Back in Bangkok... hard to believe; it seems like I was just here!
The flight went smoothly, and Singapore Airlines definitely lived up to the hype. A hot meal on a 2 hour flight? Spacious and comfortable seats in economy class? I wanted to see KLIA, Singapore International's main terminal, and Singapore Airlines first hand, hence my booking... but I wasn't actually sure if it'd be worth the extra cash I had to shell out over Air Asia (a discount airline with very cheap rates for flights in and around SE Asia), but it definitely was. I can see why it's rated the world's best airline!
Anyway, upon arrival in Bangkok, I caught the shuttle to my hotel, then grabbed a taxi off to Khao San Road for some last minute souvenir pick-ups. There were a couple things I wanted to grab that I didn't buy last time, and Betty had requested that I pick her up a couple items as well. Had a little more phad thai from a street stall, and then it was back to the hotel... or so I thought! The cab I caught couldn't figure out where the hotel was, even though I had a little map to it as well as the directions written in Thai, so the driver passed me off to her husband or friend(?) who attempted to drive me there in his personal car. He didn't really know the way either, though, and was on the phone for most of the trip getting directions (or something)... I could only make out a bit of his frantic Thai, but in the end, we made it here, much to the relief of both him and I. In fact, I think he may have been happier than I was when we finally arrived!
I was planning on getting to bed early, but I ended up in the hotel bar (well, outside... it was 34 C when I arrived, and it's still 29 C with 80% humidity--"feels like 40 C"--at 11 pm) having a few beers. They had a big screen projection TV which was, oddly enough, playing a DVD with live concerts of Celine Dion, Shania Twain, and amazingly, Sarah McLachlan! It was like I was back in Canada already!
I'm catching a shuttle back to the airport (5-10 minutes away) at 6 am, and then that's it, I'll be on the plane headed for home. See you at the airport!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Singapore
I was up early this morning (about 6 am, out the door at 6:30) in an attempt to see as much of the city as I could before my departure--plus I wanted to get some pics of the Merlion at sunrise. It turned out to be cloudy, then overcast, but it was still very hot (~30 C) and humid (~85%). Even at 9 am, I was dripping with sweat! And here I thought I was getting used to the heat. (Truthfully, though, it didn't bother me much, my shirt was just soaked.)
Anyway, I walked around the city for a few hours, then got back to the hotel at about 10:30 am to shower, pack my bags, and head off to the airport, where I am currently. It's 10 minutes past noon, and in two hours my flight leaves for Bangkok. One more night there, and then I'll be flying home. Hard to believe this trip is almost over!
Anyway, I walked around the city for a few hours, then got back to the hotel at about 10:30 am to shower, pack my bags, and head off to the airport, where I am currently. It's 10 minutes past noon, and in two hours my flight leaves for Bangkok. One more night there, and then I'll be flying home. Hard to believe this trip is almost over!
Singapore
So, the express train was smooth and easy, and despite the fact that my hotel was 5 minutes from the airport, I was up at 6:00 to ensure I was there on time for my 9:00 flight. Let me say right now that KLIA is a million times nicer than the KLIA LCCT (where we flew in from Bangkok two weeks ago)! But anyway, it was really quiet in the morning and I probably could have showed up an hour later and been fine, but better safe than sorry.
Flying from KL to Singapore takes about 50 minutes from gate to gate, so it was practically over before it began. I thought KL was really nice compared to Bangkok, but Singapore blows them (and probably most cities) completely out of the water. The airport was amazing (and spotless), the train system is incredibly efficient (and spotless), and really, the entire city (from what I've seen) is clean, organized, and beautiful.
I had booked a tour of the Tiger brewery today, which ended up turning into quite an interesting event. When I got there, it seemed the rest of the group going on the tour was a group of students from somewhere in Asia. I wasn't sure if they were high school students, but thought it a bit odd in any case that a school group would be going on a tour of a brewery. Now, I was there at about 1:30, and the tour started at 2:00, so we were all waiting around for it to begin, when one of the students, after some discussions with his friends and a few glances in my direction, approached me and asked if he could get a picture with me. Of course, I agreed, and after that it was like I was a Hollywood celebrity. I probably had 20 pictures (or more) taken of me with various students or groups of students before the tour began. (There were actually two white couples there, but they didn't get asked for pictures... must be the blonde hair)
So after the tour, a few more pics, and then we were off to the Tiger Tavern where (unlike what I heard about the Guinness brewery) you could drink unlimited beer for about an hour. I had three Tigers over that span, and these students were also drinking and, unlike myself, who didn't really feel them at all, they were definitely starting to get a buzz going. (If you've ever drank with Asians, it's typically not that surprising.) Anyway, I found out they were students at a Singapore university. Most were from China, but some were from S. Korea, Taiwan, etc., with ages ranging from about 21 to 25. More pictures ensued in the tavern, and then afterwards, when we were leaving and I was debating my options for returning to the city (the brewery was about a 30 minute taxi ride, ~S$20) their instructor, or group leader, offered me a ride back on their motor coach, for being so nice and indulging the students throughout the entire trip.
