Captain's Log September 2005

Tour of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia
When I decided to make airline reservations to return to New Jersey for the holidays I contacted Travel World in Bundaberg to get airline schedules and fares. In the discussion I mentioned a desire to visit Bali. The travel agent asked if I would be interested in a tour of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia - which would include Bali. She said, "If you are, we have a 30 day backpacker's tour of the three countries that will take you to places that most tourists don't see. You will see life as the local people live it." The idea of seeing the three countries appealed to me - especially the opportunity to experience life as the citizens of their respective countries live. In addition to signing up for the tour I purchased an Around The World ticket that would permit me to stop in Bangkok, Jakarta, Newark, Los Angeles, Hawaii, Christchurch, and Brisbane. It was a great way to see a part of the world that I hadn't planned on sailing to.

The tour started in Bangkok, Thailand were I met the other 11 people who were on the tour. They were young professionals, most under 30 years of age, who wanted to see the world but had not yet acquired enough money to go on a tour with more comfortable accommodations. There was a lawyer, an orthopedic surgeon, a policeman, a hospital lab technician, several teachers from private schools, a couple of secretaries and a couple of unemployed people in the process of changing jobs. The term "backpacker" comes from the custom of carrying your stuff in a backpack rather than a suit case. It also identifies the fact that we weren't going to stay at any five star hotels or eat in any five star restaurants.

I had a great time - despite the always basic accommodations that the Intrepid Travel Tour had for us. I would do the tour again if it was for the first time. I would not repeat a backpacker's tour a second time. The accommodations were too basic and often uncomfortable. However, the guides were quite good and I saw and experienced how the local people we visited live - which is what I hoped to see.

Bangkok, Thailand.
When I checked into the hotel the clerk told me that my room was on the third floor and that my room mate had already checked in. He also said that the elevator was not working and I would have to use the stairs. The hotel lobby, restaurant and bar were without air conditioning. The temperature was over 90 degrees and the humidity about the same. By the time I got my bag to the third floor I had worked up a heavy sweat and and had some severe doubts about the wisdom of taking this "backpacker" tour. When I got to the room, which was air conditioned, I decided to "go for it." I was just 45 years late in participating in this unique and youthful experience.

The next day, after a breakfast of eggs, toast and coffee, I took a two hour longtail boat ride on the canals of Bangkok. The longtail boat is approximately 30 feet long with what appears to be a small car engine mounted on the stern of the boat. The prop shaft extends about eight feet beyond the stern, the reason for the name "longtail," and the driver swings the entire engine to port or starboard to change course and steer the boat. It was an interesting ride through the canals. People were living on boats, or in homes built in the canal or on the banks of the canal. Some homes very elegant and some were standing upright on a hope and a prayer. But no matter what the houses looked like, the people living in them had lined their porches and verandas with beautiful, blooming flowers and tropical plants. The flowers made the most dilapidated houses attractive.

Thailand, the people, and the Thai culture were completely different from what I had seen in the Pacific islands and in New Zealand. Initially, I thought I might see some similarities between the Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian people and the people I met in Samoa because I was under the impression that the people in Samoa, Marquesas, Hawaii and New Zealand had come from this region some 2,000 years ago. There were some physical similarities but that was the only similarity I could see in the month that I was in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Walking back to the hotel I started thinking that this was going to be a very interesting experience. It had taken some time, but I was warming up to the idea of experiencing and seeing life the way the local people lived it.

The second day, I visited the Royal Palaces - home of the eight most recent kings of Thailand -King Rama I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII. The current king, King Rama VIII, doesn't live on the palace grounds but uses the palaces for state ceremonies. The palace grounds are extraordinarily beautiful and impressive and are a huge tourist attraction. The contrast between the life of royalty and the life the people who lived outside the royal grounds was startling. The current king is highly respected and loved by the people of Thailand but has little or no political power as the country has an elected president and representative government.

