Out on the town in Siem Reap

So I went out on the town last night in Siem Reap. I really love Siem Reap, and so far, it is my favourite city in Asia, up there with Singapore, but comparing Siem Reap and Singapore is like comparing Apples and Oranges, so really I just like them both.

Siem Reap seems to me somehow more cultured and artistic than other South East Asian cities I have been in. Despite having a lot of dirt roads, it is much cleaner than any of the Thai cities or towns I have visited, and all of the buildings are also low rise, (as to not be higher than Angkor Wat apparently). There is also a lot of greenery around, and the Cambodians also seem to have gone to some conscious effort to hide their power lines during development, which really improves the look of things. It also has a small town feel, which I really like.

There was this small bar about half the size of a shipping crate near the dirt road my hotel was on with lively decor, very tasteful jazz music and an owner (pictured below) who has one of the most effervescent personalities of anyone I've ever met. I spent quite a lot of time there. The owner had painted her bar a couple of days ago with some friends, who seem about 50/50 a mixture of ex pats and Cambodians. I was not able to convince her to charge me tourist prices (which were on her menu I knew what they were) for drinks.

I really hope she makes it in the tourist business. If anybody happens to be passing through Cambodia, her bar is called the AB Bar, and I highly recommend a visit, as the mixture of interesting conversation, reasonably priced drinks (not that I paid even reasonable tourist prices), and arty environment make for a fun evening. 

If anyone is curious about the origins of the girls painted on the walls, they bear a striking resemblance to some of the carvings on the walls of Angkor Wat. I'll do the photo match up later.

Cambodians really aren't good hagglers

I went to Angkor Wat today. Basically it is amazing, and there were so many cute kids around selling post cards that is was hard to say no. Anybody who wants a post card - send me your address. There is enough for everyone.

I'll write more about Angkor Wat later, but I just wanted to observe again that sometimes Cambodian's really don't make good hagglers. I went to buy some water today at my hotel. The guy knew I had money and told me it would cost $4 US (I could buy the same at a fraction of the price in the supermarket in New Zealand). I told him it was too expensive, and he watched resignedly as I walked across the road and bought the exact same bottle for $1 US and came back with it.

While he never said a word, the next time I went to buy water from him, it was only a dollar (which is still inflated tourist prices but I'm happy to pay it).

Three more people tried the currency conversion trick on me this evening. Fortunately I'm a little more savvy now and am getting used to converting between Baht, US dollars and Rial on the fly, all of which are valid currency here. The nice thing about Cambodians is that when they're snapped they know it, and they just accept it and turn into lovely people again and never seem to try it on twice.

Arrival into Cambodia & Rip Off Merchants

So after ducking several attempts at a fleecing in Bangkok last night, I got completely suckered on my way into Cambodia along with everyone else on the bus.

What annoys me about it is that if I'd just read my Cambodia lonely planet before setting out I could have avoided the whole lot.

First of all, I paid $15 USD too much for a visa into Cambodia (which lonely planet says is a common scam), and then I got ripped off $20 USD on a currency exchange trade once I got across the Thai border (which lonely planet says is the next most common scam), so basically, I'm $43.00 NZ down in Cambodia and it's only my first day here. I'm also cursing myself for not reading the perfectly good information I pre-armed myself with. 

If I hadn't had no sleep in Bangkok the night before I would have read the lonely planet on the bus and been prepared but you win some you loose some I guess. 

Most common rip off phrases I have found in Bangkok so far

"Taxi meter broken" (when they don't want to turn the meter on because they can charge a higher rate if they don't)

"You must pay me to get back also!" (when I've convinced them to turn the meter on, they say I need to pay 2 x the meter rate so they can 'get back')

Q) Can you take me to XYZ destination? 

A) Oh, (appears to think hard) XYZ destination very far, at least one kilometer (meanwhile there is a huge sign saying XYZ destination across the road)

When going to the temple: "Temple closed. Public Holiday. I take you somewhere else." Meanwhile, there's no public holiday and the temple is open.

The most awesome con artist I met while I was in Bangkok was a 'teacher' from 'Chaing Mai' buying 'books' for 'impoverished children'.

