Bureaucracy, blackout & bluster >> Travel: Laos, Myanmar, Thailand 10

Oct 6: Night, Yangon

It had been raining heavily in the City of Angels since afternoon. The sky was dark, pregnant with clouds. Leaving Bangkok's Don Muang airport later in the day, our flight to Yangon was bumpy and unsettling. For the first 20 minutes, the lights in the plane were off and no one was allowed to leave their seats, not even to go to the toilet.

My first view of Myanmar from the window of our plane was of a lush, green land. A thick, milky brown river (the Irrawaddy?) snaked through this land, with a network of thin streams spreading out like branches across the earth. Only when we were almost landing did I see paved roads, cars and street lights.

When we touched down, everywhere was dark and drizzling. It wasn't even 7pm yet. At Immigration, we politely agreed that we wanted to change US$200 into FECs (Foreign Exchange Certificates) EACH. Yes, according to official regulations.

Oh, but you need only change $200 FOR BOTH, said the staff. We replied smilingly that it was OK, we would change $400. We had already planned to use the FECs to pay for our lodgings, transport and entrance fees. So all smiles, and we were soon through Immigration. Some backpackers were still arguing about the FECs, which looked like pieces of monopoly money.

On to Customs. And our first blackout in the country.

The building went dark for several minutes. I held on to my bag and sneaked a look towards the runway outside. No lights either. Simultaneously, we started to fumble for the torchlights in our bags. From now on, I'm carrying one in my daypack or in the front pouch of my bag.

From the airport, we shared a taxi with an Australian couple, David and Tutii, to downtown Yangon and, hopefully, a place to sleep. However, our first choice did not work out and we continued our accommodation hunt. We saw two more, each in worse condition than the previous. All the places had varying degrees of a danky smell. Annie said it was because the rooms had no window.

At the second place, the proprietor raved and ranted at us when we asked for cheaper rooms. Inexplicably, he then gave us hot tea, before raving some more. We gave the place up as a lost cause when we realised he did not even have a room left to let for the night!

At the third place, everyone at the front desk looked at us like we had three horns, two tails and six eyes (each) when we stepped into their hotel. So, okay, we were dripping a little. It was still raining after all.

In the end, the Aussies decided to stay the night there. We did not like this place at all. So we took a taxi back to our first choice, which was more expensive, but much cleaner. The people there were also friendly and warm. They shaved off a few dollars from the room rate and threw in breakfast.

Aiyoh! Budget accommodation has, so far, been expensive and mostly not value for money. But, Yangon is the capital city after all. I expect many things to cost more.

Budget (for two in baht, US$ or kyat as indicated)

Thailand
Breakfast >> B90 + Newspapers (2x) >> B40
+ Lunch >> B249 + Phonecard >> B50
+ Dessert >> B35

Myanmar
Taxi (from airport) >> US$2 + Taxi >> K1,800
+ Room >> US$15

Next... Yangon walk-a-bout

Tutti frutti >> Travel: Laos, Myanmar, Thailand 09

Oct 4: Afternoon, Bangkok

It has been raining on and off every afternoon since our museum visit two days ago. We are glad to have packed a light umbrella.

The water level in the Chao Phraya remains uncomfortably high. Floods in other parts of Thailand had made over 150,000 families homeless, the Bangkok Post reported today.

The Thais seem to like many of their foods in dainty portions. The you zha kueh (fried stick dough), hum jing peng (also deep-fried, round-shaped dough, sometimes with sweet fillings) and other fried pasteries all come in piping hot and bite size. One or two mouthfuls and you keep going back for more!

We had some strange roots in our hot and sour vegetable soup last night. It was an interesting titbit, like chewing thin stalks of... I don't know... something! There was lots of vegetables (besides the roots) in our soup and noodles. Everything was expertly-cooked and fresh, the vegetables wonderfully crunchy without an overpowering raw taste.

We found Chinatown expensive. Guava retailed at 50 baht per kilogramme (We bought some elsewhere at B25/kg.) and Chinese pears at B100/kg. So, window shop and check the prices before you buy.

