Well, technically it is Day 79 now but I don't think a lot is going to happen anymore worthwhile of spamming in these last 7 hours...
What can I say... It is a big city, so even more malls than in Kuching, Miri, KK,...
Four days here is really too much but knew that when deciding not to do anything else any more
What I should have done differently:
- Go to Battambang first, then Siem Reap... guess it is better to get acclimatised to certain Local-Tourist interactions in a smaller and more relaxed city (especially when travelling alone)
- Book flights much more in advance... Especially for Malaysia: Although you can get away with booking only 2-3 days in advance in the Philippines, no such thing for Air Asia...Twice (Miri -> Kuching and Kuching -> Singapore) Malaysian airways was cheaper than the other which is only cheaper (but significantly) if you book 1-2 weeks ahead - Quite sure Chinese New Year also had an impact
- Bring some kind of mobile device... Free wifi everywhere but almost no free lobby computers...and there aren't that many internet café's any more.
So it's time to think about the next trip:
- "Pick up the pieces": North Peninsular Malaysia, South Thailand, South Cambodia and South Vietnam or
- "Beans and burrito's": Mexico, Guatemala and Nicaragua
Likely it is going to be the latter one
That is, if there is again time and money
Jumpa Lagi
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Day 75 - 76: Malacca
Seems I made a miscount somewhere as that should be until day 75 as I had 4 nights left after 2 days in Malacca (and it is not really 80 days anyway.. only if I include the day of departure and arrival but it sounds better then "Around...in 78 days")
Well, not much too say about the place... you can see all the historical stuff in one day and all of them are not that spectacular...I expected more. Seems it is more a weekend destination for Kuala Lumpurians (or whatever).
I was disappointed that the famous Pak Putra tandoori (yes, cannot get enough of Indian food) restaurant is closed until March 1st but I did make it to the other highly recommended eatery: Capitol Satay (serious waiting queue to get in). I thought the stuff you put in the boiling peanut sauce is not that great (the sauce is though) but the whole process is fun: pick as many satay's as you wish (all the same price: rm0.9 per piece) - sit at the table, they will stop by to heat up the table (well, it is a steel table with a hole in the middle where the pot of peanut sauce goes), a guy comes along to put some (I assume secret) herbs into it and when the mixture is boiling you can start to make a mess (You really should not wear a white shirt).
To me 2 days were more than enough (world heritage or not), the activity of day 2:
Took the bus to the big bus station to get a ticket for the day after to KL, so after 1 hour (5km) arrived at Melaka Sentral (paid with exact change - 1.50 ringgit)...bought the bus ticket for KL (12.20rm) and the (same) local bus back to the city centre was still there (basically it just makes a loop all the time, only in one way)...but the guy won't let me in because he has 'no change' for my 10 ringgit note... "What? you have plenty of change" when I see his hands full of 1 and 5 notes but again he claimed to have no change and let 2 locals in who pay with 5 notes... I had enough of the 'tourist must take a teksi thing' - which I did...for f**** 20 ringgit (for which you almost buy a return ticket to KL) so for the first time it happened... lost my temper and he received my rage: a shower of cursing and swearing (in multiple languages) due to 2.5 months of short distance transport tourist rip off frustration (Xe'oms and other motorbike taxi's, tuktuk's, tricycles and regular taxi's).
But as before during other trips, frustration and luck is very volatile in Asia... I might had some bad luck in short distance stuff but also good fortune with the long distance ones. On the day of departure I shared a taxi with a Dutch couple to the central bus station but that meant I was 2.5 hours early (really not needed to book a bus to KL in advance)..but wouldn't you know...could change my 12pm ticket to the 10am one so in the end I left before them.
Well, not much too say about the place... you can see all the historical stuff in one day and all of them are not that spectacular...I expected more. Seems it is more a weekend destination for Kuala Lumpurians (or whatever).
I was disappointed that the famous Pak Putra tandoori (yes, cannot get enough of Indian food) restaurant is closed until March 1st but I did make it to the other highly recommended eatery: Capitol Satay (serious waiting queue to get in). I thought the stuff you put in the boiling peanut sauce is not that great (the sauce is though) but the whole process is fun: pick as many satay's as you wish (all the same price: rm0.9 per piece) - sit at the table, they will stop by to heat up the table (well, it is a steel table with a hole in the middle where the pot of peanut sauce goes), a guy comes along to put some (I assume secret) herbs into it and when the mixture is boiling you can start to make a mess (You really should not wear a white shirt).
