Travel planning for weekend trips [Weekend Traveller series part 4]

Welcome to part 4 of the Weekend Traveller series, a fortnightly segment where I share tips and strategies for travelling during the weekend so you can travel more without using your work leave.

Trip planning is stressful. What if you cannot eat all the food, see all the sights or buy all the things?

Travel planning is essential for weekend trips.

Actually, you don’t have to eat all the food, see all the sights or buy all the things while on a weekend trip. The whole point of being a Weekend Traveller is that you will be able to travel frequently and do all those things on multiple trips.

However, it doesn’t mind that you should throw all travel planning out of the window and wing it. The times I haven’t made plans for my weekend travel are times which I did not have productive trips (Kuching and Jakarta comes to mind) and that makes me very annoyed.

On the other hand, my Bangkok trip was almost perfect because I did take time out to plan and even make my own travel guide (that’s a post for another day).

Narrow down your travel to-do list

Once you have decided on your destination (another potential headache if you are tracking budget flights), it’s best to plan for your stay if you want to have a productive trip.

There are some who recommend not planning and just going with the flow when you arrive. This will work if you have plenty of days to spare. If you only have 48 hours, walking around aimlessly while hungry is not a good plan.

[This guide is partly inspired by Taiwanese travel writer 943 who wrote an awesome book on round-the-world travel on cheap.]

I will use my 2-day Bangkok trip in October 2012 as an example because it was my first trip there.

List down the sites you want to see. You can think big at this stage. My initial plan was to eat a lot of Thai dessert (something I didn’t manage to do in the end), visit Khaoshan Road, pray at Erawan Shrine and get a massage.

Then I realized that getting a S$190 air ticket only for a massage was not worth it and I threw in other sites based on recommendations by friends, the internet and guidebooks.

I ended up with more sites in my list: Grand Palace, Chatuchak Market, Chinatown, ride on boat public transport, Cabbages & Condoms restaurant, Terminal 21, Platinum Mall, MBK.

The updated list was much better than the first but it was too ambitious. I mean, how many malls can you visit in a day without overdosing on air-conditioning?

Narrow down your sites using a pros-and-cons list. I list down the places to go and write down the pro’s and cons of visiting it as well as what other sights are nearby. You can find out what is nearby when you have a travel guide that lumps sights based on how they are clustered.

My Bangkok list looked like this:

> Chatuchak
+ (because everyone says so)
– I hate crowds. It is far from the city. Mom didn’t like it.
Nearby sites: NOTHING

> Platinum Mall
+ Recommended by a friend, lots of people shop there
– I don’t like shopping.
Nearby sites: Erawan Shrine.

> Grand Palace
+ It’s shiny!
– Entrance fee
Nearby sites: National Museum, Khaoshan Road

> Khaoshan Road
+ Fake IDs
– Loads of unkemptly backpackers
Nearby sites: (See above)

Chinatown
+ It’s Chinatown
– A bit far from other stuff
Nearby sites: ???

Cabbages & Condoms
+ Fun name and for a good cause
– Is it in the middle of nowhere? (I later discovered that it’s very near my hotel.)
Nearby sites: ???

In the end, I added National Museum to my To-Do list and took out Chinatown and Chatuchak. Since Erawan Shrine and Platinum Mall are near each other, I decided to go to both despite not liking shopping. By narrowing down my list, I only focused on bits of the city and did not have to run around a lot.

After having your real list of To-Do, it is time to make your own travel guide. I’ll be sharing how in another 2 weeks’ time. See you!

Do you somewhere to go for a weekend trip? Which parts of the city will you focus on?