He spoke excellent English and initially seemed like the trustable type, so I accepted his invitation to dinner. Dinner involved a Tuktuk ride to a dingy restaurant in the back of beyond, which was never-the-less excellent and involved a lot of Thai Brandy. The man spoke at lengths about the high quality of the Thai Brandy during the meal and how it was 'special' and 'unique'. Before we left, he very elaborately handed over 4500 Baht ($176.00 NZ) and explained it was to cover the cost of the Thai Brandy and that I should pay half. 

Half sozzled I told him we could keep drinking and I'd get the next round. Next round turned out to be yet another Tuktuk ride even further into the back of beyond, to a pub with 'bar girls', where a 2 minute shoulder rub apparently cost $1000 baht. 

Fortunately I'd sobered up on the Tuktuk ride over, and realising I was getting fleeced with these prices that were 10 to 100 times normal, without showing any alarm I began to plan my exit. Over the next 10 minutes I went to the bathroom, 'got lost' on the way to the bathroom, and scoped all the exits. 

I managed to get out alive without paying a cent but it was touch and go for a while. 

For purposes of comparison the meal we had would normally cost 45 baht, a full 1 hour proper Thai massage costs between 200-300 baht, and I found identical brandy at the 7/11 for 220 baht once I had got out of there.  

One thing about getting ripped off in Cambodia today is, that if I was going to get ripped off by anyone in South East Asia, I'm pleased it was the Cambodians. So far, I really like Cambodia, all the Cambodians I have met (even the scammers) have been lovely, and the Cambodians have had a rough few decades. If anyone is going to make a profit out of the recent surge in tourism to Cambodia, it should be the Cambodians.

With that in mind, I had dinner at KFC, but it was a oncer, I only went as a fellow backpacker wanted to eat there just once and it was interesting to make the NZ Cambodia KFC comparison.

With regards to haggling in Thailand, Thai's don't seem to mind haggling to the nth degree if necessary. Cambodian's don't seem to take to it so much. There is usually a better price available but negotiating any further usually just pisses them off and doesn't lead to anything. 

In Thailand, I found prices for things I'd never thought about negotiating were flexible, including drinks in bars, entry charges, and street items. I was able to cut my costs by 2/3rds on some items. For example, there was a sudden downpour at a temple while I was there, and within seconds, out of nowhere materialized a horde of umbrella sellers catering to western temple visitors. I was told that an umbrella was 450 baht (almost $18 NZ) but knowing this was rubbish, we eventually settled on 150 baht ($6 NZ) and were both happy.

3rd class from Ayutthaya to Bangkok

11:45am

I am on my first 3rd class train ride from Ayuttaya to Bangkok, and I think it will be the last 3rd class train ride I ever take, at least at night.

When I got on the train, the guard at first assumed I had a first class ticket, and bumped me down to 3rd class when he found out I didn't. Because I did not realise there were different classes in the first place, I was none the wiser while booking.

The first class seats were plush leather and reclined significantly. Looking at the other passengers on the train (mostly monks and smartly dressed people) I felt my possessions were safe. 

The 3rd class seats are hard and I don't feel my belongings are secure. I'm too afraid to fall asleep for fear of loosing my stuff. I would ask the guard if I could pay more to go back to first class, but I have not seen him since he bumped me down to 3rd. 

Sitting next to me are two boys (they look about 14 years old) who smell like marajuana and alcohol and seem keen to hang out. I have decided to decline and stay vigilant. 

12:15am

In an effort  to stay awake to protect my stuff, I just found out that naughts and crosses is universal, and crosses language barriers, so Kob (the guy sitting next to me) has turned out to be a demon naughts and crosses player. I also taught him how to play 'squares', and he turned out to be pretty good at that too. It seemed to be a good way to pass an hour. The boys have now left the train, and accordingly I do not feel the need to guard my stuff so much, as I have room to spread it out on the seat and lay on top of it, as with all the clothing inside my bag it makes for a nice pillow against the hard seats. 

While I was at Ayutthaya railway station, I met a couple of Chinese travelers (one who played flute). I tried out my limited Chinese on them, and they tried out their limited English on me. I really enjoyed chatting with them and think I will really like China. I am quite keen to get to China as soon as possible so I think I may skip Vietnam and fly there from Phnom Penh. 

One night in Bangkok

So I'm in Bangkok, it's 5:15am, and I've spent a night out on the town. I wrote a bit in my journal on the (extended and delayed) train journey over, so I'll include that here later.

