There were two options for us to head to Chiang Mai. The first (and logical) choice would be by plane, which would take about an hour and the second option was by train which would take about 11 hours. And us being us, we decided on the train because a) for the experience and b) since it was an overnight train we could save on hotel fare. Since we fancy, we tried to book a first class train ticket. It turns out that those sell out weeks in advance. So yes, we were assed out and got second class tickets. If we were in first class, we would have gotten our own room, sink, and food included. In second class, you pay for food , share a bathroom, and instead of a door for privacy when sleeping, you have a curtain. As far as sleeping arrangements went, you get the choice of having the bottom bunk or top bunk. Because we booked so late, we both got top bunks by the train doors. Sleeping on the top bunk was like sleeping in a coffin. It was so narrow and small and to make sure one doesn’t roll of the bed and onto the aisle, there were two straps bolted to the train ceiling. Somehow that gave me no reassurance as I was getting rocked by a train that was going faster than the speed of light. Using the bathroom took serious skill. The bathroom is the vilest bathroom I’ve seen. Even after you leave the bathroom, you would still get whiffs of the horrid stench. It’s probably been months since that bathroom was clean. I didn’t want my precious cheeks to touch that petri dish of a toilet seat, so I had to hover. And thanks to the madman operating the train, I had to balance myself with one hand on the door all the while getting my head knocked into the wall. It was nothing short of a miracle that I didn’t end up with a mild concussion or a pee on my pants. It was a bumpy, noisy, and all around uncomfortable sleep. I suppose it could have been worse; we could’ve been on third class.
We’re staying at the Centara Hotel, which coincidentally our landlords live for about four months out of the year. It’s a nice, hygienic, and comfortable hotel that’s steps away from the famous Night Bazaar, laundry and taxi rentals. My only gripes about this hotel is that the elevators take five years long and the hair dryer works in about two minute interludes. The Night Bazaar is an open air plaza with 100-150 stalls selling various Thai goods, from fake purses to jewelry to carved statues. There’s also a plethora of restaurants and food stalls, where you could find Thai, American, Japanese, Indian, and even Mexican food. (Mexican food is huge out here; many restaurants claim to have “authentic” Mexican food). My personal favorite is the Rotee stalls.; banana nutella, respectively. We’ve had many a helping of noodle dishes, curries, and barbecued meats on stick; after this trip, we’re good for Thai food for a while. Food for the both us on average costs between $5-$15.
Our first adventure was a visit to the Baan Chang Elephant Training School. They picked us and the rest of our tour group up and whisked us away into the hills of Chiang Mai. Our guide for the day was a scrappy guy named Tom. Before we could interact with the elephants, Tom gave us his spiel on the mission, vision, and history of Baan Chang Elephant Training School. The gist of it is that these “rescued” elephants were retired, (they did time in circuses/ shows and some did labor for some families in the hills) they don’t perform tricks, (no paintings or soccer) they hope to expand the school and they live happy lives. (The elephants sleep for four hours and eat for 20) Tom also stressed that the school gets no government funding and so funding mainly comes from tourists looking to spend some time learning and interacting with elephants. There are about 15 elephants there and it takes about $30,000 for the care of each elephant. We had to change out of our clothes into these stylish (yes, I’m being sarcastic) denim outfits because as Tom said “we have to accept that we gonna be dirty with the elephant”. The first activity was feeding time. After an introduction of the elephants (most were females; some old, one pregnant, and a mother and daughter) we were given bananas and sugar cane for the feeding. You stick your hand out and they retrieve the food with their trunks and into their mouths it goes. Some of the elephants, like the baby, want you to put the food directly into their mouths. Some take the food from you and drop it by their feet; presumably saving it for later. You have to be cautious at first because the elephants are understandably distrustful of strangers. So you stand there first with your hands outstretched (with the food of course) and wait for them to come to you. Most of them don’t turn down food; the only grumpy one was the pregnant one. The next activity was learning how to get on and off the elephants. To get on, you use their front leg as step stool, grab onto their ear and mount yourself on. Once on the beast, you grab onto both onto both ears as they rise up. You have to straddle their necks and put your hands on their head because that’s the best way to stay on them. To get off, you say (very firmly) “Nolong!” and grab onto both ears they go down. Once you’ve mastered mounting the elephant it was time to learn how to operate them via commands. To get them to move forward, you say “Pai” and knee them behind their ears; for left/right you say “Kwe, Kwe”, for left you knee their right ear and vice versa; and to get them to stop you stay “How!” We each rode them ( a short distance) around the compound. After our feeding time (fried chicken, mixed vegetables, and pineapples) it was time for a trek up the hills. It was cute to see all the elephants line up as they waited for their new human friends to mount them. Our elephant was a 51 year old broad named Hamchan. She had a tendency to stop walking for no apparent reason and also a tendency to wander off. It took a few commands and nudges for her to get going again. After about a two hour trek (including going up and downhill) the last stop was at the river bank. It was there that we could bathe/play with our elephants. Of course our elephant was the first to plop herself down into river. Knee deep in pee and poo infested water (there was a guy who had to fish out all the elephant loaves) we scrubbed and threw water on Hamchan. There was a playful baby elephant that kept spraying Hamchan and me; presumably the baby wanted me to go deeper into the river. But sorry kid, it wasn’t happening.
The second adventure was a cooking lesson at the Baan Thai Cooking School. The cooking school is located in a quaint house in a quieter neighborhood in Chiang Mai. In our group, there were couples from Australia, Germany, New York, UK, a guy from Brazil, and a girl from Belgium. That’s the cool thing about taking these classes/tours; you get to meet other travelers from around the world and get advice about what to do next. Before the cooking, there’s a trip to the local market where you learn about the different spices and vegetables used in Thai cooking and to do some shopping for the day. In the class you learn the following: a noodle dish, a curry, an appetizer, a soup, and a dessert. And within each category there is about four dishes to choose from. I made pad thai, chiang mai noodle, (red curry) papaya salad, tom yum, and mango with sticky rice. Everything turned out good (by good I mean edible) except for the papaya salad which I made too spicy; those little green chilies are deceiving! The class was ridiculously easy, they pretty much hold your hand throughout the whole class. All the portions for all the meals are decided for you; the work is cutting or mashing up the ingredients and then putting them in the wok to cook. I noticed that in most Thai dishes, the basic ingredients are fish sauce and sugar. Mystery decoded. After making each dish, you eat. After the second dish we made, there was an hour allotted for “naptime”. It was an extremely relaxing and fun day. Not too much work and all we did was eating all day. You also get a cook book for all the dishes made that day, which was a relief because I wasn’t going to remember shit that day. Will this mean I will now make Thai feasts? Probably not. Ok, maybe the mango with sticky rice.
