Bangkok, for the first time.

been two months I do not post anything here, quite a long, long, long time. I'm gonna tell you about my story from Bangkok last year. My first ever experienced to Bangkok, Thailand on last October, 2010.

First of all, let me tell you the reason how could I have a chance to go to Bangkok, Thailand. To be truth, proudly I'm gonna say I won return tickets from AirAsia (along with another 10 of my friends) which made me possible traveling to Bangkok.

My first impression about this city 'oh okay, so this is it Bangkok ?', but then after spent my 5 days there, visiting wat pho, grand palace, floating market, pattaya, wat arun, china town, etc, soon I changed my mind about this city. The ciry is just great. Not for the city's view/tourist places, but more for it's marketing tourism. Two thumbs up I would give to this city. What I've seen in the city, IMO, not that so beautiful (I've seen more beautiful places in my country - not to mention that kuta in bali is just better than pattaya) but what do I really adore is almost every tourist places are so crowded with the tourists (mostly foreign tourists). I remember for a few past years, Thailand had such terrible periode for their tourism. There was tsunami in 2004, there was travel warning from 47 countries all over the world on may 2010, but hey, Thailand prove that their country is save to be visited, yet fun to be explored.

I stayed at khaosan road, and lucky me (also my friends) that was October 28th, so few days before halloween's day. Guess what ? From the date we arrived there were street party in khaosan road untill October 31, 2010. Full from 28 untill 31, I joined that halloween street party with my friends, what a great-great party I ever had. Fyi, I've never meet such this party in my city, so it made me so excited that day.

people dressing like ghosts for halloween party

It was really such a great experienced for me. Traveling to Bangkok with my best friends for the first time, and enjoyed every each day there. Sometimes, I wonder, can Indonesia do about the same thing like what Thailand have done for their tourism ?

Words on Christmas

There's something bothering my mind on this christmas day. About mutual respect and loving each other among human beings. I can't imagine if there were people who can't do respect and love each others who have different belief, convictions or let say opinions with them. I can't imagine if there were people who still doing discriminate others for their skin color, ethnic or their social status. What I can stop thinking is, who are we to be judging others ? who are we to be discriminate others ? we are human beings afterall, who are sinners without exception. How can one or group of people can say say another are sinner (um, wait did I type the right form ? I mean more sinned) than another. Here I want to say what's on my mind :

Onced I heard quote sayin in Bahasa, it was 'Kasihilah sesamamu manusia seperti kamu mengasihi dirimu sendiri' or in English it was 'Do love your neighbor as yourself'. Well, manusia in English suppose to be human but for the sentence context here, it become neighbor and what I want to say you, human here is stand for human beings, ALL human. It doesn't matter what their belief or convictions, their skin color, their ethnic, their social status or whatever. We supposed to love, caring yet respect each other. Because, God never discriminate us human, why should we ?

That's it, two short paragraphs from me, you are welcomeable to like it or dislike it. I don't even care. Anyway, Merry Christmas for those who celebrate it, and happy holiday for those who are in holiday right now. 

Be a Responsible Traveler

Everybody loves traveling, who doesn't anyway ? After months or years hectic with their office-hours routinity, people usually will find their selves need to traveling badly. Some will traveling domestic, some of them who have more money will go abroad to enjoy their travel time. Well, no matter where n how you will go to spend your relax time, one thing you must do is BE A RESPONSIBLE TRAVELER !!!

Being a responsible traveler here is about cleanliness. For about more than twenty times I traveled around the Indonesia and two south-east asian countries (thailand and vietnam which are very damn clean country). Sometimes I really feel ashamed with my country Indonesia - I've been to Bali, Yogyakarta, Belitung and other parts of Indonesia and I always found almost the same cases where people throwing their trash to the street (or even in the tourism object area) as like as them so innocent kids. Even my friends who traveled with me, I'll tell you, I onced ask a friend who littering his trash just like that to the street 'why did you do that ?', with feeling no guilty he answered 'I didn't see trash can near'. Can you imagine ? he blame for no trash can near the area. Have you ever guy thinks if Thailand and Vietnam can keep their countries cleanliness, why we can't ?

You guys can do couple things to be a responsible traveler :

- First, do not littering. No matter what style you choose while traveling, as a tourist or a backpacker. Do not even try to littering. Put your trash into trash can. Remember, any small trash that we throw will affect the entire world. It could bring flood and any other disaster. It is affect to global warming. In fact people who carelessly littering in a public will commited as a criminal offence.
- When you find there is no trash can near you, do put the trash into your bag first or your pocket before you can find the real trash can to throw it into.
- It will be good if you bring plastic bag everytime you travel. So, you can put your trash into it. BUT,  remember when you find trash can, do not throw the plastic bag, remove only the content so you can re-use the plastic bag again next time.

