Seems like this Covid-19 is gonna hold me back for quite some time I may have to forget about travelling anytime soon, although I am quite positive that things are gonna get back to normal sooner than most other people (and experts) think. Somehow, I feel like the world always has its own ways of phasing through things – no matter how unlikely it may seem.
Grounded
I am even predicting that people are gonna
start traveling again as early as September, during which a lot has already been
studied about this Covid-19 that people already know what to do and what not to
do to avoid being infected or infecting others even while traveling. For sure
all my travel plans for this year has to be re-looked into. A cycling tour in
Taiwan for sure is a thing of the past now, but of course I’m gonna go back to
it when things with this virus have abated or at least until it is no longer a
sure risk. Then a returning trip to Melbourne which was planned for Raya
holiday will have to be put on hold too.
But putting it into the bright (er) side,
perhaps this was all meant to be. At least at personal level, it was meant for
me to finally give much decent thought on how I am gonna go about with my life
next. After all life is not all about traveling. There are more things in life
than just traveling. Heh.
So I was in Manila with my travel
buddy Elizabeth and we stayed at a place advertised as a ‘Home Stay’. It was
actually an apartment which was turned into a hostel. We were placed in
4-person room, with two bed bunks.
So quite naturally, I took up the
top bed while Elizabeth took the lower bed. While most of the nights we had the
room all to ourselves, there was one night when a traveller from Korea came in
to take up the other unoccupied bunk bed.
He didn’t talk much, but then most Korean travellers don’t really talk much. Perhaps it is the language.
He would have been another
forgettable traveller if he did not do one thing in particular. Before he went
to sleep, he’d put layers of newspapers on his bed and I can tell you, the bed
was so spotless and immaculate, I seriously did not see any need to do what he
did.
And yet he put the newspapers all
over his bed. As weird as it might have looked to me and my travel buddy
Elizabeth, we would have just shrugged our shoulders off and allowed ourselves
to get some good sleep so we could wake up fresh the next morning and continued
exploring the beautiful city of Manila.
Unfortunately, it didn’t really happen that way. The newspapers would crumble and rustle under his rolling weight so we had to endure through all the noises all night long. The night turned out to be so long, at least to me.
Unfortunately, he left before we
even had the chance to ask what kind of disease he was suffering through that
he had to do what he did, or whether it really was his physical needs or it was
more like in his head (and yes, I mean mental). While all the questions were
left unanswered, even until now, we were actually glad that he only stayed
there only for one night – so the suffering of having to endure through the
stupid noises he made with the spread-out newspapers turned out to be a
one-night stand business. Phew.
But then somehow, it was not the only encounter with weird travellers from Korea during that particular trip. There was one time when we were enjoying a bucket (or two, or perhaps three, I don’t remember now LOL) of San Miguel Light at a local bar near to our Home Stay when a commotion suddenly erupted. It turned out that the bouncers were trying to stop a small group of Korean travellers from leaving without paying for the beers that they had already ordered and drank.
Doing a little bit of digging-in (or digging-out, whichever you think will suit you and your thoughts), we found out that the Koreans had joined a group of locals at a table, ordered beers and decided to leave (without paying), expecting the locals to pay the beers for them. I think the locals already knew the trick, and wouldn’t buy it so they had probably told the bouncers or the waiters that they were not going to pay for the beers that they Korean travellers had ordered and drank. Or perhaps even the bouncers and the waiters already knew. Perhaps, this kind of stupid behaviour which I could only pin down to some superiority complex was not really unexpected from a group of Korean travellers.
And yes indeed, who would have thought that we’d become a victim of this very stupidity the very next day. We were having another round of San Miguel Light at an open stall by the side of a road when a couple from Korea came to join us. So introducing themselves and we to them, they ordered beers for themselves and continued chatting up with us. I gotta say it was a cheerful conversation and me and Elizabeth were quite enjoying it, except for what they did in the end.
They left without paying.
Fucking wierd Koreans.
P/S : To be fair this was back in 2012, so I am sure the Koreans have changed over the years. And I have met good (and bad) Korean tourists since then. This was only based on the thoughts that I remember coming to me during that time.
Kolkata seems to have long moved on from the time when Mother Teresawas still alive. I didn’t really see the sheer starvation that was portrayed in the books about her and her works. In fact I was quite surprised to see how well-off the people of Kolkata were in general. There were still beggars here and there but then we’d see beggars in big cities in other countries too so it was not really much of a big deal.
As I explored more of Kolkata, it turned out to be such a wonderful city for me. It was the capital city of India before it was moved to New Delhi in 1911 so everything is basically there. I took my time taking a long walk, starting with the Museum of India, then to the towering St. Paul’s Cathedral and to the iconic Victoria Memorial and all over the sprawling parks around it.
Kolkata that I noticed is a very green city. A big portion of the whole city area is dominated by parks (or gardens as they’d call) and there is greenery everywhere. It really was a long walk for me, but then Kolkata really is a very pedestrian-friendly city.
