Chiang Mai, Mae Sai, Thailand

After bus burnout we flew 1 hour from Luang Prabang in Laos to Chiang Mai, Thailand. We arrived on a Sunday which is the biggest market day and her indoors was overwhelmed with the choice of bargains while I escaped the shopping mayhem in an internet cafe with a large beer. It's a bit too touristy here for my liking but it's not too hard to escape the minibus tours if you try.

We rented a scooter and visited the nearby attractions including an elephant sanctuary where the talented trunked ones have been trained to paint. Yes you heard right, they actually paint, play football and various other impressive tasks.

Elephant Painter!

There's also a somewhat touristy tribal village where the infamous 'long neck' women live. They never take off the metal bindings around their neck from a young age. Over time the neck elongates and if they were to take off the bindings they risk breaking the spine as the neck muscles would not be able to support weight of the head unassisted. It's all a bit bizarre as you roam around the village and you can't help thinking that at this point it's no longer about preserving the culture but more about fleecing tourists in a kind of carnival freak show.

Long Neck Women

Seven hours north of Chiang Mai is the most northerly town in Thailand called Mae Sai where we had to spend the night as we waited for the border to open and get our visas for Myanmar (Burma). Our original plan was just to hop across the border into Talichek, Myanmar for the day but after chatting with a French woman who had just spent a week in Burma we decided to head to a small town called Kengtung. It was a decision we would not regret as it is a world removed from tourists but more on that next post. More photos of Chiang Mai in the slideshow below.

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Tags: ..Chiang Mai, Mae Sai, Thailand..

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Laos - Vientiane - Luang Prabang

I've been on my fair share of long bus rides (like this one - here) but these two back to back rides are right up there with the All Stars.

A minibus picked us up at our hotel in Hanoi at 5pm and dropped us at the bus station for our " 20 hour VIP sleeping bus" to Vientiane which eventually left 3.5 hours later. It was comfortable enough until it stopped 15 minutes later and another 10 locals were squeezed in sitting on the aisle. It's fairly common in these parts for the driver to make some extra cash by carrying passengers off the books, under the table or in this case on the floor.

We were lucky there was a toilet on the bus but to get to it you had to summon the conductor to unlock it and then tip toe around the bodies stretched out on the floor before you reached the piss puddle - yes that's right there was a good 2 inches of urine on the floor and the bus had a no shoe policy - just lovely!

We arrived at the border at 6am and waited an hour for it to open before crossing into Laos. At 5pm (24 hours after we set out) we finally arrived in Vientiane where we jumped in a pickup truck which would bring us to the centre via an ATM as nobody had local currency (Kips). After 3 ATMs refused to give money finally the fourth seemed to cooperate but then the unthinkable happened. The frikkin' machine swallowed my card and no cash came out - SHITE!!!!!!

Vientiane, Laos

I changed the last of my u$d which just enough for a room and a meal for the night. It would take another 24 hours and 3 trips (1 hour round trip) to the banks head office before I would retrieve my card and get refunded for a phantom withdrawal.

With no rest for the wicked we jumped on another 10 hour overnight bus north to Luang Prabang. Once again the locals sang the vomit national anthem all the way. I feel bad for them as I presume they are more prone to motion sickness but when we hit a bump and the over spill from a bucket landed on my ankle my tolerance level was being tested severely. A few unfortunate people who left their bags on the floor got a new coat of puke paint as the rivers of bile meandered along the floor of the bus.

Luang Prabang, Laos

Luang Prabang itself is a beautiful spot and we recovered from the puke extravaganza eventually but decided with conviction, we would fly to our next destination.

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Tags: ..Laos - Vientiane - Luang Prabang..

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Vietnam - Ho Chi Min City - Hanoi City

From Phnom Penh we headed south and crossed the border into Vietnam where we arrived at Ho Chi Min City. HCMC is just a blur of motorbikes on the roads scattering like ants in bizarre sort of ordered chaos. I'd already spent a long weekend here back in April so I'll revert to the photos and previous post here

Ho Chi Min City

As we flew from HCMC to Hanoi in the north an unfortunate theme started to emerge. Quite a few locals were throwing up on the plane despite the smooth flight. As we jumped into a shared minibus the driver handed out puke bags for the 45 minute trip to the city centre. Sure enough, three locals serenaded us with a chorus of gut wrenching and stomach churning and dutifully filled their bags to the brim. As the waft of vomit filled the minbus another local would tag the next culprit to continue the game of puke dominoes.

