Happy to be joining land once again i was excited to get off the boat. We were on a tight timescale as we were under the impression that we needed to pick up our rail tickets from Osaka and we were in Kobe. The ticket office closed at 5 and it was after 3. Soon after breezing through an initial customs check i was showing a friendly Japanese man my bags while a dog sniffed me up and don. This was evidently not enough as i was quickly escorted to a private room for a full inspection of my dodgy round eye ways. 30 minutes of every belonging being checked and re-checked, including my feet, i was ready to roll. A guy i had met on the boat Eda was helping us get to the train station where he then took us to the train station ticket office to find out we can pick up our rail passes direct from Kobe. He helped us get our tickets sorted for the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Tokyo so we said our goodbyes and hopped on the fastest train in the world.
We arrived in Tokyo about 10 and struggled initially to work out the subway system mainly because each subway station is like a gigantic underground layer with offshoots that go all over. It really has a city underneath its city. We were still pressed for time as we were staying in a capsule hotel that exercised an 11pm curfew. We made it there alive, enjoyed the quick novelty of a small box for a room and collapsed. Tokyo was not nearly as busy as i had initially thought as it spans a large distance the 18 million population is fairly spread out so apart from the main downtown shopping and business areas it maintains quiet streets.
On our first day in Tokyo after having wanted to travel here for roughly 8 years it was great news that i started getting a terrible cold. Nevertheless i persevered and started off by heading to the Tokyo Dome to buy some tickets for the basoball that evening. After getting our tickets we went for a walk and had some lunch in a pretty authentic soba noodle bar. After lunch we walked all around Akihabara, an electronics area. Again after walking by about 30 electronic shops in a row you wonder why some of the best business minds on earth haven't taken on the concept of competition. That night we thoroughly enjoyed our first Japanese baseball game with constant cheers, chants and beer served by entirely too eager teenagers who run around for 5 hours with a sizable keg on their back.
The next day we went to the Imperial Palace which is none too exciting as they only open their doors to the public on 2 days a year so if outside of those 2 days you only really get to see the outer wall which i presume is the least spectacular part. That night we had a starbucks over Shibuya Crossing and people watched. We then met a friend of mine and had a couple of drinks to start off the weekend. Over the weekend we visited a couple of Tokyo museums, went to a couple of temples and tried out some sushimi...mm mmm. On our last night after seeing the Tsukiji fish market first thing in the morning, we got to watch a large scale fireworks show in Asakusa by the river for the River festival they were having.
The next morning we got a Shinkansen to Osaka and went to the 'poor' area Dobutsuenmae o try and get some accommodation. We ended up in the second closest place to the subway station. Osaka was great, we really enjoyed it and preferred it to Tokyo. Among spending nights at Dotombori, a walkway of restaurants, bars and shops all reminiscent of a scene from Blade Runner, we used Osaka as a base for 1 week. Among this time we took day trips all over, we went to a national park in Nara and interacted with wild deer, went to Kyoto twice, Matsumoto, Fuji to see the mountain and a few others. In Osaka itself we went all over also including its massive aquarium which boasts 2 whale sharks among countless other creatures.
After our week in Osaka it was time to move onto Hiroshima for 2 nights before our ferry to Busan in South Korea. We were staying in a traditional Ryokan which was a little pricey and had another 11pm curfew but was well worth it. Hiroshima was a very nice change of pace, it is not as busy but has everything a city should have including a laid back atmosphere. On our first day we decided to go to another baseball game before we left Japan, Hiroshima Toyo Carp number 1! After the game back in our traditional Ryokan...with wifi we found out that our ferry to Busan had been cancelled due to a Typhoon. The only way to progress was still to head to Fukuoka when we had planned so we didn't worry about the cancellation. On our second say we did the usual sights including the A-Bomb Dome, the peace park and various monuments dedicated to children.
The next morning we got a train to Fukuoka as planned and instead of heading to the port we went to a travel agency inside the train station. This proved immensely helpful as after a computer translated back and forth we arranged a refund of the ferry charge and were on our way to the airport to buy a flight. It turns out that because of the weather they did not know when the next ferry would run so the only alternative was to show up at the port every morning and hope. Once at the airport we decided to fly straight to Seoul so as no other weather upsets would prevent us from flying back home. We bought tickets for the next available flight at 9 that night with only 'normal' seats left. After spending all day in the airport we were happy to board our plane, we were even happier to find out that by 'normal' she actually meant first class. After an enjoyable hour and a half flight we touched down in Seoul and welcomed our final destination with open arms...
Saturday, 21 August 2010
Friday, 6 August 2010
China
I woke early on the sleeper train from Hanoi to Nanning, not due to excitement of any sort but because nobody knows how to be quiet on a sleeper train in Asia. By the time we were in Nanning you could already see the over population as between 20 train station ticket lines there were around 1700-2000 people. After waiting for what seemed like most of our time in China we found out that the sleeper train to Ghaunzhao was sold out so we had to settle for a morning train the next day. We booked a night in the nearest train station hotel and tried to settle in. Nanning on the whole was pretty poor. They along with many cities in China want to advance very quickly like the big names of Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing but the people don't advance as quickly as the buildings and banks so it looks modern but is in fact filled almost to the brim with homeless and phlegm filled Chinamen.
The next morning we were up and out by 5am for our 14 hour journey. Delayed. We left at 7am and of course everyone was making noise, largely unnecessarily. I've never really experienced such boredom where you are so bored you don't want to read, listen to music or talk you just stare out the window absolutely aimlessly with less and less thoughts. Finally at night we arrived and ran through the train station to get tickets for the last train to Hong Kong. Shortly before the train arrived in Hong Kong i felt fairly lost in translation with the massive and impressive, overpowering lights and buildings that had the most complicated language in the history of all things written on them. For the end of my long and boring day after checking in to our room that was the size of the bathroom in my house i finally got to sleep on the hardest and lumpiest bed in China.
Our first Hong Kong tasks were to change money and buy train tickets to Shanghai. The first was draining as many places make up the exchange rates per customer. The second was a set back as they initially said the next train to Shanghai was on the 12th of August, 10 days before we would be leaving South Korea. After trying a few ticket desks we established that we could get a train a few days later than expected from Shenzen. 5 days seemed too much time to spend in Hong Kong if you are on a budget but it gave us a chance to relax and move a bit slower. Hong Kong is great for its activities, sights and shopping in a small space. Anything you could ever want isn't far away and the cheap metro system can get you there. Along with going to the history, art and space museums we took a tram to Victoria Peak and walked to the top which had a park walk that went around the tip of the mountain giving great views of all of Hong Kong. We also took the metro to Lantau island and took a cable car to one of Hong Kongs highest peaks to see the biggest seated Buddha in the world. As impressive as this was, after being in Asia for over a month there are only so many Buddhas that you can take. After saving money with a few dinners from a local bakery, it was time to leave Hong Kong for Shanghai.
