Travel Guide Of LIFE

A TRAVEL GUIDE OF LIFE CHAPTER 1:

GOING TO SOUTHEAST ASIA:

THIS MOMENT IS PART OF THE SECOND DAY OF 1992.

WALKING AND REALIZING THAT IT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO LIVE

IN THE MOMENT. IT IS THE PRESENT MOMENT THAT WE CAN BE CERTAIN OF.  

NOTHING ELSE IS AS CERTAIN AS THIS.  STILL I MAKE MY PLANS. FOCUSING

ON MY EXPERIENCES CLARIFY WHAT THE PRESENT MOMENT IS.

FOR ME,

TRAVELING IS A GREAT WAY TO DO THIS. OF COURSE, ONE DOES

NOT NEED

THE HOBBY OF TRAVELING TO EXPERIENCE AND UNDERSTAND EACH

MOMENT OF REALITY. WE CAN DO THIS WHILE EATING, WASHING DISHES, OR READING. 

IT IS JUST EASIER FOR ME WHEN I AM TRAVELING BECAUSE THERE

ARE TOO MANY MUNDANE ASPECTS OF DAILY LIFE HERE, IN ALBUQUERQUE, THAT I

TAKE FOR GRANTED. I

SPEND TOO MUCH TIME FRETTING ABOUT GOING TO WORK AGAIN, PAYING

THE BILLS AGAIN, SHOPPING FOR

HOUSEHOLD ITEMS AGAIN AND AGAIN. ALL THE WHILE I AM THINKING OF GOING SOMEWHERE ELSE. WHEN I AM TRAVELING, EVERY ASPECT OF LIFE IS CENTERED AROUND WHERE I AM AND

WHO I AM. LIFE IS CIRCLING AROUND US

ALL THE TIME AND WE NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL COME AT

US AT ANY GIVEN TIME. WHEN I AM PLANNING A TRIP,  100%

FOCUSED, I AM LIVING IN THE MOMENT BECAUSE TIME GOES BY

AT AN UNRECOGNIZABLE

PACE AND I HAVE NO IDEA

WHAT THE RESULT WILL BE. THE YEAR WAS 1992 AND I WAS

PLANNING A

TRIP TO SOUTHEAST ASIA.

THIS TRIP INCLUDED A STOP IN TRAVERSE CITY MICHIGAN TO

VISIT ABIGAIL AND HER PARENTS, HIBBING MINNESOTA SO I

COULD VISIT MY GRANDMA CICCHI (VIA DETROIT). THEN I WOULD

BE BROUGHT TO LAX AND AN EXCURSION UP TO SAN LOUIS OBISPO

TO VISIT MY SISTER. 

IN PREPARATION FOR THE TRIP, I WENT TO LOVELESS

HOSPITAL TO GET AN IMMUNO GLOBULON INJECTION. IT

COST $30 AND WILL LAST FOR THE ENTIRE JOURNEY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA. I

ALSO PICKED UP A FEW MALARIA PILLS. 17 OF THOSE TABLETS COST $93!! THEY HAVE QUININE IN THEM. THAI, INDONESIAN, AND

ARABIC LANGUAGE BOOKS, BANGKOK TO BALI GUIDEBOOK, FLASHLIGHT, CLOTHS TO

WEAR AND DISCARD, CANVAS TO SLEEP ON, MOSQUITO REPELLANT, THE MALARIA PILLS, AND PASSPORT; I AM READY FOR SOUTHEAST ASIA. 

 CHICAGO O'HARE AIRPORT, LARGE, RUNWAYS TRAVERSING OVER CHICAGO HIGHWAYS AND TUNNELS. HUGE AND BEAUTIFUL WITH DIFFERENT STYLES

OF STRUCTURAL DECOR. REACHING TERMINAL F3, NOW READY TO FLY. 

IT IS 0030 DULUTH TIME. I AM SITTING AND WRITING IN A COUNTRY KITCHEN. I ORDERED HOT CHOCOLATE AND A MUSHROOM AND CHEESE OMELETE. THE BEECHCRAFT

PLANE THAT WE TOOK FROM CHICAGO TO DULUTH WAS SMALL. I

HAD TO BEND DOWN TO GET IN AND WALK TO MY SEAT. IT HAD PROPELLERS.

IT IS ALWAYS SCARY FOR ME TO FLY IN A PLANE WITH PROPELLERS. WE MADE

A STOP IN IRONWOOD MICHIGAN FIRST. AFTER WE ARRIVED AT THE DULUTH AIRPORT, I CHANGED MY CLOTHS, THREW AWAY THE OLD, WALKED OUT OF

THE AIRPORT, AND STARTED DOWN THE ROAD. A CAR RENTAL EMPLOYEE PICKED ME UP AND GAVE

ME A RIDE TO THE COUNTRY KITCHEN SO I WOULD NOT GET

SNOWED ON TOO MUCH. IT DID NOT FEEL TOO COLD EXCEPT ON MY FEET AND FACE WHERE THE WIND WAS BLOWING

ALL THE SNOW. THE OMELETE HAS ARRIVED. IT IS NICE AND WARM.

I AM WARMING UP QUICKLY. I MUST SIT HERE FOR AWHILE, WAITING FOR THE SNOW TO STOP.

THINKING ABOUT HITCHHIKING TO HIBBING IN THE MORNING. WE WILL SEE.

A TRAVEL GUIDE OF LIFE CHAPTER 2:

A ROUNDABOUT ROUTE TOWARDS SOUTHEAST ASIA:

CRUNCHED CRACKERS YET 

SITTING IN A PLASTIC BAG. CRUNCHING DRIED LEAVES 

WALKING ON GRASS AND PAVEMENT. THE 19TH OF

NOVEMBER

WAS THE NEXT DAY. THAT DAY WAS THE DAY OF MY

DEPARTURE.

SAMPAI JUMPA LAGI.

I must live in the moment. Do not let the planning and the

waiting 

drag on, must remain calm of mind.  Must remain calm of mind

in 

all works of nature and man. Yet, it has occurred to me that the

distance of one period of time and another seems to be, quite

often,

an unnerving obstrosity, in waiting for the arrival of a certain

point

of time so that I may witness the result of my expectations. I

needlessly expend energy. I admit, against my better judgement, 

time is often thought of as a dread obstacle. We are just specks of 

dust and time is an eternity. As such, I must understand that any 

impatience or exitement felt by me is verily quite superfluous. 

IT WAS 2:30 PM DULUTH MINNESOTA TIME 20TH NOVEMBER.I

WAS

SITTING IN THE GREYHOUND BUS STATION. A DULUTH TRANSIT 

AUTHORITY BUS WOULD PICK ME UP AT 5:00 TO BRING ME TO 

VIRGINIA MN. I WENT TO THE PUBLIC LIBRARY SINCE I HAD A

LONG 

WAIT FOR THE BUS. I ALSO PRACTICED MY TAI CHI CHUAN. I HAVE

NOW PRACTICED MY TAI CHI IN DULUTH, DAMP CEMENT, SPRINKLING

RAIN WITH SNOW FALLING JUST WEST OF DULUTH AND ARRIVING

HERE SOON. I HAD MY GREEN DUFFLE BAG WITH ME. THERE WOULD 

BE A BUS TO TAKE ME FROM VIRGINIA MN TO HIBBING MN IN THE

MORNING. 

THE NEXT MORNING I WAS AT THE BUS STOP IN VIRGINIA. THERE 

WAS A MAN THERE WHO HAD BEEN THERE LONG BEFORE I HAD

ARRIVED. HE HAD A CHILDISH MENTALITY. HE SPOKE AS A CHILD 

AND WAS PLAYING CHILD GAMES. HE WAS DRINKING SODAS AND 

IT LOOKED LIKE HE WAS ON HIS THIRD SODA. HE ALSO HAD A FEW

BAGS OF CHIPS AND A CANDY BAR. BUS HAS ARRIVED.

IT WAS 10:00 AM HIBBING MN TIME  21ST NOVEMBER AND I WAS

SITTING AND WRITING THIS AT GRANDMA CICCHIS' HOUSE. AUTHOR 

POLUZARRI, AN OLD FRIEND OF MY GRANDMA WAS ALSO THERE.

AS A CHILD, I KNEW HIS SISTER WHO LIVED DIRECTLY ACROSS THE

STREET FROM GRANDMA IN THIS AREA OF HIBBING WHICH IS CALLED

BROOKLYN.  IT IS NAMED AFTER BROOKLYN, NEW YORK CITY BECAUSE

SO MANY ITALIANS SETTLED HERE FROM BROOKLYN TO WORK IN THE

OPEN PIT IRON ORE MINES NEAR VIRGINIA AND CHISOLM, JUST NORTH

OF HIBBING. WE ALSO LIVED ACROSS THE STREET FROM GRANDMA,

FOUR

HOUSES DOWN THE STREET. MANY OF THE HOUSES IN THIS AREA WERE

BUILT BY MY DAD AND GRANDPA. THEY COULD DO EVERYTHING . THEY

DID HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE DOING THE OUTER WALL FACADES THOUGH.

MY DADS' COUSIN, PETER TARAMELLI (HE TAUGHT ME HOW TO DRIVE

A CAR), WAS A STONE MASON WHO BUILT MANY BRICK WALLS AND

FIREPLACES

FOR HOMES AND BUSINESSES ON THE IRON RANGE. WHEN

I FIRST ARRIVED HERE, I SLEPT LONG AND DEEP. I MUST HAVE BEEN

EXHAUSTED. I WAS NOW RESTED AND READY TO LISTEN TO THE

CONVERSATIONS. VISITING GRANDMA CICCHI ALWAYS PROVIDED

OPPORTUNITIES TO HEAR INTERESTING STORIES. ARTHUR POLUZARRI

AND GRANDMA WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY WERE ALWAYS

CUTTING WOOD AND DID NOT HAVE TELEVISION. "WE DID NOT EVEN

HAVE A RADIO FOR HEAVENS SAKE." MR. POLUZZARI TAUGHT SOCIAL

STUDIES IN HIGH SCHOOL FROM 1935 UNTIL 1955. HE WAS ALSO TALKING

ABOUT HOW THEIR YARDS HAD NO GRASS. THEIR YARDS HAD LOTS OF 

GARDENS WITH VEGETABLES GROWING. GRANDMAS' GARDEN WAS HALF

GRASS AND HALF GARDEN. SHE GREW GARLIC, LETTUCE, TOMATOES,

LONG  GREEN BEANS, CUCUMBERS, AND ONIONS.

I WAS AT THE DAYS INN OF HIBBING. MY DAD ARRIVED FROM LAS VEGAS

NV AT 8:15 AM. HE WAS IN A NICER HOTEL BUT I WAS IN A DOUBLE ROOM.

THE NEWS PAPER WAS SLIPPED HALF WAY UNDERNEATH THE DOOR.

THE FREE BREAKFAST THAT COMES WITH THE PRICE OF THE ROOM WAS

THE BASIC CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST WITH EGGS AND CEREAL, BREAD,

AND A TOASTER. WITH THESE SIMPLE HOTEL BREAKFASTS, I DRINK A LOT 

OF THE FRUIT JUICES BEFORE EATING EGGS OR CEREAL. MY DAD WAS 

TALKING ABOUT HOW HE SENDS GRANDMA $500 EVERY MONTH. SHE

SAID THAT SHE DOES NOT NEED HIM TO SEND HER THAT MONEY. WHEN

SHE PASSED AWAY, I RECEIVED ABOUT 20 CLASS EE SAVINGS BONDS,FOR

ME, RAYHEND AND RENO. I HAVE THE IDEA THAT SHE BOUGHT ALL THE BONDS

WITH MONEY DAD SENT HER. SHE TELLS DAD "YOU DO NOT HAVE  TO SEND

ME ALL THE MONEY."

HE SAID; " I DO NOT HAVE TO DO ANYTHING". HE LAUGHED AT THAT.

IT IS 6:30 PM DULUTH MN TIME, 27TH OF NOVEMBER. I AM SITTING AND

WRITING THIS WHILE WATCHING HBO IN A $36 A NIGHT MOTEL ROOM

ONE MILE FROM THE DULUTH AIRPORT.  THE NEXT MORNING AT 0730, I

WILL WALK TO THE AIRPORT TO MEET THE FLIGHT TO LAX. MY DAD GAVE 

ME $200, GRANDMA GAVE ME $50, GREAT AUNT EDDIE GAVE ME $10.  I 

PAID FOR THE MOTEL ROOM WITH SOME OF THE MONEY.  AT 8:30 TONIGHT,

THE MOTEL ROOM TELEVISION WILL BE SHOWING THE GOLDEN CHILD ON

THE HBO STATION. I DECIDED TO WATCH THAT MOVIE AND THEN I WOULD

CALL VANESSA. RIGHT NOW THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL IS SHOWING THE

MIGRATION OF BLUE WHALES AND GREY WHALES. THE WHALES WERE

MIGRATING FROM THE BERING SEA DOWN TO THE TROPICAL WATERS 

OF MEXICO. 

A TRAVEL GUIDE OF LIFE; CHAPTER 3:

FURTHER TOWARDS SOUTHEAST ASIA:

LAX VIA TARMAC OF DULUTH AIRPORT, LANDSCAPES OF TREES AND LAKES. CHICAGO SKYLINE, ROLLING AGRICULTURAL HILLS, MAJESTIC ROCKY MOUNTAINS, CONTINENTAL DIVIDE, A HUGE EXPANSE OF WHITE SNOW COVERING THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS AND THEN THE DESERT LANDS OF NEVADA AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, THE HILLS JUST EAST OF LOS ANGELES, AND ULTIMATELY, LAX. 

