeological digs in nearby Ban Chiang and around the district, and the fact that the city was home to a US airbase from which North Vietnam and Laos were bombed to oblivion during the Vietnam War. The planes are long gone and I am not a fan of dusty artefacts, however fascinating, so instead we ordered another bowl of noodles.
A pleasant city, Udon has plenty of hotels, shopping, pubs and stuff to keep you busy. The nightlife is excellent and you can spend a few days here very cheaply. And if you are the Indiana Jones type, it is a great base from which to explore the relics of Ban CHiang.
Udon Thani is famous for two things - the archeological digs in nearby Ban Chiang and around the district, and the fact that the city was home to a US airbase from which North Vietnam and Laos were bombed to oblivion during the Vietnam War. The planes are long gone and I am not a fan of dusty artefacts, however fascinating, so instead we ordered another bowl of noodles.
A pleasant city, Udon has plenty of hotels, shopping, pubs and stuff to keep you busy. The nightlife is excellent and you can spend a few days here very cheaply. And if you are the Indiana Jones type, it is a great base from which to explore the relics of Ban CHiang.
Sticker Time
Walking down the street we spied one of those sticker shops you see all over Asia - a couple of guys with PC's, a great big printer and hundreds of interesting little (and big) car stickers on display.
It was about Hotelzasia got some car stickers happening so we grabbed a seat and started haggling. We agreed on a price per sticker for a metre long banner complete with a little Thai girl wai'ing as cute as can be.
The next morning the stickers were ready and I headed off around town to convince folks to display them on thier rear windows. So far, so good, our car stickers are now on the roads from Vientiane Laos to Bangkok, as well as Australia. If you spot one one, give the driver a wave!
It was about Hotelzasia got some car stickers happening so we grabbed a seat and started haggling. We agreed on a price per sticker for a metre long banner complete with a little Thai girl wai'ing as cute as can be.
The next morning the stickers were ready and I headed off around town to convince folks to display them on thier rear windows. So far, so good, our car stickers are now on the roads from Vientiane Laos to Bangkok, as well as Australia. If you spot one one, give the driver a wave!
Off to Big C
Big C is one of a new breed of warehouse superstores that have spread like wildfire across Thailand. Virtually every town and city has a Big C, a Tesco Lotus and a Macro store on the outskirts. These massive superstores combine supermarkets and department stores under one roof and have huge parking lots.
10 years ago such stores didn't exist in Thailand. When they arrived, there were mass protests across the country and even a bombing as small traders feared they would be bankrupted. In response authorities forced the superstores to the outskirts of town only, which dampened if not stopped the protests.
The thing is, cities like Khon Kaen are growing so fast that what was the outskirts of town a few years back is now pretty much in the middle suburbs.
We spent an hour wandering the place, bombarded with awful christmas carols and marvelling at how it is possible to buy 50 different kinds of soft drinks or 100 kinds of potato crisps. Who really needs all this stuff anyway ?
Check one of these places out if you are in Thailand, and see how the big multinationals are slowly but surely doing what they did to Western countries years ago - wiping out the fascinating little stores and stalls and replacing them with soulless places like this. That's progress.
10 years ago such stores didn't exist in Thailand. When they arrived, there were mass protests across the country and even a bombing as small traders feared they would be bankrupted. In response authorities forced the superstores to the outskirts of town only, which dampened if not stopped the protests.
The thing is, cities like Khon Kaen are growing so fast that what was the outskirts of town a few years back is now pretty much in the middle suburbs.
We spent an hour wandering the place, bombarded with awful christmas carols and marvelling at how it is possible to buy 50 different kinds of soft drinks or 100 kinds of potato crisps. Who really needs all this stuff anyway ?
Check one of these places out if you are in Thailand, and see how the big multinationals are slowly but surely doing what they did to Western countries years ago - wiping out the fascinating little stores and stalls and replacing them with soulless places like this. That's progress.
The Silk Fair
Our first morning in Khon Kaen also happened to be the last day of the annual Khon Kaen Silk Fair so we resisted the urge to laze about a pool and drink beer and hopped in the car to see the fair.
It was a hot day and the Fair was crowded so it took a while to find a parking spot....especially as Thai drivers park anywhere they feel like with not a lot of concern whether they block off other parked cars.
We found a spot eventually and entered the fair. Or so we thought. We walked for maybe a kilometre through a long alley packed with endless stalls...mostly nothing to do with silk. There was clothing, food, fluffy toys, cold drinks and anything you could think of.
Eventually we reached a giant 3 metre high sticky rice basket, again nothing to do with silk but it appeared to promise to be the portal to silk heaven. And so it was.
Oddly the silk pavillion was very small, with maybe 2 dozen silk stores and about 10 people weaving silk using looms. Most of the weavers were actually sitting around a TV set eating, but its the thought that counts.