After suffering a little from 'ATM syndrome' (starting to think that everyone wants a withdrawl) on the way from Ayutthaya to Bangkok, after getting ripped off yet another 100 baht from a taxi driver between the train station and Khao San Road (Bangkok Nightlife District) I ended up in Khao San Road with the card of a Guest House recommended to me by two Chinese backpackers I met at Ayuttaya railway station (one who played flute).

On ending up in Khao San Road, this random seedy looking Thai guy who looked and was built like a Muay Thai Fighter asked me where I was going. I showed him the card to the guest house that had been recommended to me by the Chinese Backpackers and the associate who was with him and knew some english said he would take me there for free. Against my better judgement, I followed him down a dark alley, where he ushered me onto the back of his motorcycle, before speeding off at about 50 kms down a series of more dark and deserted windy alleyways about the width of my parents hedge, as I held my extemities as close to the centre of the motorcycle as possible. Suddenly, we came to a stop in the middle of nowhere and the man began to make a phone call. Thinking the end was nigh, I listened to him say a few words in Thai, before he sped off again, through some even more dark, deserted and windy alleyways, before coming to an abrupt halt.

As I contemplated what it would really feel like to be properly mugged and have all my stuff stolen, he indicated a doorway to the right, and there it was, the sign welcoming guests to the Pailin Guest House, the very same Guest House fitting the description given to me by the Chinese backpackers. The propriator of the guest house was up and waiting for me, as the mysterious motorcycle rider had phoned in advance to warn her of my late arrival (the train was delayed so it was 1:30am in the morning by this time).

I got off the motorcycle and he clapped me on the back. "Welcome to Thailand my friend" he said, before speeding off into the inky blackness.

With a huge sigh of relief and immense gratitude for the mysterious stranger I followed the Guest House owner up the stairs to my room. For 170 baht a night (just under $7 NZ) it is beautiful and just what I needed. Certainly one of the best places I have stayed in so far. I'll include photos later.

Juggling Balls

One of the other things I did tonight was buy some juggling balls. After initially enquiring I was told the price for one set of juggling balls was 550 baht, but for me I could have the special price of 450 baht. I counter offered with 200 baht for 2 sets of juggling balls. The offer was declined and so I walked away. Still wanting the juggling balls however, I walked back after a couple of minutes and made a counter offer of 250 baht for two sets of juggling balls. The guy said no, explained they were very good hand made juggling balls, and pulled out three to give me a demonstration. I gave him another offer of 350 baht for two sets of juggling balls which he accepted. I'm still wondering if I could have gone to 300 baht but they are very nice juggling balls and they'll be good at work when I get back.

After the conclusion of the sale of the juggling balls, and some demonstration that I was too a fellow juggler, the ball seller and his friends asked me if I wanted to drink. I sat down and we all drunk together. After 4 shots of Thai whiskey and an hour later with them I'm feeling somewhat less stable on my feet. I'm still in one piece however with all my stuff and am now about to head back to my hotel room.

Now in Ayuttaya - on my way to Bangkok

I am now in Ayuttaya. There is nothing much happening here tonight (there seems very little night life, so I am catching the late train to Khao San Road Bangkok which apparently is a little more happening, and arriving about 11:30pm. I am not sure where I am going to sleep tonight, but we will find out.

I spent the day here riding around on a bicycle (I hired for $2 NZ) looking at temples. I have quite a few photos of Wat Mahathat and the train journey from Bangkok to Ayutthaya, which I will include here later.

Now PADI Open Water Certified

So I am now a PADI Open Water Certified Diver. I really enjoyed the diving on Ko Tao and almost continued to the advanced course. However I decided against it in the end, as I think it would be more useful long term to take the advanced course in New Zealand diving conditions.

Ko Tao has almost no currents to speak of, 32 degree water and crystal clear water, and I don't expect to see too much of that in New Zealand.

The aquatic life was amazing. I have a video of the whole lot (an underwater movie maker came with us) so I will bring the movie back to New Zealand and / or post it on youtube for people to have a look at.

SCUBA Training

We had day one of SCUBA training today. I liked my instructor straight away. He began the class by describing how he preferred to lie in in the mornings and then dive in the afternoon. This is in contrast to all the other instructors, who he says like to start early in the mornings (7:30am). He doesn't always get his way with the boats, for example tomorrow the only boat available for us to head out on is leaving at 7:30am, but for the remaining days, he has ensured that none of us need to get out of bed by 10:00am.

