M.H.

I think it's time to go on some more holidays. But where? And when. To be continued.

'!'

?

At home: the figures

Hours slept 7
Muffins sought 4
Reunions 2
Longest trance 0.5 days

Tiger x6

Today is the end of my holidays. I fly back with Wolverine tomorrow at 07:45hrs. Holidays have done me good. I don't want to be old, looking back at the distant Holidays
I will frame photographs and put them up around the house.

Yes, it's been good. I must stress though: I haven't done any 'soul searching.' (angry voice) and I haven't done any 'naval gazing' either. Or found spiritual- [ fade out ] ...


To be continued

High Spirits

What superstition! Prevalent across Thailand are spirit houses, built outside homes and shops to keep any resident spirits happy. They are frowned on by some because they munch through valuable real estate. This one (left) has got a job on its hands. It has to look after the spirits for an entire 18-storey building.

Also today, to take your mind off the porn look at these further snaps. Top two: a Thai cookery course. Everyone else's brew is flaming correctly whilst mine, like Mildred Hubble's in The Worst Witch, is going all wrong. Bottom: elephant riding in Chiang Mai.

NB I don't know what 'real estate' means. Are there people who say it with a straight face? I asked Richard to explain -but it was no good.

Thanks for your comments. No, it can't stay. 

Virus Control Centre#52 (Dad) ... any ideas?

Normal business to be resumed shortly

Query

Can anyone see porn on this blog?

Asia Grub Top 5

5. Vegetable mussaman - Thailand

Curried chunks of heaven

4. Apomalei - Malaysia
Translation: 'peanut cake thing.' Solves that angry early morning problem.

3. Sour and spicy noodles - Chinatown, Singapore

An orgy in a bowl

2. Fish amok - Cambodia

Baked fish chunks with coconut and local spices. Sweet, delicate.

THE WINNER

1. Penang laksa - Georgetown, Malaysia

Hot fish broth with tamarind and stuff.
Street hawker - 3 ringgit a bowl. That good I'm all confused.

Picture: Noodles on the street. Get me more!

Lao-lao

And now for Laos. Cue Remote Border Crossing #18. We reserved enough dollars to pay off the cronies.
It's all nice here. Can I stay? I could start a new clean-up program -for removal of Annoying Sex Tourists.
Today's picture: 'Excuse me? Has anyone seen Richard? I seem to have acquired some Bee Gees member -with pineapples'

Traveller's talk #2

It was 42 degrees yesterday in Hanoi. I have been exploring on a bus, admiring some buildings.
'Oh, look at these lovely buildings,' said a fellow girl traveller. 'Don't they look French?' But she didn't really know this. She was just reciting it from the Lonely Planet. I didn't know either, but I'd read the Lonely Planet too, so I agreed.
Sturdy old trees line the streets, and blossoms spill from crumbling balconies. The buildings here are unique. They don't really have floors, more just levels that appear here and there, one sometimes overlapping another, and often at odd slanting angles. When we go to eat we hunt down a cafe on some such level, so that we can perch among the leaves and watch the activity below. Motorbikes, people, people, motorbikes. Everyone is always busy. It doesn't matter which object a person may be carrying on their scooter - a herb garden, a TV... just as long as it's something, and its going somewhere.
How fat and awkward the Westerners look next to the Vietnamese!

Traveller's talk

This week: Junk boat adventures at Halong Bay, near Hanoi, North Vietnam. We had to take a boat taxi en route. I got stuck right next to the stinky engine with someone from New Jersey, and I had one of those painful dead-end conversations I keep having with Americans. I said, 'well, we got the best seats on the barge, didn't we?'
He looked at me blankly for a full minute and then said, 'yeah, but it'd make a great souvenir.' I smiled politely.
Damn these cultural differences! I must sort them out soon.

We found a TV last night. We hadn't seen one in ages - chaos could be erupting around the world. I've left Richard watching an episode of Massive Structures so I can blog for a while.
This week we visited the 'Cu Chi Tunnels,' used effectively by the Viet Cong against the Americans in the Vietnam War. You know when you wish you could go back to school where all the information is, and actually take it in? This is what's happening. The geeky dream is coming true.
Better go now. My sweet thing of choice has evolved into the Cream Filled Wafer (chocolate not sustainable in tropical climate) and I've a bagful I need to start on because the packaging says: 'Eating Directions: Eat Directly.'