IT WAS 5:30 AM LOS ANGELES TIME AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LA CAMPUS. IT IS PEACFUL BEHIND THE PLANT PHYSIOLOGY BUILDING. I PRACTICED A PEACEFUL AND CHARMING  TAI CHI CHUAN AND TOOK A LONG REST. I WANTED TO STAY RIGHT THERE ON THE CAMPUS TAKING NAPS, SENDING OUT POST CARDS, CALLING VANESSA, DOING THE TAI CHI, FINDING PLACES TO EAT. I HAD NOT ARRANGED FOR A HOTEL ROOM SO I DECIDED THAT I MAY AS WELL SLEEP HERE WITH THE COMFORTABLE WEATHER, TREE COVER, AND THE CANVAS SPREAD THAT I HAD IN MY GREEN DUFFLE BAG. SO I LIVED ON THE UCLA CAMPUS FOR THREE DAYS UNTIL I HAD TO RETURN TO LAX FOR THE KOREAN AIRLINES FLIGHT TO ICN AIRPORT. 

SITTING AND WRITING THIS AT THE SUNSET THAI RESTAURANT AFTER WALKING DOWN SUNSET BOULEVARD FOR TWO HOURS. THE ROXY THEATRE, WHISKY A GO GO, TIFFANY THEATRE, GOOD THAI FOOD. NIEL YOUNG RECORDED A ROXY LIVE RECORDING. ALSO PERFORMING AT THE ROXY; BOB MARLEY, FRANK ZAPPA, VAN MORRISON, WARREN ZEVON, THE RAMONES, THE CRUSADERS, ETC. (I BETTER STOP BECAUSE THE LIST GOES ON AND ON). THE TIFFANY THEATRE WAS BOTH A PERFORMANCE THEATRE AND A MOVIE HOUSE OPENED IN 1966.HOWARD HESSMAN AND ROB REINER PERFORMED HERE IN THE COMMITTEE. IT BECAME A HUB FOR THE ROCKY HORRER PICTURE SHOW AT MIDNIGHTS ON THE WEEKEND AROUND 1977. I HESITATE TO MENTION MORE ABOUT THE WHISKY A GO GO BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYONE PERFORMED THERE; INCLUDING THE BYRDS, TAJ MAHAL, LED ZEPPELIN, PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC, THE DOORS, FLEETWOOD MAC... WAIT STOP, I BETTER NOT CONTINUE BECAUSE THE LIST IS EXTRAPHENOMENAL. IT WAS OPENED IN 1964.

WALKING DOWN WEST SUNSET BOULEVARD, SANTA MONICA, WEST HOLLYWOOD, ONE IS PROVIDED WITH VIEWS OF MULTIMILLION DOLLAR HOUSES; HOUSES OWNED BY ARAB PRINCES, MOVIE STARS, DOCTORS, LAWYERS, ARCHITECTS, AND THE OCCASSIONAL ANONYMOUS MOBSTER. 

THE UCLA CAMPUS PROVED TO BE A GREAT BASE OF OPERATIONS. I TOOK NAPS IN SEVERAL AREAS OF THE CAMPUS. I ALSO EXPLORED THE CAMPUS AND TOOK PHOTOS OF SOME OF THE MORE INTERESTING BUILDINGS. I WAS USING ONE TIME PROCESSING, THROW AWAY CAMERAS. I WAS STORING MY GREEN BAG IN A STORAGE LOCKER AT THE ENGINEERING BUILDING WHERE I SPENT A LOT OF TIME. I WAS ABLE TO STORE MY BAG THERE WHILE I WANDERED THE STREETS OF VARIOUS LOS ANGELES NEIGHBORHOODS. THERE WAS GOING TO BE A SHOW AT THE ROXY THEATER THE NEXT NIGHT BUT I DID NOT GO. 

IT WAS DURING THIS STAY WHEN I FIRST VISITED THE ISKCON TEMPLE NEAR VENICE BEACH. IT IS ALSO KNOWN AS NEW DVARAKA. THE TEMPLE WAS ESTABLISHED BY A. C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPAD IN 1970. THERE IS A BHAGAVAD GITA MUSEUM THERE. THE ORIGINAL DVARAKA WAS THE KINGDOM WHERE THE PANDAVAS RULED; THE FAMILY OF LORD KRISHNA. I WALKED A COUPLE OF MILES EVERY DAY AND TOOK THE BUS BETWEEN UCLA AND THE TEMPLE. 3764 WATSEKA AVENUE IS THE ADDRESS OF NEW DVARAKA ISKCON TEMPLE. AFTER MORNING DARSHAN AND GOOD MEAL OF PRASADAM AT THE TEMPLE RESTAURANT (GOVINDAS), I TOOK AN EXTENSIVE WALK UP ROBINSON AVENUE INTO BEVERLY HILLS, AND INTO WEST HOLLYWOOD,  SANTA MONICA, AND TO THE SUNSET STRIP, THEN INTO AREAS THAT LOOKED LIKE LITTLE THAILAND AND LITTLE ISREAL. WHEN I GOT TIRED, I RETURNED TO THE UCLA CAMPUS BUT I NOTICED A FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILDING THAT HAD AN EMPTY FLOOR. IT WAS IDEAL FOR TAI CHI CHUAN SO I PRACTICED THERE WHERE THE FLOOR DID NOT HAVE ANY CARPET YET. I HAD NO FEAR OF THE STREETS OR BUILDINGS OF LOS ANGELES. 

IT WAS ABOUT 0700 LOS ANGELES TIME AND I JUST FINISHED MY TAI CHI CHUAN, THIS MORNING I PRACTICED THE TAI CHI ON SANTA MONICA BEACH. THIS WAS A WONDERFUL HALF HOUR EXPERIENCE. IT WAS A NEW EXPERIENCE BECAUSE I HAD NEVER PRACTICED ON THE BEACH BEFORE. THE SURFACE WITH DEEP, CLEAN SAND GRABBING MY FEET AND DOING HALF OF THE BALANCING WORK WAS EXHILARATING. THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT AND SPACE / TIME TOOK ON AN EXPANSIVE AND INEXPLICABLE CHARACTERISTIC. I ALSO WALKED FURTHER ALONG THE COAST TO VENICE BEACH WHICH WAS A HANG OUT PLACE FOR JIM MORRISON AND RAY MANZAREK OF THE DOORS. IT CAN EVEN BE SAID THAT THE IDEA OF THE DOORS WAS INITIATED THERE BECAUSE THEY MET THERE AND RAY MANZAREK DISCOVERED THE LYRICAL TALENT OF JIM MORRISON. THERE IS A HOSTEL IN THE AREA WITH $10 ROOMS WITH DORMITORY BEDDING AND $14 SEMI PRIVATE ROOMS. IF I EVER RETURN TO LA AS A BACKPACKER, I WOULD STAY THERE ALTHOUGH THE PRICES WILL PROBABLY RISE A BIT BY THE TIME I RETURN. 

A TRAVEL GUIDE OF LIFE CHAPTER 4:

FIRST EXCURSION INTO SOUTHEAST ASIA :

IT WAS 0800 LOS ANGELES TIME AT LAX. I WAS FEELING SLEEPY BUT FLIGHT 75 WOULD BE LEAVING AT

0925  SO  I DID NOT HAVE A LONG WAIT. I HAD THE BOARDING PASSES READY TO GET ME ON THE PLANE AND INTO BANGKOK THAILAND. 

ONCE ON THE PLANE I DID RELAX AND SLEEP QUITE A LOT BUT I ALSO WATCHED MOVIES. BY THE TIME

WE GOT TO ICN, I WAS FEELING SLEEPY AGAIN AND I HAD NO IDEA WHAT TIME IT WAS. I REMEMBERED

THE WHITE LIGHTS OF TOKYO JAPAN WHICH COVERED A MASSIVE EXPANSE OF LAND AND THE AMBER

COLORED LIGHTS OF SEOUL

SOUTH KOREA WHICH WE LANDED INTO. WHILE WE WERE IN ICN AIRPORT, I WAS HOT AND SWEATY SO

IT WAS NOT GOOD NEWS THAT OUR FLIGHT WOULD HAVE AN HOUR DELAY. IT WAS NOT TOO BAD

THOUGH, BECAUSE I DOSED OFF. THE ROOM WE WERE IN WAS A LARGE, SQUARE ROOM WITH ABOUT 20 ROLLS OF FOLDING CHAIRS

AND NO CARPET. THERE WAS NOTHING INTERESTING TO KEEP US ENTERTAINED SO IT WAS EASY TO

DOSE OFF.  I SAT VERY CLOSE TO THE PODIUM TYPE DESK ( THE ONLY OTHER PIECE OF FURNITURE IN

THE ROOM BESIDES THE CHAIRS  NEXT TO THE JETWAY LOADING BRIDGE. ) I REMEMBER THE CALL TO BOARD THE

PLANE AND EVERYBODY JUST QUEUED UP AND WE ENTERED THE PLANE IN THE ORDER WE HAD STOOD

IN THE LINE. 

IT WAS 3:10 BANGKOK THAILAND TIME. I WAS SITTING AND WRITING THIS AT THE ISKCON TEMPLE OF SAI PATTAY OSTHO NEAR THE GENERAL POST OFFICE ON NEW ROAD. I HAD MET A KRISHNA DEVOTEE AT THE TAIPEI TAIWAN AIRPORT WHICH WAS A STOP OVER LOCATION BETWEEN SEOUL KOREA AND BANGKOK THAILAND. WE DECIDED

TO MEET IN THE BANGKOK AIRPORT AND SHARE A TAXI TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE ISKCON TEMPLE AND SEARCH FOR IT TOGETHER. WE PAID ABOUT $4.25 EACH FOR THE TAXI RIDE. THE DRIVER WAS

FRIENDLY AND EFFICIENT; QUICKLY GETTING US TO THE GENERAL POST OFFICE WHERE HE DROPPED US

OFF. WE FOUND THE TEMPLE BY ASKING PEOPLE IN THE STREET FOR "THE KRISHNA TEMPLE". IT TOOK ONLY ABOUT FIVE MINUTES TO FIND THE TEMPLE. I WAS THEN ABLE TO REST;

TO SLEEP. I DID NOT SLEEP A LOT.

I DID SLEEP ABOUT THREE HOURS. FEELING GOOD...

SO I AT LEAST GOT A GOOD NAP.

COLD WATER BUCKET BATH...CLEAN...

SHAVED... CLEAN CLOTHS.

WE WERE ONLY ABOUT FOUR STREETS AWAY FROM THE GENERAL POST OFFICE. I WENT OUT AND

QUICKLY FOUND SOME POST CARDS TO COMMUNICATE WITH MY DAD, VANESSA, GRANDMA, AND MY GREAT AUNT EDDIE.

IT WAS ALMOST 0700 BANGKOK THAILAND TIME AND I DID NOT WANT TO TAKE MUCH TIME AT THE

TEMPLE AFTER MORNING KIRTAN AND THE MEAL OF PRASADAM. I CALCULATED WHAT I COULD

CONTRIBUTE TO

THE TEMPLE AND THEN I WENT OUT INTO THE EXCITEMENT OF BANGKOK. THE NEXT TIME I RETURN TO BANGKOK, I WILL LOOK UP ISKCON AGAIN TO SEE IF IT HAS GROWN OR MOVED ON TO A LARGER SPACE WHICH I EXPECT THAT IT WILL. 

I RETURNED TO THE SMALL ISKCON TEMPLE AS IT GOT DARK OUTSIDE. I WAS HOT AND SWEATY SO I HAD TO TAKE

A BATH. THEN I COULD EAT SOME PRASADAM AND REST THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT. I SAT ALONE SO

I COULD WRITE ABOUT MY DAY IN BANGKOK. I WAS UP AND DOWN THE CHAO PRAYA AND I SPENT TIME

IN CHINATOWN. BANGKOK HAS ONE OF THE LARGEST CHINATOWNS IN THE WORLD. A LARGE

PERCENTAGE OF THE CHINESE IMMIGRANTS ARE OF THE TEOCHEW ETHNICITY. GUAN YU SHRINE IS WORTH VISITING

AS WELL AS SOME OF THE GREAT RESTAURANTS. 

AFTER WAKING UP, WE ALL ATTENDED ARATI AND KIRTAN. THESE TAKE ABOUT HALF AN HOUR HERE. IN LARGER TEMPLES, IT WILL TAKE MUCH LONGER. THERE ARE ONLY A FEW DEVOTEES IN THIS TEMPLE.

AFTER KIRTAN WE

HAD A BHAGAVAD GITA READING CLASS (ALSO ABOUT HALF AN HOUR)  AND THEN WE ATE BREAKFAST

PRASADAM. THEY WERE ASKING ME TO STAY AT THE TEMPLE FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS. OF COURSE, I COULD NOT STAY THAT LONG. I DECIDED TO STAY TWO MORE DAYS AS A COMPROMISE. I COULD NOT

STOP THINKING ABOUT A TRAIN RIDE FURTHER SOUTH. 

MY NEXT EXPLORATION IN BANGKOK BROUGHT ME UP THE CHAO PRAYA (MY FAVORITE WAY TO GET AROUND THE CITY). 

