destinations Traveling As A Passion

[bods1000]

most of my travels before this one have been for work.

 

in the philippines, ive been to cebu, davao, cotabato and the usual luzon areas...

 

tapos internationally, ive lived in bkk and hk for 4 mos apiece, been to indonesia, malaysia and the US... each trip was fun and interesting but also tiring because i had to split it between work and sight seeing. i never had pics taken because at times id be alone...

 

in the future i would like to travel for pleasure. in fact first on my list when i have saved up enough funds is a cooking tour of italy.

 

then id like to see venice and spain...

 

hmmm....Italy. Sounds familiar

Don't forget to visit Rome to throw coins at the Fountain of Trevi and also Milano to see the grandeur of the third largest church in the world - in pink marblestone at that

[Guest YUM YUM]

most of my travels before this one have been for work.

 

in the philippines, ive been to cebu, davao, cotabato and the usual luzon areas...

 

tapos internationally, ive lived in bkk and hk for 4 mos apiece, been to indonesia, malaysia and the US... each trip was fun and interesting but also tiring because i had to split it between work and sight seeing. i never had pics taken because at times id be alone...

 

in the future i would like to travel for pleasure. in fact first on my list when i have saved up enough funds is a cooking tour of italy.

 

then id like to see venice and spain...

 

sister share mo naman in details your experiences on the countries you've mentioned. im very much interested on the culture, do's and dont's, what to eat and not, what to buy for souvenirs and etc! ang tipid mo naman sa words wala namang bayad!!! he he he

[Guest YUM YUM]

pareng yum, yum, i know the place...don't forget the fr!

ha ha ha! mahina nga ako bro sa FR eh!!! he he he!!! baka malagay itong room natin sa south!!! har har har!!! basta wild!!! he he he

 

and one thing i noticed in thailand parang ang daming magaganda dun noh??? he he he!!!

 

pahtpong - grabe!!! i remember the pussy eating banana and the pussy that actually shoots ping pong balls and opens a bottle of beer!!! har har har

[sally bogna mathay]

and one thing i noticed in thailand parang ang daming magaganda dun noh??? he he he!!!

 

pahtpong - grabe!!!

dami talagang maganda dito...it's kinda hard sometimes to know who's game and who isn't...to all those who have not yet experienced what "one night in bangkok" is, maybe it's time to find out...

[Guest bubblegum]

I've also been to Japan. One thing I could say is that the cost of living there is more than 7 times compared to our country. Imagine a bottle of mineral water (which usually costs around P15.00 here in our country) costs P110.00.

 

Our plane landed in Osaka then we travelled everyday.. city to city either by Bullet Train or Express Train. From Osaka, went to Yokohama and visited several temples there. Then off to Takayama and witnessed their festival (pagoda floats).

 

If you eat in an authentic Japanese Restaurant, most of their specialties were not cooked (raw fish, lobsters, etc).

 

BTW, I also noticed that most people there doesn't know how to speak in English... so, if you don't know how to speak their language, you will definitely get lost since most of their signs were in Japanese characters.

 

If you wanna buy any electronic gadget.. the place to go to is at Akihabra (in Tokyo). Just bring along your passport so that all your purchases will be tax-free.

[jakbkk]

Koh Kood island in Trat Province, Easternmost province of Thailand bordering Cambodia

 

ganda mga islands dito and linaw ang tubig....

 

i've never seen "split" coconut trees that are joined sa roots pero they curve to form parang heart-shape...ganda

[agxo3]

More favorite and unusual places -

 

Willy's Bar and Grill - in Santa Rosa,CA on Old Redwood Highway (just off Hwy 101). Contrary to the name, Willy's does not serve barbeque or grilled cheese sandwiches, Rather, it serves small dished (tapas style) that are very inventive, and very tasty. Along with a great local (Sonoma County) wine list, it's a favorite dinign experience.

