Koh Tao & Koh Phangan

The first of the two late posts from my quick passing from Thailand (2 weeks)…

A beach in Koh Tao - people not included

So after Bangkok and for some strange reason we decide to go South. South in Thailand means beach, beach and beach. Oh yeah… did I mention The Beach? Well that as well. First stop; Koh Tao (Koh = Island, Tao = Turtle) which we thought it would be a nice and peaceful place to explore the beaches (remember?), lie down, read a book and talk with the locals. It is. But not when the full moon party in Koh Phangan has just finished. That was the case and it was even difficult to find a place to stay! When we did we rented a motorcycle and explored the island for one day. Still though the bitter taste of the all-for-the-party-tourist cake we ate there is still sour in our mouths. So we decided to try Koh Phangan itself. Typical tourists have a strange way of moving in a crazily similar pattern so we thought; let’s try and where the root of the evil is.

Sunset in Koh Phangan

When we arrived there I honestly thought I was in the wrong place. As it resulted it was only the wrong time (or for US the right one ;)). The full moon party had finished a week ago and everything was deserted… so we stayed for a bit. I reckoned Koh Tao as an island was more beautiful but the hangover faces of the “backpackers” made it uglier. Koh Phangan came as a relief. Nice, empty and cheap-priced. Even the locals seemed a bit relieved from the party wave having moved out – until the next full moon obviously. We thought; this is enough of the east coast and though the next logical visit would be Koh Samui ( the third big island in the row) we headed back to the mainland.

Talking about the people once more… Bangkok did not let me decide but seeing the two islands, Thais are definitely used to strangers. Prices are fixed. If you want it; good, if not; somebody else will. Are behaviors like that too? I was about to find out on my next visit the west coast of Thailand, leaving from Krabi.

Books read so far… (9)

Somewhere between the islands of Koh Tao and Koh Phangan I finished Frank Herbert’s “The Santaroga Barrier”. Many people know the author of “Dune” – a great book filmed into a movie by David Lynch. I had no idea he had written so many other books.

The Santaroga Barrier by Frank Herbert

I really liked the book – everything but its ending. It does not follow standard science fiction conventions and at times it reminded when I was younger; devouring Stephen King’s novels withouth second thoughts. And it could so be a Stephen King’s novel I reckon. First thing it came into my mind half way through the book was how different was from Dune’s world and story. I guess it shows the author’s multiple talents but it is not what you expect from Frank Herbert after having read “Dune”. The similarities are there nonetheless though. “He who controls spice, controls the present and therefore the future” becomes in this book “He who controls Jaspers…”. Jaspers is a substance that gives the habitants of Santaroga some strange powers and resistance to the “exterior” world. Are they the rebels of their time or just some strange close-minded village people.

Read it and find out 😉

Bangkok

Hello from the capital of Thailand! It was funny when I heard from somebody actually reciting Bangkok’s full and proper name which is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit!!!

Bangkok temple

There are possibly many Bangkoks but I have seen mainly two of them. The cultural part of the city lies on the south of the chaotic and up and bustling suburbs of Kao Sahn. The best temples and the palace can be found there. It’s a place more relaxed than the central Bangkok. The latter is a full of trafic and noisy place to be. That is where all the businesses and offices are – thus the rush. I had to see the center because I spent some days in the house of Mathieu, a French VJ that has been there for two years now. All in all it is a place I would go back to and why not a place to work at.

One thing you do understand when you visit the capital is that Thailand has been in the tourism game enough time now – probably the first country in whole Asia to have suspected the boom in the sector. While travelling and seeing more of the country I hope to find an authentic place or places (I know many would tell me; good luck) and meet the real people of Thailand. I will keep you informed on how that goes. For now goodbye!

H1N1 swine flu tracker

The other day I was told about this website FluTracker developed by Dr. Henry Niman.

H1N1 diagram

Now, personally I will not change my life or my travels because of the virus. Some years ago it was something too, some years in the future there will be something else. It is bound to happen. You only have to see what we are doing to ourselves and the planet… In any case I thought I’d share it with you and maybe it will relax some people. The website is good in that when you zoom in a country you can browse each confirmed case independently; a link is given to the page that writes about it. Give it a try but try not to stay in just because of it 😉

In transit…

Flying from Singapore to Bangkok I would have to wait for about 12 hours at the Changi airport. I booked my Bangkok flight to be the next day so I coincide with the arrival of a friend from Spain in the same city but as well so I can experience what everybody is saying about Changi; the best airport in the world to pass a night if you have to.

It is so true as well… Where do I start? Free Internet, 24-hour super market, 24-hour food gallery and so much more in a specific transit part of the airport. There is even a transit hotel with its budget option – a bed with a room and shared toilets / bathroom – at about 20 Euro. Feel like home, if you have the money that is – if you find yourself without money well… you are the odd one out.

I was lucky to have had some RM from Malaysia and exchanging them for Singapore Dollars I payed for my overnight stay in the airport (food, drinks & bed). I do recommend Changi airport when you travel in Southeast Asia and you want to stay overnight between flights. The prices are expensive and the security can be tight so have your ticket printed out as the police might ask you – to be honest they are not too bad.

Around 04:00 I woke up checked out and went for my backpack. Went outside customs and straight back in again. The customs lady was laughing… Checked in for the flight to Bangkok, flew there and here I am, in the Baan Dinso Hotel for two nights, a bit southern than the dreaded Kao Sahn. Remember where Leonardo Di Caprio sleeps the first night in the movie “The Beach”? That’s where Kao Sahn Road is. Anyway I hope not to have his luck which reminds me that I have to read the book too… they tell me it is ages away from the movie (makes sense as well).

Write to you soon!

Malaysia, My

One thing is for sure for Malaysia – as it is for most of the places of the world that are running to catch the modernization train; don’t read old books about it before you go. You know it. It is not going to be like that. But in the same time the hidden hope is there. A pocket of resistance? Some good luck that will bring you closer to something authentic? Difficult. I had ruled out peninsular Malaysia knowing that it only has one national park. I did not want to visit Kuala Lumpur neither. Now they both seem reasons why I should have gone and not the opposite. Also I ruled out a friend’s invitation at Tioman island offering free accomodation for some days and of course if I had gone I would have enjoyed first-class diving. Instead I followed my instinct (or was it my knowledge?) and yelled out; Borneo here I come! Did I do good? Yes, I reckon… I always thought that all the places are worth visiting. The world is full of people that pay money for visiting a place and demand from this place to meet their expectations or else they complain. This is maybe exactly why Borneo has a limited future…

Now in Borneo I saw great difference between Sabah and Sarawak. I can now say that Sarawak is more to my liking. Kuching is a city with character. And with its Kelabit Highlands, Bario and the longhouse treks (of which I have done none) it still has some places untouched of the typical tourist hand. In Miri I sacrificed Mulu National Park for a sailing experience. I do not regret it. What I would have changed maybe would be the visit to Sabah. There I understood why they are separate states! They take their tourism industry very seriously – that much that they treat both travelers, tourists and anybody else the same. I did not like that. Overall if you want to visit Borneo (and you should) do yourself a favor and do it ASAP. The people are great and it is one of the safest places to be too. But I would suggest one thing. Do not support the big companies with your money – even if you have lots of it. Most of them are linked to “evil” organizations like logging and petrol companies. Borneo needs everything BUT those. I might be a dreamer, but traveling is a responsible thing. Borneo people are used to the bad type of tourist so try and be a good one 😉

Kota Kinabalu, Kinabalu National Park and Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park

Sabah… a place of many promises for a traveller and a nature lover. Thirty years ago this statement would have been totally true but nowadays it seems its jungles, its tribe-people or its animal life have been hiding – at least from me. Again I have to say that doing the sailing in Miri made me spend many days that would else how go to finding what I was reading in the books about Borneo. Of course no regrets there but still; some places just put you of…

Bus in Kota Kinabalu

Kota Kinabalu (also known as KK) is not the worst of the cities I have been to. It is actually pretty nice! It has a remarkable museum, a nice enough mosque, it is known for its sunsets at the promenade, its Sunday markets and it is a good place for placing your headquarters when about to explore Sabah (or what’s left of it). I was also lucky enough to catch one of the two days of the Harvest Festival (Gawai Dayak) being held in KK and so learned some things about the tribesmens’ traditions… The people are very friendly and smiley and I have made some good friends while here. From its nearby “attractions” I went for two; the Kinabalu National Park and the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park.

The Kinabalu mountain is a very famous destination with a widely-known 4000m peak to all the fans of trekking and mountain climbing. There I planned of spending 3 nights. Instead of climbing the peak though, I found myself walking every other trek in the park but Low’s Peak. The reason; it was too damn expensive! The cheapest option was to pay about 700 RM – which translates to roughly 150 Euro… that for a mountain that you climb yourself is just too much! Maybe if I was carried to the top I would have thought about it a second time 😉 In any case, the equivalent of Forestry in Sarawak is called Sabah Parks here in Sabah and they are responsible for the mess. What makes the price so… spicy is the accomodation options in the middle of the trek – you have to do it in two days. Even if you wanted to do it in one day (which is an option too) thus cutting down your costs (and maybe your knees afterwards too) Sabah Parks says; only 4 people a day are allowed to do it… I wonder why. In any case the market is responsible for giving business to those people who have triplified the prices in one year and nobody says anything. I would not give them my money. The rest of the trekking around the park (the free option) was OK but in times I had to climb more pipes and hoses than jungle – they just don’t care. Kinabalu will soon fade away in my memory I reckon and this is a shame because the place IS very beautiful… As to be expected I did not spend 3 nights as I had planned – I spend two days walking the rest of the trails and one night in a hotel outside the park. Then I went back to KK. Having some time I decided to go and see another National Park.

The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park is basically a group of five islands along with their coral reefs very close to the shore of KK. It is administered by Sabah Parks too. Being a bit cautious about what I was about to see I decided to make a day trip to two of the islands; Sapi and Manukan. People were snorkelling away and day-trippers like me with their families or their other half were having a stroll. Everything seemed normal and then I tried to go for a swim… In both islands the sea was so dirty that not even me (that I don’t usually mind it) did not have a dip. How could people snorkel and get their children to do the same? Maybe because they had paid to be there already… In any case in both of the islands I followed the trails and tried to find an alternative but without success. I did see two huge monitor lizards though… near a huge pile of rubish trying to find food.

Tomorrow I will be flying to Thailand. I do not know what to expect – although I have a lot of feedback but I guess is what you make of it. To do that though you have to have the options and in Sabah those options seem to have long disappeared for the traveler.