Our train journey tickets were last minute so we were in different cabins on the train. This was great for me as i had a woman who owned her own business in Shanghai to talk to about things to do there and a father, grandfather and young daughter family to play cards with and break down any language barriers.
By morning we were in Shanghai and the first thing visible (other than even more Chinese people) was the expo advertisements. After walking around the outside of the train station and trying to get our bearings, we realised we were at the wrong station. We soon figured out the subway lines and jumped to our destination. After getting checked in we walked around our area and to the Bund riverside area. After dinner most nights while we were in Shanghai was spent playing card and utilising the hostels ping pong table because we did so much during the day we were compeltely exhausted at night and just needed to relax. The hostels rooftop bar helped as well.
Our time in Shanghai was great as i enjoyed the city and the people. We went to the Shanghai museum and art gallery and walked around Renmin park and the Bund. We also one evening went over to the Pu'dong area. This is mainly a business district and features Shanghai's 2 tallest buildings. The woman i spoke to on the train suggested that instead of paying for the observation deck on one of the buildings that we go to the hotel bar on the 55th floor. It turned out to be only slightly cheaper than the observation deck for the drinks but it was very fancy with obvious great city night time views.
On our last night in Shanghai as we were heading for the train station i was already starting to miss our area Ji'ang to which i had quickly accustomed because we are now spending more than a few days in each place you start to get attahced and comfortable and enjoy not having to move around all the time.
Our last sleeper train to Beijing again had us in separate cabins. My company started well with 2 guys who spoke absolutely no english but kept continually buying me beer. This was clearly to make up for the fact that the older of the 2 men became possessed by the devil during the night judging by the sounds he was making. His snoring and breathing was so loud i occasionally just stared at him in the middle of the night in utter disbelief that someone could make these noises.
Once in Beijing we hit the subway in rush hour to meet my friend that we were staying with. Although slightly out of the city the apartment was great, it was spacious and homely and gave a good feel of living in the city as opposed to a brief stop over.
Beijing was not that great, it was so polluted that we didn't see the sky the entire time we were there because there is a constant haze and smog above you. We did the usual visits to Tianemen Square and the other tourist spots but as we met lots of other foreigners that lived there i went out one night with them to a club. This was the worst place in China yet. There was so much smoke that my eyes were burning, really bad music was playing loudly and it was packed with super sluts rubbing up and down each other and occassionally trying it on with yours truly. I lasted 1 hour and 15 minutes then high tailed it for my makeshift home.
For our last afternoon we went to a restaurant for some rabbit heads. This process was tasty and involved eating the tongue, cheeks, eyeballs and sucking out the brain from the back of the skull. Although interesting i couldn't help but think what was wrong with a lovely tender chicken breast.
That night we went down to Tianjin and tried to book 1 night in a hostel. This would prove extremely difficult as the guy behind the counter spoke no english and insisted on speaking lots of very fast chinese at us. After a while we ascertained that he wanted us to fill out the check in forms in chinese...he filled them in himself after we were done with him.
The next morning we got a taxi down to the port in Tanguu. The taxi driver must have been the worst in Tianjin as about 2 miles from the port he asked 8 other drivers and people for directions and missed all the roadsigns that we read as they had english as well as chinese. It was frustrasting knowing where to go but not being able to communicate it with the moronic driver. We made it to the port just in time to check in and made it through customs safe and sound and finally got ourselves onto the boat. The boat would be my home for 2 days and offer much needed relaxtion and reading time.
Nippon here i come!
The next morning we were up and out by 5am for our 14 hour journey. Delayed. We left at 7am and of course everyone was making noise, largely unnecessarily. I've never really experienced such boredom where you are so bored you don't want to read, listen to music or talk you just stare out the window absolutely aimlessly with less and less thoughts. Finally at night we arrived and ran through the train station to get tickets for the last train to Hong Kong. Shortly before the train arrived in Hong Kong i felt fairly lost in translation with the massive and impressive, overpowering lights and buildings that had the most complicated language in the history of all things written on them. For the end of my long and boring day after checking in to our room that was the size of the bathroom in my house i finally got to sleep on the hardest and lumpiest bed in China.
Our first Hong Kong tasks were to change money and buy train tickets to Shanghai. The first was draining as many places make up the exchange rates per customer. The second was a set back as they initially said the next train to Shanghai was on the 12th of August, 10 days before we would be leaving South Korea. After trying a few ticket desks we established that we could get a train a few days later than expected from Shenzen. 5 days seemed too much time to spend in Hong Kong if you are on a budget but it gave us a chance to relax and move a bit slower. Hong Kong is great for its activities, sights and shopping in a small space. Anything you could ever want isn't far away and the cheap metro system can get you there. Along with going to the history, art and space museums we took a tram to Victoria Peak and walked to the top which had a park walk that went around the tip of the mountain giving great views of all of Hong Kong. We also took the metro to Lantau island and took a cable car to one of Hong Kongs highest peaks to see the biggest seated Buddha in the world. As impressive as this was, after being in Asia for over a month there are only so many Buddhas that you can take. After saving money with a few dinners from a local bakery, it was time to leave Hong Kong for Shanghai.
Our train journey tickets were last minute so we were in different cabins on the train. This was great for me as i had a woman who owned her own business in Shanghai to talk to about things to do there and a father, grandfather and young daughter family to play cards with and break down any language barriers.
By morning we were in Shanghai and the first thing visible (other than even more Chinese people) was the expo advertisements. After walking around the outside of the train station and trying to get our bearings, we realised we were at the wrong station. We soon figured out the subway lines and jumped to our destination. After getting checked in we walked around our area and to the Bund riverside area. After dinner most nights while we were in Shanghai was spent playing card and utilising the hostels ping pong table because we did so much during the day we were compeltely exhausted at night and just needed to relax. The hostels rooftop bar helped as well.
Our time in Shanghai was great as i enjoyed the city and the people. We went to the Shanghai museum and art gallery and walked around Renmin park and the Bund. We also one evening went over to the Pu'dong area. This is mainly a business district and features Shanghai's 2 tallest buildings. The woman i spoke to on the train suggested that instead of paying for the observation deck on one of the buildings that we go to the hotel bar on the 55th floor. It turned out to be only slightly cheaper than the observation deck for the drinks but it was very fancy with obvious great city night time views.
On our last night in Shanghai as we were heading for the train station i was already starting to miss our area Ji'ang to which i had quickly accustomed because we are now spending more than a few days in each place you start to get attahced and comfortable and enjoy not having to move around all the time.
