I like my brats cooked

I woke up earlier than usual today, 7:30am, instead of 8:30am. There were several places I had in mind, including the Magma Heritage store in Geylang, to pick up some dolls. However, I got distracted at the supermarket, and ended up buying groceries and going back home for lunch. It was lucky that I did, because when I checked my mail, I got a notification from Paypal that they are suspecting that my account has been compromised and is being used by a third party to send money without my consent.

So the payment I sent last night has been reversed, and there’s a dispute that would probably take a couple of days to resolve. The thing is, that payment was made by me for Magma Heritage, which is why I’m going to their store today to pick up dolls! GAAAH! I understand Paypal’s stand on protecting my account, but damnitttt, it’s just so frustrating. It’s been troubling me the whole day, specially since I have to get those dolls before I fly back to the Philippines next week.

Still, I managed to peel myself away from the computer to spend some time outside. Today was the complete opposite of the day yesterday. The sun was shining brightly and the sky, though a bit washed out, was still a pretty blue. I ended up at the Esplanade, just so I can take a photo of Sayuri with the Merlion and the Singapore skyline in the background. Much time was spent staring at the river to try to clear my head, which worked for a bit.

Sayuri in Singapore

I promised my sister-in-law that I’d cook pasta for dinner, so I headed home, earlier than usual. On the bus ride home, I started thinking about the past 30 days. June 1 seemed to be so far away right now, and exploring Angkor Wat seemed like something from a distant memory. I was disappointed with myself when I went back to Singapore earlier than I initially planned. There were so many things to regret, so many plans that I wished I pursued. But what’s done is done, and there’s nothing I can do now except to live for the moment.

Things do happen for a reason, and despite my disappointment, I was happy to be back in Singapore. I might have missed out on a lot of things, but I do cherish the experiences that I was able to have.

I’ve stayed in places that I would not recommend to my enemies. I got annoyed and frustrated at taxi and tuktuk drivers who charge exorbitant amounts, and a couple of times, ended up just sighing and agreeing to the price. I got scammed into giving a “donation” for something I don’t believe in. I’ve endured several long bus rides, with one bus even ending up in a ditch.

Still, the good parts outweigh the negatives.Though the bad things that happened are easier to remember, it’s the positives that makes me want to do it all over again. It doesn’t matter if it rained on me, I was still able explored the temples of Angkor and enjoyed the laid back lifestyle of Luang Prabang. I’ve savored the best dishes Thailand and Malaysia has to offer.

My new favorite spot: Esplanade Park

Of course, I can’t forget the people I’ve met along the way. There was Soryan in Cambodia, whose love for his culture is evident in his work and Ming in Thailand who shared his love for Thai food. Then there was that cheeky girl in Luang Prabang, who was actually quite annoying because she was trying to sell me something, but you just can’t help but love her. In Vientiane, it was the staff at the guesthouse that made my brief stay bearable, and the other travelers headed to Khao San Road that made the last hours in Laos just a tad more interesting.

It was great to have met up with Mikoy in Bangkok, as well as meeting Ynna and Nat. Then there was that German guy who passed on his body wash, as he’s flying home and have no need for it anymore. To continue the chain, I pass on a packet of detergent I wasn’t able to use to one of the housekeepers at the hostel. Another memorable character was the elderly Italian gentleman who was sitting across me in the express train from Bangkok to Butterworth. I was finally able to meet Wei, a long time online friend in Penang, who so graciously took me — literally — around Penang island.

The staff of Watercolours Resort were all lovely, as is the service people I’ve encountered in Kuala Besut. At the scene of the bus accident, I am grateful to the people who helped me out and looked out for me, even if they had a hard time talking to me in English. The warm reception of the crew at Matahari Lodge was a huge relief after that ordeal. It was great to come home to family in Singapore, and getting to meet Marvin and Babes.

My favorite bus stop

In the three hours I’ve sat down to write this entry, I managed to remember events that I’ve practically forgotten about, and even things I’d rather forget. Still, they were all part of this amazing month long trip in Southeast Asia. I honestly didn’t expect anything from this trip. I just wanted to go out, to explore. I ended up with plenty stories to tell, a couple of gigs worth of pictures and a one in a lifetime experience that I’ll treasure forever.

[Edit] Just how sappy is that last line? Ew.

Matches my mood perfectly

But I reasoned it’s the day before my last day, and I should make the most of my holiday. So I forced myself to go out, having lunch at Compass Point, then riding the MRT all the way to Harbourfront. Vivo City is still pretty much the same as it was two years ago. It’s still huge, and the shops I’ve visited before were still there. My favorite spot in Vivo City is the open spaces fronting the water. Since it was a weekday, the place wasn’t as crowded. It would be the best time to just sit around, look out to the water and read a book, but I just wasn’t in the mood.

Bugis Street

Instead of riding the train back, I switched to the East-West line for Bugis. I wanted to check out the shops at Bugis street, then maybe the National Library, and the Museum of Toys. I only made it to Bugis street, and didn’t even bother checking out all the stores. I did walk away with a bag full of chocolates though. I walked down North Bridge Road, passing the library, but not stopping to check inside. I figured I can just do that for another day. The sky was turning dark and I wanted to be inside the bus before it rains.

Sinigang na baboy

I made it to the bus stop just in time for my express bus home. Dreary days are dreary indeed. I guess I just want to take it easy and rest before work starts on Wednesday. Today wasn’t totally depressing though. Waiting for me at home was a nice hot bowl of sinigang na baboy (pork in sour broth). Tender meat, lots of veggies and very sour soup, it was a nice end to an otherwise unremarkable day.

Hokkien mee!

From Orchard road, I rode the North-South MRT line to Raffles Place interchange. The thing I love most about Singapore’s MRT is that at each station, there’s a map of the area, so you get an idea where you are and how to go to where you want to go. My destination was the Starbucks under the bridge near the Fullerton hotel. I was able to find it without getting lost (whee).

Way to go, backpacker

I was there to meet Marvin, a reader who turns out to be Mikoy’s brother, who I met during the CS tour of Manila cemeteries and met up with in Bangkok two weeks ago. He’s currently working and living in Singapore with his girlfriend, and they’re taking advantage of the cheap travel options from the city state. Travel stories and plans were shared, and my god, they have four more trips lined up these coming months! Envy!

The Merlion and Singapore’s skyscrapers

After the brief meet, I walked over to the Merlion to take photos. As I was checking the angles around the boardwalk, I noticed the kiosk for the Singapore River cruise. In all my trips to the country, I’ve yet to try this tour. I walked over and ended up buying a ticket, since the boat was about to leave. It was a traditional bum boat, though modified to carry passengers, rather than cargo. The boat is also equipped with a recorded commentary on the sights along the Singapore River.