The weather turned sour on us in Hanoi and threatened to cut the trip short as most of SE Asia was a wash out but after waiting a few days as the heavens poured down we took a gamble to move on to Laos. The gamble paid off but unfortunately the puke theme stuck with us a while longer. More on that cheerful topic next post.

Tags: ..Vietnam - Ho Chi Min City - Hanoi City..

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Hanoi City

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Killing Fields, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Royal Palace, Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh is 6 hours from Siam Reap. It's a poverty stricken, polluted, congested mess. Besides the Royal Palace and Sillver Pagoda there is not much pleasing on the eyes. It looks like a huge shanty town and given the number of kids begging for money it's not far off.

A visit to the killing fields of Choeung Ek 16kms outside the city is a stark reminder of just how brutal the Khymer Rouge really were under Pol Pot. If that doesn't depress you then a visit to Tuol Sleng, a school turned it a torture and execution prison surely will.The Kymer Rouge were responsible for some 2 million deaths.

They eliminated the use of money and closed most hospitals and schools.They systematically killed educated people who they deemed dangerous and even people who wore spectacles became targets. They ruled by extreme fear and are regarded as more brutal than the Nazis.

Inexplicably, the UN allowed the Khymer Rouge to occupy the Cambodian seat at the UN General Assembly until 1991?

Tags: ..Killing Fields, Phnom Penh, Cambodia..

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Siem Reap - Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap

Apart from the Khymer Rouge, Cambodia is probably best known for the temple ruins of Angkor Wat which is a short hop from Siam Reap. If you team up and have 4 people you can hire a large tuk tuk and driver for the day for less than u$d4 each or go solo on a bicycle for u$d2 It's very spread out so I recommend the former as the heat saps your energy even when your fat arse is being chauffered around.

Although the official currency is the Riel the u$d is the money of choice especially for tourists. Unfortunately photos (well my photos) don't do the place justice but trust me this truly is a magical place and worth the hassles of the border crossing from the previous post.

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Tags: ..Siam Reap - Angkor Wat, Cambodia..


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How to avoid the scams crossing the border from Bangkok, Thailand to Siem Reap, Cambodia

Welcome to the Kingdom of Cambodia (Got lottsa money?)


How to avoid the scams crossing the border from Bangkok, Thailand to Siam Reap, Cambodia




What are the scams?

Most involve overcharging for transport, visas, accomodation.

Who is in on the scams?

Basically everybody including the travel agent who sells you the bus ticket, the bus driver who takes the long way so you arrive tired and late, the guest house where the driver drops you that overcharges, the tuk tuk drivers that detour to an unofficial visa issuer, the official immigration guards who try to tag on extra bogus fees, the Cambodian ministry for tourism who provide a 'free' shuttle to the connecting bus which "just left" so you have to take a taxi from the border to Siam Reap, the taxi driver who drops you at a tuk tuk stand outside town where you are pushed to use their tuk tuk to explore Ankor Wat and so on.

What you should and shouldn't do.

Do not involve a third party e.g. travel agent to make any of the arrangements. Go to the northern bus station in Bangkok and buy your ticket (u$d 5) to Aranypathet on the Thai border. Take a tuk tuk (u$d 2) for a short hop to Poipet where you cross the border. If the driver does a detour (and he will) or if a tout tries to jump in your tuk tuk just say no and insist he take you directly to the border as this is a scam to overcharge you for the visa.
When you get to the border you'll likely gain a shadow. Some annoying tout trying to sell you onward travel so ignore him but accept he won't go away. First you clear Thai immigration then you have to clear Cambodian health screening and then you need to get your visa.

Despite the fact there is a big sign saying 'u$d 20 - tourist visa' the immigration official will try and charge you extra. First they wanted us to pay using Thai baht as this would bump us to the top of the queue. If we didn't have Thai Baht we could exchange u$d25 for the required amount. When we refused they weren't happy and left us waiting. Next they agreed to let us pay in u$d but in our case he said u$d 5 extra because it was a visa on arrival. When we refused we were left waiting again but now the surcharge had dropped to u$d 2. Again we refused and finally after some cold dirty looks we finally got our visa for u$d20. We met some peeps in queue who paid u$d35. It's not a lot of money but it's the principal. I don't like to be fucked over.

After clearing immigration on the Cambodian side we still had to get 200kms to Siam Reap. Our tout shadow was still lingering and had multiplied into 4 people who told us a free shuttle would take us to the nearby bus station. Sure enough a bus with 'Cambodian Ministry of Tourism' took us to the bus station where none too surprisingly we were told we had just missed the last bus and would have to get a taxi for u$d52 which was posted on a large sign. After some haggling and threatening to hail a taxi on the street this was reduced to u$d40 and since we teamed up with another couple it was just u$d10 each i.e the same price as a non AC sweaty bus. 3 hours later we were drinking beers in Siam Reap content in the knowledge we had beaten the scam-bags!

