27 Hours of Travel

Yesterday was a killer.  We flew 11 hours from LAX to Tokyo, 7 hours from Tokyo to Kuala Lumpur, and two hours from KL to Bangkok with a 6-hour layover split between Tokyo & KL.  It was brutal.  It didn't help much that I was sandwiched in between my mom and a stranger and was literally stuck behind a guy that slept the entire flight from LAX to Tokyo, and then again from Tokyo to Kuala Lumpur.  Lucky fellow, but not so good for me.  His seat remained reclined except for when he took his meals, at which point I was free to somewhat relax and retrieve things from my backpack that sat underneath his seat in front of me.  I could hardly move and felt as though I was literally glued to my seat in one position.  I was so uncomfortable I didn't even sleep on the first leg of our trip.  I couldn't stop thinking oh my God, I can't wait till this plane lands.  It was NOT fun.  And to make matters worse, there were some technical difficulties on the final plane trip from KL to Bangkok so we couldn't leave.  We ended up sitting on the plane for 45 minutes before we took off, it was awful because there's nothing worse than sitting on a plane and not have that time spent in the air.  It was one of those you're so close yet so far away kind of feeling.  As a result, we landed in Bangkok an hour late.  

It was 11:15 AM Bangkok time when we touched ground.  An hour later we cleared immigration, picked up our checked luggage, and exited customs, before reaching the Airport Rail Link in the basement level of the airport.  The Suvarnabhumi Airport, by the way, is pretty nice.  Despite the sterile warehouse look and feel, it's modern, clean, and huge.  It must have taken us a good 20 minutes just to walk from our arrival gate to Immigration.  Least it seemed that way; the hallways are very long.  And then another 15 to reach the Airport Rail.  

We took the City Line to the Bangkok center, which ate 28 minutes of our time, then hopped on the Sukhumvit Rail Line and got off at Phloen Chit station, where it was supposed to be a 5-minute walk to our hotel.  However, with some hefty luggage on hand, narrow cracked, concrete sidewalks, and the slightest uncertainty regarding the location of the hotel, it took us a few minutes longer.  Interestingly the BTS stations all have escalators going up, but none going down.  And of course, what did we have to do?  Go down ... by stairs ... with luggage.  This challenge reminded us of our arduous journey through Europe with five huge suitcases in the middle of winter.  Snow and luggage don't mix.  In this case, stairs and luggage don't mix!

Anyway, there was only one elevator at the station with a long line of people waiting to use it and we didn't want to wait.  The other obstacle we faced was the crossing of the streets.  Having traveled to Central America and Asia in the past, I know that pedestrians have no right-of-way and that you cross at your own risk, but crossing in Bangkok is rather daunting and time-consuming.  From the station, we had to cross an intersection underneath a freeway overpass, and with no traffic lights, it was hard to tell whose turn it was to go.  The cars just kept coming and going, and we all stood there wondering how long is this going to take.  Suffice it to say in sweat-drenched clothes we all survived and made it safely to our hotel.  *Sigh of relief*  

Now the real adventure begins ...

Riding the Sky train into the city

The Ploen Chit Station -- see the stairs?? Not fun with luggage.

Lesson Learned from Keema

If you read my blog from two weeks ago I said that I'll take my sisters to Coco Ichibanya Curry House once they come home from San Francisco.  They came home last night so off we went.  

They both got the chicken cutlet curry and thought it was delicious!  My mom got clam curry with mushrooms, which she thought was divine, and what did I get?  I figured since everyone had ordered regular Japanese curry that I'd try something different, so I went with the Keema curry, which was so savory!  It's very different from Japanese curry in that its spices are piquant.  There's more onion & garlic flavor to it, and it tastes like something you'd find at an Indian restaurant.  The Keema at Coco Ichibanya uses minced chicken.

