Guesthouses at Luang Prabang

After a few days in Vang Vieng, I took the bus to Luang Prabang, the tourist capital of Laos. The road up was windy like roads up to Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. Only this trip ended up lasting for 7 hours. Naturally, when I reached Luang Prabang, I was not in a happy mood to go around as I was suffering from some mild travel sickness. Trying to read in the bus probably wasn't the best thing to do. Also, I had trouble looking for a guesthouse as many of the guesthouses were full. The ones that weren't were those that costs $15 USD and up - not a price I was willing to pay. After 45 minutes of trotting down road with my big rucksack looking for a guesthouse, I was willing to settle for anything below $10 USD. Finally, I found an $8 USD room and I took the place despite not really liking the condition of the room nor the price.

I did not do my usual running around to all the temples because I seemed to be coming down with the flu. I had a slight sore throat, blocked nose and seemed to be tired. I pretty much loitered the day away and went for a steamed bath and massage. Nice. I rested for 2 days in Luang Prabang just hanging out with some very interesting friends that I met along the journey.

Home in Penang

Finally, after a couple months of roaming about I am finally back home in Penang. Yes, I know the last time I wrote was about Vang Vieng. I will continue with some of the stories I left out in the last couple three weeks and hopefully this time with some pictures. Unfortunately, I have been very lazy with the camera for my last 2 weeks so there hardly any pictures of my two mates - Boris and Erik whom I travelled with for almost a week plus.

I took the flight from Bangkok to Penang on the 25th November morning. It was a short, one and a half hours ride and quite different from the many 10-hour-plus bus rides I have taken. Actually, quite a pleasant experience for a change. For now, it seems that my travels have ended. The trip has not been as reflective as I would have like it to be - in that I have not found the meaning of life - but the trip was surely a lot of fun. Also, I feel like some of my perspective in life has changed. I have always liked adventure but it seems like my priorities have always been more financially related. Earn more money, be a responsible son, listen to your church leaders, be a good 'Christian'... and things along that line. Now all of that I still want to be but there is so much to see, so much life to live. I cannot just go through life being a goody-two shoes. I still am (a 'nice' person) in more ways than not but I believe that there are flexibilities and freedom in life.

That said, I still realise that without money, none of the travels would have been possible. There needs to be a good balance in using money and acquiring it. Of course, I would like to make a sh*tload worth of money. Yes and I feel that I can contribute more to society when I have money than when I am poor. Yet I can be sadly deceived as money lures and corrupts. It makes you want to covet it without you even realising it. I feel that if I put my 'chinese' business mind to it, I can start a thriving business. I should put down some guidelines to getting rich before I start off on that line. Some line to tell me when is enough and what I should do when I have reached the goal. Something to keep me moral and sane before I turn into a greedy entrepreneur. Success is so often so much more dangerous than failure, in Christian terms, because it makes you proud. It gives you the impression that you do not need anyone, not even God. Only a few exceptional characters can be successful and yet stay humble. Should this be the road that I should be striving for?

Motorbiking in Vang Vieng

On the second day while I was in Vang Vieng, I rented a motorbike to go around the place and visit some of the caves around the area. This was quite a scary experience, not because of the road conditions nor because of the traffic congestion but it was due to my lack of skill and experience on a motorbike. I have not been riding a motorbike since I was 16 and that was only around my school compound or around my residential area. The moment I started on the bike, I had a bad feeling about the whole thing because the motorbike was so crappy and I already paid my rental fee. The engine couldn't start well, the gears did not shift well and the overall feel of the bike was just bad. Fortunately, I had a very pleasant ride in the morning 25km south of Vang Vieng. It was a trip to see a big lake with small islands jutting out of it.