Note: the infamously bumpy nightmare dirt road between Poipet and Siam Reap is now a smooth sealed road finished in May 2009.
Tags: How to avoid the scams crossing the border from Bangkok, Thailand to Siam Reap..

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Thailand - Ko Phi Phi, Phucket, Ko Samui, Ko Tao

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Ladyboys get a discount!

After a few days in Ko Phi Phi we headed by boat directly to Phucket which was hit hard by the tsunami in 2004. It has recovered well and is much more developed than when I passed thru here way back in 1994.

Sex is the big tourist draw here although vacationing couples with kids walk the same path as 60 year old men with young Thai girls latched on to them. Scantily clad young ladies and ladyboys proposition you for a massage as you walk by dodgy looking massage parlours. It's sad but true this is the only way many of the locals make a living.

The shops and stalls start the haggle price ludicrously high and are unusually angry if they don't succeed to make a sale. After 3 days in Phucket we took a minibus to a bus to a boat in Surat Thani to reach the infamous island of Ko Samui.

After fending off taxi rip off touts at the port we had to hoof it 1km then perform a delicate balancing act of the two of us plus bags plus driver on one motorbike for 2kms to the main road where we flagged down a pickup truck to bring us to town.

Ko Tao was the next island hop on the itinerary and it's famous for diving and snorkelling. The coral is amazingly beautiful and if you took a little bread into the water you were immediately surrounded by a feeding frenzy of fish which would nip at your fingers.

From Ko Tao it was another 2 hours by fast catamaran back to the mainland to Chumphon and then 6 hours by bus to Bangkok. It's bizzare that in a city this size the majority of the budget accomodation is concentrated around 4 blocks near Banglamphu / Khao San. U$D12 will get you a clean room with AC and TV right smack in the middle of the action.

Maybe too near the action as we discovered on our last night as the thumping bass from the loud party in the bar next door was still going strong at 4am. After barely 3 hours sleep we tried to check out but the poor night porter obviously didn't get much sleep either as it took forever to wake him. Now we are headed to Cambodia and will try and avoid the numerous scams crossing the border. More on the scams later.

Tags: ..:Thailand - Ko Tao, Phucket,Ko Phi Phi, Ko Samui..


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Malaysia to Thailand

Kuala Lumpur

Flights are cheap down here so from Bali we bought tickets at the airport to Kuala Lumpur where we spent a fairly uneventful few days before buying another cheap plane ticket to the poular island gem of Langkawi just off the north east coast of Malaysia. It's a duty free zone where you can get the cheapest liquor I've ever bought e.g. u$d8 for a decent brand of rum and u$d10 for whiskey. Needless to say I sampled a few and since we were leaving by boat my backpack doubled in weight as I ditched some clothes to make room for a bottle or two.

Langkawi

We left Langkawai from the port of Kuah (without time to get Thai money - Baht) and went by boat to Satun in the south of Thailand. On arrival we jumped in the back of a sawngthaew (pick up truck) and had a hell of a time getting the driver to accepy Malay money. No ATM or FX at the bus station compounded problems but we eventually persuaded the ticket agent to convert some USD into Thai Baht.

Bus journeys seem to be one extreme or the other as we first had a microwave oven rust bucket for 3 hours to Trang (where I exchanged more USD to Thai Baht from some helpful Irish lasses. It seems like half of Irelands student population is in Thailand as it's cheaper to live here for the summer than back home. In Trang we connected with 3 hour frisdge freezer rust bucket to Krabi. The following morning after topping up funds (3 attempts at the ATM - Phew!) we went by boat to the much lauded island of Ko Phi Phi.



Sadly this jewel is being choked by it's own success and a good chunk of the beaches are polluted necessitating litter removal (plastic bags, bottles cans) three times a day. You need to hire a boat (be preapred to haggle hard) to reach the some incredibly beautiful and unspoilt islands and lagoons just off the main island. These truly are spectacular and right up there on the WOW factor - think of the movie 'The Beach' and you'll get the idea.

Tags: ..Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Ko Phi Phi Thailand..

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Indonesia - Bali

Gunung Bromo

I'm a tad behind on the travelogue and inexcusably behind on blog visits (apologies and thanks to those who keep reading this drivel) but the laptop is still fecked (yeah that naughty PC nurse didn't do the job she was supposed to) so I don't connect that often.

