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Ao Nang

Adams Bungalows, one of my favorite garden setting accommodation locations in Ao Nang was shut. I wasn’t sure why. However a short walk down the road (in the beach direction ) brought me to the View la Villa.
After some negotiation and a room change because of a faulty safe and a shower that never heated water, I felt very comfortable in this room. I wouldn’t have got this price at any other time of the year. En suite bathroom, hot water shower, air con, tv, fridge and safe. 400 baht a night. No breakfast.

Phuket Town

During the so called low season (early July) in Southern Thailand there is a tremendous choice of low cost accommodation available.
The Rattana Mansion in the heart of Phuket Old Town was 600 baht a night for an ensuite room with air conditioning, tv, refrigerator and wifi in the room. It was clean and functional.
Thalang and Thalang Street was a 10 minute walk away. Twee coffee shops and intriguing art oriented paraphernalia tucked away in the nooks and crannies of old Phuket.

Had Yai to Krabi, Low Season

Ao Nang Beach Peace

Hat Yai Central Hotel provided me with 2 nights of comfortable stay for 520 baht a night. The hotel is tired but functional providing me with a clean, firm bed, air conditioning, tv, refrigerator, ensuite bathroom, free wi-fi in the lobby area, no breakfast (noodle and rice food outlets abound in the immediate vicinity) for this price. 

A tuk tuk to the bus station is about 40 baht. Several tuk tuk’s are forever hovering at the entrance the Hat Yai Central Hotel.
Arrival at the Hat Yai bus station by 9.20am gave me several options on a bus to Krabi. I opted for the 9.50am departure and paid 169 baht for what was forecast to be a 4-5 hour coach ride to Krabi. The coach was clean, air conditioned and adequately roomy for my large size. Comfortably roomy for the Thai size.
I asked the young ticket master on the coach to ‘tell me when we were in Krabi and I should alight from the coach’ which he appeared to understand.
It worked out ok… he summoned me pretty much when I was thinking I needed to get off (a little like I always awake to wait for the alarm clock to sound). What followed was one of those akward ten minutes when you look for a way forward and nothing immediately appears. You subject yourself to a mixture of do-gooders and opportunists plus a few village idiots who just openly gawk with an open mouth and rotten crooked teeth. The village idiots are the only ones you can easily identify.
After listening to some alarming facts about how far away and inconvenient a trip to Ao Nang from Krabi was going to be I decided to follow my nose. I’d seen a couple of buses head down a nearby side road and noticed a bus station sign pointing that way also.
My luck was in… less than ten minutes walking brought me to the Krabi bus station and a regular service large tuk tuk took 60 baht from me for the onward road trip to Ao Nang.
I became part of the daily transport process as the tuk tuk netted the patronage of 6 well behaved and smartly uniformed school kids from outside a Krabi town school and deposited them one by one at various points along the well tarmacked road to Ao Nang.
I had been to Ao Nang before and as we came along the main drag adjacent to the beach my memories returned. I was the only passenger remaining and I waved the driver on up the hill away from the Ao Nang beach toward the bungalows that I remember being nicely presented and positioned in a garden setting when I visited a few years back.
There it was! I recognised the frontage from the road. A tap on the tuk tuk cab glass produced a ‘thank god’ like smile from the captain.
Adam’s Bungalows (25 Moo2 Ao Nang Beach, Krabi, Thailand. Tel: (+66) 0757 637 667, email: adambungalow@hotmail.com)  had rooms and offered me discount on their book price. I paid 400 baht a night for the bungalow with clean firm bed, fan, ensuite cold water bathroom. My veranda looked out across their garden and one of the tall rocks that make up the Ao Nang geography looked over me from the distance.
I could relax again 🙂
Footnote: £1 = 50 baht.