Brush up on your weekend travel skills:

Part 1: Pros & cons of weekend travel
Part 2: Where to go for Weekend Travel?
Part 3: Choosing transportation for weekend travel
Part 4: Travel planning for weekend trips
Part 5: Make your own travel guide for a weekend trip
Part 6: How to pack for a weekend trip
Part 7: How to use Foursquare to plan a day’s travel
Part 8: Why a weekend trip is the best time to start solo travelling
Part 9: I’m going to Melaka for a weekend trip

Recap of 2012 travels

Hello everyone,

It’s the last day of 2012. For today, I am recapping the journeys I made in 2012, along with a few related entries.

(Some of the cities do not have related blog posts because I am working on a really limited internet connection back home in Sabah. I’ll follow up with the posts once I reach the land of high speed internet–Singapore.)

In case you find this entry a little TL;DR, I want to wish you a happy 2013. May the new year be filled with (productive) travels.

Ciao!

-Yun Qing

January 2012

Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

yqtravelling january seremban negeri sembilan — Seremban

In a nutshell: The Seremban which D and I visited was sleepy. There wasn’t much going around as it seems like most of the people prefer to look for a living in Kuala Lumpur.

Funny poster: Bill Gates, a murderer

Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

In a nutshell: The reason I dragged D along to PD was to wash my feet in the ocean. My family has a ritual of stepping into the ocean when the new year comes to “wash away the bad luck”. PD wasn’t as fantastic as what my primary school sample compositions tell me. I much prefer the beaches in Sabah.

2012′s first sunset

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

In a nutshell: Back home for Chinese New Year which is the most important festival for my family. I didn’t visit any new places while in Sabah.

February 2012

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

In a nutshell: Impromptu trip to meet up with Nguyen in KL. It was great fun meeting her again after my trip to Saigon after graduation.

Glutton in Kuala Lumpur

March + April 2012

Yogyakarta + Solo, Indonesia

In a nutshell: Back in Indonesia after D and my first trip back in 2009. It was great seeing the ancient monuments in Borobudur and Prambanan.

Sunrise at Borobudur: Expectations/Reality

In a nutshell: The side trip to Solo was fun too since we visited Candi Sukuh and watched Orang Wayang.

Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

In a nutshell: Finally back to crossing Malaysian states off my list. Ipoh will forever be remembered as the town with great food (almost as good as Penang) and a “castle” that is not really a castle.

May 2012

San Jose, California, USA

In a nutshell: On a business trip to cover an event in San Jose. I had the chance to visit Cupertino and see the Winchester Mystery House. I didn’t get to see much of the city because I was stuck in the convention centers getting my bills paid.

Do you know the way to San Jose?

San Francisco, California, USA

In a nutshell: Side trip from San Jose after the business trip. I had planned to visit Napa Valley for a night but decided to stay in SF for the whole week. I saw two great shows, visited many fine museums and cycled a little.

June 2012

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

In a nutshell: Back home for a classmate’s wedding. didn’t get to visit other areas since I was back for only the weekend.

Anatomy of a Chinese wedding in Malaysia

July 2012

Hoi An, Vietnam

In a nutshell: A 5-day trip to central Vietnam. I had planned to visit another historical town, Hue, but decided to spend all the time in Hoi An. I ate a lot, drank a lot of coffee and cycled a lot.

August 2012

Jakarta, Indonesia

In a nutshell: A short weekend trip to the capital of Indonesia. We weren’t caught in traffic jams as we took the TransJakarta public bus. I didn’t do a lot of research so we ended up walking aimlessly.

September 2012

Tokyo + Kamakura Japan

In a nutshell: A day trip to historical Kamakura on the day I reached Tokyo. I love the little town with its little big Buddha and quaint streets.

In a nutshell: A 4-day business trip but I pre-extended the weekend before work. I had the chance to overnight in Ooedo Onsen Monogatari and catch Gintama Land before it was over.

#FoodFri Glutton at Tsukiji, Tokyo

Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

In a nutshell: Returned to Kuching. Trip wasn’t as great but I got to meet J the night before.

October 2012

Bangkok, Thailand

In a nutshell: My first visit to Thailand. I narrowed down my to-do list to a few sites and spent a productive weekend.