Our last sleeper train to Beijing again had us in separate cabins. My company started well with 2 guys who spoke absolutely no english but kept continually buying me beer. This was clearly to make up for the fact that the older of the 2 men became possessed by the devil during the night judging by the sounds he was making. His snoring and breathing was so loud i occasionally just stared at him in the middle of the night in utter disbelief that someone could make these noises.
Once in Beijing we hit the subway in rush hour to meet my friend that we were staying with. Although slightly out of the city the apartment was great, it was spacious and homely and gave a good feel of living in the city as opposed to a brief stop over.
Beijing was not that great, it was so polluted that we didn't see the sky the entire time we were there because there is a constant haze and smog above you. We did the usual visits to Tianemen Square and the other tourist spots but as we met lots of other foreigners that lived there i went out one night with them to a club. This was the worst place in China yet. There was so much smoke that my eyes were burning, really bad music was playing loudly and it was packed with super sluts rubbing up and down each other and occassionally trying it on with yours truly. I lasted 1 hour and 15 minutes then high tailed it for my makeshift home.
For our last afternoon we went to a restaurant for some rabbit heads. This process was tasty and involved eating the tongue, cheeks, eyeballs and sucking out the brain from the back of the skull. Although interesting i couldn't help but think what was wrong with a lovely tender chicken breast.
That night we went down to Tianjin and tried to book 1 night in a hostel. This would prove extremely difficult as the guy behind the counter spoke no english and insisted on speaking lots of very fast chinese at us. After a while we ascertained that he wanted us to fill out the check in forms in chinese...he filled them in himself after we were done with him.
The next morning we got a taxi down to the port in Tanguu. The taxi driver must have been the worst in Tianjin as about 2 miles from the port he asked 8 other drivers and people for directions and missed all the roadsigns that we read as they had english as well as chinese. It was frustrasting knowing where to go but not being able to communicate it with the moronic driver. We made it to the port just in time to check in and made it through customs safe and sound and finally got ourselves onto the boat. The boat would be my home for 2 days and offer much needed relaxtion and reading time.
Nippon here i come!
Thursday, 29 July 2010
Vietnam
We arrived in Saigon from our luxurious bus that continued intermittently leaking on us from first thing in the morning onwards. We made our way to a recommended hotel and booked up 2 nights. We walked around a little before getting hungry. 3 minutes and 2 blocks later we were in a restaurant. My first authentic Vietnamese meal was a disaster, the rice tasted like cardboard that a hobo has been living on and to make matters worse the rice was the only thing i recognised as a food and the other items were a workout for my gag reflex. Still hungｒｙ i settled for a mango smoothie from another establishment to last me until dinner time. The smoothie tasted distinctly of Asda ham and i enjoyed it as much as any 80 year old who gets their meals liquidised. We did a little shopping and bargaining at a nearby market, checked out some sights and headed back to grab dinner and a couple of drinks.
The next day we went to the war remnants museum to check out some old American artillery and some good old fashioned war propaganda. The museum is known for being very biased but rightfully so with all things considered. Everything depicted or written about has photographic evidence and U.S. Army officials from the time have been since tried and proven guilty for war crimes. We also went around the presidential palace and walked through some more of the city.
After dinner before watching some football i decided to sit in the park next to our hotel for 15 minutes or so. Within the first minute of me being there i had myself 8 English students sat all around me. All were students in various professions and used their free time to learn English the best way, by talking to a Glaswegian. I helped them for about 3 hours and would recommend this to anyone. It is less common in Saigon to come across the 'English student' scam than in Hanoi and it is perfectly easy to see if they are genuine in their interest.
The next morning we jumped on another luxurious bus for the 10 hour journey to Nha Trang, a popular beach town. I was excited for a couple of days relaxing on 6km of sand and sea. Our first day we got ourselves a couple of loungers and began the relaxation. This lasted around 45 seconds when our first saleswoman approached and ruined it. From this point onwards until we left early evening roughly 1 person every 1 minute bothered us with something. The worst was a young girl who kept coming back and saying 'i no lucky today, buy something'. If that wasn't bad enough after the 7th knockback she tried the interesting sales technique of telling us she would cut off our 'bananas' if we didn't buy something. I asked her if she sold bananas because i really wanted one. She left us alone.
After not doing much on our last day and glad to see the end of Nha Trang we headed to the train station to catch a sleeper train to Hue. Delayed as usual we waited at the station and i helped some more students with their English. The sleeper train at night was nothing special but when i woke in the morning i noticed out the window we were above the ocean. The train tracks run directly at the top of very steep drops straight to the ocean so this made the journey not only enjoyable but the most scenic i have ever been on. In the spirit of sunny Asia however, it became overcast and began to rain.
Eventually after 3 hours of cruising at a smooth walking pace we arrived in Hue. I really enjoyed Hue as it is small but filled with lots to see and do and plenty to keep yourself occupied with bars and restaurants and shops. The people were also much less annoying as they accept 1 'no thank you' and stop asking you for various services. After asking in a few places and finding them all sold out we eventually bought tickets for a night bus to Hanoi. This was the worst sleeper bus so far. Regardless of the road condition, bumps, rail crossings, corners whatever the journey could throw at the driver he managed to keep his speed sky high. The other thing sky high (and not in a psychedelic sense) was me because the bumps were so extreme i was literally flying out of my bed and had to hold on all night, Driver 1 Adam 0.
Hanoi is manic. Motorbike mania, street tout haven and no room to walk on the pavement which is completely useless as all the motorbike and scooter drivers go on the pavement and ride up and down when they want. We had to wait in our hotel lobby for a few hours before we could check in so i had an authentic street breakfast when a guy in the street recommended it and asked me to join him. I later found out he was the hotel owner and was a pretty cool guy. He wore the shiniest shoes i have ever seen.
After getting checked in we started with the Temple of Literature, this was nice but by this point i was getting a little used to the wonders that are Asian Temples. For lunch we went to a restaurant called Koto. It is a non-profit restaurant that concentrates its money and efforts into street kids. All the cooks, waiters and waitresses were at some point troubled youth but by the way we were served Koto is definitely doing its job-well worth the money. Nothing says Vietnam like a burger and chips.
The next day we bought a tour to Halong Bay. 3 hours there, then onto a boat and into the bay. The limestone caves and rocks were awe inspiring but there are tourist boats everywhere on the water so it takes away from the experience but i can't complain as i was on such a boat. On the boat we shared a proper seafood feast with a Filipino couple from Dubai. After lunch we were taken inside one of the caves which again has been partially ruined by the multi-coloured light effects that shine all over the rocks making it look like a themed disco, the theme being rocks. After 4 hours of gliding around the water it was time to head back.
