If It's Monday, It Must Be Athens

Don't ask me what day it is.  Well, I think it's Monday.  Yes, it's Monday, March 26.  I know this because our host just left for work - poor thing - but it took a bit to work out the exact date.  We always set an alarm so we don't sleep too late but now that we don't have to get up and out to exercise before the crack of dawn to escape the heat, our last few mornings have been more relaxed.  Athens is about 30 degrees cooler and far less humid than Thailand, Malaysia or Singapore.

Since we last posted, we've spent three days in Kuala Lumpur (that's KL to locals), an evening and a full day in Singapore and two days in Athens.  We leave tomorrow late afternoon for five days on the island of Crete and two on Santorini.

For many reasons, our time is KL was a highlight of our trip so far.  Our host, Eric (that's his Christian name; he converted to Christianity many years ago and even thugh he says he's now a free thinker rather than a Christian or Buddhist, he still uses his Christian name when with Westerners or his Christian friends.  His given name is Lim Young Fock), was very generous with his time and helped make navigating around and experiencing the culture and sights of KL so easy.  He even told us which train to take from the airport to a meeting point and then picked us up from that train station.

Where we stayed in KL 

We spent hours talking about the history of Malaysia, how the Chinese, Indians and Muslims influenced the Malays and his ideas for a more collaborative and sustainable future.  Interesting ideas about "collaborative consumption" vs "conspicuous consumption."  Check out the book, "What's Mine Is Yours" - I started reading it while I was there and plan to finish it when we get home.

On our second day there, we left the apartment about 11:30 AM and didn't return until after midnight.  First, Eric took us to one of his favorite Chinese cafes to grab some lunch.  Then we took the train down to the city center and for the next six hours Eric took us on a walking tour of his city.  I say "walking" - it was more of a slow jog.  I'm kidding, but only slightly - that 65-year old man showed us young whippersnappers a thing or two about being in shape :)

He also showed us where the two rivers in the center of the city came together and how KL got its name.  We went to a museum which helped us learn the history of Malaysia and KL so that everything else we saw for the rest of the day had meaning.  We went to Petronas Towers - amazing, google it!  We spent time in a beautiful park, doing a few laps around the jogging track because we just didn't walk enough that day!

Eric and I at one of his favorite Chinese eateries.

I was amazed at the sheer amount of laundry hanging out to dry - almost every window on every floor had something hanging from the balcony railings.

A typical temple, built by a family to honor their relatives.

We wandered into a shop that sold only teas and such.  This woman brewed tea for us and explained the ritual and art behind it. After 45 minutes and five "rounds" of pouring, we thanked her and left.  Who knew there was so much to the brewing and pouring of tea? 

Little India

Petronas Towers

Dancing in the park

To give you an idea of the rich cultural fabric of the city, during the course of the day we had Malay, Chinese and Indian food and ended the night at an Irish pub!  For dinner that night, we met about 30-35 other couchsurfing members from all over the world at their weekly KL couchsurfing meeting - that's where we had the delicious Indian food.  These gatherings are posted on the website and if you're in the area you're welcome to stop in.  We met other hosts, people who were traveling and people who weren't able to host but who just liked the fellowship of the group.  I sat next to Kyle, a guy traveling and working in KL who was from . . . Boulder!  Small world.  After dinner, we walked a few blocks to an Irish pub where I managed not to fall asleep in my beer.

At dinner, we learned of a couchsurfer gathering in Singapore the next night.  So, after a five-hour bus ride from KL to Singapore, we found a backpackers hostel a few blocks from the restaurant, checked in and headed to dinner.  More about our Singapore experiences later - we're off to the Acropolis!

Last Day In Thailand

The first leg of our trip, Thailand, is about ready to end. We leave tomorrow morning about 7:00 for the Phuket airport. For $750 Bahts, a taxi will pick us up from our hotel and drive us the 90 minutes - about $28.00. We're in Kuala Lumphur for two nights, then will take a train or bus to Singapore for one night and then off to Athens. It seems I'm finally getting acclimated to the weather- just in time for us to go. Val likes the heat and humidity more than I do but still says he's looking forward to some cooler temps when we get to Greece.

We rented a motorbike and have spent the last few afternoons exploring the area outside of the beach resorts. Yesterday and this afternoon we went to national parks and hiked up and around some beautiful waterfalls. The hike yesterday was very strenuous. So much so that about 15 minutes from the top, I turned around and went back down with my head pounding and drenched in sweat. Val went on and said the rest of the route was even harder but the view at the top was worth it. The hike today was a bit easier though just as beautiful. We didn't encounter any snakes or other critters of any kind, just about a million mosquitos.