The local mat mee silk on display was indeed fabulous, mostly sourced from the Chonnabot district about an hour's drive from Khon Kaen....but it is expensive, very expensive. Compared to what you would pay in Europe or the USA for the same product, however, the prices were a bargain.
In the end we left with no silk but some cook red and black toy spiders and a bag of fresh honeycomb complete with dozens of half stoned bees.
It was a hot day and the Fair was crowded so it took a while to find a parking spot....especially as Thai drivers park anywhere they feel like with not a lot of concern whether they block off other parked cars.
We found a spot eventually and entered the fair. Or so we thought. We walked for maybe a kilometre through a long alley packed with endless stalls...mostly nothing to do with silk. There was clothing, food, fluffy toys, cold drinks and anything you could think of.
Eventually we reached a giant 3 metre high sticky rice basket, again nothing to do with silk but it appeared to promise to be the portal to silk heaven. And so it was.
Oddly the silk pavillion was very small, with maybe 2 dozen silk stores and about 10 people weaving silk using looms. Most of the weavers were actually sitting around a TV set eating, but its the thought that counts.
The local mat mee silk on display was indeed fabulous, mostly sourced from the Chonnabot district about an hour's drive from Khon Kaen....but it is expensive, very expensive. Compared to what you would pay in Europe or the USA for the same product, however, the prices were a bargain.
In the end we left with no silk but some cook red and black toy spiders and a bag of fresh honeycomb complete with dozens of half stoned bees.
Train trip Bangkok to Khon Kaen
We boarded our morning train for the 9 hour trip from Bangkok to Khon Kaen. We had second class tickets in an aircon carriage, though it turned out I spent most of the trip in the 3rd class carriage - you don't need aircon when the wind is coming in through open windows and frankly the views were better !
Thailand's trains have seen better days and the seats were rickety, well worn and the windows and fittings hadn't seen a good scrub for decades, I suspect. But for under 300 baht to travel half way across the country, it is a great deal and you get to see life in the paddy fields and tiny towns you pass along the way.
Meals can be ordered on board (if you speak Thai, or can manage to figure out what's on the menu) and are served in foam packs. The food is OK but you may as well buy from the vendors who hop on at each station instead....at least you can see what youre getting. Grilled chicken, fruit, soft drinks and all manner of Thai food is on sale.
Thailand's trains have seen better days and the seats were rickety, well worn and the windows and fittings hadn't seen a good scrub for decades, I suspect. But for under 300 baht to travel half way across the country, it is a great deal and you get to see life in the paddy fields and tiny towns you pass along the way.
Meals can be ordered on board (if you speak Thai, or can manage to figure out what's on the menu) and are served in foam packs. The food is OK but you may as well buy from the vendors who hop on at each station instead....at least you can see what youre getting. Grilled chicken, fruit, soft drinks and all manner of Thai food is on sale.
The Kings Birthday
I'd made sure to be in Bangkok for the King of Thailand's birthday on 5 December. Crowds of people, festivities, and a massive fireworks display at Sanam Luang (a park). Plus maybe even a chance to snap a photo of royalty through the zoom lens.
It turned out to be impossible to get there. First up, maybe a million people attended the event, many camping out up to 24 hours to secure a viewing spot. Second, Bangkok's normally bad traffic became insane traffic as people flocked to the area and major roads were sealed off for the route to be travelled by the King's motorcade.
Third problem that Bangkok's taxi drivers turned greedy en masse and refused point blank to take passengers anywhere near the area unless one signed up for an outrageously expensive "river dinner cruise", which no doubt included a hefy kickback.
In the end we gave up and seeing as we were staying in the 88 storey Baiyoke hotel, figured we would watch the fireworks from the observation deck. Unfortunately the Baiyoke management also had an attack of greed to celebrate this special day and had raised the entry fee to 500 baht. So we watched it from the hotel room window.
The lesson if you plan to attend this event next year - find yourself a hotel right down near Sanam Luang and be prepared to be trapped in the area till the show is over!
It turned out to be impossible to get there. First up, maybe a million people attended the event, many camping out up to 24 hours to secure a viewing spot. Second, Bangkok's normally bad traffic became insane traffic as people flocked to the area and major roads were sealed off for the route to be travelled by the King's motorcade.
Third problem that Bangkok's taxi drivers turned greedy en masse and refused point blank to take passengers anywhere near the area unless one signed up for an outrageously expensive "river dinner cruise", which no doubt included a hefy kickback.
In the end we gave up and seeing as we were staying in the 88 storey Baiyoke hotel, figured we would watch the fireworks from the observation deck. Unfortunately the Baiyoke management also had an attack of greed to celebrate this special day and had raised the entry fee to 500 baht. So we watched it from the hotel room window.
The lesson if you plan to attend this event next year - find yourself a hotel right down near Sanam Luang and be prepared to be trapped in the area till the show is over!
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