March 25, 2006
Antsy in Bangkok (Day 176)
Last I wrote Jared and I were in Georgetown eating a tiffin lunch in "Hotel Colonial Glory" (my stomach just growled at the thought of it...or is it because of the smell of sizzling pad thai woks wafting up from the street below?). After Georgetown we shot down south to Melaka (also spelled Malacca) on the best VIP bus I've ever encountered (10 pts for Malaysia). Melaka turned out to be a charming Spanish style town that offered almost nothing to do except complain about the sticky body-coating heat. I loved it for 2 reasons:
1. The guesthouses were fantastic
2. There was a gym down the street
I know I don't need to explain my second reason, but I will say something about the first. In a backpackers life a good guesthouse is like finding $100 bucks on a street corner. It's not likely to happen, but when it does you linger around and hope there'll be more. (Unless of course you're in a bad neighborhood, in which case it might belong to a drug dealer, so you quickly take off at a brisk stroll hoping no one noticed).
After a couple of sweltering days in Melaka, we took a short bus ride back north to Kuala Lumpur two days before John (Jared's dad) was to meet us. It was my birthday and we had spent hours on the internet scrolling through hotel listings and pictures in search of the perfect splurge hotel. We wanted a room that was stylish yet comfortable, a gym, a nice swimming pool and a mini bar; all for under 300 ringet ($75 usd). It turned out to be quite doable, and we finally booked two nights at the Impiana KLCC Hotel and Spa. Upon arrival we were delighted with our decision. The hotel was beautiful and the pool was fantastic, yet there was one thing they had failed to mention on their website...it wasn't completely finished. We found this out when shortly after checking in we set out to explore. While roaming we stopped a bellhop and asked him where the gym was. "We not have gym. Not finished yet. Maybe 1 year" he replied. We returned to the room and I proceeded to overreact by crying in the bathroom for the next 20 mins. I know it seems obsurd - and it is - but all I wanted was a nice room I could lounge in all day watching movies and calling roomservice because the only time I planned to leave was to go to the gym a few floors away (1). Jared (being as wonderful as he is) sat down with the manager over a cigarette and explained to him that it was my birthday and that the slow grand opening approach was not what we were looking for. He was kind enough to give us until 3pm to find a new place.
We found a new hotel quickly and althought the rooms were missing the hardwood floors and the contemporary sheek style, it was nice, it had a gym, and as an added bonus, a wine bar; which we later used for 2 bottles of red and a cheese plate. Our friends Lindsay and All
ison arrived around the same time as John, so the five of us spent a day or so together, during which we went to visit the Petronus Towers. I was especially excited to see the view from the top of one of the tallest buildings in the world and had largely instigated the visit. Unfortunately, we were disappointed to find that visitors are only allowed to "the bridge" on the 48th floor. The view was great, but to look up and see 40 more stories is like craving a banana split and getting everything but the ice cream.
Later that day, Jared, John and I said our goodbyes to the girls since they were on their way to Singapore, rented a car and hit the roads of Malaysia. We were anxious for a busless adventure and well prepared with a cooler full of cheese and fruit (I swear John brought us close to 10lbs). We chose to rent a car in Malaysia because it has the best roads in southeast Asia, and we wanted to see where they would take us. But, just because a country has good roads, doesn't mean they're comprehensive. We came to find that in Malaysia there is never a simple Point A to Point B route, or even a Point ABC route. Normally it's a Point A to Point G route. Sometimes we would get to an intersection and there would be two signs for KL pointing in different directions. Lets just say we spent a lot of time turning around and jabbing at maps.
The first night we went to see the fireflies in Kuala Selangor,
which I realized I had never seen after I kept thinking they were little lights hung in the trees by Disney employees. The next day we amused ourselves at a waterpark near Kuala Lumpur which we unfortunately had to cross through again in order to head north. The 3rd and 4th day, after making it up the windy narrow 2 lane road to the Cameron Highlands, we spent enjoying the cool crisp air, rain, tea, and scones with strawberry jam and cream. This time I enjoyed them without wondering whether I would have been allowed to during British occupation.
After the Cameron Highlands, we made the very difficult journey to the national park named Taman Negara. On the way I learned that the Oakes drive very fast when they are frustrated. We didn't have much time left in Malaysia so we only spent a day and a night, which was enough to enjoy the canopy walk, take a boat ride, and wish we had more time.
We spent our 2nd to last night in another Highland retreat called Bukit Something Or Other (sorry too much to remember) which was the whole reason we had rented the car in the first place. Although we didn't see the town in the daylight, we found that it had fantastic "tea with milk" and was quite charming. The next day we made it back to KL just in time to get Jared's India visa, find a nice place to stay and settle in for the night. We had a delightfully early flight back to Thailand the next morning.
The next couple days we spent in my old romping grounds, Chiang Mai, a city I realize I have come to love. Their Sunday night market is practically a pleasure with it's candlelight feel and 'Sunday stroll' pace. It's what you would hope most southeast Asian markets would be. A plethora of unique handmade crafts and none of the immitation Gucci crap. I gave in and bought myself a bag I don't think I'll regret purchasing even though I had to lug it around the following 3 weeks.
