The Art of Travel

Why do we travel? Why spend your hard-earned dollars into something that is not tangible? Some might say that it is better to invest and see your money grow. Some might say the only priority is to buy essentials like a house, car and build a decent home. Yet for few who have experienced what its like to travel and dip your heart into a pot of culture; It is something worth venturing for life is worth the experience.

"Take to the skies, free as the wind. With your head in the clouds, picture the wonders of the world, then - your feet firmly on the ground - set out to discover them. Explore the faraway lands, move to the beat of foreign cities, delight in the lives of others, and at last return home, at once different and the same." 1

Someone asked me before what is the big difference why you travel to another destination? It all looks the same. The only difference is the currency or the weather. And I realised that people who think like that might have not explored out of his country or if he did he slept all the way through that journey cos he was too tired to see the difference. For sure he would have seen the world as flat if he lived centuries before.

"Because every journey is an adventure, every destination a new experience that we hold forever in our hearts, like a treasure hidden at the bottom of a trunk. Lustrous with the patina of memory, loyal as our own shadows, our luggage ceaselessly beckons us to new horizons." 1

There is always something new when you travel, even if it is the same destination. You might not discover the hidden gems but you will surely discover something deeper within you that you have never thought you are capable of. It's like you're trying out a new dish or a newly opened restaurant, or a new cuisine you've never tried. You taste the unfamiliar exquisite spice that tingles your senses and you know you're in for quiet a ride. And you long for more...

"Today's travellers… cultivate wonderment like an elixir of happiness, which lends every journey the vibrant colours of life." 1

The art of travel. It is not which destination you go. But how you experience, interact and digest the diversity of the world with its many facets.

1 - Taken from Editorial of HISTOIRE(S) by Louis Vuitton.

BKK Reviewed

Flights
All went smoothly. SQ is my favourite airline and always provide topnotch service. Business class on the way back was pretty awesome. Premium lane is one of the many highlights. Gives u a bit of the special treatment once they opened the door to a secret passage to priority immigration check. Meal was really good. It was spicy but i really love it. I had Solitaire Dreams which is the best cocktail i have had. They offered champagne as expected. Twas a 2 hour flight so the service is rushed but i totally appreciate attention they give u when u request something.

Hotels
Pullman is modern style while Dusit is classic elegance.

It is hard to find out who is the clear winner but judging from service quality i give Dusit an upperhand. Though their room facilities are old and some defective. They were able to remedy it quite quick. Location is the best. The food is not good though. It was bland and not fit for five star quality. Room is pretty small and i hear people talking at the other room which is annoying. Either they speak so loud or the hotel has super thin walls.

Pullman has the best in food quality. From brekkie buffet to wine selection. They also have the best cocktail and superb burger that is open 24/7. The room was humongous and i slept really good. The location is not too good. Walking more than 20 mins to reach BTS or maybe i took wrong route. It was hard cos when it rains it pours and i was literally drench soaking wet. When its hot it was terrible too. Good thing massage places are all over this area to revive my tired feet.

Wellness
The best ever. Thai massage is affordable in comparison to Sydney which is overpriced. Sauna is not too bad. I consider Japan to be the leader. I recommend Prime Massage Centre. They are really trained. And you get value for what you pay for.

Shopping
I was suprised to see lots of brands i like here. Siam Paragon has the high-end brands. Also extend walking further down and you can get bargain clothing apparel. Thai are pretty flexible so be ready to bargain reasonably.

Food
I havent eaten in any fine dining restaurant so i am limited  to street food. I like barbeque dipped in spicy sauce, sticky rice mango with coconut milk and of course pad thai. All of which at an insanely reasonable prices.

Having said that i did enjoy Bangkok less the humidity and thunderstorms.

The quick escape

Perhaps this is the quickest international flight i've been. But for some reason i find it too long. Maybe im not into high humidity. Perhaps because i sweat a lot. the irony of them all is it was relaxing but more of temporary thing. Exhaustion took its course after.

Bangkok is not the same as before. It was more fun then. Maybe because i flew alone. Maybe its more fun travelling with friends and sharing experiences together. It might be because i've been to bangkok before that it doesnt add a new spice to this travel.

Singapore for me lost its charm. I used to love Orchard with all those shops lined up beside each other. Again my theory is because i flew solo. And it was eroded by "Central" elements.

But come to think of it. I did achieve what i wanted on this trip. Just a quick  escape from work. Also i was trying to redeem my kf points. Try my newly issued priority pass is another reason. And above all i was also doing A3 miles run. Yes  that is the truth. My goal and sole purpose is to achieve Star Alliance Gold by January 2015. TV is travel culminated my Blue Status in Aegean's Miles & Bonus.

As expected, I did blow up my budget which means tighter measure for the month ahead.  But it was all worth it. Good fun but in a different way.