Singapore River Cruise

It was a pleasant ride upstream, and as always, looking and hearing the water relaxed me. Unfortunately, the only way to go up and down the river is through the organizes tours, and at SG$18 per person, it be pretty expensive if you want to do it often. Still, it’s a pleasant way to spend 45 minutes.

Steve McCurry exhibition

Back on dry land, I made my way to the Asian Civilization Museum. Marvin and Del told me that there’s an exhibit of Steve McCurry’s works in the museum, and that was motivation enough to go. It was spectacular. The pictures on display were beyond impressive. Each one evoke different kinds of emotion. Simply amazing. If you’re interested to view the photos, they will be on exhibit until July 19th. Admission to the museum is SG$8 for adults.

Machines have feelings too.

After looking at the other galleries, I make my way back to the street and to Raffles Hotel to catch my bus. I love how I can check the bus’ arrival on my phone (via mobile Internet), and time my own arrival at the bus stop so I wouldn’t have to wait too long. I had thirty minutes to spare, so I killed some time at the Marketplace at Raffles Place. There were a couple of interesting food kiosks, but the one that caught my fancy was this stall selling taiyaki, Japanese fish-shaped cake with filling. They sell the traditional red bean, with other sweet options like kaya, chocolate, and even durian. I bought one red bean and one kaya to take home (or take away).

Taiyaki!

I’ve been home for more than three hours already, and have spent most of that time trying to write this entry. Damn those picspams, such a distraction! I was supposed to research where to go tomorrow, but eh. I’ll just figure that out in the morning.

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Perfect activity for another sunny day in the tropics

It was great to get to spend time with my family. The pool’s not too shabby either. After swimming comes the highlight of the day. Before I left, I asked friends who’ve been to Singapore if they had Jollibee there, a Filipino fast food restaurant that is McDonald’s stiffest competition in the Philippines. Almost all of them replied that there is no Jollibee, but there is Jolly-V. I was really interested in trying out this stall, specially since everybody agrees that it does taste like the original Chicken Joy served in Jollibee.

Cooking lechon manok and liempo

We rode the train to the Raffles Place MRT station and walked for about 5 minutes to the Lau Pa Sat Festival Market. This is the loveliest eating venue in Singapore, with its high ceilings and beautiful architecture. The stalls in this market feature local favorites, as well as cuisines from all over the world, hence Happy-V (as Jolly-V is now branded), and Mang Kiko’s Lechon.

It’s as good and as crispy as it looks

Happy-V serves almost the same food as Jollibee, but of course, with a lot less variety. They had the chicken, the Pinoy-style spaghetti and even palabok. Mang Kiko’s Lechon has the same spit-style rotisserie grill commonly found in lechon manok (roast chicken) stores in the Philippines. You’ll see whole chicken and thick slabs of liempo (pork belly) turning round and round over hot charcoal. It was a sight to behold. They also serve lechon baboy (roasted pig) but it wasn’t cooked yet, so we settled for liempo and lechon manok.

It was so good eating those meat with rice. Of course, the ones back in the Philippines are still the best, but given the circumstances, these are a real treat. There are sauces available like sarsa/gravy, soy sauce and vinegar. From Happy-V, we sampled the fried chicken, and omg, it is like Jollibee! It was so so good. The entire dinner was bliss.

Walking around Chinatown

We walked off all that sinful liempo by walking around Chinatown, even checking out the shops at China Square Central. We boarded the MRT in Chinatown, got off at Clarke Quay to check out the new mall by the river. As we were walking around, I kept on seeing places that I’ve been to, and realizing just how small Singapore really is. But as small as the island is, I also realize that there are still plenty of places I’ve yet to visit. So for the last three days of my 30-day backpacking trip, that’s what I’m going to do.

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Oh the irony.

There was breakfast and then there was lunch. I haven’t eaten so much in a such a short span of time. My sister-in-law and her kids are checking in at the hotel, and I walked them down to the taxi. It was rather surreal that this time, I’m the one outside the taxi waving at them.

Tina wearing the Takara Jenny clothing set I bought from Siam Paragon

I didn’t really have anything planned today, and that’s really how I wanted it. Most of the day was spent indoors — fangirling online and trying out the doll clothes I bought in Bangkok. I did went out today, but the farthest I got was the nearby shopping complex, where I bought a pack of multi-flavored Yakult.

Yakult!

It was dinner time when I got back, and I set off to prepare my dinner. While I was traveling, the fried rice I always find have vegetable and meat in them — a meal on its own. I loved it, but I was hankering for something that reminds me of home. And what can be more Filipino than a silog meal? Silog is short for sinangag (fried rice) and itlog (egg), and it’s usually paired of with some kind of fried meat. There’s no tapa (cured beef) in the freezer, but there was bacon, so bacon-silog it is.

Mmmm, bacon.

It felt good cooking again. One thing I really missed while backpacking is cooking. The only time I had a kitchen to work in was in HI Sukhumvit, but really, why trouble yourself cooking when there’s yummy and cheap Thai food just around the corner?

Dinner was glorious. Bacon was good, egg was cooked just right, and the fried rice? YUM! Unlike the fried rice I’ve had in te past three weeks, this one just had salt and lots of garlic. Nothing better than a having a great breakfast meal for dinner.

American Choppers in the TV, flickr in my computer

I plonk down before the TV, catching up on shows that I haven’t watched since Cambodia and trying to work in between commercials. I loved how slow this day was, but yeah, I’m itching to go out again tomorrow.

Something tells me I shouldn’t have hit that snooze button…

It was travel fatigue, Wei said. I was uninspired when I was in Kuala Lumpur. I hardly even took out my camera to take photos; not even my camera phone. I did try to do some touristy things. I went to the Petronas Towers early this morning to try to get a ticket for the morning tour. Even on a weekday, the place was packed. By the time I got to the ticket counter, they were all out of the morning tours, and the earliest they have was the 4:15pm. Instead, I just took photos of the dolls outside, with the twin towers in the background.

Sayuri and Yuiichiro with the Petronas Towers

I didn’t really feel like doing anything after that. I just went back to the hostel. packed up my things and checked out. I didn’t feel any regrets as I boarded the Aeroline bus to Singapore. I was actually kinda excited. Instead of dragging my feet, I found myself walking excitedly towards the trains in Harbourfront, and I was walking even faster walking to my brother’s apartment. I guess it really was time to go home.

Something I’ve been looking foward to in the past three weeks

Now I’m sitting here, wearing clothes that I haven’t worn in the past three weeks, and I’ve just finished a delicious home cooked dinner. This feels right.