On Wednesday the 7th we (which now includes Allison who met us in Chiang Mai, and brought me my camera yippie!) set out to cross the border into Laos without fully comprehending the border crossing we were about to endure. When crossing from northern Thailand into Laos there is only one crossing, and the only way to get to the nearest city (Luang Prabang) is by boat. Although you have no choice in mode of transportation, they were kind enough to give us the option of speed. Fast or slow. The slow boat takes 2 days, the fast boat takes 6 hours. We opted for the fast boat having heard horror stories and wanting to save time. Although I don't think any of us regret our choice and the extra cost, we soon came to find there were drawbacks to the speed boat as well. First, 8 of us were squished into a boat about 12 feet long. The seats could barely hold a small 5 year old, let alone 2 full grown adults. Second, we had to wear helmets. Yes, helmets... for 6 hours... Of course that didn't happen. With the Oakes as motivators our helmets were off within minutes and we were enjoying the warm breeze (or shall I say deafening wind?) on our faces as we shot down the Mekong. I cannot lie and say I was comfortable at any point, but I definitely wasn't as uncomfortable as I would have thought. Yet something tells me (perhaps the faint memory of extreme heat, numb buttocks and cramping legs) that I won't be doing it again.
But don't get me wrong, it was a blast.
Luang Prang turned out to be the best city in Laos; with a beautiful nightmarket, guesthouses along the river, and cobblestone roads; although mostly covered with dust. We spent the next couple of days just lazing about enjoying the sights, bottles of cheap wine and the best waterfall in all of southeast Asia (I've been to most of them, trust me on this).
Our next stop was Vang Vieng, a backpacker loved city in a 
backpacker loved country. It was all about chilling by the river drinking Beer Lao. Our second day there we spent tubing. Sounds odd, but it is the activity to do in Laos. In the morning you rent a tube, get a ride up the river and spend the rest of the day floating the 3km back. All along the way there are bars, swings and lounge areas to stop and enjoy. How long could 3km really take you wonder? We only made it 2. By that point it was too dark to float the last kilometer back (2) . The event was definitely a backpackers heaven (haven?). Bucket after bucket, beer lao after beer lao and of course stimulating drunken political discussions; a backpacker couldn't ask for anything more.
The following day was a bit chilly and we welcomed it with open arms, donning our fleece and sipping cups of tea over a game of chess. It's amazing how a slight chill or rain can light up a travelers face when they've been hot and sweaty for months. When Jared came in to tell me that morning he had a smile so big it could have been Christmas.
The next day we took a kayak trip to Vientiene where we spent our final three days as a group. It's a city I honestly don't have much to say about other than: "I like HBO and AC".
Sunday the 19th was a sad day although I don't want to think of it as such. Jared and his dad set off for their motorcycle adventure in Vietnam and Allison and I headed south. Looking back I feel bad for Allison and John. They didn't get to spend a lot of time alone with Jared or I. We were so wrapped up in each other there really wasn't much room to squeeze in. Over the past 2 1/2 months we fell in love all over again, the only difference is this time we're more mature, smarter and want it wholeheartedly. It's just too bad we can't have it. "Timing is everthing" has become my motto for relationships. My only hope is that time will bring us back together.
So, while John and Jared began experiencing Vietnam, Allison and I went to the southern most point in Laos: The 4000 Islands. It's a steamy electricity free scattering of islands, two of which are lined with rustic Thai-style bungalows run by angry Laos...well at least ours was. They don't like it when you eat or buy anything from another guesthouse. Luckily we didn't feel their wrath until our final hour there. I considered staying another day after Allison left, to enjoy village life, but it was too damn hot and I was getting antsy. With the end of my southeast Asian adventures only 4 days away, I no longer have the urge to "chill".
In order to apease the restlessness I've returned to one of the craziest cities in the world, and it turned out to be a not-so-bad decision. Yesterday I finally got the chance to see the Royal Palace, and in my opinion it's the best site in Thailand. As I was walking there I was stopped by a seemingly nice guy who informed me that the palace was closed until 3pm due to a Buddhist holiday. He suggested that I spend the hours before 3 seeing the Lucky Buddha Temple, a silk factory blah blah blah". After chit chatting I declined and continued on to the palace which was of course open. While standing in line I overheard a man talking to his wife as they walked away from the ticket window. "They've been opened all day" he said seeming a bit baffled.
So, here I am with less than 48 hours until I fly to Australia, and I've happily decided to fill them with working out, Chatuchuck Market, Siam Paragon and more shopping on Kho San Rd. And I figure, why not? I've learned so much and experienced so many things over the past six month(3), I need to have something tangible to show for it; and what better than a few more chopstick sets and a fake designer t-shirt?
(1) If you've ever been on the road as long as I have, a comfy room with AC, a TV and hot water
is like heaven.
(2) "Team Oakes" chose to live dangerously of course and floated back anyway.
(3) Don't worry, I will do a reflective blog once I get to OZ and I'm not dying of heat exhaustion, bug bites, fatigue etc. etc. etc. :p