We finished off Java on a high (literally) as we scaled Gunung Bromo, an active volcano and watched the sunrise. I have some great photos but they're on the frikkin' laptop :-(

Next we went by bus then boat to Bali (14 long hours) where we stayed in the ín' spot of Kuta. Bali was not quite waht we expected. The beaches were disappointing and Kuta was just a tad tacky. If you're a twenty something backpacker then it's heaven and you can venture further north for some peace and quiet but it's average at best. Maybe I'm getting old but I'm just not sure what all the fuss is about of Bali the beach heaven? It looks good at sunset but not great at midday. We did find heading inland to the tranquil town of Ubud to be the highlight. Lombok and the Gillie isles get good press so maybe another visit is required.

Sunset Bali

Tags: ..Gunung Bromo, Kuta Bali Sunset..

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Is there a Doctor in the house?

I'm finally back in civilization so taking my laptop to the PC Doctor later today.

Wish me lucky 'long-time!' - Happy Endings and all that good stuff!

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Broken Laptop :-((

Okay - so it's not as bad as the one above but I get a cryptic message about a missing or corrupt file and the mother sucker just hangs in limbo. There ain't too many laptop repair shops in the remote corners I'm traveling so normal service will hopefully resume shortly.

I'm starting to wonder what we all did before computers, internet, skype, facebook etc.

Thankfully the beer is cold, cheap and plentiful...oh wait that's what we did (drrrink!) before technology arrived. Now we just do it at the same time!

Tags: ..Broken Laptop..

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Indonesia - Java

Friendly locals

We arrived in Yogyakarta at 3:30am and haggled outside the train station for a taxi (u$d 2) to our pre-booked accomo - Prambanan guest house (u$d 22 ). As we got to the room there was a chorus of prayers and chanting from a nearby building. I used to hate the 7:30am early mass in my days as an altar boy but these people get up way too damn early! We collapsed into bed exhausted with the faint waft of puke as a reminder of our journey.

Thankfully Yogyakarta was much more laid back than its big brother Jakarta. So laid back in fact, the driver of a public bus I was on just pulled over and hopped off for a dump, coffee and cigarette (not necessarily in that order) leaving the passengers to endure some awful wannabe musician to hopped on to give us a rendition of stairway to heaven – a prime candidate for X-factor out-takes if ever there was one.

We visited the royal enclave known as Kraton which is a Vatican-esque area where the current Sultan of Java lives. We navigated the local public transport to get us to Prambanan, 17kms north of Yogya, which is an impressive complex of some 50 Hindu temples. The following day we explored Borobudur which is massive Buddhist temple, 42km northwest of Yogya. There are numerous school trips from outlying regions to these temple sights and the kids cornered us on several occasions for group photos with the ‘outsiders’.

Observations:



- Train travel in Indonesia can be expensive and not always worth it.
- The locals here are among the friendliest I’ve encountered anywhere and you are engaged frequently by strangers who want to practice their English.

Tags: ..Indonesia - Java..

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24 hours in Indonesia - Part 2

I found my future job (see photo above) - We took the airport Damri Bus (50 minutes u$d 2) to Gambir (central train station) and then hopped into a tuk tuk (7 minutes u$d 1) to Jalan Jaksa which is the backpacker area. We had booked ahead and splurged u$d 22 for a room with AC at Hotel Margot for our first night. We popped downstairs to the hotel bar for a badly needed beer to recount our recent visa saga.

We quickly observed there were some strange shenanigans going on both outside and in the building directly opposite. Ladies with very tight short skirts and very little else were parading up and down and every now and then they would disappear with a newly acquainted male friend for about 15 minutes. There were some male on male shenanigans going on too. It turned out the bar we were drinking in was the hook up spot or should that be ‘hooker up’ spot for the love hotel across the road.

There seemed to be a pimp orchestrating all the business and writing entries in a notebook. The toilet in the bar seemed to be a half way station for both customer and vendor to inspect their bits n’ pieces and exchange money before heading across the road to do the nasty. A thoroughly entertaining evening was had by one and all.

The next day we checked out and headed back to Gambir train station to buy tickets for the so called luxury Argu Lawa train from Gambir to Yogyakarta (7.25 hours u$d 22) scheduled at 8pm that evening.

Check the fangs on this fishy!

To bide our time before the evening departure we left our bags in a locker and hopped on a bus (20 minutes u$d 0.30) to the old town section of Jakarta called Kota and had a drink at the highly recommended Café Batavia where everyone who is anyone goes when they visit Jakarta.
The bus to Kota was midday and went without a hitch but the journey from Kota back to the train station an experience I’ll never forget.