Departed for Surat Thani and Khao Sok National Park via sleeper train for a 13 hour passage to Khao Sok National Park. Got very little sleep, but the accommodations were reasonable good. Had a breakfast of hot noodle soup in the dinning car with local people traveling on the train.

Khao Sok National Park.
The guest house we stayed at was located along the banks of a clear water stream at the edge of a tropical jungle. I walked to a rubber tree plantation, saw how they scored the tree and collected the rubbery exudate. Also saw plantations of palm trees producing palm nuts from which palm oil is extracted. I learned later on the tour that Malaysia is a huge producer of palm oil and that they will be providing palm oil to Europe in which it will be used to fuel diesel engines.

Went to watch members of the tour depart on a two hour elephant ride. Rocking and rolling while sitting on a bench tied to an elephant didn't look very exciting. A couple of others on the tour felt the same way, so, while we waited for the elephant riders to return we talked with some of the elephant drivers who were sitting with their animals. It was an amazing sight to see how gentle, obedient and powerful the elephants were and how easily the drivers were able to direct the movement of these gentle giants.

The following morning departed for Krabi in a 5 hour ride on a public bus. The bus was comfortable and air conditioned.

Krubi.
Took a day trip to Pee Island for a day of swimming and snorkeling. The following day went sea kayaking through a group of sandstone canyons and outcroppings formed by wind and sea erosion of the land at the end of the ice age . The scenery was spectacularly spectacular.

In the afternoon I went to a Thai cooking school and learned more how to eat Thai food than to prepare it. The head chef and teacher, Chonlaya Laotong was a charming lady who prepared 17 different dishes in less than three hours. I had never heard of most of the ingredients used in preparing the dishes, but the meal was delightful and it was fun just to watch her cook the foods and listen to her stories. She gave each of us a copy of her cook book.

Departed Krubi via minivan for Butterworth and a short ferry ride to the island of Penang.

Penang, Malaysia
Visited the mansion built by Cheon Fatt Tze, who, as a poor, 16 year old boy from China, immigrated to Penang and became one of the richest and powerful men in the region during his life. The guide showed us how the mansion built by Fatt Tzas was designed according to the principles of Feng Shui to create an environment conducive to producing a feeling of peace and harmony in the house and in the people living there./p>

Departed Penang for Kuala Kangsar and a short small boat ride to an island homestay.

The homestay was located on an island in the middle of a large fresh-water lake and was the home of a Muslim couple and their young son. During the morning of the second day we walked through a local village and the guide pointed out the herbs and botanicals used by the local medicine man to treat all kinds of diseases. In the evening, back at the homestay for dinner, we dressed in sarongs, and sat on the floor using our fingers instead of knives and forks to eat traditional Muslim foods. During the dinner, Asiah and Azis, the host and hostess described some of the Muslim mealtime customs and traditions. It was a nice and interesting experience.

Departed Kuala Kangsar for Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, via a 5 hour bus ride.

Kuala Lumpur.
On the way into the city I say large areas where new low cost housing was being built to replace slum dwellings. The Malaysian government has set a goal of becoming a first-world country by 2020. Schooling is mandatory and the parents are fined if they do not send their children to school. The city is clean and the buildings and architecture are impressive. I hope the government and the country achieves their goal.

Visited the Islamic Art museum and bought a book, "Insight Into Islam" - a very interesting and enlightening book. While in Malaysia, Muslims celebrated Ramadhan. For the year 2005, Ramadhan ran from October 4, though November 2. During this period , participating Muslims refrain from smoking, eating, drinking and engaging in sex from sun up to sun down. During Ramadhan there is a pre-dawn meal before starting the daily fast and an evening meal after sunset following evening prayer. According to what I read, Ramadhan is a period of prayer, reflection, self improvement, charity and a rededication to following Islamic law. I tried fasting for two days. I couldn't stop drinking water in such a hot environment and I gave it up during the second day.