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Beach must haves: a sarong, happy music, a good book and a box of Rocky.

Then it was business as usual. I set up shop in the reception area, plugging my laptop and my mobile phone to charge. I finished up just before lunch, to head back to my room and pack up my things for check out at 12 noon. Since my boat isn’t until 4pm, I leave my things behind the reception desk and headed down to the beach for some light reading and uh, people watching. That cheered me up immensely, and after baking for a while, I head back the restaurant for lunch, pick up my laundry and pay my bill.

I played games on my phone while waiting for the boat, and as I was starting to really get into the game, the receptionist taps me in the arm because the boat is already waiting. She shyly asks me why I only stayed for one night. I was asking the same question myself. But really, I was ready to leave. The ride back was uneventful — it was more forgiving to the bottom, since the boat was full compared to the ride going to the island.

Bye bye beach…

Back in Kuala Besut, I headed straight to the bus station to get tickets for the 9pm bus to Kuala Lumpur. I was able to get a seat, and I walked over to the playground to pass the time until I had to have dinner. Dinner never happened though. I was too content just sitting in the gazebo staring at the sea. I didn’t like Kuala Besut when I got there the other day, but at that moment, I fell in love with the place. From five o’clock until eight, I just sat there, thinking about things I shouldn’t be thinking about. Still, that was easily the best three hours I’ve ever spent.

The girl at the ticket counter said to be at the station by 8:30pm. As soon as all the passengers in the list are on board, the bus pulled out of the station, even if it wasn’t 9pm yet. We stop to pick up a couple of passengers in Jerteh and Tanah Merah, but the bus never even got halfway full. The seats were comfortable, but predictably, I was having a hard time falling asleep. I did manage to doze off a couple of times, but most of the time, I was looking out of the window and still thinking.

View from my favorite spot in Kuala Besut

Suddenly, the view outside was spinning. The bus was spinning on the road, before finally landing its end in a ditch. As we were registering what just happened in our heads, another ar crashed into the bus, pushing us further into the ditch.

Watching the sun rise from Kuala Besut jetty

As soon as I finished registering, we headed down to the jetty, along with five other travelers headed to the islands. There are several agencies around the small town that provide transport between the mainland and the two islands, and each one has their own boat. Before boarding though, you need to pay the RM5 Marine Park fee. We boarded a small speed boat, and as soon as the proper clearances were made, we puttered out of the jetty.

A stilt house divided three ways to make three rooms

We were cruising lazily along, when the driver gives a burst of speed. With the sudden jolt of speed, we were flying through the water. That initial jolt was a bit scary, but after a few minutes, we got used to the rhythm of the boat and were able to loosen our grip on the seats and the sides. The ride was quite bumpy though, and it made me think that this is what Rafa must have felt when Roger was giving him pain in his famous ass. Oh wait, that’s different.

Working by the sea

BL fangirling aside, we reached the small island (Perhentian Kecil) after thirty minutes in the water. We drop off the two passengers staying at Coral Bay, and puttered back out to sea to head to Perhentian Besar. A few meters from the shore, a smaller boat came right up to our boat. Turns out it’s my connecting ride to the Watercolours Paradise Resort.

Sayuri at the beach with her snorkeling gear

Since I was supposed to arrive yesterday afternoon, I was taken straight to my room. I was happy to note that it had window screens, so I can open the windows at night without the threat of mosquitoes, and that the toilet uses tiles that don’t gross me out (yes, I’m rather picky about floor tiles). All seemed to be good, until I noticed with some alarm that there’s no power outlet in my room. No wonder that lady had her laptop power cord with her when she walked into the reception/restaurant area.

Looking forward to this view again tomorrow morning

I take my laptop with me and settled in one of the seaside tables for internet and breakfast. I work for a while, responding to e-mails and updating blogs. I finally pry hands off the keyboard and took my laptop back to my room and headed for the beach. It was rather disappointing that Watercolours resort don’t have much shoreline to speak off. It extended its property all the way out, so there’s only enough space to walk through when there are boats docked. That’s one thing I don’t particularly like about the Perhentians: boats are docked right there on the beach, which can be quite an eyesore, and makes it hard to find a spot to swim that wouldn’t have you bumping into a boat or getting tangled up in the lines.

Water taxis to take you to the other beaches in the island or to the beaches in the other island.

There was a pretty decent spot down the beach, and I settled down under the shade of a coconut tree. After several hours of semi-baking (I was under the shade after all), I walk back to the resort and this time, settled on one of the tables in the restaurant with a power outlet. I am not proud to say that I spent lunchtime and the most part of the afternoon working on my computer. But I am quite happy, because I’ve always dreamt of working while at the beach. Well, the thought of working and feeling the sea breeze on your face, the sand on your feet and hearing the waves crashing on the shore.

Perhentian Besar beach

I forced myself to finish everything before 5pm, and headed back to the beach. It was still too hot, so I settled back in the shade and waited for the sun to set. It was a long wait, since the sun doesn’t really set until past 7:30pm. Not that I’d have a decent shot though. It’s hard to get a nice sunset shot when there’s a whole mountain blocking the sun. Dinner followed, and now I’m back online. Flashes of lightning has been showing up in the horizon, with threatening rumbles of thunder. The wind has picked up, and I think it might rain tonight. I hope it clears out by tomorrow.

Architecture is certainly different in Kelantan…

While I was researching about how to go to the Perhentian Islands, I found out that I can take a bus from Penang straight to Jerteh, so I wouldn’t have to go down to Kuala Lumpur. Unfortunately, my source says that the bus ride was only 6 hours. It was closer to 9 hours. I didn’t want to take the night bus, because I didn’t want to arrive in an unfamiliar place at 3 in the morning. Turns out that if I took the night bus, I would arrive with enough time to spare for the first ferry out to the islands.

Still, that drive through the country side was pleasant, and the drive through the towns we passed was a feast for the eyes. The north eastern coast was a Muslim state, and in the streets (even inside the bus), all the women I saw were wearing muslim garb, along with the veil. Men were wearing their caps and the shops signs have translations written in Arabic. Mosques of every size and architectural styles dot the town, and it was with childlike wonder that I look at each one, being used to seeing only Catholic churches all my life.

Taxis waiting at Kota Bahru

As much as I would like to bitch about not catching the last ferry, no amount of bitching can change what’s already happened. I had a pleasant walk around the small town, which pretty much closes at 5pm, since nobody but those who were left by the ferry were milling around. Still, there was a cool breeze blowing in from the sea, and a lovely view of the coconut trees. Unfortunately, the cool breeze doesn’t reach my window, so it’s dreadfully hot inside my room, even with the fan running on maximum speed. That damned beach better be gorgeous.

