Thailand is known around the world as ‘The Land of Smiles’ because Thai people are naturally friendly and usually greet strangers with a warm smile. Funny thing - when passing through immigration, the female officer did not make any eye contact with me, nor utter one word let alone flash a smile as she processed my passport. Looking around at her colleagues, I noticed the same type of behavior. Oh well…

When buying a can of been of beer at a local 7-11 in downtown Nan (Northern Thailand), I found it highly peculiar that the female clerk inserted a plastic straw in the bag. After all, who drinks beer with a straw? Asking my tour guide later on, he informed me that Thai people often drink beer with a straw. Who woulda thunk?

From what I have seen, Thai people in Bangkok are considerably more relaxed and less stressed than their counterparts from the San Francisco Bay Area (and the USA in general). You can see it on their faces and by observing their body language.

Sunday evening in Bangkok is a relatively lively affair compared to San Francisco. Passing through Bangkok after 7:00PM, I observed many young people congregating at such popular fast food restaurants like McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut and the like. Small streetside cafeterias and food stalls were also quite busy, as many Thai people prefer to eat out because it’s so cheap rather than do their own cooking. Shopping centers and malls also seemed to be doing a fairly brisk business despite the global recession. Shopping after all is one of Thai people’s favorite activities. Compared to Bangkok on a Sunday evening, San Francisco is like a ghost town.

To all my readers, blog subscribers and fellow travelers, I would like to apologize for my absence in the last 12 days. Since arriving in Thailand from San Francisco on November 12, my schedule has been so hectic that I really haven’t had either the energy or the opportunity to sit down and blog about my experiences until now.

So here I am at Phu Lang Ka, a quiet and spartan mountain retreat in the Northern province of Phayao where I am doing nothing but resting, nurturing my spirits and blogging. Nobody here speaks much English and the nearest town of Chiang Kam is about 40 minutes away. My Thai cell phone does not pick up a signal and there is no internet, and I love it!!!. This morning when I go to town, I will stop at the nearest internet café and publish my first in a series of blogs about my ongoing adventure to Thailand and Malaysia. Once again, to all my readers, blog subscribers and fellow travelers, I would like to apologize for my absence.

Oh the weariness of the long distance traveler-blogger.

Just a little footnote: Nov 24 - I discovered much to my chagrin that my website was temporarily suspended because my hosting service failed to renew my domain with GoDaddy - I was billed by the hosting service for my domain up through Nov 2009! Thanx G_D, I ‘m back up again!!!

I am conducting a special promotion - between now and November 8, I am asking you to list your top 5 travel memories and briefly explain ‘why’ in the comment box. By November 10, my associate and I will have carefully reviewed all the comments and choose the top 3 entries. First prize will be a valuable souvenir - craft or artwork from Thailand; 2nd prize will be a unique 16 X 20 watercolor print(s) of a tropical landscape mounted on mat board and Third prize will be a 2 DVD set of Calypso Island’s unique travel slideshow videos (fairly high quality). *
————————————————————————————————————————————————

First of all - you’re probably wondering, what are my top five travel memories?

I have to admit it was so very difficult to come up with a top 5 list as I have made so many memorable trips in my short lifetime. Searching my memory bank, I have concluded that the most indelible memories (travel or otherwise) happen when one is a child - at least that was the case for me. My explanation for this is that children are so much more sensitive to new life experiences than fully-grown adults. Ok, enough of this psychobabble. Here’s my top five…

#1 STATUTE OF LIBERTY When I visited New York City as a little boy circa 1957, I was totally awestruck by the Big Apple. I visited so many exciting new places and experienced so many new things - the T-Rex skeleton at the Museum of Natural History, the towering Empire State building, the underground Subway and the Coney Island Amusement Park. What blew me away more than anything else was seeing the Statute of Liberty. As an innocent and naïve child, this impressive Statute represented the embodiment of America. I’ll never forget it!

#2 KING OF THE WORLD Last year, I hiked to the top of Waynu Picchu which overlooks the majestic Machu Picchu archaeological site in the Peruvian Andes. Wow what an experience! I wouldn’t have been able to complete this hike without the camaraderie of my two new Peruvian friends, Edward and Armando. Upon reaching the summit, we proudly declared ourselves “Kings of the World” as we assumed our Condor pose.