The last adventure was a trip to Baan Tong Luang, which is an “eco-agricultural hill tribes village”. The hill tribes represented there are the Mien, Hmong, the Karen (long neck women) and the Akha. The village is basically a way for these hill tribes to sustain their traditional way of existence by sharing in the admission fees (500 baht per person) and by selling various goods. It’s crazy because the tribes all sell the same things: bags, jewelry, pipes etc. We almost felt as if we had to buy from everyone, so we tried to buy little things here and there. We buy something from them and in turn we take a photo. The tribes people were genuinely friendly and smiley, so photos and purchases weren’t hard to come by. On the way back down to the city, we stopped by a Monkey School. The only things these monkeys learn is how to do tricks for jerk tourists (such as us) like riding a bike, playing basketball, untying knots, shredding coconuts, doing pushups, and diving for coins. The monkey would touch people’s legs (if you’re in the front row) as the announcer in the background shouts “don’t touch monkey, monkey touch you!”
Massage parlors, like hooker bars, are a dime a dozen out here. Of course most of the naughty variety. You can get massages anywhere (sidewalk or indoors) and anytime. They’re pretty cheap too. We were getting foot massages and a group of male tourists came in and went straight upstairs. One of the girls came back down after about 30 minutes with her hair kind of messed up and short of breath. I’ve never had a Thai massage before, so like in Tokyo I was in for a shock when I got my first Thai massage. It’s a very aromatic massage that’s a mixture of yoga and wrestling moves. I didn’t know I was that flexible until my first Thai massage. Aside from being kneaded like dough, there’s also a lot of applied pressure to various parts of your body. I was sore for a few hours after the massage, but afterwards it felt like heaven.
That’s a wrap for our tiny Southeast Asian adventure. I’m sure I forgot somethings, as I have also forgotten proper grammar and sentence structure. Apologies for the delay in pictures. They will be up shortly. Maybe.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
When in Bangkok
What Phnom Penh was for Siem Reap, Bangkok was for Chiang Mai: A launching pad. Bangkok remined me of a more organized, cleaner Manila with hints of a Tokyo influence. We stayed at the Furama Xclusive in Asoke, a really nice hotel with free wi-fi.
First order of business was Chatuchak Market. The market is vast and we were shoulder to shoulder with our fellow shoppers. As we shuffled through the masses, we would occasionally hear a honk as cars, trucks, and trolleys would tear through the crowds. The market, thankfully, was divided into sections; souvenirs, food, electronics, womens clothes, men clothes, children clothes, bags, vintage, etc .etc. After a while, the stands began to look the same and at times we were going in circles. It’s easy to get stuck there because its huge and there is some damn good shopping in that market. If you’re a shopper, Bangkok is the place for you. Where there is going to be crowds of people, there is going to be some sort of market.
Another market we had visited was the Floating Market. The Floating Market is about an hour outside of Bangkok. You’re put into a long boat and get taken down the various canals to do some shopping. There are stalls along the banks selling everything from souvenirs to spices. There were also boats that sold food such as fruits, soups, fried bananas, and barbecued meats. It was like Chatuchak Market but on water and the crowds of people were on boats. It would was really crowded; long boats would jam the canals. It was wise to keep your limbs in the boat as they could get smashed in the traffic jam.
The last order of business was Pat Pong. Pat Pong is the “entertainment” district of Bangkok. Entertainment meaning tits and ass. And that’s what it was; a strip full of establishments with different ways to view tits and ass. We were interested in only one thing: the ping pong show. We had heard the stories and now we had to see it for ourselves. If you are easily offended/squeamish, I suggest you stop reading from here. We were ushered into a strip club that had that type of show. There were two “veterans” among the eight strippers that were performing. I say veterans because these chicks were old. Instead of wearing those stripper heels, they wore comfortable ankle high gym socks. No joke. The first veteran looked like she’s been doing this way too long and danced like she was doing this way too long. Yes, she was all business. Her vagina tricks included: opening a beer bottle, whistling (yes she put a whistle in there) and my personal favorite the coke bottle trick. There’s two bottles of coke; one is empty and the other is filled with water. She sucks up the first bottle of water, with her you-know-what and empties the liquid in the second bottle. Only the liquid is not water but coke! Ewww, but wow! The other veteran’s tricks were blowing birthday candles and pulling a string of razor blades out of her vag. And with those razor blades she cut little paper people. The other acts from the other strippers included pulling colorful/glow in the dark ribbons out, using chop sticks to pick up various items, and shooting darts. When the stripper shot darts at ballons, one of the proprietors, a small rotund woman, sat next to me and raised her fist in the air, proclaming “ That’s a powerful pussy!” Coincidentally, the dart girl was also the ping pong girl. The girls shot ping pong balls at Carlos and two other women. One unfortunate woman got a ball shot at her face; hopefully she boiled her face afterwards. If the human vagina can push out a human, why shouldn’t it be able to do all those tricks those women did? We walked away that night knowing that there are things in this life that you cannot un-see; and for that we were forever changed. We briefly sauntered down Soi Cowboy, which is a smaller Pat Pong started by an American serviceman. We saw perverts strutting around with their much younger purchases on their arms. That pretty much completed our Perv. Tour and our stay in Bangkok.
Our last leg of the trip is Chiang Mai. Stay tuned as I will write of a shitty train ride, elephants, and a cooking class.
First order of business was Chatuchak Market. The market is vast and we were shoulder to shoulder with our fellow shoppers. As we shuffled through the masses, we would occasionally hear a honk as cars, trucks, and trolleys would tear through the crowds. The market, thankfully, was divided into sections; souvenirs, food, electronics, womens clothes, men clothes, children clothes, bags, vintage, etc .etc. After a while, the stands began to look the same and at times we were going in circles. It’s easy to get stuck there because its huge and there is some damn good shopping in that market. If you’re a shopper, Bangkok is the place for you. Where there is going to be crowds of people, there is going to be some sort of market.
