Peninsular

The Trip that Never Was

Mass tourism. It's an ugly and growing beast, and I was thinking I'd spend my winter holiday somewhere beyond its reach. That meant escaping the touts, the reckless party-goers, the overpriced accommodations, the tourist traps and so on. Bangladesh seemed like an idea destination. Not many people travel there on holiday. So I bought a ticket and was ready to go, but then a month before I was due to arrive the country became embroiled in political problems. To protest an upcoming election, public workers began taking to the streets of the capital on strike. The trains and buses ground to a halt. Police clashed with demonstrators. People died by the day.

Not wanting to visit during such difficult times I bought another flight from Dhaka to Kolkata in India. But it was a last minute change and I later realized there was not enough time to get the visa. That meant I had to choose another destination. The whole thing became rushed and poorly planned on my part and in the end my friend Roberto and I got a ticket arriving in Bangkok and another departing ten days later from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. 

Here is an account of the trip.

Roberto in Japan

Political Intrigues

After the disappointment of being unable to visit Bangladesh I was none too pleased to discover that Thailand had similar problems. According to the online news reports, the Thai people had become fed up with the government and tens of thousands marched on the parliament house in Bangkok. The demonstrators cut the electricity to the building and occupied its halls. Police interference was minimal, and more importantly, the military did not become involved. It was clear the government wanted to avoid bloodshed and yet Prime Minister Yingluck refused to give into popular demand. Rather than step down she called for new elections that were to take place in February. The move, however, was not enough to appease the masses and the demonstrations continued.

This was the situation Roberto and I arrived to in Bangkok. It was a Sunday and the city center had become congested with demonstrators. We needed to get to our hostel from the airport but taxi drivers refused to take us unless we paid triple the usual fare. Not wanting to get ripped off, we opted for public transportation which only got us to the general area. People and cars blocked the streets. Once caught up in the ruckus our bus advanced at a snail's pace and then ground to a halt. We decided to walk the remainder of the way. It was dark by then and demonstrators were still out in force waving the Thai flag and wearing wristbands with its colors. Loud speakers reverberated with voices calling for change. And as we got close to the large Victory Monument thousands were seated around a stage where political opponents of the government spouted propaganda without end.

Young demonstrator

Protesters galore 

Thailand does not have a good track record when it comes to political stability. While the current system is something resembling a democracy, corruption runs high. Prime Minister Yingluck is the sister of a former Prime Minister Thaksin who was forced from office in a military coup in 2006. He now takes refuge in the Dubai but is believed to run the government through his sister. The middle class and wealthy elites want a new prime minister but the poor still support the current party because of policies it has instituted to help end rural poverty. Meanwhile the king of Thailand publicly takes no sides. This has not always been the case. King Rama IX has seen over a dozen changes of government in his time and he has not only condoned some but openly supported a few. One example was the shift to a democratic government that occurred in 1997, which unfortunately was later undermined by another military coup. Needless to say the king has seen his fair share of political problems during his 68 year reign. It is currently the longest in the world, and because very few people in the country were born before his ascension, he has become like a father to all and is loved and respected by the vast majority of Thai people. As for those who feel otherwise they can't voice their thoughts in public for it is against the law to speak ill of King Rama IX. But if there is one thing to be said it's that he is very old and his health is ailing, and the king's oldest son who is bound to succeed him does not share in his popularity.  This does not bode well and the country is likely on the cusp of another major upheaval.

The Prime Minister

The King

In spite of all the political turmoil, tourists continue to flock to Thailand--over 20 million a year. The Thai tourism sector now makes up ten percent of an economy that is the second largest in Southeast Asia. The tourists are drawn to the exotic nightlife of the capital, the jungles in the north, the island beaches to the south, the national parks in between and the ubiquitous sex industry throughout. As a result Thailand has become a glowing example of mass tourism, and that was precisely what I had wanted to avoid. Oh well, I thought walking through the streets of Bangkok. We're here and should make the most of it.

Good morning Bangkok

Out for a ride

Local cuisine

Hua Hin

I'd been to Thailand twice before and neither time had I gone south of Bangkok. Now I had no choice but to head in that direction because our departing flight awaited us 1500km away in Kuala Lumpur. The question was how we would get there. We hadn't planned it through in advance but I was not too worried. I knew that the more tourist friendly the country the easier to get around.