His logic for diving later in the day is quite straight forward.

a) Everyone gets a lie in
b) There are less people in the water when we do dive, and we came to see fish not people

He is also Scottish, seems experienced, and seems to have a reasonable sense of humour which is all nice.

We spent this morning doing classroom work and then this afternoon in the pool. We had to demonstrate that we could use all the gear properly, look after it, learn out of air procedures, learn how to clear our mask, learn how to take our weight belt off under water (and put it on again), learn how to find our regulator if it came out of our mouth and clear it of water, learn how to take off our buoyancy control device (BCD) under water and put it on again, establish neutral buoyancy, go up, go down, and a few other skills. It all seemed quite straight forward.

I'm heading out for dinner now, and then I'm going to hit the books and do some study.

Ko Tao

Today I travelled from Khao Sok National Park to Surat Thani, and then caught a high speed catamaran that took me to Ko Tao. Ko Tao is an island in the gulf of Thailand, and is a diving mecca, with more divers certified here than at any other place on the planet.

There are about 150? diving companies offering PADI certification, and the result of this is that Ko Tao is also the cheapest place in the world to get PADI certified. With this in mind, earlier today I enrolled in a 4 day PADI certification course and will be spending the next 3 days scuba diving at what are regarded as some of the best diving sites in the world.

Ko Tao itself is awesome, and I would love being here diving or no diving. The beach is beautiful, the bungalow style cafes fronting the beach are very cool, there is limited traffic, the whole place seems lit up by fairy lights. Next to Khao Sok National Park, Ko Tao would be another one of my recommendations for anyone travelling to Thailand. 


Dinner


Dinner was good. For $12NZ, I was able to have a couple of cocktails and a delicious Thai curry sitting in an arm chair out by the beach in t-shirt and shorts, waves softly breaking against the shore and chill music in the background.

The Spider 


The spider was my welcome present to my room when I got there, which itself was a variation of the previous nights room welcoming present, which was a lizard about the size of a large tuatara. 

I found out by prodding that the spider (which was about the size of a saucer - larger than any other spider I have ever seen) ran fast and jumped, much like the New Zealand wolf spider with the difference being that it was of course much larger, and probably faster (it was very fast). I left it alone, and luckily, it left me alone too.  

View from the back of the catamaran on the ride over

View of the impromptu market at the ferry transfer (we had to transfer ferries half way)

Ko Tao beach at night

The Catamaran (or one of the catamaran's) we caught to get over here.

They both look the same from the outside anyway - although the second had better indoor seating.

Travel to Ko Tao

When internet hasn't been on hand, I have been keeping a log in my journal at night. For this reason this post a little out of order and should chronologically come before the scuba diving on Ko Tao.

After staying with Tawee and his family again lastnight, I rose early in the morning (5:15am) to pack and eat breakfast as some dutch tourists I met in Kao Sok National Park had booked a minivan and highspeed catamaran, to take them to Ko Tao, and we agreed that I would travel with them.

Ko Tao is supposed to be the diving mecca of Thailand and is the cheapest place in the world (apparently) to get PADI certified. They certify more divers here than any other place on earth. I am reluctant to commit the time myself to get certified as I am felling the need to press on to China, but the experience promises to be amazing so I think it will be worth hanging around to do the training. The water is salty here (being the ocean) which makes the whole place feel quite different from Khao Sok National Park. Here you can feel the salt in the air.

The Journey

Shuttle bus left 6:00am from Khao Sok National Park

Ferry left about 10:00am from the terminal.

Ferry arrived about 3:30pm in Ko Tao (there were some delays)

Khao Sok National Park

This is a transcription of the notes I kept as there was no internet in Khao Sok National Park. I will write more here later as there is likely a lot to write about.

Khao Sok is the first place in Thailand I really love. It is (apparently) the oldest primary rain forest in the world and the best National Park (out of 75) in Thailand. It is home to a huge range of species including civet cat, (kind of like a lepord?), wild elephants, tigers?, a range of monkeys including gibbons, slow loris and other animals. We have not been lucky enough to see any of these so far, but what we have seen are lots of bats, butterfly's (in all sorts of splendid colours), frogs of several different varieties (both large and small) and some crazy plants that shrink (sort of like the plants on avatar) when you touch them. We went trekking to some caves today, where communist rebels hid out until 1981 when they were fighting the Thai government. The rebels were bombed by Thai Government forces before 1982 and government soldiers raided the communist hideout. The bullet marks from automatic machine gun fire still clearly show in the facing walls of the cave.