Another market we had visited was the Floating Market. The Floating Market is about an hour outside of Bangkok. You’re put into a long boat and get taken down the various canals to do some shopping. There are stalls along the banks selling everything from souvenirs to spices. There were also boats that sold food such as fruits, soups, fried bananas, and barbecued meats. It was like Chatuchak Market but on water and the crowds of people were on boats. It would was really crowded; long boats would jam the canals. It was wise to keep your limbs in the boat as they could get smashed in the traffic jam.
The last order of business was Pat Pong. Pat Pong is the “entertainment” district of Bangkok. Entertainment meaning tits and ass. And that’s what it was; a strip full of establishments with different ways to view tits and ass. We were interested in only one thing: the ping pong show. We had heard the stories and now we had to see it for ourselves. If you are easily offended/squeamish, I suggest you stop reading from here. We were ushered into a strip club that had that type of show. There were two “veterans” among the eight strippers that were performing. I say veterans because these chicks were old. Instead of wearing those stripper heels, they wore comfortable ankle high gym socks. No joke. The first veteran looked like she’s been doing this way too long and danced like she was doing this way too long. Yes, she was all business. Her vagina tricks included: opening a beer bottle, whistling (yes she put a whistle in there) and my personal favorite the coke bottle trick. There’s two bottles of coke; one is empty and the other is filled with water. She sucks up the first bottle of water, with her you-know-what and empties the liquid in the second bottle. Only the liquid is not water but coke! Ewww, but wow! The other veteran’s tricks were blowing birthday candles and pulling a string of razor blades out of her vag. And with those razor blades she cut little paper people. The other acts from the other strippers included pulling colorful/glow in the dark ribbons out, using chop sticks to pick up various items, and shooting darts. When the stripper shot darts at ballons, one of the proprietors, a small rotund woman, sat next to me and raised her fist in the air, proclaming “ That’s a powerful pussy!” Coincidentally, the dart girl was also the ping pong girl. The girls shot ping pong balls at Carlos and two other women. One unfortunate woman got a ball shot at her face; hopefully she boiled her face afterwards. If the human vagina can push out a human, why shouldn’t it be able to do all those tricks those women did? We walked away that night knowing that there are things in this life that you cannot un-see; and for that we were forever changed. We briefly sauntered down Soi Cowboy, which is a smaller Pat Pong started by an American serviceman. We saw perverts strutting around with their much younger purchases on their arms. That pretty much completed our Perv. Tour and our stay in Bangkok.
Our last leg of the trip is Chiang Mai. Stay tuned as I will write of a shitty train ride, elephants, and a cooking class.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Siem Reap: Thanks for everything, Allie Gonzalez
In planning this trip, we had a choice: beaches or temples. Most people would have chosen beaches, but alas we are not most people. We reasoned that we would always have a reason to come back to Thailand but not so much to Cambodia. So the decision was made: our adventure for 2011 would be a trip to Angkor Wat and a trip to Chiang Mai. Of course we were nervous about the language barrier, malaria, stomach woes, muggings, etc. etc. But this is going to be our last adventure for awhile. We were also hoping that on this trip we would have more wins than fails. However, given our propensity for moded-ness, that probably won't be the case.
After about 20 hours of travel, we finally made it into Phnom Penh. Before going into the country you have to pay a cover charge (aka obtain a Visa) which runs about $20. Note, future travellers to Cambodia: make sure to bring a passport sized photo for your visa; it will save you a world of hassle. One of the security guards asked me "are your parent Khmer?" I was tempted to say yes to see if that would get me some VIP treatment, but then they might ask for proof and then I'm screwed. We paid our fees, breezed through immigration(well I did anyway; I guess looking Khmer got me through quicker - they gave Carlos the third degree) and with stiff necks and the worst breath known to man, we set out to the streets of Phnom Penh.
It was hot as expected, and the air smelled of that Asia Smell - which is a hodge podge of sewage, body odor, water, and dirt. We were back in Southeast Asia, land of mosquito bites and Tang. In Cambodia, most establishments and merchants accept U.S. dollars. It was kind of a fail for us because we exchanged our money to Riel. Anyway we took a tuk-tuk (which a carriage pulled by a motor bike)to our hotel. That probably wasn't the smartest thing to do because a)all of our luggage was out in the open b)we would be inhaling ungodly amounts of exhaust fumes and c) we probably paid more than we should have. Phnom Penh sort of reminded me of some Phillippine provincial cities like Olongapo or Cebu City; dirt instead of sidewalks, children amidst piles of concrete, garage-like store fronts,toddlers riding shot gun on motor bikes and brown people in flip flops. Here, traffic signs are merely suggestions and lanes are for decoration. Motor bikes, tuk-tuks, trucks, and cars all take turns cutting each other off all with blatant disregard for pedestrians. It was madness and we loved it.
We were only in Phnom Penh for the evening. We checked out the Central Market, which is an indoor/outdoor market which sells everything from crafts, jewelry, clothes, fish, meat, electric fans etc. There were rows of food stalls, all of which we were too chicken shit to try. It sort of reminded me of Carbon Market in Cebu, with the smells and bric-a-brac. We left empty handed because we couldn't bring ourselves to part with our money just yet. We then walked around the River Front, which is a district of Phnom Penh where all the tourists/foreigners hang out. There are plenty of nice restaurants, hotels, pubs, and massage parlors (yes the naughty kind) The view of the river is not breath taking but its a really nice walk. Along the way we saw people jogging, couples and friends gathering on benches, and bare footed toddlers running amok. We chanced upon an aerobics class, soccer games, and dance practices. It was pretty awesome.
To get to Siem Reap from Phomn Penh,there are three options: ghetto bus, crowded ferry, or private car. We decided to pull the baller card (yeah, we fancy) and hired a private car to Siem Reap. The driver's name escapes me, so I'll call him "Bob". Anyway, we made a pit stop to Bob's house/store. His son came to the car to give us the skinny on what we kind of already figured out: Bob spoke very little English. But if we said words like "stop" "toilet" or "restaurant" he would know what to do. We made another pit stop so Bob could eat and in the mean time were swarmed by young entrepeneurs. They start off by saying "where you from?" and then "you look Khmer"(to me) and "you look Chinee" (to Carlos) then " you buy from me/ you rememba me 'kay?" They were selling bananas, mangoes, and pineapples. In the end we bought bananas and I gave this cute little boy $5. He said I was very "fwitty" and he reminded my of nephew Enzo( Ate Mel, if you're reading this, Enzo has a lot of lookalikes out here!) I'm sure he was full of shit, but you can't blame a kid for trying to make some money.
