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Autopsy One night in Bangkok (Travel tales - true and/or exagerated - to far flung places)
- Thread starter Samsquanch
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Our trip to Viet Nam was "accidental" or at least, it was unplanned. I had been working with a travel agent to get a flight to Indonesia, with our plan being to fly into Bali (easy) and then on to Sulawesi and then Ambon in the Spice Islands. Our plan was then to go on to Borneo, through the Indoneisan part (Kalamantan) and then to the Malaysian states on the west coast before some further travel in Peninsular Malaysia and potentially Thailand. We were allowing 8 or 9 weeks.
A Chinese friend was planning to be with us on this trip - at least for the first 4 weeks or so. We had most of the arrangements sorted out with our agent and we were in his office with the money to pay when he had received a fax from the government warning travellers to avoid the Spice Islands due to racial violence that was breaking out at the time.
This was Muslim vs Christian, Christian vs Muslim but more significantly, Christian and Muslim vs Chinese.
There were reports of tribal level violence including beheadings and other attrocities. This report was from 1999 but the trobles had began to occur earlier than this. Out trip was in 1996 or 97.
Indonesia: The violence in Ambon - Indonesia
Analysis in English on Indonesia; published on 31 Mar 1999 by HRW
At the travel agent's office, his advice was to avoid this part of Indonesia, including Sulawesi.
He had a courier bag addressed to the Viet Nam embassy in Canberra requesting visas, and offered to add our passports with a letter which was required at the time asking for 30 day visas - we just had to make an instant decision. Which we did.
So that was the entirety of our preparation for a month in Viet Nam. On the way home I picked up a Lonely Planet and a few weeks later we were in Hanoi.
We did visit Uncle Ho. He was interred in a glass showcase and the queue (of mainly local people) to see him was huge.
One thing we observed was that EVERY American we encountered claimed that they felt they were being watched or followed. They would point out some people across the street and say that these same people were everywhere that they were - always the same people!!!
Whether they were really being watched in anybody's guess. We did not have any issue ourselves. Our Chinese friend was a budding media creator who "worked" at Channel 31 as a volunteer. On the night before we were to leave he wired up some high capacity batteries for his digital video camera and blew it up somehow. He quickly called on a friend from the station to borrow a camera which turned out to be a proper broadcast camera with CH31 NEWS emblazoned on the side. This did attaract some attention and museums and places like that would not allow it to be brought in unless he paid USD$200. Of course, he refused and the receptionist would look after the camera for him when we were inside - it never got pinched.
Even back then, as Viet Nam was beginning to open up to tourism on a larger scale, the USD$$ was used for larger transactions (cash only - very few credit card facilities existed). Dong was fine for food and drinks. At a market, my mate purchased something using a US$20 which caused the stall keeper to panic a bit. He whisked the $20 off to somebody else and we saw it being passed around from person to person - wh seriously thought that they were going to make it vanish!
It turns out that stall keepers and shops will only take US notes if they are in good condition and in low denominations. They fear fakes.
If they get a fake $1 or $5 they can pass it off in change but fake $20s are much harder to get rid of so they have as many people as possible "validate" the note to trust that it is real. At least, that was what they did back then.
We found that the food was tasty, but servings were small. I was only around 72KG back then and I found myself eating two meals sometimes as one was not enough for me ;(
We bypassed the duck eggs, Cobras and other exotic morsels by the way.
Our trip to Viet Nam was "accidental" or at least, it was unplanned. I had been working with a travel agent to get a flight to Indonesia, with our plan being to fly into Bali (easy) and then on to Sulawesi and then Ambon in the Spice Islands. Our plan was then to go on to Borneo, through the Indoneisan part (Kalamantan) and then to the Malaysian states on the west coast before some further travel in Peninsular Malaysia and potentially Thailand. We were allowing 8 or 9 weeks.
A Chinese friend was planning to be with us on this trip - at least for the first 4 weeks or so. We had most of the arrangements sorted out with our agent and we were in his office with the money to pay when he had received a fax from the government warning travellers to avoid the Spice Islands due to racial violence that was breaking out at the time.
This was Muslim vs Christian, Christian vs Muslim but more significantly, Christian and Muslim vs Chinese.
There were reports of tribal level violence including beheadings and other attrocities. This report was from 1999 but the trobles had began to occur earlier than this. Out trip was in 1996 or 97.
Indonesia: The violence in Ambon - Indonesia
Analysis in English on Indonesia; published on 31 Mar 1999 by HRWreliefweb.int
At the travel agent's office, his advice was to avoid this part of Indonesia, including Sulawesi.
He had a courier bag addressed to the Viet Nam embassy in Canberra requesting visas, and offered to add our passports with a letter which was required at the time asking for 30 day visas - we just had to make an instant decision. Which we did.