The mistake started when I took some people's advice and visited the Pukham caves. On the journey, the first obstacle was crossing a 200m b ridge that was four plank wide without handrails. Given my skill at the motorbike, I was constantly afraid of falling of the bridge into the river. Also there were the bridge trolls that collected about $1.50 USD for the short journey on the bridge. The price seemed quite high to me if I compared it to the price of the Penang bridge in Malaysia that is 10km long and costs millions to build and cost about the same to cross. After the bridge, it was a 6km journey on a dirt road that was so bumpy, the shock absorbers on the motorcycle fell off. Naturally, I wasn't a happy camper when I had to pay for the shocks on such a trashy bike. I had to abandon the journey and walk the last 700m because I came up to a two-plank wide bridge with gaps in between across the river. I tried to push the bike across but figured there was a 95 percent chance the bike would fall into the river. Not very good odds in my head. I finally found the cave but was down $25USD for 2 new shock absorbers. Af ter thinking about it, I guess it is a small price to pay for motorbike lessons and for coming back in one piece.

Tubing in Vang Vieng

Vang Vieng was good fun. On the day that I arrive, I went tubing with 3 British girls that I met in Vietnam. Tubing down the Nam Song river was definitely a relaxing event. It gives you an illusion that there are no cares in the world. You just drift down the river and stop by the river side 'Beer Lao' bars and have a beer or two. The bars usually set up some form of entertainment to entice you to stop - rope swings into the river, platform jumps, etc. Many, I think, get drunk before the trip ends. It was a fun and relaxing experience. In fact, this other lady who jumped on to the tuk-tuk before it went off, lost count of the number of times she has went tubing. Guess maybe she had a few 'happy' pizzas or 'happy' shakes too many. She said she lost count after the 18th time. However, one of my friends got molested by 2 innocent eleven-year old looking boys that jumped on to her tube, near the end of the trip. They jumped on, looking very innocent and cute, but started to touch her soon enough. She made good fun of it afterwards but guess we should have taught those porno kids a good lesson.

Vientiane, P.D.R - Please don't rush.

Coming in to Vientiane from Hanoi, I am hit by a complete change of culture. In Hanoi, people were very industrious. Many woke up very early. When I woke up at 7am, seems like the whole place was awoke; breakfast was on the table, people were all around rushing for work, roadside eating stores were filled with people. In Vientiane, the people running my guesthouse was still half asleep when I came down at half past 8. Things were generally slower and tuk-tuk drivers hardly bother you with going somewhere eventhough I was looking for one.

Anyway, I have been Vientiane for a few days now. I was hoping to meet up with some of the Christians from my church in Vientianne. However, the Vientiane contact I had was in Bangkok so I did not manage to meet up with any of the locals. Spent my days visiting temples, parks and museums around Vientiane. Spent 2 days staying with some really budget travellers so I spent only $10 a day. And that was because I ate $5 for breakfast and dinner. I was staying in a real dodgy guesthouse for $1.50 a bed. After 2 days of being bitten by mosquitoes and facing dirty toilets and unclean bed sheets, I had enough and moved on to a $5 a day room. Not the best place but very clean and the owner seems to have an obsession with killing bugs - a real luxury compared to the rathole that I had to endure for the past 2 days.

Vientiane does not seem like a popular place for the tourist. Most of the tourist stops here for a day or two and move off. Half of them don't even make an effort to see the popular sights in Vientiane. Many just come here for visas or official business. They probably would rather spend their days in Luang Prabang. Overall, Vientiane is a slow, quiet and beautiful city overlooking the Mekong River.

Halong Bay, the pearl of Vietnam

People say if you go to Vietnam, you must visit Halong Bay. They are right. It is a beautiful part of Vietnam. Thousands of little islands sticking out from the sea and many small caves around, the scenery is simply magnificent. The boat ride was also serene. I stayed only 1 night on the boat. A little rush but then that gives an excuse to return to Vietnam some time later, if ever. Also I missed Sapa, a northern town in Vietnam very popular with the tourists, because of the budget constraint. Had a lot of time on the boat just chilling out on my boat.On other boats, it could just be a big long party. Some of these travellers seem to come on holidays just to have a long party. Some get pissed so many nights that the holiday is recovering from one hangover after the other. Not trying to judge them but having a hangover on Halong Bay just didn't seem too fun. You'd just miss most of the trip. But then what do I know about hangovers since I've never had one.

Backpackers in Nam

I rushed through Hoi An, Hue and Hanoi as there was still quite a lot to see and I thought I should go a little faster. While I was in Hue, I cycled to and around the Old Citadel and the purple city with this Japanese girl, Haruko as she was also travelling alone and we were going to the same places in Hue. It is funny how you meet back different people who are backpacking because many are doing the same route. I met Jonny and Kate in Hue again after saying goodbye to them in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I sat with them through the awful, rickety bus ride to Siem Reap from the Thai border. They were with a huge group of Europeans who seemed to be drinking through the night and most of the day. A really fun bunch comprised of Swedes, British, Irish & French. At the end of the day, they were a little too 'party going' for me so I had too sneak of to Halong bay on my own. There were so many Europeans travelling in Vietnam but I was surprised that I hardly met any Americans as the American dollars go rather far around this region. Also they were many Australians and Japanese along the route. Many of the Japanese are travelling alone. I finally met a Singaporean (uncle) who was backpacking in Hanoi. He just came from China and was boasting about how cheap the food was in China. How typical - Europeans would have talked about how beautiful the place were and the people that they met. Singaporeans - a die-hard fan for the bargains. Okay not all Singaporeans, but many. I kid you not.

Cycling in Nha Trang

Cycling in Vietnam is definitely an unforgetable experience. Traffic goes in all directions and all types of vehicles travelling at different speed share the same lanes - trucks, bicycles, pedestrians, motorbikes and all. Also the road signs are all in Vietnamese so I missed a few turns and missed the place I was going to. Had to ask for direction in the offskirts of Nha Trang to get to Hon Chong promonotory. Naturally there wasn't anyone who could speak English. Finally found the place I was looking for after cycling for more than 10k. Absolutely tired by the time I got back to the hotel. Still I would definitely recommend cycling if you are in a smaller town like Nha Trang. The main reason is that if you have a bicycle, the touts for motorbike, massage, boom boom, weed, cyclos, books, cigarettes, whatever, leave you alone. No one bothers you after you get a bicycle. It is also thrilling to know that you can be killed by all the projectiles (other bicycles and motorbikes) coming from the roadside on top of all the traffic that goes the wrong way. All this for $1 USD a day.

By the way, if you ever come over to Nha Trang and expect to have a great dive, you will be rather disappointed. The visibility wasn't very good when I dived as it was off season. However, even if the visibility was good there isn't anything to see. An occasional eel or a lionfish, some grey corals, sea urchins, you won't be missing much. Do the boat trip and have a good party instead as it is much cheaper at $6 USD versus $30 USD for 2 dives. One redeeming factor is that I heard Nha Trang has one of the cheapest diving in the region.

The Dalat Highlands

Dalat is such a neat place. It is a cool place to come with some friends as it is quite lonely to be sitting in a cafe all alone, when everyone else is in groups. It is 9pm now and I see loads of people standing at the town central talking, eating or kicking around a shuttle cock thingy or hacky sack. People in Vietnam seems to like sitting around outside the park or at their doorway just chatting to their neighbours or watching people. With the weather being in the 15 degrees Celsius and a lake in the middle of town, Dalat is a good place to chill out and has the nickname 'City of Eternal Spring' or City of flowers.

Also, met up with some of the people from the city tour and had a nice meal together. Since we were made up of a motley crew, French, Japanese, Australian, Malaysian, communication was sometimes difficult. I had a great time and joined them for a cup of coffee. Also, joined the local Catholic church for a mass in Vietnamese. Couldn't understand a word they said except Amen. So be it.

The Aftermath of War

Visiting the Tuol Sleng museum, the killing fields at Cheoung Ek and the Saigon war remnants museum shows how painful and inhumane war can be. It shows how cruel and evil people can become. It brings tears to my eyes to see what the Khmer Rouge did to its own people. They were not only out to kill - they wanted to wipe out culture, love, art, literature, all things that makes life worth living for. Yet I wonder if I would have stood up for what is right and die for my convictions if I was in the midst of war. How easy it is for us to say we believe in something when it costs us nothing but how difficult it is to keep the same convictions when our lives and possessions are on the line.

On a lighter side, I saw someone paying $10 to shoot 10 bullets in an M60 machine gun at the shooting range near the Cu Chi tunnels. I think it lasted 15 seconds and that was only because he paused to aim. I think he managed to pull the trigger a total of 3 times. What was he expecting with a gun that shoots 600 bullets a minute? That was the quickest way I've seen someone spend $10 in Vietnam so far. Now, it would have been way cool if he paid $600 for bullets and shot the machine gun like Rambo.

The Amazing Angkor

The temples around the Siem Reap area were absolutely amazing. Huge moats, creepy trees, faces from the wall, all were very interesting. Spent sometime reading and writing inside the temples. Angkor Wat during the sunrise was serene and the silhouette of Angkor against the morning sun is magnificent. Definitely worth waking up for if you are in the Siem Reap area. However, you do have to tussle with numerous tourist for your photo spot. However after 2 and something days, I am a little 'templed' out. It was also great being able to chat with some of the other backpackers or just hear some of their travel stories. Some are rather extreme; I met one who travelled with a daypack only and he has been on the road for 2 years.

Anyway before I forget, I should write down the approximate prices for Siem Reap so that you don't get cheated if you come around the area (like I did). Guess I must look rather gullible.
$6-8/per day for mini tour and grand tour by motorcycle.
$10-12 for the bikes with mini trailer.
$10-20 for going to Bantey Srei and Kbal Spean.
The cheapest way however is to not go with a permanent driver and do the trip planning yourself. Then just get any driver waiting on the side or flag down any drivers on the road. Food prices are from $1-6 USD.

A day in Phnom Penh, Penh's Mountain

I am glad I could meet up with Glenn and Heather Geeting in Phnom Penh. They have 3 absolutely adorable kids and work at the non-profit Sihanouk hospital to help run things over there. A very friendly and God-fearing couple, who inspires me to see what a great family life can be like. Anyway, they also allowed me to stay at their place at a whim’s notice.

Heather took Ada, a local Cambodian and I over to the hospital for a tour. It was definitely a great experience being able to hear the staff explain the functions of the various departments in the hospital. Also we were taken to some places where we would never have been able to see at any other hospital unless we were staff of that particular hospital.

After the tour of the hospital, a group of us went over for a ‘home-care’ visit – a visit to a few families being treated by the hospital who are HIV positive. The visit was definitely an eye-opening and humbling experience. Most of the families were living around garbage-filled dumps, had barely enough money to pay their 25 cents USD rent, no money for food and were seriously ill (HIV and TB, etc). Literally a real shitty place. There were holes in the zinc / card board roofs that sheltered them so when it rains their 6x10 feet shack becomes a little pond, I’d imagine. Moreover, these rooms typically houses 2 adults and 3 kids. So it puts me to shame complaining about my health and living conditions in Malaysia / Singapore.

Angst in Singapore, Part I

For the past few years there has always been a struggle over staying in Singapore. I could not really pinpoint the problem but as I am sitting at one of the library buildings at the Angkor Wat pondering, things have become slightly clearer.

Now don't get me wrong, Singapore is actually a very nice place to stay in when compared to the other countries in South East Asia. It is probably the safest place in the region. I could leave my bag in an open food court and leave and order food without having to worry about it getting stolen. I take jogs in the park at 12am or 1am without fear of getting mug or killed. The place is super clean and have air conditioned places everywhere. Also the money is good. Compared to an average graduate pay in Indonesia which is just 45 minutes away, an average worker in Singapore gets about 7 to 8 times more in salary. Compared to Malaysia, 20 minutes away in the north, the pay is doubled. So what is there to complain?

For me, I just don't like the culture of performance, efficiency and materialism. It basically is not my personality. Everything around seems to be about who can perform the best or who makes the most money. Also, degrees and learning have been put to such a high importance that there is so much pressure on the kids and also adults to achieve. Casual conversation will drift to the latest gadgets or status symbol. There are exceptions but as a majority it is a culture that pushes performance above all else. But being an Asian and Chinese, escaping this type of culture is difficult because it is how we were brought up. Maybe I just need to find a balance within myself or just be confident about who I am.

Trip to Siem Reap

I wanted to take the train to the Thai-Cambodian border at 6am but overslept as I had only 2 hours of sleep the night before. The problem started then. I had to quickly changed my plans and took the bus to the border instead. Very smooth ride to Thailand but once I passed the Cambodian border, the chaos begins. Anyway, I took the bait and bought the bus ticket to Siem Reap at a rip-off price. A very bumpy ride to Siem Reap. At the end of the day, I was a bit 'bumped' out at the end of day. Tired but excited to look at the Angkor Wat tomorrow.

The Seedier side of Bangkok

Today it is on to the seedier side of Bangkok for me - the figths and the ladies. Seeing that I am in Bangkok, I thought I had to at least see Soi Patpong I and its naughtier side street Soi Patpong II. Anyway, checked out the streets while it was still broad daylight. For some of my Christian friends who will never find out but are still curious, the opening price for a full body massage plus additional services is 1500 Baht. That is before haggling. I didn't want to find out how low it can go. You'll have to ask someone else. Anyway, just wanted to see the place because it is famous. A lady who was touting her workers was asking me why I would walk down Patpong if I didn't want to see (and for 'free'). A good question that I didn't answer.

Also, decided to go see some Thai boxing at the stadium. Seems like on Tuesday nights they have the big fights. I wanted to buy the middle stadium tickets at 800 Baht but was advised against it by the ticket seller. She said those are the seats where all the gamblers are and she was right. Anyway, I got the ringside seats for 1500 Baht. Not cheap but quite an experience. At the end of the day I was so tired. Maybe I should have used the 1500 for something else.

Public transportation in Bangkok

I have decided to travel to the tourist places I want to see via buses and river taxis because :-
1. They are cheaper than the regular taxis (when you are alone).
2. It seems more adventurous.
3. I don't know how to tell the taxi driver the place I want to go.
And after doing so, I would definitely recommend it. Yes undoubtedly by doing so you will probably miss some sights of interest if you are rushing for time, I think the experience makes up for the places that you will miss. So what if you miss one or two temples. After a while, they look kind of similar anyway.

I manage to see some of the recommended places in Bangkok, Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho, the Grand Palace and China town. However, for me the best part was the river taxi ride along the Chao Phraya river. An enjoyable ride together with a great view of Bangkok skyline. Also the ride is very affordable, only 6 Baht for a 20 minutes ride. I liked it so much, I purposely missed my stop and went on for a few stops further. Of course, I had to pay another 6 Baht to travel back to the original place I intended to stop.

Also, I think I was kind of scammed by the tuk-tuk driver and his cohorts but it kind of backfired at them. But that will be a story for another day.

Bangkok - Local Attractions

My cousin Alan and his two managers took me around to see Bangkok seeing that I have not the slightest clue what I want to do in Bangkok. Of course I am planning to see the 'touristy' areas only when my cousin goes to work as he has probably taken tons of people to these places in his few years here.

The first stop they took me to was Bang Saen, a beach visited mostly by the Thai locals. There were literally thousands of reclining chairs, tables and large outdoor umbrellas along this endless strip of beach. This probably shows that the Thais are a bunch that really likes to frequent the beaches on the weekends or their time off. Many were sitting in groups enjoying their seafood dishes. Tire tubes line the beaches ready to be rented by the eager beach wader along with the usual jet skis and banana boats that are so common in Malaysia.

At night we visited the night Bangkok flea market. There were thousands of people walking through the streets browsing at the wares displayed for sale. There were so many vendors that it seemed like everything imaginable was out for sale, from commercial refrigerators to handphone accessories, from used computers to kitchen knives. If only one had the patience and time to walk through the streets, one would probably find the item they were looking for. Of course bearing in mind that every stop you make probably jams up about 10 to 15 people behind you trying to go pass you. Again I could hardly see any tourist except myself; a consolation that I am seeing a little of Bangkok through the eyes of locals here and a compliment for the 2 friendly local guides that might have come obligingly as a favour to my cousin, their boss.

The ride to Bangkok

I took the choice of taking a train from Butterworth to Bangkok, a 23 hour train ride. Even before I bought the ticket, my uncle, dad and mom is advising me on what a silly decision this is going to be and how I am going to regret it. A plane ticket would probably cost only a bit more than the train ticket and takes about an hour. Yet even as they advice me, I strangely wonder if this is going to be the most comfortable ride in this short journey.