After a five hour drive, we finally arrived in Siem Reap. Siem Reap was just as crazy as Phnom Penh, but with a lot more foreigners. We stayed at the Somadevi Hotel, which was kind of swanky. It wasn't the Ritz, but it defintely wasn't Grandpa's Inn part three. It ran us about $50 a night and with that we got access to a pool (which had a swim up bar) spa, wi-fi, air conditioning and an amazing breakfast buffet. It was also in a great location because were walking distance from a lot stores, restaurants, Pub Street and spas. Our first official Khmer meal was at this no-frills eatery complete with flies and plastic chairs. It looked dirty but the food looked good. Getting sick was at the back of our minds but we wanted to make it point to kind of step out of our comfort zone. And part of stepping out of your comfort zone is going against your better judgement. I had a fried noodle dish and C had a dish called "Beef Lok Lak", which is a mixture of beef, vegetables, spices, and eggs over rice. The meal was delicious and cost us about $3.50 total. A side note about the price of things: things here are dirt cheap. A meal for one cost about $2; we got an hour foot massage for $5, beer is $.75 and most souvenirs are $1. We did hit up Pub Street. It's a short block of pubs,lounges and restaurants targeting tourists; mostly of the European and Korean variety. The only locals that were either working at establishments or tuk-tuk drivers. It's cheesiness galore (think black lights and bad dancing) but we got a few beers and good bbq out of it.
Now onto the reason for the visit to Siem Reap: Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples. For those of you who don't watch the National Geographic channel or peruse Wikipedia, Angkor Wat is huge temple complex that was built about 1,000 years ago. It served as a temple for both Hinduism and Buddhism. It is very breath taking and we were couldn't believe were actually there. It was if we were seeing the Great Wall or the Taj Mahal. We were in the prescence of something so ancient and magnificent. Tourist from all over the world shuffled out of buses, cars, tuk-tuks, and bikes to marvel at the temple. Everyone was armed with their cameras (everyones a photographer) and maps. We passed on a tour guide and decided to tackle Angkor Wat on our own. We gawked at the wall carvings, statues, and ruins. We stopped every 5 seconds to take a picture of some headless deity or just the gorgeous architecture. It was so vast and it was almost like a maze. We're fortunate we didn't get lost. The heat was paralyzing, but the experience of being there was well worth it. We saw about six other temples including Angkor Thom. Each of the temples was beautiful in its own way and again we felt so lucky that we had a chance to see them. We traded beaches for temples and we have no regrets.
On a last note on Siem Reap, Carlos said it was kind of like a "Third World Amusement Park". It is kind of true. The attractions are temples; businesses such as restaurants, hotels, spas, stores, bars and open markets feed off those attractions. Be very wary future travellers, they're good about getting you to spend your money here. It's done via transportation, "guided" tours, food etc. Seeing those temples ain't cheap either. For a three day pass it cost us $80. So, you pay to get in to the country, pay to stay and pay to leave. But again it was well worth it.
I am blogging from our nice hotel room in Bangkok with free wi-fi. My blog is a day late due to techinical difficulties in Cambodia. I have three pimples on my face, a heat rash and a circus in my stomach. More adventures to come here in Thailand. For pictures see my tumblr account. Shortly.
After about 20 hours of travel, we finally made it into Phnom Penh. Before going into the country you have to pay a cover charge (aka obtain a Visa) which runs about $20. Note, future travellers to Cambodia: make sure to bring a passport sized photo for your visa; it will save you a world of hassle. One of the security guards asked me "are your parent Khmer?" I was tempted to say yes to see if that would get me some VIP treatment, but then they might ask for proof and then I'm screwed. We paid our fees, breezed through immigration(well I did anyway; I guess looking Khmer got me through quicker - they gave Carlos the third degree) and with stiff necks and the worst breath known to man, we set out to the streets of Phnom Penh.
It was hot as expected, and the air smelled of that Asia Smell - which is a hodge podge of sewage, body odor, water, and dirt. We were back in Southeast Asia, land of mosquito bites and Tang. In Cambodia, most establishments and merchants accept U.S. dollars. It was kind of a fail for us because we exchanged our money to Riel. Anyway we took a tuk-tuk (which a carriage pulled by a motor bike)to our hotel. That probably wasn't the smartest thing to do because a)all of our luggage was out in the open b)we would be inhaling ungodly amounts of exhaust fumes and c) we probably paid more than we should have. Phnom Penh sort of reminded me of some Phillippine provincial cities like Olongapo or Cebu City; dirt instead of sidewalks, children amidst piles of concrete, garage-like store fronts,toddlers riding shot gun on motor bikes and brown people in flip flops. Here, traffic signs are merely suggestions and lanes are for decoration. Motor bikes, tuk-tuks, trucks, and cars all take turns cutting each other off all with blatant disregard for pedestrians. It was madness and we loved it.
We were only in Phnom Penh for the evening. We checked out the Central Market, which is an indoor/outdoor market which sells everything from crafts, jewelry, clothes, fish, meat, electric fans etc. There were rows of food stalls, all of which we were too chicken shit to try. It sort of reminded me of Carbon Market in Cebu, with the smells and bric-a-brac. We left empty handed because we couldn't bring ourselves to part with our money just yet. We then walked around the River Front, which is a district of Phnom Penh where all the tourists/foreigners hang out. There are plenty of nice restaurants, hotels, pubs, and massage parlors (yes the naughty kind) The view of the river is not breath taking but its a really nice walk. Along the way we saw people jogging, couples and friends gathering on benches, and bare footed toddlers running amok. We chanced upon an aerobics class, soccer games, and dance practices. It was pretty awesome.