The bus transport in Jakarta is extremely well organized with dedicated bus lanes and special platforms for boarding and offloading passengers and transport security men on each bus and platform to help organize the ensuing chaos. It was 6pm rush hour and I have never seen so many people queuing for a bus.

We could have just hopped in a taxi but we had time to kill and as I saw the sea of hundreds of people ahead of me I grew curious as to what it would be like to have to do this everyday – maybe twice a day. It was ridiculously hot and humid and the beads of perspiration trickling from me were more like rapid rivers of sweat. After queueing (shove, push, jostle) for 30 minutes we were finally on the bus.

Finally we boarded our 8pm train to Yogyakarta but wen we sat in our allotted seats there was a pungent smell of puke and after further investigation I realized someone had emptied their stomach on my seat very recently. The train was full so no chance of switching seats so as I type this I am literally sitting in vomit. Only 7 more hours of this vomit comet to go. An interesting 24 hours is just coming to an end.

Observations:

- Jakarta is a polluted chaotic city with little appeal for this traveler.
- The queue for the bus would give the Tokyo subway a run for its money any day

Tags: ..24 hours in Indonesia - Part 2..

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24 hours in Indonesia - Part 1

Where the hell is Indonesia?

We took a late morning JetStar Asia flight from Hong Kong to Jakarta (u$d 160 oneway) with a connection in Singapore which was relatively uneventful. Budget airlines are plentiful and cheap in Asia and you can usually get a good deal even at the last minute. Herself managed to squeeze all her stuff into one backpack – no small accomplishment believe me!

I’d checked the visa requirements for Indonesia online and was informed we could get a V.O.A (Visa on Arrival) for u$d25. Sure enough when we arrived there was a VOA desk so we first went to one counter and paid in cash (no problems) to immigration official #1 and then went to another counter where you presented your receipt and immigration official #2 issued a visa sticker to put in your passport.

This is where the fiasco began as immigration official #2 asked to see a return or onward flight ticket. This is a requirement in many countries but rarely enforced. After explaining we had very loose plans i.e. no set itinerary we were escorted to yet another counter of immigration official #3 who gave us a hard time but after a verbal slap on the wrist he agreed to give us the visa. PHEW! End of Fiasco…….NOT!

When we made our way to yet another, but supposedly final immigration counter where they actually stamp your passport, immigration official #4 asked “Can I see your return ticket?” This felt like a game of ‘snakes and ladders’ where you take 3 steps forward and all of a sudden you’re back to where you started.

After trying to re-explain everything two more times immigration official #4 said he had a solution. We could either buy a return ticket now on the spot or “if you help me – I’ll help you” aka he wanted a bribe to turn a blind eye. He then directed us back to a side counter where immigration official #5 acted as arbitrator for the haggle. I offered u$d 20 but he wanted u$d 50 and we eventually settled on u$d 40 which had to be placed in one of the passports and back we went to the counter for our stamps. WELCOME to Indonesia!

Obervations:

- There are more immigration officials than passengers in Jakarta airport (best bribed job in town)
- Sometimes being a bum with no set itinerary is a handicap (at least in Indonesia)

...To be continued...

Tags: ..Indonesia immigration here..

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Cost of Living in Buenos Aires, Argentina

UPDATED JANUARY 2013

People are always asking me "What's the cost of living over there?" - The answer depends on whether you're living 'La Vida Loca' expat life or trying to blend in as a local or something in between. Our goal coming down here was to use BA as a base from which to travel and that has worked out very well. Here are my observations on cost of living here. If you disagree pls let me know and if you have other ideas or questions on prices, post a comment here (anonymous if you like) and I'll do my best to find out.

Note: According to the government here, inflation is running at below 10% but independent estimates calculate it is more than 30%

Use the scroll bars below to see the entire list or click here

UPDATED JANUARY 2013

Disagree with prices? Getting a better price? Want to know the price of something else?
Let me know please! - I will continue to update this with updated FX rates and reader feedback.

Tags: ..Cost of Living in Argentina, Expat Cost of living Buenos aires Argentina 2009 , how much money do I need?, what does it cost to live?, cost of living, standard of living index,Cost of living Argentina?, Cost of living Buenos Aires?..

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The Good, the Bad and the Bum

Which would you like first? - ok the bad news first.

I am still an unemployed Irish bum. The job market is still very slow and employers here (as everywhere) are hesitant to hire - period. Even more so to hire an expat when they can hire a local for less $$$ and avoid having to process visa paperwork where they need to justify why a local can't do the same job.