#3 THE GRAND CANYON Seeing this spectacular natural wonder for the first time circa 1959 is forever etched in my memory. Up to that point in my life, I didn’t know that such incredible natural beauty like this existed on our planet. Unfortunately, I have never returned.

#4 THE LONG RUN IN JAMAICA In September 1982, I ran from Montego Bay to Negril (a distance of 52 miles) on Jamaica’s North Coast over a 3 day period. No, I didn’t run just for the fun of it – it was a publicity stunt for the staging of a marathon road race in Jamaica. Running along the coastal highway in the tropical heat was very grueling, but in the end, when I reached the Negril lighthouse, I was totally exhilarated. I would do it again in heartbeat.

#5 REGGAE SUNSPLASH In 1981, I attended my first Reggae Sunsplash Music Festival in Montego Bay, Jamaica. For this hardcore reggae enthusiast, I was totally blown away seeing many of my favorite artists - Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, Black Uhuru, Third World, Chalice, Eek A Mouse – perform. I was in Reggae Heaven!

* Please Note: I will need at least 10 people to leave comments on their 5 top travel memories in order for me to give away prize #2 and 3. Only one entry per contestant.

Today’s technologically savvy traveler carries a lot of electronic gear and gadgets when taking a trip. I guess you can definitely include ‘yours truly’ in that category, but when I compare myself to some real hardcore ‘technogeeky’ travelers, I see myself as somewhat of a lightweight. To give you an idea - on my next trip to Thailand and Malaysia this coming November, I’ve made a list of all the various gizmos and electronic gear that I will be lugging around with me.

+USA Cell phone + charger
+Thai Cell phone + charger
+Laptop + Security cable lock
+Portable mouse
+USB Flashdrives (2)
+iPod 20GB
+Portable Sound system
+iPod shuffle
+Cameras (2)
-Olympus C8080 8MP 5X Zoom with extra wide-angle lens
-Olympus 570UZ 10MP 20X Zoom
+Camera Media cards
+Battery chargers (2)
+Portable lightweight Tripod
+Mini tripod

As you can see from this list it does not include the latest technotoys or devices such as a Blackberry, a Twitterberry (or any kind of berries), an iPhone or a palm pilot. I feel a little bit deprived!

I always carry my music with me when I travel - that is very important. The 20GB iPOD will never leave my hotel room as it is integral part of my portable stereo system, while iPod shuffle is as small as a matchbook; when I work out in the gym or exercise, I clip it on my T-shirt. Gotta have my music! You may wonder as to why I lug around two cameras with me. Well, you know the old expression – two cameras are better than one. Actually two medium point and shoot digital cameras are a lot less to carry around than a SLR camera kit with all the various lens and accessories.

How many gadgets and electronic devices do you take on your travels?
(more…)

I’m sure you’ve encountered some obnoxious (and toxic) tourists during your travels. They stick out like a sore thumb with their insensitive, loud and vulgar ways and they make it more difficult for all of us. While passing the time in a small rural village in places like Thailand, Peru or Mexico, I’ve seen many a American lady parading through the village as if they were a runway model in a fashion show - wearing some skimpy outfit revealing as much flesh as possible - totally oblivious to the local customs of land. In most non-westernized countries, it is frowned upon when a woman bares too much skin. Modesty is the rule of thumb. It seems that these ladies want to show the world how they sexy they are - can you believe these women get incensed when the local men stare at them lustfully? Why can’t these ladies just some wear some slacks or a long dress?

In Thailand’s Pattaya, a popular beach resort especially for sex tourists, I’ve seen middle aged guys prowling for female companionship in the heart of tourist zone with no shirts on and with their bellies hanging out, acting like complete louts and jackasses. Now I’m not a prude or anything, but couldn’t these guys at least wear a T-shirt and not talk so loud? So disgusting!