The Blue Mansion

Wei took me to this popular roti canai place. Roti canai is a typical breakfast food, and true enough, the sidewalk where the stall was located was full. Unlike in Manila where we usually eat roti as an appetizer dipped in curry sauce, here it was served with meat and curry sauce, and eaten like rice. We had teh tarik, or pulled tea to go with it.

Afterwards, we took a walk down the street to the Campbell street market, which reminds me of divisoria, but in a smaller scale. There were different kinds of wares for sale right there on the street, along with fresh vegetables, fruits and different kinds of meat and seafood. We walked and drove around (sometimes in circles), killing time before the Blue Mansion opens.

Any idea what that big fish is?

The Blue Mansion is one of the most elaborate residences of Cheong Fatt Tze, one of the region’s legendary businessmen. Admission to the beautifully restored mansion cost RM12 per person, and is only allowed at 11am and 3pm, where there is a guided tour scheduled. The tour was well worth the admission, and it pointed out features of the mansion that you can easily overlook. The tour and the mansion gives a glimpse of Cheong Fatt Tze’s colorful life, as well as an overview of the traditions and the culture of the Chinese. The tour takes about an our and a half, so better get something to eat before going in and bring some water, since it can get pretty hot inside the mansion.

We drove out of Georgetown to Air Itam, to have the best Laksa in Penang. Like the roti canai stall, it was located on the street just outside the morning market. The first laksa I’ve ever tasted was my sister’s attempt at making one using an instant mix. The laksa I had in Penang was a far cry from that first laksa. It was a spicy, sour, sweet and salty at the same time, and the mint leaves takes it to different heights. I can’t exactly pinpoint how they make it, but that was really good. Definitely worth getting soaked in the sudden downpour. Lunch had a part two: char kway thing, which is totally different from char kway teow. It’s a simple noodle soup made with clear broth. It was a good follow up to that very flavorful laksa.

Yummy Penang Laksa

There was a buddhist temple up in the nearby hill, and that was our destination after lunch. It was.. interesting. There were three huge buddhas in the first temple, with thousands of small similar buddhas along the wall. Construction is going on in the upper part of the temple, where they are building an enclosure for the 120 foot bronze buddha that was already there. Based on the plans, thousands of 6-foot tall buddhas will also be erected surrounding the statue. The views from the temple was pretty impressive, despite the haze. However, it was too commercialize, with people selling something in almost every corner.

We went back to Georgetown, towards Fort Cornwallis. Going to the old fort made me nostalgic for Fort Santiago in Manila. It wasn’t as big, but it was also right by the sea, had the canons in place, and even a moat around it (though it was removed when there was a malaria outbreak). They even had guards dressed like British solidiers.

The only monitor lizard sighting. Whew.

The sky was looking omnimous again, and true enough, it poured once more when we got to the Burmese buddhist temple. It let up a little, and we were able to cross to the Thai buddhist temple, which also has a reclining buddha, but not as grand as the one in Wat Po. But I was really temple-d out, so I wasn’t really able to appreciate these two. Back in the car we go, and once again we drove out of Georgetown towards Batu Ferrhingi.

Batu Ferrhingi is in the northeast side of the island, where the beaches are. That was an interesting drive. One moment we were surrounded by preserved and restored buildings, the next there were nothing but skyscrapers and modern architecture. Driving out of Batu Ferringhi was even more instesting, because just 20 minutes later, were were nothing but the trees and the mountain around us. We ended up driving around the island, passing through Balik Penang, which is the “back” of the island. There were no skyscrapers here, just simple houses and buildings. Another intersting thing about this drive was that in just two hours, I was able to see three different cemeteries (the Christian, Chinese and Muslim), and different places of worship, aside from the different restaurants that take root from different cultures. There’s so much diversity in such a small island, yet they are able to co-exist seamlessly.

Kek Lok Si Temple

We had an early dinner at Supertanker, one of the local food court near Wei’s neighborhood. I eagerly ordered for Hokkien mee, and was served something that I wasn’t expecting. Wei explains that the hokkien mee is very different here than the ones that is served in Singapore. True enough, the one that was in front of me was a bowl of noodle soup, while the one I had in Singapore was more like stir-fried noodles. Wei got us this plate of char kwey kok, which was pretty much char kwey teow, but instead of rice noodles, it has these rectangular cubes that was pretty similar to the noodles. For dessert, pancake filled with chocolate and banana.

After dinner, we did a very local activity: we went to the mall. Families were out for dinner and groups of friends were hanging out all around. I guess if I was back in Manila, I’d be doing the same thing. There was one interesting restaurant in the Queenstown Mall: the T-bowl. The concept was similar to the Modern Toilet restaurant that I wanted to go to in Hong Kong: patrons sit on toilet bowl (with the lid on, of course), and the tables were bath tubs topped with glass for a table top. Dishes were served in different kinds of toilet fixture to complete the experience.

It was that guy.

I was back at the hotel relatively early. The lack of sleep the past couple of days was catching up on me, and I was just too exhausted after a full day of sight seeing. I got back just in time, it seems, since I was still able to catch the store at the hotel lobby to print my confirmation e-mail for my next accommodations. With almost everything all set for my trip out of Penang, sank down to my comfortable bed to prepare for another long day of traveling.

Going through immigration in Padang Besar

I only read a couple pages before giving up and trying to sleep. I kept on waiting for the lights to go out, but it turns out they don’t turn off the light on the night train. I guess that’s to dissuade theft. The curtains for each berth is a shiny blue that hardly blocks the light from the aisle. You really need an eye cover for sleeping on trains, as well as earplugs. I did manage to sleep last night, though I kept on waking up and checking the time. Around 1:44 am, my phone rang, and it was an sms, saying I have special privileges in Ko Samui. I guess we were passing Surathani at that moment. The people on the train woke up as early as 6am. I tried my best to ignore them, but I had to go to the toilet, so I forced myself to get up. I was quite happy with the bed laid out, but since people in the upper bunk needed someplace to sit, I asked the attendant to fold away the bed. The took of the linens and sadly, the pillow too. We arrived in Hat Yai before 7am, and most of the Thais in the train got off at this junction. There was a lady who came on board selling fried chicken. It looked spicy, being reddish, so I only bought one and a small bag of sticky rice. This meal cost me 35 baht, the same price as the juice that the lady on the train offered yesterday afternoon. The chicken wasn’t spicy at all, and I kinda regretted getting only one. Still, it was enough to pacify my grumbling stomach.

