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.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
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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