MY FIRST DESTINATION WAS THE SI SAO THEWES MARKET WHERE I HAD PREVIOUSLY PRACTICED MY

TAI CHI CHUAN. THIS MARKET IS IN THE DUSIT AREA OF BANGKOK. IT IS NEAR THE SUKITHAI PALACE

AND

THE DUSIT PALACE COMPLEX. THE MARKET IS A TYPICAL, LARGE MARKET WITH FRUIT AND VEGETABLE

STALLS AND MERCHANDISE SHOPS SURROUNDING THE CITY BLOCK. THE PRICES OF THE FRUITS AND

VEGETABLES ARE

CLEARLY DISPLAYED BUT THEY ARE ALL IN THAI BHAT. AFTER I LEFT THE MARKET, I WALKED DOWN TO WHERE

THE GRAND PALACE IS LOCATED. IT TOOK ME ABOUT 40 MINUTES WALKING DOWN SAMSEN ROAD, PAST

A CANAL,

A 7-11, AND A SECOND CANAL TO  PHRA SUMEN ROAD.  THEN THERE WAS A RIGHT TURN TOWARDS  SOI LUMPHU WHICH MERGES INTO PHRA ATHIT ROAD. BY THIS TIME I WAS WALKING ALONG THE CHAO

PRAYA RIVER. I PASSED PHRA SUMEN FORT, PHRA PINKLAO BRIDGE, NATIONAL MUSEUM BANGKOK,

AND SILPAKOM UNIVERSITY.  

THE GRAND PALACE IS MAGNAFÍQUE WITH SEVERAL BUILDINGS OF BEAUTIFUL, TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE. I PAID THE ENTRANCE FEE WHICH MAY BE ABOUT $10 AT THE TIME. A LOT OF THIS

COMPLEX WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT AS THE RESIDENCE FOR THE ROYAL FAMILY OF THE KING OF SIAM

AROUND 1780. SINCE AROUND 1930, THIS COMPLEX HAS BEEN USED FOR OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT

BUSINESS WITH  THE ROYAL FAMILY RESIDING AT THE

DUSIT PALACE COMPLEX.

AFTER I LEFT THE GRAND PALACE, I STARTED WALKING DOWN SAMAN CHAI ROAD TOWARDS WAT PO.  BEFORE I REACHED WAT PO, I ENTERED A VERY LARGE FIELD BECAUSE I ESPIED A MOUNTAIN OF GIANT SPEAKERS. THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE IN THE FIELD, EITHER STANDING AROUND OR MOVING ABOUT. 

THIS FIELD IS SARANROM PALACE PARK AND IT IS ABOUT HALF WAY BETWEEN THE GRAND PALACE AND WAT PO. SOME PEOPLE WERE PLAYING WITH WHAT LOOKED LIKE A SOCCER BALL. THEY KICKED THE

BALL AS THEY WOULD

IN SOCCER AND THEY WOULD STRIKE IT WITH THEIR ELBOWS. THE CONTESTANTS FORMED A CIRCLE

WHILE THEY TRIED TO GET THE BALL INTO A NET THAT HANGS BETWEEN THREE HOOPS. IT WAS NICE RELAXING HERE

WATCHING THE GAME AND LISTENING TO THE LOUD MUSIC. AFTER ABOUT TWO HOURS I WALKED TO

WAT PO.

THE WAT PO COMPLEX IS MASSIVE WITH BEAUTIFUL, TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE. IT HAS A THAI

MASSAGE SCHOOL, THE WORLD FAMOUS RECLINING BUDDHA, AND  MANY ARTWORKS. WAT PO IS ALSO CALLED THE

TEMPLE OF THE RECLINING BUDDHA. THE NAME WAT PO IS SHORT FOR WAT PHOTARAM. IT IS ONE OF

THE SIX "HIGHEST GRADE  OF FIRST CLASS ROYAL TEMPLES". THE ASHES OF KING RAMA I ARE INTERRED HERE BECAUSE HE HAD A LARGE PART OF THE COMPLEX BUILT SINCE 1788. AFTER ABOUT TWO HOURS AT WAT PO,

I RETURNED TO

THE ISKCON TEMPLE TO PLAN MY TRIP TO KANCHANABURI. IT MIGHT BE TIME FOR A BIKE RIDE.

AT THE BORDER OF NORTHERN THAILAND AND SOUTHERN MYANMAR (KNOWN AS BURMA AT THE TIME THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN). THIS IS A PHOTO OF AN OLD PRINT PHOTO SO IT IS IN MY INFAMOUS POST IMPRESSIONIST STYLE. THE SIDE OF THE BRIDGE WHERE I AM AT IS THAILAND AND THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BRIDGE IS MYANMAR.

A TRAVEL GUIDE OF LIFE CHAPTER 8:

A SECOND GO AROUND IN BANGKOK BEFORE TRAVELING FURTHER SOUTH. 

I WALKED BANGKOK DOWN TO THE GROUND. NOT EVEN KRUNG THEP MAHANAKON

CAN SUBDUE ME. I WILL BE HEADING SOUTH TOWARDS MALAYSIA IN JUST TWO DAYS. THE ROOM I HAD AT FREDDIES GUEST HOUSE HAD A GOOD VIEW AND IT DID NOT HAVE ANY OF THE RESIDENT LIZARDS THAT ARE OFTEN SEEN IN MOTEL ROOMS. I THINK THEY ARE GECKOS. THE MOST WONDERFUL VIEW THAT I HAD SEEN OF BANGKOK WAS ON TOP OF THE GOLDEN MOUNT OF WAT SAKET. THE VIEW IS ENORMOUS. YOU CAN WALK ALL AROUND THE GOLDEN MOUNT. EVERY ROOF TOP IN BANGKOK CAN BE SEEN FOR MILES AROUND. THERE IS NO END TO THE VARIOUS SIZES, SHAPES, AND COLORS OF THE ROOFTOPS.

AFTER WAT SAKET, I WALKED TO LUMPINI PARK WHERE I PRACTICED MY TAI CHI CHUAN. LUMPINI PARK IS HUGE AND PEOPLE CAN EVEN RENT ROW BOATS AND ROW AROUND AN ISLAND IN THE LAKE. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF BRIDGES THAT PEOPLE CAN USE TO REACH THE ISLAND. OLDER PEOPLE CONGREGATE AT THE PARK. THERE ARE SEVERAL FOOD STALLS INSIDE THE PARK AND THERE IS A MARKET STREET JUST ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE ENTRANCE TO THE PARK. ONE MAN WAS JOGGING AROUNG THE PARK WITH A TIRE DRAGGING BEHIND HIM. HE TIED A ROPE AROUND HIS WAIST WITH THE TIRE TIED WITH THE OTHER END OF THE ROPE. I SAW ANOTHER MAN JOGGING WITH A VERY HIGH STEP AND HE LOOKED LIKE A DUCK WALKING UP HILL. EVERY TIME I DO MY TAI CHI CHUAN IN THIS PARK, A CAT COMES UP TO WATCH AND IT STAYS UNTIL I FINISH. 

THE GUIDEBOOK SAID THE POLICE PRESENCE IN THAILAND IS MINIMAL AND I FOUND THAT TO BE THE CASE. I DO SEE THEM NEAR "POLICE BOXES" AND DIRECTING TRAFFIC. THAT IS NEEDED OFTEN BECAUSE TRAFFIC CAN BE EXTREMELY HEAVY AND THERE ARE MANY INTERSECTIONS WITH NO TRAFFIC LIGHTS. TRAFFIC CAN LOOK LIKE A RIVER BREAKING THROUGH A DAM. 

TODAY I WAS EATING IN THE STREETS. I ATE WATERMELON, PAPAYA, COCONUT, CARVED UP PINEAPPLE, A SWEET BREAD, AND I FOUND OUT THAT THE COCONUT LIKE FRUIT THAT I HAD EATEN A FEW DAYS EARLIER WAS ACTUALLY A YOUNG COCONUT.IN CHINATOWN I BOUGHT A ROOTBEER AND A CAN OF WATERCRESS JUICE AT A MINIMART. I WOULD TIP 5 OR 10 BHAT IN RESTAURANTS ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT NECESSARY. THE STAFF MEMBERS DO NOT SEEM TO MIND A LITTLE EXTRA BEING LEFT FOR THEM ON THE TABLES. 5 OR 10 BHAT ARE ONLY A FEW CENTS ANYWAY. BUT THEN AGAIN, THE MEALS WERE COSTING ONLY TWO OR THREE DOLLARS. 

THERE IS A GOLDEN MOUNT THAT STANDS ON A ROCKY HILL. THERE ARE TOMBS ALL AROUND IT. THESE TOMBS ARE SIMILAR TO THE TOMBS IN KANCHI THAT I PHOTGRAPHED. I AM STILL WORRIED THAT THOSE PHOTOS MAY HAVE BEEN RUINED. WEALTH AND POVERTY EXIST RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER. ABJECT POVERTY IS NOT HIDDEN FROM VIEW. I ONCE SAW A MAN ON SILOM ROAD WHO HAD NO RIGHT HAND AND NO RIGHT FOOT BUT HE WAS STILL ABLE TO PLAY CARATELAS. HE TIED THE CARATELAS TO HIS WRISTS AND ANKLES. HE ALSO PLAYED THE HARMONICA. I BOUGHT SOME SWEETS AT A STREET STALL THERE AND I GAVE THE CHANGE TO THAT MAN. HE FOUND A VERY INOVATIVE WAY TO MAKE MONEY EVEN WITH HIS GREAT HANDICAP SO I MADE IT A POINT TO CONTRIBUTE A LITTLE TO HIS WELL BEING. I WAS ALWAYS WALKING BY CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS THROUGHOUT BANGKOK. WOMEN AND CHILDREN ARE OFTEN INVOLVED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION. IT IS A VERY EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN THE BUILDING BUILDING BUSINESS HERE. THERE ARE ALSO A LOT OF PRETTY BOARDS WITH CHAIRS. I THOUGHT THEY WERE FOR PICNICS IN THE PARKS AND ON SIDEWALKS BUT EVENTUALLY I SAW MEN PLAYING CHESS ON THEM. THEY OFTEN USED BOTTLE CAPS FOR THE GAMES. I DO NOT KNOW IF IT IS POSSIBLE TO PLAY CHESS WITH BOTTLE CAPS THAT WOULD LOOK THE SAME AS ALL THE OTHER BOTTLE CAPS SO MAYBE THEY WERE PLAYING CHECKERS. MARBLE CHESS BOARDS ARE OFTEN DISPLAYED IN STORE WINDOWS. THAT WAS ALL I MANAGED FOR THIS VISIT TO BANGKOK. NEXT, THE TRIP TO HUA HIN.

A TRAVEL GUIDE OF LIFE CHAPTER 9:

ARRIVAL INTO HUA HIN.

HUA HIN SEEMS TO BE RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE COMPARED TO PLACES LIKE PATTAYA OR PHUKET. THAI ROYAL FAMILIES HAD SUMMER PALACES HERE SO THIS IS KNOWN AS THE BEACH GETAWAY OF THE ROYALS. NIGHTLIFE SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE MORE LAID BACK HERE THAN IN BANGKOK AND OTHER TOURIST DESTINATIONS. MANY EX-PATS LIVE HERE. THERE ARE MODERN HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS HERE WHILE RETAINING ITS ECONOMICALLY VIABLE FISHING TRADE.

HUA HIN IS A VERY CHARMING PLACE AROUND THE SOFITEL HOTEL AND THE SUNEE GUESTHOUSE WHERE I STAYED. I DID NOT QUICKLY FIND THE GUESTHOUSE MENTIONED IN THE GUIDE BOOK I HAD SO I FOUND A SIGN THAT SAYED 100-200 BHAT FOR NIGHT. THERE WAS AN OLD LADY SITTING ON A COT IN FRONT OF THE GUESTHOUSE AND SHE MOTIONED TO THE SIGN, NODDING HER HEAD. THE PRICE WAS RIGHT AND I COULD NOT RESIST IMMEDIATE RELAXATION SO WHEN A YOUNG GIRL POINTED TO A COUPLE OF ROOMS, I CHOSE THE ROOM ON THE SECOND FLOOR. SUNEE GUESTHOUSE WAS VERY PLEASANT WHEN I STAYED THERE. IT TOOK THE BUS ONLY THREE HOURS TO ARRIVE INTO HUA HIN FROM BANGKOK. I FOUND AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWS PAPER THAT IS CALLED "THE NATION" WITH WORLD NEWS. HUA HIN IS ON THE COAEST OF THE GULF OF THAILAND. IT HAS BEAUTIFUL GREEN WATER BUT IT IS SAID TO BE POLLUTED. THEREFORE, I DID NOT SWIM IN IT BUT I DID WALK DOWN HUA BEACH, OFTEN WADING IN THE SHALLOW WAVES. I WALKED AS FAR AS THE AREA WHERE THERE IS A HILL WITH A GOLD COLORED BUDDHA. IT IS A SMALL MOUNTAIN OR A LARGE HILL. THE BUDDHA IS RATHER LARGE BUT IT IS CALLED THE BUDDHA SHRINE PRACHUAP. I TOOK ONE PHOTO EVERY TIME I WOULD STOP TO RELAX. THE BUDDHA STATUE WAS LARGER IN EACH PHOTO. WALKING ALONG THE COAST SOUTH OF HUA HIN / PEOPLE PLAYING VOLLEYBALL / CHILDREN PLAYING SOCCER / FAST WALKING MAN / TWO JOGGERS / PEOPLE DIGGING INTO THE SAND / BARKING DOG / SAND TOWER CONSTRUCTION. THERE ARE MANY DOGS IN THE STREETS BUT THEY GENERALLY LOOK HEALTHIER AND CLEANER THAT THOSE IN MANY COUNTRIES LIKE MEXICO. THEY SEEM MORE DOCILE TOO. MAYBE THEY ARE BUDDHIST DOGS. I ATE AT A SEAFOOD RESTAURANT CALLED KHAN SEAFOOD. IT WAS A WONDERFUL PLATE OF FRESH CRABS ON A BED OF RICE WITH GREENS AND SAUCE. WITH PINEAPPLE JUICE, ONE BEER, AND BOTTLED WATER, THE COST WAS 156 BHAT WHICH WAS ABOUT $6.10 (AROI MAK). 