We started off our last day in Hanoi by queing for about half an hour to get in to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum to see the preserved body in a sarcophagus. I felt a little stupid doing this as there is a massive queue from outside that all moves at a slow pace and doesn't stop just to get inside and catch a quick glimpse of a dead mans preserved corpse. Especially seeing as how it was his dying wishes to be cremated so that he would not be treated as a martyr, respect is not common in Asia. After this we went round the Ho Chi Minh museum then went back to the hotel. After lunch and a walk around the biggest lake right in the center of Hanoi we cooled down with a few beers and checked out a few stalls and shops including a couple of genuine old war propaganda poster shops.
Our night train from Hanoi to Nanning, China was the most luxurious yet. Time for our biggest country, home to a history that includes repelling countless Mongol invasions and eventual Genghis and Kublai Khan rule and dynasties like the Ming and Qing. It is also over populated and highly polluted, our time here should be interesting...
The next day we went to the war remnants museum to check out some old American artillery and some good old fashioned war propaganda. The museum is known for being very biased but rightfully so with all things considered. Everything depicted or written about has photographic evidence and U.S. Army officials from the time have been since tried and proven guilty for war crimes. We also went around the presidential palace and walked through some more of the city.
After dinner before watching some football i decided to sit in the park next to our hotel for 15 minutes or so. Within the first minute of me being there i had myself 8 English students sat all around me. All were students in various professions and used their free time to learn English the best way, by talking to a Glaswegian. I helped them for about 3 hours and would recommend this to anyone. It is less common in Saigon to come across the 'English student' scam than in Hanoi and it is perfectly easy to see if they are genuine in their interest.
The next morning we jumped on another luxurious bus for the 10 hour journey to Nha Trang, a popular beach town. I was excited for a couple of days relaxing on 6km of sand and sea. Our first day we got ourselves a couple of loungers and began the relaxation. This lasted around 45 seconds when our first saleswoman approached and ruined it. From this point onwards until we left early evening roughly 1 person every 1 minute bothered us with something. The worst was a young girl who kept coming back and saying 'i no lucky today, buy something'. If that wasn't bad enough after the 7th knockback she tried the interesting sales technique of telling us she would cut off our 'bananas' if we didn't buy something. I asked her if she sold bananas because i really wanted one. She left us alone.
After not doing much on our last day and glad to see the end of Nha Trang we headed to the train station to catch a sleeper train to Hue. Delayed as usual we waited at the station and i helped some more students with their English. The sleeper train at night was nothing special but when i woke in the morning i noticed out the window we were above the ocean. The train tracks run directly at the top of very steep drops straight to the ocean so this made the journey not only enjoyable but the most scenic i have ever been on. In the spirit of sunny Asia however, it became overcast and began to rain.
Eventually after 3 hours of cruising at a smooth walking pace we arrived in Hue. I really enjoyed Hue as it is small but filled with lots to see and do and plenty to keep yourself occupied with bars and restaurants and shops. The people were also much less annoying as they accept 1 'no thank you' and stop asking you for various services. After asking in a few places and finding them all sold out we eventually bought tickets for a night bus to Hanoi. This was the worst sleeper bus so far. Regardless of the road condition, bumps, rail crossings, corners whatever the journey could throw at the driver he managed to keep his speed sky high. The other thing sky high (and not in a psychedelic sense) was me because the bumps were so extreme i was literally flying out of my bed and had to hold on all night, Driver 1 Adam 0.
Hanoi is manic. Motorbike mania, street tout haven and no room to walk on the pavement which is completely useless as all the motorbike and scooter drivers go on the pavement and ride up and down when they want. We had to wait in our hotel lobby for a few hours before we could check in so i had an authentic street breakfast when a guy in the street recommended it and asked me to join him. I later found out he was the hotel owner and was a pretty cool guy. He wore the shiniest shoes i have ever seen.
After getting checked in we started with the Temple of Literature, this was nice but by this point i was getting a little used to the wonders that are Asian Temples. For lunch we went to a restaurant called Koto. It is a non-profit restaurant that concentrates its money and efforts into street kids. All the cooks, waiters and waitresses were at some point troubled youth but by the way we were served Koto is definitely doing its job-well worth the money. Nothing says Vietnam like a burger and chips.
The next day we bought a tour to Halong Bay. 3 hours there, then onto a boat and into the bay. The limestone caves and rocks were awe inspiring but there are tourist boats everywhere on the water so it takes away from the experience but i can't complain as i was on such a boat. On the boat we shared a proper seafood feast with a Filipino couple from Dubai. After lunch we were taken inside one of the caves which again has been partially ruined by the multi-coloured light effects that shine all over the rocks making it look like a themed disco, the theme being rocks. After 4 hours of gliding around the water it was time to head back.
We started off our last day in Hanoi by queing for about half an hour to get in to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum to see the preserved body in a sarcophagus. I felt a little stupid doing this as there is a massive queue from outside that all moves at a slow pace and doesn't stop just to get inside and catch a quick glimpse of a dead mans preserved corpse. Especially seeing as how it was his dying wishes to be cremated so that he would not be treated as a martyr, respect is not common in Asia. After this we went round the Ho Chi Minh museum then went back to the hotel. After lunch and a walk around the biggest lake right in the center of Hanoi we cooled down with a few beers and checked out a few stalls and shops including a couple of genuine old war propaganda poster shops.
Our night train from Hanoi to Nanning, China was the most luxurious yet. Time for our biggest country, home to a history that includes repelling countless Mongol invasions and eventual Genghis and Kublai Khan rule and dynasties like the Ming and Qing. It is also over populated and highly polluted, our time here should be interesting...
Sunday, 4 July 2010
Cambodia
Apparently the only way to cross this border is with difficulty and confusion. We got a bus to the nearest Thai town Aranyaprathet. From there we could either walk the 7km to the border or get a Tuk Tuk. After 15 minutes of the wind and bugs in my face we arrived at the border crossing into Cambodia. This was a little stress inducing as i was quite positive a bribe was going to take place at some point. This small strip of border was the biggest eye opener yet as we were looking third world poverty in the face. Kids almost instantaneously surround you and try to get some sympathy money from you with one hand out while their other hand wanders into your wallet. There were several casinos where many Thai's go to gamble large amounts and outside naked children and emancipated people. The officials are all corrupt and you can read it on their faces when they look at you. The trick i found is to pull some sort of face of your own whether it be a tough guy face or a 'i'm a mental' face to show you know whats what.
After we successfully made it through the border check we got a 4 hour bus journey to our first port of call Siem Reap. Siem has one small main road and the rest are barely paved and the people everywhere want money and they want it from you. From our hotel we hired a Tuk Tuk driver for the next day and planned our itinerary, after a few lagers it was time for bed.