To get to Siem Reap from Phomn Penh,there are three options: ghetto bus, crowded ferry, or private car. We decided to pull the baller card (yeah, we fancy) and hired a private car to Siem Reap. The driver's name escapes me, so I'll call him "Bob". Anyway, we made a pit stop to Bob's house/store. His son came to the car to give us the skinny on what we kind of already figured out: Bob spoke very little English. But if we said words like "stop" "toilet" or "restaurant" he would know what to do. We made another pit stop so Bob could eat and in the mean time were swarmed by young entrepeneurs. They start off by saying "where you from?" and then "you look Khmer"(to me) and "you look Chinee" (to Carlos) then " you buy from me/ you rememba me 'kay?" They were selling bananas, mangoes, and pineapples. In the end we bought bananas and I gave this cute little boy $5. He said I was very "fwitty" and he reminded my of nephew Enzo( Ate Mel, if you're reading this, Enzo has a lot of lookalikes out here!) I'm sure he was full of shit, but you can't blame a kid for trying to make some money.
After a five hour drive, we finally arrived in Siem Reap. Siem Reap was just as crazy as Phnom Penh, but with a lot more foreigners. We stayed at the Somadevi Hotel, which was kind of swanky. It wasn't the Ritz, but it defintely wasn't Grandpa's Inn part three. It ran us about $50 a night and with that we got access to a pool (which had a swim up bar) spa, wi-fi, air conditioning and an amazing breakfast buffet. It was also in a great location because were walking distance from a lot stores, restaurants, Pub Street and spas. Our first official Khmer meal was at this no-frills eatery complete with flies and plastic chairs. It looked dirty but the food looked good. Getting sick was at the back of our minds but we wanted to make it point to kind of step out of our comfort zone. And part of stepping out of your comfort zone is going against your better judgement. I had a fried noodle dish and C had a dish called "Beef Lok Lak", which is a mixture of beef, vegetables, spices, and eggs over rice. The meal was delicious and cost us about $3.50 total. A side note about the price of things: things here are dirt cheap. A meal for one cost about $2; we got an hour foot massage for $5, beer is $.75 and most souvenirs are $1. We did hit up Pub Street. It's a short block of pubs,lounges and restaurants targeting tourists; mostly of the European and Korean variety. The only locals that were either working at establishments or tuk-tuk drivers. It's cheesiness galore (think black lights and bad dancing) but we got a few beers and good bbq out of it.
Now onto the reason for the visit to Siem Reap: Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples. For those of you who don't watch the National Geographic channel or peruse Wikipedia, Angkor Wat is huge temple complex that was built about 1,000 years ago. It served as a temple for both Hinduism and Buddhism. It is very breath taking and we were couldn't believe were actually there. It was if we were seeing the Great Wall or the Taj Mahal. We were in the prescence of something so ancient and magnificent. Tourist from all over the world shuffled out of buses, cars, tuk-tuks, and bikes to marvel at the temple. Everyone was armed with their cameras (everyones a photographer) and maps. We passed on a tour guide and decided to tackle Angkor Wat on our own. We gawked at the wall carvings, statues, and ruins. We stopped every 5 seconds to take a picture of some headless deity or just the gorgeous architecture. It was so vast and it was almost like a maze. We're fortunate we didn't get lost. The heat was paralyzing, but the experience of being there was well worth it. We saw about six other temples including Angkor Thom. Each of the temples was beautiful in its own way and again we felt so lucky that we had a chance to see them. We traded beaches for temples and we have no regrets.
On a last note on Siem Reap, Carlos said it was kind of like a "Third World Amusement Park". It is kind of true. The attractions are temples; businesses such as restaurants, hotels, spas, stores, bars and open markets feed off those attractions. Be very wary future travellers, they're good about getting you to spend your money here. It's done via transportation, "guided" tours, food etc. Seeing those temples ain't cheap either. For a three day pass it cost us $80. So, you pay to get in to the country, pay to stay and pay to leave. But again it was well worth it.
I am blogging from our nice hotel room in Bangkok with free wi-fi. My blog is a day late due to techinical difficulties in Cambodia. I have three pimples on my face, a heat rash and a circus in my stomach. More adventures to come here in Thailand. For pictures see my tumblr account. Shortly.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Daikanyama Blurb
Daikanyama is a well designed, pictureseque neighborhood. Most of the buildings have a modernist design to them. We surmised that this is where the yuppies of Tokyo live, shop, and play. A nice respite from the other craziness of Tokyo.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Ramen in my Underwear
We thought we could hit up the Tuna auction at Tskuji. So we got up around 6:00 to head out around 6:30. It turns out the auction starts at 5:15. We headed out there anyway to check out the public market - which is the biggest fish market in the world- and to have some awesome sushi. The market itself was pretty standard, albeit huge. Stalls selling seafood of all sorts( fresh, frozen, dried); cookware; spices; herbs; medicine; and produce. The highlight of the visit, at least for Carlos was the sushi. I had a tuna nigiri sampler plate of sorts; three different types of fatty tuna, seared tuna, and minced tuna with green onion. I tried to have a cucumber hand roll, but it was drenched in wasabi. I think some of my tastebuds might've been burned off. I'm not that into sushi, but I must say my favorite was the toro;(fatty tuna) it just melts in your mouth. Carlos was in sushi heaven. He had 12 pieces of toro nigiri, two pieces of salmon nigiri, raw shrimp, fried shrimp head and shell, amber jack nigiri, and uni. I don't think I've ever seen that much elation; he insists that we return before our trip.
The real highlight of my day was Odaiba. Odaiba is one of the quieter, slower parts of Tokyo- so quiet its a little spooky. On our train ride there, we got to see Tokyo from across Tokyo bay. It was breath taking. The purpose of our trip to Odaiba was for an onsen. An onsen is a public bathouse. Thats right, a public bathhouse. We figured it was like a public pool only with no chlorine and cleaner. Upon entering the onsen, you have to first remove shoes and place them in a locker.(Key #1) Also, if you have tatoos, are drunk, or part of the Yakuza, you're assed out. Then the entrance fee is paid and you get key #2, which is attached to a wristband and also has a barcode on it. The barcode is used to keep track of any purchases you make while inside the main hall. Next, a yukata is picked out. A yukata is a pretty much a bath robe with a sash. I thought it was cool that we each had four different designs of yukata to choose from and we could pick our own color sash. After that, you head to the dressing room. Key #2 has your locker number on it. You strip down to your underwear and change into your yukata. Once the yukata is on, you're allowed into the main hall.