The walkways are wide and continuous in most parts of the city so I really enjoyed my time covering a big part of the city on foot. I did lose my way a few times, which was expected because I did not have any internet coverage to google-map my way around on the phone, so I’d ask around. I’d have some friendly conversations with strangers in the process and it really was all part of the fun.
I noticed how Kolkata was quite clean too. Unlike how it was in Varanasi, the people in Kolkata do not really eat betel, nor do they smoke, so I wouldn’t see people spitting on the streets which was very commonly seen when I was in Varanasi. My skin didn’t really command much attention like it did when I was in many other parts of India, but still there were people coming to get a pic or two with me. Even the air in Kolkata was quite clean too and the weather was very much bearable compared to the shimmering heat that I had to experience through in Varanasi.
Now the food.
Kolkata is probably the only place in India where I did not encounter any problem looking for (good) food at all. In fact it was so aplenty I had some difficulty choosing which from which every time. But there is this restaurant chain called Wow Momo that really sparked my appetite when I was there.
The ever-joyous children of Kolkata
I had just come out of some gallery that I randomly entered to escape the sudden rain, and was trying to figure out whether to take a cab back to the hotel or continued walking, when the rain returned with intensified heaviness. Unable to push forward or I’d get drenched in the rain, I looked around and caught sight of this yellow-dominated restaurant.
I ended up ordering a set dish called Sizzler Momoand Thuderzz and quite true to its name it came in a sizzling form. It really had me at the very first bite – hot and spicy and the fact that it was cold and raining outside – it just got right into me that I wanted to scream in excitement, literally. I instantly became a fan of Wow Momo and would make an effort to look for an outlet every time I felt like eating something.
I noticed how the people of Kolkata had special fondness for lounging around – probably to chill out or just to pass time. They make good use of the vast areas of parks that the city of Kolkata is so blessed with. As I walked from the Indian Museum towards the Hooghly River, I could see so many locals lounging around, mostly in groups, and the relaxing vibes in this 7th biggest city in India was unmistakable. Some sections of the parks were even designated for ‘members only’ and there they were, talking and idling around among themselves, as if totally oblivious to the bustling traffics around them.
My evening walk along the
riverbank of Hooghly River was one of my favourite parts of the days that I
spent in Kolkata. It appeared to be a place where the locals would go to to
relax and enjoy the beautiful riverside views. My curiosity about this river led
me into doing a little bit of research through which I found out that Hooghly
River flowed in from the river Ganges, which needs no introduction as it is
considered the holiest river in Hinduism. I guess the Hooghly River must be
sharing a good part of the blessing too.
I really enjoyed my moment there, the sight of ferries docking and leaving, and of boats paddling slowly around, and of course of the beautiful Howrah Bridge. Looking from a distance it looks so still, untouched and unwavered, almost manipulative to the fact that it is actually one of the busiest bridges in the world.
Hooghly River and the iconic Howrah Bridge in the distance
The Victoria Memorial was both a wow and a disappointment to me. I was there on a Public Holiday so it was a crowded to the brim. But the good thing was – I didn’t have to pay much for the entry because the indoor parts of the building were closed anyway and the management seemed to have kindly considered that. The building was stunning and grand, I had no doubt about it, and so were the parks around it, but I was expecting more.
The building seemed to be undergoing some kind of refurbishment so there were scaffolding laying around – which was quite a sore to the eyes and pictures. Then there were old and broken furniture stacking up against the marble building, adding more to the eyesore.
The iconic Victoria Memorial
Victoria Memorial also seems to be the place where youngsters come to show off their best dresses. I mean, I know how the ladies in India have the most beautiful casual dresses in the world, but the youngsters that come to Victoria Memorial seem to take it at least a few notches up. I felt so stupid and out of place in my short pants and T-shirt but still I had people coming to take pictures with me, probably because I looked stupid and different. But then I’d like to think that it was my ‘celebrity’ time again. Heh.
I still shiver when I think of all the walking that I did when I was in Kolkata. I wish I had a live-access to internet on my mobile phone while I did it so that I could put a track on the distance. Every time I wanted to flag down a taxi, this curious thought would come to me and I’d go ‘there must be something more to explore and find out down there’ so I’d continue walking. The walk took me to so many places, across parks and neighbourhoods, and along wide walkways and also in the back alleys – and yet I enjoyed every bit of it very much.
I remember how on my last day in Kolkata and I was heading towards the airport and the taxi took me across the city and I noticed that there was much more of Kolkata that I did not get to explore yet. Even so, it is safe to say that it is now my favourite city in India and I would love to return to it again in the future – fingers crossed.
So I climbed Mount Kerinci in
Sumatra a couple of months ago. It would be my second time conquering this
highest active volcano in South East Asia. I was quite worried, not only
because of the severe lack of preparatory training, it would also be my first mountain
climb since I hit 40 last year. Due to the busy nature of my job lately, I had
to rely on the little training that I did after work, climbing the stairs of my
office building – 28 floors of them altogether – and yet I felt so under-prepared.
But then I surprised myself when I conquered the mountain in flying colours. In fact, I ran the last 200 feet of the climb all the way to the peak (I’d never want to do it again, I almost passed out by the time I reached the peak). But I did it.