I can go back and continue spreading joy to the world :)...

My Japan Story continued...

Japan is known for icons like Mt Fuji, Tokyo Tower and Sky Tree. I have surpassed the latter two just to accommodate seeing the Fujisan (yes that's how locals call it). With two attempts Fujisan was shy. The first attempt is on Lake Kawaguchiko. It totally hid in a huge fog both days we stayed in Yamanshi, Fujisan never appeared. Not even a glimpse of its majestic slope. The second attempt I went to Hakone. It was in the ropeway that I saw it but the snow cap was partially covered by thick clouds even if it was all sunny. Who would have known that I will see Fujisan in all its glory. And this is on the flight to Singapore. Today was a great day since I've seen Tokyo Tower and Sky Tree up close.

Relaxation at its best. I also tried their Rumor massage which is known as Shiatsu, where they apply pressure points. Relaxing and can take all the sore on a traveller's tired legs. And of course nothing beats a night dip on a public bath or as they call it, an Onsen. Be reminded about their etiquette though. It's one thing I totally enjoy and savour. I love rotunburi because you get closer to nature. And for Japanese people going to bath is like a ritual.

In terms of accommodation, I chose some variety. Of course I did try the famous capsule hotel in Shinjuku. I totally loved it. Plus the public bath. I stayed around Shibuya and Akasaka. This is the best spot to get a hotel by the way. Shibuya is like Time Square (city never sleeps) so it's always lovely. Shinjuku has the best nightlife. Akasaka has the best restaurants and close to Roppongi if you want an upscale bars.

The food is something to savour in Japan, including their very own matcha green tea - which I totally love. My fave so far is our Kaiseki at Seikoro Ryokan in Kyoto. I also like Okonomiyaki in Osaka. Takoyaki in Dotonburi. Ramen/Soba in Shibuya. Sushi in Tsukiji. Izakaya/Yakitori in Akasaka. Wash it all with a hot green tea and you're good to go.

Finally what set this trip apart is the timing. It was just before the golden week (which can be daunting. Imagine all 127 million Japanese would go to the city or the tourist spots) and it was before early April , which can be really cold. Third week of April I reckon is the best time. It started to be a lot warmer and also the best part is you can still catch the Sakura festival if you go up north. I went to Hirosaki, Aomori and they have a Sakura festival. I was able to see endless cherry blossom trees. Wiki says it's about 5,000 trees. Words and pictures can't describe how beautiful they are. 

Some unfortunate events did happen. Firstly my new Saint Laurent sunglasses fell on a Shinkansen from Osaka to Kyoto. I lost my Oakley sunnies in Golden Pavillion in Kyoto. Lastly my bags went missing after I opened the coin locker in Osaka. I was able to retrieve all of them except my Oakley. My suspicion is that it fell whilst walking. As for the recovery of my personal effects, I am happy and full of gratitude to JR staff. Even if they can't speak English they still were very very helpful and dedicated to be of assistance. I love JP Rail, Suica and most of all Shinkansen travel. JP rail pass green card is a good value for money.

I have to put Japan among the best places I've been. And if I will be given a chance I would have stayed at least a month and learn their language, even the basic ones. 

My Japan Story

This is the land of the rising sun. And having said that you can pretty much see how distinct Japan is to other countries in the world and even to its neighbouring countries. Japanese people are creative as represented by their artistic mogul Hayao Miyazaki who is internationally acclaimed for his works on Anime. Haruki Mirukami who is a recipient of Nobel prize in literature has written so many books that depicts Japanese way of life.

I had the privilege to see it for myself. Travelling ten days around Japan from Osaka to Aomori. I felt that to appreciate the beauty of Japan, it is a must to learn the language and interact with the locals. I find them very accommodating, respectful and knows the exact meaning of fun (just go to Akasaka, Roppongi or Shinjuku during the weekend and you'll see what I mean). 

At first I find Tokyo really bizarre and unwelcoming. Maybe because I am still adjusting to the cultural differences from Australia. But it was a wise decision to go back to Tokyo on my last leg of the trip and find out more about them. I find that Tokyo is REALLY overwhelming especially when you see Shibuya. You will marvel at endless streams of lights and how congested the city is. Japanese people are hardworking and disciplined. Judging by the way the pace of their walking and how they meticulously line up. Shopping wise, I find Ginza very intimidating at first sight. That's why I decided to shop more in Osaka. But when I came back to Tokyo I realised how vast your choices can be especially if you head to Omotesando, Harajuku, Shibuya and Asakusa. I can say that Japan is the Mecca for shopping - without a doubt.

Shinto Shrine, Ryokan, Geisha. These are very distinctly Japan that shows how rich their culture really is. I find that Kyoto is mixture of tradition and modernity (I thought it was really rural), judging by the architecturally view of Kyoto station to laid back serene vibes of Ryokan. The best stay for a Ryokan is in Higashiyama which Gion is located. Walking at night you will see a lot of authenticity of traditional Japan. You might get lucky to spot a Maiko walking towards an Okiya.

