Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 89 - Thailand

  • Watched Green Bay Packers trounce the Rams
  • Sky train to Patpong Rd - no titties - Dave sad :(
  • To big mall - bookstore :)
  • Through Lumphini Park - cool ball games being played - like cross between volleyball + hackey sack
  • Night bazaar (Suan Lum) - new place - nice outdoor concert dining - more gifts + souvenirs
  • Heading home tomorrow - ready to get back to work - crazy talk!

Monday, November 29, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 88 - Thailand

  • To Khao San Rd - have to see what the fuss is about - nothing to fuss about - meter taxi driver refused to use meter + told us off - nice!
  • Indian dinner + more foot massages

Sunday, November 28, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 87 - Thailand

  • Chinatown
  • Back to Chatuchak - we're animals!
  • Foot massages on Pradiphat Rd

Saturday, November 27, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 86 - Thailand

  • Chatuchak! Again!
  • Awesome VIP cinema experience - crap movie (Alexander) - great theatre

Friday, November 26, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 85 - Thailand

  • Watched part of T-giving football game - hung out @ bungalow till noon
  • Ferry to Krabi
  • Cool night market in Krabi for Loi Krathong - crunchy snacks

  • Flew to Bangkok - checked into Sena Place Hotel

Thursday, November 25, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 84 - Thailand

  • American Thanksgiving
  • Checked into Moonlight Bay - great bungalow on stilts w/ perfect sea view

  • Great multi-level deck bar on beach

  • Quiet time reading on bungalow deck

  • Gorgeous sunset

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 83 - Thailand

  • Moved to bungalow without sea view - suspect it's reserved for first-nighters only
  • Snorkeling trip to Ko Rok - cool fish, slugs, stars

  • 2-hour Thai massage on beach - NICE!
  • Dinner w/ beach view @ Sea House - best som-tam yet

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 82 - Thailand

  • Ferry to Ko Lanta
  • Checked into Lanta Sea House beachfront bungalow - nice view from porch
  • Lunch @ Sri Lanta after grueling rides on 2 taxi-bikes (first broke down) + shitty roads
  • Sunset swim back @ Sea House - gorgeous!

  • Torchlit dinner on beach - nice

Monday, November 22, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 81 - Thailand

  • Flew to Krabi
  • Checked into KR Mansion - heh - nice candlelit rooftop terrace + world's slowest pad thai

Sunday, November 21, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 80 - Thailand

  • Chatuchak Market! - Have been wanting to return since '99 - covered about 1/4 of market in 5+ hours - lots of new cool flatware + serving pieces

Saturday, November 20, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 79 - Thailand

  • Tried to set up Ko Lanta hotel/bungalow - no luck!
  • Went to mall to see Wimbledon
  • Flew Thai Air to Bangkok
  • Checked into Asia Airport Hotel

Friday, November 19, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 78 - Thailand

  • Day trip to Doi Suthep temple - cool bells - funny growly puppy
  • Baby elephants! - Mae Sa camp - cool paintings too - Dave got mugged for his bamboo + bananas by teenage elephant
  • Master cooking class - too much food! - awesome experience - just us + a 20-something chef from Pacific NW

Thursday, November 18, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 77 - Thailand

  • Back to Bo Sang for gift shopping
  • Set up flight to Krabi

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 76 - Thailand

  • Day trip to Bo Sang - neat teak + teak root furniture - possibility of future import business - talked it over w/ owner Mustafa Akkan
  • Lots of other good crafts around
  • Met Bev + Laura @ night to hear about their trip to Pai - decided not to go

Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 75 - Thailand

  • Day off for movies - Dodgeball and Sky Captain - intrigued by Saw + Final Cut

Monday, November 15, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 74 - Thailand

  • Day 5 cooking class - sad to be finished - bought large cookbook - considering evening master class

Sunday, November 14, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 73 - Thailand

  • Day 4 cooking class - good class, but annoying kids talking thru demonstrations - SHUT UP!
  • Sunday night market great - low key - some unique stuff - bought a cloth lamp - entire market halted + silent @ playing of nat'l anthem

Saturday, November 13, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 72 - Thailand

  • Day 3 cooking class - market tour

Friday, November 12, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 71 - Thailand

  • Day 2 cooking class - made our own curry paste - getting a handle on ingredients + techniques
  • Crazy blondes still in class - seriously, shut up
  • Met Bev + Laura for dinner @ Whole Earth - food ok, conversation better

Thursday, November 11, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 70 - Thailand

  • Found Pagoda Inn this morning - great fan room on upstairs corner - beautiful!
  • Day 1 cooking class - intro to ingredients, etc - awesome - met Bev + Laura Goodman (NY)
  • Also in class: 2 other crazy blonde women from NY - shut up already...
  • Met Bev + Laura @ night bazaar

Wednesday, November 10, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 69 - Thailand

  • Checked into Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School - pd for 5-day course starting tomorrow
  • Wandered CM - municipal market not so great
  • Foot massage near Irish pub (US$2) - will probably get massage every day
  • Night Bazaar great - nice stuff + cheap
  • Have to check out of hostel tomorrow - we haven't signed up for any excursions, so get out!