We took longer in Hat Yai than in other stations. I think they were removing some of the train cars. We left after about 40 minutes, and around 7:40am, we were at the border. We all got out of the train, and I was surprised to see that from 10 cars yesterday, we were down to just 3. Another engine came up and took away the third car, leaving us with only 2.

Finally, Butterworth!

There were only 2 immigration booths open in the Thailand side. The queue I was in was taking a long time, while the other booth seemed to be working on optimum efficiency. That is, until it came to this one gentleman that they’re having a hard time processing. In my own line, it was going smooth until they got to this one guy, and the immigration officer pointed him to go to the other booth. The guy after him was able to pass without problems, but when my turn came, the officer kept on scanning the pages, unable to find whatever it is he has to find to stamp me out of the country. He pointed me to go to the other booth as well. The gentleman who was having problems still wasn’t through. The three travelers who were behind him in line moved over to the booth where I was lined up earlier. A couple of minutes pass, and another immigration officer noticed me and the other guy waiting still waiting in line for this one booth, while the other booth was empty. He directed us to go back, but I told him we were told to go to this booth. He insisted and me and the other guy went. Oddly enough, this time, the immigration officer was able to find whatever it was he was looking for and stamped me out as quickly as the other travelers. What the hell.

Going through Malaysian immigration was a breeze. There were nobody in queue, since most of them were already back in the train. We were asked to open up our bags for custom, but they hardly looked through my things. There was a health check though, and temperatures were taken from each passenger. Back in the train, there was another 30 minute wait as a new engine was attached to pull the cars. It was a KTM train now, with Malaysian crew and attendants (though the Thai crew were still onboard, but out of their uniforms).

The train stopped at a couple of stations, taking in passengers along the way. A family boarded, and since there were many of them, they sat on different areas of the car. The mother sat across me. She started taking to me in Bahasa and I told her I can’t understand what she was saying. She asked me where I was from, and I said I’m from the Philippines. She said in broken English that she thought I was Malay. I love how I blend in in these parts. Save for my clothes and if I don’t speak, I pretty much look like a local.

Very very comfy bed at Tune Hotel

We finally pulled into Butterworth around 1:55pm in Malaysian time. I followed the other passengers out of the terminal, looking for a money changer and a way to get to Penang. The money changer was unfortunately closed for prayers, and wouldn’t open until 2:30pm. I get to talking to the elderly gentleman who sat across me in the train. He’s retired already, and is living in Thailand, since living in Europe is so much more expensive. He’s on a visa run, since he still hasn’t gotten his pension, and couldn’t get a longer visa in Thailand. This is his fourth time in Penang, so he already knows his way around town. He asked inside the train station for other money changers, because we need some ringgit to pay for the ferry that crosses to the island. He was told to go to the ferry, and they will change money there. Well, it’s not that they will change money there, but they will accept your money. They just wouldn’t give you change. The ferry costs RM1.20 per person, and this is already a return ticket. He gave them 50 baht, the smallest bill he has. Since he wasn’t getting any change for it, he decides to buy my ticket for me as well.

I felt lucky, because aside from the free ferry ticket, the elderly gentleman is familiar with Georgetown. Since we both needed to change some money, we walked into town in search for the money changer. He shares how he loves Malaysia’s cultural diversity, and how friendly and hospitable people are. He talks more about his current life in Thailand, and how he wants to visit Luang Prabang and Angkor Wat while he’s in Southeast Asia. Soon we came upon a money changer, and we went our separate ways: him to his guesthouse, me to find a taxi to take me to the hotel.

Hard to miss this building…

Here’s where I kick myself for making the most elementary mistake as a traveler: I realize I’ve forgotten to write down the address of the hotel. I printed my booking confirmation before I left Bangkok, and I assumed that the address of the hotel would be printed there. It wasn’t, so I tried my luck and hailed a taxi, hoping the driver knows where it is. The first cab I found haven’t even heard of the hotel. I got lucky with the second one, though he named his price right after telling me that he knows where it is. I was just too grateful to find someone who knows where the hotel is, so I agreed. He still turned on the meter, and when I got off outside Tune Hotel, it was just half of what I paid him. Pfft.

Yup, you read that right, hotel. This is supposed to be a backpacking trip, I know. But the reviews I’ve seen online were all so discouraging, that I just gave up and booked with Tunehotels.com. Of course, it was only after I checked in that I remembered Ajay recommending a couple of Penang guesthouses from her recent trip. Oh well. Besides, I’ve been wanting to try it out since I first found out about thisno-frills hotel.

There was a bit of a wait during check in, but other than that, it went without any problems. My room is on the fifth floor, and I dutifully followed the signs to my room. It turns out my room was closer to the lift if I went the other way than directed in the sign. The room was pretty nice, with the bed dominating the room. I haven’t laid on the bed yet, but sitting on it has been very comfortable. I love the pillows too. The room is pretty small; it’s just as big as my room in HI Sukhumvit, except this room has its own toilet and bath. It does have two side tables though, a personal safe, a pull out desk and two huge mirrors. It also have a window that looks out into the neighborhood and a ceiling fan. Use of the aircon entails an additional fee, and it comes on 12-hours or 24-hours block. The toilet was expectedly small. The shower area, though small is not cramped, so is the sink (specially with the door open). But the area where the toilet was… too small. When I sit on the toilet, the wall is less then an inch from my knee. But it’s clean and the shower is really really nice so I’m happy.

Sunset on Gurney Drive

After a quick shower, I took a walk down the street to look for a place to have a very late lunch. The first thing I saw though, was a very commercial area with a Starbucks dominating the front. I walk past it, and came upon a food hall in the other corner. It had a sign that says Hokkien Mee, so I eagerly crossed the road. Turns out the Hokkien Mee stall was closed, so I ended up just getting rice and a variety of fried meat. I was kinda hoping for at least a roti or char kway teow, but eh. It’d do.

I walked back down Jalan Burma towards Jalan Penang. I wanted to try to find the bus station to book tickets for my bus going to the east coast, but there weren’t any taxis. I got so used to seeing so many taxis in Bangkok, that it seemed as if there’s hardly any in Penang. I walked and walked, and came upon the pedestrian cross walk. Instead of crossing over to Jalan Penang, I ended up going to Komtar. In the maps inside the brochures for Penang, there’s a big red dot and a text that says KOMTAR. I wondered what Komtar was, and apparently, it was a shopping center. I later found out that Komtar is the tallest building in Penang, and the fourth tallest in Malaysia.