The good news is the missus has landed a job and assuming the visa paperwork goes thru smoothly she'll be gainfully employed as of end of next month. As her 'dependent' I also qualify for a work visa so I'll be more marketable (he said optimistically) for prospective employers since they won't need to go thru the visa paperwork headache.

So what can we do to pass the time before at least one of us rejoins the rat race?

Save money? Lay low? Enter politics? - HELL NO! We're off on another backpacking extravaganza starting in Indonesia and seeing how long we can drag it out i.e. stretch the budget.

So stay tuned and travel vicariously with nomadic Paddy in B.A. as he tries to notch up a few more countries and push the envelope and maybe break a few records for how long you can bum around the planet.Tags: ..Good News Bad News..

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The Maids Day Off - Hong Kong

It's very common in Hong Kong for people to have a maid. Before you ask - No - we don't have one...yet. Given my current job prospects, I'm considering being one but I hate cleaning, babysitting and general house duties so I'm not sure I'm cut out for it or it's highly probable I won't advance very quickly up the maid career ladder.

Usually they are from the Philipines, Indonesia or Malaysia and often leave their family including husband and kids to work extremely hard to send a portion of the little money they make home.

The current maid monthly salary is approx HKD$3,500 (u$d450, 270GBP, 315Euros) for 6 long days a week as a live in 12-14 hour a day nanny, cleaner, chef, dog walker, car washer and in some cases comfort companion - nudge nudge -wink wink - frown!

Often they are asked to sleep in a storage room instead of a bedroom and frequently over worked and underpaid.

Many of them head to Victoria Park in Causeway Bay here in the centre of Hong Kong for their one day a week off work (Sunday), to meet up wth friends. They gather in huge groups which in itself turns into a bit of a spectacle.

Some might call it exploitation. Others might say market price. What's your thoughts?

Tags: .The Maids Day Off - Hong Kong..

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A Man's gotta Poo when a Man's gotta Poo!

It's been pissin' rain for four days so I've not been out much and cabin fever had hit me in a bad way. Even though it was still raining this morning, I couldn't stay indoors any longer so headed out for a hike to the hills in between scattered showers. After my daily porridge and coffee, I'm as regular as a 'clockwork prune' so I'd already taken care of business before I left.

15 minutes into the hike, I started to feel an uncontrollable urge to poo again. Now I can normally hold onto doing the business until a suitable opportunity presents itself but this was one of those emergencies. It was like movie 'Alien' where the extra'turd'esstrial creature just wants to escape its host. I was practically in poo labour. No matter how much I huffed and puffed, I couldn't slow the bowel contractions and this bundle of poo was going to be delivered with or without my consent.

My options were simple -

a.) Step off into the bushes and let rip and hope the leaves I used weren't poison ivy
b.) Try and hold on as best I could but more than likely unload in my pants

After holding on to all my shite with all my might, I rounded a corner and to my absolute delight (not meant to rhyme) and complete relief, I spotted a toilet. If this had been a hike anywhere else in the world, I would most likely have been doomed (up shit creek as it were) but in Hong Kong, thankfully you can find public toilets in the middle of the wilderness with toilet paper - I love this city!

Photo: Poo in the Wilderness (ok so wasn't the ACTUAL toilet I found but you get the sense of relief!)

Tags: .A Man's gotta Poo when a Man's gotta Poo!, Hong Kong toilets..

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HELP - I've lost my Blogging Mojo!

The facts from an Irish blogger git who has sadly lost his way:

• I've been posting less and less bloggy stuff.
• I'm at a loss for stuff to waffle about, not that there ain't stuff goin' on.
• I've been finding it difficult to make time to visit other blogs.
• When I do visit other blogs - I'm lost for inspiration on what to leave as a comment.

This blog started as Paddy in BA (aka Buenos Aires). Life thows some curve balls so now I find myself in Hong Kong and hence the blog has now morphed into 'Paddy in Buenos Asia'.

I started the blog as a way to capture (for my own record) the adventure of a Irish bum in South America. The blog sort of took on a life of it's own when one day a random stranger left a comment. This threw me for a loop - Wait! people not only read blogs but comment too?

Thus began my immersion into blogging where I discovered there is a sub culture of peeps out there who blog regularly and read and comment on other blogs. I've actually met and befriended good people thru the blog. In fact no regrets and no negative interactions there apart from that Nigerian prince who needed my help to claim his family fortune!

For some there is a bit of a blogger currency of you comment on my blog and I'll comment on yours (a category I find myself guilty of :-( - honest but not proud of that) but for others they just have the need to express and/or be acknowledged and more power to them I say.

