Today has been a most frustrating day. The main problem came to be when I wanted to pay cash for my ticket out of BKK to Romania (about $1000). Anyway, naiively enough I tried towithraw some 1500 USD from the ATM, which didn't work (thanks to the bloody US bank). After trying various amounts with zero success I figured I'd call'em. Surprisingly, there are pay phones that have a Verizon collect call button. Not surprisingly, it didn't work for my number. My guess is that Verizon charges an arm and a leg for such calls and Bank of America is too god damn cheap! To make a long story short, making a simple phone call required more than an hour some times. Ultimately, I managed to get a hold of those Bank of America peolple. Then I got some money out, and then again my card stopped working! So, as it turned out it was blocked, which required yet another conversation with Bank of America...
What else? Ah, getting a sim card. Quite easy to do actually. The hard part is getting the calling rates. Apparently, the sellers only sell those sims, but have absolutely no fucking clue what the rates are..
So much for errands. I've heard some nasty stuff about how badly Bangkok smells. The fact is, that it's really not that bad. When one walks down the street one is continuously offered Taxi, Tuk Tuk (I say "Mi Sham") - that's a motorbike ride, a tailored suit, prostitute, food, massage, and anything else that can be sold.
The food is incredibly cheap here especially on the street. For example, a Pad Thai, which is not too big, but just enough, is 15Baht ($0.5) or 20 Baht with egg. A 500cc bottle of water can be 15 or 30 cents, a one hour full body oil massage 8 buks. Pretty darn cheap...
Speaking of massages, I did get myself one. It was pretty good actully.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Tuesday, July 24: Singapore - Bangkok
I spent the first 3/4 of the day in Singapore mostly hanging out and running some errands. At 20:40 I had a flight to Thailand. The folks at the check gave me the "15kg" restriction bullshit, which inconvinienced me quite a bit. Apparently, 15kg for the check in bag and 7 for the carry-on. I had a total of about 25kg. So it suddenly got really cold at the airport and I needed to wear my fleece and jacket and long pants....
The Bangkok airport is quite impressive. From first look it seemed like Thailand is quite advanced. Then I got the main street arond 12:00am (Kao Sahn - I am probably badly misspelling this), and saw the familiar signs of a third world country: 3-person motorcycle, crap cars, dirty, weirdos on the street, locals that try to sell you anything that you need and don't need - but mostly don't need. At the main street there's the "Israeli connection". A huge sign in Hebrew letting all the Israelis know where to congregate. In all honesty, however, these folks are quite helpful in providing various information.
Anyway, I walked around and found myself a nice place for 520 Baht (~17USD), which is relatively expensive around here, but I needed a clean place.
Did a bit of walking around before going to bed, and sure enough the lady boys where all around (one more for the 3rd world country signs..)
The Bangkok airport is quite impressive. From first look it seemed like Thailand is quite advanced. Then I got the main street arond 12:00am (Kao Sahn - I am probably badly misspelling this), and saw the familiar signs of a third world country: 3-person motorcycle, crap cars, dirty, weirdos on the street, locals that try to sell you anything that you need and don't need - but mostly don't need. At the main street there's the "Israeli connection". A huge sign in Hebrew letting all the Israelis know where to congregate. In all honesty, however, these folks are quite helpful in providing various information.
Anyway, I walked around and found myself a nice place for 520 Baht (~17USD), which is relatively expensive around here, but I needed a clean place.
Did a bit of walking around before going to bed, and sure enough the lady boys where all around (one more for the 3rd world country signs..)
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Monday,July 23: Singapore
I have to start this entry with a bit about my dorm fellas. There are 3 Africans that have continuously been getting on my nerves. They are all here trying a get a job. There's one Internet computer. These guys are monopolizing it, which is very annoying, and they are beyond slow (you know typing with one finger - or was it two??). Anyway, what really ticked me off was when one of them had a phone call at about 4:15am and he was speaking so fucking loudly that it woke me up (and I had just went to bed maybe a couple of hours before..). Then again, at 8:00am they start talking like there are no sleeping people. Unbelievable.
Ok, enoug venting. Today I had a really good dish for lunch, whose name I canot remember (obviously). Then saw Die Hard 4(with Cinese subtitles...). It was actually a pretty good movie. In the evening I met the Chink for dinner at a place called Newton, which apparently has a food fare going on a the time we were there, but no at the same day...
I spent a lot of time trying to make a collect call to the US (credit card stuff). Apparently, there are no Sing Tel (national phone company) paypjones that are coin operated. Now one would ask why would I need coins to make a collect call? Well, it seems collect calls cost money in Singapore, which sort of defeats the some of the purpose of a collect call. Go figure...
Ok, enoug venting. Today I had a really good dish for lunch, whose name I canot remember (obviously). Then saw Die Hard 4(with Cinese subtitles...). It was actually a pretty good movie. In the evening I met the Chink for dinner at a place called Newton, which apparently has a food fare going on a the time we were there, but no at the same day...
I spent a lot of time trying to make a collect call to the US (credit card stuff). Apparently, there are no Sing Tel (national phone company) paypjones that are coin operated. Now one would ask why would I need coins to make a collect call? Well, it seems collect calls cost money in Singapore, which sort of defeats the some of the purpose of a collect call. Go figure...
Monday, July 23, 2007
Sunday, July 22: Singapore
Today I went to a place called Fort Canning Park, which holds singapore's largest bunker from WWII. It did them (theBrits who were in control back then) little use as they ultimately surrendered to the Japanese.
other than that, I went to this main street called Orchard, which is packed with people and is all about shopping. It was nice to stride along, although I have no intention of buying anything.
In the evening I met up with Chinky Boy, checked out one of his ballroom pratice spaces (the chink is doing not too badly).
A few words about Singapore in general: The official language (maybe here's more than one) is English, yet so many people don't seem to know it.. Loads of places to eat, which are all mostly cheap and look alike. The food is decent but I fear I might excede my yearly intake of noodles and rice. So far I've had frog legs, I beleive I mentioned that and also had some other exotic food, which I can't seem to remember!
other than that, I went to this main street called Orchard, which is packed with people and is all about shopping. It was nice to stride along, although I have no intention of buying anything.
In the evening I met up with Chinky Boy, checked out one of his ballroom pratice spaces (the chink is doing not too badly).
A few words about Singapore in general: The official language (maybe here's more than one) is English, yet so many people don't seem to know it.. Loads of places to eat, which are all mostly cheap and look alike. The food is decent but I fear I might excede my yearly intake of noodles and rice. So far I've had frog legs, I beleive I mentioned that and also had some other exotic food, which I can't seem to remember!
Saturday, July 21: Singapore
Today started slow but picked up. In the afternoon I went to a place called Esplanade,which is some sort of a park. There there was a General rehersal for Singapore Day (i.e. Independence day). So I got to see some Hellicopters flying around and the most exciting part was seeing 5 jet fighters crossing the whole area very quickly.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Friday, July 20: Singapore
Long day that was spent mostly on the phone with some Thai travel agents trying to get a flight to Romania (next leg after Thailand), with some but not too much success. The best candidate is Egypt Air...
Other than that we went out to a club called Zouk, which was packed. Unfortunateoly, the club is not nearly as sleazy as I've gotten used to from Australia or as one would hope it to be...:)
Other than that we went out to a club called Zouk, which was packed. Unfortunateoly, the club is not nearly as sleazy as I've gotten used to from Australia or as one would hope it to be...:)
Thursday, July 19 - Cairns - Singapore
Left Cairns at 13:00 and arrived in Singapore at 19:00. The pan is to spend a week in Singapore. it was nice meeting up with Chinky Boy (aka, Song Wei -freind's from the ballroom days).
It's incredibly humid in Singapore, which was quite a shock after 5 months of dry weather. Dinner was most interesting as it was the first time I ate Frog Legs! What can I say, it tastes like chicken...(it really does).
Other than that, it's nice to finally be in a cheap country, where you are not charged an arm and a leg for everything.
The hostel I'm in (which is pretty much the only available one - thanks to the chink for getting it!) is the most crammed ever, with 10 beds in the smallest possible space.
It's incredibly humid in Singapore, which was quite a shock after 5 months of dry weather. Dinner was most interesting as it was the first time I ate Frog Legs! What can I say, it tastes like chicken...(it really does).
Other than that, it's nice to finally be in a cheap country, where you are not charged an arm and a leg for everything.
The hostel I'm in (which is pretty much the only available one - thanks to the chink for getting it!) is the most crammed ever, with 10 beds in the smallest possible space.
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