To me 2 days were more than enough (world heritage or not), the activity of day 2:
Took the bus to the big bus station to get a ticket for the day after to KL, so after 1 hour (5km) arrived at Melaka Sentral (paid with exact change - 1.50 ringgit)...bought the bus ticket for KL (12.20rm) and the (same) local bus back to the city centre was still there (basically it just makes a loop all the time, only in one way)...but the guy won't let me in because he has 'no change' for my 10 ringgit note... "What? you have plenty of change" when I see his hands full of 1 and 5 notes but again he claimed to have no change and let 2 locals in who pay with 5 notes... I had enough of the 'tourist must take a teksi thing' - which I did...for f**** 20 ringgit (for which you almost buy a return ticket to KL) so for the first time it happened... lost my temper and he received my rage: a shower of cursing and swearing (in multiple languages) due to 2.5 months of short distance transport tourist rip off frustration (Xe'oms and other motorbike taxi's, tuktuk's, tricycles and regular taxi's).
But as before during other trips, frustration and luck is very volatile in Asia... I might had some bad luck in short distance stuff but also good fortune with the long distance ones. On the day of departure I shared a taxi with a Dutch couple to the central bus station but that meant I was 2.5 hours early (really not needed to book a bus to KL in advance)..but wouldn't you know...could change my 12pm ticket to the 10am one so in the end I left before them.
Day 73 - 74: Sterile Singapore
By choosing to fly to Singapore I kind of already decided that peninsular Malaysian was going to be skipped for the most part... and to be added to the 'another time' list (just as South Cambodia, South Vietnam, North Luzon, ...).
By now it was almost certain that Penang and the Cameron highlands were not going to happen (although still possible but after Burnmoneyo I did not feel for rushing any more). The only place besides Kuala (that one is mandatory is my plane back home leaves from there) that was still on the list was Melaka as it is basically on the way.
What to say about Singapore...besides the obvious fact it is even more painful for the wallet than Brunei..
It is clean, very clean...must have something to do with the very strict laws here (1 Euro = S$1.6 = B$1.6, for some reason the currency of Brunei and Singapore are linked -you can use both in both currencies- but still they have different notes), fines :
By now it was almost certain that Penang and the Cameron highlands were not going to happen (although still possible but after Burnmoneyo I did not feel for rushing any more). The only place besides Kuala (that one is mandatory is my plane back home leaves from there) that was still on the list was Melaka as it is basically on the way.
What to say about Singapore...besides the obvious fact it is even more painful for the wallet than Brunei..
It is clean, very clean...must have something to do with the very strict laws here (1 Euro = S$1.6 = B$1.6, for some reason the currency of Brunei and Singapore are linked -you can use both in both currencies- but still they have different notes), fines :
- S$500 if you eat or drink in the MRT or MRT stations
- S$1000 if you smoke in the MRT
- S$5000 if carry bring flammable or explosive (not sure why you want to do that) material in the MRT
- S$1000 if you do not step off your bike in the parks
- Not sure what the one is for spitting on the ground though
You do not see a lot of cops but rest assured: you are being watched! Big brother is everywhere. I guess it might be the only way to enforce clean streets and such (did not see many cigarette buts) and it is all very modern and some of the buildings and structures are quite spectacular but it all feels very sterile at some times... In addition it seems they want to create authenticity but in the process of doing so they lost it. As two nights is more than enough, took the -yet another very comfy- bus to Melaka.
Day 56 - 72: Burnmoneyo
The mandatory itinerary stuff first:
KK -> BSB
BSB -> Miri
Miri -> Mulu -> Miri (That was a bit inefficient)
Miri -> Kuching (As there is a direct plane to Kuching from Miri)
So, Kota Kinabalu (KK) it was for the first stop in Malaysian Borneo as this was already set before entering the Philippines (the mandatory onward-ticket-out for the 21 days free visa). I really should learn from previous experiences but for some reason it just does not sink in... In case of international flights it might be better just to fly to major cities and then hop to smaller ones (although KK is not that small... It might be Borneo but you wouldn't say that...but I digress) then trying to make a nice continuous loop...It just does not work that way for flights.