I WAS VERY HAPPY HERE SO I DID NOT MIND WHEN IT WAS TIME TO LEAVE AND IT TOOK LONGER THAT I EXPECTED BECAUSE THE GIRL WHO HAD SHOWN ME THE ROOMS, SLEPT IN AND DID NOT APPEAR UNTIL 0900. BEFORE GOING TO THE BUS STOP, I WENT TO THE POST OFFICE TO MAIL A POST CARD TO VANESSA. I FIRST FOUND AIR CONDITIONED BUSES TO KRABI BUT THESE WERE VIP BUSES THAT COST 500 BHAT TO GET THERE. I DID NOT LIKE THE PRICE SO I WENT OVER TO THE TRAIN STATION AND FOUND A TRAIN TO SURAT THANI THAT WOULD LEAVE FIVE HOURS EARLIER THAN THE BUS AND IT WOULD COST ONLY 150 BHAT. A SLEEPER CAR WOULD COST 300 BHAT. I WENT TO EAT SOMETHING AT 12:00 AND THEN WENT TO THE TRAIN STATION TO WAIT FOR THE DEPARTURE AT 1600. 

I DID SURVIVE THE TRAIN RIDE. NOW I KNOW HOW MUSLIMS PRAY ON A MOVING TRAIN. NOW I KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE TO TAKE A TWELVE HOUR TRAIN RIDE IN THIRD CLASS. AND I CAME TO KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE TO SLEEP IN A TEMPLE COMPLEX. I MET TWO PEOPLE ON THE TRAIN. ONE MAN TRIED TO MAKE HIMSELF TO BE A MONK AND INVITED ME TO HIS VILLAGE. I WAS CONSIDERING IT BUT HE REALLY DID NOT SEEM LIKE A REAL MONK AND THEN ANOTHER MAN SAT NEXT TO ME AND HE WAS WEARING A MONKS ROBE AND HE INVITED ME SPECIFICALLY TO A TEMPLE SO I ACCEPTED HIS INVITATION. WE GOT OFF THE TRAIN AT PHATTHALUNG AND CAUGHT A BEMO TO ARRIVE AT THE WAT WHERE HE STAYED. WE FIRST MET WITH THE HEAD MONK OF THE TEMPLE AND THEN WE FOUND OUR HUT WHERE WE WERE TO SLEEP. THERE ARE SEVERAL SMALL BUNGALOW TYPE HUTS LIKE THIS WHERE THE OTHER MONKS SLEPT. IN THIS HUT WERE A LOT OF RELIGIOUS PHOTOS, A TAPE PLAYER WITH LOTS OF TAPES, ROBES HANGING ON A CLOTHS LINE, ANTS ON THE WOOD PLANK FLOOR, MOSQUITOS BUZZING AROUND SINCE THERE WERE NO SCREENS ON THE OPEN WINDOWS, DRINKING GLASSES, AND A WATER PERCOLATOR FOR MAKING INSTANT COFFEE OR CHINESE TEA, 

THE TRAIN RIDE WAS INTERESTING AS LONG AS THE SUN WAS UP BUT WHEN THE SUN WAS DOWN, IT WAS JUST ONEROUS. I HAD TO RIDE THIRD CLASS BECAUSE I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD NO SECOND CLASS SEATS WHEN I ASKED FOR THEM. AT LEAST I REACHED SOUTHERN THAILAND ON THE RAPID TRAIN FOR ONLY 130 BHAT WHICH WAS ABOUT $5.50 AT THE TIME. I DOZED OFF FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS ON THE TRAIN. WHEN THE NEXT DAY BEGAN, WE WERE ON MOTORCYCLES THAT WE HIRED IN THE TOWN, PHATALUNG, HEADING TO THE TEMPLE AND I TOOK A SHOWER IMMEDIATLY AFTER ARRIVING. THE MONKS BROUGHT ME SOME FOOD THAT WAS MADE BY SOME OF THE VILLAGE HOUSEHOLDS. THE MONKS EAT IN THE EARLY MORNING AND THEN ANY GUESTS AT THE TEMPLE WILL EAT SOME. I ATE AS MUCH AS I COULD BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO INSULT ANY OF THE WOMEN WHO BROUGHT THE FOOD TO THE TEMPLE BY NOT TRYING THEIR DISH. THERE WAS EVEN SOME DESSERT. SOME OF THE BOWLS HAD MEAT AND I JUST ATE THE VEGETABLES FROM THOSE BOWLS. AFTER I ATE, THE HEAD MONK INVITED ME TO HIS PRIVATE HUT NEXT TO THE CEMETARY. AT ONE SIDE OF THE CEMETARY IS AN AREA WHERE BONES ARE STORED AND SMALL STUPAS MARK THE PLACES WITH THE BONES. THE HEAD MONK GAVE ME SOME TANGERINES AND WATERMELON TO EAT SO I ATE SOME AS ANOTHER DESSERT. I WAS THEN SHOWN AROUND THE TEMPLE COMPLEX AND THEN I WAS LED TO AN ENGLISH CLASS WITH STUDENTS OF AROUND 16 0R 17 YEARS OLD. I STOOD IN FRONT OF THE CLASS WITH THE HEAD MONK AND THE STUDENTS ASKED ME MANY QUESTIONS IN BROKEN ENGLISH AND I ANSWERED THEM SLOWLY TO MAKE SURE THEY COULD UNDERSTAND. 

THERE HAS BEEN A HUGE SPIDER HANGING FROM A TREE BRANCH JUST OUTSIDE THE WINDOW. IT IS UNUSUALLY BEAUTIFUL. I WAS SURROUNDED BY BUDDHIST TEXTS BEING RECITED, COWS, RICE FIELDS, COLORFUL MUSHROOMS GROWING WILD, AND MOSQUITOS. AT LEAST I HAD A MOSQUITO NET TO SLEEP UNDER THE SECOND NIGHT I WAS AT THE TEMPLE BECAUSE I SLEPT IN THE HEAD MONKS HUT. THERE WAS TO BE A CREMATION CEREMONY THE NEXT DAY BUT I INTENDED TO TRAVEL SOUTH INTO MALAYSIA. BEFORE I HEADED SOUTH TOWARDS MALAYSIA, I VISITED A CAVE TEMPLE WITH SEVERAL SHRINES. IT IS IN A MOUNTAIN THAT HAS A WALKWAY WHICH IS STEEP AND MAZE LIKE LEADING UP THE MOUNTAIN. FIGURES OF MONKS WHO HAVE LIVED AND DIED THERE ARE COMMON. ONE WALKWAY LEADS DOWN TO A POOL OF WATER. 

A TRAVEL GUIDE OF LIFE CHAPTER 10:

I LOST SOME MONEY.

I AM ANGRY THAT I AM MISSING A COUPLE HUNDRED DOLLARS. I DO NOT KNOW IF IT WAS STOLEN OR IF I LOST IT. ALL I KNOW IS THAT I THINK I HAVE ABOUT $200 LESS THAN I SHOULD. I BACKTRACKED TO THE PLACES WHERE I HAD BEEN THE PREVIOUS DAY AND FOUND NOTHING. I DID NOT FEEL LIKE DOING ANYTHING ELSE IN HUA HIN SO I JUST RELAXED UNTIL IT WAS TIME TO GO FURTHER SOUTH TO HAT YAI. I WAS GOING TO ADD AN AI PARAGRAPH HERE ABOUT HAT YAI BUT WHEN I DID THAT, IT COMPLETELY REPLACED WHAT I HAD ALREADY WRITTEN HERE. I DID NOT WANT THAT SO I REVERSED THAT ACTION. THE AI PARAGRAPH CALLED HAT YAI AS A BUSTLING CITY WITH GREAT TOURIST INFRASTRUCTURE. IT TOUTED ITS GOOD RESTAURANTS AND GOOD HOTELS. ANYWAY, I THOUGHT I WOULD ADD AN AI PARAGRAPH SINCE I DID NOT HAVE MUCH TO INCLUDE HERE ABOUT HAT YAI ON THIS BLOG.  BUT I CAN SAY THAT IT IS A GREAT PLACE FOR WALKING AROUND.

WHEN I GOT TO HAT YAI,  I FOUND A GUESTHOUSE CALLED CATHAY GUESTHOUSE. I WAS OFFERED A GIRL FOR 1,200 BHAT WHICH WAS ABOUT $48 BUT I DECLINED THE OFFER. I DID TAKE A ROOM FOR 120 BHAT AND WAS QUITE PLEASED THAT IT WAS A DECENT ROOM THAT EVEN INCLUDED A SHOWER. I LIKED THE CHEAP ROOM. IT HAS PLACES WHERE WASHED CLOTHS CAN BE HUNG  UNTIL DRY. AFTER I GOT SETTLED IN, I WENT TO THE BUS DEPOT TO BUY TICKETS  FOR A TOURIST CLASS RIDE SOUTH TO PENANG MALAYSIA. I PLANNED TO LEAVE THE NEXT MORNING. AFTER ALL, WHAT IS IN HAT YAI? LOL...  HAT YAI MEANS BIG MAHAT TREE (MAHAT YAI). THE BIG MAHAT TREE IS RELATED TO JACKFRUIT TREES. THERE IS A POST OFFICE SO I BOUGHT A POST CARD AND SENT IT TO VANESSA. I PAID 200 BHAT FOR THE RIDE TO PENANG WITH A SHARE TAXI WITH A/C. I SPENT THE AFTERNOON WALKING AROUND THE TOWN. I NOTICED THE  BARBERSHOP POLES. THERE  ARE A LOT. MOST ARE REVOLVING. AND THEY ARE OF SEVERAL COLORS AND DESIGNS. THERE IS A LARGE VARIETY OF BARBERSHOP POLES. THERE ARE SEVERAL MARKETS IN HAT YAI. IN FACT, IT IS A PARADISE FOR BARGIN HUNTERS BECAUSE IT IS A COMMERCIAL HUB CLOSE TO THE BORDER WITH MALAYSIA THAT HAS ITS GREENWAY NIGHT MARKET AND HATYAI STREET  STALLS. HAT YAI HAS A STRONG MALAY INFLUENCE DUE TO MALAYSIA BEING A MUSLIM COUNTRY 

WITH A SOURCE FROM ARABIC  AND TAMIL TRADERS.  ABOUT 405,000 PEOPLE LIVE HERE.   I THINK IT IS CITY NUMBER FIVE FOR ITS SIZE IN THAILAND. I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A VERY SAFE PLACE TO EXPLORE BUT BOMBINGS ARE RELATIVLY COMMON HERE SO I GUESS VISITORS SHOULD BE WATCHFUL FOR STRANGE ACTIVITIES. STILL, I FOUND THE CITY TO BE SAFE.        HAT YAI IS 135 MILES (216 KILOMETERS)  FROM PENANG SO IT TAKES JUST OVER THREE HOURS TO ARRIVE THERE. ACTUALLY, IT COULD TAKE FOUR HOURS TO REACH PENANG IF YOU STOP AT THE GREAT RESTAURANT A FEW MILES INTO MALAYSIA. IT IS A BUFFET STYLE RESTAURANT WITH WONDERFUL MALAY FOODS.

 .

TRAVEL GUIDE OF LIFE; CHAPTER 11:

PENANG MALAYSIA AS THE GATEWAY  TO INDONESIA.

IT WAS A STRANGE SOUND AT FIRST, FAR AWAY AND FOREIGN. I WAS FULLY AWAKE WHEN I RECOGNIZED THE MELODY AS THE ADHAN WHICH I HAD NOT HEARD IN A LONG TIME. THE SONOROUS MUSLIM CALL TO PRAYER BECAME MORE FAMILIAR AS I WOKE. I THOUGHT OF PENANG AS THE STOP OVER PLACE TO RELAX BEFORE VENTURING INTO SUMATRA. I GREW TO LOVE IT THOUGH. I CONSIDERED THE TOWN AS PENANG AS WELL AS THE ISLAND (AS SINGAPORE WOULD BE) BUT THE TOWN IS ACTUALLY GEORGETOWN. THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE IS ABOUT 90 AND THE AVERAGE LOW IS ABOUT 75 DEGREES. PERFECT WEATHER TO ME, PERFECT WEATHER FOR ME. GEORGETOWN IS MULTICULTURAL WITH DISTINCT CHINESE, MALAY,AND TAMIL NEIGHBORHOODS WHICH INCLUDE MANY BRITISH COLONIAL BUILDINGS. THE POPULATION IS AROUND 225,000 RESIDENTS. I WAS STILL UPSET ABOUT LOSING THE MONEY I HAD LOST SO I MADE A PLAN TO SPEND MOST OF MY TIME HERE IN PENANG AND ESPECIALLY IN VERY INEXPENSIVE SUMATRA. IN RETROSPECT, THIS TURNED OUT TO BE FOR THE BEST. THERE WAS A FERRY THAT I TOOK FROM BUTTERWORTH, ACROSS THE CHANNEL, TO THE PORT OF PENANG. TERMINAL FERI BUTTERWORTH WILL TAKE YOU TO PENGKALAN RAJA TUN UDA FERRY TERMINAL AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF GEORGETOWN. DURING THESE FIRST YEARS OF TRAVEL, I NEVER BOOKED HOTELS AHEAD OF TIME SO, AS USUAL, I LOOKED AROUND FOR A PLACE TO STAY. I FOUND THE NEW CHINA HOTEL AND PAID 65 RINNGIT WHICH IS JUST SHY OF $3.00 A NIGHT.  AFTER ONE NIGHT AT NEW CHINA HOTEL, I MOVED TO WAN HAI HOTEL. I PAID AN EVEN 6 RINNGIT. THEY ARE AT 35 LOVE LANE. IT IS A BREAD AND BREAKFAST WITH A "GOOD" RATING OF 6.2 ON AGODA.COM, WHICH I WOULD AGREE WITH. I MOSTLY ATE MIE KARI WHICH ALWAYS HAD NOODLES IN A CURRY BROTH WITH EITHER TEMPE OR SEAFOOD ADDED. 

I MET A CHINESE / MALAY WOMAN WHO I THOUGHT MAY HAVE BEEN DISTURBED MENTALLY. SHE GAVE ME A CARD WITH AN IMAGE OF BUDDHA AND SHE ALSO GAVE ME A BUDDHA  PENDANT ON A CHEAP CHAIN. SHE SEEMED INTELLIGENT BUT SHE WAS CLAIMING TO BE TELEPATHIC. I WAS THINKING THAT I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AVOID HER BECAUSE SHE WAS A LOT LIKE SHAKABUKU KING IN BOULDER COLORADO. HE WAS A HOMELESS MAN WHO ACTED LIKE A PROPHET OF  SORTS AND HE WOULD ALWAYS MANAGE TO FIND ME  WHEN I WAS OUT AND ABOUT TOWN. IF YOU MEET SHAKABUKU KING AND TELL HIM YOUR BIRTHDAY (YES, HE WILL ASK YOU FOR IT), THEN YOU MEET HIM 5 YEARS LATER, HE WILL REMEMBER YOU, HE WILL SAY HELLO,  AND THEN HE WILL SAY YOUR BIRTHDAY.  HE HAD A FREAKY ABILITY THAT I WITNESSED SEVERAL TIMES. I ONCE RETURNED TO BOULDER AFTER BEING AWAY FOR MORE THAN A YEAR AND HE REMEMBERED ME BY CALLING ME BY MY BIRTHDAY. HE COULD ALSO TALK FOR HOURS WHICH IS WHY I WANTED TO AVOID HIM AND WHY I WANTED TO ESCAPE FROM THIS WOMAN IN PENANG. I APPEASED HER BY TELLING HER THAT SHE WAS VERY INTERESTING AND THAT IT WOULD BE NICE TO TALK WITH HER AGAIN, "I HAVE TO GO TAKE PHOTOS BUT MY HOTEL IS IN THE AREA AND I WILL BE HERE FOR ONE WEEK."

I TOOK A BUS RIDE DOWN THE SOUTHEAST COAST OF PENANG ISLAND AFTER A LITTLE DIFFICULTY IN FINDING THE CORRECT BUS. IT IS PROBABLY BEST TO LEAVE EARLY IN THE MORNING TO SEARCH FOR THE CORRECT BUS. I PAID 1.20 MALAYSIAN RINGGIT TO TRAVEL DOWN TO BATU MAUNG. IT COST 1.75 TO RIDE THE BUS BACK UP TO THE KOMTOR BUILDING. I TOOK QUITE A FEW PHOTOS OF THE COUNTRYSIDE AND HAD A NICE CONVERSATION WITH THE BUS DRIVER. HE GAVE ME FIVE LIMES AND OFFERED TO ACT AS A GUIDE IF I WANTED TO BE SHOWN AROUND THE ISLAND. ONE OF THE LIMES WAS AS LARGE AS A CHICKEN EGG AND IT WAS SHAPED LIKE ONE. I HAD NEVER SEEN AN OVAL LIME BEFORE BUT I HAD ONE HERE.

THERE IS A VAISNAVA TEMPLE IN GEORGETOWN AND I DID STAY THERE A FEW DAYS. THEY HAVE BUDDHA AND QUAN YIN MURTIS IN THEIR ALTAR ROOM BESIDES SOME MURTIS USED BY ISKCON. I BELIEVE THIS TEMPLE IS AN OFF SHOOT OF ISKCON THAT SEEKS TO INCOPORATE VAISNAVA RELIGION WITH BUDDHISM. I WAS STILL AT THE WAN HAI HOTEL WHEN I FIRST VISITED THIS TEMPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN A RATHA YATRA FESTIVAL WHEN THE DEVOTEES AND LOCAL RESIDENTS DO PARIKRAM AROUND GEORGTOWN. THIS IS LIKE A PARADE WITH THE TEMPLE DIETIES CARRIED IN FRONT OF THE PROCESSION AND THE DEVOTEES DANCING AND CHANTING AROUND THE DIETIES. HUGE VATS OF DELICIOUS PRASADAM WERE BROUGHT BY THE DEVOTEES TO FEED EVERYBODY WHO ATTENDED THE RATHA YATRA. WAN HAI HOTEL IS VERY CLOSE TO THE TEMPLE WHICH IS ON JALAN PENANG.

I ALSO ATE AT A MUSLIM STREET CAFE FOR LUNCH. A LARGE MURTABAK AND CURRY SAUCE WITH POTATO AND A STARFRUIT JUICE COST ONLY THREE RINGGIT 50 SEN FOR EVETYTHING. THIS WAS DURING A TRIP TO A SNAKE TEMPLE. IT IS ACTUALLY THE TEMPLE OF THE AZURE CLOUDS. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL CHINESE TEMPLE THAT IS PROBABLY TAOIST. THE CENTRAL ALTAR HAS A BLUE SKY BEHIND IT, WHITE CLOUDS, INCENSE, AND GODDESS SURROUNDED BY SNAKES. THERE WERE FOUR SNAKES ON THE ALTAR. THERE ARE ALSO A FEW OTHER SNAKES IN THE TEMPLE BUT I DID NOT ENCOUNTER THEM. THESE SNAKES ARE CONSIDERED THE REINCARNATION OF BUDDHIST MONK MASTER QINGSHUI. THE TEMPLE OF THE AZURE CLOUDS, BUILT IN HONOR OF MASTER QINGSHUI, IN 1805,  IS ACTUALLY BETWEEN BAYAN BARU AND BAYAN LEPAS WHICH ARE ABOUT ONE HOUR SOUTH OF GEORGETOWN. THE TEMPLE COMPLEX HAS SEVERAL ROOMS WITH ALTARS, A GARDEN, TOILETS, FOOD STALLS, AND A GIFT SHOP OR TWO. I BOUGHT A STRAND OF BUDDHIST CHANTING BEADS WITH A RED TASSEL AND A CHOKER WITH AN ELEPHANT AMULET. THESE TWO ITEMS COST 25 RINGGIT WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT NINE DOLLARS AT THE TIME. IT WAS AN ORDEAL TO FIND THE BUS WHEN I WANTED TO RETURN TO GEORGETOWN. IT TOOK ABOUT ONE HOUR OF WAITING FOR THE BUS. THERE IS A BUS STOP NEAR THE SNAKE TEMPLE AND I HAD TO GO THERE AND WAIT FOR BUS 66. 

I THINK PENANG IS AN IDEAL PLACE TO LIVE. FISHERMAN PIER WITH FOOD STALLS, PRETTY SEA SHELLS LYING ON THE BEACH. NEIGHBORHOODS STEEPED IN ANCIENT CULTURE, AND FOODS THAT I WILL ALWAYS CRAVE TO EAT AGAIN. THERE ARE SOME OPEN SEWER GUTTERS HERE AND THERE IN GEORGETOWN WITH AN OCCASIONAL LARGE RAT ENCOUNTERED BUT THEY CAN BE AVOIDED BY THOSE WHO CONSIDER THEM UNBEARABLE. SUCH DRAINS AND RATS ARE NOT REALLY UNBEARABLE THOUGH. JUST GET USED TO THEM. ANOTHER THING TO BE CAREFUL FOR ARE THE PURSE SNATCHERS. THEY WILL RIDE CLOSLY PAST A LADY, GRAB HER PURSE, AND TAKE OFF FASTER ON THE MOTORCYCLE. IF THE STREET IS TO YOUR LEFT, CARRY THE PURSE ON YOUR RIGHT. 

ONE MORNING I DRANK A BUAH-BUAH WHICH IS A FRUIT JUICE SODA. I LOVED IT. THEN I PRACTICED MY TAI CHI CHUAN IN A SMALL, CUTE PARK. A MAN CAME TO ME AND TRIED TO TALK WITH ME BEFORE I FINISHED. WHEN I FINISHED THE TAI CHI, HE WAS STILL THERE. IT TURNS OUT THAT HE WAS GAY, ABOUT 40 YEARS OLD, AND HE ASKED ME TO STAY AT HIS HOME ON BURMA STREET. HE TOLD ME THAT I HAVE A STRONG BODY. I TOLD HIM THAT I COULD NOT BECAUSE I AM NOT GAY AND THAT WAS THE END OF IT. 

I TOOK A BUS UP A HIGH PASS TO AYER ITAM. I WAS SURPRISED THAT THE WEAK LOOKING BUSES COULD MAKE IT THROUGH THE PASS. AYER ITAM IS WEST OF GREORGETOWN ABOUT SIX KILOMETERS WHICH IS ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MILES. PENANG HILL AND KEK LOK SI TEMPLE IS THERE. THE SCENERY IS GREAT AND IT INCLUDES FRUIT AND VEGETABLE FARMS. ITAM IS FROM HITAM WHICH MEANS BLACK.  I GUESS THE RIVER HERE HAS DARK, MURKY WATER. KEK LOK SI TEMPLE IS ONE OF THE LARGEST TEMPLES IN MALAYSIA. MANY OF THE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FOUND AT THE MARKETS IN GEORGETOWN ARE GROWN AROUND HERE. PEPPER AND NUTMEG HAVE ALSO BEEN CULTIVATED HERE SINCE AROUND 1788. I ALSO SAW A LOT OF HOUSES ON STILTS. IT IS A  VILLAGE OF CHINESE FAMILIES. THE HOUSES WERE BUILT ON FETTIES AND EACH JETTIE HAS HOUSES BUILT BY SPECIFIC CLANS. TOURISTS CAN VISIT THE CLAN JETTIE CALLED CHEW JETTIE. THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER TEMPLES LIKE SHAN DIN DI MU NIANG NIANG AND BEOW HIANG LIM, AND SRI MAHA MARIAMMAN TEMPLES. THE LATTER TEMPLE HAS SHRINES FOR SHIVA, LAKSMI, GANESH, KRISNA, AND HANUMAN. EVERYBODY IS REPRESENTED THERE. THERE ARE MANY OTHER COOL THINGS HERE LIKE BATS CAVE TEMPLE, PENANG HILL BAT CAVE TRAIL, AND A FUNICULAR SERVICE. KEK LOK SI TEMPLE HAS A BEAUTIFULLY ORNAMENTED TOWER WITH  SEVEN LEVELS THAT YOU CAN CLIMB. IT HAS MURTIS OF BUDDHA WITH EVERY POSITION AND MUDRA YOU CAN IMAGINE. IT IS THE PAGODA OF 10,000 BUDDHAS. THERE IS A MURTI OF GUANYIN (KUAN YIN), THE GODDESS OF MERCY, AND IT IS VERY TALL; 120 FEET HIGH (ABOUT 37 METERS). THERE ARE SEVERAL PAGODAS HERE WITH MANY STALLS WHERE TOURIST ITEMS ARE SOLD. THERE IS ALSO A VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT ON THE GROUNDS. THERE IS A LIBERATION POND WITH SO MANY TURTLES THAT I WOULD NOT EVEN BEGIN TO COUNT THEM. I PAID 1.40 RINGGIT FOR THE BUS 81 RIDE UP THE MOUNTAIN  BUT I HAD TO WAIT FOR BUS 79 TO RETURN TO GEORGETOWN. THE BUS STOP IS LOCATED JUST TWO OR THREE BLOCKS FROM THE TEMPLE COMPLEX. IT IS IN FRONT OF A SHOP SO I BOUGHT AN IKAN BILIS WHICH COST 50 SEN. IKAN BILIS IS A SERVING OF DRIED ANCHOVIES WHICH SERVED AS A GOOD SNACK. WHEN I RETURNED TO GEORGETOWN, I ATE A FULL MEAL AT LOKE THYE KEE RESTAURANT WHICH IS ONE OF THE OLDEST RESTAURENTS ON PENANG ISLAND. THE MENU INCLUDES TRADIONAL MALAY DISHES THAT STEM FROM NONYA, CHINESE, MALAY, AND INDIAN TRADITONS. I PAID SEVEN RINGGIT FOR POSSIBLY THE MOST INTENSE FISH CURRY I HAVE EVER EATEN. THIS RESTAURANT IS AT THE INTERSECTION OF BURMA STREET AND PENANG ROAD. IT HAS A COOL BALCONY WHERE YOU CAN EAT, OVERLOOKING THE STREETS AND KOMPTOR WALK WITH KOMPTOR TOWER CAN ALSO BE SEEN FROM HERE. KOMPTOR WALK IS A LOCATION WITH SEVERAL RESTAURANTS. 

I HEARD LOUD POUNDING. I WENT TO SEE WHAT IT WAS. IT WAS AT A CONSTRUCTION SITE. THEY WERE USING MACHINES TO POUND DOWN ON REALLY LONG CEMENT TUBES THAT WERE PLACED IN HOLES. IN THIS CASE, I SAW THREE TUBE POUNDING MACHINES THAT DID NOT LOOK EXACTLY THE SAME. WERE THEY DIFFERENT MODELS? ONE OF THE TUBE POUNDING MACHINES MADE PUFFS OF BLACK SMOKE THAT POLLUTED THE AIR IN THE AREA LIKE A LARGE COAL BURNING TRAIN ENGINE. I SAT ON A HILL ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE CONSTRUCTION SITE AND WATCHED THE ACTIVITES. THE OTHER TWO POUNDING MACHINES DID NO AIR POLLUTING. THEY POUNDED THE TALL TUBES JUST LIKE A GIANT SLEDGE HAMMER. THE AIR POLLUTING POUNDING MACHINE HAD A CYLINDER THAT SLID DOWN THE TALL CEMENT TUBES EMITTING THE PUFFS OF BLACK SMOKE AND ON THE WAY BACK UP, THE CEMENT TUBE WAS POUNDED DOWN FURTHER.EACH OF THE POUNDING MACHINES HAD DIFFERENT STYLES OF HOLDING APPARATUSES WITH WHICH THEY KEPT THE TUBES IN PLACE. I WROTE EXTENSIVELY ABOUT THEM IN MY JOURNAL AND I WILL KEEP THAT PAGE IN MY JOURNAL IN CASE ANYBODY IS INTERESTED IN KNOWING EVERYTHING I WROTE. I DID NOT WANT TO INCLUDE EVERYTHING HERE BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT TO BORE ANYBODY WITH TECHNICAL DESCRIPTIONS. 

RATHER THAN GOING STRAIGHT TO INDONESIA, I DECIDED TO RETURN TO PHATHALUNG THAILAND. I WAS THINKING THAT I MAY HAVE LOST MY MONEY AT THE TEMPLE COMPLEX WHERE I STAYED. I HAD BEEN IN SOUTHEAST ASIA FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS AND I HAD NOT SEEN ANY REAL RAIN. IT RAINED THE DAY I RETURNED TO PHATHALUNG. IT RAINED A LITTLE BETWEEN PENANG AND HAT YAI BUT, LUCKILY, THE HARD RAIN DID NOT START FALLING UNTIL WE WERE ON THE ROAD. WHEN YOU BOOK YOUR MINIBUS OR SHARE TAXI SERVICE (LIKE NEWASIA TOURS)TO HAT YAI, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO BOOK IT THROUGH YOUR GUESTHOUSE OR HOTEL YOU CAN TRUST THEM AND YOU WILL PAY A FAIR PRICE. I PAID ABOUT 18 RINGGIT FROM GEORGETOWN TO HAT YAI. YOU WILL ALSO GET MOST OF YOUR PAPERWORK DONE FOR YOU AS YOU CROSS THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER. USING SUCH TRANSPORT SERVICES WILL HELP YOU AVOID THE STUFF THAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE GUIDEBOOKS:

                    BORDER DELAYS, UNKNOWN CONSTRUCTION DELAYS,

                    WAITING PERIODS FOR BUSES OR TRAINS, LANGUAGE 

                     BARRIERS, MUGGY WEATHER WHEN WAITING FOR SOME

                      THINGS, SWEATY CLOTHS, PAYMENT HERE AND PAYMENT

                      THERE. 

NO,NO,NO. JUST PAY IN ONE PLACE AND LET THE PROFESSIONALS GET YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE GOING. I NORMALLY TRAVEL ON MY OWN BUT THIS TIME I LET THE PROFESSIONALS TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING. 

TRAVEL GUIDE OF LIFE CHAPTER 12:

ANOTHER GO AROUND IN SOUTHERN THAILAND:

VILLAGES, RICE FIELDS COCONUT TREES, JACKFRUIT TREES, BROWN COWS, WHITE COWS, BIG BLACK COWS, BULLS, RUBBER TREES WITH SMALL BLACK BUCKETS ATTACHED TO THEM, HAT YAI, BACK TO PHATHALUNG, MOTORCYCLE TAXI TO WAT BAN SUAN. AT THE TEMPLE COMPLEX, I WAS ABLE TO GET A CLOSER LOOK AT SOME RUBBER TREES. THEY HAD WHITE SAP DRIPPING INTO THE SMALL BLACK BUCKETS. THEY DID NOT FIND ANY OF MY LOST MONEY HERE. I DECIDED TO HEAD BACK TO HAT YAI THE NEXT DAY. IN THE MEAN TIME, I SPOKE TO THE ENGLISH CLASS WHERE STUDENTS AROUND 16 OR 17 YEARS OLD WERE ASKING ME QUESTIONS IN WHAT ENGLISH THEY COULD SPEAK. WHEN IT WAS TIME FOR ME TO LEAVE, THE HEAD MONK ASKED ME IF I COULD RETURN SOMETIME IN THGE FUTURE AND BRING HIM A CANTEEN. I TOLD HIM THAT, YES, I WILL TRY TO RETURN AND BRING HIM A CANTEEN. THEN, ONE OF THE STUDENTS CAME UP TO US AND ASKED ME WHEN I WOULD BE RETURNING. I TOLD HER THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO RETURN UNTIL AFTER TWO MORE YEARS. AS I TOLD HER THIS, I WAS THINKING, WOW, MAYBE  I SHOULD RETURN HERE SOON BECAUSE SHE IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL (SHE WAS REALLY BEAUTIFUL). LATER, I THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND DECIDED, NO, SHE IS TOO YOUNG AND SHE WAS PROBABLY JUST ASKING BECAUSE I WAS VERY NICE TO HER AND HER CLASSMATES IN THE CLASS. 

BCK IN HAT YAI, I WALKED ACROSS THE RAILROAD TRACKS AND ENTERED A TEMPLE COMPLEX. THERE WERE SEVERAL RAKSHASAS LOCATED AROUND THE COMPLEX AND I ENJOYED VIEWING THEIR VARIOUS FORMS. I STARTED TO SWEAT AND SAT DOWN IN SOME SHADE TO EAT SOME SWEETS THAT I HAD BOUGHT EARLIER. NOT LONG AFTER, A MONK CAME AND WE STARTED TO TALK ABOUT WHERE I AM FROM. HE THEN BROUGHT ME SOME MORE SWEETS AND WE SPOKE WITH SOME CHILDREN WHO FOLLOWED HIM TO WHERE I WAS SITTING. THAT EVENING, I PAID 100 BHAT FOR A ROOM AT CATHAY GUESTHOUSE. SINCE I HAD STAYED THERE BEFORE, I KNEW THAT I COULD JUST NOD AT THE LADY WHO WORKS IN THE BACK AND SHE WILL VERY SOON ARRIVE AT YOUR ROOM TO PROVIDE A MASSAGE. SHE COULD GIVE A MASSAGE OR ARRANGE FOR ANOTHER GIRL TO ARRIVE FOR GIVING THE MASSAGE. I NODDED. PLUS NON POSSUM DICERE. 

LATER THAT EVENING, I BOUGHT THE TICKET BACK TO PENANG. I PAID 200 BHAT FOR THE TICKET. I PASSED BY THE POST OFFICE AND NOTICED THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL MERCEDES BENZ CARS PARKED ON THE STREET. I THINK THERE WERE ABOUT 12 OLDER MODEL MERCEDES BENZ CARS PARKED ALONG BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET. THEY WERE REALLY PRETTY AND MOST ENJOYABLE TO VIEW. THE NEXT MORNING I DID A NICE TAI CHI CHUAN BEFORE HOPPING ON THE MINIBUS TO PENANG. WE LEFT AT 0930

BACK AT WAN HAI HOTEL IN PENANG, I WAS SEARCHING FOR NAILS OR HOOKS TO HANG WASHED CLOTHS ON TO DRY. THERE WERE NONE. WHEN I WENT OUT, I HEARD SOME ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC AND FOLLOWED THE SOUND SO I COULD SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING. IT WAS AT THE WAT KUAN YIN TENG COMPLEX. THEY WERE A CHINESE ROCK BAND PERFORMING. PEOPLE WERE AT THE TEMPLE PRAYING WITH THEIR INCENSE WHILE  THE FEMALE CHINESE ROCK BAND WERE ON A FAIRLY HIGH STAGE LIKE THE ONE WHERE I SAW THE CHINESE OPERA IN BANGKOK. AFTER THE ROCK BAND FINISHED THEIR PERFORMANCE, A THICK RED CURTAIN WITH TWO DRAGONS ON IT DROPPED, BLOCKING OUR VIEW OF THE STAGE.  AFTER AN ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE IN CHINESE, THE CURTAIN ROSE AND A TRADITIONAL CHINESE OPERA PLAY COMMENCED. HERE IS A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE SCENE:

         THOUSANDS OF INCENSE STICKS BURNING WAVING SMOKY ALTARS                      

           GIANT RED INCENSE STICKS ONE CHILD CONDEMNED TO DEATH 

          EMPEROR CONDEMNING CHILD ONE SAVED CHILD SINGING HALF  

         SINGING CHILD RAISED IN WOODS TWO HOURS AND FORTY FIVE

         MINUTES ONE CHILD REUNITED WITH MOTHER AROMATIC SMOKE IN

          THE AIR EXAGERATED HAND GESTURES MARTIAL ARTS WAVING OF

          SLEEVES TWICE AS LONG AS A PERSONS ARMS FAKE PAPER MONEY

           BOUGHT AND BURNED LARGE PAPER BURNER SMOKE RISING UP

           FROM WITHIN MONSTROUS TAN INCENSE STICK  BURNING AROMA 

           EMPEROR EXECUTIONER FIGHTERS GHOST GENERAL OF ARMY 

           DISTRESSED MOTHER  LADIES WITH TOO MUCH MAKEUP CHILD 

            RAISED AS A FIGHTER IN THE WOODS WHITE FACES ROSY CHEEKS 

             RED LIPS ACCENTUATED MASQUERA ELABORATE SHINY COSTUMES       

             TASSELS HANGING FROM HEADDRESSES STAFFS AND SLEEVES LIKE

            FLAGS SCENIC BACKDROPS DROPPING OF CURTAIN RAISING OF

            CURTAIN DIFFERENT SCENE CHINESE MUSIC VERY LOUD SOMETIMES    

             COULD NOT HEAR WORDS SPOKEN LAUGHTER IN THE CROWD SMOKE 

             YET FILLING THE AIR TWO HOURS AND FORTY FIVE MINUTES.

I LINGERED THERE AT THE TEMPLE WAITING FOR A PROCESSION THAT WAS MOVING THROUGH THE STREETS OF GEORGETOWN AND I THOUGHT WOULD END THERE BUT IT DID NOT. AS THE PROCESSION WAS PASSING THE TEMPLE COMPLEX, I BOUGHT A PAIR OF BATIK SHORTS FROM RICHARD THE TAILOR. I PAID 18 RINGGIT. I THEN WALKED ALONG WITH THE PROCESSION TAKING PHOTOS OF THE DRAGONS AND LIONS. I CONTINUED WALKING ALONG WITH THE PROCESSION AS I SEARCHED FOR A PLACE TO EAT. I DECIDED TO RETURN TO LOKE THYE KEE RESTAURANT. THAT WAY I COULD SIT OUT ON THEIR BALCONY AND WATCH THE REMAINING OF THE PROCESSION PASS BY. THE PROCESSION LASTED ABOUT TWO HOURS AND I WAS EATING SWEET AND SOUR FISH WITH GOOD CHINESE TEA WHILE IT PASSED BY. I PAID 3.70 RINGGIT. THERE WERE AT LEAST THREE DRAGONS IN THE PROCESSION. THEY WERE HELD UP WITH POLES BY YOUNG MEN WHO WAVED THE DRAGONS UNDULATING AND CIRCULATING AROUND FOLLOWING A BRIGHT RED BALL. THE BALL WAS ALSO HELD UP AND TWIRLED ABOUT ON A POLE. THERE WERE MANY DIFFERENT COLORED LIONS WORN BY TWO MEN IN EACH LION OR SOMETIMES A LION WOULD BE MOUNTED ON A TRUCK. THE LIONS SHOOK, BLINKED, OPENED THEIR MOUTHS, FROLICKED, LAYED DOWN, AND JUMPED UP AND DOWN. SOME OF THE LIONS WERE ACCOMPANIED BY MALE AND FEMALE CLOWN LIKE FIGURES WHO HAD HUGE, SMILING FACE MASKS. THERE WERE ALSO HINDU PERFORMERS WITH A GIRL DANCING ON A FLOAT WITH MEN WITH PAPER MACHÉ HORSES AND BOYS BEATING TOGETHER STICKS AND PLAYING ORIENTAL CLARINET TYPE INSTRUMENTS ALONG WITH DRUMS. THERE WERE ALSO TWO BOYS DANCING WITH ANKLE BELLS RINGING AND PAGODA LIKE OBJECTS ON THEIR HEADS. MARCHING BANDS WERE VERY DISCIPLINED. LONG POLES WITH FLAGS AS LARGE AS A SAILBOAT SAIL WERE BEING BALANCED ON FOREHEADS, CHINS, OR THE SMALL OF THEIR BACKS. THESE FLAGS ALL HAD LOGOS OF SPECIFIC GROUPS. THERE WERE JUDGES AND I GUESS THEY WERE JUDGING THE LIONS, DRAGONS, MUSIC BANDS, AND POLE BALANCERS. THE JUDGES WERE WEARING GREEN OUTFITS AND WERE SITTING IN A STAND NEAR THE ENDING POINT OF THE PROCESSION. AT THIS POINT, THERE WERE STUMPS OF VARIOUS HEIGHTS AND THE LIONS JUMPED ONTO THESE STUMPS, JUMPING FROM STUMP TO STUMP. THE LIONS WOULD EVEN DANCE ON THE STUMPS WITH THE MAN IN FRONT SOMETIMES STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE MAN IN BACK SO THAT THE LION COULD STAND TALL, SHAKE, AND THREATEN THE CROWD. AFTERWARDS, I WENT TO A HINDU TEMPLE TO RELAX. ALL I WANTED TO TO DO WAS TO RELAX. TOMORROW WOULD BE A BIG DAY.

TRAVEL GUIDE OF LIFE CHAPTER 15:

FROM TARATUNG TO PADANG SIDEMPUAN.

THE BEMO BROUGHT US DOWN THE MOUNTAIN FROM 

THE VILLAGE TO TOWN. RIKSON FOUND THE RIGHT SHARE TAXI THAT WOULD TAKE US TO JAKARTA FROM TARATUNG. AS WE WERE WAITING FOR THE CUE TO BOARD, WE MET A YOUNG LADY NAMED FARIDA. RIKSON WAS TALKING TO HER WHEN WE WERE TOLD TO BOARD THE VAN. WE ALL SAT TOGETHER; FARIDA BETWEEN RIKSON AND MYSELF. 

WE PAID THE SHARE TAXI COST WHICH WAS 6,000 RUPIAH TO JAKARTA. I HAD TO CONSULT THE ENGLISH / INDONESIAN DICTIONARY AS I SPOKE WITH FARIDA BUT WE DID PRETTY GOOD WITH COMMUNICATION. COCONUT TREES, RUBBER TREES, OIL PALM TREES, DURIAN TREES, SALAK TREES, BANANA TREES, THE AROMA OF RUBBER PROCESSING FACTORIES (VERY DISTINCTIVE AND UNFORGETTABLE), AROMA FROM THE HUMID, VERDENT FORESTS WE PASSED BY, NARROW, TWISTING ROAD WITH POTHOLES AND ROCKS, MOUNTAINS WITH CLOUDS HIDING THEIR TOPS, FISH TO EAT WITH THEIR HEADS STILL ATTACHED, FISH HEADS WITH NO FISH ATTACHED, AND THE ALL PERVASIVE BOILED WATER BOTH FOR DRINKING AND FOR THE WASHING OF HANDS.  AFTER OUR LUNCH STOP, WE ALL SAT TOGETHER AGAIN; ME THEN FARIDA THEN RIKSON. 

BY THE TIME WE ARRIVED INTO PADANG SIDEMPUAN, FARIDA HAD GIVEN ME HER ADDRESS. WHEN WE GOT TO THE BUS DISEMBARKING / LOADING AREA (NO PHYSICAL STATION BUILDING AS IS OFTEN THE CASE IN SUMATRA), FARIDA GOT OUT OF THE VAN AND WALKED OVER TO A GROUP OF OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE AND STARTED TALKING TO THEM. I WATCHED HER FOR A FEW MINUTES AND THEN I NOTICED THAT SHE LOOKED OVER AT THE VAN SO I KNEW SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT HAVING MET ME. 

"I AM GETTING OUT HERE"

"WHAT ABOUT MY SISTER?"

"IT IS ALREADY TOO LATE."

I GOT OUT AND STARTED TO SEEK OUT A HOTEL.

AFTER I FOUND A RATHER LARGE, WHITE HOTEL WITH A LARGE AREA WHICH WAS EMPTY OF FURNITURE ON THE SECOND FLOOR, I BOOKED A ROOM THERE AND PRACTICED TAI CHI CHUAN IN THE LARGE, EMPTY AREA WITH A BARE CEMENT FLOOR.

AFTER I SETTLED INTO THE ROOM AT THE MINANJAU HOTEL, I WENT OUT TO EXPLORE. I FOUND MYSELF IN AN AREA CALLED GURUN TUA. THERE WAS A ENGLISH SCHOOL THERE AND I SPOKE WITH THE STUDENTS IN ONE OF THE CLASSROOMS. I JUST HAD TO ANSWER QUESTIONS IN ENGLISH. AFTERWARDS, I HAD A MOST INTERESTING EATING EXPERIENCE. ONE ENGAGES IN SOME INTENSE TASTE, SIGHT, TOUCH, AND SMELL WHEN ONE EATS DURIAN. MUCH AS WITH THE AROMA OF RUBBER PROCESSING FACTORIES, THE AROMA OF DURIAN IS EXTREMELY UNIQUE AND UNBEARABLE TO MANY PEOPLE. I LOVE BOTH. I LOVE HOW UNIQUE BOTH AROMAS ARE AND DURIAN IS DELICIOUS TO EAT, AT LEAST FOR ME. I DID HAVE TO GET USED TO THE STRANGE, MUSHY TEXTURE BUT I BECAME A TRUE FAN OF DURIAN SOON ENOUGH. THE OWNER OF HOTEL I AM STAYING IN IS THE FATHER OF A FRIEND I MET HERE. THIS FRIEND IS SOON MOVING TO YOGYAKARTA FOR A FEW YEARS TO STUDY. I PAID 5,000 RUPIAH EACH NIGHT FOR A VERY QUIET ROOM WHERE I COULD JUST BARELY HEAR THE MUSLIM CALL TO PRAYER EACH MORNING. IN PADANG SIDEMPUAN, I ATE A LOT OF GADO-GADO, MUTABAK SAYUR, AND RUJAK WITH FRUITS. I DID NOT EAT ANY SAPI (BEEF) NOR BABI (PIG) BUT I DID OCCASIONALLY EAT SOME IKAN (FISH). THAT IS PRETTY MUCH MY DIET ANYWAY. PIG MEAT IS NOT COMMONLY FOUND IN THE RESTAURANTS OF PADANG SIDEMPUAN BECAUSE IT HAS A MAJORITY MUSLIM POPULATION.KAMBING (GOAT) IS VERY COMMON THOUGH. IN THE RESTAURANTS, THERE OFTEN WILL BE SMALL PLATES OR SMALL BOWLS OF FRUIT OR SNACKS. IF YOU WANT TO PAY FOR ONLY THE MENU ITEM YOU ORDER, THEN DO NOT EAT ANY OF THOSE SNACKS ALREADY ON THE TABLE. I ALWAYS MADE SURE I KNEW WHAT THINGS COST BEFORE I PAID FOR THEM. THAT WAY I COULD BE ASSURED I WAS NOT PAYING TOO MUCH. I WOULD SOMETIMES BE TEMPTED TO EAT SOME OF THE SNACKS ON THE TABLE WHICH COULD ADD  1,000 RUPIAH COST TO THE MENU ITEMS ORDERED. I WOULD OFTEN TELL SELLERS OF PRODUCTS THAT I COULD NOT PAY THE PRICE THEY WERE ASKING ME TO PAY BECAUSE I HAD SO MANY RUPIAH IN MY POCKET LESS THAN WHAT THEY WERE ASKING. THAT WAY I WAS ASSURED THE PRICES I PAID WERE A BIT CLOSER TO THE PRICES THAT THE LOCALS PAID. 

          MY SINGER / MUSICIAN FRIEND HAD SOME MONEY TAKEN FROM HIM.

          A GIRL HE KNOWS TOOK 10,000 RUPIAH FROM HIM, NOT MUCH BUT HE WAS NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT.

          WE TOOK AN INTERESTING WALK DOWN SOME BACK ALLEY TYPE WALKWAYS.

          HOUSES THAT WERE CLOSELY ARRANGED NEXT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD MESJID.

          WE FOUND THE GIRL, MY FRIEND WAS TALKING TO HER BUT SHE THEN RAN OFF.

          WE ENTERED A BECAK WITH A SECOND GIRL, PAID THE BECAK DRIVER, AND WERE BROUGHT ELSEWHERE.

          WE NEVER FOUND HER AGAIN THAT DAY.

          "HELLO MR." WAS WHAT PEOPLE SAID TO ME ALL THE TIME.

          IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO AVOID TALKING TO PEOPLE IN THESE TOWNS, OFTEN INVITED TO HOMES.

          I WAS ONCE OFFERED HELP IN MOVING TO A DIFFERENT HOTEL AND BEING BROUGHT TO A WATERFALL.

          SOMEONE ELSE WANTS TO BRING ME TO THEIR HOME TO SHOW ME THEIR GARDEN OF VARIOUS PLANTS.         

          I JUST RETURNED TO THE HOTEL MINANJAU, PRACTICED TAI CHI CHUAN, AND WENT TO SLEEP.

MY MUSLIM FRIEND BROUGHT ME TO HIS FAMILYS' SALAK ORCHARD. I GUESS IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED AN ORCHARD; SAWA SALAK. WE TRAVELED UP A MOUNTAINOUS ROAD ON A MOTORCYCLE. THEY ALSO HAD SUGARCANE PLANTS. I GUESS IT COULD BE REGARDED AS A GARDEN OF SUGARCANE. THE PLANTS WERE GROWING IN BUNCHES. THE STALKS ARE STRONG AND THEY HAVE CUTE FUZZY TOPS THAT HAD SORT OF A SILVER COLOR. THE SALAK TREES ARE VERY UNIQUE. I THOUGHT OF A CROSS BETWEEN A CACTUS AND A PALM TREE WHEN I LOOKED AT THEM. SALAK FRUIT IS ALSO KNOWN AS SNAKESKIN FRUIT BECAUSE ITS SKIN IS BROWN, HARD, AND ROUGH. IT IS EASY TO PEEL THOUGH BECAUSE THE SKIN IS THIN. THE EDIBLE PART IS WHITE WITH STREAKS  OF PINK SOMETIMES. SALAK IS VERY DELICIOUS BUT I HAVE HAD MANY WITH BROWN, BRUISED SPOTS ON THEM. THE FRUIT GROWS IN BUNCHES, BELOW THE PALMS, AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TREE. 

DURING ALL OF THESE EXCURSIONS WITH MY CHRISTIAN FRIEND AND MY MUSLIM FRIEND, I WAS VISITING FARIDA EVERY EVENING. I SHOWED A BECAK DRIVER THE ADDRESS SHE WROTE DOWN AND HE BROUGHT ME TO THE HOUSE. FARIDA WAS LIVING IN THE HOUSE OF A FAMILY MEMBER WHO ALSO HAD SEVERAL OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE LIVING THERE. FARIDA WAS LIVING THERE IN PADANG SIDEMPUAN BECAUSE SHE HAD A JOB AS A SECRETARY AT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I ASSUME THAT HER HOUSE MATES ALSO WERE THERE BECAUSE OF JOBS. I AM GUESSING ABOUT THAT THOUGH. I NEVER ASKED MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT OTHERS. I WAS TOO BUSY ANSWERING QUESTIONS. ONE DAY THEY HAD SOME GUESTS OVER THE HOUSE WHEN I ARRIVED. THEY WANTED TO SEE ME PRACTICE MY TAI CHI CHUAN:

          "THERE IS NOT ENOUGH ROOM HERE."

          "WE WILL MOVE THIS TABLE."

AND THEY MOVED THE TABLE.  I DID THE TAI CHI AND I NOTICED THE GUESTS WATCHING ME CLOSELY. SEVERAL WEEKS LATER, AFTER FARIDA AND I HAD BEEN GOING PLACES TOGETHER AND GROWING CLOSER, SHE TOLD ME A SECRET. SHE TOLD ME THAT ONE OF THE GUESTS AT THE HOUSE WHEN I DID THE TAI CHI CHUAN, WAS ACTUALLY A MAN WHO LIKED HER AND WHO HAD TAKEN HER OUT A FEW TIMES. I FELT BAD ABOUT THAT AND I STILL DO. I DID NOT TELL HER THOUGH. ANOTHER DAY, WE WERE SITTING AND TALKING ABOUT THINGS WHEN I WAS TOLD THAT I MUST BE SERIOUS ABOUT GETTING MARRIED TO FARIDA. THAT CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD BECAUSE I NEVER MENTIONED MARRIAGE. I TOLD EVERYBODY THAT I DO LIKE HER AND I AM THINKING ABOUT IT. THEY THEN TOLD ME THAT A BOY VISITS A GIRL EVERY DAY WHEN HE IS COURTING HER. TWO OR THREE DAYS LATER I TOLD FARIDA AND HER HOUSE MATES THAT I WOULD BE GOING TO BUKITINGGI FOR ONE WEEK. I WANTED TO GIVE FARIDA A LITTLE ROOM AND I WANTED TO THINK ABOUT VISITING HER EVERY DAY OR NOT AFTER RETURNING FROM BUKITINGGI. I TOLD THEM THAT I WOULD BRING SOME SOUVENIRS. THE LAST DAY, BEFORE I TRAVELED SOUTH TO BUKITTINGI, FARIDA AND SOME OF HER HOUSE MATES BROUGHT ME TO A FAMILY AGRICULTURAL PLOT. WE BROUGHT COCONUT JUICE TO DRINK AND THERE WERE JACKFRUIT TREES THERE SO WE WERE ABLE TO PICK SOME JACKFRUITS OFF OF THE TREES AND EAT IT RIGHT AWAY. 

                                                                                                      BUKITTINGGI

AFTER I ARRIVED INTO BUKITTINGI, I FELT THAT I HAD ACCOMPLISHED A PILGRIMAGE. IT WAS A ROUGH, TYPICAL SUMATRA BUS RIDE. I PAID 7,000 RUPIAH FOR THE RIDE FROM PADANGSIDEMPUAN TO BUKITTINGI. IT TOOK US ABOUT NINE HOURS ON A NARROW, CURVEY ROAD THROUGH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. AS SOON AS I REACHED BUKITTINGI, I BOUGHT A KOPI SUSU WHICH IS COFFEE WITH MILK. SOON AFTER THAT, I FOUND AN ES PAPAYA WHICH IS CHILLED PAPAYA JUICE. I THEN MADE MY WAY OVER TO THE KANTOR POS (POST OFFICE) TO SEND OUT A COUPLE OF POST CARDS (POSTAGE COSTING 200 RUPIAH EACH) AND FINALLY TO THE YURIKA HOTEL WHICH IS FAIRLY CLOSE TO THE POST OFFICE. AT THIS HOTEL, I WAS SOMEWHAT REMOVED FROM THE NOISY A YANI AREA WHERE THE CLOCK TOWER IS LOCATED. I MET TWO BOYS WHO WANTED TO ACCOMPANY ME DOWN INTO SIANOK CANYON THE NEXT DAY. THEY ALSO INVITED ME TO THEIR HOMES. THEY SAY THAT THEY DO NOT KNOW EACH OTHER. THEY MADE THE PROPOSITION THAT WE ALL THREE WOULD SPEND THE DAY TOGETHER. "WE SHALL SEE." 

THERE ARE SOME INTERESTING FOUNTAINS HERE. ONE HAS RED AND GREEN FLASHING LIGHTS ON IT  AND IT SHOOTS WATER QUITE HIGH INTO THE SKY. ANOTHER FOUNTAIN HAS DEMONIC FACES CARVED INTO A HUGE STONE WITH A MAN HIGH ON THE TOP WITH HIS ARMS REACHING UP TO THE SKY. I NOTICED THAT ALL SHADOWS LIE SOUTH OF THE OBJECTS AND PEOPLE THAT CAST THEM. WE ARE A BIT SOUTH OF THE EQUATOR HERE. I DID MEET THE TWO BOYS WHO I KNEW WANTED ME TO BUY THEM SOME SNACKS AND MAYBE GET A DOLLAR BILL FROM USA. I HAD FUN WITH THEM BY MAKING THEM WALK WITH ME THROUGH SIANOK CANYON AND THEN UP THE STEEP STEPS THAT LEAD UP TO KOTA GADANG WHICH IS KNOWN FOR ITS FINE SILVER  WORKS. I DID NOT BUY THE BOYS ANYTHING AT ALL DURING THIS EXCURSION. WE WALKED A BIT INTO THE FOREST AND I NOTICED BAMBOO STALKS WERE CUT DOWN TO STUMPS. I FELT SAD BECAUSE MANY OF THESE BAMBOO STALKS WERE IMPRESSIVELY TALL. WE WERE ASSURED, THOUGH, THAT BAMBOO GROWS RAPIDLY AND IS SOON REPLENISHED. POLES AND FENCES ARE MADE FROM THE BAMBOO STALKS. I ALSO SAW SOME OF THE TUNNELS THAT THE JAPANESE DUG INTO THE CLIFFS ON THE BUKITTINGI SIDE OF THE CANYON. I DID NOT GO INTO THE CAVES THOUGH. THE JAPANESE DID SOME ATROCIOUS THINGS DURING WORLD WORLD II. 

EATING FOUR LARGE PIECES OF DEEP FRIED YAM. 

WITH PEANUTS.

COSTING ONLY TWO HUNDRED FIFTY RUPIAH. 

A LARGE PLATE OF GADO GADO.

ONE GLASS OF HOT TEA AND JUS POKAT.

ALL FOR AROUND ONE DOLLAR.

TIGA BALAI LOSMAN HAS ROOMS FOR 3,500 RUPIAH.

MY ROOM, 5,000 RUPIAH, WAS QUIETER.

IT WAS FURTHER FROM THE NOISY STREET.

OUT AND ABOUT.

LOOKING FOR POST CARDS.

NOT SO EASY TO FIND HERE.

WE FOUND SOME DO DAK JAU.

SIMILAR TO TIGER BALM.

BOUGHT FROM A STREET VENDER.

A MEDICINE SELLER MUCH LIKE IN OLD WEST USA.

MUCH LIKE SNAKE OIL MEDICINE SHOWS

HAMLINS' WIZARD OIL TRAVELING SHOW.

EMULATED IN BUKITTINGI.

DISHES WITH LEECHES AND DIAGRAMS CHALKED ONTO PAVEMENTS.

BURNING NEWSPAPER ON DIAGRAMS.

TRANCE LIKE MOVEMENTS.

JUST DOWN THE STREET.

MEDICINE VENDER WITH POSTERS AND MAGAZINE PHOTOS.

TWO ROLLS OF POSTERS, PHOTOS, CLIPPINGS.

SPREAD ALL AROUND HIM. 

WOODEN PHALLIC OBJECT PLACED IN FRONT OF HIM.

I WOULD ALWAYS LEAVE BEFORE THE MAIN SALES PITCH STARTED.

I DID BUY SOME LEGITIMATE DO DAK JAU BUT I DID NOT WANT TO BE ASKED FOR ANY MORE MONEY. I WAS TIRED OF BEING ASKED FOR MONEY BY SO MANY PEOPLE. THEY THOUGHT I WAS RICH BUT I AM FAR FROM IT. YOUNG BOYS AND GIRLS WALKING HOME FROM SCHOOL ASKED ME FOR MONEY. "POOR STUDENTS" WOULD ASK ME TO GO PLACES WITH THEM WHICH WAS NICE BUT I WOULD BE EXPECTED TO FEED THEM AND PAY FOR THEIR TRANSPORTATION FARES. ONE ELDERLY LADY TOLD ME SHE LIVES ALONE, "FEEDING TWO GRAND CHILDREN WHO HAVE NO MOTHER OR FATHER." SHE SOBBED OSTENTATIOUSLY AFTER SHE REMOVED HER GLASSES. 

I PRACTICED AN EXCELLENT TAI CHI CHUAN YESTERDAY, ONE OF THE BEST EVER.  THE FUNNY THING IS THAT I HAVE TO GO BACK TO PADANG SIDEMPUAN SOON AFTER FINDING SUCH AN EXCELLENT PLACE TO PRACTICE HERE IN BUKITTINGI. ANYWAY, THE HOTEL IN PADANG SIDEMPUAN HAS THAT LARGE AND EMPTY ROOM FOR TAI CHI PRACTICE. THE ELDERLY LADY WHO TOOK HER GLASSES OFF TO CRY ABOUT TAKING CARE OF TWO GRAND CHILDREN ALL BY HERSELF WAS EXPECTING ME TO VISIT HER HOME. SHE WANTED ME TO BUY HER A NEW SHIRT SO SHE COULD GO TO THE MESJID TO PRAY.  I DECIDED NOT TO GO BECAUSE I DID BUY 200- RUPIAH WORTH OF FRUIT FROM HER. I THOUGHT THAT SHOULD BE ENOUGH BECAUSE I DID GIVE HER SOME BUSINESS. I HAVE TO LEAVE SOON. I WILL MISS THE HORSE DRAWN BUGGIES AND CARTS. SOME OF THE BUGGIES ARE FOR TRANSPORTATION. THE HORSES ARE DECKED OUT IN COLORFUL DECORATIONS. THEY ARE A QUIET REPLACEMENT FOR THE NOISY BEMOS AND MOTORCYCLE RICKSHAWS WHICH UNFORTUNATELY STILL EXIST HERE TOO. 

TRAVEL GUIDE OF LIFE CHAPTER 16:

AND THEN I WAS BACK IN PADANG SIDEMPUAN.

THE BUS THAT I TRAVELED IN FROM PADANG SIDEMPUAN TO BUKITTINGI HAD TO BE FUELED UP WITH A SIPHON HOSE. THE BUS I TRAVELED ON FROM BUKITTINGI BACK TO PADANG SIDEMPUAN HAD TO BE PUSH STARTED AND THE SEATS WOULD COME APART ONCE IN AWHILE AND THERE WERE ANTS CRAWLING AROUND SOME OF THE SEATS. WELL, THESE WERE THE CONDITIONS OF SUMATRA BUSES WHEN I ARRIVED INTO INDONESIA FOR THE FIRST TIME. 

THE FIRST DAY I RETURNED TO PADANG SIDEMPUAN, I SLEPT OUTSIDE IN A FIELD AMONG SOME TALL BUSHES. I DECIDED THAT I DID NOT WANT TO PAY FOR A ROOM SINCE THE DAY WAS ALMOST ENDED. I SAVED A FEW THOUSAND RUPIAH THAT WAY. AFTER ACCOMPLISHING MY PILGRIMAGE TO BUKITTINGI, I FOUND MYSELF BACK IN THE SAME 5,000 RUPIAH ROOM AS BEFORE AND I PAID 12,000 RUPIAH FOR TWO NIGHTS.  

I HAVE BEEN IN SUMATRA FOR THREE WEEKS NOW. LOTS OF PEOPLE EVERY PLACE. VERY LOUD PEOPLE. THEY LOVE MUSIC. THEY LOVE SINGING. THEY ARE THE MOST FRIENDLY. MUSLIM COMMUNITIES WITH HOUSES SET CLOSE TOGETHER WITH EACH OTHER. THATCH ROOFED, SMALL HOMES. MUSLIM GIRLS WITH ROUND FACES ENCLOSED WITH HIJAB. BIG SMILING FACES; "HELLO MISTER" ABOUND. HALF OF MY MONEY HAS BEEN SPENT. 10,000 RUPIAH A DAY ON AVERAGE SHOULD SEE ME THROUGH FOR ANOTHER THREE WEEKS. TAI CHI CHUAN PRACTICE ON THE THIRD FLOOR OF HOTEL MINENJAOU. A LARGE, TILED ROOM FOR TAI CHI CHUAN. NASI GORENG WITH FRIED EGG ON TOP, KOPI SUSU, A GREEN COLORED DESSERT, (GREEN EGGS AND HAM; JUST KIDDING), BOTTLES FILLED WITH WATER AND ONE FISH IN EACH. THESE ARE FOR SALE. THE SUN HOVERS STRAIGHT ABOVE. SO DOES THE MOON. I FIND IT DIFFICULT TO TELL THE TIME ACCORDING TO THE SUNS' LOCATION IN THE SKY. LIVING ON THE EQUATOR MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO TELL THE TIME AND TO WALK. SUN BURNING ON MY FEET WITH THE CLIMATE DRY WITHOUT THE RAIN. SOME DAYS ARE SO HUMID THAT IT WEIGHS ME DOWN. WE LOST ELECTRICITY FOR A FEW MINUTES. NEWS THAT SOME ROADS WILL BE WIDENED AROUND TOWN. MANY ROADS LACK SHOULDERS AND SIDEWALKS. A NEW SIDEWALK IS ALWAYS NICE. A WEDDING PARTY TONIGHT. MANY PEOPLE IN FRONT OF A HOUSE ON JALAN WILLIAM ISKANDAR. THE STREET IS ALMOST BLOCKED OFF BY THE PEOPLE. MANY TIMES ASKED TO FOLLOW SOMEBODY TO THE VILLAGE WHERE THEY ARE FROM. MANY TIMES ASKED TO SPEAK IN AN ENGLISH CLASS. I AM MORE OF A LONER. I DO NOT LIKE TO DRAW ATTENTION TO MYSELF. IN SUMATRA, ATTENTION IS UNAVOIDABLE. 

PADANG SIDEMPUAN HAD A FEW RESTAURANTS THAT I REALLY LIKED EATING AT. "BUFFET ANDA" HAD A LRGE CHOICE OF BEVERAGES AND THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR ME. I LOVE DRINKING VARIOUS JUICES AND SHAKES. "TAMAN DO RE ME" IS LOCATED AT A PARK LIKE SETTING AS A CANTINA TYPE RESTAURANT WITH A NICE STAGE FOR MUSICAL PERFORMANCES. THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE LIST WAS EXCELLENT. MY FIRST DATE WITH FARIDA WAS HERE. SHE HAD THE BEJAK DRIVER DRIVE US THERE. SHE KNEW THE MANAGER AND HE CAME TO OUR TABLE AND SAT DOWN WITH US FOR A FEW MINUTES. "RUMAH SELERA" HAD A GREAT IKAN BAKAR AND INDONESIAN STYLE VEGETABLES THAT I REALLY LIKED. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL RESTAURANT WHERE YOU CAN SIT ON THE FLOOR IN ONE AREA. I DO NOT REMEMBER IF IT WAS A JAPANESE STYLE AREA OR A TURKISH STYLE AREA. 500 RUPIAH TO 4,000 RUPIAH WAS THE PRICE RANGE FROM THE DRINKS TO THE MEALS. ON THE STREETS, PISANG GORENG AND BAKSO ARE VERY COMMON.