As planned we met our driver at 5am to get to Angkor Wat for sunrise. Angkor was amazing, it was so peaceful among the glorious ruins of an ancient civilisation. We spent all morning there and at a nearby jungle temple where they apparently filmed Tomb Raider.
After lunch we were taken to get a boat trip to see a floating village in the largest section of Cambodia's main river that runs through the whole country. Do not ever take this boat trip. It was hands down the worst thing in the world, a river where there is nothing to see but very brown water and dirt on either side while during the trip kids come up right beside you on a smaller boat and stick a live snake in your face and say '2 dorra'. When you get to the floating village the boat guide takes you to a little shop and everyone there tries to guilt trip you into buying a few jotters for the floating village school kids, i've never known jotters to cost $25. The floating village looks fairly small and on further research we found that over 2 million people stay there making it a very large slum on water, bring on the tourists. The only cool thing was that i ate a grasshopper.
The next morning we had another early rise to catch a bus to Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital. This has even more people that all want your money for one thing or another. We spent one day and night here and during our time we went to the Genocide Museum and the killing fields. I don't want to write too much about these but it is now a struggle to think whether i should have gone or not. It is by no means an experience that you must see while in Cambodia and you leave saddened by a country that had a great past that can be visually seen through stunning ruins then destroyed by a maniacal leader and government which has only left the country with extreme poverty and horrible 'anything for a dollar' people.
The next morning we hopped on a bus to Saigon, now named after Uncle Ho, Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam which lasted about 6 hours. I'm excited for what the city and communist Vietnam has in store for me.
After we successfully made it through the border check we got a 4 hour bus journey to our first port of call Siem Reap. Siem has one small main road and the rest are barely paved and the people everywhere want money and they want it from you. From our hotel we hired a Tuk Tuk driver for the next day and planned our itinerary, after a few lagers it was time for bed.
As planned we met our driver at 5am to get to Angkor Wat for sunrise. Angkor was amazing, it was so peaceful among the glorious ruins of an ancient civilisation. We spent all morning there and at a nearby jungle temple where they apparently filmed Tomb Raider.
After lunch we were taken to get a boat trip to see a floating village in the largest section of Cambodia's main river that runs through the whole country. Do not ever take this boat trip. It was hands down the worst thing in the world, a river where there is nothing to see but very brown water and dirt on either side while during the trip kids come up right beside you on a smaller boat and stick a live snake in your face and say '2 dorra'. When you get to the floating village the boat guide takes you to a little shop and everyone there tries to guilt trip you into buying a few jotters for the floating village school kids, i've never known jotters to cost $25. The floating village looks fairly small and on further research we found that over 2 million people stay there making it a very large slum on water, bring on the tourists. The only cool thing was that i ate a grasshopper.
The next morning we had another early rise to catch a bus to Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital. This has even more people that all want your money for one thing or another. We spent one day and night here and during our time we went to the Genocide Museum and the killing fields. I don't want to write too much about these but it is now a struggle to think whether i should have gone or not. It is by no means an experience that you must see while in Cambodia and you leave saddened by a country that had a great past that can be visually seen through stunning ruins then destroyed by a maniacal leader and government which has only left the country with extreme poverty and horrible 'anything for a dollar' people.
The next morning we hopped on a bus to Saigon, now named after Uncle Ho, Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam which lasted about 6 hours. I'm excited for what the city and communist Vietnam has in store for me.
Sunday, 27 June 2010
Thailand
This first started with a 4-5 hour small bus journey to Hat Yai. The journey was nothing memorable, lots of bumps and lots of snack stops...for the driver. Upon entering Thailand through a surprisingly easy border and customs check (the man prodded my bag, unzipped and immediately re-zipped someone elses) i could sense i was going to like the country. Our bus stopped inside Hat Yai for us to change to another bus. While waiting some other people got picked up for their journey in a new Mercedes comfort-mobile so my hopes were high coming off of a KIA. These hopes were quickly extinguished as a no brand 'thing' pulled up and the driver yelled 'Krabi'. Another 5 hours of Evil Kinevil's idol driving and we finally arrived in Krabi. The one thing the driver did do well was take us to a place where we could buy our boat tickets for the next day and set up some accomodation for the night, which turned out to be nice enough for comfort. Our brief night in Krabi consisted of going for a meal and a walk. The meal was excellent (price included) and it was quickly apparant that the southern Thai people are fairly different from those we had encountered before. Much friendlier, chattier and genuinly interested in you as opposed to just your money.
The next morning we got a tuk tuk to the pier to get our boat. This was by far the most terrifying thing i have ever had to do. As we were the first ones on board we were sitting downstairs right at the front. Rough seas and a boat that was literally separating and falling apart do not mix well, every wave the boat took i was sure i would end up in the water. 2 hours of clutching my seat went by like 2 years, finally and thankfully though we arrived in Ko Phi Phi and began the ascent to our pre booked 7 pound a night accomodation (we thought we would splash out on the digs). Ingphu viewpoint was amazing, the service was incredibly friendly and greatly helpful with no tip expectation. Also to its advantage is its location on the island, as it is higher up it is a small trek but much quieter. The rest of the tourists on this island seemed to be what i would usually desribe as goons, i certainly did not come this far to hear only American, Australian and English people let alone hear them talking about how great beer and weed is.
From where we were in the quiet Ko Phi Phi is very relaxing, its beauty and views offered a much needed rest. It seems like the kind of island that could be very inspirational but is also so relaxing you don't really want to do anything especially be inspired.
After 2 days here we were ready to get back into the thick of it - the mainland. Naturally apprehensive about the boat ride back to Krabi i was mentally prepared for the worst. Calm waters were just what i needed, i lay out on the deck of the boat for the 2 hour journey back. Once back we got another tuk tuk to a bus/cafe place. We picked up sleeper train tickets from Surat Thani and waited to get a bus up there. The bus took us to the middle of nowhere and dropped us off where someone gave us each a sticker and told us to wait for another bus. An hour and a half later another bus arrived to pick us up. Once at Surat Thani train station we found out the train was delayed, not to worry it was 9 o'clock so we were ready for some dinner. The options at the station were some unknown meat where the woman serving was having her daughter go through her hair for lice or what i luckily spied, a toastie stall! Unfortunately my toastie options were pineapple jam, strawberry jam and the much loved 'red' flavour jam. I went for pineapple. The sleeper train was cool, although i couldn't sleep i was comfortable lying in my moving bed.
Our first experience with Bangkok was brief. Approximately 7 minutes in the train station for the whole of it, our next mode of transport a train north. This as not so much a train as it was a sweat box filled with annoyances. To name but one for the most of the 2.5 hour journey the man standing next to my seat insisted on getting his boaby as close to my shoulder as possible. Matt joked that he had a boner. I did not laugh.