After Bangkok, our first stop was in the resort town of Hua Hin. Due to it being nearby, the seaside town attracted mostly domestic tourists from the capital. The place had a night market, loads of restaurants, a long white beach, countless hotels, and at the same time still retained a low-key feel. I took to the town almost immediately. It also served as a gateway to Khao Sam Roi Yot national park. That was why I chose to visit and on our second day we hired a taxi to take us to the park entrance. From there we hiked along a coastal path to get to a massive limestone cave. Roberto fell at one point and scrapped his leg bad. But that didn't stop us. We made it to the inside of the cave and gazed overhead at the jagged ceiling which opened up in several spots. In the largest chamber, a golden temple stood atop an earthen mound and sunlight bathed it from above creating a surreal sight. Though the Phraya Nakhon cave was the one place we checked out in the park, it was worth the trouble to get there. In the surrounding jungle we also spotted a trio of dusky langurs, a type of monkey native to the area that is rare and endangered. I managed to take few photos before they fled.

National Park

Langur

Small statuettes

Cave temple

Speaking of photos, back in Hua Hin I was determined to get a picture of an old, fat white guy with a young Thai prostitute. The day before I had seen dozens of such pairings but now that I was actively seeking them the couples had disappeared. It was probably too early in the day. Then when I finally saw a couple they didn't look convincing enough. The man was sober and kept the girl at too much of a distance. A shame really, because the other times we had seen guys who were fawning over their prostitutes like a five year old with a puppy. From my understanding of it, being more than merely a sex companion, a Thai prostitute will often spend entire days with their customer and guide him around, join him for meals, go shopping with him, and at night get drunk at his side. So the two come to know each other and the girls do seem genuinely nice. I know because a few approached us. They were as persistent as they were friendly and they didn't have to be coy because in a big tourist spot like Hua Hin their line of work was pretty much openly accepted.  However, Roberto and I weren't interested in their services. Each time we kindly declined their solicitations to meet up later.

Monks in style

Hua Hin beach

Kitty and bike

Overland

It was either by bus or train. We chose the latter and regretted it. The 15 hour journey took us from Hua Hin to the city of Nakhon Si Thamarat. Though we rode a night train we couldn't get into the sleeper wagon and ended up in third class on cramped, bench-like seats. Oh how we suffered on that old, rickety train as it headed south towards our destination. Across from of us sat a pair of young gay lovers. Since they were right there for the better part of a day I couldn't help but to become absorbed in their mannerisms and interactions. The most effeminate of the two was clearly in control of the relationship. He craved attention and at the same time shunned it in a manipulative little game of push and pull. When pushed away, the dejected boy leaned against the window and gazed at the passing scenery. Either that or he wiped the oil from his face with little sheets of paper. I sat and watched all the drama unfold. It went on for what seemed like forever and when the two finally got off the train I was greatly relieved. Don't get me wrong though. I hadn't found them annoying or anything like that. Rather, I was happy to have room to stretch my legs.

Hua Hin Station

Roberto on the train

Across from me

Like Hua Hin before it, Nakhon Si Thamarat was near a national park. Our plan was to go to the park for a day. It didn't happen. Before we could even set about exploring the city, a couple approached us outside the train station. The woman, a Thai, asked us where we were going.  I told them we needed to find a hotel. Her husband, an American, then suggested we stay at the same place as them. "It's a hotel on the edge of town," he said, "and it's right next to a waterfall."

Roberto and I looked at one another, shrugged our shoulders and decided, why not. We then hopped in the back of the same truck taxi and got to talking. Within two minutes the other American, Fred, began speaking about conspiracy theories. He said a trilateral government was in control of the world, and that it's agenda was to reduce the world population to 500 million people. The Vatican was the religious arm of this government, and London and Washington DC, the financial and military arms respectively. After that Fred went off on a dozen different tangents talking about how to discover the truth and that we should all seek it.  By the time we arrived at the hotel, Roberto and I had already decided Fred was nuts. As for the hotel, it was nice enough, but further outside the city than we expected and there didn't seem to be much in the area.