I decided to just walk back to my hotel, and research about the buses crossing over to the eastern side of Malaysia. It has started drizzling when I got out of Komtar, and the rains became heavier as I walk. I eventually had to take shelter in one of the closed buildings to wait until the rain stop. When I got back, I just had time to go online in the lobby, process some photos and start writing this entry before going down to the lobby to wait for Wei.

Satay!

Wei is one of the friends I’ve met online. We met through hey.nu, my old web host, back in 2002, I think. He’s from Johor, but he’s here in Penang for work. From the lobby, we went down to the street level and to my surprise, he took me to New World Park, that commercial place with the Starbucks. I was surprised because behind the stores up front is a food court. And they have Hokkien Mee! Turns out he was just parked there. We drove to Gourney drive, that overlooks the water and Butterworth. It was a street lined with hotels, a mall and restaurants and since it was Friday night, there were plenty of people. There was a hawker market, and after looking through the selections, I settled on having char kwey teow, a noodle dish that became an instant favorite since I first tried it in Singapore last time. I ordered for a small plate, and the stall keeper was surprised when I handed him the money. It turns out that in these hawker places, you order the food, they deliver it to your table, and you pay them once you get your food. As for the drinks, there’s no need to stand up, as the stall in charge for the drinks in a particular area will go to your table to take your order.

As I was digging into my plate of noodles, I commented that char kwey teow is a lot like pad thai. To my horror, Wei confirms this. Nothing against pad thai, but I’m already pad thai-ed out, to borrow Mikoy’s term. I’ve avoided ordering the noodles during my last days in Bangkok, and it’s ironic that one of the first things I have here is basically the Malaysian equivalent. Still, there were other things to try. Wei bought some rojak, which is a is a mix of anything and everything. It as fruits, vegetable, and even seafood, and they’re all slathered with a special sauce. I’m not quite sure how to describe how it tasted like (most of the time, I’ve no idea what I was biting into since everything was slathered in a dark brown sauce), but it was actually pretty good.

What’s wrong with this picture?

I was also introduced to chendol. While walking from the jetty port, we passed by this stall that sells chendol. Right next to the sign that says “best chendol in Malaysia” is a huge container of what looks like green slimy things. It doesn’t look appetizing, especially if you have an active imagination. When I asked Wei about it, he just said I had to try it. So I did, and I liked it. The green things are like gelatinous things made with flour. It’s mixed with some beans and syrup, then topped with ice and coconut milk. It’s a great refreshing dessert, and it’s not overly sweet nor rich. After dessert, I went to have some more meat. We went to the satay stall, and I had one of each: beef, mutton and chicken. They were all marinated in the same peanut sauce, but it’s the beef that really absorbs the flavor. And that sauce was amazing.

After dinner, we walked inside the mall for some air conditioned comfort, then drove around Georgetown. There are so many beautiful colonial buildings around Georgetown, that you can just walk in any street and there would be something that would catch your attention. Definitely looking forward to exploring more tomorrow!

My THB 135 meal at MBK Food Court

It has been a long day for me, and I am so glad to have finally given the sleeping car a try. I woke up early, at 7am to do my laundry. Laundry takes about 50 minutes on the hostel’s machine, and that gives me enough time to try to get back to sleep and to have a shower. I laundered all my clothes, save for the ones I am currently wearing. This would ensure that I have clean clothes when I get to Penang tomorrow. It was overcast this morning, and I was scared that I’d be packing wet clothes into my backpack, but luckily, the sun came out of the clouds and I have freshly laundered sun-dried clothes.

I initially planned on checking out of the hostel early, leaving my backpack, going to MBK for brunch and some last minute shopping and heading back to pick up my things and taking a taxi to Hualumpong. However, when I looked at the map, I realized that MBK close to the station, so I figured I’ll just take the BTS to MBK to use up my remaining credits and to take the taxi to the train station. I also remembered the signs announcing that MBK now has a luggage counter, something that they didn’t have three years ago.

My THB 147 dessert at the Fifth Floor Food Avenue

So off I went, walking under the hot sun, weighed down with my heavy backpack, my messenger bag and my Envirosax bag. It was torturous, that walk to the BTS. And though there was an escalator from the street level to the BTS’s entrance, there were only stairs going up to the platform. At National Stadium, I got off the train and made my way to the 5th level of the MBK shopping centre.

The fifth level is where the new Food Avenue is located. Within this food hall is the Tourist meeting area, Internet stations and luggage counter. To get there, you’d have to pass through the numerous counters serving different cuisines from around the world. This is an upmarket food court. While 135 baht can already buy you two dishes and two drinks from the food court at the 6th floor, the same amount can only buy you one dish or dessert in the Food Avenue.

Still, it was a pretty slick idea, and the Tiramisu cheesecake I had there was pretty good. The Internet stations works the same as the one in Centre Point Plaza in Khao San road. It’s coin operated, and costs one baht per minute (minimum of 10 baht per use). The left luggage service is free for the first four hours, beyond four hours, you’d need to pay a fee. I didn’t have to pay for a single cent at for the luggage, since I only stayed for 2 hours at MBK.

Rolling out of Bangkok

I left MBK right when the office workers who’ve gone out to lunch are already settled back in their desks. There’s light traffic, by Bangkok standards, and the drive to the train station was faster than the time it took me to find the taxi stand.

The train was already waiting on Platform 5, and I made my way to car number 2, all the way down the platform. I was quite excited to board the train, even more so when I saw the fat pillows that came with each seat. However, the excitement was short lived, because as soon as it wound down, I realized I’ve nothing to do until lunch time tomorrow. It briefly came back though, as the train pulled out of the station, and after taking photos of random things, I settled to staring out the window.

A uniformed man went down the aisle and offered a menu to the Caucasian guy across the aisle. He bypassed me, probably thinking I was local and not interested in overpriced food. That posed a problem though, since apparently, they do not serve food. As we were pulling into one station, I noticed a number of vendors carrying several styrofoam of prepared meals. I ignored them, while the Thais around me bought one each. That was dinner apparently. Darn it. Good thing I still have that packet of Ritz Bits I’ve been carting around since Cambodia, and the packet of Oreos I’ve had since Laos. Damnit, I’m eating breakfast tomorrow. Or find that damned dining car.

My bed. I love it &heart;

Darkness soon fell, and as people finished their dinners, the train attendant went down the car, setting up the beds for the night. It’s a marvel, watching him transform two seats facing each other to the bed I’m now lying in, and pulling down the upper berth from the wall. Linens are provided, as well as a thick blanket. The pillows were given its own cases as well, earlier before the train even pulled out of the station. It was still freshly pressed and it felt so comforting to feel that smooth linen on my cheeks. It was still warm to boot. When my bed was all set, I gingerly sat down, took off my shoes and slowly laid down on my make-shift bed. That felt goooooood. I just hope I get any sleep tonight.

