17 July 2009 (Day 12): Slacking in Bangkok

We didn't do much on Day 12, except to visit a temple, an old shopping complex totally unsuited to our needs, a deserted departmental store and a street full of firearm shops.

I shall just write down the more notable stuff we encountered on this day.

The first were the firearm shops. From Glock to Sig Sauer, from pistols to automatic submachine guns, the shops had almost everything to suit your needs. Well, almost everything, except fully automatic rifles and heavier weapons. I spotted a few Sig Sauer military models including the P226 and P229; the shotguns were beautiful but the most impressive was definitely the MP-5SD. Gun accessories such as scopes, pistol grips, holsters and cleaning kits could be readily bought off the streets. There were so many makeshift vendors marketing such items and we really had a great range of tactical folders to consider should we had wanted to acquire one.

The other notable event was our discovery of an old, seemingly run-down department store. The food section on the first floor was well-stocked with very good deals but other than that, the other floors were very deserted and the situation got worse as we ascended. Stuff such as video tapes and video recorders were still on sale and many souvenirs on displayed dated back to 1991! The prices were not impressive either. The kiddy rides and fun corners were all abandoned, the toilets totally out-of-date and we were like the only shoppers around. Some of the staff were singing KTV at one corner and we nicknamed that spot the elderly corner. You can guess why!

Total expenses over 18 days: S$535
Participants: LSH, Zi Kai, Jing Kai, Lim Hwee

16 July 2009 (Day 11): The Scam, Bangkok

We experienced our first misadventure of the trip in Bangkok. The scam was so neatly set up that we did not have our suspicions at first. It was only when we visited the jewellery shop did I have my first doubts. Anyway, I did not plan to buy any of their products but it was great that the others realised we had been set up before they fell into the trap. The incidents after the visit to the jewellery shop seemed somewhat like a slippery slope fallacy and totally gave the game away.

We paid off our tuk-tuk driver, who was definitely involved in the scam, and got away. The rest of the day was spent shopping, or rather, raiding Tesco Lotus for their super reasonable products. =P We checked out Hua Lamphong Railway Station but decided that the State of Thailand Railway was too expensive for us.

The next objective was to find A&W and we walked a few kilometres to the shopping district just for that. It was difficult to find one. The others have to thank me for I got them there! =P And I have to thank Lim Hwee for scaring the waitress away so much so that they forgot my orders and compensated me with a piece of chicken. =)

We got to the Bangkok Bus Terminal (Sai Mai) quite late, thanks to the delay at A&W. Most of the booths were already closed so we checked the remaining ones and to our horror, the bus tickets to Hat Yai were incredibly expensive. We did not have enough baht to pay for tickets and there were no money changers open. In the end, we found a ticketing counter which offered reasonable rates and had just enough for four tickets and a cab ride back. We returned to Khao San penniless.

Total expenses over 18 days: S$535
Participants: LSH, Zi Kai, Jing Kai, Lim Hwee

15 July 2009 (Day 10): Chonburi, Si Racha, Bangkok

We spent most of the day travelling. Reaching Chonburi at around noon, we asked for directions to the Si Racha Tiger Farm, which has the world's largest collection of tigers, and a student was kind enough to personally direct us onto a bus.

The bus conductors attempted to collect 60baht per person from us for the short 20km trip but we knew the fare was lower. In the end, we paid around 50b each and the conductors gladly obliged - I had this feeling we had been ripped off. Reaching Si Racha, we had to fight off over enthusiastic tuk-tuk drivers, claiming we were going to have lunch first.

Indeed, we had lunch and searched for accommodation. Unfortunately, the apartments / guesthouses were either too expensive or just too run-down to take into consideration. In the end, we started walking towards the Tiger Farm, planning to visit it before heading to Bangkok on that same day. We decided not to stay in Chonburi too. Our instincts told us it was similar to Si Racha. Hotels were probably few and expensive; there seemed nothing much to do either.

We trekked a few kilometres before reaching a sign which pointed us in the direction of the Tiger Farm. We were disappointed. It was 16km away. It was either a tuk-tuk or a 16km route march in full battle order. We negotiated with a group of tuk-tuk drivers. it was never going to be cheap to get there but when we learnt that the entrance fee was 300baht per person, we gave up.

The mall with KFC and McDonald's was probably the best thing in Si Racha. It was also perhaps the closest thing to "civilisation" we have seen in our journey so far. We spent some time chilling out at McDonald's before catching a bus to Bangkok.

It was easy to find the bus. They were in abundance. As expected, the conductors pressured us to get onboard but we refused to do so provided they agreed to our fare of 80baht per person. After some persistent negotiation, they agreed and we got on. When one of them attempted to charge us 100baht, we refused to pay and apparently the commotion was loud enough to attract some attention! We highlighted the fact that his colleague had agreed on the 80baht price and he had no choice but to accept the agreed fare.

We thought they were quite unhappy with us. When they signalled us to get off the bus awhile later, we thought it was a scam. We had not even reached Chonburi! Cautious, Zi Kai got off the bus to check while we remained on. It was a transfer. Quickly, we ran for the bus ahead which would take us to Bangkok. Fortunately, the bus conductor on that bus was more friendly.