Small roadside shrines

Nanpon and her nephew

Nanpon, the wife of Fred, asked me and Roberto if we wanted to go to a church across town to have Christmas dinner with local children. It seemed better than wasting the afternoon at the hotel so we agreed and got back in her uncle's truck taxi. Unfortunately, the town was very far and we became lost on the way. For three hours we rode in the rear of the taxi while Fred mostly talked about his conspiracy theories. He also told us how he had met Nanpon. While in America he had seen her profile pic on Facebook and thought she looked like an angel. So he sent her a message asking if she was a seeker of the truth. Nanpon responded yes. A year later, after having maintained a long distance correspondence, Fred arrived in Thailand and the two became married. For 54 year old Fred it was his third marriage and for Nanpon her first. Oddly, Nanpon had already almost given up on the idea of marriage because at her age of 26 she was too old to be desirable by the men in her village. So it worked out for her in a way. Yet at the same time I couldn't help feel that the two were poorly matched.

When we got to the church, the young minister who ran the place greeted us. He was of the 7th Day Adventist Faith, the same as Fred, and moreover served as a kind of missionary for an area that covered a 200km radius. The children had already gone home but there was still plenty of food left over. The dishes were traditional Thai fare and quite spicy, but I enjoyed them and had my fill. Then it was a two hour ride back to the hotel. Fred talked the entire time and Nanpon lamented that he was always saying very serious things. I nodded my head, again wondering if she realized what kind of a man she had married. Fred wasn't a bad guy per say. But his wild beliefs and forward personality made him a hard pill to swallow at times.

At the church with Fred

Traditional cuisine

The next day Roberto and I tried to find the waterfall Fred had told us of. According to him it was upstream on the river that ran next to the hotel. Well, we set out on foot, first taking a road, and then by paralleling the river bank. There were tons of huge, round rocks and as far as we went no waterfall appeared. Eventually we gave up and turned back. That was the extent of our stay in Nakhon Si Thamarat. The only thing we did after that was get back to town and wait for a bus to take us south.

In search of a waterfall

Malaysia

Thailand is a largely Buddhist country. There are temples everywhere along with monks clothed in saffron robes. And yet interestingly, in the southern provinces Islam has also taken hold. The closer to Malaysia you get the more mosques you see and once across the border it's the reverse. Some 600 hundred years ago traders from the Middle East spread Islam to the Malay peninsula and onto the islands of Malaysia and Indonesia. At the same time came Chinese traders and those from India. Then it was the European colonial powers, beginning with the Portuguese and Dutch, and ending with the British. This influx of outside influence brought a mixture of cultures, language and religion which now characterizes the country.

Compared to the other countries in South East Asia, I thought Malaysia to be very developed and clean. The cost of everything was slightly higher too, and among the places I have visited in the region, only Singapore has been more expensive and modernized. But I've only visited peninsular Malaysia and in the big cities. I'm sure it's cheaper elsewhere in the country. And speaking of costs, the Malaysian government taxes beer heavily making it as expensive there as it is in Japan. That makes sense. Malaysia is a largely Islamic country. The problem is that a beer at the supermarket costs as much as a meal in a restaurant. But I suppose it's better than having no beer at all. The Muslim influence also has it where many restaurants and stores do not sell pork. Lastly, Muslim women must wear a hijab scarf wrapped around their heads. These are the things that immediately stand out to a tourist.

Local ladies

I'll be honest. I don't care much for Islam. I disapprove of it the same way I do any religion that heavily restricts the individual freedoms of a person, and in its truest form I find some of its practices barbaric. Malaysian Islamic law, fortunately, does not abide strictly by the secular rules written in the Quran. So unlike in Saudi Arabia, a woman will not be stoned to death if convicted of the sin of having sex outside of wedlock. And Malaysia's version of Islamic Law applies only to Muslims in the country while non-Muslims are subject to a legal system founded primarily on the statutes of British common law. This means that a Muslim living in Malaysia may have up to four wives but a Christian may not. Because of these distinctions Malaysians must register their religion which is then written on their identity card.

Hostel Antics

In the north of Malaysia on the western coast is the island of Penang. It has Malaysia's second largest city of George Town. It was once a major British port along with Singapore to the south. Even before the British took the Malay mainland, these two ports (and Malacca) allowed them to hold control over trade in the region. After a long bus ride from Thailand, Roberto and I arrived in George Town at 10pm and discovered our hostel was not in the city but a half hour away in a seaside town called Batu Ferringhi. We had to take another bus and only then could we check in at the Lazy Boys Travel Lodge and have a much needed shower.

For the next three days Penang served as a backdrop for sunny leisure and drunken debauchery. The beach was only a two minute walk from where we were staying and the sand was white and the water warm. On the first day a group of us played beach volleyball in the shade of palm trees and took breaks to cool off in the ocean. I couldn't help but to think how lucky I was to be spending late December on a tropical island when I should have been in Japan where the temperature was around freezing. Even at night Penang was warm enough to walk around in shorts and sandals. And after dark, that was when the town of Batu Ferringi really came to life. A night market and food stalls offered tourists countless ways to spend their money, and I took advantage of the cheap culinary offerings.

Taxi

Colonial graveyard

Big monitor lizard

Laksa soup and shumai dumplings

Then there was the alcohol.

Because the beer at the market was a little pricey we got lychee flavored vodka and mixed it with soda. To encourage ourselves to drink hard and fast we played a game at the hostel that one of the American girls knew. It was called "Circle of Death" and involved a deck of cards and a dozen rules, but once we knew what we were doing it became a fast-paced and engaging spectacle. Then as we progressed into the third round everyone at the table was too sloshed to follow the rules and the game fell apart. It was still fun but such fun did not come without a price. The next morning we all had horrible hangovers.

While we were still coherent

I must add that night at Lazy Boys Travel Lodge was one of the better ones I've had at a hostel and that's saying a lot because I have stayed at dozens of them around the world. In fact the last time I had that much drunken fun was probably eight years ago at a hostel I checked into in Paris. For the magic to unfold it takes a good crowd of guests, a proper lounge area and one determined person to get everyone to that next level. The combination is a rather rare thing.

Well, in spite  of our hangovers, Roberto and I stuck with our plan to rent a scooter and make a loop around Penang Island that final day. It took us three hours and I drove while Roberto sat in the back. The cheap Chinese made scooter had an uncomfortable seat and Roberto made it know that his ass was in pain. Yet there was nothing we could do other than tough out the ride until the end. We made some stops on the way to see what the island offered. Regrettably, a lot of the attractions were off the main road and the signs were mostly in Malay so we missed some of the nicer temples. Once we got back to the hostel we relaxed some and then took a taxi to George Town to catch a night bus for the capital.

Nice waterfall

End of the Line

There is not much we saw in Kuala Lumpur. Our bus arrived early and we went to a McDonalds to kill time until the sun came up. Then we meandered about the Chinese market and worked our way towards the National Mosque. The one meal we had was at a Burger King. No, I take that back. We also ate later on at an Indian Restaurant. The curry was not so great but the place had amazing pomegranate juice.  And that ended our day in Kuala Lumpur. We had to go to the airport to stay the night. Our flight was early the next morning so it seemed a good idea to wait there as opposed to checking into a nearby hotel.

Muslim girl

Handcrafted woodwork

Love it

Kuala Lumpur Airport incidentally is the main hub for AirAsia. That's one of those economy airlines that has reduced flight costs. The trade off is that food, movies, blankets and just about everything else is extra money. I couldn't complain. Our one-way flight from Kuala Lumpur to Osaka was only 100 bucks. And that was a late booking over the winter holidays. It makes me wonder how the company stays in business.

Anyhow, that ended our trip. Roberto and I returned to Osaka. The cold weather was waiting for us and I came down with something that first day back. Roberto soon caught the same bug. We were both out for two days and it wasn't exactly the best way to start the new year. But now that it has begun, I look ahead to 2014. I'm thinking about where I will travel next. Perhaps to the Middle East. Or maybe New Zealand. My next vacation is only two months away so I'll have to decide soon. 

Shall we meet again?