Alor Setar, Kedah, Malaysia

In a nutshell: State 9 of my Visit Malaysia project. A small town where our fourth prime minister, Dr Tun Mahathir, was born. Visited the Alor Setar tower, the second tallest TV tower in Malaysia, and saw a bird’s eye view of the town.

Dinner & miscommunication for breakfast in Alor Setar

Padang Besar, Perlis, Malaysia

In a nutshell: State 10 of my Visit Malaysia project. Went to the market bordering Thailand. I was a little disappointed that the market didn’t straddle the border with stall owners on one side accepting ringgit while the other baht.

A guide to walking from Malaysia to Thailand

November 2012

No major travelling for the month. It wasn’t as bad as I expected because I had other things to busy myself with during the weekend. For example, reading Web comics, watching Youtube, eating, reading things online etc.

December 2012

Kudat, Sabah, Malaysia

In a nutshell: Back home for the Christmas holiday because of forced leave implemented by the company. Went on a roadtrip with Mom to the north of Sabah. We read a lot, ate a lot of fruits while at the hotel. Also visited the “Tip of Borneo”.

How has your year of travelling been?

Non shopper’s visit to Platinum Mall, Bangkok

When I was making my plans for my first trip to Bangkok, I asked for travel recommendation from those who have been there. Platinum Mall was high on the recommendation list as the mall had the cheap clothes that would be even cheaper if you buy them wholesale (meanning, more than 2 pieces).

Even though I wasn’t the biggest fan of clothes shopping, I replied that I will see if I can visit. Despite my lack of enthusiasm for shopping, I included it into my itinerary to find out for myself why they say Bangkok is a shopper’s heaven as well as everyone’s strange devotion to the mall.

Plus, Platinum Mall is just a short walk away from Erawan Shrine and I did not have much planned for the day anyway.

Entering Platinum Mall

I entered the building which was labelled Zone 3 on one the directory and was quite stunned by all the stalls that were there.

The shops were never ending, each packed from floor to ceiling with merchandise.

The first and second floors were dedicated to Women Fashion Clothes, the third floor was for Bags, the fouth for Leather while the fifth was for Shoes.

The stalls take up a small rectangle of space. There was no visible fitting room in them but I suspect they have curtains hung from the ceiling for buyers to change.

The clothes were nice and rather trendy but the quality did not seem very good. Maybe that’s why they are considered fast moving consumer goods (along with shampoos and soapbars).

I almost bought one of the handbags. A sign said they sold at 299 baht each, but after close examination, I realize that they are the types that will easy breakoff after some use.

I also saw the stall selling Naraya knockoffs. The brand is famous among tourists who go to Bangkok. I do not know why they like it since the material of the bags are shiney and look cheap (not the low price type of cheap.)

One of the stalls was cordoned off with a sign saying: “Employees go to toilet. Please wait. –Saralee.” I don’t think the customers would have missed anything since the clothes sold there were likely exhibited at other stalls too.

I saw some customers dragging large suitcases which led me to suspect that they buy in bulk to sell back in their home countries. (At the airport, there were a lot of Singaporean dragging large suitcases with them to checkin, perhaps they are the entrepreneurs.)

I visited all the levels in the building, trying to find an excuse to buy something–anything–but nothing caught my fancy.

When I left the building, it felt like I had been walking in the mall for two hours but a check of my photo timestamps showed that it was only a 30 minute visit.

I guess clothes shopping malls are not my cup of tea, I prefer second hands clothes better especially those that look more sturdy than the regular FMCG stuff out there.

Are you a shopper? Have you visited Platinum Mall, how was your experience?

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Review: Tune Hotel Asoke, Bangkok

For me, the most stressful part of planning a trip is booking the right hotel. The price has to be right. The distance to town should not be too far. The beds should be comfy with no bed bugs.

I guess that’s the reason why I keep choosing Tune Hotel when there’s a branch at my destination. When I found out that there was an opening sale for the new Bangkok branch. Tune Hotel – Asoke, I immediately made my booking.