Theme parks, Anime, Sanrio. Akahabara has an overwhelming anime shops that you will find endless and exhausting. Though I appreciate this district, most of the anime that I know of are obsolete. I guess it's an age thing!! Theme park is the best because it has a distinct Japanese touch. Minnie Mouse on top of a tower dancing and an oriental dance start parading in water floats. Of course Japan wouldn't be complete without Hello Kitty. And she (?) is everywhere in Shibuya stores.

So much still to talk about... I shall continue this blog when I arrive in Singapore.

KL in a nutshell

I have to make this as concise as possible cos still have to take a nap. I'm currently at Plaza Premier Lounge and the clock ticks.

Equator hotel...
is amazing. Err... AMAZING!! thanks, users of hostelworld.com for a good rating.
+ Its clean clean.
+ Very organised.
+ Lots of amenities (food, dvds, internet, drinks). The last 2 aren't free though.
+ Friendly staff.
+ Poo poo water blast spray.
+ Working shower heater.
+ Nice ambience. Green and Blue - my favourite colours.
+ Good location. Near Imbi Monorail. Few stops to KL Tower and Petronas. Time Square within reach.
- Mossies.
- Weak airconditioning.

Some of my travel trivias and random experiences:
*I realised that Bahasa Malaysia sounded a lot like Filipino. Really!! I somehow understood what the locals were talking about.

*10 out 10 people talk to me in the local native tongue.

*One word I learned: Keluar. Its not translated and my curiousity has led me to learn what it meant.

*Premium toilets cost 2 ringgit. Only to find out that the toilet seat is strangely flat and digusting to poo.

*I have poo'ed like >5 times today. Most embarrasing was that Premier toilet (mentioned above). So many blast farts. And the attendant was listening!!

*I haven't eaten any Malaysian food during my KL visit. Got a bad impression with the restaurant I should have eaten. Maybe cos I look poor. But literally I am. My budget was only USD 100 for everything, including accommodation.

*Didn't ride any cabbie.

*Walked and walked and walked. First day I covered the muslim mosques. china town. KL tower and Petronas. Not to mention I walked all the way home. Imagine - KL Towers to Petronas and to my Backpacker home at Imbi.

*Have so many iterations of KL tower just because there's no one to take pictures of me. Its even raining for crying out loud.

*Wasn't able to do my three options for the last day. namely: Batu Cave, Flying Fox, Lake Garden. Just because my time was exhausted queueng up for the bridge ticket all morning. and going back there by mid-afternoon.

*Never did I realise that the budget terminal is more than an hour away from the city. I was so conservative that I ended up waiting for 5 hours in the airport.

*Exceeded my budget cos I toured so many shopping malls. Used up my AUD and PHP reserves cos I ended up shopping!

Have heaps of stories to tell but rather keep it in a format of my cool experience rather than narrative timelines. This is the most concise I can get. haha... That's how much I enjoyed KL. Will definitely be back in Malaysia to do Teman Negara and Lengkawa. probably climb Mt Kota Kinabalu.

travel resumed...

I've changed my website. Its on another undisclosed location. Some close friends have it. But its still under a lot of modifications. I've been updating it and adding a lot of multimedia.

For now I will be posting updates to my SEA travel @ blogspot.

As you know I am traveling to Southeast Asia today. Seven locations in four countries. At last, I will use my new machine-readable passport. After all the sweat and blood of renewing it. My old passport is kept safe. It has 66 stamps and 5 visas. It has well served its purpose. Weird thing is from PP now I got XX. Kinda cool, eh?

I've been spent a lot of time and headaches in booking flights, accommodation and looking at the most cost efficient way to do the tour myself. I can say that my itinerary is really hectic but all worth it. I mean I don't have to spend a lot of fortune to attain what I wanna do. I'm actually worried that I only have US$465. My mom is worried as well that this ain't enough. I told her I have Australian dollar reserves - just in case.

Well, good luck to me and i will keep you posted. In the meantime, I would like to thank the following sponsors:
+ Lonely Planet *insightful info - indeed its a big trip on small budgets!
+ HostelWorld.com *very cheap and user-friendly accommodation website. good reviews and easily comparable hostels.
+ Sing Air *for my free trips to Vietnam and Indonesia
+ Budget Air (Cebu Pacific, JetStar, Tiger Airways, Air Asia, Lion Air) *cheap flights! nuff said.
+ TripAdvisor.com *very useful forums and interactions on fellow-travelers.
+ Wikipedia *informative. gives background on history and culture of places I wanna go to.

... and many more.

My instinct tells me to shut up and pack up. :)