We saw a few macaques this morning on a long tail boat ride. We also had unusual pancakes for breakfast.


More photos are on facebook. 

Once upon a time in Phuket Town

After the choral performance (see previous post), I went and found a motorbike rider and asked him to take me to some live music. He didn't know what music meant, so I mimed some flute and guitar action, he got my drift, and for 750 baht, which is about $30.00 NZ, he offered to take me on a 5 minute journey on the back of his motorbike to find some live music. Having got at least a little bit more savvy since I arrived in Thailand, I realised this was too expensive, and negotiated him down to 40 baht, which is under two dollars. This was still too expensive, it probably should have been in the 15-30 baht range, but I figure getting ripped off by anything less than a dollar NZ is sort of alright.

The bar he took me to was great. It was a proper Thai bar, full of Thai people, with a Thai band playing (good) Thai music. Very wholesome, no westerners in sight. I met three girls (photos below) and we drunk and danced and made merry for several hours before doing what seemed like the Thai equivalent of the 3:00am Burger King rush at the Noodle House (more of a shack really) down the road.

Getting to the Noodle Bar was a bit dicey, as before we set out, she explained that she would have to drive slowly because she was drunk (she mimed a kind of driving motion and then a wobbly motion), so we set out 3 of us on the motorcycle, with me sandwiched between two Thai girls, all of us with no helmet and only flip-flops, riding (very) slowly to the noodle house. The policeman who was parked on his motorcycle next to us when we set out turned a convenient blind eye and the girls' took no notice of him at all.

After dinner (which was delicious, one of the best dishes I've had in Thailand so far), I had travelled through so many streets that I had no idea how to find my way back to the hotel, so I gave the hotel's card to the girl who was driving, and the three of us remaining set out on a hotel hunt. We had to stop a couple of times to ask a few locals for directions but we got there safe and well in the end.

Seeing as the girls had been so nice and all, showed me a good night and taken me out for dinner, and dropped me off at my hotel, and we had been getting pretty cosey on the motorcycle, I figured a kiss on the cheek goodnight wouldn't be pushing too many cultural boundaries. It was at that moment, out of the dimly lit bar and in front of the bright hotel lights, that I noticed she was starting to show a bit of 5 o'clock shadow. It was at that moment it dawned on me that in actual fact, I had been partying it up all night with a group of fairly femininely dressed young men.

Photos below. Only in Thailand.

Khao Sok National Park - Homestay with Tawee and Family at Mountain View Resort

Staying with Tawee and his family was the best experience I have had in Thailand so far. Tawee and his wife run what is essentially a home stay with 8 guest houses allowing them to host up to 8 guests at a time. I met Tawee getting off the bus from Phuket town, and he was different from the regular touts in that he simply gave me his stack of guest books (like a hut book) filled with glowing comments from previous tourists from all over the world dating back into the 1990s. Instantly sold, along with two English tourists, I got in his 4 wheel drive, and headed off with him to his home. When we got there, he showed us the huts (all of which were rustic but beautiful) we selected on each and then after dumping my bags I headed back to the open air lounge to decide what to do while I was there. Tawee's children were busy doing their homework on one of the tables and they asked me what my plans were. I had none, so they suggested I go to the river, which was apparently about a kilometer away, and they suggested that the dog take me so I wouldn't get lost. A little incredulous that the dog could show me all the way to the river (I'd never met the dog before) I accepted, and after a few words in Thai from Tawee's wife to the dog in Thai, the dog set off down the road, and looked back at me, as if to say, "stop standing about, I'm meant to be taking you to the river!". Fortunately I wasn't too slow on the uptake, so I began to follow the dog the 1km down the road to the river. Every time I stopped, the dog stopped, and looked back at me, as if to say "hurry up, what the blazes are you doing now?". If I kept walking the dog would trot along just in front of me. Once we got to the river, the dog accompanied me along the river bank, wherever I went, before walking back with me the 1km to the bungalows. The funny thing was, I think I really needed the dog to show me the river. There were some quite threatening dogs on the way to the river, and the dog I was with (which could be quite large and ferocious if it wanted to be) kept them all at bay. At the river there was an elderly Thai couple, searching for grubs in the ground which they explained (through mime) that they were collecting for eating.