During the sale, the basic room fee was 299 baht before taxes, Based on my past three experience staying at different Tune Hotels (Kota Bahru, Ipoh and Kuching), I decided that I needed to add on 24 hour airconditioning and Wi-Fi. The bill came around to 661.92 baht.

I’m not sure if it’s any cheaper than other hotels but I was sure that Tune Hotels have comfy beds and powerful showers. (5 star for 1 star price)

Airport to Tune Hotel

It’s a bit tricky to find how to take public transport from Don Muang airport to Tune Hotel as even the Web site is vague.

I printed out the hotel name and address (in English and Thai), showed it to the lady at the taxi counter who gave me a slip of paper and told me to wait for a cab.

To reach the hotel, the cabbie had to drive into the narrow lane of Sukhumvit Soi 14. The trip came up to be about 210 baht, even though the lady at the airport said it might be 350 baht.

If you are taking the public transport to Tune Hotel Asoke, stop at the BTS Asoke station. You will see a sign pointing to the hotel. Actually, you can see the hotel from the station.

Sign pointing to Tune Hotel at Asoke station — Sign pointing to Tune Hotel

After turning into Soi 14, you can see Suda Restaurant and a sign pointing to the hotel. (According to online reviews, this restaurant isn’t too bad. I’ve not tried it though.)

The hotel sticks out like a sore thumb (in a good way) among the posh housing.

The guard was very enthusiatic about helping me with my luggage. Unfortunately, I only had a backpack so he couldn’t help me. If you are heading out, he can help you call a cab too.

Checking in

When I reached, there was about 15 minutes before checkin time 1400. The receptionists were very strict about the time so I sat at the bench with the other early guests.

There was a play area where you can take photos of yourself and send it to your e-mail box.

Finally! 1400 hours arrived. I queued behind some of the guests who were even more anxious about checking in.

There was quite a long form to fill out. The receptionist also scanned my passport and the immigration entry form.

I was roomed on the fourth floor which is not the most auspicious.

The room

As the hotel only opened recently, everything was brand spanking new. I was quite happy that the toilet did not smell mouldy like it did in Kuching.

Strangely, there was a large mirror above the bed. It made the room seem larger but I cannot figure out what it is for.

Since I booked 24 hours of airconditioning, the key slot did not show the count down to my airconditioning-less hour.

As usual, there is a TV (which you can pay for) but I used it as towel rack. There’s also a menu for room service above the TV. The food is a bit overpriced though.

Wrapping up this post, I love everything about Tune Hotel Asoke, the location and price.

Bonus video

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A guide to walking from Malaysia to Thailand

When I was planning my trip to Padang Besar, Perlis, I wanted to walk from Malaysia to Thailand so I could tell people, “Yup, I’ve walked to Thailand from Malaysia before.”

So I flipped through the traveller’s bible, aka Lonely Planet, and was shocked.

In the tiny two-inch column for Padang Besar, the guidebook said: “Very few people, if any, walk the more than 2km of no-man’s land between the Thai and Malaysian sides of the border.”

NO INSTRUCTION, IT’S THE DAY OF DESTRUCTION.

After freaking out, I decided to become one of the “very few people” to walk to Thailand and back. And write a post about it. (Although another reason I’m walking is that I am too stingy to pay for the RM40 cab fare.)

A guide to walking from Malaysia to Thailand

Step 1 Get to Padang Besar’s immigration checkpoint

Malaysian side of immigration checkpoint border

The entrance of immigration checkpoint is right in front of the big roundabout. Walk up to the toll booth-like area, keeping to your left since cars and motorbikes are on the right.

Step 2 Get your documents verified (and stamped)
Pass through the immigration checkpoint using the electronic gates if you have a Malaysian passport.

If you have a foreign passport, you’ll need to get it stamped at one of the officer’s booth.

