As I was walking down the street in Saigon a few months ago, a guy was walking by with a large piece of cardboard covered in sunglasses. He stepped in front of me and asked if I wanted to buy a pair. I pointed to the pair on my face and told him that I already have a pair and I stepped around him. He started walking backwards to stay in front of me and said, “I give you better price!” Really, dude? What price is better than “I already have some”? I laughed and kept walking.
Category: Asia
Songkran in Chiang Mai
Often billed as the world’s largest water fight, the Songkran Festival in Thailand has its roots in centuries-old Buddhist traditions celebrating the new year. But when you allow people to splash water on each other in 95+ degree heat in a popular tourist destination with a low cost of living, you have to expect that tradition will be quickly sidelined by tourists out to have a good time.
Personal Services in Southeast Asia
From massages to manicures, and from haircuts to handjobs, whatever you want someone else to do to your body, it can be found in Southeast Asia for cheaper than you’d think.
Khao San Road
Both loved and loathed, sometimes by the same person at the same time, Bangkok’s Khao San Road is a must-see for any tourist or visitor. Depending on your age and travel group, you will spend anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 days walking the 4 block stretch.
Fun With Food
One of the fun things about traveling to new countries is trying the food, and everyone has a different tolerance for new things. I have friends that will eat anything, in any country, with no concerns. I have another friend who packed a duffel bag full of Pop-Tarts to eat for every meal while was on vacation in Cozumel for a week. To each their own. It’s one thing to try something new when you’re at your favorite Mexican restaurant at home. It’s completely different when you’re trying random street food in Southeast Asia. Sometimes you have to push yourself a little, and you may be pleasantly surprised. Other times you may realize that you should have trusted your gut and gone to McDonalds.
Thailand’s Full Moon Party
Take 5,000 people or more, add a half-dozen bars blasting music ranging from hip hop to techno, throw in booze that’s literally sold by the bucket, put it all on a beach in the gulf of Thailand, and what do you have? The full moon party in Koh Pha Ngan.
Another Tuk Tuk Scam
As I left the Wat Pho temple in Bangkok, I found a line of tuk tuks waiting, which is fairly common at most of the tourist destinations around Bangkok. A Thai man standing outside of the exit stepped in front of me as I left the temple and invited me to see some sights. He pointed to a map that was set up on a stand next to him and listed several stops, including the Lucky Buddha, Fashion Center, Standing Buddha, and the Marble Temple. He quoted me a price of 100฿ (about $3.18) for the tour, for the driver to take me to each stop, wait for me, and then go to the next stop. Since I paid 50฿ just to get to the temple, this seemed like a good deal. As I tried to double check my math to confirm that 100฿ was really less than $4, he sensed my hesitation and said, “For you, I make good deal. 50฿ for all. Tuk tuk take you, wait, and go next place. 50฿.” He poked at the stops on the map, emphasizing that I’d get to see it all. That seemed like a great deal, since it was around $1.50 for a ride to several tourist stops. So I agreed, while a little voice in my head wondered aloud what the scam was and whether I’d end up losing a kidney. (Spoiler: I did not lose a kidney) However, I eventually figured out what the angle was.
Taxis in Bangkok
In a town like Bangkok, a taxi is an easy and cheap way to get around, but there are some unspoken rules that you have to figure out along the way. A little familiarity with the spoken and unspoken rules will help you get around easily and help you avoid potentially embarrassing confusion.
Don’t Buy From Kids
One thing you quickly get used to in Southeast Asia, especially when you’re hitting the usual tourist attractions, is having people try to sell you stuff. They have to put food on the table, and selling tchotchkes to tourists can be a consistent revenue stream. Whether you buy something or not is up to you , but I was advised to never buy from children.
Muay Thai in Thailand
I knew I was in trouble when the trainer told me to jog for 5 minutes. I don’t jog. I’ve always hated running in whatever form, and I was even relieved over 20 years ago when I injured my knee in the Army, preventing me from running again. But, since I was here, and since I was paying this guy to train me, I might as well jog. So jog, I did. Slowly.