We sat separately as the bus was quite full. There were quite a few soldiers returning to camp. The girl sitting beside me, Ant, was kind enough to give us directions to get to Hua Lamphong from Ekkemai (where the bus was heading to). Thanks to her, we didn't have to get lost! I learnt that she is from Chanthaburi and travels to university from her hometown. That takes her a good five hours daily (journey to and fro). I am impressed. We, as Singaporeans, are really lucky to live so close to our workplaces and also enjoy a world-class transport system.

Dinner at the Ekkemai Bus Station was horrible. We had an experience on the BTS to Asok but decided not to continue by MRT to Hua Lamphong. We thought it would be cheaper if we shared a taxi, and it indeed was. It was quite late so we took the cab to Chinatown. It was great being in such an atmosphere; the streets were lit with colourful lights and seafood seemed to be the must-try dinner! We had a problem securing a hotel though. They were either too expensive or sleazy.

We decided to try our luck at Khao San. We were delighted to find a busy street filled with so many budget accommodation. The nightlife was great. There were so many food stalls selling delicious snacks while a great many other booths peddled different goods from clothes to forged licences! Pubs lined the street and different music blared from each outlet. People were drinking, dancing, flirting and just making merry. It was probably the coolest hang-out in Bangkok for both locals and foreigners. I spotted a couple of bikers - Fox shocks, SPDs and all!

We had a late night that day but I just wanted to sleep after finding accommodation and taking a walk around.

Total expenses over 18 days: S$535
Participants: LSH, Zi Kai, Jing Kai, Lim Hwee

14 July 2009 (Day 9): Oasis Sea World, Chanthaburi

Question: What is the difference between a taxi and a bus when they are both pick-ups of a similar model.

Answer: The colour.

That was what distinguished the "cabs" from the intra-town "buses" in Chanthaburi. The "cabs" were blue and yellow while "buses" were painted white with a number on each side. We managed to find the right "bus" to Oasis Sea World but we found ourselves waiting almost an hour for it to move off! What a good excuse to be late for work.

The weather was bad. It rained heavily. And the marine park was nothing more than a dolphin show unless you were willing to pay more to play with the dolphins. It was expensive but nonetheless, an eye-opener. I did enjoy watching the smartest mammal on Earth (excluding mankind) perform tricks.

We had a problem getting back to Chanthaburi. There were no "buses" from the park. We followed the instructions from a kind Oasis staff and walked out to a roadside market where we were the centre of attraction. It was difficult communicating with the locals, funny at times, but we finally got the message across that we were looking for a "song tuol" back to Chanthaburi.

They insisted there were none, told us to wait and finally, one came along. The driver quoted a crazy price equivalent of booking an entire cab for a private tour and we negotiated, pushing the price down a little. Still, we were at the losing end. A couple of locals hopped on along the way and we found out they paid a much lower fare, not that we were surprised anyway. At our destination, we refused to pay the exaggerated amount but finally did fork out an amount slightly lower than agreed. As expected, the driver happily accepted.

Lunch was rice with chopped chilli =P and we had great fried chicken as a side dish. Zi Kai will remember this forever as he went down with a bad stomachache. We headed back to our room for a rest, then visited the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, but obviously Zi Kai was in some pain. He didn't even have appetite for dinner. I thought the chicken rice was quite nice, too bad he missed it.

Total expenses over 18 days: S$535
Participants: LSH, Zi Kai, Jing Kai, Lim Hwee

13 July 2009 (Day 8): Siem Reap - Poipet - Chanthaburi (Thailand)

We just couldn't help but make fun of Zi Kai. This was probably his saddest day of the entire trip =P

We spent most of the day on the bus. First, it was to the Poipet border where we alighted and had lunch. Crossing the border by foot into Thailand, we approached the baggage check section and one of the officers asked where we came from. When we replied Singapore, he smiled cheerfully and waved Lim Hwee and I through without checking. He was even kind enough to give us directions to the bus station which was a few kilometres away.

The Englishman whom we had met earlier on the bus to Siem Reap and again at Angkor Wat saw us passing through with ease and came over. We had another friendly chat before we bidded each other farewell. He and his wife were going to Bangkok where they would proceed on to China and India before ending their one year backpacking trip. That was the last time we ran into them. Wherever they may be now, I wish them all the best and that they enjoy themselves.

We took a tuk-tuk to the Bus Station where we caught a bus to Chanthaburi. It was then we realised transport in Thailand was quite expensive. On buses, you are likely to be scammed by the conductors if you are a foreigner, hence it's best to negotiate a reasonable price before boarding. The conductors may pressure you to board but stand firm. Out of Bangkok, stay away from the cabs and tuk-tuks. They are un-metered and excessively expensive unless you negotiate. As there were four of us, we took meter cabs in Bangkok as the cabs turned out to be cheaper than the BTS and MRT systems.

We reached Chanthaburi at dusk. One of the tuk-tuk drivers was excessively friendly and helpful but since it was late and the price he quoted seemed reasonable enough, we allowed him to show us two budget hotels, of which we chose the second one as it was bigger, more decent and air-conditioned.