Step 3 Walk a lot
It’s quite a long walk to the end of the border from the document checking area. Even though you will see a path (which is persumably for pedestrians) near the walls, do not take that route as it brings you to a dead end.

Admire the murals while you walk. I am not sure who the murals were put up for, perhaps it is for drivers who are stuck in a traffic jam.

Wave as drivers drive pass and motorcyclists give you a second look. Sticking out a thumb to hitchhike here does not work. I tried.

You will eventually reach the end of Malaysia’s border where a few officials hang around.

Step 4 Explain why you are walking to anyone who asks
The immigration officers will be curious why you are walking when there are motorcycle shuttles. The excuse “Because we want to” does not seem to satisfy their curiosity.

The officer practically interrogated us after looking at our passports. When we said we just wanted to walk to Thailand, he told that there were motorcycles shuttling people across. I asked where the motorbikes are, he pointed to the other end. I told him that I will not walk all the way back just for a motorcycle.

After being released, we walked to the Thai part of the border.

Step 5 Reach Thai border
There are no lines on the road to tell where passengers can walk, so be careful of traffic.

Follow the cars and where a bunch of people are filling up forms. Fill up the form and pay RM1 to the immigration officer.

Step 6 Enter Thailand
With the new stamp in your passport, head out of the immigration checkpoint. Do not be alarmed that it looks exactly like Malaysia but with Thai signs.

A guide to walking back to Malaysia from Thailand

Step 1 Get to Padang Beser checkpoint
The line back to Malaysia is not the same as the one you came in from. It’s at the other gate.

Step 2 Get passport stamped
Get your Checking Out stamp and hand over another RM1 to the person behind the booth.

Step 3 Walk back to Malaysia
The Malaysian folks will be less curious about you by now. Walk on. Same as usual, walk on the left side of the road to avoid traffic.

There is a sad duty free store along the no-man’s land.

Step 4 Get your documents verified to enter Malaysia

Show off your passport to the official at the toll booth. You must get an entry stamp or face being stripped naked during interrogation when you want to leave Malaysia. This is serious business.

Step 5 Get your luggage scanned
There’s probably no one in luggage check so just ignore this step.

Step 6 Back in Malaysia
At the end of the Malaysian customs, another officer will be interested in why you are walking. Answer his questions even though you know all the answers are in the passport which he is holding. Smile pleasantly.

Have you walked through the Malaysian-Thai border before?

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Visited: Cabbages & Condoms, Bangkok, Thailand

It’s Friday again. TGIF! And Fridays are special days here as it’s #FoodFri, a day when I share a food-related post with you. Today, we will visit Cabbages & Condoms in Thailand.

Tell me, how can you not visit a restaurant with a name like “Cabbages & Condoms” especially when its tagline is “Our food is guaranteed not to cause pregnancy”. That is hilarious.

Before you go around thinking this is a kinky place where people eat salad after some naughty exercises, let me explain the name. Cabbages & Condoms the restaurant is run by the Population and Community Development Association (PDA) which helps with family planning. Someone who’s involved in PDA and C&Cwanted condoms to be as ubiquitous as cabbages, therefore the name.

When I found out that Cabbages & Condoms is really near Tune Hotel, I added it into my itinerary even though guide books warned that the food is mediocre for its price.

After checking in Tune Hotel on my first day in Bangkok, I walked to Soi 12 where the restaurant is located.

It’s hidden inside the alley, after one suspicious “club” and a posh-looking massage center.

After walking on the shady path, I came across a souvenir shop but didn’t go in.

Condoms, condoms everywhere

The place used condoms (not to be confused with condoms that were used) for decoration.

Exhibit A: Condom lampshade

Exhibit B: Condom fashion

Exhibit C: Condom clothes

‘Romantic’ lighting

Being Southeast Asia, I chose to lunch inside the airconditioned restaurant instead of hanging out at the alfresco area with the sun shining on me.