Thailand is a very interesting place.

Now in Phuket Town

For those that are keeping up, I am now out of the red light district of Patong and staying in Phuket Town.

For something a bit more wholesome, tonight I saw a large number of Indonesian School Children walking in uniform down the street with 'Music' printed on the backs of their shirts. It turned out they were competing in the 2012 Asia Cantate (http://www.vca.com.sg/asia-cantate) against other choirs from around Asia including Thailand, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, China, Singapore and others. Tonight was the opening night, so I got to see the full selection of countries performing their number one pieces.

It was a very up-market hotel the performances were happening in, the finest hotel in Phuket Town, so I asked one of the teachers of the Indonesian school girl chior (strict Muslim upbringings it seemed) if the students were all staying in the hotel. In a rather embarrassed manner, he explained that when they tried to book, all the accommodation on the island was full, so the students (between 12 and 16 years of age it seemed) were all staying in Patong near Bangla Road. I couldn't help but feel incredibly sorry for this poor Muslim school teacher, carefully shepherding his impressionable young things past the open air bars, panty clad go go dancers, and touts advertising ping pong shows in Bangla Road and the surrounding area.

Yesterday's motorbike ride around Phuket Island

I spent the previous two days in Patong. I'm not going to say much about Patong as the following Wikipedia entry sums it up reasonably accurately, particularly in the 'prostitution', 'gay men' and 'transvestite' sections.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patong

I didn't get any photos, but there are youtube videos which capture pretty much everything I saw.

One of the pluses of visiting Patong (I didn't realise how big a plus it was until she left me to return to work) was that I met a 'bar girl' who agreed to show me around Phuket Island. For the dirt cheap price of $6 NZ motorcycle hire and $4 NZ fuel, we spent hours riding around the island and I got basically the 'beach, temple and market tour'. She made lovely company. Everywhere she took me was free, and pretty stunning. It is only today that we painstakingly in falting english managed to match up where we went yesterday to the Lonely Planet guide book (I was just following along at the time).

She also told me a bit about her life, how she is from Isan province (North East Thailand), grew up farming rice, came to Patong to make money, and sends home 10,000 baht a month to her family (I know it's true I've seen the statements). She also showed me photos on her phone of her family, including her and her daughter, and described how she works for herself (to avoid bar fines), is very worried about contracting HIV (which she says her friends laugh about and don't take it seriously but she takes it very seriously because she is a mother) and how she would really like to stop selling her pussy and go to school to become a hair dresser. She said she was good in school, and communicates well in spoken English and by text, which seems better than most Thai's I have met so far. She also says that if she hadn't gotten pregnant when she was young and then if the father had not left her she wouldn't be in her present situation and would have gone to University. 

Now that she has left to return to work, I'm getting ripped off left right and center as she is no longer involved in the bargaining. I know conventional wisdom and advice from the TAT (Thailand Tourism Board or something) is not to trust local advice, but in hindsight she most certainly saved me money. I invited her to ride a motorbike with me up into Northern Thailand (her as the driver - there's no way I could ride a motorbike in Thailand) but she politely declined, explaining that while hanging around with me is fun and all and gives her something to do during the day-time, it does not pay, so she has to go sell more pussy.

Tomorrow I plan to splurge and go on a commercial tour. It'll be about 12 times the price, and there will be no flexibility in where we go or what we do, but we will visit a few Islands so I am looking forward to that.

Photos are on facebook currently. I'll move them here when I get a better internet connection.

Arrived in Thailand Safely

Just a quick post to say that I arrived in Thailand safely. I met an American girl called Roxy on the way in, who was going to stay in a place called 'The Bird Cage' in Patong. We got talking and decided to go together so for 600 baht which equates to $23 NZD a night, I am staying in a large room with a King Size bed, a view out over the street and a separate shower unit. There is daily room service and they also do my washing. Despite the fact that everything is really cheap, I am not sold on Patong. It is full of Australians and people from other European countries clubbing it up and getting their rocks off. I finally found out what a ping pong show is but didn't quite have the stomach to take the invitation to go have a look. I think I'm going to head to Putong Town tomorrow although I will consult my lonely planet and a few other backpackers a bit further and will report back later. There is apparently a national park north of here which is very interesting. More later...