So, are you curious to know what spice level I asked for this time?  I have to be honest with you and tell you that I was feeling kind of chicken last night, and opted only for a spice level 5.  Boooo ... Disappointing, I know.  HOWEVER!  This dish for a spice level 5 was so spicy, I couldn't keep my hands off my water.  I think our server noticed because she came just at the right time to refill my water for like the third time.  I have had a spice level 5 here before and thought it wasn't spicy enough, so why then was I suddenly dying of heat?  

The server who replenished my water then asked me, "Have you had Keema curry before?"  I said no, but that it's really good.  Then came the revelation ...  

Server: "Oh, OK.  Well, I wasn't sure if I should have told you, but the Keema curry is already a spice level 2.  And then you asked for spice level 5, so you're basically eating a level 7."  

What the - - - - ?!?!  

Wow, and she couldn't have disclosed this piece of information to me when I was ordering because ... ??  (And no, there was no disclaimer on the menu.)

No wonder I was having a spice attack!  I had ordered the same spice level I had last time I was here.  I immediately thought of Ben Stiller's ethnic food date with Jennifer Aniston in Along Came Polly.  Not pretty.  I think I know now that I no longer wish to work my way up to spice level 10.  If level 7 is already killing me, does it make much sense to go past it or order it again?  

I think next time I'll order the Keema again and just add level 3 to it.  Level 5 (to me) is playing it safe, but at least it's not torturous.

Keema curry - looks like shit, but oh so good.

Clam & mushroom curry

7 More Days!

I cannot believe that in 7 more days I leave for Bangkok.

I am so excited, I can hardly contain myself and I'm all packed and ready to go.  In fact, I've been so excited I packed a month in advance.  Crazy, I know but I think putting aside clothes and other essentials you want to bring with you on your vacation ahead of time is a time saver.  We've all been procrastinators, but throwing together your suitcase at the last minute is never a good idea because you're bound to leave something (important) behind!  The only thing left to pack is my toiletries, and I do that the day I leave.  Easy. 

So what am I looking forward to most on this trip?  Read on.  

1) Riding the sky trains all over Bangkok - I have absolutely no tours planned in the "City of Angels" (interestingly, Bangkok means "city of angels").  The metropolis and all its attractions are accessible by rail, so why not take advantage of them?  They're modern, fast, and cheap.  Who doesn't love convenience!  Speaking of convenience, you can take a train directly from the airport into the city center. Sweeeet!

2) Street food - Asia is famous for its hawker food, and I'll let you in on a little secret: the best food is served by street vendors and at basic mom-and-pop restaurants.  Just step outside and you'll find millions of people behind their little kiosks selling all kinds of foods, from grilled meat skewers and beef ball noodle soup to stir-fried egg noodles and banana leaf-wrapped rice.  The trick is to go to the ones with the longest lines.  And of course there is also adventurous eating to be had for those daring palettes ... roasted bats, fried spiders, and crunchy ants among others.  Hey, it's high in protein.  Hmm ... maybe not for me.  But all in all, street hawkers are a true foodie paradise and an experience one shouldn't miss!  I have my sights set on Penang and Jalan Alor.  

Some people stay clear of street food for fear of getting sick, but the food is generally fresh as vendors shop for their ingredients at the markets on the day they sell their food.  This is also a huge part of a local's day-to-day lifestyle.  When in Asia, do as the Asians do and let us immerse ourselves.  I don't fear food poisoning; I only worry that I can't decide what to eat!


3) Getting lost at Chatuchak Market - I want to experience a local Thai market and this happens to be one of the world's largest.  They sell everything under the sun.  There is a way to navigate through the chaos, but for once I'm not going to bother figuring it out.  I'll just let spontaneity lead the way.  And when I get thirsty, I'll have a Thai iced tea from one of these vendors.  SO cool!! 

4) Lumphini Park - With all the eating I'll be doing, I have to somehow get my work-out in.  Yeah, yeah, I'll pretty much be walking all over Thailand sweating bullets in 100-degree weather, but I've read so many good things about this green oasis in the middle of the city that I cannot not go to it.  You think I'm crazy for wanting to work out on vacation?  Well, there will be plenty of other Bangkokians that will partake in physical activity if not run alongside me.  I read that after sunset many people will do aerobics here set to loud music.  Sounds like fun times to me!  PLUS, there will be more eating here.  Work out hard and you will be rewarded.  That's my philosophy.

5) Celebrating Eid-al-Fitr with relatives in Indonesia - It's been 10 years since we've visited our relatives in Sumatra, but like everything in life, things happen for a reason.  It's an opportune time that we visit this year as Eid falls on August 19th, which coincides with the time that we'll be in Sumatra.  My mother has told me about her childhood memories, the prep-work involved and the cooking and eating during such a festive time.  The assortment of colorful wardrobe donned by females of all ages.  The ritual of visiting one family member's house after another.  The exchanging of gifts.  Such joy and laughter.  It is also a time for forgiveness.  I have always wondered what this celebration would be like, and now I get to experience it first-hand.  

6) Borobudur - enough said. 




7) Train travel from Yogyakarta to Banyuwangi - I've never traveled via rail in Indonesia, and I'll be doing it from central Java to the very eastern tip of the island with the intention of reaching Bali.  Talk about doing something off the beaten path!  

8) Snorkeling Menjangan Island - I have not read a single bad review on this place.  Should be magical.  



9) Traditional Balinese dancing in Ubud - There is something enchanting about the way these beautiful, colorfully-clad women move to the sound of gamelan music.  And just watch their eyes.  Their musicality is exquisite.  

10) Cycling through the greenest green rice paddies and visiting with locals in Bali that culminates with a traditional Balinese feast at a traditional Balinese home - Umm ... yes please!  This is one of two organized tours I've booked this entire trip (the other is for Borobudur), and probably the most exciting thing I am looking forward to during our visit to Bali.



Let's hope the next 7 days go by fast!  Stay tuned for stories and photos to come from my travels! 

Stupidity

People-watching is one of my favorite pastimes.  It's amazing the things people do when they think no one is watching.  Or maybe they know people are watching and do it anyway.  One of the best places to people-watch is at the gym.  Not that I go to the gym to do just this.  Of course, I get my full work-out in (kickboxing, yoga, weights, abs, and at least a 2-mile run, thank you very much), but in between sets while you take a 30-second pause, you can't help but notice a few interesting people.  

Like the guy who lifts twice his weight.  Or at least tries to and fails miserably.   

Or the sports bra-clad girl who doesn't do much else but traipse from one end of the gym to the other carrying a 3-lb. dumbbell just so everyone can look at her. 

And what about the big, burly man in table-top position who goes back and forth in cat and cow poses looking like he's about to pounce.  Yeah, not very sexy.  

Oh, and we mustn't forget the twenty-something-year-old guy who growls so loud he sounds like he's in pain each time he lifts the bar bell.  I don't know whether this is natural or if he's just making these thunderous noises just to attract attention.  

I also encountered a guy donning headphones who was actually singing and dancing to whatever he was listening to.  In between his sets, he would get up and sing, then attempt to shake his ass.  His singing was bad.  His dancing?  You don't even want to know.

But I will never forget the man who thought he was a hotshot.  

As I was finishing up my run on the treadmill, he approached the treadmill next to me and set it to speed 10 (10 mph).  The guy was not even ON the treadmill.  Here I was thinking, umm that's pretty fast.  But that's not the worst of it.  He then set it on an incline of 3 (least it looked that way).  So the treadmill was elevated and going 10 mph.  He was still not on the machine.  He hasn't stretched or warmed up.  He just appeared out of nowhere.  By this point I'm sure everyone around me was probably thinking what the hell?  Is this idiot a moron, or what?  And then the inevitable happened.  The man ran and jumped on to the treadmill ... 

AND FELL FLAT ON HIS FACE!!!  

Wow.  What did he think was going to happen.  One word: stupid! 

The video below pretty much captures what I witnessed in person.  Except the guy that I saw wasn't dancing, and the treadmill was elevated.