The interior is a bit dark. The walls were decorated with condoms from other countries.

Interior deco of Cabbages & Condoms — Interior deco

My table was next to a wall with less racy deco.

“Cabbages & Condoms” is trademarked in Japan

There were a few news paper clipping in Japanese about the restaurant and a certificate of trademark.

While waiting for the food

I ordered a Tom Kah Kai and a coffee. While waiting for my drink and food, I found out that they have a recipe on the table mat. I wonder how many people actually copy it down to make a dish.

Recipe table mat from Cabbages & Condoms — Recipe table mat

I also discovered that the utensils were branded with the name of the restaurant.

Plate with restaurant's name from Cabbages & Condoms — Plate with restaurant’s name

Coffee from Cabbages & Condoms — Coffee glass

I listened in to a table nearby of businessmen who were discussing companies in the networking industry. I was kind of disappointed that I didn’t hear any trade secrets which I could have used as scoops.

My chicken in coconut milk soup

My soup and rice came after a while. The coconut milk curdled in my sourish soup.

Coconut milk soup chicken from Cabbages & Condoms — Coconut milk soup chicken

It was a large serving which was probably meant to be share among a table of friends. Instead, all of the soup and rice went into my stomach, making me really bloated but also help me stave off hunger for the rest of the day.

The food wasn’t the best thing I’ve tasted on earth and was just “meh”. There wasn’t enough salt and felt like drinking lemongrass soup with hints of coconut.

The unsaltiness made my tongue confused. Was this supposed to be dessert or a main meal?

At the end of the meal, I asked for the bill. As expected, instead of a mint, there was a condom with my bill. I not-so-secretly slipped it into my bag before paying up.

Condom from Cabbages & Condoms — This came with my bill

At the exit, the restaurant cheekily had two separate boxes for condoms: Republican size and Democrat size. I peeped in and found out that they were the same size.

Condoms from Cabbages & Condoms — Sorry, We have no mints.

Review: Cabbages & Condoms, Bangkok, Thailand
Location: Sukhumvit Soi 12
Food: So so taste
Price: $$
Pro: Fun theme and for a good cause
Cons: So so food than regular Thai places

Have you eaten at Cabbages & Condoms?

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Getting a fake identity at Khaoshan Road, Bangkok

Have you ever been envious of how spies get to have multiple fake identities?

Well, you can get several identities too while you are at Bangkok’s Khaoshan Road.

Illegally, that is.

I first heard about the possibility of making fake IDs from a colleague. After some “research” on Google, I decided that I must visit Khaoshan Road to check out these counterfeit identity card makers.

There were a few stalls with photocopies of IDs. Photocopies of some of the more popular IDs were displayed on A4 paper while the rest were in the rather thick folders.

I didn’t study what sort of IDs they faked. From my photos, it seems like they can make certificates as well.

Some of the stalls were unmanned, as I assume that the person in charge is hiding away in a corner, in case the authorities come.

20 minutes for a student ID

In the name of research, I approached a stall looked over by a woman. It felt safer dealing with a woman.

She told me that it costs 300 baht to create a fake student ID and would take 20 minutes. I asked for a discount but was denied when she heard that I only wanted one.

When I agreed to the price, she called out to a man. He had a pad with details to fill out.

After I filled out the slip of paper. He said the university name was too long and I had to change it. I made multiple variations until he was satisfied.

He then pointed to the folder on the table. Flipping through, he pointed a copy of a Singapore I.C..

I almost fainted. Can you imagine getting caught with one of it? It’s a fine of up to S$10,000 or imprisonment for up to 10 years, or both.

I waited for the final product in a cafe. When I received it, it did look like a real student card.

I’m refraining from posting it on the blog in case cops burst into my room to arrest me.

Have you ever had a fake ID made?

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#FoodFri Glutton in Bangkok

I’ve never been to Thailand before my trip a few weeks ago. I’ve always thought of Thai food as hot, spicy and sour.