Looking down at Danau Gunung Tujuh – the highest lake in South East Asia
Despite the heavy rain and all the deafening thunderbolts that woke me up several times the night before, the mountain gods again surprised me, probably for the umpteenth time (Mount Rinjani was the worst!), and showed me how unpredictable the weather is up on mountains, either for the better or worse, and that it should always been seen as such.
This one was definitely for the better. We found ourselves standing on top of Mount Kerinci with all the beautiful views of Jambi province and probably beyond. We could even see the beautiful Danau Gunung Tujuh, a lake surrounded by 7 peaks hence the name, as if to tell us that we should come to her before we returned to Malaysia (and we did).
The most amazing thing about being on top of Mount Kerinci that day was the fact that we had the mountain peak all to ourselves. I mean, with so many hikers and adventure seekers and mountain enthusiasts in just about every corner of the world nowadays, it’s hard to imagine being on top of a mountain – let alone a mountain with quite a bit of reputation like Mount Kerinci – with no one else around you but you, your team, your guide and probably one of your porters.
It did rain very heavily when were on the way down, in fact the trail had turned into a muddy stream of water, but it no longer mattered. We had fun.
My Mary Poppins moment
I’ve got no mountain climbs planned out for this year yet – but I am looking at the long-overdue Semeru, and probably the highest mountain in the Philippines, whatever the name is, and some other mountains within the locality. EBC is still very much in the bucketlist but I don’t see I can do it this year, or even next year. Another mountain in the North of India seems more appealing to me now. We’ll see though.
So I have just remembered. I went to Phuket late last year – to join a bunch of friends from my hometown who actually toured from Bangkok to Phuket and back on bicycles. It would be my second time to this island, after going there with a friend back in 2009 (one of my very first travel trips). As expected, everything had changed a lot. It was only a moderately sized airport back then, but now it seems to have doubled up in size and the number of passengers that it has to deal with.
I remember having to deal with the incessant hassling
by hordes of taxi drivers, but this time you can just go to any of the ticket
counters and buy your ticket. There were more easy and cheaper options. Cheaper
does come with a price though, only in another form. I had to wait until the van
was fully loaded, and then it stopped at some shop where we were all asked to disembark
and go into a shop promoting all kind of tour packages that I had no interest whatsoever
in. I just wanted to reach Patong where my hometown friends were eagerly
waiting.
After tossing my luggage in the hotel room, I went to join them at Bangla Road, the road that fascinated me so much when I first visited it 10 years ago. I was glad that they were not really in the midst of the cacophony of deafening sounds and noises that Bangla Road is known for (apart from more other things of course), because I was not really prepared for it just yet. Instead, I found them in a quite part of the area where we could have beer and talk without having to shout at the top of our lungs.
The real tour around Patong only happened the next
day. Patong was almost unrecognizable from the last time I remember it was. New
buildings were up – large and modern – and the small bars that lined up the
beach back then were no longer there. Instead, they had now been replaced with modern
shops that sell souvenirs and restaurants that sell food at exorbitant prices.
I remember thinking how expensive things were in Patong back then. Now it has turned for the worse. Apart from the beer, everything in Patong is expensive. The prices seem to cater for the rich(er) tourists and not really for the budget travelers like me. Thanks God there are tons of other places in Thailand – and more and more new places are springing up – that you can still travel to without having to break the wallet.
The beach is still one of my favorite things in Patong. It may not be the most beautiful beach, but there is something so relaxing and exciting about just being there. It is still as crowded as ever – which means you’ll never run out of things to see and observe and laugh at. LOL.
The nightlife at Bangla Road still fascinated me. I remember going there alone last time because my travel buddy had preferred not to come with me, or ‘the images would stay in my head for years’ as he described it. I was 10 years younger, and of course very eager to explore.
I went to see all the shows, and I had no second thought about going deep into the ‘back alleys’ to see what Bangla Road really had to offer (for my eyes). And my friend was right, the images did stay in my head for years, in fact they are still in my head up to this day. I mean, I haven’t gone senile and definitely haven’t lost my memory yet so… they are definitely still in there. LOL.
But I wasn’t there for those shows this time. Instead, we went to one of the night clubs with live band performances. It was super-crowded, and was quite uncomfortable to be in with all the rubbing and giving ways (to incoming and outgoing club-goers) but whatever feel of discomfort gradually went away as the night wore on and we had more and more beer down our thirsty throats.
It was a super-energetic night and I don’t remember having jumped and danced to a course music and live band performances so continually for a very long time. I thought my days of energetic clubbing were over but my night – that last night in Patong had proved otherwise. LOL.
For me Patong really is a place that you’d go to for the nightlife – and probably a little bit for the beach, a very crowded one – and nothing more. In fact, people come to Patong as a transit point to other islands in the Andaman sea which is dotted with world-famous islands, as an alternative to going there via Krabi.
But I don’t mind going there again – for the nightlife of course. With all the busy-ness of my (professional) life that I was dragged into right now, a night or two in Patong suddenly sounds quite relevant to me. Heh.
