Re: So, where to next then Ian? Not next month - I booked a flight back from Bangkok to Heathrow for the 20th May so should be getting back to London a week on Saturday.
catchy tune Loved the blog - great photos. I just had to listen to 'Trouble is my Friend' (thanks for the link). Unfortunately, this wasn't a sensible thing to do in an open-plan office I soon discovered my headphones weren't plugged into my PC - the song has now been introduced to the good people of the north-east!
They had one of these things in the Clarendon centre today. The English was much better, but they offered neither light comedy nor calculus, so I did not try it!
I also like that they only say what "could" happen - no promises here!
Another interesting and informative blog, love the photos. Your comments on local culture and warnings of financial pitfalls will be useful to future travellers. We see that, apart from the compass, no-one has managed to con or extract money from you!
The green silk shirt looks great, we look forward to the arrival of your other purchases. Hope you are feeling fully fit again. Take care.
Travails in Vietnam Glad all going well. The stories about suddenly being charged for the pool that was free the night before even thought you'd spent plenty of ££ drinking there and the fish incident in the restaurant remind me of the many negative stories I've heard about the people in Vietnam. Fish Spas (or Fish Doctors as they're sometimes called) are springing up now in the UK as well.
Re: Saigon Officially it's called Ho Chi Minh City but the people who live here mostly call it Saigon and the signs displayed in the city (e.g. the Saigon Skydeck one) use that name. Plus it's much quicker to type!
I haven't so much as seen any dog meat for sale - there was one restaurant that had a 'faux' dog meat dish on the menu. I think dog meat is more of a Northern Vietnamese thing; even there it's seen as a speciality thing. A lot of people have pet dogs in Saigon.
Saigon Interesting that you call it Saigon. Do they not call it Ho Chi Minh City any more?
Also see this Ealing connection for Ho Chi Minh - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3725891.stm
Hi Ian
Good to hear you had the reliable and trustworthy Mr Be to look after you. A harrowing experience indeed but surely a valuable one, perhaps you should feel less of a 'voyeur' (an understandable reaction) and more of a witness to mans inhumanity to man - a valuable lesson.
Take care
HI, Ian, Hi, Ian, good to see your blog( with a little help from Glenn!!) Interesting photos - sounds like you are having a good time. I am guessing the guy you met up with was the friend Pete recommended - glad you were able to meet up. Where is next on your list of travel destination?? Aunty Chris (the one in the south east!!)
rooob2001@gmail.com Hi Ian, enjoying your Bangkok updates!
This sign says that all carts are banned from this particular soi because of the traffic and also a fire risk (Blue writing). It then says that if you break the rules you will be fined and sent to prison! The green bit below is the name of the district and the red symbol the police department. Am currently learning to read and write Thai but had to get a bit of help with some of that!
Just some responses to the above:
No, you don't have to like eating seafood! It's just that I do, and I find it more interesting to write about than a chicken rice or beef curry. At the same time, if you don't eat seafood in England I'd still recommend giving it a try if you come to Malaysia or Thailand.
When I was in the Masons Arms there wasn't any English football on, They did have TVs, however I'm not sure if they'd stay open long enough to watch any but the earliest kick-offs live.
I'm not sure how to quantify humidity! It's humid, yes, but actually not that hot here in Bangkok - I think it's cooler than normal for the time of year. The hottest place I've been so far was definitely Penang.
That's the way to party Great to hear you found a wonderful place to party on your birthday - looks and sounds fantastic. Good to see you are having a good time. Looking forward to reading about Bangkok.
I am 28 years old (as of February '11), and am taking some time out to travel in Asia after being awarded my PhD in computational biology in May last year. I am English; my birthplace is Newcastle-upon-Tyne but I have been living in London for the past six years.... full info
raj
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South Indian Food
the taste is authentic south indian food and good service and clean