New Hoover Loses Border Case

The New Hoover Coach Service runs from Jalan Yan Kalsem in Ipoh, Malaysia to Had Yai in Southern Thailand twice every 24 hours. My departure time: 1pm in the afternoon. The cost: RM40. The message: Be wary of transport staff who spit big twirling banana like gobs.
Let me tell you what inconsiderate unthinking traveller enemies some transport staff can be. 
Everything ran smoothly up until the Thai border. Here, of course, one has to alight the bus and, as I understand from previous journeys, walk your case or luggage with you through the immigration channel and be prepared for a Thai customs inspection, post immigration. Once past customs one finds and re-boards the coach in the car park.
On this occasion I alighted the bus, passport in hand, prepared to pick up my back pack from the hold of the bus and make the route described above. Not necessary our Chinese loud mouth co-ordinator (not) informed us. I have seen this guy before on this service. My previous estimation of his customer care skills set them at around minus thirty. Let’s undertake to re-assess that a few paragraphs farther through this short tale.
Myself and a handful of other passengers made a variety of grateful aah’s and oh’s then skipped happily and lightly to the immigration booths. There were no queues and I didn’t see anyone get any immigration hassle. There were no customs personnel at the inspection stations beyond the immigration booths. In our ones and twos we made our way into the car park where our red and black bus stood doors shut, waiting for staff and passengers before it embarked on it’s onward journey.
As I approached the bus Clmc (not)’s Malay colleague was walking away from the bus and informed me that my backpack was at the other end of the complex and waved his hand in the direction of the place that the bus had set us down. 
I was confused but thought I had better check it out. At the point the bus had set us down my backpack lay in the road with a couple of other cases. I picked up my backpack, looked around to make sure I wasn’t about to get sniper fire from a Thai customs officer, and then proceeded to walk toward the bus. It still wasn’t open. Myself and a few other individuals stood around like lemons wondering what the delay was about. 
Then I spotted Clmc (not) chewing away on a bag of something as he swaggered toward the vehicle. He spat, voluminously, then opened the drivers door and deposited his bag into his compartment. Without a word to anyone he then opened the passenger door and climbed into the drivers seat, chewing and, I suspect, building up to another big twirling banana like gob.
People climbed into the bus oblivious to the potential bag/case issue. I hovered at the entrance and asked if he could open the hold so that I could re-insert my bag. With a ‘what sort of fool are you?’ bark in his terse response I was told to bring it on in.. ‘there aren’t that many people in the bus’, you dork (he inferred).
I did and as I did I asked if he knew why it was left in the road at the point the bus set us down. The question was dismissed as idiotic and too lowly to be considered by Clmc (not) super intelligence. I took my seat. 
As the bus moved to depart the car park I said to the two ladies behind me.. ‘Do you have hold luggage?’ to which they nodded and I followed with.. ‘Have you checked it’s back in the hold?’ to which they said they didn’t need to remove it. I followed with … ‘I didn’t remove mine but I found it on the road at the point the bus set us down for the immigration check’ to which they showed some surprise but pooh poohed the need to react.
Had Yai was another hour away. A Thai monk  and a couple of other rice padi types were allowed to depart the bus at about half way. The light was beginning to fade. 
The first port of call in Had Yai was the bus station. The two ladies made their way out of the bus. The Clmc (not) was already running around getting his paper stamped and behaving ignorantly in the bus station. The ladies asked for the hold to be opened. It was empty. They were livid. I was right. The Clmc (not) should have been shot. There was a lot of shouting. The Clmc (not) that should have been shot climbed into the drivers seat, threw the door close switch and drove off leaving the ladies without their cases, without a plan, without help. You bastard, I thought.
Re-assessment of his customer care skills failed. None were found.
New Hoover, disgraceful.
If you are reading this because you are thinking of making the Had Yai – Ipoh or Ipoh – Had Yai trip by coach, I suggest you don’t use New Hoover or if you do, watch out for this complete imbecile.
Footnote: I have seen one of the ladies at the shopping mall this morning. She was smiling and spoke to me. They called the police who drove them back to the border where the bags were retrieved from the roadside, undamaged. The police then drove them back to Had Yai.