Problem is, I can’t do hot or spicy. The last time I accidentally had a bite of chilli curry, my lips were swollen for half a day–not in an Angelina Jolie sexy lip way but a literal bee stung lip way.

So I was a little bit worried that I could only eat the desserts of Bangkok. Not that that’s a bad thing.

Turns out I got my food stereotype wrong and I had great non-hot meals during my 24 hours in Bangkok.

Day 1 in Bangkok

I only had one meal on Day 1. I skipped dinner because I was in a 1.5 hours queue for a 2.5 hours-long my Thai massage.

Tom kha kai

My first dish was a slightly overpriced tom kha kai (Thai chicken soup in coconut milk) from Cabbages & Condoms. I shouldn’t complain about the price because I’ve read about how the restaurant a bit pricey for the quality of the food. (A review of the place will come soon).

Tom kha kai was one of the few non-spicy dishes on the menu. It was an interesting soup. Slightly sour from lemongrass, it had an overpowering coconut taste. The coconut milk had curdled.

I supposed it was meant to be shared because by the time I had my last bowl of soup, my stomach felt like bursting.

Strawberry smoothie

I picked up a glass of strawberry syrup with ice from a stall set up for the vegetarian festival.

The drink was ok but the strawberry tasted a bit off.

Day 2 in Bangkok

I wasn’t very hungry in the morning from yesterday’s lunch. But I made myself have some food since I know that the Grand Palace is pretty huge.

I chose one of the hole in the wall which is on the way to the palace from the jetty.

Duck horfun

I didn’t know what was on the menu. The lady of the shop asked, “Noodle? Rice?” I asked for noodles and said “yes” to duck.

My dish of duck horfun noodles came with shallow soup and a duck drumstick. It smelled good and tasted amazing.

The horfun was smooth and the duck tender. Even the soup was good.

I paid 60 baht for the bowl, since I think it was the most expensive dish on the menu.

After my breakfast, I went to two shops down for a breakfast dessert. The spicy ginger soup seduced me into the shop. There was another large pot with white beancurd.

I pointed at the big pot of soup outside, and signalled “1” with my index finger and said “no” to the croutons.

Tao huai nam khing

I later found out that the dish is called tao huai nam khing. Bean curd served with ginger syrup.

The ginger syrup was both hot temperature-wise and gingery-hot-wise. I choked on the spicy ginger taste a couple of times but I finished the bowl because I learned that ginger is good for health.

The beancurd didn’t have the usual soybean taste. Instead, it had a hint of peanuts. I couldn’t figure out if they used peanuts or if their soybean just tastes different.

The little shop seems to be famous. There were newspaper clippings and photographs of the owner with a celebrity with a bowl cut.

Pad Thai

I had the first pad thai of my life at the small restaurant in the compound of the National Museum.

I initially thought pad thai was just like char kway teo and was surprised to find the rather pale-looking dish with peanut grounds.

It was sour and oily but still yummy. I believe it was only 30 baht.

McDonald’s at the airport

OK, I broke the Number 1 Rule of Eating in a Foreign Country: Do not eat globalized fast food.

My excuse was that it was the only affordable meal in the airport. I didn’t want to go hungry on my 2 hours and 45 minutes plane ride back and end up eating Popeyes when I reach around 10pm.

The food tasted exactly like it does in Singapore and Malaysia. But my drink seemed to be upsized.

Since I broke the rule of travel-eating, here is a photo of a Thai Ronald McDonald who is greeting passers by in a Thai way.

What’s your favorite Thai dish?

Bangkok’s Grand Palace is the Versailles of the East

I made a travel plan for Bangkok because I did not want to commit the same mistake as I did in Kuching.

My plans for the Sunday was to see the Grand Palace and then walk north to the museum and then to Khaoshan Road. It was a relaxed plan since I didn’t want to stress myself.