We finally arrived in Ayanthaya, one of several ancient city's. We sought accomodation in 'Tony's Place'. This should have just been called 'Gay Tony's' due to the many flamboyant staff members. The manager looked disappointed when i specified a twin room instead of his offer of a double.
We spent 2 great days here discovering ancient ruins and a hatred for the tuk tuk drivers. We cycled around one afternoon which feels great with the breeze but as soon as you stop moving you realise how disgustingly drenched in sweat you actually are.
After our 2 days it was time to head to the dreaded Bangkok (we had met various people with nothing good to say about it). I thought Bangkok was great - not too busy for a big city and lots of amazing things to see and do. We stayed on the heavy backpacker oriented Khao San Road. This is the most annoying street in the world as it is filled with nothing but hassle from suit sellers, tuk tuk drivers, naughty masseurs and more. There is almost a constant asking of 'where going?' They do not always accept polite no thank you's so we had to get creative.
Tuk Tuk Driver: 'Oh where going eh?'
Me: 'Punani Town'
Tuk Tuk Driver: 'Oh where? Oh it closed today'.
Me: 'Tee hee'.
Lots of people claim to help by initially telling you something vaguely helpful or showing you something on your map. However, they then claim that everything you want to do is closed and they will take you to something better. How so many randomers know about something better than the King's former residence, the Grand Palace and a 40 foot reclining Buddha is beyond me. There is also a surprising amount of Thai men from Scotland. Thats the same country i'm from, i better give my fellow countrymen some money.
Our third day was made up of buses and taxis to our next destination of Cambodia. A country with a glorious yet tainted and horrific past - i can't wait.
The next morning we got a tuk tuk to the pier to get our boat. This was by far the most terrifying thing i have ever had to do. As we were the first ones on board we were sitting downstairs right at the front. Rough seas and a boat that was literally separating and falling apart do not mix well, every wave the boat took i was sure i would end up in the water. 2 hours of clutching my seat went by like 2 years, finally and thankfully though we arrived in Ko Phi Phi and began the ascent to our pre booked 7 pound a night accomodation (we thought we would splash out on the digs). Ingphu viewpoint was amazing, the service was incredibly friendly and greatly helpful with no tip expectation. Also to its advantage is its location on the island, as it is higher up it is a small trek but much quieter. The rest of the tourists on this island seemed to be what i would usually desribe as goons, i certainly did not come this far to hear only American, Australian and English people let alone hear them talking about how great beer and weed is.
From where we were in the quiet Ko Phi Phi is very relaxing, its beauty and views offered a much needed rest. It seems like the kind of island that could be very inspirational but is also so relaxing you don't really want to do anything especially be inspired.
After 2 days here we were ready to get back into the thick of it - the mainland. Naturally apprehensive about the boat ride back to Krabi i was mentally prepared for the worst. Calm waters were just what i needed, i lay out on the deck of the boat for the 2 hour journey back. Once back we got another tuk tuk to a bus/cafe place. We picked up sleeper train tickets from Surat Thani and waited to get a bus up there. The bus took us to the middle of nowhere and dropped us off where someone gave us each a sticker and told us to wait for another bus. An hour and a half later another bus arrived to pick us up. Once at Surat Thani train station we found out the train was delayed, not to worry it was 9 o'clock so we were ready for some dinner. The options at the station were some unknown meat where the woman serving was having her daughter go through her hair for lice or what i luckily spied, a toastie stall! Unfortunately my toastie options were pineapple jam, strawberry jam and the much loved 'red' flavour jam. I went for pineapple. The sleeper train was cool, although i couldn't sleep i was comfortable lying in my moving bed.
Our first experience with Bangkok was brief. Approximately 7 minutes in the train station for the whole of it, our next mode of transport a train north. This as not so much a train as it was a sweat box filled with annoyances. To name but one for the most of the 2.5 hour journey the man standing next to my seat insisted on getting his boaby as close to my shoulder as possible. Matt joked that he had a boner. I did not laugh.
We finally arrived in Ayanthaya, one of several ancient city's. We sought accomodation in 'Tony's Place'. This should have just been called 'Gay Tony's' due to the many flamboyant staff members. The manager looked disappointed when i specified a twin room instead of his offer of a double.
We spent 2 great days here discovering ancient ruins and a hatred for the tuk tuk drivers. We cycled around one afternoon which feels great with the breeze but as soon as you stop moving you realise how disgustingly drenched in sweat you actually are.
After our 2 days it was time to head to the dreaded Bangkok (we had met various people with nothing good to say about it). I thought Bangkok was great - not too busy for a big city and lots of amazing things to see and do. We stayed on the heavy backpacker oriented Khao San Road. This is the most annoying street in the world as it is filled with nothing but hassle from suit sellers, tuk tuk drivers, naughty masseurs and more. There is almost a constant asking of 'where going?' They do not always accept polite no thank you's so we had to get creative.
Tuk Tuk Driver: 'Oh where going eh?'
Me: 'Punani Town'
Tuk Tuk Driver: 'Oh where? Oh it closed today'.
Me: 'Tee hee'.
Lots of people claim to help by initially telling you something vaguely helpful or showing you something on your map. However, they then claim that everything you want to do is closed and they will take you to something better. How so many randomers know about something better than the King's former residence, the Grand Palace and a 40 foot reclining Buddha is beyond me. There is also a surprising amount of Thai men from Scotland. Thats the same country i'm from, i better give my fellow countrymen some money.
Our third day was made up of buses and taxis to our next destination of Cambodia. A country with a glorious yet tainted and horrific past - i can't wait.
Friday, 18 June 2010
Malaysia
Malaysia, first stop Kuala Lumpur. We arrived shortly after 10pm completely unsure of any bearings or the area we couldn't refuse the 'taxi?' 'where going?' offers. We knew of a few hostels in Little India so we got dropped off right in the middle of it on a street that was supposed to have several. After wandering the street a little we found the hostel we had been looking for, unfortunately it had closed. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise though as the same place was now a new hostel which had been completely refurbished by the new owners who were also offering a new hostel discount making it phenomonal for the price. As it was late we only went on a short walk around our area, the only things of note was the abundance of cockroaches and homeless people. After some food it was time for a well earned sleep.
The next morning we decided to stay organised and head to the train station nice and early to buy our tickets for our next stop Butterworth. After waiting about half an hour to be served we bound excitedly up to the counter and made our 1st class sleeper cabin request. Sold out. Luckily there were still some seats available in the lowest class so we had to take those.
We spent the rest of the day sampling some more of the city through our eyes and bellies (Nandos has some different menu options here). KL is lots and lots of hustle and bustle. The people are usually a mix of trendy, young, fashion conscience teens rubbing shoulders with people who don't have a Ringgit (less than 1pence) to their name.