Many tourists (especially from the USA and Japan) could use a course in sensitivity training. They travel to a foreign country without making any attempt to learn something about the local customs and culture of the land. Even if they were to learn to a couple of standard phrases and greetings in the local language, it would go a long way towards international relations. Can you imagine that these western tourists get upset when the locals don’t understand or speak much English? In general, these tourists treat the hotel staff and the locals in a very condescending manner just because they paid a lot of monies for their vacation. Many of these so-called well-heeled tourists believe that the locals exit only for their personal entertainment. I’m sure you’ve head the expression, the Ugly American – unfortunately, it is a reputation that it is hard to shake as Americans can act as real insensitive jerks when traveling abroad.

Then we have the photo happy tourist who barges into a small rural village, taking picture after picture of the locals in their native garb as if they were some exotic wild animal, only to disappear into their car or tour bus 20 minutes later. I’m sure you’ve heard of the long necked ladies of the Karen Hilltribe in Thailand - there are organized excursions specifically for tourists who’d like to photograph the long necks. The tour operators who organize these tours make some big monies and the Longnecks receive what amounts to a small pittance. In Luang Prabang, a UNESCO world heritage site in Laos, tourists will position themselves at the entrance of one of the many Buddhist temples in the early morning hours to take pictures of the monks as they make their rounds. Many of these same tourists will forcefully enter the temple grounds and take pictures of religious ceremonies without permission.

Tourists can be an obnoxious bunch!

Not too long ago, one of Thailand’s preeminent fortune tellers/psychics predicted that a catastrophic earthquake would devastate Central Thailand sometime in October. If you live in the ‘Land of Smiles’, there are exactly 16 more days left in this month – and to be realistic, the odds of this cataclysmic event happening gets closer to infinity every day. Now I am going to present to you somewhat of a preposterous ‘what if scenario’ – sort of an apocalyptic (end of the world) spin to this.

If you have been following Thai politics, you know that there has been ongoing battle between the ruling PPP party - which many people claim is a proxy government of exiled ruler Thaksin Shinawatra (Mr Toxin for short) - and the PAD, an anti government group comprised primarily of liberal democrats and royalists, whose supporters are primarily Bangkok’s upper middle and upper classes. Now depending on which side of the fence you’re on, the PPP and all the Toxin cronies are the bad guys and the PAD and their followers are the good guys. You’re probably wondering what does this have to do with the earthquake and my apocalyptic spin? Well if the big Quake happens, the ensuing flood caused by the collapse of the Kanchanaburi Dam would sweep all the Bad Guys off to sea, and ‘The Kingdom’ would usher in a new era of enlightened leadership.

HMM, you may think I am out of mind (maybe I am), but what does my little friend, “Batdog” say? See picture, top left. One paw up - that means it ain’t going to happen! Business as usual…

To cover all bases, I will be carrying my snorkeling gear with me on my upcoming trip to Thailand. Stay Tuned….

Traditionally, Thailand like most Asian countries is nation of tea drinkers. All that changed innocently enough when in July 1998, Starbucks opened up their first store in Bangkok. Since that time, the floodgates have opened as Starbucks has mushroomed to over 120 stores in Thailand, with over 60 stores in Bangkok alone. In Asia, Starbucks has over 1500 stores – I guess you could say that Starbucks is attempting to achieve global domination of the coffee trade, and in a way they are succeeding. Starbucks proliferation in Asia countries represents globalization and the spread of western culture. Let’s face it – Starbucks is symbolic of the excesses of Western culture.

While most of the poorer classes in Thailand still drink their teas, in Bangkok and other large urban centers, the younger crowd (college students and the like) and professional people have become avid coffee drinkers, and Starbucks is their place of choice. For professional people, having an expensive cup of coffee at Starbucks enhances their status or sense or self worth, and for the younger folk, to be seen at Starbucks is to be “hip”. The “Starbucks Index”, a new term that I created, is pretty high in Thailand with over 120 stores and a large cup of regular coffee costing about 55 baht (approximately 1.60USD), about the same price in the San Francisco Bay Area. For many of the common working people in Bangkok (and the rest of Thailand), the cost of a tall Cappuccino or Latte (about 90 baht or more) is almost equal to a days wage, definitely not very cost effective. Furthermore, you can buy a whole meal, albeit from a streetside vendor for less than 40 baht. Let’s face it, for most of the people on Thailand, Starbucks is way too expensive.

