Where in the World is Dong Ha?

Today I write to you from a cafe in Dong Ha. I am sitting on a tiny chair at a tiny table, as is for some reason, very common in Vietnam.

Dong Ha is, as cities in Vietnam go, quite charming. It's actually quite a bit nicer than some places in Korea I've been to. It seems to me that the cities have been getting nicer as I make my way north. They are cleaner and the buildings are better and people seem to have more money to spend. Maybe I get this impression of Dong Ha because it's so near to Hue and Dong Nang, which are, as far as I can tell, the biggest tourist cities. Maybe the southern cities get less funding because of the war. It never dawned on me until recently that the renaming of Saigon to Ho Chi Mihn City is a bit of a smack to the face.

Regardless of it's relative charm, I had no plans to spend two nights in Dong Ha. I spent the first night in Dong Ha because I had been driving for six hours and was running out of daylight. That, and I felt that if I pushed my motorcycle and further the engine would have ceased up again. I'm spending the second night because I have to wait for the mechanic to finish the repairs.



Despite feeling stranded, I've actually been enjoying my time here. At the moment it's cool and breezy and I've been enjoying walking around the city. I've also been taking much needed naps, doing exercise and studying in my room. I definitely needed some time alone, and what better place for it than in some town of no special importance in Vietnam that I wasn't aware existed until I got here?

Yesterday I was in Dong Nang, the surprisingly nice, and extremely touristic city, which lies about half way between Saigon and Hanoi. There, I took a couple days out to see my friend Heejay, whom I know from working in Korea, and who I had just seen a couple of weeks before while in Bangkok, enjoying the Songkran festival. It was nice to stop somewhere nice and relax for a bit.




Heejay was staying at a ritzy hotel right on the the beach, so I took a room at a cheap hotel across the street. It was nothing special, but it had a nice view, which I forgot to take a picture of. Heejay has been working at the aforementioned hotel so she can stay there for free. She doesn't make much money, but is enjoying living in Danang and learning to swim in the hotel pool.

We had a good (platonic) time together. We went to the Lotte cinema, and I finally got to see the new Avengers movie. Props to Heejay for sitting (and sometimes sleeping) through it. We ate Korean food and drank beer. It was kind of like being in Korea again. The next day we went shopping. I bought some shorts and a new phone. Later we went for a motorcycle ride to a surprisingly nice temple. Amazingly the bike made it up the hill. Later we ate Korean food in a nice restaurant.

I've been trying to be as frugal as possible up until now, but my last payment from my last year's teaching contract finally came in, and I was able to pay off my student loan at last. Not for the first time this trip, I was glad to have my computer with me. I may be poor, but at least I can say now, for the first time in nine years, that I'm completely debt free. It's a good feeling.

Heejay and I spent the evening swimming in the pool at her hotel and drinking beer on the beach. It was fun and for the first time in days, I wasn't feeling stressed out or anxious. I had some things to worry about, not the least of which was whether to try and get a few dollars for my motorcycle in Hoi An, and take a bus to Hanoi, fly out of the country from Da Nang, or throw caution to the wind and see how far I could take my motorcycle before the engine failed. 




We were going to meet for lunch the next day, but I decided to try my luck on the motorcycle. I wanted to try and catch up to my travel companions Simon, and Oyvind. The engine was in a sorry state--it burned a bottle of oil every hundred kilometers. Somehow I made the two hundred kilometer journey without ceasing the motor. I would have liked to stop in Hue, the old imperial capital, but I had to content myself to ride through.

I had split up with my travel companions in Hoi An, a hub for backpackers especially those doing the pan Vietnam motorcycle journey. We had spent a couple of nights there, drinking and socializing and doing the backpacker thing. It was about that time began to feel depressed. I was going to get repairs on my bike there, but didn't want to spend another day, so I took off to Danang in the morning.

The journey up until that point had been, aside from the numerous mechanical issues involving all of our bikes, extremely pleasant. We had been taking the Ho Chi Mihn Trail, for the most part, which snakes it's way through the mountains. We stopped in cities and national parks, and a small burg with nothing to do, where we got some beers and watched Apocalypse Now in our hotel room. I wonder if it's still true that "Charlie don't surf."