In the afternoon we hopped on a bus headed for the Batu Caves. These were fairly spectacular with a huge golden goddess to welcome you to the 500 odd step climb. Once at the top we enjoyed watching wild monkeys descend from the inner cave walls trying to get food from bins and people. The inside of the caves wasn't nearly as impressive as the outside which was nothing short of jaw dropping.
After seeing the city's more familiar sights, the KL Tower and the Petronas Towers, which are surrounded by high class retail outlets; it is clear that this city is the epitamy of dichotomy. It looks as though a few incredible buildings and banks were built in the centre of a large slum making it seem modern and visually stunning however, the city is still surrounded and inhabited largely by very poor people. It wasn't quite enough to look down on the poor people from the street so we felt it necessary to head to the highest point, the top of the KL tower. The views were great as expected and it was nice to be so close but so far away from the busyness.
The day before our train was a long one as we left the hostel around 8am and wouldn't be getting the train until half 11pm. It was spent in the same way; lots of sightseeing.
The 'sleeper' train was ridiculous. How anyone could sleep is beyond me...maybe i should have asked Matt when he woke up. Not only did it continually reek of new and horrendous pish, the power kept going out so it was a mix of pitch blackness and blinding brightness but it also broke down twice and stopped in the middle of nowhere for ages at a time. Finally though just as the sun was rising the driver announced we would soon be arriving in Butterworth. He said this again shortly after as we were approaching a stop so we got our things together ready to jump off. Wrong stop. The driver was a moron. I was able to practice my haggling with a taxi driver to get him to drive us to the correct train station, once there we grabbed a quick ferry ride across to Penang-wicked. We walked quite far to find the 1800's hostel that we were after but when we found it it was closed-for good! Not to worry as we had passed several others on the way up to the one we wanted so we picked one and booked up 2 nights.
Penang island is cool, much of the island is largely touristy with the resorts and beaches being the draw. On our first day we headed to the north of the island to go to a nature park. This was essentially a gigantic trek through the jungle and with 100% humidity it was a killer. We passed through 'monkey beach' which sounded great when we read it on the map but was slightly terrifying as it was in the jungle and the monkeys were following us around in the trees throwing stones at us. Needless to say we hurried along to the actual beach which was spectacular. Being so exhausted we treated oursleves to a boat ride back. This came pretty close to complete euphoria, who needs pills when you have beaches and boats! The rest of our time here was spent exploring and seeing a snake temple, a few shrines, big Buddhas and eating local dishes. As a warning for anyone considering a visit the snake temple is the worst thing in Malaysia.
Next Stop Thailand for Ko Phi Phi.
The next morning we decided to stay organised and head to the train station nice and early to buy our tickets for our next stop Butterworth. After waiting about half an hour to be served we bound excitedly up to the counter and made our 1st class sleeper cabin request. Sold out. Luckily there were still some seats available in the lowest class so we had to take those.
We spent the rest of the day sampling some more of the city through our eyes and bellies (Nandos has some different menu options here). KL is lots and lots of hustle and bustle. The people are usually a mix of trendy, young, fashion conscience teens rubbing shoulders with people who don't have a Ringgit (less than 1pence) to their name.
In the afternoon we hopped on a bus headed for the Batu Caves. These were fairly spectacular with a huge golden goddess to welcome you to the 500 odd step climb. Once at the top we enjoyed watching wild monkeys descend from the inner cave walls trying to get food from bins and people. The inside of the caves wasn't nearly as impressive as the outside which was nothing short of jaw dropping.
After seeing the city's more familiar sights, the KL Tower and the Petronas Towers, which are surrounded by high class retail outlets; it is clear that this city is the epitamy of dichotomy. It looks as though a few incredible buildings and banks were built in the centre of a large slum making it seem modern and visually stunning however, the city is still surrounded and inhabited largely by very poor people. It wasn't quite enough to look down on the poor people from the street so we felt it necessary to head to the highest point, the top of the KL tower. The views were great as expected and it was nice to be so close but so far away from the busyness.
The day before our train was a long one as we left the hostel around 8am and wouldn't be getting the train until half 11pm. It was spent in the same way; lots of sightseeing.
The 'sleeper' train was ridiculous. How anyone could sleep is beyond me...maybe i should have asked Matt when he woke up. Not only did it continually reek of new and horrendous pish, the power kept going out so it was a mix of pitch blackness and blinding brightness but it also broke down twice and stopped in the middle of nowhere for ages at a time. Finally though just as the sun was rising the driver announced we would soon be arriving in Butterworth. He said this again shortly after as we were approaching a stop so we got our things together ready to jump off. Wrong stop. The driver was a moron. I was able to practice my haggling with a taxi driver to get him to drive us to the correct train station, once there we grabbed a quick ferry ride across to Penang-wicked. We walked quite far to find the 1800's hostel that we were after but when we found it it was closed-for good! Not to worry as we had passed several others on the way up to the one we wanted so we picked one and booked up 2 nights.
Penang island is cool, much of the island is largely touristy with the resorts and beaches being the draw. On our first day we headed to the north of the island to go to a nature park. This was essentially a gigantic trek through the jungle and with 100% humidity it was a killer. We passed through 'monkey beach' which sounded great when we read it on the map but was slightly terrifying as it was in the jungle and the monkeys were following us around in the trees throwing stones at us. Needless to say we hurried along to the actual beach which was spectacular. Being so exhausted we treated oursleves to a boat ride back. This came pretty close to complete euphoria, who needs pills when you have beaches and boats! The rest of our time here was spent exploring and seeing a snake temple, a few shrines, big Buddhas and eating local dishes. As a warning for anyone considering a visit the snake temple is the worst thing in Malaysia.
Next Stop Thailand for Ko Phi Phi.
Saturday, 12 June 2010
Touchdown In The Land Of The Lion
'Singapura' aka The Lion City.
Singapore doesn't have any early history records really. Originally it was a basic sea town that acted as a go between for its bigger neighbours: Sumatra and Melaka. According to Malay legend, a Sumatran prince spotted a lion while visiting the island of Temasek. On this good omen he founded a city where he saw the lion (Singapura).
On the initial flight to Dubai I had the joyous luck of sitting next to a fat, full blown alcoholic who not only took up most of my seat as well as his own, but also reeked of booze (it was 14:15). Nevertheless, despite ordering a further 6 vodkas he was completely harmless, however, the 3 lager louts who were so loud they should have been arrested sitting a few rows in front of us were not harmless to my ears.