Sad to be leaving Singapore

I am in the holding lounge now waiting for my flight to Thailand. I've been through customs and shown my passport and boarding pass to all the right people.

I'm sad to be leaving Singapore. I really enjoyed it here, and I'm thinking to lengthen my stay here on the return journey. Darran helped me out a lot getting around and made my stay much nicer which was very generous of him. We went and saw a laser light show together at Marina Bay lastnight. I've got photos and videos. I'll include them later.

Things I like about Singapore

* It is safe and everyone is friendly
* The MRT (mass rapid transit)
* Everyone speaks English
* THE FOOD!! :)
* The mix of cultures from all parts of the world

Yesterday I ran into a couple of musicians walking down the street. I asked them what they were doing and they explained that they were heading out busking. One of them had a flute and I had a try and they invited me along, so together we went to buy Banana leaves (so we would have something to sit on) and found an accoustically appropriate space in a pedestrian underpass by the river.

When they found out I was from New Zealand, they asked me if I knew of the Wellington Gamalan Orchestra (they're fans) and also if I knew Jack Body who one of them met in Mexico. One of them also has a friend who owns a music school in Mongolia so he's going to put me in touch and I'll visit there when I get to Ulaanbaatar.

I also met a South African yesterday. After correctly spotting my accent he asked me if we played any rugby in our country. After confirming that we did, I had to check the same with him as I had my doubts about South Africa.

That's all I have time for now. Time to board my flight!

Definitely going to buy a netbook today

I'm definitely going to buy a net book today. The computer next to me has fallen over with a virus and this computer in the backpackers didn't need to be given my username and password to log me in this morning, it remembered the lot (even though I told it not to), so yes, definitely switching to a netbook.

Arrived Safely in Singapore

Arrived safely in Singapore and have found accommodation. I love it here already. Modern does not seem to justify first impressions of Singapore. Futuristic is more apt! The buildings a huge! Now I really know what Sky Scrapers are. The malls are massive. The MRT is really cool. Everybody speaks English. It's possible to walk around in t-shirt and shorts at 10:30pm (Singapore time) and it's still warm. Can't wait to get out an explore more. Food seems really cheap. I thought I might be able to buy some cheap exotic branded netbook. First store I called into was Harvey Norman. They had exactly the same netbook selection as Harvey Norman Porirua with the one difference that the prices weren't as good :) I'm going to keep shopping around.

Also, for those that need it, I have a new mobile number. It is (whatever the Singapore country code is) and then 86241265

T minus two days and counting

Hello, my name is John Deverall, and I am from Wellington, New Zealand. I am 32 years old.  

In a couple of days, for the first time in my life, I will be heading overseas. My plan is to visit the countries of Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China and Mongolia. 

My intention in keeping this blog is to keep friends, colleagues, family and loved ones updated on my travels, so that they can know on a regular basis that I have not been shot, mugged, poisoned or trampled by anyone or anything along my journey.

Over the past few weeks, I have received all kinds of advice. I have been assured by some that if I do not have all my accommodation booked in advance, I will be turned around forthwith in Singapore and sent back to New Zealand. Others have told me not to worry about booking accommodation in advance and that I can sort it out in places once I get there. Others have warned me of the dangers of the Mongolian Death Worm and told me not to be alone at night in the Mongolian desert unless I am standing firmly on safe ground.

Some people have told me to pack light, others have told me to pack heavy and take 'everything I need'. Some people have said to get an over the shoulder carry bag with stainless steel / kevlar wire through the strap so bag snatchers can't snatch it. Other people have told me definitely NOT to get an over the shoulder carry bag with stainless steel / kevlar wire through the strap because if bag snatchers attempt to snatch it the wire will decapitate me.  

Certain colleagues have warned me of the dangers of the guards between the Mongolian Chinese border, who apparently have guns and spears with poisoned tips. They have recommended that despite the cost, I should fly, but others tell me the train has a romantic charm and is a great way to meet the locals. 

Of course, I have never been to any of these places and seen any of these things, and I have only limited avenues to tell fact from fiction before I get there. I am a little nervous (and I think my family are even more nervous about the trip than I am).  

Mostly though I have a tremendous sense of anticipation. The next time I write here, I expect I will be just about to set off, or would already have set off on my trip.