So that was the entirety of our preparation for a month in Viet Nam. On the way home I picked up a Lonely Planet and a few weeks later we were in Hanoi.
We did visit Uncle Ho. He was interred in a glass showcase and the queue (of mainly local people) to see him was huge.
One thing we observed was that EVERY American we encountered claimed that they felt they were being watched or followed. They would point out some people across the street and say that these same people were everywhere that they were - always the same people!!!
Whether they were really being watched in anybody's guess. We did not have any issue ourselves. Our Chinese friend was a budding media creator who "worked" at Channel 31 as a volunteer. On the night before we were to leave he wired up some high capacity batteries for his digital video camera and blew it up somehow. He quickly called on a friend from the station to borrow a camera which turned out to be a proper broadcast camera with CH31 NEWS emblazoned on the side. This did attaract some attention and museums and places like that would not allow it to be brought in unless he paid USD$200. Of course, he refused and the receptionist would look after the camera for him when we were inside - it never got pinched.
Even back then, as Viet Nam was beginning to open up to tourism on a larger scale, the USD$$ was used for larger transactions (cash only - very few credit card facilities existed). Dong was fine for food and drinks. At a market, my mate purchased something using a US$20 which caused the stall keeper to panic a bit. He whisked the $20 off to somebody else and we saw it being passed around from person to person - wh seriously thought that they were going to make it vanish!
It turns out that stall keepers and shops will only take US notes if they are in good condition and in low denominations. They fear fakes.
If they get a fake $1 or $5 they can pass it off in change but fake $20s are much harder to get rid of so they have as many people as possible "validate" the note to trust that it is real. At least, that was what they did back then.
We found that the food was tasty, but servings were small. I was only around 72KG back then and I found myself eating two meals sometimes as one was not enough for me ;(
We bypassed the duck eggs, Cobras and other exotic morsels by the way.
Got a mate who has retired to Nam but just got a 3 month visa. Catches a bus to Cambodia every 3 months, has lunch, renews visa and catches bus back. Got a nice lady, $17 aus for his apartment a day.
Easy to get a one year visa in Cambodia. The food isn't as good there but it is less crowded and people just as friendly. We have been going there and to Vietnam before covid during hot season to get away from the smoke which is getting worse each year.
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- #55
Here's a bit more on the inter-racial violence that occurred in the eastern Indo islands in the laye 90's...
en.wikipedia.org
The articles report that the uprisings began in 1999 but I re-checked and our trip was planned in March - April 1997. There were distinct events being reported at the time that led to our change of plans. I still hold some hope of a trip to the Spice Islands although as each year passes, that hope diminshes. We have visited the Malaysian states on Borneo a few times - admittedly, staying in nice hotels (travelling with a kid). We certainly like Kota Kinabalu.
Maluku sectarian conflict - Wikipedia
The articles report that the uprisings began in 1999 but I re-checked and our trip was planned in March - April 1997. There were distinct events being reported at the time that led to our change of plans. I still hold some hope of a trip to the Spice Islands although as each year passes, that hope diminshes. We have visited the Malaysian states on Borneo a few times - admittedly, staying in nice hotels (travelling with a kid). We certainly like Kota Kinabalu.
Last edited:
Here's a bit more on the inter-racian violence that occurred in the eastern Indo islands in the laye 90's...
Maluku sectarian conflict - Wikipedia
The articles report that the uprisings began in 1999 but I re-checked and our trip was planned in March - April 1997. There were distinct events being reported at the time that led to our change of plans. I still hold some hope of a trip to the Spice Islands although as each year passes, that hope diminshes. We have visited the Malaysian states on Borneo a few times - admittedly, staying in nice hotels (travelling with a kid). We certainly like Kota Kinabalu.
2005 Indonesian beheadings of Christian girls - Wikipedia
en.m.wikipedia.org
☹
- Thread starter
- #57
In response to Hojuman who posted...
en.m.wikipedia.org
In some of our travels to Indonesian islands, we've visited some traditional Indo and Malaysian Borneo villages and have at least spent a little bit of time talking to people about their culture and history (as best we can as many of the older people speak no English and often, they speak a traditional language as opposed to Bahasa Indonesia). We've found that some of the younger folk do speak English and can act as interpreters.
In one village, the grandson of the chief was able to tell us a lot of his Grandfather's stories and most were pretty brutal - the old man had personally beheaded a large number of enemy raiders when tribal warfare was common in his younger days. We were shown some of the skulls in his house.
This village in Sumba was situated high on a rocky outcrop which made it easily defendable against raiders. A large tree on the craggy rocky escarpmemt was used to display the skulls that could be hung like Christmas decorations if the village was getting the vibe of an upcoming attack. The skulls would warn would-be raiders that this was a powerful village and the fate of anybody captured was to be one of the skull ornaments decorating the tree as an insurance against future attacks.