Tuesday, November 09, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 68 - Malaysia to Thailand

  • Lots of airport time today on way to Chiang Mai
  • Chiang Mai has good vibe - clean + friendly + cheap!
  • Checked into Yourhouse Guesthouse (220 Baht/night)
  • Buffet dinner @ Utopia - nice salad fixins, grillable meat, spaghetti bol.
  • Cheap internet - 30B/hr (75 cents)

Monday, November 08, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 67 - Malaysia

  • Caught bus to Batu Caves
  • Caves cool, but monkeys cooler! - Shannon nearly mugged by teenage hooligan monkey thugs - saw a few (one over + over?) newborns clinging to mom-monkeys
  • Also: roving wild dogs + shy black-faced monkeys
  • Finally (!) caught bus back to KL
  • Internet + more software in Chinatown
  • Back to Chili's for chips, salads + more monsoon viewing
  • Bookstore :)
  • Picked up sushi (7 nigire for RM8!) + fruit for dinner
  • To room for dinner + TV

Sunday, November 07, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 66 - Malaysia

  • Walked to Golden Triangle - Monorail!
  • Went to find Sunday Market - closed - nighttime only
  • Shopped Central Market
  • Back to hotel for a swim
  • Early dinner @ Chili's in KLCC - nice view of daily late afternoon monsoon!
  • Walked around mall - bookstore! - back to hotel for TV

Saturday, November 06, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 65 - Malaysia

  • Shopped Little India + Chinatown - software, clothes, tea
  • Learned about tea @ Teh Is Tea near Penggong
  • Saw The Grudge - creepy - at Suria KLCC
  • Back to Little India for night market

Friday, November 05, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 64 - Malaysia

  • Left Taman Negara by longboat - saw monitor, monkeys + boar - awesome trip downriver

  • In Jerantut, booked hotel in KL (cheap for 4 stars!) + flight to Chiang Mai, Thailand
  • Merry Miss Sunshine served fast lunch in Jerantut, barely in time to make shuttle to KL
  • Checked into Corus Hotel in KL - nice :) - had buffet dinner (RM112)

Thursday, November 04, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 63 - Malaysia

  • Looks like our candidate didn't quite win - fellow traveler gave us news of close electoral college vote while we...
  • Hiked the jungle up to a lookout - walked the canopy walk - saw a poisonous snake + huge ants

  • Rested, showered, rested more
  • Went to aboriginal village upriver - blew darts, made fire, had a young civet walk on us - cool! - good boat ride back

  • Will leave Taman Negara a day early to head to KL

Wednesday, November 03, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 62 - Malaysia

  • Shuttle to Tembeling Jetty
  • Great boat ride to Taman Negara - very cool + comfy - saw 1 monkey + 1 monitor

  • Checked into Ekoton Village - cranked the A/C!
  • Relaxed today + tried to get election results - unresolved @ bedtime
  • Met + talked (listened) to Dave - former military / San Antonio resident

Tuesday, November 02, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 61 - Malaysia

  • B-fast @ Cherating Cottage (RM8)
  • Bus to Kuantan (RM6) - lunch @ A&W! (RM12)
  • Bus to Jerantut (RM21)
  • Stayed @ Hotel Sri Emas (RM48)
  • Booked trip to Taman Negara (RM575)
  • Yummy roti dinner @ Muslim restaurant on Jl Besar (RM8) - is it insensitive to eat at a Muslim restaurant before sundown during Ramadan? Stupid tourist...

Monday, November 01, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 60 - Malaysia

  • Breakfast on Jl Mahkota (RM6)
  • Bus to Cherating
  • Checked into Cherating Cottage (RM50) - friendly owners
  • Rainy, blah beach
  • Lunch + dinner @ Duyong Restaurant on beach - awesome watermelon/lime juice drink (RM26 lunch, RM 20 dinner)
  • Decided against going north along eastern coast - will head to Taman Negara Nat'l Park

Sunday, October 31, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 59 - Singapore to Malaysia

  • Breakfast on Timah Bukit (S$11)
  • Bus to Johor Bahru, Malaysia (S$4)
  • Taxi to JB Airport (40 Malaysian Ringgit [RM])
  • Flight to Kuantan via Kuala Lumpur (RM314 total)
  • Stayed @ Tong Nam Ah Hotel (RM25) - great ceiling fan - pretty comfortable

Saturday, October 30, 2004

Pacific 2004 - Day 58 - Singapore

  • Up early - city quiet - breakfast of prata + curry @ Food Stop on Hill St
  • Checked out Chinatown - empty
  • Train to Chinese Garden - cool lizards + cloth lighting sculptures

  • Train + long walk to Haw Par Villa on Pasir Panjang Rd
  • Cool morbid "Gates of Hell" dioramas @ Haw Par Villa (S$2)

  • Lunch on Pasir Panjang @ dim sum house (S$6) + drinks (S$3)
  • Taxi (S$10) back to Funan IT Mall - loads of technology for sale - prices only slightly better than U.S. + no tax - snacks of tea (S$6) + fruit (S$2)
  • Dinner in Tekka Centre (S$6) then Indian Market - we're here during the Deepavali Festival + Ramadan - the markets are hopping @ night when Muslims are able to break their fast