 

sunrise in Sedona, Arizona is best viewed from the parking area just outside the airport. You get a view of the red rock hills and the whole city laid out in front of you. Worth getting up an hour before sunrise togo find your spot (it's alwys crowded there!).

 

the Roadkill Cafe on old Route 66 in California just before the Arizona border. Lots of bikers with their Harleys.

 

Bowling Ball Beach off Hwy 1 in northern CA (just south of Fort Bragg) is called that because the beach is covered with almost perfectly round rocks the size of bowling balls. You can only get to the beach at low tide.

 

Avenue of the Giants aka Old Hwy 101 through the redwoods in northern CA. What a sight! BIIIIIG trees, This is where they filmed parts of one of the Star Wars movies - Return of the Jedi, I think.

 

In Baguio - the little restaurant right next to the slaughterhouse serves the BEST pork chops. Fresh, tender and perfectly done. Not red and chewy, not hard and dry. Dip in sukang puti with siling labuyo and garlic. Put Vicks in your nose before you go to help cut the smell a bit.

 

Markleeville, CA has a bar where ladies can ge a free drink by giving up their bras to hang from the ceiling.

 

La Cabana Taqueria #1 on Old Warm Springs Blvd. in Fremont, CA, for burritos al pastor. (No beans, no rice! just the meat and salsa, please!)

 

More tomorrow.......

[sally bogna mathay]

CROWS AND CURRY: THE VISA RUN TO PENANG, MALAYSIA

 

 

They are perched on almost every post, ledge, leave and wall in Penang, Malaysia. Black from beak to claw with bead-like eyes that stare back without expression, they sometimes flutter about and emit a toneless squawk that can be construed as a mixture of surprise, suspicion and sensitivity.

 

The crow is more popularly known as a scavenger and an active forager for a good meal rather than as a harbinger of good fortune. But then there’s hardly anyone who detests their presence on this island that lies on the Strait of Malacca, south of Bangkok and northwest of Kuala Lumpur. Least of all, those who travel to Penang for purposes other than to enjoy its historical and other tourist attractions.

 

For foreigners who hold jobs in Thailand but do not possess a work permit that would legalize their employment in the kingdom, the quarterly trip to Penang is a fact of life. These constant travelers include a lot of those working on a contractual or part time basis, like musicians, language instructors and get this, even a piano tuner.

 

This trip is more commonly known as a “visa run” and the objective, to secure from, or renew at, the Thai consulate in Penang a non-immigrant visa. This is just one of many requirements before anyone can even apply for that all-important, thin and passport-sized blue book: the actual work permit.

 

Many were successful during their first foray, while some experienced the hassle of being turned back several times. There are those who have been doing the visa run for several years, with just a few minor hitches encountered along the way. From someone who did it only twice, there’s that sense of apprehension and the fear of being rejected entry right at the border.

 

Stories abound on the creativity and resourcefulness of some individuals who react decisively when faced with the possibility of being sent back to the point of origin. My favorite is that on the lead female vocalist of a top band in the Asian hotel circuit who, when border immigration officials expressed doubt on the profession stated on her passport, broke into an almost too-familiar rendition of a song whose title is the same as that of the movie that touches on the life of a charismatic heavyweight boxer, bringing everyone to their feet and pressuring the hapless officials to allow her entry.

 

Of course, it’s possible to do the visa run somewhere else. Vientiane, Phnom Penh, Hanoi or even Manila are other options but every farang (Thai for foreigner) who does the visa run regularly knows it’s easier, cheaper and faster to do it in this ten-mile wide and twenty-mile long island despite the uncertainties.

 

Then again, the cross-border journey can actually be fun for those doing it for the first time because there’s also a fair amount of adventure to compensate for the boredom that accompanies traveling to Penang by rail from Thailand.