Departed Kuala Lampar for Melaka and Singapore

Melaka, Malaysia, sits in the Strait of Melaka and has been an important port city for trade coming from or going to China, India, Arabia and Europe. Melaka was founded in 1396 by an exiled prince from Sumatra. In 1511 it was taken over by the Portuguese and subsequently the Dutch in 1641. In 1795 the Dutch gave it to the British to prevent it from falling into the hands of the French, when the Netherlands was captured during the French Revolution. It was returned to the Dutch in 1818 but later returned to the British. During WW II it was occupied by the Japanese. It was a city with a split, split, split personality.

We toured the city by Trishaw - a bicycle with an attached two wheel side car. I could see the influence of the Dutch and English in the architecture and buildings in the city.

I had a special interest in Melaka because it sits on the Strait of Melaka - a narrow channel between Sumatra, Indonesia and Malaysia and is one of the busiest shipping routes in the world.. In the year 2005, pirates attacked almost 200 commercial vessels in Indonesia and the Strait of Malaka. I had read mixed reports from yachtees on the safety of sailing in area and I was interested in finding any yachtee who had first hand experience. Melaka was a one day stop and I didn't get time to find where the yachtees hung out. It was OK, I had made the decision to get into the Atlantic by going around Cape of Good Hope and avoid the high piracy areas.

Departed Melaka for Singapore.

Singapore is wonderful. It is beautiful, incredibly clean, orderly and safe. I was told that Singapore laws are very restrictive. If having some restrictive laws produces a city like Singapore, I'll take the restrictions. There was no litter in the streets or on the sidewalks - probably due to the fact that if you litter, you get fined. The roads are lined with beautiful blooming flowers. The overpasses have blooming flowers cascading over the walls. The airport is quiet clean and orderly. From what I saw Singapore is a wonderful city.

I visited the Asian Civilization Museum that had an excellent display describing the history of trade in the area. I learned that for the past 2,000 years there has been a constant passage of trading ships through the Strait of Melaka going to or coming from China and Europe. During the time the trading ships were powdered by sail, the trip from Southeast Asia to Europe and return took a year - six months sailing the Easterly Trades to Europe and six months sailing the Westerly Trades back to China.

In 1998 two SCUBA divers discovered the sunken wreck of an Arabian sailing vessel that went down in the year 826 AD carrying 60,000 bowls, vases and artifax, some of which were on display at the museum. The artifax were exquisite by any standard. Looking at these wonderful treasures I was imagining how excited the divers must been when they realized what they had discovered. I wished we could have had more time in Singapore.

Departed Singapore for Jakarta, Indonesia.

Jakarta is crowded, busy, dirty and noisy. It was the least attractive city I visited. We would remain in Indonesia for the rest of the tour traveling by public bus to five cities - Pangandaran, Yogyakartaby Seloliman Nature Reserve, Lovine and Ubud, Bali.

Traveling by bus was a unique experience. The passages were long, hot, and uncomfortable - one took 13 hours. The busses were crowded - standing room only. At many of the stops venders would come on board aggressively trying to sell food, beverages, fruits and toys to anyone who looked at them. Then, just as the bus was about to pull away from the stop, the vendors would exit and musicians would come on board with their guitars and drums, push their way through the crowd of standing passengers, and start to sing and play their instruments - which was followed by a request for donations. Most were terrible musicians, but had great courage to perform as they did. Some were so bad they were funny. No one paid much attention to any of the musicians and they would get off at the next stop to ride a bus back to their starting point. I am sure this was not entertainment provided by the bus company. The musicians either over estimated the audience's wealth and appreciation of music or they over estimated their own musical talent. I hoped, at the end of the day, they were able to collect enough money to buy food for supper that night - which, from what I observed, was doubtful.