We drove though hundreds of kilometers of stunning vistas. We played drinking games at a lively hostel in Da Lat, and the next day had a creepy massages in a basement. We stumbled into a Vietnamese wedding by accident, and were kicked out after Simon and Oyvind failed to deliver on their rendition of "Hotel California". We met some Germans on the road and enjoyed what might be the best coffee in the world in Pleiko. And other adventures.

As for me in particular, I got a small taste of the insight I was looking for when I decided to embark on this journey, in the most unlikely of places. My bike's engine ceased up somewhere along the road before Pleiko. We had to wait for a long time at a gas station to find a truck that was willing to take me and my bike to the city. Sitting in the cab of that truck between two Vietnamese delivery men, I had my moment of zen. It's always the same insight I don't know what I'm always expecting.

Anyway, it came and went and  now I'm wondering if I should continue this journey beyond Vietnam, or go back to work and make some cheddar. I'm still not crazy about teaching ESL, but now that I'm in the black I can think about investing in an apartment or saving to do a master's degree. The question has been weighing heavy on my mind.

So, I've been sending out resumes, but I'm still not entirely sure I want to go back to work yet. I've been traveling for nearly two months now, but I've not done what I set out to do. I haven't gained any lasting insight, and my two avenues for doing so seem problematic.



I could go to Burma and stay in a monastery for a while, but it's getting to be ridiculously hot--like too hot to concentrate. Alternatively, I could go to Nepal, but I'm not sure that it's a great idea right now with the dust just settling from the earthquake.

So, I'm just taking it one step at a time. First thing is first--make it to Hanoi.

Wish me luck. 

Surviving the World's Biggest Water Fight, an American Cult in Cambodia, and My First Few Days in VIetnam.

I’m not going to lie—after more than two weeks of solitude and introspection, it was really nice to be social and let loose a little.  Although while playing the “sensible” adult, in my last entry, lambasting Khosan Road’s interpretation of Songkran, it was really a lot of fun.  Picture several thousand people crammed into a crazy network of nonsensical streets in an area about the size of a football stadium.  All participating in a giant water fight. It was chaos. It was refreshing. It was lovely.

Never in my life have I been able to shoot total strangers in the face with ice cold water with total impunity. Of course, I got as good as I gave, from water guns, buckets and other assorted apparatti, but that was part of the fun.  It was the most pure enjoyment, chemically induced or otherwise, that I have had in years. For a few hours, I felt like a kid again. And I never would have done it on my own. So, thanks to Heejay for enjoying the festivities with me. 

After my trip to Thailand in 2011, I never intended to return to Bangkok, much less Khosan road, but I’m actually glad I did...although after four days, I was excited to get out of Bangkok, and indeed, Thailand.  I actually didn’t know that Siem Reap had an airport three weeks ago. But indeed it does, and after a short flight of about an hour, I was there.  Like Bangkok, I never intended to return to Siem Reap, but all in all I had a good time there too. 

It was dark when I arrived and it took a little while to get my visa after landing. The tuk-tuk driver taking me into town thought I wouldn’t be able to get a room because of the New Year’s celebrations—to which I replied that I was going to have to. I don’t think he understood. 

The driver let me off on Watbo Road, where the cheap hotels lined both sides. After checking a dozen hotels or so, I settled on a room with two double beds, which, I would have to vacate by six-forty in the morning—for fifteen US dollars. Ouch!

The early check out time was fine, as I would have to be at the pick-up spot at seven-forty-five, but the goddamn receptionist ended up giving me why wake-up “call” (he actually had to knock on the door as there was no phone) at five-forty-five. Not having a watch, I didn’t notice the time until I had returned the key.

No matter—I was able to find the meeting place in short order, and before I knew it I was loaded into a tuk-tuk, along with some twenty others, on my way to Hariharalaya—a yoga and meditation retreat  near a farming village, just outside of Siem Reap.

I would like to say that I was surprised that ninety-per cent of those attending the retreat were women, and that of those seventy-five per cent were in their early twenties...but I really wasn’t. I had hoped that I would be among a group of serious-minded practitioners, driven by the common goal of cutting through delusion to get a taste of sweet, sweet sit-chat-ananda, but alas, it was not to be. 

On the plus side, the entire retreat center (compound?) was very nice.  All of the buildings were made out of wood and bamboo, with grass roofs. The beds were super comfortable, there were a games room, cinema, and reading room, and even a small pool in addition to the core buildings. 

We were free to wander around in bare feet as the paths from one building to another were made of soft sand. Such wanderings were shaded by banana, mango and coconut trees. The fruits of which were included in our delicious vegan meals.