So as it turned out, on the ride back, the students wanted me to come out to dinner with them, so I figured why not and we took the train to a restaurant serving hot pot not too far away from my own hotel. It was really good, and then afterwards they wanted me to come out and do karaoke with them! By this time, though, it was past 6:30, and I still wanted to see the sights of the city. I probably would have gone along if any the songs were in English, but from what I could tell, they were all Chinese songs with subtitles in Mandarin. I declined, and set off to explore the city.
The sun was going down, but I wandered around and saw a ton of amazing sights, including, of course, the Merlion in Singapore's Marina Bay. I also had a Singapore Sling (delicious) in the Long Bar of the Raffles Hotel.
Anyway, I'm spoiling all my good stories so I'll stop at this point. Of course, I got a ton of pics. I do plan to go back to some of the locations to try and get some shots in the daylight, though, and then explore a few more areas before catching my 2:10 pm flight to Bangkok. Then, one more night, and I'm on the plane back home... I can hardly believe it!
Flying from KL to Singapore takes about 50 minutes from gate to gate, so it was practically over before it began. I thought KL was really nice compared to Bangkok, but Singapore blows them (and probably most cities) completely out of the water. The airport was amazing (and spotless), the train system is incredibly efficient (and spotless), and really, the entire city (from what I've seen) is clean, organized, and beautiful.
I had booked a tour of the Tiger brewery today, which ended up turning into quite an interesting event. When I got there, it seemed the rest of the group going on the tour was a group of students from somewhere in Asia. I wasn't sure if they were high school students, but thought it a bit odd in any case that a school group would be going on a tour of a brewery. Now, I was there at about 1:30, and the tour started at 2:00, so we were all waiting around for it to begin, when one of the students, after some discussions with his friends and a few glances in my direction, approached me and asked if he could get a picture with me. Of course, I agreed, and after that it was like I was a Hollywood celebrity. I probably had 20 pictures (or more) taken of me with various students or groups of students before the tour began. (There were actually two white couples there, but they didn't get asked for pictures... must be the blonde hair)
So after the tour, a few more pics, and then we were off to the Tiger Tavern where (unlike what I heard about the Guinness brewery) you could drink unlimited beer for about an hour. I had three Tigers over that span, and these students were also drinking and, unlike myself, who didn't really feel them at all, they were definitely starting to get a buzz going. (If you've ever drank with Asians, it's typically not that surprising.) Anyway, I found out they were students at a Singapore university. Most were from China, but some were from S. Korea, Taiwan, etc., with ages ranging from about 21 to 25. More pictures ensued in the tavern, and then afterwards, when we were leaving and I was debating my options for returning to the city (the brewery was about a 30 minute taxi ride, ~S$20) their instructor, or group leader, offered me a ride back on their motor coach, for being so nice and indulging the students throughout the entire trip.
So as it turned out, on the ride back, the students wanted me to come out to dinner with them, so I figured why not and we took the train to a restaurant serving hot pot not too far away from my own hotel. It was really good, and then afterwards they wanted me to come out and do karaoke with them! By this time, though, it was past 6:30, and I still wanted to see the sights of the city. I probably would have gone along if any the songs were in English, but from what I could tell, they were all Chinese songs with subtitles in Mandarin. I declined, and set off to explore the city.
The sun was going down, but I wandered around and saw a ton of amazing sights, including, of course, the Merlion in Singapore's Marina Bay. I also had a Singapore Sling (delicious) in the Long Bar of the Raffles Hotel.
Anyway, I'm spoiling all my good stories so I'll stop at this point. Of course, I got a ton of pics. I do plan to go back to some of the locations to try and get some shots in the daylight, though, and then explore a few more areas before catching my 2:10 pm flight to Bangkok. Then, one more night, and I'm on the plane back home... I can hardly believe it!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Kuala Lumpur
The hop-on, hop-off tour was fun, except I didn't have nearly enough time to hop off at all the stops I would have liked to see! It didn't help that I started at 1:00 pm or so, and spent a little while debating whether or not to buy a new camera. It's really sweet (Canon SX1 IS), but in the end I decided to just wait until it comes out in North America (probably a month or two) and pick it up then. It wasn't like it's any cheaper here; in fact many camera- and cell phone-related items were more expensive! For instance, the SX10 IS (the previous model) was around 1700-1900 RM, which works out to be around 600 CDN. At Future Shop, it's only $400! Of course, you can get them to lower the price and throw in a bunch of additional items like cases and 4 GB memory cards, which sweeten the deal, but even still, those are "cash only" prices.
Oh well. No big deal. So I'm staying at one of the hotels at the airport tonight, and will be taking an express train out there later this evening (the airport is about 75 km from the city center). Then, it's off to Singapore at 9:00 am tomorrow!
FYI, the weather in KL is currently 31°C, with 79% humidity. Supposedly, it "feels like" 44°C.
Oh well. No big deal. So I'm staying at one of the hotels at the airport tonight, and will be taking an express train out there later this evening (the airport is about 75 km from the city center). Then, it's off to Singapore at 9:00 am tomorrow!