Ok, I know you are probably wondering, what are the alternatives for a good cup of joe in Bangkok? Well, Starbucks strongest competitor – Black Canyon Coffee, a coffee retailer based in Thailand, also has numerous outlets in Bangkok and Thailand , and a cup of coffee (and their mixed coffee drinks) is on the average 10-20% less. Most people prefer Starbucks to Black Canyon because their stores are larger, plusher and have more comfortable seating arrangements in addition to being more accessible. More important is the aforementioned Status factor. In my opinion, their coffee is better tasting than Starbucks and hilltribe coffee, grown in the mountains of northern Thailand is tastier yet. The only reason I patronize Starbucks in Thailand is for the comfortable seating arrangements and more importantly, a lot of pretty ladies congregate there. And I am tea drinker at heart!

On my upcoming trip to Thailand in November, one of my homework assignments is to double check on the prices of all coffee drinks at Starbucks including their array of fancy designer drinks- frappuchino, green tea chai etc. I just want to get the facts straight. I will report back!

Actually the title of this post should be the most distasteful beach resorts that I have visited. Of course, my opinion is subjective and you may disagree with my choices. After all beauty is in the eye of the beholder and one man’s garbage is another man’s treasure. Please note: I have never been to Honolulu, so that’s why it didn’t make my list.
***********************************************************

1. Cancun (Mexico)
   The only redeeming things about this mega resort are the magnificent white sand beaches and turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea. The sand really looks like freshly fallen snow. The resort area is very synthetic and plastic - one tacky high-rise hotel after another, many built to resemble a Mayan pyramid, march up and down the strip like ants. The resort area is saturated with noisy, juvenile bars, discothèques and nightclubs, and sprawling shopping complexes clutter the landscape.
2. Pattaya (Thailand)
   A favorite haven of sex tourists and budget European package tourists, Pattaya has to be one of the sleaziest beach resorts in the world. The beaches are polluted, traffic is horrendous and the landscape has been stripped of its natural vegetation to accommodate an overwhelming number of noisy beer bars, strip clubs, Gogo bars, nightclubs and cheap hotels and shops. One encounters way too many loud and obnoxious Tigers selling their bodies. The only redeeming thing about Pattaya is your monies will go a long way there.
3. Puerto Vallarta (Mexico)
   At one time this used to be a very picturesque and charming resort town. Not any more. Due to overdevelopment, it has become one big sprawling amorphous blob spreading up and down the coast. Like Cancun, there are far too many shopping centers, noisy bars and discothèques. One redeeming thing about PV - at least you have the feeling of being in Mexico and not some plastic, fabricated resort.
4. Patong-Karon, Phuket (Thailand)
   Phuket is Thailand’s internationally acclaimed playground; outside of Bangkok, more tourists travel here than anywhere else in the Land of Smiles. Patong-Karon, the most popular resort areas, are cluttered with shops, shops and more shops. Patong is a more sanitized (and tamer) version of Pattaya with a good selection of beer bars, discothèques and strip clubs and lots of Thai gals selling sex. Can be a fun place for a couple of days and at least, the beaches are halfway decent.
5. Jaco Beach (Costa Rica)
   Costa Rica’s tackiest beach resort. The beaches are polluted, and the hotels are mostly budget affairs of fairly low quality. Popular with the spring break crowd, party animals and Tico families, there is an assortment of noisy watering holes and bars on the strip. One redeeming factor about Jaco - it is the least expensive beach resort in Costa Rica
6. Ocho Rios (Jamaica)
   Popular with the mainstream tourist and package tourist crowd, Ocho Rios is your quintessential middle of the road resort. It is by far, the least Jamaican of “The Big 3 Resorts” on Jamaica’s North Coast - seems more a like a mini Ft. Lauderdale transplanted to a more tropical setting. In addition, the main beach is one of the most antiseptic and sterile beaches on the island. One redeeming factor - the Hibiscus Lodge and the Jamaica Inn are two of the classiest hotels in Jamaica.