It’s 8:30pm now, and I’m starting to feel the hunger. Ngrawr. I don’t think I want another Oreo. I wonder what time they serve breakfast tomorrow…

The path that leads to the ITF Market

After lunch, I walked down the length of Silom road towards Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Road to look for the street that leads to the ITF Market. I took photos of the landmarks for future reference. If you want to go to this market, it’s on Silom Soi 10. Photos taken, I walk towards the intersection and crossed the road to get on a taxi that will take me to Yaowarat, or Chinatown.

I was back in Mangkorn street, buying up some dollie stuff. It’s rather unfortunate that I found this doll shop, because after discovering the store, I’ve no interest in exploring Bangkok’s Chinatown more. After making my purchase, I went back out to Yaowarat Road and hailed a taxi to Central World. I initially wanted to walk towards the Chao Phraya River and take the river express to Thong Sala, but it started drizzling, and I don’t want to get soaked while lost in the middle of Chinatown.

Just how big is Blythe in Thailand? They have hair product boxes featuring the dolls. And they don’t even grow hair.

Of course, taking the taxi meant enduring the traffic. This is the second taxi ride I’ve had since I arrived from Vientiane. The taxi ride then was fast, as the roads were pretty much deserted. Though the ride from Silom to Chinatown was fairly good, traffic was quite heavy when we reached Yaowarat Road. It was traffic going out as well, and even more so when we were nearing the Siam area.

The reason I wanted to go back to Central World is to check out the doll items they have for sale and to look for a pad thai mix. My sister-in-law is requesting that I cook pad thai while I’m staying with them in Singapore. I did find a mix, but the only one available is in a bottle. I can secure the bottle inside my backpack with some clothes to protect it from getting smashed, but I don’t want to risk it. Seems like I’ll just have to find the mix in Singapore. I didn’t buy any doll stuff in Zen world either. The prices of the things they have for sale are much more expensive than the ones being sold in Chinatown. However, they also have items that I didn’t see in Chinatown, so if you’re in the lookout for Blythe clothes in Bangkok, Zen World is a good place to start.

Soi Philippines

I went back to the hostel, and after dropping my things and changing into more comfortable clothes, I headed back down to the street for an early dinner. However, before I sat down to eat, I walked around the neighborhood first. Well, I just wanted to see the Philippine Embassy, actually. It was a fair walk to the embassy, and I was tickled to see it in the corner of Sukhumvit Road and Soi Philippines. I crossed the road to walk back to Soi 38. At one crossing, I was wondering why people are all standing up at attention, and why one side of the road was completely empty. A patrol car drove past, followed by a black car with very dark tint, and a couple more cars. As soon as the last car passed, everybody started moving again. Must be somebody very very important.

I stopped by the chicken rice stall I had dinner at the other night and had it with fried chicken. The whole day I’ve been wondering about my plans for Malaysia. I’ve initially planned on staying until the end of June, but as my trip progresses, the date to go back to Singapore has been moving backwards. First I thought I’d go back on the 29th, so I can rest on the 30th before going back to work on July 1st. Then I thought 27th might be better, so I’d also have time to go to the places I planned to visit on Day 1. Now, I’m currently settled on June 26th. It’s my sister-in-law’s birthday, and to celebrate, the family will be spending the weekend at a hotel. I figured that’s the best time for me to go back to Singapore, so I can quarantine myself while they’re away. The problem now is.. how to I cram a trip to Malaysia in just 7 days?

My 115 baht brunch

Eating noodles and rice at the same time is hardly ever a good idea, since it can be very filling. I walked around the mall for a bit to somehow ease my very full tummy. After some aimless wandering, I decided to head out back to the BTS to go to Siam Paragon to watch a movie. As I was walking on the bridge that connects the mall to the station, I ran into Dino of Columbia Sportswear. He was vacationing in Thailand with his wife and they highly recommend going to Ayutthaya. Hrm. Too bad I scrapped that idea since I’ve decided to go with a tour, but it turns out the travel agent don’t offer the day tour at this time. Now I’m too lazy to go on my own.

The great thing about Siam Paragon is that it’s located right next to the BTS station. Like MBK, they have their own bridge that connect the station to the mall. I head to the fifth level, where the cineplex is and headed straight to the ticket booth. I got there just past 1:30pm, just as the movie was starting. It was too late to go in, and the next screening was for VIP. So I was stuck with nothing to do until the 3:30 show.

Jenny clothes and voodoo doll

I go down to the third floor to Kinukuniya. Afterwards, I headed into the department store, and quickly regretted it. It was full of cute things that you just want to buy everything. I was able to successfully restrain myself, until I got to the toy section, where I saw some Takara Jenny dolls and clothes for sale. There wasn’t many, but the fact that there’s Takara Jenny right there in the department store was very impressive. They also have other Japanese toy brands like Tomy (they have different variations of the Kurohige kikiipatsu game, except the limited Hard Gay version). I pick up one Jenny costume set and went off to look for more things. Just a few steps away from the toys, I came upon another great find: a voodoo doll. I’ve been itching to buy one of these, mostly because when I saw one being sold in Manila, I didn’t buy it, but when I was ready to buy, it was gone. It was a cute ex-lover version, and it’d make a great gift for a friend who’s very bitter about love.

Paragon Cineplex popcorn and soda

I make my way down to the supermarket to look for some snacks. There were plenty to choose from, and the range of products available is really impressive. I ended up with just one box of Pocky though, and made my way back up to the 5th level. On my way up, I came upon some car showrooms. Sports cars from BMW, Jaguar, Porche and even Lamborghini are on display right there on the 2nd floor. Wow.

Paragon Cineplex lobby

Back on the 5th floor, I sat in one of the many comfy seats outside the cineplex to wait for 3:30pm. At the strike of 3pm, I buy a bucket of popcorn and a huge tumbler of soda and made my way to the theatre. However, when I got there, the attendant told me that we can’t come in for another 30 minutes. As it turns out, the time on the schedule isn’t the time of the start of the movie, but the time when the doors open. The movie didn’t really start until almost 4pm. There were a couple of movie previews, and just before the movie starts, a music video-ish thing featuring life in the Thai countryside starts, with a painter painting a portrait of the king showing every so often. After that, there was a someting written in Thai, and people around me stood up. I stood up as well, and it seems like it was a music video of a hymn of some sort for the King of Thailand.