My friend N told me that it would take more than 2 hours to admire the Grand Palace. Looking at the 2×4-inch map on Lonely Planet, I wasn’t too convinced.

I set off for the palace after a meal of noodles and beancurd at two of the hole-in-the-walls outside the palace gate.

When I reached the white walls, a loudspeaker spoke in a patient voice reminding tourists that there is only one ticket seller and trust no one. (It’s to prevent tourists from being cheated by swindlers.)

There was a bit more walking from the walls to the ticket selling booth. There were quite a lot of people around since it was Sunday.

The queue was short though, everyone seemed to crowded away from the ticket booth. I paid my 400 baht and got a lot of tickets.

I wasn’t even sure what most of the tickets were for.

I read that visitors need to dress modestly when visiting the Grand Palace so I brought along my own sarong cloth. I tied it haphazardly around my waist with one side higher up than the other.

When I headed in, I was stunned.

There was a small shrine dedicated to a medicine man. But the shrine was so over-the-top sparkly from the tiles that I just stared at it with my mouth open.

Wow.

I’ll let you look at the pictures instead of babbling about.

Versailles of the East

I immediately thought of Versailles when I saw all the golden walls.

The castle of Louis XIV The Sun King must also be as grand as these.

Violet building at Bangkok's Grand Palace — Violet building at Bangkok’s Grand Palace

The map that came along with the brochure was not that useful because I promptly forget which building I was looking at when the sparkling walls blind me.

Tiles of Bangkok's Grand Palace — Tiles of Bangkok’s Grand Palace

Statues of mythical beings

Guardian at Bangkok's Grand Palace — Guardian at Bangkok’s Grand Palace

Many green guardians at Bangkok's Grand Palace — Many green guardians at Bangkok’s Grand Palace

White guardian at Bangkok's Grand Palace — White guardian at Bangkok’s Grand Palace

Garuda at Bangkok's Grand Palace — Garuda at Bangkok’s Grand Palace

Many gold guardians at Bangkok's Grand Palace — Many gold guardians at Bangkok’s Grand Palace

Intricate shrine at Bangkok's Grand Palace — Intricate shrine at Bangkok’s Grand Palace

Hydra at Bangkok's Grand Palace — Hydra at Bangkok’s Grand Palace

Emerald Buddha

There’s a Chinese phrase “镇庙之宝” which loosely translates to the treasure that holds the temple. It’s the treasure which attracts people to a certain place.

At the Grand Palace, there is a temple for the Emerald Buddha. It is housed in a gorgeous building and on high steps so no one can go near.

There’s not photo taking inside the temple. Visitors sit on the floor and are not allowed to point their feet towards the small statue.

Entrance to Emerald Buddha shrine at Bangkok Grand Palace

Exit of Emerald Buddha shrine at Bangkok Grand Palace

Cool stuff in the Grand Palace

ALTrashcan in Bangkok's Grand PalaceTTEXT — Trashcan in Bangkok’s Grand Palace

Ramayana murals at Bangkok's Grand Palace — Ramayana murals at Bangkok’s Grand Palace

Seniors tour group with German-speaking guide

I spent about two hours in the palace grounds and I got hungry.

Next stop, the National Museum!

Have you been to the Grand Palace? How was your experience there?

First impression of Bangkok

Hello, I’m still in Bangkok and I’ll be returning to Singapore on a 6.30pm plane this evening.

I quite like Bangkok. I love the Skytrain. Any city with a metro system gets one thumbs up for me. Two thumbs if it doesn’t smell like pee.

I love the shrines along every street. I love how the king is loved so much that I see as many of his posters as I would a regular celebrity.

Unfortunately, I’ve only eaten one meal since I have arrived. Yes, the Glutton ate ONE meal in Bangkok. It’s a long story: I had to wait 1.5 hours for a massage and I was too lazy to find food. Plus, having a full stomach is not conducive for the wrestling moves I had to do.

Here’s a video I did before I head out into the streets.