The chief, who still carried his sword and a kris knife then grabbed me and put his knife to my throat to demonstrate that he was still a strong and capable fighter.
I was a little surprised by that!
We chewed some Betel and passed some more time. The chief seemed to like me as he didn't kill me. They then asked if we wanted to see the bones of the missionary who used to live in the area.
The missionary was interred in a stone casket (along with the several other caskets that contained the remains of former chiefs and imortant village people).
I asked if.... well... how did the missionary meet his maker? The chief laughed. He died of Malaria. The village loved the missionary and respected him by interring him with their important people.
We chewed more Betel and smoked quite a few Marlbro while we were shown around the rest of the village and heard more stories from the warrior chief, translated by his grandson.
In Sumba, traditional village members will go into the cities armed with swords, knives and even bows and arrows.
2005 Indonesian beheadings of Christian girls - Wikipedia
In some of our travels to Indonesian islands, we've visited some traditional Indo and Malaysian Borneo villages and have at least spent a little bit of time talking to people about their culture and history (as best we can as many of the older people speak no English and often, they speak a traditional language as opposed to Bahasa Indonesia). We've found that some of the younger folk do speak English and can act as interpreters.
In one village, the grandson of the chief was able to tell us a lot of his Grandfather's stories and most were pretty brutal - the old man had personally beheaded a large number of enemy raiders when tribal warfare was common in his younger days. We were shown some of the skulls in his house.
This village in Sumba was situated high on a rocky outcrop which made it easily defendable against raiders. A large tree on the craggy rocky escarpmemt was used to display the skulls that could be hung like Christmas decorations if the village was getting the vibe of an upcoming attack. The skulls would warn would-be raiders that this was a powerful village and the fate of anybody captured was to be one of the skull ornaments decorating the tree as an insurance against future attacks.
The chief, who still carried his sword and a kris knife then grabbed me and put his knife to my throat to demonstrate that he was still a strong and capable fighter.
I was a little surprised by that!
We chewed some Betel and passed some more time. The chief seemed to like me as he didn't kill me. They then asked if we wanted to see the bones of the missionary who used to live in the area.
The missionary was interred in a stone casket (along with the several other caskets that contained the remains of former chiefs and imortant village people).
I asked if.... well... how did the missionary meet his maker? The chief laughed. He died of Malaria. The village loved the missionary and respected him by interring him with their important people.
We chewed more Betel and smoked quite a few Marlbro while we were shown around the rest of the village and heard more stories from the warrior chief, translated by his grandson.
In Sumba, traditional village members will go into the cities armed with swords, knives and even bows and arrows.
I stayed for a while in a Muslim village on an island off Sumatra. A man from the closest village that was Christian was keen on a woman in the Muslim village. He was found chopped up at the bottom of his well.
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How much of this sort of thing is old conflicts hiding under the banner of relatively new religions?
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- #60
North Borneo - tour of market and then a local craftsman makes a machette using a mix of traditional and modern tools.
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I have nothing like the above but Korean toilets scared me . They have a bank of buttons and switches so the wife started to pull the power cord out so I could bog in peace
Massive Unit
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Absolutely nothing wrong with a wet rinse of the chocolate starfish, followed by a blow dry (if you like that sort of thing) 
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Absolutely nothing wrong with a wet rinse of the chocolate starfish, followed by a blow dry (if you like that sort of thing)
What happens if you press blow dry first by mistake and bake a brownie?
And two buttons would be ok. These things have about 15.
And the water temperature was a bit too cold. A shock that goes right to the core.
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A friend of mine warned me once - never press a button unless you know exactly what it does.
i wouldnt say the food wasnt as good, just different, love those cambodian bbq thingies where they cook the meat on the inverted cone thingy and then all the meat juices drip into the broth.
Where's your sense of adventure ? Was at a wedding reception in Tokyo once and went to the loo. As l walked in the toilet seat raised by itself assuming l just wanted a leak. Was correct
Massive Unit
The Devil Incarnate
Bloody Japanese mind reading bastards.....Where's your sense of adventure ? Was at a wedding reception in Tokyo once and went to the loo. As l walked in the toilet seat raised by itself assuming l just wanted a leak. Was correct
Massive Unit
The Devil Incarnate
Flew into Tehran during one of my many four week stints in the Middle East for work. Had a full suite of meetings with government officials lined up and was raring to go.
Unfortunately, whilst standing there waiting for my luggage, I came to the conclusion that two things were going to happen.
1. My luggage (including all of my suits and toiletries) was not going to arrive from my last stop, Cairo, and
2. If I didn't move quick smart, the contents of my stomach were going to exit into my one remaining set of pants at extreme velocity.