When I asked Val what his favorite part of this leg of our trip was, the first thing that comes to mind for him is the food! So good and so inexpensive - we had lunch today for about $1.25. For both of us. He also liked the jungle hiking - you'll have to ask him about his waterfall adventure. I liked experiencing the two ends of the spectrum that defined for me this county: how the beaches and countryside were so beautiful - only to turn the corner and see heaps of garbage and trash. How the people in Bangkok and the small town of Ban Song were so hospitable and welcoming while the Thai people who make their living from tourism in the beach resorts can be rude and pushy. We also liked how in the sea of people here at the beaches, we found interesting fellow travelers from over the world who were willing to spend a bit of time with us: Bruce and Rety who used to live in Canada but who now call the world their home - they're spending the next three months Italy and we may try to meet up with them in Verona when we go to Spain; Thomsen, an Australian woman who now lives in Scotland and who works as a consultant so she can set her own work schedule, save up and travel. She spent 9 mos in South America and is here in Thailand for 3 weeks; Nathaniel and his dad who were here from Singapore for a get-away week who gave us info about traveling in Singapore and even gave us the name of a nice but inexpensive hotel close to a central subway stop. All good people, good times.

Well, we're up early tomorrow - looking forward to what comes next!

Experiencing true Thai culture in Ban Song (Val)

We left Hua Hin about 10 pm Saturday, March 10, on overnight train to Ban Song where we were greeted at 7 am by Wanla and her daughter, Faang, who graciously hosted us for a couple of days and introduced us to some true Thai culture.

Downtown Ban Song

Ban Song is a small city far away from any tourist areas. I think it might even be true to say that we are the only foreigners here now and that very few come to this region.  We've been warmly received by our hosts, their family and friends and even a few strangers who helped us out when we lost the keys to the scooter Wanla's sister loaned us.  The keys had fit loosely in the ignition and we think we lost them on a bumpy road leading to the park we went for a hike in. Then, we ran out of gas about 30 minutes outside of Ban Song.  There is a somewhat logical explanation for this which will be a good story sometime! (Brenda questions the use of the word "logical")

Yesterday we spent a good part of the day at Wanla's sister's home out in the country where we were greeted by a menagerie of cats, dogs, roosters, and hens.  We were happy to get a bit of dog love in. We also watched a Thai newscast broadcasting world news in English - interesting to hear from a different perspective.

Our host Wanla and Brenda at their family home near Ban Song

 Last evening we went to a Karoke pub where Faang entertained us with her beautiful voice singinging a variety of songs in both Thai and English. We think she should try out for American Idol!

Fang sharing her talents in both Thai and English at a Karoke Pub in Ban Song

Today we enjoyed a peaceful ride through the mountains and sat under a thatched roof hut on the bank of a big reservoir and consumed a couple of $0.80 good local beers. Tonight we will be learning to cook some Traditional Thai BBQ. Have we mentioned yet that the food here is sooooo good!

Enjoying an $0.80 cent beer under a campground cabana overlooking a lake near Ban Song

Hello from Hua Hin!

Hua Hin is a coastal city about 3 hours south of Bangkok. Thursday morning we boarded a minibus with 12 other people. We all had a seat but it was a, shall we say, "cozy" ride.  Miles and miles of commercial buildings, ramshackle buildings and homes and then as we got further away from Bangkok, rice fields. We arrived about 3:00, found a place to have a bite to eat and lots of water and then called our couchsurfer host at 4:00, exactly when we told her we'd be there. She told us to meet her at a coffee shop about 1 1/4 miles away.

Okay, picture this: we're a bit tired and hot from our cozy minibus drive, it's over 90 degrees outside and we have two heavy packs and a backpack to carry down a busy noisy main thoroughfare. You should have seen Val - he had one pack on his back and one strapped on his front. We thought, it's only a mile, we can walk. A couple blocks in we thought again about catching a taxi but it was $100 Bahts. That sounds like a lot, doesn't it? Shortly before we got to the coffee shop, Val brought up the point that $100 Bahts is . . . $4.00. I felt so bad! And I felt even worse about it today when I carried the packs for just a fraction of the distance he carried them! Definitely packing lighter next time!

Our host wasn't ready when we got there so we dropped our bags and had a drink while we waited. Before finally heading out to her place, we walked along the beach, picked up a few groceries and did a bit of sightseeing. We chatted a bit on her front porch where the cool breezes felt like heaven. A nice cool shower before bed felt even better and we called it a day about 10:30. Our host, Bente, is from Norway and has been spending at least part of her year in Thailand for 20 years. Interesting that both hosts so far are foreigners (we're staying with a native Thai in Bon Song, our next destination) but still appreciate their knowledge about Thailand. Bente is an interesting character and while it wasn't our best couchsurfers experience ever it was high on the entertainment scale. The fact that we're leaving Hua Hin a day earlier than expected might give you an idea!