Anyway, got into serious indecisive mode upon arrival... do or do not the mountain? go or go not to Sulawesi/Flores? Go to the east of Sabah? (Sandakan,...). The end result was that I basically didn't do anything at all in KK for 3 days... And KK is not exactly a city where you do not want to do anything for 3 days...Yes there were some activities (basically night markets and some - no offence intended - horrendous live performances...I am just not the biggest fan of Chinese-like poppy music, ie a drum-computer with some saccharine singing) in preparation for Chinese New Year but that was it.
So for the first time the end-of-the-trip syndrome kicked in, just because of boredom. Mind you, the mountain can be done economically if you skip the over night (100 Euros for a non-heated dorm on the mountain) but this is out of my fitness league. So after 3 days of pure nothingness I called it a day and took the 2 ferries-way to Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB, Brunei) via the duty free island of Labuan... As, it is so close so why not include another country...sometimes logic is far off as obviously that country is much more painful for the wallet than any mountain.
No more motorbikes in this mini oil-sultanate (well, I did not see any), only cars that run on stuff cheaper than water ($0.3 or something for a liter of diesel). The stop at Labuan was not of a lot of use to me as you cannot bring in duty free cigarettes into Brunei...You can -as a tourist- bring in 2L of alcohol (and that is the only alcohol you will have in this rather devout country) but in theory no cheap cancer...well, I managed to sneak in 3 packs, on advice of a duty-free-shop-guy (who obviously still wanted to sell me stuff)... "If you open them you should be fine" Anyway, got them in.
As far as I know, there are 2 dorm-spots in BSB, but obviously (Chinese New Year) these were fully booked so had to take the cheapest private room at KH Soon rest house (23 Euros or something - very big rooms I have to say but that was it...but close to the bus station and above a travel agent). I did create a couch surfing account before I left... probably should have used it...but well, haven't yet.
Because any logic was gone by now (and because I felt I really really needed to do something) I checked out the tour thingys with the travel agent just below my place. Well, the girl at the tourist information was the sweetest ever but my spine started to shivver when she started: "only US $100 for this most popular (the one I was thinking to do - Ulu Temburong National Park: "the most pristine rainforest of the island") DAY-tour" "but B$175 (US$140 or so) if there are no other people" sigh - and there were not a lot of people here...although all the beds in the sleeping hall were fully booked. Long story short, I sucked it up and gave her the money, hoping I would get something back. And wouldn't you know, the next morning -when waiting for the first boat to kick off the tour - another guy shows up so our (not mine any more) guide told me I just had to go the office after the tourist stuff for my B$45 (or so).
Well, turns out that office is closed on Saturday afternoon, and already booked my bus ticket to Miri, Sarawak for the next morning (at the same travel agent).After the initial frustration about this B$45 refund, did not start to spam every travel site but send the agency (part of Borneo guide) a mail explaining my disappointment in that matter and wouldn't you know: the girl and her boss (I think) went to see me the following morning at the bus stop with their sincere apologies and the refund... made me feel all mushy inside... and an apology mail of Borneo guide as well... so could leave BSB with a good feeling. A yes, the day tour: well.. nice canopy walk (45m) and all but still not worth US$100, maybe $30-40 but not more.
During my stay in BSB I was also heavily involved in mail exchanges (next time I will bring some kind of mobile device with me as it gets very tiring to find internet café's... in all the countries the same thing: free wifi everywhere but if you want to use the lobby computer -assuming there is one, not always the case- you have to pay) with a guy in Mulu to negotiate prices to do the pinnacles track (met an Italian guy in Vietnam who told me about it and convinced me). Tha very long (and tiring) round of money talk...in the end I arranged everything with Mulu park headquarters. I so hate this advanced booking but I met other tourists who just went there but could not do their thing as there were no empty slots left.. The thing is: to get there you have to fly (boat should be possible but much longer and more expensive, afterwards I heard that you can do it overland as well but nobody exactly knows how to do it) so did not want to arrive in Mulu for nothing.
By now I had accepted the fact that Borneo is expensive (compared to the previous countries)...food is cheap (even in BSB) and good (gotta love Indian influence...mmm roti canai for breakfast), accommodation is doable (excluding Brunei, but you just get less for your Ringgit), transport is fine as well... but activities (and that is why you are here) will hurt your wallet...