Hariharalaya was a nice resort to relax, and get healthy. It’s perfect if you want to detox and learn the fundamentals of hatha yoga and samatha meditation.  I’m happy I had the experience for the health benefits.  But as I said, it’s not the sort of place for more serious seekers. 

Resident wise-guy and founder of the retreat center, Joel, had been walking the spiritual path for some time, though, and indeed appeared to have some significant insight. Unfortunately, the first (and last) dharma talk of his I attended was dreadfully bad.

Despite the lack of profound spiritual insight that I hoped to gained, it was a nice experience...except for getting sick on the third day. I think it was from the ice I put in my drinking water.

In the end, I’m not sure it was worth the money it I spent on the retreat plus the extra flight and visa for Cambodia, since the USD is so much stronger than the CAD at the moment. But if I had to get sick anywhere, I suppose I was lucky I got sick there! 

Now I’m in Vietnam, where it’s a little cooler, a little rainier and a little cheaper. Food is really cheap (usually three to five dollars per meal), and beer is even cheaper at less than a dollar for a bottle of the local draught. 

I’ve met up with my old pal Simon, from my Malaysian adventure, and his friend Oevind. We picked up motorcycles in Hoh Chi Minh city and along with a couple Aussies, we’ve begun the long journey to Hanoi. I’m still coughing up phlegm, but am more or less in normal health.

At the moment, I’m sitting in a hammock in Cat Tien national park getting eaten alive by mosquitos. Screw Africa, send the Malaria vaccine here! 

We head out early tomorrow, so I’m afraid this is where my story ends for today.  These little reports of mine may continue to be farther in between for a while, but don’t worry! I’ll keep writing as long as I’m on the road, and I’ll try to take some more pretty pictures for you all while I’m at it.

Until next time, where I’ll be coming at you from...

Somehow I've Materialized on Khosan Road

I’ve appeared on Khosan Road again. I say “appeared”, because I always felt like my experience here in 2011 was quite sufficient.  This is my second day, and I’m still trying to figure out how my presence here came to pass. This is probably the worst place for me right now. Like, in the world.

Khosan Road, for the uninitiated, is Bangkok’s, and indeed South East Asia’s backpacker’s primary hub. Although it seems to have cleaned up a little bit since my last visit, it’s like that drug abusing friend from high-school that insists that no really, this time he’s cleaned up his act. You just know that despite your old amigo’s best intentions, under the surface something dark lies is wait, just waiting for the right moment to expose itself.

As far as I know (and really, I don’t know much about Asia’s “city of angels”) Khosan road is the most obnoxious place in Bangkok outside of Pat Thong (the red light district): of course, there is the excessive drinking—when you mix hundreds of mostly young travellers and restaurant beers at less than $2 per bottle—you’re asking for it. I’m sure people are on all sorts of other things too. So naturally, by midnight, there are throngs of people bumbling around acting generally moronic...and will continue to do so unti the wee hours. But despite these naught ex-pats, it’s the hawkers and tuk-tuk drivers who are the really obnoxious ones.

You’re lucky if, walking down Kohsan Road, or any of the neighbouring streets, more than ten seconds pass without some annoying fuckass asking you where you’re going,  trying to shake your hand, asking you where you’re from, or merely saying “hey”, and pointing to whatever shit they are trying to sell you. All farang on Khosan road, are in the eyes of the Thai, walking ATMs. 

Until today, I often had the thought,

“My how Thailand has changed—the locals aren’t nearly as pushy as I remember them!” 

Khosan Road is obviously the exception. 

Additionally, I’m sick and fucking tired of seeing all of the stunning  young women from the four corners o
f the globe, everywhere I look...sauntering around with their handsome young boyfriends. Sick of it! And I thought Koh Phangan was bad. Fuck you, Khosan Road! 

And there’s more to the anguish. In two days it will be Songkran: Thai New Year’s Day, which probably has a long tradition of getting together with the family, doing elaborate rituals, religious stuff and whatever, but here on Khosan  Road, people spend the whole day dumping buckets of ice water on each other’s heads, you’re brand new i-phone be damned.  

So, really, why am I here? Mainly two things: I’m going to Cambodia, and it’s cheapest to fly out of Bangkok; and it just so happens an co-worker from Korea is going to be in town for Songran.  To top it all off, the time period for which I had agreed to rent the house in Koh Phangan was up, so I figured, why not go to Bangkok?   