In one shop, the lady wanted 1,020 baht for a hat. We found another stall willing to sell a similar version for 150 baht! We didn't want to spend so much on something whose quality we could not appreciate, so we finally settled on two utilitarian cotton ones (made from excess strips of cloths) at 10 baht each.

Oct 5: Night, Bangkok

Arrgh! Choppy waters in the Chao Phraya. We had to hop in and out of the river express boats while the pier was heaving up and down in the restless waters. Not recommended for the faint-hearted or physically uncoordinated (guess who?). Helping hands from the boat guys were very appreciated.

Just as they have the right to seats by the bus door near the driver, monks also have reserved space on one side of the boat.

Many of the boat stations, such as the one near the Grand Palace, open out to bustling markets selling cooked food, fruits, vegetables and all sorts of knick-knacks.

It was fun to browse through the makeshift stalls (sometimes just a mat on the pavement) selling amulets, second-hand goods, cheap T-shirts and tacky souvenirs. We were particularly happy to eat our way through the variety of fruits on sale. We have eaten guava, custard apples, jambu (red or green and pear-shape) and pomegranates so far. And the lemon is very tart and refreshing in tea with honey.

We have collected our visas. We'll be flying to Yangon tomorrow.

Budget (for two in baht)

Oct 4
Room >> B520 + Breakfast (prata) >> B55 + Bus (to Chinatown) >> B7 + Hats (2x) >> B20 + Lunch >> B226 + Dinner >> B156 + H20 (6x) >> B20 + Internet >> B19 + Photocopy >> B2

Oct 5
Room >> B520 + Breakfast >> B60 + Chao Phraya Express (Tha Banglamphu to Tha Tien) >> B16 + Across-river boat (Tha Tien to Wat Arun and back) >> B8 + Coffee >> B15 + Fruits >> B35 + Postcards (8x) >> B16 + Lunch >> B70 + Laundry >> B46 + Dinner >> B220 + Internet >> B19 + Bus (to airport, for next day) >> B160

Next... Yangon touchdown

A thousand & one lights >> Mid-Autumn Festival in Singapore

Golden Triangle blog returns after this entry. I simply want to walk down memory's lane a little and write about the Lantern Festival, which I haven't celebrated. But, others have.

Today is the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar year. Today, the Chinese celebrate the Mid-Autumn (zhong qiu jie) or Mooncake Festival.

That's not something I bother with as I grow older. I think it has been three decades since I carry a lantern to celebrate this festival.

This evening, however, I'm staying over at Annie's.

On a sudden whim, I suggested a walk after dinner, to see if the Chinese in Singapore were still celebrating this tradition.

Eating lots of mooncakes before, during and after does not qualify. I wonder if children still carry lanterns while the adults gather to chit-chat, drink tea and eat mooncakes.

Downstairs, two families were lighting candles on the walkway. Numerous lanterns hung on nearby benches. But, not much activity besides these gung-ho groups.

And we couldn't see the moon. Much too cloudy. Perhaps it would pour again, like it did early this morning.

Further on, at the quadrangle, more families gathered and it was almost festive. We walked on and entered the public park, an area with jogging and cycling tracks, and exercise machines.

The night transformed, warmed by the tiny glow from many, many, petite candles seven-cm tall and half-a-cm wide. A couple was snacking away while their children played with lanterns and sparklers.

By one path, three girls crouched around a mass of unlit candles. Walking past them, we realised they had arranged the candles to form some word and were trying to flame up each and every candle.

"Keep the plastic bag. Don't throw it on the floor!" An older girl admonished a younger one further down the path.

Malay and Indian families also joined in the fun. They were candles, candles, everywhere, with lanterns strung up by the bushes.

And then, there were the sparklers. Attention grabbers, those sparklers. They emitted a high-pitch whistle once they started to burn. Children lit them and whirled them, momentarily creating bright rings in the air.

The lanterns came in all shapes and sizes. There were simple paper ones, floral patterns painted on the side. More elaborate designs included dragons, somewhat on the chubby side. These paper lanterns were lit with a candle held within its bowels. The plastic lanterns (battery-operated) had more contemporary icons, such as Mickey Mouse. I also saw a lantern which was actually a mini-carousel with a button mushroom as its centrepiece!