We ran into Tim and Peter, an American and Englishman respectively, who were now residing in Thailand. We had dinner at Nam Phu market before we bid them farewell and left to explore the town.

Total expenses over 18 days: S$535
Participants: LSH, Zi Kai, Jing Kai, Lim Hwee

12 July 2009 (Day 7): Angkor Temples, Siem Reap

Too tired, we overslept. I was awakened by persistent knocks on our door and was quite shocked to see the time on my watch. True enough, it was Amanda. We apologised and quickly had breakfast in our room (bread with tuna =P) before moving out.

In the wee hours of the morning, the weather was cool. The streets were dark so I just kept a straight line and prayed my wheel would not roll into an obstacle. The bicycles we rented were in poor condition and I realised that my brakes were not working at all, a perfect complement to half-flat tyres and a jammed-stuck seat post. Still, I enjoyed the ride to the entrance of the temples where we had to purchase our tickets. A one day pass cost us a good USD20 but I marvelled at how they took our pictures and printed an instant photo pass for each of us =)

Our aim was to catch the sunrise at Phnom Bakheng and we rushed there. It was almost 5.40am when we reached the foot of the elephant trail. The others parked their bikes at the foot and climbed up while I attempted the trail by bike. Imagine a single-speed city bike on the trails up a hill! I assure you that it was not easy and there was no way up several tight switchbacks! I was relieved to get to the top not long after the others did (they took the shorter climbing path), but it was an enjoyable process. It was good to see the first temple of the day but unfortunately, we never got to see the sunrise. It was too cloudy that morning.

Going down Phnom Bakheng without brakes was a thrill. I was desperately trying to slow the bike before the switchbacks by stabbing my foot onto the ground but the uneven trail made it difficult to slow the bike. At one point, as I approached a tight switchback with increasing speed, I realised I was going to fly off the drop should I not be able to slow. And that was something I couldn't do. In the end, I crash-stopped the bike against the side of the hill.

After Phnom Bakheng, we visited Angkor Wat, the single largest and most famous of the Angkor Temples. Silhouetted against the skyline, it was a sight to behold. We walked the temple and it was rather interesting but I wasn't about to go crazy over it (I am no history fanatic). We proceeded to visit the temples in Angkor Thom, before having an outfield lunch (we should call it a picnic).

Our lunch, consisting bread with tuna and baked beans, was spartan. We noticed a group of local kids looking at us. They were hungry. We gave them some biscuits and what left of the beans and tuna and they gobbled the food up quickly. Indeed, we may pity them but it also serves as a good reminder to our fortunate selfs that food is precious and there are millions of hungry souls out there who may need that mouthful to survive the next couple of days.

The grand circuit came next and we covered Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Ta Som, East Mebon, Pre Rup, Sras Srang and Ta Prohm. Ta Prohm, of Tomb Raider fame, was a much nicer walk thanks to the boardwalk and felt a lot more touristy. Perhaps, it was the "effect" of Angelina Jolie's Tomb Raider shoot that brought fame to that particular temple and "initiated" a "revamp". By the time we completed Ta Prohm, it was already close to dusk and we took a jolly good long walk back to the temple's entrance (Zi Kai was not very happy and Lim Hwee just couldn't help shooting glances at me and giving that knowing look).

Anyway, we soon begun to our ride back to Siem Reap and it rained a little as we neared the town. The skies threatened to pour hence we decided to have dinner first. Fried rice accompanied with a fruit shake tasted great =)

And of course, our beds were a much welcomed reprieve.

Total expenses over 18 days: S$535
Participants: LSH, Zi Kai, Jing Kai, Lim Hwee

11 July 2009 (Day 6): Phnom Penh - Siem Reap

We left Phnom Penh for Siem Reap via the Phnom Penh - Sorya Transport Co. (No. 168) once again. After spending the whole morning on the bus, we finally reached the bus terminal on the outskirts of Siem Reap.

The distance to the city centre was about 4km. Lim Hwee wanted to trek in and I was inclined towards his proposal but the others didn't want to suffer that much in the sweltering sun, especially since Amanda was with us. In the end, they took a tuk-tuk in, while the two of us began our "route march" to our next r.v. location (outside the Royal Residence).

The boss of the King Angkor hotel had managed to convince Zi Kai, Jing Kai and Amanda to get onto his tuk-tuk, promising that they could view other hotels should they want to once they checked out his hotel. Obviously, they were pressured to immediately checking into King Angkor, but they made full use of his initial offer to view the other hotels around the area. Apparently, the boss was quite unhappy and when they decided to take up residence at King Angkor later, they were given lousier rooms than those initially offered. Anyway, in my opinion, it was still decent accommodation at a good price.

The ladies at the counter were also very friendly and we managed to book our bus to Poipet there as well as rent our bicycles (for our convenience instead of renting at another cheaper but further location). We spent the rest of the evening shopping at the Center Market (Phsar Kandal) and had a fabulous dinner at a row of road-side hawkers in the vicinity.

Total expenses over 18 days: S$535
Participants: LSH, Zi Kai, Jing Kai, Lim Hwee