Mastering Macau, Part 2

Senado Walk
Macau’s heritage sites are mostly within walking distance of the Rue da Felicidade. The centre of Macau is undoubtedly Senado Square and surrounding area, just a few minutes walk from the Hotel Kou Va. The wavy paved pedestrian area that is Senado Square extends along a walk between fashion boutiques, overpriced jewelry shops and dubiously sourced electronics outlets to tease out the visitors spending money. Small alleys off the main thoroughfare offer a variety of quirky food and drink outlets. It’s a cool place to start discovering Macau from.
The standard tourist literature available at the airport does a fairly good job of guiding one through the more prominent points of interest in the central area.
Some less reported facts and suggestions I can share are .. 
Macau transport authorities appear to promote the use of zebra crossings (without lights). They are installed on many of the main streets. Step on to them at your own peril as many motorists see them as opportunity to assert their authority over tourist pedestrians via large helpings of terror. Macanese pedestrians have given up with them many walking years ago it would seem.
The older Macanese have a ‘fuck you’ attitude about them. Unfortunately many are employed in occupations that require them to interface with the tourist such as bus drivers and tourist information centre officers. 
There is a distinct lack of places to hang out and chill. Bars, people watching enabled coffee shops, pubs, al fresco dining operations all seem to be, disappointingly, conspicuous by their absence. 
There is a bus company driven conspiracy that promotes over payment of bus fares. Commercial operations able to change 10 potatoe banknotes or higher into smaller currency denominations to match bus ride tariffs have been banished from within a quarter mile of all bus stops.
The younger Macanese are cool, courteous, fine mannered individuals in general. If you need help, go young.
Beer (Tsingtao) is around 10 potatoes for a large bottle in a Chinese noodle shop and most operators seemed content to let one drink for a while before expecting a food order (on average 20 potatoes a dish). The savvy operators have picture book menus. 
Go to a Casino. The only apparent dress code is ‘no cap’. The cool croupiers are more fascinating than gambling.

Mastering Macau, Part 1

On exit from the customs hall at Macau International Airport one is confronted by several rows of agents offering hotels from 450 Pocata’s (affectionately renamed potatoes) per night to thousands of potatoes per night. Some quick mental arithmetic told me that was about 38UKP per night for the cheapest hotel. 

First enquiries revealed there were none of these hotels available ie they were full for the night and I was also told that this is the best price one can get. If it’s busy or a Friday or Saturday night then the prices increase. 
Feeling a little wounded, I spotted the tourist information office and ventured in with a spring in my step politely requesting help to find budget accommodation in the central district. Were there guest houses or homestays in that area? The stern, stoney faced, female attendant didn’t say anything but retrieved a tourist map from her secret pile, opened it out, ringed a road called Rue da Felicidade, reported that budget accommodation was available in this area and bus no. MT1 or MT2 would go as far as the Lisboa Hotel. 
She then carried on about her other business which was nondescript at the other end of the counter. 
The bus it was to be. Potatoes. I had better get some. The ATM in the arrivals concourse obliged willingly enough but I felt sure the 500 potatoe note would have produced something less than a smile from the bus driver.
I bought a coffee and a mysterious sweet bread item at the first floor cafe. Even there the 500 potatoe note produced a mocking guffaw. Friendly lot so far. However I felt more prepared for the bus trip than I had previously and took my time over the coffee and bun.
Understanding one’s arrived at the Lisboa is not difficult when it happens. It’s massive, oddly shaped and well ‘labelled’. One endures that uneasy mix of uncertainty and anxiety at all prior stops as the ‘is this the stop?’ question goes un-answered.
Rue da Felicidade

A 15 minute walk through the centre of Macau’s commercial/shopping district per the airport tourist map saw me at Rue da Felicidade. The red fronted China Sea style double story terraced houses that line Felicidade create a pleasant ambience that is further developed by the conversion of some into small restaurants. The road was the centre of Old Macau’s night life at some time in the distant past!