There was even music to accompany the festivities as some of the lanterns came equipped with a Chinese pop or evergreen tune. I heard one extolling the warmth and happiness of family, a tune I remember learning in primary school.

As we walked around, Annie and I were reminded of the time we spent in Darjeeling several years ago. As we went there in October, we were very lucky to catch the locals celebrating Diwali.

When night fell, hundreds of candles were lit. At our guesthouse, the staff placed candles on each step of the stairs. The glow was very heartwarming (and warming as well in the cold evenings on the hill station).

Groups of young people went around singing, like carollers during Christmas. One group came to our guesthouse. They placed their tape-recorder on the floor and sang and danced most merrily. Everyone was very appreciative and our lady manager handed them some presents.

Out on the streets, firecrackers added to the festivities. It was fun in the safety of our guesthouse, but much less so when we went out for dinner earlier. It seemed that people simply threw the firecrackers where they liked. We did not want to be 'bombed' so we hurried back to our room and enjoyed the festivities from afar.

As we reminisced, we turned to begin our stroll home. And there, right in front of us, was the moon.

A splendid glowing globe against the dark sky.

For info about the Mid-Autumn Festival & Diwali (or Deepavali), you may find these websites useful:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Autumn_Festival
ml.hss.cmu.edu/courses/suemei/Moon/
www.sinica.edu.tw/tit/festivals/0996_MidAutumn.html
www.diwalifestival.org/

Klong along >> Travel: Laos, Myanmar, Thailand 08

Oct 3: Evening, Bangkok

Although this is not our first trip to Thailand or Bangkok, the country has so much to offer visitors that we make new discoveries every trip.

On this visit, we took our first longtail ride in a klong (canal), from the Golden Mount to Pratunum. No haggling with the tuk-tuk drivers, no putting up with taxi drivers who refused to use their meters, and no getting caught in traffic snarls.

The Phanfa pier was rather rickety to this couple of land-bound city slickers. We watched how the locals got into the boat and tried to imitate them. Right. Grab the ropes on the canvas roof to hoist yourself into the boat. We dropped in, none too gracefully.

Once the boat sped up, one of the guys on the boat's edge reached into the interior to collect the fare from seated passengers.

Soon, we found out why there were small pulleys throughout the boat. Each ingenuous contraption was attached to a plastic sheet of ghastly white and blue stripes. Tug the pulley and the sheet goes up, an effective shield against splashes from the murky, odourous depths of the klong.

The longtail was fast, noisy and shaky. The locals, however, were very nimble, sliding in and out of the vessel with ease. Very enviable.

This is obviously an affordable and effective means of transport for the locals. For the budget-minded visitor, although you won't see much when the plastic screen is up, this is still an interesting way to tour the klongs.

To market, to market

Our longtail ride took us to Pratunum, the place for economical, mass-produced apparel. Loads of cheap clothing, such as t-shirts, blouses, jean and dresses. Pratunum is another warren, like the Chatuchak Weekend Market.

We bought a few cotton and rather retro-looking pieces to add to our meager wardrobe. In very psychedelic shades, those drawsting pants. With a litte judicious mixing and matching, they should come in useful for the rest of our trip.

Metered ride

After Pratunum, we decided to splurge on a taxi ride back to our guesthouse. The driver turned on the meter, unprompted. Another first, a metered ride.

Unfortuately, we ran smack into the office crowd leaving work. Traffic was choking; we were glad to be in our air-con cab. And the driver enlivened the atmosphere by practising his rusty Mandarin with us.

PS: Here's a humorous companion to a Bangkok or Thailand trip: Thai Lite by S Tsow. Annie & I read this recently and thoroughly enjoyed Mr Tsow's "scribblings".

Budget (for two in baht)

Room >> B520 + Longtail (Phanfa to Pratunum) >> B14 + Shopping (t-shirt, pants 2x, blouse) >> B470 + Lunch >> B99 + Fruits (custard apples 2x, guava) >> B35 + Shopping (sundries) >> B188 + Coffee (@Black Canyon) >> B100 + Taxi >> B75 + Dinner >> B237 + Tips >> B20

Next... Chao Phraya, chomp chomp & Chinatown

Chao Phraya on the pavement >> Travel: Laos, Myanmar, Thailand 07

Oct 2: Morning, Bangkok

New Siam II's rooms may be able to keep out the construction work downstairs, but the sound-proofing is no match for noisy neighbours on the corridor outside our room. Amidst the spotlessness and gleaming paint, our room and the corridor in this new guesthouse have already suffered a few scratched surfaces and bits of peeling paint. The wear and tear in budget places seems very high. Spotted in various guesthouses this and past trips: loose switches (even with innards exposed), dented tables, chairs and TVs, scratched walls, and bedsheets with holes.

Last evening, we had yummy Thai food in Krua Nopparat (KN), a small restaurant facing the Chao Phraya across Phra Athit Road. Diners were mostly locals, even though the restaurant was on the fringe of Khaosan, a mini-United Nations represented mainly by backpackers. At KN, patrons included tais tais (wealthy middle-age women), businessmen, office workers, families and the occasional farang (foreigners).

Several doors away, we bought six one-litre bottles of water from a provision shop for 20 baht. The lady did not speak English, so the transaction was done with gestures and smiles. In the main Khaosan area, the same six bottles cost 25 baht, an indication that backpackers are paying a premium on the main drag, which is chockful of people making fashion (and other) statements: tourists in braids with body-piercings, local guys in bras and a gal or two spotting a beard!

Some bad news today: the very helpful staff at the Bangkok Tourist Centre told us that Chiangmai and Ayuthaya were flooded. When we were at ETC, a travel agency in Khaosan, to buy air tickets to Yangon and to apply for our Laos visa (the embassy is very far away) yesterday, the staff there offered the opinion that Kanchanaburi was not likely to be 'visitable' too! Looks like we are stuck in Bangkok.

At Santichanprakarn Park along Phra Athit Road, we looked at the Chao Phraya almost lapping on to the pavement. When the Chao Phraya River Express passed too close to land, its waves caused the water to slosh over. People seating by the river had to get up quickly or risk a drenching. At various points, we noted sandbags packed and stacked as a bulwark against the rising river. Somehow, it looks like David vs Goliath to me.

Oct 2: Evening, Bangkok

After many hours under a threatening sky, it finally rained in the afternoon. As the rain came down intermittenly, we sought shelter when it was wet by taking lunch and visiting Bangkok National Museum.

Earlier, I drank a lovely 15-baht expresso at a tiny stall opposite the ticket counter at Tha Chang, the boat stop for the Grand Palace. Annie bought a hot lemon tea. Her tea was fragrant and tart as the stallholder was very generous with the fresh lemon juice.

No one tried to sell us stuff because we looked like locals and we were not with a tour. Everyone spoke to us in Thai and we had to tell people we did not understand them. Sometimes, this startled them so much that some scuttled away while others turned to English-speaking help.

Budget (for two in baht)

Room >> B520
Breakfast >> B60
Coffee and lemon tea >> B30
Guava (whole) >> B10
Museum >> B80
Lunch >> B40
Sundries (4x milk, mosquito coil, shower gel) >> B102.5
Tea >> B91
Dinner >> B125
Cake (next day's breakfast) >> B45

Next...
A day of firsts

Highway drama >> Travel: Laos, Myanmar, Thailand 06

Oct 1: Afternoon, Bangkok

We arrived yesterday, touching down at Bangkok's Don Muang airport in the evening. It's been a while since our last long trip (as opposed to two-week junkets). Mentally unprepared to be on the road again. I feel... very unalert.

At 100 baht, the airport bus was the best (though not the cheapest) way for us to get to Khaosan in the dark. Our bus was stopped by the police on the highway. The policeman on his motorbike was most adamant that our driver pulled his vehicle on to the road shoulder. Our bus rolled to a halt.

We sat in the dark, waiting. No one boarded our bus. Our driver was a dark silhouette, still in his seat. Street lights shone on dark asphalt, now trafficless. Then, a whoosh of sound and swirling red. Some VIP and entourage streaked by, flashing lights and all.