The main hall is kind of designed like a courtyard. There's food stalls that serve sushi, udon, soba, ramen, pasta, gelato, shaved ice etc. There's even a couple of bars. Of course there's a couple of souvenir shops. You can also get other services such as massages, facials, wraps, and pedicures. Carlos and I both got 30 minute foot massages. I was a bit man handled by this rough looking lady. She would massage my feet, then my calf, and then my upper thigh(getting dangerously close to the Bad Lands!) But out of nowhere, she starts elbowing my ass cheek! I let out silent whimpers of shock and pain. This was supposed to be a foot massage; what the hell does my butt cheek have to do with my foot? She did the same thing to other side, and after beating on my other cheek, she proceeds to push my cheeks together. I really don't know what her deal was, but the actual massaging of the feet and legs felt divine.
We parted ways after the massage. The onsen is gender segregated. Why? Because you're NAKED! I thought I could get away with wearing a swim suit and that nudity was optional, but a sign in the dressing room states that "No clothes or big towels allowed in the bath house". In the dressing room, you're given a big towel and a small towel. You strip down to your birthday suit and head for the baths. (This is where Key #3 comes in) I'm someone who doesn't wear anything past the knees and even wearing sleeveless tops makes me nervous. I'm very self conscious, so you can imagine what harrowing experience this was for me. It was like one of those nightmares you have, being naked in front of a bunch of strangers, except this was real! I kept telling myself that I was on vacation as I sashayed into a sea of naked women.
You shower before entering the baths; there are stalls that provide shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. I made sure to keep my eyes forward, but it proved to be difficult. When I was in there I had mixed feelings; I was grateful for what I had, but then I was reminded of how much I need to start losing weight. I was also a little squeamish. I was thinking "what if one of these bitches has the crabs or weird rash?" Or "Ew, someone's naked ass was just here!" But again, I got over it knowing you have to shower before entering the pool. There are many different warm baths; jacuzzi, milk baths, outdoor pool, one cold bath and barrels that hold about 1-3 people. There's also a sauna, a steam room, and place to get another massage. I pretty much tried every pool and did a Russian Bath. A Russian bath is sitting in the sauna, then dipping in to the cold bath. It actually feels pretty awesome.
After the nudy bath, you shower once again and put back on your yukata. Carlos and I met up in the main hall again, exchanging our stories for. After ramen, gelato, and Sapporo, we went into a common seating area with mats and pillows and took a nap.
We ended the evening back in Shinjuku, where the majority of it was spent at the Black Sun Jazz Club. We climbed up a steep staircase to get into this tiny venue (it can hold a maximum of 12 people) and there was a duo playing a set. The jazz loving patrons (who it seemed were regulars) looked at us with curiosity but ended up being really nice. We were referred to as "Cah-Ros" and "Andison", from "Cawrifonya". A few men in suits would walk in, have a glass of Jack and water, and listen to the music. A cute little man, who also was a jazz pianist, served as our translator. His wife plays the banjo, and he told us she played for the Sacramento Jazz Festival. Small world.
The real highlight of my day was Odaiba. Odaiba is one of the quieter, slower parts of Tokyo- so quiet its a little spooky. On our train ride there, we got to see Tokyo from across Tokyo bay. It was breath taking. The purpose of our trip to Odaiba was for an onsen. An onsen is a public bathouse. Thats right, a public bathhouse. We figured it was like a public pool only with no chlorine and cleaner. Upon entering the onsen, you have to first remove shoes and place them in a locker.(Key #1) Also, if you have tatoos, are drunk, or part of the Yakuza, you're assed out. Then the entrance fee is paid and you get key #2, which is attached to a wristband and also has a barcode on it. The barcode is used to keep track of any purchases you make while inside the main hall. Next, a yukata is picked out. A yukata is a pretty much a bath robe with a sash. I thought it was cool that we each had four different designs of yukata to choose from and we could pick our own color sash. After that, you head to the dressing room. Key #2 has your locker number on it. You strip down to your underwear and change into your yukata. Once the yukata is on, you're allowed into the main hall.
The main hall is kind of designed like a courtyard. There's food stalls that serve sushi, udon, soba, ramen, pasta, gelato, shaved ice etc. There's even a couple of bars. Of course there's a couple of souvenir shops. You can also get other services such as massages, facials, wraps, and pedicures. Carlos and I both got 30 minute foot massages. I was a bit man handled by this rough looking lady. She would massage my feet, then my calf, and then my upper thigh(getting dangerously close to the Bad Lands!) But out of nowhere, she starts elbowing my ass cheek! I let out silent whimpers of shock and pain. This was supposed to be a foot massage; what the hell does my butt cheek have to do with my foot? She did the same thing to other side, and after beating on my other cheek, she proceeds to push my cheeks together. I really don't know what her deal was, but the actual massaging of the feet and legs felt divine.
We parted ways after the massage. The onsen is gender segregated. Why? Because you're NAKED! I thought I could get away with wearing a swim suit and that nudity was optional, but a sign in the dressing room states that "No clothes or big towels allowed in the bath house". In the dressing room, you're given a big towel and a small towel. You strip down to your birthday suit and head for the baths. (This is where Key #3 comes in) I'm someone who doesn't wear anything past the knees and even wearing sleeveless tops makes me nervous. I'm very self conscious, so you can imagine what harrowing experience this was for me. It was like one of those nightmares you have, being naked in front of a bunch of strangers, except this was real! I kept telling myself that I was on vacation as I sashayed into a sea of naked women.
You shower before entering the baths; there are stalls that provide shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. I made sure to keep my eyes forward, but it proved to be difficult. When I was in there I had mixed feelings; I was grateful for what I had, but then I was reminded of how much I need to start losing weight. I was also a little squeamish. I was thinking "what if one of these bitches has the crabs or weird rash?" Or "Ew, someone's naked ass was just here!" But again, I got over it knowing you have to shower before entering the pool. There are many different warm baths; jacuzzi, milk baths, outdoor pool, one cold bath and barrels that hold about 1-3 people. There's also a sauna, a steam room, and place to get another massage. I pretty much tried every pool and did a Russian Bath. A Russian bath is sitting in the sauna, then dipping in to the cold bath. It actually feels pretty awesome.
After the nudy bath, you shower once again and put back on your yukata. Carlos and I met up in the main hall again, exchanging our stories for. After ramen, gelato, and Sapporo, we went into a common seating area with mats and pillows and took a nap.