Whatever the reason I think blogging is great - period...but..

It seems I've just lost my blogging mojo right now so would appreciate if you could email embarrassing photos of your friends and relatives I can post up here and leverage (i.e. they will pay to retrieve)

Maybe I am homesick? - ah yes I miss home, the weather etc etc etc!

Photo: Lovely Irish Weather

Tags: .HELP - I've lost my Blogging Mojo!..

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The Sign of the Times

It seems there are lots of rules in Hong Kong. Some are written, some are unwritten and some are posted on signs. I like the visual signs. A picture says a thousand words etc. I've been a man of few words recently (thank Jaezuz says you) so to continue that theme - here is a selection of a few pics I've snapped recently. So without further ado or verbal diarrhea here's my pics!

p.s. Today is my birthday so the drinks are on YOU (check final photo and you'll see what I mean!)

Tags: .birthday..

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WTF - Someone just left a 20,391 word comment / essay on my Blog?

What the F$%K?

It's always gratifying when someone spends time to visit your wee ol' blog and even more so if they are courteous and sometimes more fun if they are NOT and leave some feedback by way of a comment. It makes me all warm n' fuzzy inside to know somebody knows I exist on the webosphere and somehow (probably accidentally) stumbled upon my sorry arse excuse for a rant and a vent and a chat.

About five minutes ago, I received a comment on an old blog post about that thieving bastard Bono (of U2 fame) who stole my tent - TRUE FRIKKIN' STORY B.T.W. (court case pending so I can't divulge anymore at the mo). Not only did this commenter have a few words to say about my blog topic - they had 20,391 words to say to be exact - and NOT the mindless incoherent nonsense with links that a spammer would usually leave.

You may now visit comment #30 and read for yourselves. Feel free to write an executive summary.

http://paddyinba.blogspot.com/2008/10/bono-stole-my-tent.html

Advance to comment #30 on the above link or just look for the book and soon to be movie coming to a theatre near you!

Tags: .WTF - Someone just left a 21,391 word comment / essay on my Blog?..

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How and Why to Jailbreak the Apple iPhone 3G

I'm a self confessed gadget freak. I can spend hours browsing in electronic shops drooling over the next gadget I'd like to own. I've owned various different electronic organisers over the years (yet managed to maintain a respectable level of tardiness) and until recently was a die hard Palm devotee. Smart phones are great for reducing the clutter in your pocket (phone, organiser, MP3 player, camera - all in one) so I was happy with my trusty Palm Treo 650 for years until it started to have battery trouble recently. I decided to splurge on the latest 16GB Apple iPhone 3G. In Hong Kong most mobile phones are sold unlocked i.e. you're not forced to stick with one carrier on a lengthy contract as in the USA. Furthermore you can get a month to month contract with PCCW mobile which is great if like me you don't know exactly how long you'll be sticking around but you want a data plan so you can surf the net and check email on the fly. (Month to Month not to be confused with 'prepaid' or 'pay as you go' although you can get those too but they have no data plan) For $110HK (11 Euros or 9GBP or u$d14) per month I get 600 minutes of out of network talk time 600 minutes of in network talk time 60MB of data (GPRS) Free in network SMS 60 MMS 60 minutes Video calls

I can cancel the month to month contract with 30 days notice and no penalty! I was immediately impressed by the core functionality of the phone and checking emails and surfing the web on the go was super fast.  Battery life is not great and requires a recharge practically everyday. The selection of over 23,000 apps you can add from the iTunes Store is mind boggling albeit some of these apps are pretty crap and some just add functionality which arguably should come shipped with the iPhone.

This brings us to an important issue. The iPhone comes shipped and out of the box with features that are blocked or purposefully not enabled. That's like buying a car where the engine automatically cuts out if you go above 50kms an hour. People have developed apps to turn on some of these features but since Apple vets and approves every app in the iTunes Store none of these are accessible thru 'legitimate' means. So if you want to get the full functionality for your iPhone (e.g. use it as a video recorder, running apps in the background, changing the look n' feel and adding apps that Apple doesn't approve of because they'd rather you buy them etc) you have to use a process known as 'jailbreak'. If your iPhone is locked to a specific carrier you can also unlock using a program called Yellowsn0w. This link here explains the jailbreak process in detail and the nice part is you can always restore your phone to its original state and hence maintain its warranty using this link here

Note: 'Unlocking' and 'Jailbreaking' are 2 completely different processes so read the links above carefully. So 'how you like them apples?'

Tags: .How and Why to Jailbreak the Apple iPhone 3G..

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We Want WAR! - We Want WAR!