Why indeed? After a day, I think I’ve had about my fill. And yet here I must remain until I fly out on Tuesday evening.

Which brings me to Cambodia.  As much as I am loath to repeat another country, I am returning to Cambodia, where I vacationed after finishing my second contract in Korea at the end of 2012. I’ll be playing the hippy and doing a five day yoga and meditation retreat in a Cambodian farming village called Hariharaliya, or something. 

Which at USD $285 for five days, on top of the plane ticket and visa fees, will account for a half a month’s budget.  After the retreat is finished, I’ll be flying into Saigon and buying a motorcycle, accounting for the other half. 

Oh well, Vietnam, I understand, is even cheaper than Thailand...and after five days of yoga and meditation followed by a couple weeks cruising along the coast of Vietnam should put me in very good spirits indeed.  Finally, finally, I’ll be away from the party culture.  Then, finally, I can set my mind to introspection, in earnest.

If you don’t hear from me by Tuesday night,  dear family and friends, I’ll be internet-less in buttfuck nowhere, Cambodia, eating bean sprouts and chanting om, so don’t be alarmed. Or do. Maybe you have that right...

Double-Sized Mega Post: What Am I STILL doing in Koh Phangan?

What AM I still doing in Koh Phangan? I've been here since March 24th, so that's...eleven days! I've rented this little house I'm in now until the ninth, so I guess I'll be here five days more. So...am I getting bored? Am I getting cabin fever? Am I getting stinking drunk? Read on and find out.

When I first envisioned this trip, I was to start on the other side of Eurasia. The idea was to practice my shamefully bad language skills along the way. I can speak a little French, less Arabic, and even less Korean. The idea was to work my way across North Africa, practicing French and Arabic where I could, and then go along the north side of the Mediterranean, getting more French practice, and making my way to St. Petersburg, where I would take the Trans Siberian Railway to China, where I would try to learn Chinese by immersing myself in it for three months...because, well, it's more useful than Korean.


So, I've decided that even though I'm in Thailand, I might as well give it a go anyway, so I picked up a copy of Herman Hesse's Siddhartha at one of the local second-hand book stores. This actually has special significance to me since, since I read the book in English many years ago, and it ignited in me a passion for Buddhism, which is at the heart of why I'm doing this trip. Also, although it didn't occur to me in the bookstore, the last time I was in Thailand, four years ago, I read Steppenwolf (also by Hesse).

I'm making my way through Siddhartha in French pretty well. I can understand about eighty per cent of it, which I find really surprising. I've been getting to practice my spoken French too. The cool thing about where I'm staying is that it's full of French speakers. The person  who secured the place for me is a French Canadian, and my neighbors are from France. I was even invited to a neighborhood party full of French speakers. It was good fun. I got drunk and stoned with a bunch of older French people!



That kind of behavior though, was  more or less a one off. I actually haven't been drinking, or smoking a lot...although this is definitely the island to do it, for those inclined. Especially on the south coast, of the island, where ninety per cent of the traffic seems to be. More on that in a minute.

Aside from the occasional hiccup, I've been walking the straight and narrow path. I've been settling into my little home here, and keeping mostly to myself. I've established a pretty good routine, actually. Most days, I wake up early, anywhere from six to nine, and go for a jog. Then, in no particular order, I do yoga, meditate, go for a swim in the ocean, read, and make something to eat. That usually brings me to about noon, at which point I jump on my scooter, and rip around the island, mucking around until late. Then I go home, and read for a while, or make something to eat.




I may be getting a little too settled in here. The local animals are getting friendly. There are of course, dogs and cats, but there are some more interesting animals as well. A pair of strange, and hilariously noisy birds are to be seen (and heard) every morning. Sometimes, one of the them breaks into my kitchen looking for something to eat. He's gone in a flash when I come into the kitchen, but I throw a bit of cereal out the window, and they are happy to eat it. Also, Although they were at first very shy I now realize my house is crawling with gekos. I love them, because they eat mosquitoes. There are even a cow and a young bull kicking around. 

I get stir crazy fairly easily though, so at midday, instead of communing with various animals all afternoon, I've been exploring the island.Despite this, I think I went an entire week on Koh Phangan without seeing Haad Rin, which is the best beach on the island, and home to the monthly full moon party. I think it might be a record. Most people that come the Koh Phangan are only here for a couple of days for the big event, so for them, it's off the ferry and to the Haad Rin area for libation and debauchery.