Bia Hoi

We are going to be in Vietnam for two weeks. The Vietnamese are known for getting up early, like me, hence the phrase 'Good morning Vietnam.'
Such excitement! The border police charged us more than they ought to've, and they had a good laugh about it. I've been bitten by an interesting spider. Also, I've been violently ill. The Malarone is making fun hallucinations, and I feel so depressed. But these are just small details. I'm learning more here in S.E. Asia than I did in all the other regions.
We are in Saigon (Ho Chi Min), originally named for its tropical bounty: (loose translation) 'Sai' = fruit. 'Gon' = cotton. There are 4.2 million motorbikes here- and around 20 motorbikes for every one car. More to follow

Phnom Penh

We have joined another Tour Group. We departed Siem Reap yesterday after a warm welcome from staff. Interestingly, all those who had left money in the hotel safe noticed upon collection that small amounts were missing. $20 here for example, or $5 there. There was a small uprising among the guests and the missing money quickly reappeared.
Note: it is estimated that one third of Cambodians earn less than $1 (US) per day.

This morning we visited Choeung Ek (the Killing Fields) of the Pol Pot regime 1975-79. We weren't spared any facts. I could stomach what I saw - just - until I started to imagine things like that happening to my brothers and sister. Then I had to leave. This is a very sad city.

Hello tuk-tuk

I feel woozy and depressed. I think it's the Malarone. We're in Cambodia now. We crossed the border at 'Poipet.' I liked it when the Cambodian man took my temperature.
Here, as with most countries in the S.E. Asia region, you're advised to cover your body a bit. I'm all for it, but I won't be embracing the 'cool' look. Oh, let's all start wearing weird headscarfs and baggy trousers, because we're travelling. Anyway, we heard that the 'Angkor Wat' is the place to be seen, so we headed there for sunrise.
Angkor Wat was built in the 1100s in honour of the Hindu god Vishnu. It is the world's largest religious building. There, I had that feeling you get when you're around worn stone - like you could just disappear into it. Also today, I went to see Doctor Fish at Siem Reap Night Market. Goldfish shoals, nibbling at my toes...

Singha

Today we proceed to Thailand's capital, population 6 million (or 13 depending on source). It's known to outsiders as 'Bangkok' but out of respect I've decided to refer to it always by its traditional Thai name. For example: 'Excuse me, taxi, is this the way to "The City of Celestial Beings, the Residence of the Emerald Buddha, The Impregnable City of Indra, The Grand Capital of the World Endowed with Nine Precious Gems, the Happy City Abounding in Enormous Royal Palaces that Resemble the Heavenly Abode where the Reincarnated Gods Reside, a City Given by Indra and Built by Vishnukarm?" '
As well as having a catchy title Bangkok is known for its terrifying traffic jams and for its world-class Red Light Area, the 'Pat Pong,' where we are heading directly.

Chang

Thailand is a beautiful place, where you can get chillis. But it's not without its problems.
There seems to be an awful lot of rubbish here, just lying around. I wonder if the expatriates have noticed? Obviously there's a section in Buddha's teachings on rubbish disposal but people just haven't got to it yet.
In today's picture we are in the Phi Phi islands. Several years ago they starred in 'The Beach' with Leonardo Di Caprio, so that was the end of them. You don't mind me going off in water with Thai hunk though, do you Richard? Because boat is boat. Love is love.

Annoying Expatriates

I've been trying to enjoy my holidays all day but I keep getting embroiled with annoying expatriates: the ones who, within minutes of meeting you, assume you're dying to escape your home country but can't. You only have to mention you had your holidays in '- - -' and liked it there, and suddenly you're under pressure - real pressure - as to why you haven't moved there.
'Oh but it'd be easy, love,' they say. And you say, 'but I-'
'Don't worry about your family,' they say. 'You can always go back and visit!' And you say 'well, actually I-'
'What's stopping you? Y' can find work out here easy enough! Home from home, love'
Oh to give them my real answer: 'Go away, idiot. I like England and I'm s-t-a-y-i-n-g there.' Surely travelling around and seeing places for a while is enough? And isn't that, after a while, all just a bit ... silly? Come on, someone has to say it. You get to see good things but the grass isn't greener, just because you're travelling. Or moving to some tropical island, damn it.
Today's mood: #41 - Rock the Boat.

Langkawi

Today we spent some time thinking about life and pondering our existence. We sat on a long white beach for 3 hours as well. We might hire a little scooter and go scooting around!
Langkawi is popular because there is no tax on beer or cigarettes. It is an archipelago comprising 99 islands. 'Archipelago' is stupid because it doesn't do its job properly i.e. make saying 'island group' any easier. I've not heard any two people say it the same way. I think you say 'archipelago' when you want to look successful, along with 'non-prescriptive' and other bizarre long words / phrases
And now for some of that tax-free beer!