Barely an hour into the journey and I am feeling incredibly lonely. Probably exacerbated by the Japanese couple that sits beside me reading their Japanese comic together and laughing out aloud. I desire the company and someone to cuddle up to but my cuddling companion would have to be the huge bag of laundry they put opposite me or my own backpack. Anyway I am glad I brought along at least a novel to read. There will be plenty of reading time in the upcoming journey I feel.

Journey into the unknown

I will be taking a trip through the Indo China region soon. It'll be the first time in my life that I have gone on a backpacking trip alone out of my country. Honestly, I am a little afraid because I will be in countries where few will speak a common language as I do. Also, I will be expecting times of incredible loneliness and in moment like these I fear that I will be doing something foolish. Yet thousands have taken the trip and came back unscathed so I am not that worried. Well it has been something that I have been thinking of for quite a while so I am excited about the trip as well.

This trip will be more of a trip to reflect spiritually and about life in general. The other day, I saw the movie 'Motorcycle Diaries'. It was a show about 2 friends who went on a trip around South America and in the process changed their perspective in life greatly. One of the characters, Ernesto Che Guevarra became a famous revolutionary who wanted to unite South America.

In a way I wish my trip would be so profound, not that I want to be a revolutionary or anything like that. I want to to take a trip to see if my perspective in life could change, if I can be inspired to take action or to somehow point me towards the direction of life. All throughout life, I have always been thinking or dreaming things but take little action towards fulfilling these ideas. I guess you can say I like to daydream. I'd like to be more of a doer than a thinker, someone who dreams in the day to turn their dreams into reality. Daydream or reality? Only time can tell.

Keeping the Muses alive

The Ongster on a hill overlooking Sri Lanka


In an ongoing effort to keep the Muses alive in me, I have left my job and have wandered off around and back to my home town. The aim was to search for adventure, excitement and some reason on why I can't seem to break the "work-home-church-bored" cycle of my life. The journey has been exciting but seems like the Muses were not content and have added a cruel twist to the story in the form of a 'breakup'. A breakup from a remarkable woman whom I am still very much in love with. A high price to pay for trying to break from the routine.

In case you have been wondering, for the few months, I have been trying to break many routines that have been formed in my life. The daily routines - going to work, sleeping on time, going to church twice a week, praying and reading the Bible are no longer routine. I do sleep but no longer at regular hours. 6am to 1pm, 3am to 11pm, anytime can be sleeping time.

Looking back at the last few months, I think routine is a necessity else life would always be so full of complexities. We would always be thinking about what needs to happen next. Maybe I need some routine in my life but more importantly I need some meaning and passion in life.

Plan A lifestyle

Like many I believe, I live a very routine lifestyle. A life that if you look at your watch, you can probably tell where I am or what I am doing. Hardly ever do I change from my typical schedule.

8:00am Wakeup
9:00am Work in a job I dislike
12:00pm Lunch
7:00pm Get off work
7:30pm Meet friends / Go to church (certain days)
10:30pm Reach home
12:30am Sleep

This is my typical schedule. I call it my 'Plan A' schedule. At first things were fresh. Money was coming in. I was debt free and having money for the first time. Slowly, the routine began to eat into me. Life in general just became bland. Things were the same. I hated doing the job because it was doing the same things everyday. Things I use to enjoy became monotonous also. My early morning walks and prayer became a chore. Even if I manage to wake in the morning, I'd rather lie in bed. My life was in a rut that I felt I couldn't get out off. I was living a life of 'quiet desperation' as Thoreau said it (if I don't remember wrong). I don't even remember when things when out of 'Plan A'. Am I destined to be stuck in a schedule that feels so meaningless? Is there a way to break out from this rut?

Hello Blog world

Hello, my name is Jason and this is my first time putting up a blog on the net. I will be writing about my day to day life of living here in Singapore - a small island in South East Asia. Ok I'm still new to this blogging thing and I can't be sure of how consistent I will be in blogging. There has been some twist in life lately so I'll write about some of these experiences. On other days, I might just move some of my writings from my personal journal to the web. The journal records some of my daily thoughts and insights I get from my biblical readings. Be forewarned that on those days the writing might be rather religious for the general taste.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and have a good day.