Can confirm that Tehran airport squat toilets are not great. Cleaned myself up with a handkerchief which was deposited down said chute and went in search of the worst shiny suits in history for my meetings.
Tehran can get ****ed! Lovely place otherwise though....
Unfortunately, whilst standing there waiting for my luggage, I came to the conclusion that two things were going to happen.
1. My luggage (including all of my suits and toiletries) was not going to arrive from my last stop, Cairo, and
2. If I didn't move quick smart, the contents of my stomach were going to exit into my one remaining set of pants at extreme velocity.
Can confirm that Tehran airport squat toilets are not great. Cleaned myself up with a handkerchief which was deposited down said chute and went in search of the worst shiny suits in history for my meetings.
Tehran can get ****ed! Lovely place otherwise though....
Caught up with an old mate who lived with me for a while when he first came to the place i lived last night. became pretty good friends and caught up with him at munich for octoberfest with a few other mates one year (03 iirc) , was a great weekend as it is when your at oktoberfest. we recounted one of the encounters at oktoberfest.
One day the sun was out and we were sitting on one of the outdoor tables at the hoffbrau house tent. by mid afternoon there was quite a multinational mix on the table and the mood was typically boisterous. there were 6 of us, 4 seppos, a pretty big south african bloke (who had an uncanny resemblance to dennis cometti,,,) and a mix of other euro folk. after a few drinks our mob commented how much old mate looked like the golden voice and everytime hed got up for a beer we would say "like a cork in the ocean" to one another to a chorus of laughter, when we explained the line we was quite chuffed that he had a doppelganger who was held in high regard in Au.
later on the mood took a slight dip for a little while when one of the seppos (an african american) who had been drinking with us all arvo got a bit emotional and was telling everyone on the table that he loved us all. bit later on he was jumping out of his seat and hugging everyone, he then went up to old mate "dennis" and planted a kiss on him, "Dennis" was horrified and jumped up pushing the excitable seppo away, seppo mate says to "dennis" dont worry iam not gay (nttiawwt) . Dennis replies in a pretty stern voice, "its not because you are gay, its because you are black!" needless to say things went pretty quiet for a few seconds, 5 minutes later all was good again and the standoff had been averted.
One day the sun was out and we were sitting on one of the outdoor tables at the hoffbrau house tent. by mid afternoon there was quite a multinational mix on the table and the mood was typically boisterous. there were 6 of us, 4 seppos, a pretty big south african bloke (who had an uncanny resemblance to dennis cometti,,,) and a mix of other euro folk. after a few drinks our mob commented how much old mate looked like the golden voice and everytime hed got up for a beer we would say "like a cork in the ocean" to one another to a chorus of laughter, when we explained the line we was quite chuffed that he had a doppelganger who was held in high regard in Au.
later on the mood took a slight dip for a little while when one of the seppos (an african american) who had been drinking with us all arvo got a bit emotional and was telling everyone on the table that he loved us all. bit later on he was jumping out of his seat and hugging everyone, he then went up to old mate "dennis" and planted a kiss on him, "Dennis" was horrified and jumped up pushing the excitable seppo away, seppo mate says to "dennis" dont worry iam not gay (nttiawwt) . Dennis replies in a pretty stern voice, "its not because you are gay, its because you are black!" needless to say things went pretty quiet for a few seconds, 5 minutes later all was good again and the standoff had been averted.
thats a pretty sinking feeling when the carousel stops and said baggage is nowhere to be seen.
no lions in the village to re-enact the roman tradition of christions?
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- #74
We stayed in a small hotel in Malaca - it was my first time in Malaysia, and we'd come by bus from Singapore. I had already spent time in Indo so I kind of knew what to expect but I did notice differences that I hadn't anticipated. One was that I could order a cup of black tea, and request no milk, but the I didcovered that the way they made tea (at bus stations and markets at least) is called Teh Tarik - a strong, black tea, sweetened and creamed with condensed milk. It’s poured from a height from one glass to another, with at least a metre between the glasses to foam it up like capachino.
Of course, it is "black tea" as opposed to "green tea" and no milk simply meant to not add more milk at the end.
I bought a packet of Liptons from a supermarket to get me by.
But in the Malaca hotel, the only other guests were two very dark skinned guys - probably in their 60s at the time. I said good morning as we had breakfast but they both looked away and didn't acknowledge my greeting. Later on, one of them did speak to me - it turns out that they were South Africans (Cape Malays) who were revisiting their ancestoral country. The guy who spoke apologised for his friend who he said could not bring himself to speak with a white guy.
We spoke again the next morning at breakfast and his friend did end up talking with us - they didn't say a lot but mentioned that growing up as a coloured person in Sth Africa was an awful experience. Post the apartheid period they did want to move on but it was clearly confronting for them to even be in the presence of white people.