Saturday morning, a group of 25 of us headed by bus to the outskirts of Hong Kong (New Territories) to play 'War Games' aka 'Paintball'. We split into teams of two and spent the next 7 hours hiding behind trees and barrels, clambering thru bushes and dirt, shooting each other with machine guns that fire small white pellets, which is surprisingly and perhaps disturbingly satisfying, but can also be painful.

You get suited up in camouflage gear and protective head wear but a couple of direct hits can take its toll as the photos will demonstrate. This was only my second time playing but it's an absolute blast (literally) and I can't wait to go again although my limbs and joints and other bits are aching more than expected today.

I think it should be mandatory for wayward politicians and corrupt corporate execs to be left to fend for themselves on one of these paintball courses. Fuck 'community service' and 'slap on the wrist' meaningless fines. Just give us a few hours to pelt the feckers with pellets and teach 'em a lesson!

If you haven't tried it yet, I highly recommend it. My only complaint is I now have about a dozen extra nipple shaped bruises on my back! - Pics posted below - last few are rated PG.

Tags: .war games paintball hong kong..

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Hiatus in Honkers?

The missus finally arrived in Honkers and we've been exploring the local surroundings so hence the lack of visits to your blogs and updates on this ol' blog of mine. Her indoors has even started a blog of her own, currently documenting the long adventurous trip over here, so please wander over there and give her some encouragement by way of a comment - GauchoGal - http://gauchogal.blogspot.com/

In the meantime just some quick headlines of what's happening here as we try and dodge the swine flu bug and other global disasters.

I found a new vice shortly after arriving in Hong Kong (as if I needed another!) The locals play a game called 'mahjong' which is like 'gin rummy' but played with tiles rather than cards. A friend hosts a game every Sunday and it's a lot of fun especially with a few beers. Since I come from a long line of gamblers and misfits - it's right up my alley or down a slippery slope depending on which way you look at it.
Junk season arrives shortly where a group of people get together and rent a 'junk' boat and head out for the day or night for a bit of a party. I've been out on one trip already and I suppose the term 'booze cruise' is appropriate but the back drop of the Hong Kong skyline makes it a cut above any other water bound shenanigans.

WARNING! - Pot Noodles are dangerously addictive. I had never tried them back home but here they are part of the staple diet and I am hooked. I'm convinced they have a nicotine like drug besides the m.s.g. and I am prone to jumping out of bed in the wee hours to boil the kettle and stir the pot to satisfy the craving. If only I could get out of bed with the same enthusiasm at 7am. Maybe I can patent the noodle patch!

The locals have banded together and made sure we wake up at a reasonable hour by renovating the apartment on the floor above so power drills and hammers are now the norm at 8:30am on Monday to Sunday. Gotta luv the community spirit here!

Tags: .Hiatus in Honkers, Mahjong, Hong Kong, China..

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East VS West - Cultural Differences

I've been raving about how much I like Hong Kong in recent posts but I thought it would be good to document some of my observations on the cultural differences between East and West.

In western culture it seems the norm for old folks to be banded together in bingo halls or homes for the aged where they are left to their own devices and seem for the most part bored shitless. I think the elderly here are given more respect and are definitely more active in society. Every morning they gather in throngs in the parks where they practice Tai Chi which is a form of 'blue rinse' martial arts (slow but graceful). I've seen 80+ year olds that put me to shame with the level of flexibility, dexterity and coordination they possess.

Middle aged/old ladies are extremely aggressive at barging and elbowing their way past you while queuing at bus stops, trams and trains. I've been knocked aside on several occasions.

Americans have a stereotype for being loud, but sit in a locals restaurant with a bunch of old Chinese men at the next table and you better bring ear plugs. They practically scream at each other in ordinary conversation.

Clearing the throat / spitting is more common on mainland China but also prevalent here especially the 'flem tonsil tango' - not too pleasant on the ears.

I've already blogged about how great the food is here but they do eat some strange stuff like boiled or deep fried chickens head (an acquired taste!)

Public Toilets can be a bit daunting at times with the squat toilet apparatus but you do get more thrust using this position.

We had our first cinema experience last night where the crescendo of burps and belches was 'almost' comical. It seems quite acceptable here to let rip, at least from one orifice.

Gambling is absolutely huge here but I've seen many people trying to 'pick a winner' of a different sort.

So if you want to blend here you should ignore western social etiquette and eat whatever you want, spit, burp and pick your nose in public. Maybe Homer Simpson was born here?

Tags: .Cultural differences Hong Kong China Asia spit burp flem pick nose. spitting.

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