So. The BSB-Miri bus (and border crossing) were straightforward, spent one night there and then with the smallest plane I was ever in: Mulu. Before I did anything at all I had already spent 200 Euro ++ (plane, the 3D2N pinnacle and some cave booking... they do love to list prices -especially in restaurants/food stalls- as "++", never sure how much it really is but food is still cheap so whatever).
Anyway. The cheapest deal (turns out you could do it cheaper...but by now I did not care any more) to do the pinnacly thing also meant you had to carry and to take care of your own food which meant: 3 (well, more like 2) days of instant salty noodles (yuck) and crackers with some chocolate. Well, in case you are interested: http://www.mulupark.com/htm/forest_activities/index.htm or http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g303998-d2103294-Reviews-The_Pinnacles_Trail-Miri_Miri_District_Sarawak.html
They advertise it as "high adventure, high risk". In my opinion, they are not kidding. All I can say is that I am happy I made it back in one piece (more or less - only some black toes and some bruises and scratches). I felt the painnacles for more than 1 week and they had a major impact on the last part of this trip (basically I am already at day 77, at the last stop... should really update this blogging thing sooner but getting very lazy at it...so if you think it is all a bit chaotic, well... so do I!). Anyway, Mulu park really saved my Borneo experience and I recommend it to anyone who wants to visit Sarawak. Still a shame though I did not see the Bat-exodus at deer cave...tried twice but twice it started to rain around 5pm...no bugs during rainforest rain so no bats (should be quite spectacular though, 2-3 millions of bats flying out -what used to be the biggest cave until the one in Vietnam (Paradise cave) was discovered... but this one definitely looks bigger).
So after Mulu back to Miri, as the initial plan was to take a bus from Miri to Kuching. But I did not feel for a 16 hours bus ride (could hardly bend my knees upon return) so chose the lazy way by plane...(I should have flown from Mulu straight to Kuching but ticket was already booked). For the record: Air Asia is not by default cheap! Although it is perfectly fine to book a flight only 2-3 days in advance in the Philippines, this is not the case with Air Asia...you really should book 1-2 weeks in advance for a very economical ticket. So again, burnt some more money in Borneo and paid 80 Euro's to fly to Kuching with Malaysian Airways (Air Asia was already at 100 EUR ++).
On my last night in Miri had an unexpected (they always are) beer night with some folks who stayed at the same place...also that is not very cheap in Muslim Malaysia and the following night again in Kuching (hey, it was my existence celebration day). The latter one really hurt so no touristy things in Kuching for 2 days. On the last day I visited Bako national park (the mandatory thing to do when in Kuching)... guess it is better to stay at the park for a few days to really explore the park but I was running out of time...at least I saw the nose-monkey as up to that point I only saw some snakes and insects (spectacular ones though) on the island. As was the case for the flight to Kuching, had to book a flight with Malaysia as Air Asia was again ridiculously expensive...so again around 80 Euro's to get to...Singapore (well, yes...might as well include the other mini but super expensive state)
Because any logic was gone by now (and because I felt I really really needed to do something) I checked out the tour thingys with the travel agent just below my place. Well, the girl at the tourist information was the sweetest ever but my spine started to shivver when she started: "only US $100 for this most popular (the one I was thinking to do - Ulu Temburong National Park: "the most pristine rainforest of the island") DAY-tour" "but B$175 (US$140 or so) if there are no other people" sigh - and there were not a lot of people here...although all the beds in the sleeping hall were fully booked. Long story short, I sucked it up and gave her the money, hoping I would get something back. And wouldn't you know, the next morning -when waiting for the first boat to kick off the tour - another guy shows up so our (not mine any more) guide told me I just had to go the office after the tourist stuff for my B$45 (or so).
Well, turns out that office is closed on Saturday afternoon, and already booked my bus ticket to Miri, Sarawak for the next morning (at the same travel agent).After the initial frustration about this B$45 refund, did not start to spam every travel site but send the agency (part of Borneo guide) a mail explaining my disappointment in that matter and wouldn't you know: the girl and her boss (I think) went to see me the following morning at the bus stop with their sincere apologies and the refund... made me feel all mushy inside... and an apology mail of Borneo guide as well... so could leave BSB with a good feeling. A yes, the day tour: well.. nice canopy walk (45m) and all but still not worth US$100, maybe $30-40 but not more.