A lot of the country we drove through was devoted to growing rice, soybeans and a variety of other crops that I couldn't identify. The plots where the crops were grown were small. A typical plot, boarded by a 1 to 1 ½ foot levy, might measure 150 yards x 300 yards, and was meticulously cultivated by hand. Water is a critical element for growing rice and other crops in the area and is, from what I understood in talking with those who spoke some English, a resource shared by the local farming community. In mountainous areas where the plots are terraced, the rice grower in the lowest terraced plot must wait to get water when the rice grower in the upper terrace gets his water as the water flows from plot to plot.

I saw large areas of land covered by rice paddies, and thought Indonesia would be an exporter of rice. I was told all of the rice grown in Indonesia is consumed within the country and that Indonesia is an importer of rice. A bit of trivia. About 4,500 years ago rice growing people entered Indonesia from Southeast China.

At Yogya ("Jogja") we visited the Sultan's Palace. It was interesting to learn about their life style and the wealth and power they commanded. I was not impressed with the exploitations that they must have engaged in to live such a lavish life style. But they were the source of income and wealth for those they employed and they did provide protection to the community.

Purchased a batik painting of the tree of life and two shirts made from cloth dyed by the batik process.

Still in Yogya, we toured Borobudur, one the largest Buddhist temples in the world, built in the eighth century. Prior to my visit to Borobudur I had no understanding of the Buddhist philosophy. And my understanding of Buddhism has not been elevated to any significant degree after touring Borobudur. However, based on what I learned about the Buddhist philosophy while visiting four different Buddhist temples, I found it be very attractive, very peaceful and centering.

The Buddhist cosmology is divided into three worlds: The world of desires; A transitional world where humans are released from their corporeal form and worldly concerns; And the world of Gods or the world of enlightenment and perfection.

There are 504 statues of Buddha at Borobudur in four poses. With his palm turned downward Buddha is calling the spirit of the earth to witness his victory over evil spirits and to witness his inner strength. With his palm open he is giving blessing. With his palm raised he is showing his immunity to danger. And with a circular finger he is giving instruction with a honest and pure heart.

The Borobudur temple is enormous and was build with incredible precision. More that 170 thousand cubic feet of volcanic stone was used in the building of the temple. Initially, the stone was roughly carved in the river bed and then dragged several miles to the temple site by elephants and horses.

At each of the four Buddhist temples I visited there was a strong sense of peace, harmony and tranquility. A part of that feeling was created by the physical structure and beautiful gardens surrounding the temples. However, there was also a spiritual presence that I could feel while at the temples - a feeling I have had nowhere else. I mentioned my feelings to one of the ladies on the tour and she said she had very similar feelings.

During our two days at Loving, we visited and went swimming at several water palaces. It was all great fun and I enjoyed the opportunity to spend a few hours experiencing the life styles of the rich and famous of years ago.

Ubud, Bali.
The last two days of the tour we spent in Ubud. The accommodations were the best of the tour and so was the food. Tourism is an important source of income for those living on the island. Two weeks before our arrival in Bali there was a second terrorist bombing. After the first bombing several years earlier there was a severe drop off in tourism. Since then tourists were starting to come back to Bail and the economy was recovering. When the second bombing occurred hotel reservations were again cancelled and Ubud became very quiet. Shops, restaurants, and hotels were practically empty. It is a shame because Bali is beautiful, the people friendly, the communities clean and peaceful.

Approximately 80% percent of the people living in Bali are Hindu which provides an interesting contrast to the Buddhist and Muslim practices I had seen in other parts of Indonesia. It is a Hindu practice to place daily offerings, known are "Sesajen" on the street, in doorways, in shrines and on the dashboards of cars. The offerings are usually made up of flowers, fruit, rice, biscuits, and burning incense Holy water is then sprinkled over the entire offering. The offerings are placeed throughout the community.

The tour ended at Bail. We had been on tour for 30 days. It had been interesting tour and I had a good time. I had seen and learned a lot about the places we visited and the people we met. However, I was eager to get on the plane, get back to New Jersey for the holidays and to be with family and friends.