Movement again, as normal traffic streamed back to the highway. The traffic police waved and he too disappeared into the night. We were allowed to go on our way.

Sawadee Inn... not

Thanks to the Internet, we had a reservation at the Sawadee Bangkok Inn (SBI). Our bus dropped us at its sister hotel, Sawadee Khaosan Inn. Down the road, a woman at the desk by the police station walked us a little way. She told us she was a reporter covering a beat in the area.

Alas, the Sawadee Inn we found was not the one we wanted. This one was the Sawadee Krungthep Inn (SKI). A Caucasian guy at SKI told us how to get to SBI. Alamak! We should simply turn into Khaosan Road after the bus dropped us.

Now, we had to double back, not too fun with luggage on a balmy night. As we continued our search, which had turned somewhat sweaty by this stage, I looked at the street throng and longed to tarry a while, just to imbibe in the lively atmosphere. Annie, however, was most focused, stoically heading in the direction suggested.

Our room at SBI cost B30 more than a similar one at SKI, though I thought it was in better condition than the one we peeked into at SKI. Unfortunately, the walls were thin and hollow. People keep late, late hours in Khaosan and we heard them throughout the night.

The next day, we walked around, looking for more salubrious accommodation and found the New Siam II. This guesthouse is new. They are building a swimming pool. We simply close the door to our room to shut out the racket downstairs. The walls and doors are thicker here.

The ladies manning reception are friendly and alert. We particularly like their no-nonsense attitude towards bringing non-guests into the rooms. Women travellers, especially those on their own, should feel at home here. As usual, the towels and blankets don't match and the soap was wafer thin. Everything, however, is bright, spotless and comfy.

This would be home for the week, if we don't make a short trip out of Bangkok while waiting for our Laos visa.

Budget (for two in baht, unless otherwise indicated)

Sep 30
Tea in Changi Airport >> S$18.27
Airport bus >> B200
Room >> B500
Dinner >> B90

Oct 1
Room B520
Breakfast B120
Bangkok-Yangon flight (incl war insurance @B300 each) B6,600
Laos visa B2,400
Lunch (fishball noodles + H20) B56
Tea (cookies, coffee, hot choc) B85
Dinner B167
H20 (6 bottles) 20B

Next...
Chao Phraya runneth over?

Butterflies on board >> Travel: Laos, Myanmar, Thailand 05

Land of elephants, pagodas 'n smiles
>> Journal of a sojourn in the Golden Triangle

Aug 5: Night, Singapore

Been raining on and off. Not a good time to visit Myanmar (formerly Burma) and Laos, not when the roads aren't too good. So I hear.

Still, the prospect of travelling always sounds alluring.

Planning for a trip, that's always been a highlight for me.

Anticipation, pre-trip preparation: get your jabs, buy the necessities (plus a few luxuries to savour on less-than-scintillating days), book your flights, etc. Every mundane task completed is a step closer to the beginning of another journey.

Anticipation, pre-trip preparation: this stage is a journey itself.
You move from one task to another, before reaching the destination, the plane, train, boat or bus that will take you away from home.

And then, Tingling Anticipation comes with her sister, Fluttering Butterfly.
I always feel her in my tummy pre-departure.

From the recess of my tripping mind, scribbles of the most dubious quality:

So, I guess we will go.
So, I guess we will go because we are tired.
So, I guess we will go because we are tired and need to do another type of tired.
So, I guess we will go.

What of the things we leave behind?
What of the things we leave behind we should sort out before we go?
Before we go, we should sort out some things we leave behind.
Before we go, we should sort out some things we leave behind so we can take some along.
So we can take some along to travel with.
To travel with so we can use them to kickstart our journey.
To kickstart our journey is not to leave everything behind.
To leave everything behind is to deny who we are now.
Who we are now is why we are going, on this journey, to travel.

Sep 28: Midnight, Singapore

Two days to go.

Packing.

Anticipating. Fluttering Butterfly.

This trip was made from Sep-Dec 2002.

Next:
Highway halt