Dubai airport was phenomonally large and bustling considering it was after midnight when we arrived. As the airport acts as a midway point for multiple destinations, not to mention being one of the largest in the world, there was a great mix of people from all around the globe. Naturally with my final destination on my mind I started to get giddy at the sight of groups of Asian people knowing that for the next 3 months I would be accepting many of them as my brethren. As quickly as we arrived in Dubai we were leaving again on another 7 hour flight, this time destined for the Lion City itself. The plane wasn't as fancy as the previous one, but it had all the functions, gadgets and private screens a passenger could ever need or want.
No sleep and questionable airplane food got old quickly, especially with deep in sleep passengers all around me, however, 'Lost In Translation' 'The Men Who Stare At Goats' 'Invictus' 'Family Guy' and Jimi Hendrix aided the time passing.
Eventually we touched down - Singapore at long last, we breezed through customs, our bags were collected in under 1 minute, we quickly found and made a break for the exit and just before breathing something other than plane air we were pulled aside for a 'random' full bag security check (thanks Matt's beard). The taxi journey to the hotel was grand, not much to see and not much energy to open my eyes. I was also not hesitant to arrive at a bed so had no qualms with the drivers 110kph average speed on a 70kph.
The hotel was pleasant enough, the street walkers that surrounded looked to be worth a hard earned 50pence or around 1 Singapore Dollar, it was though, clean and amenity friendly featuring its very own 'Shar' television.
A walk around downtown and the sinking of a '40' lager confirms that I like Singapore. The choice of foodstuffs and range of restaurants and stalls is extrordinary, although it does beg the question if any of these business owners know about competition after seeing 5-6 Chinese restaurants next to each other.
After some tasty chicken (including head) and rice we decided to retire to bed. Being awake for 30 hours i was fairly tired and drifted into a coma fairly fast. Alas this was not to last as we were both wide awake watching baseball at 2am Singapore time.
'Zoo Day'
The Singapore zoo had my greatest expectations due in part to it being the biggest zoo in the world and the only one to feature a night safari for nocturnal animals. It was mainly due to Matt's boysih excitement that my expectations rose so high...and it did not disappoint. This is easily Singapores biggest pull as a tourist destination because of the range of animals, the space it covers, layout and man made beauty. Also included are several animal shows which usually turn me off as it always seems like the animal has been a little too forced to participate but with the few we saw the strong bond between the animals and the trainers made them highly enjoyable.
To top this day off was the night. We walked around the additional section of the zoo firstly which due to the lack of cages for the majority of animals felt like a walk through the jungle. Next was a 40 minute tram journey around the rest of the park. This was a little too serene and relaxing, causing us both to catch up with some brief napping.
Our train the next day was fully booked but we managed to get a 'luxury' bus from 'Konsortium' for the same price. The bus journey was good as the part of the bus that was luxurious was the seats (I am currently writing this with my body almost entirely horizontal). It was delayed by an hour and a half, with check in time we were waiting outside for 3 hours and after hitting some rain in Malaysia the windows leaked into the bus and also the luggage compartment turned into a swimming pool.
I will hopefully arrive in Kuala Lumpur later tonight and am looking forward to some more jungle, less city and less english, or should i say 'Engrish'?
Singapore doesn't have any early history records really. Originally it was a basic sea town that acted as a go between for its bigger neighbours: Sumatra and Melaka. According to Malay legend, a Sumatran prince spotted a lion while visiting the island of Temasek. On this good omen he founded a city where he saw the lion (Singapura).
On the initial flight to Dubai I had the joyous luck of sitting next to a fat, full blown alcoholic who not only took up most of my seat as well as his own, but also reeked of booze (it was 14:15). Nevertheless, despite ordering a further 6 vodkas he was completely harmless, however, the 3 lager louts who were so loud they should have been arrested sitting a few rows in front of us were not harmless to my ears.
Dubai airport was phenomonally large and bustling considering it was after midnight when we arrived. As the airport acts as a midway point for multiple destinations, not to mention being one of the largest in the world, there was a great mix of people from all around the globe. Naturally with my final destination on my mind I started to get giddy at the sight of groups of Asian people knowing that for the next 3 months I would be accepting many of them as my brethren. As quickly as we arrived in Dubai we were leaving again on another 7 hour flight, this time destined for the Lion City itself. The plane wasn't as fancy as the previous one, but it had all the functions, gadgets and private screens a passenger could ever need or want.
No sleep and questionable airplane food got old quickly, especially with deep in sleep passengers all around me, however, 'Lost In Translation' 'The Men Who Stare At Goats' 'Invictus' 'Family Guy' and Jimi Hendrix aided the time passing.
Eventually we touched down - Singapore at long last, we breezed through customs, our bags were collected in under 1 minute, we quickly found and made a break for the exit and just before breathing something other than plane air we were pulled aside for a 'random' full bag security check (thanks Matt's beard). The taxi journey to the hotel was grand, not much to see and not much energy to open my eyes. I was also not hesitant to arrive at a bed so had no qualms with the drivers 110kph average speed on a 70kph.
The hotel was pleasant enough, the street walkers that surrounded looked to be worth a hard earned 50pence or around 1 Singapore Dollar, it was though, clean and amenity friendly featuring its very own 'Shar' television.
A walk around downtown and the sinking of a '40' lager confirms that I like Singapore. The choice of foodstuffs and range of restaurants and stalls is extrordinary, although it does beg the question if any of these business owners know about competition after seeing 5-6 Chinese restaurants next to each other.
After some tasty chicken (including head) and rice we decided to retire to bed. Being awake for 30 hours i was fairly tired and drifted into a coma fairly fast. Alas this was not to last as we were both wide awake watching baseball at 2am Singapore time.
'Zoo Day'
The Singapore zoo had my greatest expectations due in part to it being the biggest zoo in the world and the only one to feature a night safari for nocturnal animals. It was mainly due to Matt's boysih excitement that my expectations rose so high...and it did not disappoint. This is easily Singapores biggest pull as a tourist destination because of the range of animals, the space it covers, layout and man made beauty. Also included are several animal shows which usually turn me off as it always seems like the animal has been a little too forced to participate but with the few we saw the strong bond between the animals and the trainers made them highly enjoyable.
To top this day off was the night. We walked around the additional section of the zoo firstly which due to the lack of cages for the majority of animals felt like a walk through the jungle. Next was a 40 minute tram journey around the rest of the park. This was a little too serene and relaxing, causing us both to catch up with some brief napping.
Our train the next day was fully booked but we managed to get a 'luxury' bus from 'Konsortium' for the same price. The bus journey was good as the part of the bus that was luxurious was the seats (I am currently writing this with my body almost entirely horizontal). It was delayed by an hour and a half, with check in time we were waiting outside for 3 hours and after hitting some rain in Malaysia the windows leaked into the bus and also the luggage compartment turned into a swimming pool.
I will hopefully arrive in Kuala Lumpur later tonight and am looking forward to some more jungle, less city and less english, or should i say 'Engrish'?
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