We’ve been pretty busy with travelling over the last few weeks, we’ve ticked off most of the Asian hubs and caught up with lots of old friends. We started off about a month ago with a visa run to Singapore which is just a day trip in order to exit Indonesia. Singapore is not one of my favourite cities. Most people love it because everything is clean, functions and runs on time. A sort of sanitised Asia which is probably why I’m not so keen, or perhaps it’s because it’s where Neil and I used to meet for a weekend once a month so it reminds me of goodbyes. Anyway one day was enough to pick up goodies we can’t get in Jakarta then back to the Big Durian.
The following weekend we headed to Kuala Lumpur, generally shortened to KL. We stayed with old friends from our Brunei days, Juliet and Pete Lammiman. It was fantastic to just relax and sit and chat, catch up the news and re-tell a few old stories. As comfortable as an old pair slippers – perhaps not a very complimentary analogue for Juliet and Pete!! We ended up going to see a movie in a “bed” cinema! The seats fully recline and they issue you with a pillow and blanket when you go in which you really need because the aircon is absolutely freezing. I was also in KL for a meeting in our office there on the following Tuesday. The meeting went OK and then on the last flight back to the Big D that evening.
Three days in the office then off to Bangkok! Air Asia fly in to Don Mueang (the old airport) which is great, it’s much more convenient for downtown so we were soon at Udo and Barbara’s place in Tong Lor sipping down a nice cold beer! We enjoyed going to old haunts, riding the sky train – it’s funny how much we remembered about the city, we even managed to recall the very small amount of Thai which we managed to learn 10 years ago. Sukhumvit Road is in a process of change; the old sixties and seventies concrete shop blocks are being pulled down and replaced with huge glass shopping malls and hotels. Tong Lor is going up market and now has some half decent restaurants and the new trendy area is Ekemai.
We stayed with Barbara and Udo. They are great mates from when we were living in Bangkok, and we spent many long hours sitting and chatting – another pair of old slippers!! We also managed to catch up with Mod, a close Thai friend who moved from Bangkok to Llandudno about 8 years ago. She was back in town to visit her mother and family and friends so we had planned or visit well. The real fine-tuning came with making sure we were there the same weekend some Jakarta friends were passing through. They left Jakarta in January to return to England but had been travelling for a couple of months so it was nice to see them again.
We went upto Chatuchak market with Laura and Paul. It was great to go up there again. It’s even bigger than before, if that’s possible, and a bit more organised with all the lanes numbered and strategically placed maps to help you find your way around. I still think the Thai style for colour, flavour and design is the best in Asia. The market was full of beautiful fabrics and ornaments and nic-niac-ary, everything from musical instruments to flying squirrels (live not barbequed!!). The colours were so vivid, Neil really enjoyed taking photos with the new lens we bought in Singapore.
I was back in the office for a day(!) then it was off to Bali – but that’s a story for another blog.
More soon
Suzy and Neil