During my stay in BSB I was also heavily involved in mail exchanges (next time I will bring some kind of mobile device with me as it gets very tiring to find internet café's... in all the countries the same thing: free wifi everywhere but if you want to use the lobby computer -assuming there is one, not always the case- you have to pay) with a guy in Mulu to negotiate prices to do the pinnacles track (met an Italian guy in Vietnam who told me about it and convinced me). Tha very long (and tiring) round of money talk...in the end I arranged everything with Mulu park headquarters. I so hate this advanced booking but I met other tourists who just went there but could not do their thing as there were no empty slots left.. The thing is: to get there you have to fly (boat should be possible but much longer and more expensive, afterwards I heard that you can do it overland as well but nobody exactly knows how to do it) so did not want to arrive in Mulu for nothing.
By now I had accepted the fact that Borneo is expensive (compared to the previous countries)...food is cheap (even in BSB) and good (gotta love Indian influence...mmm roti canai for breakfast), accommodation is doable (excluding Brunei, but you just get less for your Ringgit), transport is fine as well... but activities (and that is why you are here) will hurt your wallet...
So. The BSB-Miri bus (and border crossing) were straightforward, spent one night there and then with the smallest plane I was ever in: Mulu. Before I did anything at all I had already spent 200 Euro ++ (plane, the 3D2N pinnacle and some cave booking... they do love to list prices -especially in restaurants/food stalls- as "++", never sure how much it really is but food is still cheap so whatever).
Anyway. The cheapest deal (turns out you could do it cheaper...but by now I did not care any more) to do the pinnacly thing also meant you had to carry and to take care of your own food which meant: 3 (well, more like 2) days of instant salty noodles (yuck) and crackers with some chocolate. Well, in case you are interested: http://www.mulupark.com/htm/forest_activities/index.htm or http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g303998-d2103294-Reviews-The_Pinnacles_Trail-Miri_Miri_District_Sarawak.html
They advertise it as "high adventure, high risk". In my opinion, they are not kidding. All I can say is that I am happy I made it back in one piece (more or less - only some black toes and some bruises and scratches). I felt the painnacles for more than 1 week and they had a major impact on the last part of this trip (basically I am already at day 77, at the last stop... should really update this blogging thing sooner but getting very lazy at it...so if you think it is all a bit chaotic, well... so do I!). Anyway, Mulu park really saved my Borneo experience and I recommend it to anyone who wants to visit Sarawak. Still a shame though I did not see the Bat-exodus at deer cave...tried twice but twice it started to rain around 5pm...no bugs during rainforest rain so no bats (should be quite spectacular though, 2-3 millions of bats flying out -what used to be the biggest cave until the one in Vietnam (Paradise cave) was discovered... but this one definitely looks bigger).
So after Mulu back to Miri, as the initial plan was to take a bus from Miri to Kuching. But I did not feel for a 16 hours bus ride (could hardly bend my knees upon return) so chose the lazy way by plane...(I should have flown from Mulu straight to Kuching but ticket was already booked). For the record: Air Asia is not by default cheap! Although it is perfectly fine to book a flight only 2-3 days in advance in the Philippines, this is not the case with Air Asia...you really should book 1-2 weeks in advance for a very economical ticket. So again, burnt some more money in Borneo and paid 80 Euro's to fly to Kuching with Malaysian Airways (Air Asia was already at 100 EUR ++).