FYI, the weather in KL is currently 31°C, with 79% humidity. Supposedly, it "feels like" 44°C.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Kuala Lumpur
The dinner last night was great, and afterwards I managed to score a few sweet deals in the Chinatown night market. Despite going to bed the latest I have since I've been here (1 am), I was up at 6 and have already been up the Petronas Towers. Pretty cool. Right now I'm in a pretty sweet mall at the base of the towers, and will be heading out to find a "hop-on hop-off" bus tour shortly. Should be a good way to see the sights of the city.
Homestay / Kuala Lumpur
Well, we're back in Kuala Lumpur. The trip to the lake where we had the homestay wasn't so bad, aside from the fact that the bus was two hours late! Other than that, it was pretty uneventful... it rained in the morning and most of the journey, but clear skies awaited us when we arrived at our destination. The island and the lake which contained it were both beautiful--the glassy water and scenic backdrop really made me want to get out and waterski, and when you see the pictures I think you'll agree.
Our hosts (Aziz and Asiah) at the homestay were very hospitable and introduced us to many aspects of traditional Malay culture. Plus, the food cooked by Asiah was delicious! Yesterday, we went for a walk through a very simple village on the lake shore with Aziz as our guide. He was an excellent guide and shared many interesting stories and facts about Malay architecture, plants and herbs, and culture in general. Afterwards, a few of us went for an additional walk (which involved walking through rivers at points) up to a waterfall, which had a nice pool at its base where we were able to swim.
It rained a bit that afternoon, but other than that, the weather was very nice. In the evening, we had a traditional Malay dinner, sitting on the floor, wearing sarongs, and eating with our hands. Again, the food was great! Today, we took a quick tour through Kuala Kangsur, the capital of the state we were in, then boarded buses for a 4-hour trip back to Kuala Lumpur. We're having a farewell dinner tonight in 1.5 hours, and then that's it for the tour! I'm planning on looking around the markets tonight, then taking some sights in tomorrow.
Our hosts (Aziz and Asiah) at the homestay were very hospitable and introduced us to many aspects of traditional Malay culture. Plus, the food cooked by Asiah was delicious! Yesterday, we went for a walk through a very simple village on the lake shore with Aziz as our guide. He was an excellent guide and shared many interesting stories and facts about Malay architecture, plants and herbs, and culture in general. Afterwards, a few of us went for an additional walk (which involved walking through rivers at points) up to a waterfall, which had a nice pool at its base where we were able to swim.
It rained a bit that afternoon, but other than that, the weather was very nice. In the evening, we had a traditional Malay dinner, sitting on the floor, wearing sarongs, and eating with our hands. Again, the food was great! Today, we took a quick tour through Kuala Kangsur, the capital of the state we were in, then boarded buses for a 4-hour trip back to Kuala Lumpur. We're having a farewell dinner tonight in 1.5 hours, and then that's it for the tour! I'm planning on looking around the markets tonight, then taking some sights in tomorrow.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Khota Bharu
So, it rained again this morning, delaying our departure from the island for about an hour...! From what we've heard, this rain is pretty atypical for this time of year, but what can you do. We haven't had much bad luck this trip, and if this is the worst we get then I can't really complain. But yes, our 9:00 departure from Perhentian Besar was pushed back until the rain let up at 10:00. It's a good thing we left right when we did, because as the boat was pulling out another storm appeared over the island, bearing down on us from the south. Compared to the calm waters on our trip TO the island, these rough seas were quite a change! We caught a bit of it, with the driving rain and large swells rocking our boat, but we were able to outrun it and get back to the mainland in one piece. The waters were still pretty rough, though, with swells of at least 5 feet at times! Personally, I didn't mind it at all, but some of the people on the boat were none too happy about the weather.
From there, we took minivans into Khota Bharu, about 2 hours away. We checked into our hotel, and headed out into the city for a look around. Walked through a mall and then several street markets. We also saw a couple historic buildings, but then it started to rain again so we headed back. The group was supposed to walk through a night food market, which is normally quite lively and with many different food choices, but it's an open air market and was closed due to the rain. A few of us stopped at a nearby Chinese restaurant for a good meal.
Tomorrow, we've got a 7-hour bus ride to our next destination, a homestay on an island in the middle of a lake. Sounds quite nice. After that, it's back to Kuala Lumpur, and the end of the tour--I can hardly believe it's almost over already. And, in one week's time, I'll be back home... crazy!
From there, we took minivans into Khota Bharu, about 2 hours away. We checked into our hotel, and headed out into the city for a look around. Walked through a mall and then several street markets. We also saw a couple historic buildings, but then it started to rain again so we headed back. The group was supposed to walk through a night food market, which is normally quite lively and with many different food choices, but it's an open air market and was closed due to the rain. A few of us stopped at a nearby Chinese restaurant for a good meal.
Tomorrow, we've got a 7-hour bus ride to our next destination, a homestay on an island in the middle of a lake. Sounds quite nice. After that, it's back to Kuala Lumpur, and the end of the tour--I can hardly believe it's almost over already. And, in one week's time, I'll be back home... crazy!
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