Plush theatre seats

Up, Disney and Pixar’s latest collaboration, was a lovely movie. It’s made even better with the plush chairs inside the Siam Pavalai or the Grand Royal Theatre of the Paragon Cineplex. The chairs were a deep red, and reclines a bit when you lean back. The theatre was huge and beautifully decorated. It was cold inside, but it’s not the arctic-like temperature we have inside the theatres in Manila. This was another 160 baht well spent.

Sukhumvit Soi 38 nightly food market

After the movie, I head back to the BTS to go back to the hostel. I wanted to catch the nightly food market while there’s still light out and before it starts to rain again. The stalls are already set up when I arrived around 6pm. After leaving my things in my room, I head back down for an early dinner. I passed a stall advertising Japanese pizza (okonomiyaki), and though I miss eating okonomiyaki, I went for the stall selling crispy fried pork instead.

Thai orange juice

There was a printed menu posted on the stall’s window with a picture of the dish, the price, and the name in both Thai and English. I point to the dish I wanted, and settled down on a table right on the road. The shop owner delivered my food, and asked if I was Filipino. I said yes and asked how he knew. “Filipino and Thai, same same,” he said. “But Filipino no speak Thai.” I guess there must have been plenty of other Filipinos who has eaten here, specially since the Philippine Embassy is nearby.

Crispy fried pork with egg over rice

The pork was fried perfectly: the skin is crispy, yet the meat is tender enough. It comes slathered with sauce that went pretty good with the pork and the rice, though you can also try the other condiments available. I had my simple dinner with a bottle of fresh Thai orange juice that I bought from a stall at the BTS station, and my left over bottle of water from my brunch at MBK. What more can I say? It was another great dinner for only 50 baht. I love this place.

Cooking pad thai

The first order of the day, is to go online. It was lucky that I did because I got an e-mail from Ming, inviting me to lunch near his office in Silom. I quickly replied back and we made plans to meet outside his building at 11:30am. I dilly-dallied online some more, before finally prying myself in front of the computer to get ready for lunch.

Silom was about thirty minutes on the BTS. From Sukhuvit, I boarded the train at Thong Lo station in the Sukhumvit line, got off at Siam station to change to the Silom line, and got off at the Saladaeng station. I underestimated my travel time, and I was 10 minutes late. Lunch don’t really start until 12 noon, but there was a reason Ming wanted to meet up early.

The finished product: YUM

We walked down Silom and crossed the street, going into this small street lined with stalls selling food and other items an office worker might need. We came upon a market that has stalls selling clothes and other goods in one section, and great Thai food in the other. This market is one of the places frequented by office workers from around the Silom are. Like most food courts in Thailand, each stall has its own specialties. Some specializes in noodles soups, chicken rice, roast duck, and of course, pad thai. After checking out the food offered by the stalls, we settled on pad thai and oyster cake.

Oyster/seafood cake

It was a joy watching the guy cooking the pad thai and the oyster cake. He had this big gridle and a pair of spatulas with long handles. Ming ordered pad thai with shrimp, and the guy put a bit of batter in the griddle, then put the shrimp on top. To cook the pad thai, he cracks open an egg, and in one fluid motion, he has the egg on the griddle and with a flick off the wrist, the shell goes flying into the waste bucket on the floor. He breaks the yolk and swirls it around a bit, then put the noodles on top of the egg. Then, he folds the egg, like it was an omelet, scoops it up to put in a plate and places the shrimp on top. The ingredients for the garnish are on the side table, and you just pick whatever you want to go with your noodles. It was the same with the oyster cake. He’d put a batter on the griddle, then add the seafood. Let it cook for a bit before flipping, then brown it just enough before scooping it out to put to a plate.

Bagoong Fried Rice

Both the pad thai and the oyster/seafood cake was divine. It was seasoned just rigth, and it was a great meal for someone who’s not really into spicy food. To go with the meal, I had a very cold glass of Thai milk tea, perfect for the venue, since it can get pretty warm inside. Lunch wasn’t over yet though, and Ming ordered two more plate, this time, two kinds of rice. I said I wanted to try the shrimp paste rice, since it’s reminiscent of home, so Ming got one plate of that. He also bought a plate of curry rice that comes with chicken and this yummy jelly-like sauce. Both items were another hit.

Curry rice with chicken

Still, lunch wasn’t over, and we headed to the market’s annex where Ming’s favorite noodle shop was. I was already full, but I’m interested to try this noodle that a lot of other Thais seem to be so fond of. Ordering can be a bit tricky though, as you’re supposed to write down your order in a piece of paper provided in each table. It has to be written not just in the Thai language, but also in their script. There’s a bit of a wait for our soup, as the shop’s area was crowdeed. The first to come to our table though, was this unimpressive bowl of pork bones and shredded meat. One sip of the broth and I was hooked. It was just a simple broth made of pork spine, boiled for several hours and seasoned only with a bit of salt and pepper. The taste is purely meat. The bits of pork that was in the broth were all so tender and packed with flavor.

Yummiest broth ever

Soon, the bowls of noodle soup arrived. In this shop, Ming said, you can customize your bowl: you can choose what kind of noodles you want (or none if you prefer), what kinds of fishballs to put in, the kind of soup. The soup base was the delicious broth. The other variation to this was the red soup, which has some ingredient that turned it red and gives it a different flavor. The fishballs were also quite good. Each one was different, and each has its distinct flavor.

Red soup without noodles, so it gets more veggies.

The best thing about this lunch? Each plate only cost around 40 baht.

I was so full from lunch that I wanted to do nothing more but to take a nap. I scrapped the plan to watch a movie, and headed back to the hostel. I didn’t nap, though. I went up to the 5th floor, and loaded my laundry in the hostel’s coin operated washing machine. The receptionist said a load usually takes 40 minutes, so I set my phone’s alarm clock and went down to go online. Of course, the problem when I go online is that when my alarm goes off, I just press snooze. I eventually made it back up to the laundry area after an hour, and was surprised that one of the housekeepers hanged up my now clean clothes to dry. That was really sweet. Unfortunately, it seemed like it was going to rain. I let my clothes dry some more, before taking it off the clothes rack and bringing it down to my room to dry.

Soup with noodles and fish ball

The wind was blowing pretty hard at the rooftop, though you can hardly feel it inside the hostel. Soon, rain started pouring in earnest, which ruined my plans of going to the street’s night food market to take photos. Every evening, various food stalls set up at the entrance of Soi 38. They offer good and cheap food for those living and working in the area. This is a great perk for staying at HI-Sukhumvit. The rain didn’t let up until past 8, and it was only until 9pm that I was finally able to get out of the hostel for dinner. For only 50 baht, I had a great chicken rice meal and a bottle of water. I’m so happy I found this hostel!