150 – 200 yards down the road I had yet to discover any accommodation and was seriously thinking about engaging plan B (which was to pay an even more exorbitant amount for the first night in a much higher profile hotel and spend the first part of the following day sourcing budget friendly accommodation) when, like magic, on my left appeared a hotel called Hotel Kou Va.

Hotel Kou Va

550 potatoes a night for a double room with en-suite bathroom, hot water, air con, satellite TV, without breakfast and on inspection proved to be clean and with firm bed. A room was available. Wi fi existed on the floor but did not reach all rooms. It felt great to have a base, to get rid of the 10kg backpack, to get rid of the 3kg sportspack and have a shower.

Airport agents play a game that is not always in the best interests of the tourist.

Riding the Mae Hong Son Loop, North West Thailand.

When a friend suggested we ride the Mae Hong Son Loop my first thoughts were of an epic train journey on stylish rolling stock through a part of China that I had still to discover.
As he talked more I discovered how wrong I was.
The adventure he had in mind was a road adventure to be undertaken on motorbikes through an area of North West Thailand that was something of a pilgrimage for the mesh jacket and leather boot brigade.
As a ‘biker’ during the late 80’s the appeal soon sunk in. I was hooked.
The outline plan was to fly to Chiang Mai. Take the first day to assess the bike hire situation, strike a deal on the bikes and refine the route detail with information gleaned from the bike outlets. The following three days would be ‘on the road’ enjoying (hopefully) whatever came our way along this famous biking pilgrimage. The afternoon of the third road day had to see us arrive back into Chiang Mai to return the bikes and rest up before an early flight out the following morning.
My riding buddy was Simon Wong. Later in the trip re-named Mr Gadget.
At 08.30 hours on the 20th June 2011 we departed Tony’s Big Bikes  (17 Ratchamankha Rd. Chiang Mai – Tel: +66 053207124)  in the heart of Chiang Mai astride two Honda Phantoms. Bikes somewhat smaller in cc than I had imagined we would take but recommended by Geoff at Tony’s Big Bikes as being eminently capable of the task ahead, frugal, reliable comfortable and light and manageable through the enormously winding route ahead. 
The bikes cost us 500 baht per day each plus 100 baht per day insurance each. A helmet was included. The insurance was not compulsory and appeared to cover serious  bike damage. Personal cover is compulsory and is included in the bike rental. (500 baht = 10UKP)  
Simon had put a lot of thought into the route, converting distances into times and selecting probable overnight stop locations. We would go ‘clockwise’ leaving Chiang Mai in a South Westerly direction with a target of Mae Cham by lunch. Kuhn Yuam by mid afternoon and possibly Mae Hong Son by evening. The first day was to be the toughest I remember him telling me. His reasoning was that we would be full of energy and enthusiasm on this first day, therefore covering it as easy as blinking. 
I felt great during the first hour of riding. The road was wide, straight and the traffic quietened the farther we went. I was happy at 60-70km/hr. Simon would race ahead and then wait, repeatedly. There were lots of waving hand signals as I passed him each time. I still felt good. Completely relaxed and enjoying the improving scenery. After no more than an hour Simon had pulled over in front of a small line of shops. Coffee and possibly noodles came to mind. 
Simon was disturbed. I was not going fast enough. We would not make his schedule. I had to speed up. I offered some defence in that I needed to get used to the bike. The reality of it was that I had to get out of dream mode and into achieve mode. I understood but wished we weren’t against the clock so much.
After two more short, fifteen minute stops in the National Park area of Doi Inthanon, we rolled into the small town of Mae Cham at about 12.30hrs. At the second of the stops it had just started to rain and I made my only wet weather clothing purchase. A poncho. At this stop I also ‘borrowed’ a couple of plastic bags to wrap around my bag on the rear carrier of the bike.
Simon seemed happier at our Mae Cham lunch stop but I am not sure whether that was because he liked the chicken rice lunch or because I had speeded up enough. I hoped it was because I had speeded up but the chicken had, apparently, been free range.