I seriously considered not even going to the full moon party, as it's sort of anathema to my purposes here. But, I thought, why not at least take a look around and snap a couple of photos. Well, I got out of there at about eight thirty, just about the time people started dancing to techno, chugging down buckets of alcohol, and playing with fire and kerosene. Basically, the party was just getting started, and would continue for another eight hours or so.



Frankly, I was frightfully bored. But so it goes, when you're in your early thirties and traveling solo for purposes of self-discovery. Honestly, I don't know what I'm still doing in Koh Phangan.

No, that's not true. It's a beautiful island, with excellent food, and some really great beaches and a good climate. Best of all, it's got  some great roads with lots of good corners and plenty of ups and downs. More than anything, I've been enjoying ripping around on the scooter I've been renting. I suppose Koh Phangan as good as any place to get grounded and contemplate my futher travel plans, party people not withstanding.

Speaking of my travel plans, it looks like I'll be meeting an old colleague from my days teaching English in Tongyeong. The plan is to meet in Bangkok for Songkran (Thai new year). From there, I plan to do a yoga retreat in Cambodia and then possibly meet two other former colleagues from Tongyeong in China. Vietnam and Burma will have to wait, I guess. 

Tune in next time, where I'll be coming to you live from...

What Am I Doing in Koh Phangan?

Before leaving Japan, I looked in the mirror and promised myself that I would never be a slave again. That probably sounds melodramatic, but that how I've felt for most of my life. Not only because of working for someone else, and implicitly consenting to a socio-economic system which I loath. It goes deeper though. It's also a slavery of the mind. And it's not enough to try and reprogram myself. The problem goes beyond social constructs. I think that ultimately the only way to really be free is to transcend the mind.

Well, originally, the plan was to go to Koh Tao, which is small and boring, and to just sit there and meditate, contemplation, and generally zen out. But I after chatting with a Ukranian guy named Arsen on the mini bus there, I thought Koh Phangan must be a much more interesting place, and why don't I go there? So I did, and it's a really nice island.

It could be a little too nice. There are probably half a dozen 7/11s, and a Tesco. Even though we have crossed into the low season, there are plenty of people buzzing around on their scooters, visiting waterfalls, getting massages, drinking beer, doing yoga retreats, riding elephants, etc. In addition, Koh Phangan is famous for it's full moon parties. So, next Friday, by all accounts, the island's population is going to become bloated, and it's going to absolute madness. Of course, I could just stay in my house and meditate, but the odds of that actually happening are slim to none.

Did I mention I've found a house? I'll be renting it for the next eleven days for about ten dollars per day. It's in an area of the island remote enough that it's quite, but only a twenty minute scooter ride from Thong Salah--the port town and hub of the island. It's got  a big balcony and a kitchen. There is even internet access--and it's not bad by local standards. Ungh, what have I gotten myself into?

There is really a lot to enjoy here. So, I haven't gotten into a regular meditation routing...but at least I'm getting into shape. I've been getting plenty of exercise. This morning I did yoga and a bit of jogging, then later I got lost on a mountain trail for two hours. There weren't any maps or anything. Oh well, at least I got to see two monkeys "making love". 

So, I haven't achieved enlightenment yet. But I have found a nice place to settle in for a week and a half, and I've dropped around four kilos in the last fortnight. Maybe I'll have realized my divine nature by next week. Until then, here are your monkeys. (I've decided to post a family-friendly photo, but you can PM me for the real pics). 

Return to Thailand

I know this is somewhat anachronistic of me, but this entry will mostly be about my last few days in Malaysia as opposed to my first few in Thailand. Sure, I could have entitled this post Last Couple Days in Malaysia, but it doesn't have the same ring to it. This way it sounds like an India Jones movie. 

Simon and I met a couple of Canucks in the Cameron Highlands named Andrew and Angel. As it turned out, they had both been participants in the now defunct leadership/language/coming of age traveling government bursary program called Katimavik, of which I had been a participant, many moons ago. Their Katimavik experience was only six months (three shorter than mine), because they were participants during the very last year of the program.


I thought it was a wonderful coincidence to run into fellow Canadians, and "Katimavictims" to boot. They were good spirited and kept us laughing all day long. We hung out for a couple of days, hiking around the highlands, and it turned out we were going to the same place so we agreed to meet up in Penang.