 

HOW TO GET THERE

 

A sleeper leaves Hua Lam Pong train station in Bangkok every Wednesday at 3pm for the town of Butterworth, Malaysia. It’s a 22-hour trip that passes through most of southern Thailand, with few stops along the way. Before noon the next day, every passenger will get off the train just before it enters the Malaysian town of Padang Besar and literally walk to Malaysia once going past the immigration offices of both countries that straddle the border. After the customary passport scrutiny, it’s on to Butterworth for the last leg of the journey.

 

From there, it’s a five-minute ferry to George Town, the capital of Penang. Next up is a walk right up to the queue of black and yellow taxis for the ride to the Thai consulate where the necessary documents are submitted. All applicants are then asked to return the following afternoon for the release of the visa. One then hurries to Butterworth to catch the return train to Bangkok.

 

There are other tranport options. You can take the plane at Don Muang airport in Bangkok for the short flight to Penang, although the fare will be about three times the cost of a train ticket. There’s the road trip by bus and/or van that’s a bit inconvenient because it may include several transfers. Wouldn’t recommend driving by yourself either, especially if you’re used to driving on the wrong side of the road, as the English say.

 

At Padang Besar, immigration authorities could demand that every passenger with an existing tourist or non-immigrant visa show enough cash to justify his/her status. If one is unable to do so, that person can be turned back.

 

 

 

Penang was founded in 1786 by Englishman Francis Light. Soon after, it became one of the most important trading posts in the Far East. Dozens of colonial structures remain standing, with some having mellowed nicely with the times despite the onslaught of dust and pollution. Fact is, Penang was recently included in the World Heritage shortlist.

 

At the very minimum, the visa run takes four days, particularly if one leaves on a Wednesday and plans to be back in Bangkok by Saturday. This means there’s hardly any time left to go around the island to explore the sights. The same is true also for those traveling on a limited budget. Gallivanting time runs from Thursday afternoon to Friday morning.

 

Upon arrival during my first trip, I chanced upon an old but well-preserved relic; a 1972 gas-powered Mercedes Benz 200. I hired it immediately and told the driver to take me to the consulate, wait a little while, and then drop me off at a hotel before picking me up the next day at noon for the trip back to the consulate and the quay. As for the fare – I won’t say so that you’ll be able to practice your bargaining skills!

 

So what’s there to do during an overnight stay in Penang? Not much really. What I did after being given the claim stub for visa was head off right away to one of the local food shops where the smell of curry prevailed. I sampled several curry dishes and had a fill of lassi to cool my tongue. Obviously, the influence of Chinese, Indian and Malay culture has made its mark on Malaysian cuisine, which I will simply describe as something to die for.

 

The liberal use of spices, which I can’t do without now, made me a habitual consumer of sate and anything else that has curry in it during my six-year sojourn in Thailand.

 

Thanks to the visa run, I was able to expedite the process for facilitating the granting of a work permit. I was also able to discover the joy of eating sate pork with peanut sauce, cucumber, honey and chili salad, and rice. At the same time, I discovered that crows do not squawk at night. You can’t even see them.

[Guest ginny]

Hanggang Bicol pa lang ang nararating kong malayo eh.. Mura ang native bags sa palengke ng Tabaco, Albay.. tipong ang benta rito eh P175.00.. mabibili mo dun ng 3 for P100.00

 

Yun lang mashe-share ko.. hehehe

[Guest YUM YUM]

CROWS AND CURRY: THE VISA RUN TO PENANG, MALAYSIA

our team on rowing are goin back to thailand again this september to compete, hanap ako ng mga adventure buddies and consider crossing to penang!!! can you still recall what places can we look forward to and the expenses we're goin to incur if ever! thanks!

[Guest YUM YUM]

Hanggang Bicol pa lang ang nararating kong malayo eh.. Mura ang native bags sa palengke ng Tabaco, Albay.. tipong ang benta rito eh P175.00.. mabibili mo dun ng 3 for P100.00

 

Yun lang mashe-share ko.. hehehe

kawawa ka naman pare! an daming tourist sites sa albay di mo man pinuntahan, along the way to tabako me hot spring kaming pinuntahan noon eh, actually alam ko madaming hot spring resorts before you reach tabako, albay. my dad is from albay po eh!

 

and ang daming mabibili sa palengke ng tabako noh! yung tablea, and many more!

 

and i remember, mga three towns before reaching tabako, me gawaan ng mountaineering slippers na sooooo cheap, white mountain ang pangalan, tumitigil pa nga mga buses dun eh!

 

and nasa bicol ka na rin try visiting the kagsawa ruins and the resort at the foot of mayon! wala lang!

[Guest ginny]

Bat naman kawawa? Kakatamad nga mag-biyahe eh.. kakatamad mag-pack and unpack ng things..

 

Oo naman.. napuntahan ko na Cagsawa tska sa Tiwi (yun may hot spring daw dati.. ngayon wala na kse may Geothermal Plant na).. kala mo ha.. alam ko rin yun.. hehehe.

 

Ewan.. basta sa bags lang ako interesado eh.. sa pili nuts nga, hindi rin eh.

 

Sa Legazpi kami madalas mag-stay kse tagaron bf ko.

[sally bogna mathay]

our team on rowing are goin back to thailand again this september to compete, hanap ako ng mga adventure buddies and consider crossing to penang!!! can you still recall what places can we look forward to and the expenses we're goin to incur if ever! thanks!

rowing...kilala mo ba si jeffrey galindez? no problem about penang. tell me a couple of weeks before you're here so i can give you directions and quotations. pm me pag padating na kayo dito sa bangkok. where is the competition going to be held?

[Lipstick]

i have lived in bangkok for nearly a decade. besides the shopping, most tourists, especially the males, make it a point to visit the girlie bars. the three most popular areas in the city are:

 

patpong (between silom and suriwongse streets) - dozens of bars, night market...this is where the tourists go. touts tug your arm and say "sex show", before flashing a list of "acts" (pussy slicing banana, pussy smoking, pussy cutting paper with blade, among others). every girl in the bar can be taken out. just pay the bar fine plus the fee for the girl. in all about, 2,500 baht ($65). but beware of entering some of the bars because there are hidden charges. even if the tout says no cover charge, there are other charges. i can make recommendations. minsan, may toro sa iilang bars. there is also one bar known by all as the "no hands bar" where you can get a bj while being fed...

Ola sally! I grew up in Bangkok, lived there for about 12 years (circa 70s pa so that makes me quite ancient! ). I spent many a summer in Patpong (no I was not working there! haha) because my father's office was just right there in the middle of the action. Hehe, whenever we would walk down Patpong all the bargirls knew him and called out his name.

 

I haven't been back in ages and the genteel Bangkok I made my home has changed immensely. Aside from interesting bar shows, I think what really marks Bangkok in my heart is the exquisite culinary delights one can find at the simple corner hawker row. I miss authentic Khao Man Kai, Kha Moo, Kway Tyew Aryapap, Moo Sate, Kaeng Kai, Khao Kha Pi, Khanom Cheen, La Chong, Khanom Krok, Roti and the list goes on!! I have never tasted cuisine with such a melange of flavors, amazing how the sweet, sour, salty and spicy taste can be found harmoniously in one viand.

 

Sigh, I miss Krungthep. :cry:

[Guest YUM YUM]

rowing...kilala mo ba si jeffrey galindez? no problem about penang. tell me a couple of weeks before you're here so i can give you directions and quotations. pm me pag padating na kayo dito sa bangkok. where is the competition going to be held?

i dunno,but last year its at ayuttayah and its on September. so your now in bangkok, i dont know jeffrey galindez, anong team nya? if he's rowing here at manila bay also i can easily look for him EB tayo when we get there, it would be nice to have fellow pinoys in the competition, moral boosters para sa amin!