We enjoyed our stay here though.  A few highlights, the pool at Bente's complex. Beautifully landscaped and a nice respite on a hot afternoon.

The pool at Bente's house - we spent just a few hours here one afternoon, but it was wonderful

A place called Monkey Island where the hundreds of monkeys running around were quite friendly and very curious. There was a large German man in a Speedo who had to run after one of more bolder scamps who stole something out of his knapsack on his motorbike. Pictures on Facebook soon. Of the monkeys not the guy in the Speedo.

An evening out with some new friends, Rety and Bruce, who weren't able to host us but who met us for dinner. The woman in the blue tank is Bente and the person behind her is Rety. That's Bruce in front on the right.

Three Days in Bangkok

Two words: Hot. Hospitable. Have I mentioned how hot it's been? :). In the nineties every day with high humidity. We've had a great time here but are looking forward to heading towards the coast this afternoon.

We arrived on Monday evening and took a taxi to our couch surfing hosts, Cillia and Florian who are from France but who've lived here for about five years. They took us to a wonderful restaurant for dinner and we spent a few hours chatting and eating yummy Thai food. They shared their perspective on the Thai culture and gave us some valuable do and don't advice. One thing you should never do is make a fuss over anything. Just smile, nod and walk away. Those of you who know me realize how counter intuitive this is for me :)

Cillia helped us Tuesday morning with logistics about how to get around which were super helpful as we made our way to the Grand Palace - first taking a taxi to the sky train station and then taking the sky train to the pier where we picked up a water taxi to take us to where we could walk to the Palace. We were proud of ourselves that we actually ended up where we intended. At the Grand Palace we were prepared to hear that we weren't appropriately dressed (Val was wearing shorts and I had on capris) but they anticipate that from us awkward foreign tourists and have clothing you can borrow - a sarong for me and nifty knit pants for Val.

We spent all afternoon and into the evening walking around that area where we saw an amazing flower market and more street side vendors than I've ever seen where you can get everything from delicious food to hats to iPhone cases. Cillia and Florian were only able to host us for one night but we found an inexpensive but nice hotel within walking distance of their apartment and it was good to get back, take a nice cool shower and hit the hay.

Before we left CO, my sister, Sue, put us in touch with a colleague of hers and we were lucky to connect with Mo, Toum and their daughter, Boke for an adventure on Wednesday. We met them at the train station and from there we drove in their air-conditioned van North to outside the city. They were wonderful hosts who treated us to a day of good Thai food, sightseeing at places we would have never been able to see: the old, original capital of Thailand, the King and Queen's summer palace and four beautiful temples. Two of the temples were burned by the Burmese and even after all these centuries later, Mo got a bit choked up when he shared the story. The Thai people have a sense of pride about their country, their traditions and their history that you don't often see. We ended the day by taking part in a Buddist holiday tradition of walking three times around a temple in Bangkok where the monks pray for the followers.

An amazing day, an amazing family. We couldn't thank them enough! Now, off to Hua Hin!

From Denver to LAX to Bejing

Odd, we thought Sunday came after Monday . . . We boarded our plane in Denver at 6:15 pm on Saturday. Very excited to be on our way. For that 2-hour flight we sat in the Premier section. On each of the two flights that followed the seats became progressively smaller so we enjoyed the space while we could. We had a 3-hour layover in LA which worked well since we had a fair distance to walk to get to Air China's terminal. Val was kind enough to carry my duffle bag but I told him not to worry - I wouldn't get used to it. :). After a bite to eat and a bit more walking around we settled in at our gate to wait. The flight actually left on time, always a good sign. We sat in the middle of the three rows in the aisle and middle seat towards the back of the plane. The coolest thing was the monitor each person had in front of them. Movies, TV shows, music. Awesome, we thought. It was almost 2:00 am and we were tired so we thought sleep, watch a few movies and we're there! After a 13-hour flight, between sleeping, sitting in the middle row with no access to seeing outside and crossing the international dateline, we were a bit discombobulated to find ourselves in Beijing on MONDAY morning about 6:00 am local time, the good news is we gain a day going home. Next, what to do during a 7-hour layover in the Beijing airport. Sigh. Will we ever get out of an airport?

Last Minute Angst

Sorry, technical difficulties