We ended the evening back in Shinjuku, where the majority of it was spent at the Black Sun Jazz Club. We climbed up a steep staircase to get into this tiny venue (it can hold a maximum of 12 people) and there was a duo playing a set. The jazz loving patrons (who it seemed were regulars) looked at us with curiosity but ended up being really nice. We were referred to as "Cah-Ros" and "Andison", from "Cawrifonya". A few men in suits would walk in, have a glass of Jack and water, and listen to the music. A cute little man, who also was a jazz pianist, served as our translator. His wife plays the banjo, and he told us she played for the Sacramento Jazz Festival. Small world.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Ginza Fail, Akihabara Win (sort of)
The first two days here in Tokyo hot and humid. I came to realize how much of a weakling I became living with beautiful, mild weather in Oakland. It was 90 degrees, but the humidity was stifling. Anyway, on the third day it rained. We decided that we weren't going to let some precipitation interfere with our plans of going to Ginza and Akihabara. Once again, we threw ourselves into the madness that is the Shinjuku Station and hoped for the best.
Ginza is pretty much an asian fifth avenue. Building after building of high end merchandise. There were also plenty of cute little cafes and dessert place with either French or Italian names. Compared to Shibuya and Harujuku, Ginza was less vibrant and colorful. There wasn't much going on or much to see - maybe because of the fact it was raining or because it was a Wednesday morning.
After having udon, we decided to head over to the Imperial Palace. One problem: it was storming. We walked but two blocks and we were soaked from head to toe. Again we weren't going to let precipitation ruin our plans. We found out that the Imperial Palace is referred to as Kyoko - this after a series of gestures and word play to explain to the cab driver to take us there. It was still stormy when we arrived at the Imperial Palace. There were no other tourists/people there; only us in the pouring rain. The security guides looked on with a mixture of curiosity and concern. We shivered our way through the compound and tried to get as many photos and video as we could manage. It was a very beautiful place. There were rows of gigantic, 300 year old bonsai trees and the palace itself was gorgeous. I can only imagine what it was like in its hey day.
Akihabara was our next stop. Akihabara is a mecca for aficianados of gaming, anime, manga, and all other things electronic. There's this one place called "Club Sega" which is seven floors of intense arcade gaming. Groups upon groups of boys so intensely focused on the screen. Those that weren't playing were cheering on their friends or simply looking on in awe. I swear it was like a casino in there. We walked into this hentai place. You can only imagine what was in there. I won't go into detail as to what I saw, but I will say that they were also selling the soundtracks to these movies. I guess hentai must have some awesome music. There were girls in french maid costumes who will feed you by hand, if you paid the right price. Come to think of it, there were lots of girls in costumes on the street; Lord knows what they would do if you paid them enough. In conclusion, Akihabara is geek heaven - hot girls in costumes, fast food, and games. Enough said.
We got back to our hotel smelly and damp, but it was well worth it. Being here is worth it. Next stop Tsukji and Odaiba.
Ginza is pretty much an asian fifth avenue. Building after building of high end merchandise. There were also plenty of cute little cafes and dessert place with either French or Italian names. Compared to Shibuya and Harujuku, Ginza was less vibrant and colorful. There wasn't much going on or much to see - maybe because of the fact it was raining or because it was a Wednesday morning.
After having udon, we decided to head over to the Imperial Palace. One problem: it was storming. We walked but two blocks and we were soaked from head to toe. Again we weren't going to let precipitation ruin our plans. We found out that the Imperial Palace is referred to as Kyoko - this after a series of gestures and word play to explain to the cab driver to take us there. It was still stormy when we arrived at the Imperial Palace. There were no other tourists/people there; only us in the pouring rain. The security guides looked on with a mixture of curiosity and concern. We shivered our way through the compound and tried to get as many photos and video as we could manage. It was a very beautiful place. There were rows of gigantic, 300 year old bonsai trees and the palace itself was gorgeous. I can only imagine what it was like in its hey day.
Akihabara was our next stop. Akihabara is a mecca for aficianados of gaming, anime, manga, and all other things electronic. There's this one place called "Club Sega" which is seven floors of intense arcade gaming. Groups upon groups of boys so intensely focused on the screen. Those that weren't playing were cheering on their friends or simply looking on in awe. I swear it was like a casino in there. We walked into this hentai place. You can only imagine what was in there. I won't go into detail as to what I saw, but I will say that they were also selling the soundtracks to these movies. I guess hentai must have some awesome music. There were girls in french maid costumes who will feed you by hand, if you paid the right price. Come to think of it, there were lots of girls in costumes on the street; Lord knows what they would do if you paid them enough. In conclusion, Akihabara is geek heaven - hot girls in costumes, fast food, and games. Enough said.
We got back to our hotel smelly and damp, but it was well worth it. Being here is worth it. Next stop Tsukji and Odaiba.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
LOST in Translation
Contrary to Carlos' Facebook post, we are not at the Hilton, but we are at the Shinjuku Washington Hotel. Our hotel room is in a word, petite. Seriously, you walk into room two steps and theres the bed. Carlos fondly refers to our room as "Grandpa's Inn Part Two". (see post "Midnight bus to Vigan") It's not the Hilton, but as far as I'm concerned, it will do. What I do like about the room, is the the toilet situation. Without giving to much away, I must state that using the toilet here is an awesome experience. Theres this control panel on the side of the can, that has various functions such as music, sound effects, and different ways to spray your ass. I am not ashamed to admit that I am now a bidet advocate. If I ever win the lottery, I will buy everyone I know(whether I like you or not) a bidet.
Shinjuku is a neighborhood of Tokyo built around the busiest train station in Japan, if not the world. (More on that later.) I work in San Francisco, so I guess I'm used to big buildings and crowds of people, but this is unlike anything I've ever experienced. The buildings are numerous, gargantuan, and in close proximity with each other. And people, oh my God people. Everywhere you turn, theres a herd (all in white dress shirts) coming for you. At every interesection, it felt like Carlos and I were the Spartans and the oncoming crowd were the Persians! You would think that one would it would be easy to get lost in that crowd crossing the street, but its very organized. People make way for each other. We spent our first evening trying to familiarize ourselves with Shinjuku, which is pretty daunting considering that we don't speak the language. There are big, pretty lights attached to buildings but of course most are written in Japanese. So after a while, things start to look the same. We would walk down different alley ways and see all sorts of restaurants, cafes, shops, and seas of people. We ducked into a small tempura joint to have dinner. Thank the Lord for pictures on the menu, or we wouldn't have eaten.