Heavy rain delayed our departure from Mae Cham until about 1.45pm. The following three  hours of motorcycling were the most challenging that we were to come across. Our route onward toward Kuhn Yuam took us to heights of around 1600 metres. 

The temperature dropped as the elevation increased. Persistant light rain stayed with us for most of the three hour plus ride to Kuhn Yuam. My jeans and light shoes became sodden and I became cold and miserable. The poncho leaked slowly adding to the misery. 
Occasionally my concentration waned and I found myself changing up a gear when I should have been changing down! 

I felt anxious and displayed caution at the tight wet road turns, of which there were many, and very cautious of the tight turns that appeared to be marked with rain AND soil run off.  My utmost concentration was commanded by the not infrequent sharp bend on a steep decline, some with scary adverse cambers and marked with greasy soil run off. OMG.

Visibility had declined considerably also. 

At probably the highest point the light rain became torrential and I opted for a break at a farmers rest shelter (see photo). Simon was ahead and hadn’t realised I had stopped. There were a bunch of locals, probably farm workers, some with bikes also taking shelter. One was kind enough to point out that one of the bungees retaining my bag had become unhooked. Simon re-appeared. Apparently the GPS was suggesting we had missed a turn. Simon encouraged me to leave the shelter and make the way back with him to the missed turning. Just when I was beginning to make friends!

Within a further 5km we wheeled into a small village. The village store presented itself. We parked up. Ordered coffee. Refueled from a hand pumped, sight gauged petrol machine and relaxed for 15mins. I exercised in a vain attempt to lift my body temperature a little. 

To be continued.

Land Slip Hill

In my home town of Swindon in Wiltshire, England there is a public park close to the centre of town called  Queens Park. During my school and college years my family lived close by. In the summer months, particularly during the periods of school and college holidays it would be a favourite location for courting couples and groups of flirtatious teenagers whose only interest was to find a partner and join the courting couples community! I remember the heady, flower and shrub scented ambience of the park being further propelled into a dreamy unrealism by these hormone driven teenage advenures.
 
Now some 40 years later my mother still lives in that same family house and on my visits there I occasionally pick up community news sheets that stir those teenage memories enough for me to want to revisit the park and write about those previous visits all those years ago.
 
One of the news sheets reports an incident that I remember well. The incident, some 27 years later has finally been addressed in a 21st century style eco centric style. 
 
The main feature of the park is a sizeable lake that is home to a wide range  birds (Swans being the most prominent), fish (no fishing allowed) and reptiles (allegedly). To the south side of the lake is the incline of a hill that rises into the ‘Old Town’ area of Swindon. During 1984 a landslip occured. It was caused by a combination of heavy rain and the unfortunate soil content of the hillside. Layers of clay became unstable in the heavy rain and one slipped over the other to engulf a considerable part of the south side of the park around the lake. From that day til 2011 a complete walk around the lake has been impossible due to the danger of further slippage.
 
During April 2011 the walk has re-opened. An extensive drainage system has been installed throughout the area of the land slippage to prevent a re-occurence of the 1984 event. At a starting point near to the cafe one can take the 550 metre walk completely around the lake past the hill known as Land Slip hill, across the grassed area, around the north side of the lake most popular with the water bird feeders and back over the bridge. 
 
Through the area past Land Slip Hill the newly laid woodchip footpath allows people to walk around the lake edge but has left the wildlife undisturbed in the deeper thicket and the hillside has become a haven for the many species of wildlife, which include foxes and badgers. Some of the timber cut down to clear the path has been stacked as woodpiles used to encourage insect life. These insects will provide food for the nesting birds which will live in the 36 nest boxes placed in the trees. The stone dragged up from the lake edge had been placed in in the the open canopies allowing reptiles, especially grass snakes to bask in the the midday sunshine . A few benches are planned around the path so everyone can enjoy the view across the lake.
 
The work has been deployed with great attention to minimising cost. The woodchip comes from the tree gang cutting and the pruning of street trees in nearby areas of Swindon. Path laying and scub clearance is undertaken by volunteers co-ordinated by Swindon Borough Council’s Ranger Team. The nest boxes are made and installed by volunteers. Donations are still being sought to help pay for the rustic benches which will also be installed by volunteers.
 
Photo(s) to follow.

A Journey Update

September 2007
In September 2007 I, voluntarily, left one of the most prestigious technology companies of our time. I gave up a salary, an apartment and a wicked vehicle that were the epitome of corporate ex-pat life.  I packed a bag and travelled for over a year. I took a slow tour of the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia (Bali, Jogja), Myanmar, UK, Spain. Some countries were pleasant enough to enjoy 2nd and 3rd visits from me.
Some of my acquaintances felt I was worth nothing any more and abandoned me.
Some of my acquaintances continued to ask for money but gave me further little time and even less respect.
Some of my acquaintances turned out to be good friends and continued to give me time and respect and still never asked for money.
My family encouraged me to go with what I felt was right for me. So cool.
I held on to an idea that my corporate experience must remain of value.
Mid 2008
I returned to Malaysia with a personal objective of putting my corporate experience to good use.
I rented a room and rode a bicycle.
I established a technology oriented business concept and developed a website.
I attracted some interest and came close to engaging with a well financed new age technology company that, sadly, were only interested in extracting knowledge from me free of charge.
It was a difficult time. I questioned myself and the new direction frequently and at length. I needed a direction. Aimless travel was pleasant but harrowing too.
I was pleasantly distracted by the opportunity to crew on a 45 foot catamaran for an admirable Australian fellow who was wanting to sail his vessel through Asia and ultimately onto Europe. The friendship with the vessels owner developed and we discussed different business ideas and concepts. We came close to operating a ‘life coach’ business. Which even now is parked in the wings and, we are both convinced, could be rolled out if and when it suits us.
Autumn 2008
For a number of different reasons I came back to the technology business concept during the Autumn of 2008. I adjusted it’s standing to make it more attractive as a stand alone service to Malaysian manufacturing centres. During early 2009 I started discussions with an ex colleague of Malaysian nationality.
April 2009
In April 2009 the Malaysian colleague and I struck a business agreement and the entity called Frontier Technology Services was created and registered in Malaysia. Although still a consulting company I chose to focus on professional and executive staffing. Theatre of operations remained  the advanced technology industries. Semiconductor, Silicon, Solar.
The infrastructure of documents, marketing material, database, tools and techniques were slowly developed and established until we felt ready to go to the local advanced technology market with the new offering.
Our first year saw significant interest, some assignments, a number of interviews but no appointments. We still had a lot to learn and many improvements to implement.
There was no revenue.
April 2010
Frontier Technology Services registration was renewed.
I still rent a room and ride a bicycle.
Late May 2010 we need a business bank account opened. We have our first cheque. At the bank we have to indicate our expected intial annual turnover. I offered X which, frankly, sounded nice at the time but I also remember thinking we would be lucky to achieve half of it.
November 2010
As we move toward the end of November there is a clear prospect that our X may turn out to be conservative.
We are in a marketing phase having added services, refined our techniques and upgraded our presentation.
We are adding people, gently.
We are determined to make  April 2011 to March 2012 a Y year.
I have come a long way.
Out of the corporate toy soldier position to the founder of a small conservative but none the less slowly successful business.
My business partner has come even further and is more driven and innovative than I could ever have imagined 18 months ago.
To those that abandoned me. You are still welcome in my life.
To those that continued to ask for money but gave me further little time and even less respect. You are still welcome in my life but I won’t give you money any more.
To those that turned out to be good friends and continued to give me time and respect and still never asked for money. We are going to celebrate the year end together. Thank you – you are wonderful.
To my very cool family – Having your love, time and support makes me the  luckiest person in the world. Your are absolutely the best! I look forward to the Spring to enjoy more precious time together.
🙂
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