I set out with Simon once again, taking a highway bus. The Canadians decided to try their luck hitch hiking, and we didn't see them until our third day there. We took dorm beds in a cheap hostel on Love Lane recommended to us by the proprietor of Jungle Bar in Tanah Rata. The next day we rented motorcycles, checked out a couple of temples, and cruised around the islands. It was great fun. The day after that, we doubled up on bikes with the Canadians and did a hike in a national park to Turtle Beach. 

 

Most people go to Monkey Beach, but not us! I guess we're hard core. It was a pretty grueling trek, and it took about an hour to get there. Turtle Beach is super nice, and quiet too, since you either have to trek through jungle for an hour or else hire a boat to sail you there. We didn't see any turtles, but I did kill my phone by wading into salt water with it in my pocket. Also, on the way back, we saw some Monkeys.  

Penang was great for a couple of days, but I felt an urge to get a little bit more remote, and find someplace where I could enjoy solitude for a while, and get down to the serious business of finding my spirit animal. So, I parted ways with Simon and the Canucks. I woke up at four thirty yesterday morning and fourteen hours later found myself on Koh Phangan. I can already say that my Thailand experience this time around is much different than the one I had four years ago.      

I've only been here just over twenty four hours, but already I have a lot to say about Koh Phangnan. But alas, it's getting late, and if I'm to go out on the town and have a drink I better do it now.  In keeping with tradition, I leave you with this monkey:

Why Not Malaysia?

So, I decided to start my journey in Malaysia. I know very little about Malaysia, but much more than I did a week ago, when I landed here--which was basically nothing.

I decided to come to Malaysia because it's was the cheapest ticket out of Osaka. Air Asia, a low cost carrier and godsend to backpackers all over South East Asia is a Malaysian company and has it's main hub in Kuala Lumpur. The flight from Osaka, all told cost me some $250 (CAD). Actually, that's a lot for Air Asia. More about that later.

Malaysia happens to be a pretty great place for a backpacker. It's clean, it's civilized and modern...but it's still cheap. I pay and average of about 10 MYR ($3.50) for a meal, and about twice that for a room in a guest house. You can go even lower than that, but I guess I'm addicted to the high life.


I've never been to a place quite like Malaysia. It's predominantly Muslim, but they don't lord it over everyone. People are free to practice whatever religion they want, and aren't forced to live by the rules of Islam. The people here, Muslim or otherwise are genuine and friendly. It's a very pleasant and easy-going country. This is evidenced by how absurdly easy it is to hitch hike here. There's really no reason to hire a taxi, if you're anywhere remotely rural.

I'm sure they is lots to do and see here (an assumption which is reinforced daily) but I have planned nothing, and continue to plan nothing. However, I always find myself sufficiently busy. I met three very nice young fellows at the guest house I was staying at in Kuala Lumpur who graciously invited me to tag along with them on their various outings, for example, to the Batu Caves (pictured below). 

After a few days in KL, I was ready to get on with my journey, so I accompanied one of them, a Danish lad named Simon to the Cameron Highlands, where we have been enjoying nature and the cool climate. This is predominantly a tourist area, but there are two main agricultural products: tea and strawberries. Both of which we have been enjoying abundantly. In addition, we've been hiking the glorious rain forest trails. Daily. They tend to be a bit challenging, so were getting good exercise. With some luck, I'll be fit and trim after a month of the backpacker lifestyle!

As pleasant as it is up here, I do feel like a bit of a shark these days; if stop moving surely I will die. So, two more sleeps, and I will be traveling with Simon once again, this time to a city called Georgetown, which is on a large island on the west coast called Penang. I assume I will bum around there for three or four days before moving on to Thailand. Then I'll have to make a decision, as to how to Phuket: whether by air or by land.


Air Asia, as I mentioned earlier is absurdly cheap. I can get ticket to Phuket from Georgetown, which happens to have an airport, to Phuket for under two hundred ringgits (divide by three to get the CAD amount). And if  you think that's good, if I were taking the flight direct out of KL, it would be less than one hundred ringgits!  The only problem is that I'll have to transfer in KL, and the journey by air, all told will take just less time than going over land. So, it's a matter of saving a few dollars or a few hours. Yeah, I know, it's a tough life.

Stay tuned: I'll be coming at you next, live from Georgetown. Until then, enjoy this monkey: