Sunday 31 July 2005

All Aboard The Night Train

Great day yesterday marred by the fact that I knew I was going to have to get on the overnight train to Chang Mai ... I met a Dutc mother and daughter heading the same way but their train was 15m after mine, which seemed very strange as I was told that there was one every two hours or so. Abit apprehensive especially when we got the train station and there were no signs saying 8.45 to CM and nothing about train number 11. And the only trains that turned up until 9 were rammed (by rammed I mean every seat taken, every bit of standing room taken and people hanging out the doors, kind of like the images you see of Indian trains with people sitting on top of the carriage). Luckily, it eventually turned up and some very kind locals told me that this was mine. A relief, for a little while. The journey was About 11 hours of being stuck in a tiny Thai sized seat with nowhere to put my feet and nowhere to rest my head. I drifted in and out of sleep being lulled by Phillip Jose Farmer's excellent opening novel of the Riverworld series (it kind of goes down after that one) and still have a massive crick in my neck as well as some rather nasty sunburn. I was assaulted by a series of tuk tuk drivers and hotel reps eager for my business and went with one of them ... I'm easily swayed by a smiling face. 'A', as he introduced himself took me to a very nice, very cheap house near the middle of town. They've got treks going from there but i 'm holding off until I catch up with some people I met in bangkok. Apparently on this trek wen up in the mountains you can acquire the blessed leaf, which might be a little bit f fun.

Back on the bike

Staying in Ayathaya at the moment, the old capital. After politely declining a pushy tuk tuk driver's offer of driving me around the city I had the choice of hiring a motorbike or a pushbike. Being a colossos of a man (at least as far as Thai people go) my only choice on the bike front was a crappe old girls bike with a basket in the front. However, I needed the exercise so I went with this one. After an hour my bum was killing me, after two my hands were killing me. By the end I was in hurting all over; what I wouldn't have done for a nice pair of bike shorts and gloves and a proper seat and handblebars. Went to see lots of temples and monuments and got some great views of the countryside. Also got to see some more elephants ... Just rode in and wandered up to them. There was barly any supervision. probably the highlight of the day. Got a bit lost a few times but that's what happens when I go travelling. Saw lots of children who ran along beside me sayinghello with cheeryfaces, also had a bit of a chat with a guy whose name escapes me who spoke no English at all but when him and his wife found out I was australian they said, 'Ah, Jennifer Hawkins' ... Obviously she made an impact (miss universe to anyone who's already forgotten her). I don't know if I got a decdent photo of her but I saw the quintessentl Thai bike courier, about 60 years old with half a cigarette hanging out of her mouth and a tonne of boxes on a dinky little bike that was in worse condition than my hire one. I'll post the picture if I can. Also got a tremendous sunburn ... I feel i'll have a mighty tan before I leave but aloe vera is a foreign word over here and i'm hoping my skin doesn't peel off before it goes dark. Sitting in a bar at the moment hoping I can have a shower before I g on a 12 hour overnight trip to Chang Mai (no sleeping carriages left!!!) where i'll meet up with a few people I met in bangkok ... Maybe.

Celebrity Watch

Arrived at bangkok and was confronted with a collossos of a man on the plane ... Looked very familia, none other than Nathan Jones of WWF and Troy fame ... Had a bit of a chat, apparently he's down here for the premiere of the new Tony Jaa muay thai vehicle, whose name escapes me ... He plays an Australian bad guy, what a surprise ... you wouldn't meet a nicer bloke although I bet he didn't have any problems securing decent legroom. But then again, would you argue with him???
Got ripped off at the airport a little bit, compared all of the prices that were offered, the same, and then got guilt tripped into tipping the cab driver, after I checked in ithe lonely planet and found that what I paid to get here was substantially more than was recommended. Still, cheap at twice the price ... Bit wrecked but decided to check out the ROAD and had a wee drappy before fending off some unwelcome advances and returning to the ... Ahem, hotel. I expect the updates will substantially drop off once I get started on my adventures.
By the by, it's very hot.

Five children and it

how many children who escaped london during the blitz ended up in a house with a mad old uncle or evil matriarch type figure and a magical whatever that taught them a lesson about something. And how come the dad always comes home safely and why does he always look like a sleazy seventies porn star?

Inept scammers

Decided to go for a run today. Asked at the guesthouse where a nearby park was and the one they recommended was a little small so decided to go to Lumpini Park, near where the Muay Thai boxing was the other night. A tuk tuk driver approached and asked me where I wanted to go and after I said where he told me that the park was closed at the moment (???) but it would be open at 3 and because today was a special tax-free government day (he couldn't believe that I didn't know that) he would take me to a couple of wats (temples) and also show me some bargains in the meantime. This was the prelude to the infamous gem scam (look up Lonely Planet for more details) and Bert and Lise who I met yesterday had actually been got by this. I was a bit apprehensive as whilst I knew what was going on I thought there was a chance I could be strong-armed into relieving myself of my dwindling bhat. But he offered a very cheap tour of the city and a promise of taking me to the park at 3 so I decided to go along. After a few temples we came to the Lucky Buddha and he went off to the toilet and I entered. The guy at the entrance told me 5m but I could wait. I went to sit down and a very ugly man with some very beautiful rings told me about the once a year tax-free day and suggested that I should buy some jewellery and sell it when I returned to Australia at a very handsome profit. While I considered this a wastrel of an Englishman approached me and asked me what was going on with the wait for the Lucky Buddha, I didn't know but then he told me that he financed his frequent trips to thailand with jewellery selling. What a coincidence .. I was then told that the buddha wouldn't be available until 3 so I should come back. Next stop was a jewellery shop with some very slimy salesman .. When they realised I wasn't going to buy anything they told me that they were shutting the shop for a coffee break. The driver then told me he was going to take me to a suit shop where they would give him a petrol coupon if I pretended to feign interest for a little while. I was offered a very good deal on said item but as I plan to delay any suit wearing for as long as possible I regretfully declined. Then he took me to the giant buddha (very nice actually), I looked around for a while then returned to find my friendly tuk tuk driver has abandoned me in the middle of Bangkok. Eventually got myself to lumpini park where I did a few laps (possibly the most exhausting run i've ever done ... The heat was insane) before bussing it back to Khao San. Tomorrow off to the Ancient city, Bangkok is amazing but a little calustrophobic.
Ps - last night met a very nice young Canadian with his Korean girlfriend and we had a few drinks bfore she went off for a walk and never came back. Spent 2 hours looking for her before giving up ... She was very nice but methinks she's the type who wanders ... I felt a little sorry for the guy but what ar you going to do.
Well, i've had my first adventure which turned out to be a lot less scay than I thought it would be. The scammers were just going through t he motiions and I had to bite my tongue to stop laughing when they went through their spiel. it seems the tuk tuk drivers get their petrol supplied by the shops and they just want us to stay for a few minutes and pretend to be interested ... Bizarro world but the system seems to work and if anyone is silly enough to think they can become a suave interntational jewel trader from this city then they probably deserve to be parted with their money ... I think there's a saying about that.

I've left on a jetplane ... don't know when I'll come back agan

Typing the first real travelogue from seat 32A on Thai Airways flight whatever ... Seatguru.com seemed to have got it wrong as there's no power point and I've got very limited legroom despite assuring the check in guy that I'm a collosus of a man and I need the emergency exit seat ... I can certainly handle the responsibility but they were adament that they had found a better man.
Last night was it was a bit of a mess ... Realised I had nowhere to stay in Bangkok when I got there, no way of getting cash out on my credit card and my lonely planet had disappeard ... It all was rectified in the morning ... Thank god for the internet I say ... Goodbyes are always difficult ... and this week i've had a few ... But as someone haughtily reminded me ... I'm not going away for that long so i'll be seeing you all pretty soon. I think I managed to say goodbye to just about everyone ... Even the ones I don't really like ...
Holiday really hasn't started yet although I think getting on the plane is certainly a good starting point. The next posting should be a little more coherent as I won't be addled from the altitude and the Ballantines ... In fact, the next posting may even turn up before this one if I don't find a wifi in Bangkok ...

Wednesday 27 July 2005

Floating Market and Elephant Hooligans

decided to be the tourist today (because, after all, i am one) and did a day tour. first to the floating markets where we witnessed loads of tourists taking photographs of each other and i was overcharged for some fruit. i have never seen so much crap in my life. there was some stuff that was okay but of the hundredsof stalls we passed (all selling exactly the same mercchandise) there copuldnt have beenmore than a handful of people actually buying anything. i think if youre in sales in bangkok you need to learn how to take rejection well. there has to be some kind of state subsidy or something because i cant comprehened how that market could actually pay for itself.
after that it was off to see crocodiles and elephants. a welcome surprise was that this was the soccer palyingelephants that robbies told me about. most amusing, incredibly well trainedelephants dancing, exposing themselves, doing a mock battle and dressing up as famous soccer players and doing penalty kicks (predictably, there was a cheeky baby one who got yellow carded then headbutted the referee and was sent off ... after which he tripped the referee over). then there were two young thai men who wrestled with some (hopefully very well fed and drugged) crocodiles. i also met a young belgian couple named bert and lise who were very nice -however, they flew off this evening. all in all a very pleanand day (was also given some tips on how to avoid getting ripped off over here - they were got on the infamous gemstone scam).

Tuesday 26 July 2005

Update - Day 2






have had an nteresting first few days. still finding myself paying more than i should for transport and other such things but have learned a few lessons i think and it should be reduced movingforward.
visited china town andate some pancakes and also went to the muay thai kickboxing tournament. its quite far out of khao san so i tooka motorcycle taxi which was a little bit scary. he seemed to know what he was doing and he was a very nice young man (pictured here) but wrong way down a one way st and running three red lights is not the actions that i like in my chauffeur. muay thai was predictably brutal but the crowd was probably the most amusingpart.
by the by -next time i will bring a better camera.

Fwd: I've left on a jetplane ...don't know when i'llbe back again

Typing the first real travelogue from seat 32A on Thai Airways flight
whatever ... Seatguru.com seemed to have got it wrong as there's no
power point and I've got very limited legroom despite assuring the
check in guy that I'm a collosus of a man and I need the emergency
exit seat ... I can certainly handle the responsibility but they were
adament that they had found a better man.
Last night was it was a bit of a mess ... Realised I had nowhere to
stay in Bangkok when I got there, no way of getting cash out on my
credit card and my lonely planet had disappeard ... It all was
rectified in the morning ... Thank god for the internet I say ...
Goodbyes are always difficult ... and this week i've had a few ... But
as someone haughtily reminded me ... I'm not going away for that long
so i'll be seeing you all pretty soon. I think I managed to say
goodbye to just about everyone ... Even the ones I don't really like
...
Holiday really hasn't started yet although I think getting on the
plane is certainly a good starting point. The next posting should be
a little more coherent as I won't be addled from the altitude and the
Ballantines ... In fact, the next posting may even turn up before this
one if I don't find a wifi in Bangkok ...

Sunday 24 July 2005


All of us ... aren't we a happy looking bunch. Posted by Picasa

Torq hiding Jen while she pours herself a BYO champagne at a non-BYO restaurant (scandalous!!!) Posted by Picasa

The 'Murricaine Posted by Picasa

Cucvara family and Carmen (well, Cucvara family) Posted by Picasa

Tell looking surley (how surprising) Posted by Picasa

Golden Century dinner (aunty pen, cousin tell and his lovely wife, carol) Posted by Picasa

Killing time at the Captain Cook with happy co-residents Rowan and Emilie post Swans game Posted by Picasa

Wednesday 20 July 2005

Last Day At Work

Finally, the last day has arrived.  After one year I take my leave of Optus, the telecommunications industry and the corporate world on the whole to go to greener pastures.  It's not been a complete waste of time by any means but I cannot deny that I will not be shedding any tears as I say goodbye to it.

Note to self: next time you leave a job, make sure your last day is your last day.  Hurrah.

 

Tuesday 19 July 2005

Travelogue - Episode I

Not left Australia yet but this is the first travelling post to be uploaded. There may be a farewell message coming up prior to me leaving but it's appropriate to put something up now that www.evilmelon.com has been registered (and not too soon either).
I'm pretty sure everything has been taken care of:
Tickets - done
Passport - done
Visas - mostly done
Travelling stuff - done as well as it's going to be
There'll be other things that have been missed but for the most part I can't think of anything else.
Proper updates to follow.

Thursday 14 July 2005