The next day, we decided to go to Shibuya and Harujuku. Navigating our way through Shinjuku Station was nothing short of a nightmare. It was helpful that Carlos had downloaded an app on his iphone called "Zuti", which is Tokyo rail navigation. We knew where we wanted to go and which lines to take; I guess we thought we were really bad ass and could handle getting tickets all on our own. Aside from the fact that we couldn't read any of the signs, it was sweltering and it was like the New York Stock Exchange in there. It must of been a funny sight for the station workers to see two sweaty tourists yelling our "Harujuku"! If you're a shopper or an "apparel geek" than Shibuya and Harujuku is the place for you. We breezed in to stores such as Opening Ceremony (a 7 floor department store with high-end independent label) A Bathing Ape, Beams, Billion Boys Club, Supreme, Neighborhood, Visvm (F.I.L) etc. etc. Even Forever21 is huge out here (yes I went in, don't judge me) Streets are lined with shops and there are countless alley ways filled with these obscure shops and cafes. I'm pretty sure we only scratched the surface of both neighborhoods given the fact that there are so many stores and streets that make them up. We made it a habit of both wandering into alley ways and getting lost.("Getting lost is part of the adventure" - Carlos A. Gonzalez) Again, there were enormous amounts of people. They too were a sight to behold. I've seen some of the craziest shoes and hair on both men and women. It's almost as if one is expected to stand out. I wonder if people were actually there to shop or just to be seen. We made our way back to Shibuya during rush hour, which turned out to a big mistake. These people do not mess around with their commute. We were literally pushed on the train and pushed off the train. The madness followed us until we actually left the station!
It's been a hectic couple of days for us here in Tokyo. The language barrier being the biggest issue. At first arrigato for us meant "Thank You", "hello", "can you help me" and "I don't speak Japanese". Our way of communicating is by smiling and gesturing, making us look like mongoloid mimes. Yes we've had lists made for us and apps downloaded but for some reason that just went out the window. However, since we've been stumbling through neighborhoods, I'm proud to say we've gotten better. Just don't ask us to read anything. Two things I will note is the 1) People are incredibly polite here. When you enter an establishment, the employees smile and say hello. When you leave the say goodbye and thank you. Especially in restaurants, people there have really made an effort to help us understand what was going on and 2) There is so much structure and a high level of efficiency here. In most place rules are treated as suggestions, but here people actual follow them. I guess its partly because there are so many people here that if there was no structure it would be total chaos.
Enjoy the pictures below. More pictures to follow. Next stop Ginza.
Shinjuku is a neighborhood of Tokyo built around the busiest train station in Japan, if not the world. (More on that later.) I work in San Francisco, so I guess I'm used to big buildings and crowds of people, but this is unlike anything I've ever experienced. The buildings are numerous, gargantuan, and in close proximity with each other. And people, oh my God people. Everywhere you turn, theres a herd (all in white dress shirts) coming for you. At every interesection, it felt like Carlos and I were the Spartans and the oncoming crowd were the Persians! You would think that one would it would be easy to get lost in that crowd crossing the street, but its very organized. People make way for each other. We spent our first evening trying to familiarize ourselves with Shinjuku, which is pretty daunting considering that we don't speak the language. There are big, pretty lights attached to buildings but of course most are written in Japanese. So after a while, things start to look the same. We would walk down different alley ways and see all sorts of restaurants, cafes, shops, and seas of people. We ducked into a small tempura joint to have dinner. Thank the Lord for pictures on the menu, or we wouldn't have eaten.
The next day, we decided to go to Shibuya and Harujuku. Navigating our way through Shinjuku Station was nothing short of a nightmare. It was helpful that Carlos had downloaded an app on his iphone called "Zuti", which is Tokyo rail navigation. We knew where we wanted to go and which lines to take; I guess we thought we were really bad ass and could handle getting tickets all on our own. Aside from the fact that we couldn't read any of the signs, it was sweltering and it was like the New York Stock Exchange in there. It must of been a funny sight for the station workers to see two sweaty tourists yelling our "Harujuku"! If you're a shopper or an "apparel geek" than Shibuya and Harujuku is the place for you. We breezed in to stores such as Opening Ceremony (a 7 floor department store with high-end independent label) A Bathing Ape, Beams, Billion Boys Club, Supreme, Neighborhood, Visvm (F.I.L) etc. etc. Even Forever21 is huge out here (yes I went in, don't judge me) Streets are lined with shops and there are countless alley ways filled with these obscure shops and cafes. I'm pretty sure we only scratched the surface of both neighborhoods given the fact that there are so many stores and streets that make them up. We made it a habit of both wandering into alley ways and getting lost.("Getting lost is part of the adventure" - Carlos A. Gonzalez) Again, there were enormous amounts of people. They too were a sight to behold. I've seen some of the craziest shoes and hair on both men and women. It's almost as if one is expected to stand out. I wonder if people were actually there to shop or just to be seen. We made our way back to Shibuya during rush hour, which turned out to a big mistake. These people do not mess around with their commute. We were literally pushed on the train and pushed off the train. The madness followed us until we actually left the station!
It's been a hectic couple of days for us here in Tokyo. The language barrier being the biggest issue. At first arrigato for us meant "Thank You", "hello", "can you help me" and "I don't speak Japanese". Our way of communicating is by smiling and gesturing, making us look like mongoloid mimes. Yes we've had lists made for us and apps downloaded but for some reason that just went out the window. However, since we've been stumbling through neighborhoods, I'm proud to say we've gotten better. Just don't ask us to read anything. Two things I will note is the 1) People are incredibly polite here. When you enter an establishment, the employees smile and say hello. When you leave the say goodbye and thank you. Especially in restaurants, people there have really made an effort to help us understand what was going on and 2) There is so much structure and a high level of efficiency here. In most place rules are treated as suggestions, but here people actual follow them. I guess its partly because there are so many people here that if there was no structure it would be total chaos.
Enjoy the pictures below. More pictures to follow. Next stop Ginza.
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