On my last night in Miri had an unexpected (they always are) beer night with some folks who stayed at the same place...also that is not very cheap in Muslim Malaysia and the following night again in Kuching (hey, it was my existence celebration day). The latter one really hurt so no touristy things in Kuching for 2 days. On the last day I visited Bako national park (the mandatory thing to do when in Kuching)... guess it is better to stay at the park for a few days to really explore the park but I was running out of time...at least I saw the nose-monkey as up to that point I only saw some snakes and insects (spectacular ones though) on the island. As was the case for the flight to Kuching, had to book a flight with Malaysia as Air Asia was again ridiculously expensive...so again around 80 Euro's to get to...Singapore (well, yes...might as well include the other mini but super expensive state)
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Some Random Philippine stuff
1. They are really into the religion thing
2. You cannot distinguish days in SE Asia except in the Philippines, see also 1
3. There are masses in the shopping mall on Sunday, see also 1, 2
4. A required field on the laboratory form (blood testing for Palawanitis) stating: "What Religion?", see also 1, 2, 3
5. Almost every Western guy I saw in Cebu is walking around with a Philippina
6. Sat myself next to an old 70+ lady when visiting the church in Cebu, after 5': "I know a girl for you, she is not pretty but can cook well", see also 5
7. At my place in Cebu they make it very clear you cannot have 'guests' in the room, see also 5, 6
8. In 90% of the cases it takes about 2' when this string occurs: "Are you married?" "No?" "Why Not?" "How about a nice Philippina girl?"; also when socializing with the staff at my place in Cebu, see also 7
9. Almost every place requires you pay for at least one night when checking in
10. People are in general much more polite than in the other SE Asian countries when it comes to queuing up for the bus or just walking on the street
11. Never had the feeling that the major cities are unsafe but all these guards do make them feel unsafe... basically every shop a little bigger than a small kiosk has one
12. They are not so into smoking as the other SE Asian countries...happened several times I had to go outside at places I was staying...cigarettes are still cheap though ($0.75 for a pack of 'local' Fortune)
13. If you want to get wasted, Tanduay + coke is your thing...one bottle of rum: $1.5-2.0 (same as 2 beers)...does hurt though the day after
14. 2 bottles of Tanduay for 3 people is a bit too much, see 13
15. As in other SE Asian countries, minivans suck but the difference with regular buses (not talking Jeepneys or long haul buses) is much bigger (leg space that is...the bus is so much better and cheaper and not that much slower)
16. Almost by default, a rented motorbike will be a semi-automatic 125cc semi-dirt bike instead of a 120cc full automatic scooter
17. There are some really good looking Philippinas, see also 5, 6, 7, 8
18. You do not bargain in the Philippines, you ask for a 'discount'
19. The 21-day free visa is by far not enough to see the country
2. You cannot distinguish days in SE Asia except in the Philippines, see also 1
3. There are masses in the shopping mall on Sunday, see also 1, 2
4. A required field on the laboratory form (blood testing for Palawanitis) stating: "What Religion?", see also 1, 2, 3
5. Almost every Western guy I saw in Cebu is walking around with a Philippina
6. Sat myself next to an old 70+ lady when visiting the church in Cebu, after 5': "I know a girl for you, she is not pretty but can cook well", see also 5
7. At my place in Cebu they make it very clear you cannot have 'guests' in the room, see also 5, 6
8. In 90% of the cases it takes about 2' when this string occurs: "Are you married?" "No?" "Why Not?" "How about a nice Philippina girl?"; also when socializing with the staff at my place in Cebu, see also 7
9. Almost every place requires you pay for at least one night when checking in
10. People are in general much more polite than in the other SE Asian countries when it comes to queuing up for the bus or just walking on the street
11. Never had the feeling that the major cities are unsafe but all these guards do make them feel unsafe... basically every shop a little bigger than a small kiosk has one
12. They are not so into smoking as the other SE Asian countries...happened several times I had to go outside at places I was staying...cigarettes are still cheap though ($0.75 for a pack of 'local' Fortune)
13. If you want to get wasted, Tanduay + coke is your thing...one bottle of rum: $1.5-2.0 (same as 2 beers)...does hurt though the day after
14. 2 bottles of Tanduay for 3 people is a bit too much, see 13
15. As in other SE Asian countries, minivans suck but the difference with regular buses (not talking Jeepneys or long haul buses) is much bigger (leg space that is...the bus is so much better and cheaper and not that much slower)
16. Almost by default, a rented motorbike will be a semi-automatic 125cc semi-dirt bike instead of a 120cc full automatic scooter
17. There are some really good looking Philippinas, see also 5, 6, 7, 8
18. You do not bargain in the Philippines, you ask for a 'discount'
19. The 21-day free visa is by far not enough to see the country
Day 46 - 55: Philippinitis
The title is chosen for 2 reasons:
1. Yet again I have some skin trouble here in Asia (first time in Indonesia 4 years ago) - Maybe should call it Palawanitis... anyway...guess it is more than just bed bugs as basically the red spots grew and multiplied rapidly once in Cebu. End result: 3 days in Cebu (which is 2 too many) to visit a dermatologist at Cebu doctors. Not so long story short: Blood and urine are fine and no indication of allergies...sounded all very familiar as with Sumatraitis but this time the antihistamine had no effect...so let's destroy the liver some more with Cortisone...at least the spots and for the most part the itching is gone. Guess my skin just does not like Asia. "It might be a reaction to plankton" (can you imagine). "It might be the food" (well, it is not as great as in Vietnam but by now I had some tasty dishes...and it is definitely more healthy than the junk I eat back home). And I am not following the advice given by a local dude: "Eat at Mc Donalds" - really. (well, did it once...eh, today and still regretting it). Guess I just have to suck it up.
2. Well, I am getting a bit lazy in blogging so...
- the country and the people are growing on me but it is time to leave again
- had a great time in Bohol and Camiguin, at both islands stayed at some places that are somewhat different, in Bohol at Nuts Huts and at the treehouse ecolodge near Mambajao in Camiguin. Met at both places some really nice people and had a great time motorbiking both islands...they are just made for it...especially on Bohol ...a tad expensive though (10 Euros / day without petrol, you can have it for less if you are a better bargainer than me) but to me still the best way to explore them. So nice to drive IN the melocake hills than just going to the viewpoint..think I did 150km on the first day there. And you can stop wherever you want, so if you see a big crowd (with some serious shouting) all of the sudden at the side of the road you can experience some cock-fighting...Not a big fan of these but it is their thing here... Not too sure though whether they liked it I filmed one (left after that one) but I could not resist. Anyway, if you are interested in any of both places...tripadvisor!
So one more Cebu night and up to Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Borneo. Not too sure though I will climb the mountain (might not be possible in the first place as it seems some prior booking could be required) as this could be a serious Ringgit drainage...200-400 euros for just 2 days is a bit overkill...anyway, the sole purpose of plans is to induce some change...
1. Yet again I have some skin trouble here in Asia (first time in Indonesia 4 years ago) - Maybe should call it Palawanitis... anyway...guess it is more than just bed bugs as basically the red spots grew and multiplied rapidly once in Cebu. End result: 3 days in Cebu (which is 2 too many) to visit a dermatologist at Cebu doctors. Not so long story short: Blood and urine are fine and no indication of allergies...sounded all very familiar as with Sumatraitis but this time the antihistamine had no effect...so let's destroy the liver some more with Cortisone...at least the spots and for the most part the itching is gone. Guess my skin just does not like Asia. "It might be a reaction to plankton" (can you imagine). "It might be the food" (well, it is not as great as in Vietnam but by now I had some tasty dishes...and it is definitely more healthy than the junk I eat back home). And I am not following the advice given by a local dude: "Eat at Mc Donalds" - really. (well, did it once...eh, today and still regretting it). Guess I just have to suck it up.
2. Well, I am getting a bit lazy in blogging so...
- the country and the people are growing on me but it is time to leave again
- had a great time in Bohol and Camiguin, at both islands stayed at some places that are somewhat different, in Bohol at Nuts Huts and at the treehouse ecolodge near Mambajao in Camiguin. Met at both places some really nice people and had a great time motorbiking both islands...they are just made for it...especially on Bohol ...a tad expensive though (10 Euros / day without petrol, you can have it for less if you are a better bargainer than me) but to me still the best way to explore them. So nice to drive IN the melocake hills than just going to the viewpoint..think I did 150km on the first day there. And you can stop wherever you want, so if you see a big crowd (with some serious shouting) all of the sudden at the side of the road you can experience some cock-fighting...Not a big fan of these but it is their thing here... Not too sure though whether they liked it I filmed one (left after that one) but I could not resist. Anyway, if you are interested in any of both places...tripadvisor!
So one more Cebu night and up to Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Borneo. Not too sure though I will climb the mountain (might not be possible in the first place as it seems some prior booking could be required) as this could be a serious Ringgit drainage...200-400 euros for just 2 days is a bit overkill...anyway, the sole purpose of plans is to induce some change...
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Day 43 - 45: Beyond the culture shock
Ok ok, I was a bit harsh on the food...
The lunch included on the day trip in El Nido was actually pretty good - ok, delicious. And had another tasty burito and fajita at the local Mexican place - What can I say, I am a sucker for Mexican - too bad they do not have an Indian place over there. There is actually an Indian guy (currently running an internet shop) who wants to open one of my favorite cuisine eateries...but he is looking for investors - sorry bud, euros are dwindling very fast here (and I am a bit splurging). Back to the local stuff: I guess you just need to find the right place... they are not by default all great as was the case in the previous country.
After El Nido decided to go to Port Barton, this place was actually a bit of a disappointment...The place is much much quieter than El Nido (maybe just a bit too much) but it could not satisfy my temporary shift to beaching. The beach over there looked very similar to the previous one...littered with boats to do a day tour... I was hoping that the beach at the city would be the thing itself...The road to PB was far more interesting (Largest Asian potholes for me so far) than Port Barton itself so only stayed one night. I heard from others that the one at Sabang should be much nicer but I guess I am a bit out-beached. And apparently there are a lot of sand flies over there (a French girl showed me her legs...that looked like... ouch). After territorial fish at the small lagoon, jellyfish and bedbugs at La Banane my body is already a mine field... and some of this nasty stuff on my feet has been torn open by flip flop walking so sand flies is not the thing I am looking for right now.
So I am back to Puerto Princesa where there is electricity all day (the shutdown as of 6am to 6pm is not only limited to the major tourist attraction in the North of Palawan). It is amazing how easy it is to take power for granted...it was really annoying for me as I was desperately searching for a PC at Port Barton to book a flight. The 'one' (yes just one was connected to the world) at the 'internet' cafe was occupied every time I checked it. Obviously there was WiFi but I am still walking around with pen and paper. It is not a disaster as I managed to book a flight to Cebu in PP, but since the booking is now only one day in advance it costs me 12 euros more... If you really plan your trip here - ie booking everything upfront - it will save you a significant amount of money but I do like my flexibility (especially after the loss of it in Vietnam). So, the 'current' plan is:
plane from PP to Cebu: 1 night, just enough to know the city as I will have to be there again for my flight to Borneo anyway
ferry from Cebu to Bohol for the melocakes and some small primates
ferry from Bohol to I-forgot-the-name but the biggest city is Mambajao (just North of Mindanao) - Volcanos, waterfalls and such
ferry to Mindanao to get a plane back direction Cebu or something...probably everything will be different tomorrow anyway
The lunch included on the day trip in El Nido was actually pretty good - ok, delicious. And had another tasty burito and fajita at the local Mexican place - What can I say, I am a sucker for Mexican - too bad they do not have an Indian place over there. There is actually an Indian guy (currently running an internet shop) who wants to open one of my favorite cuisine eateries...but he is looking for investors - sorry bud, euros are dwindling very fast here (and I am a bit splurging). Back to the local stuff: I guess you just need to find the right place... they are not by default all great as was the case in the previous country.
After El Nido decided to go to Port Barton, this place was actually a bit of a disappointment...The place is much much quieter than El Nido (maybe just a bit too much) but it could not satisfy my temporary shift to beaching. The beach over there looked very similar to the previous one...littered with boats to do a day tour... I was hoping that the beach at the city would be the thing itself...The road to PB was far more interesting (Largest Asian potholes for me so far) than Port Barton itself so only stayed one night. I heard from others that the one at Sabang should be much nicer but I guess I am a bit out-beached. And apparently there are a lot of sand flies over there (a French girl showed me her legs...that looked like... ouch). After territorial fish at the small lagoon, jellyfish and bedbugs at La Banane my body is already a mine field... and some of this nasty stuff on my feet has been torn open by flip flop walking so sand flies is not the thing I am looking for right now.
So I am back to Puerto Princesa where there is electricity all day (the shutdown as of 6am to 6pm is not only limited to the major tourist attraction in the North of Palawan). It is amazing how easy it is to take power for granted...it was really annoying for me as I was desperately searching for a PC at Port Barton to book a flight. The 'one' (yes just one was connected to the world) at the 'internet' cafe was occupied every time I checked it. Obviously there was WiFi but I am still walking around with pen and paper. It is not a disaster as I managed to book a flight to Cebu in PP, but since the booking is now only one day in advance it costs me 12 euros more... If you really plan your trip here - ie booking everything upfront - it will save you a significant amount of money but I do like my flexibility (especially after the loss of it in Vietnam). So, the 'current' plan is:
plane from PP to Cebu: 1 night, just enough to know the city as I will have to be there again for my flight to Borneo anyway
ferry from Cebu to Bohol for the melocakes and some small primates
ferry from Bohol to I-forgot-the-name but the biggest city is Mambajao (just North of Mindanao) - Volcanos, waterfalls and such
ferry to Mindanao to get a plane back direction Cebu or something...probably everything will be different tomorrow anyway
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