Over all of those three points, one thing you should remember while traveling is 'treat the places you visit like your own home'. 

Oh, I Miss You Saigon

Wohoo. Finally I'm back again, wait, is it been a year since my last posted or what ? yea I know it's only two months from my last posted, but really I feel it like been a long, long, long time me not post anything on this blog.

Now I want to tell you what did I got from my trip to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam) on last August. Before that, you guys must be remember from my last posted about my dubiety due will I go there alone by myself or my friend coming with me. So, you can say it was a good news or either a bad news 'cause I went to Saigon with my friend. We spent three days two nights in Saigon. I won't give the details story, I'll just give you some clues about Saigon.

First, If you're a backpacker and not sure about the security things and feels like 'Oh, okay First I really want to get my hotel safely', then you can go straight to the taxi reservation booth which located near to exit door. Yeah, the price quite expensive compare to if we get the taxi from the outside or going by bus, but again as I said before, if you really feeld the safety must come first. It sure the best choice. The price is around 170,000 dong Vietnam.

If you have no idea about which hotel with reasonable price and which one too expensive. Don't ever say 'yes' to your taxi driver's suggestion, those all bullshit. There are a lot of hotel with cheaper price than what the taxi driver will suggest you. To make it easy, when you get the taxi, just ask the taxi driver to take you to the area you want. For example, just ask the taxi driver to take you to Pham Ngu Lao street area, this area is similiar to Jalan Jaksa in Jakarta, it is a very popular area for backpackers around the world. Guarantee, you'll find plenty of cheap hostels there.

Buy packet tour to ChuChi Tunnel, it's a must-see spot in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh). The price of tour around 12 USD - 20 USD. Curious about, what Chu Chi Tunnel is ? Chu Chi Tunnel is proof that once the great country United States were overtaken by Vietnam in The Vietnam War. You can click here for details about Vietnam War and here for details about Chu Chi Tunnel. The time when you see this tunnel, you will find amaze with this country.

If you are a coffe lover, you should oh wait, you must try vietnam coffee. You can find in almost restaurant there or event a stree-booth food. When I was there, me and my friend is looking for a breakfast, so, we walked near our hostel and find a street-booth food seller. My friend is eating his vietnam-pork noodle, and me ? instead of having a real breakfast to fillin my stomach, I order a glass of Vietnam Coffee. There were the best part, I order a cold-iced vietnam coffee. At first I thought, 'euhhh, what coffee is this ?' but when my tounge start tasted the coffee, oh may, I can say it just like in heaven, the best coffee I ever tasted and you know what ? we can have a glass of coffee Vietnam with just only 6,000 VND - 8,000 VND, which is the same with 3,000 - 4,000 IDR or less than 1 USD.

Who is the sophaholic one here ? then, you should go to Ben Thanh Market. How you get there ? You can do walk from Pham Ngu Lao Street, but if you feel like tired or you not ready for sweat, you can choose taxi to go there. Ben Thanh Market is the biggest traditional market in Ho Chi Minh (or even in entire Vietnam). There are some tips if you do you shopping tradition. First, it will be better if bring calculator for bargaining with the sellers. More smile, it might help you to get best price. If you find the first place you came is quite expensive, do find to another shop, you can always find anothe shop attendant where it's easier to bargain. The point, just explore all the Ben Thanh Market, remember it is a big market!.
Fyi, Ben Thanh Market is open from 10 am untill 6 pm. If you missed the market at noon, you still can do it after 6 pm. There are plenty of fashion/food seller around Ben Thanh Market Street, If I ain't wrong the street-night market is open untill 10 pm.

Oh yeah, if you a kind of historical one. I think it's a good idea for you to visit War Remnants Museum. Located at District 3, Vo Va Tan Street. You must pay 15,000 Dong before you can enter this museum. You'll see a lot of pictures and replicas from Vietnam War. Tears will goes down from your eyes, err,,too much ? go yourself then, see, whether you'll cry or not. LOL.

Thats enough I think, I already gave some clues if you want traveling to Saigon a.k.a Ho Chi Minh City. So, what am I say about the city ? Not quite a big city like Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, but it sure give you a different atmosphere. City with large amount of beautiful city-park, city with various kind of great food, a citiy with a lot - lot - lot of motorcycle, etc. Somehow, you'll soon know what's will make you happy and feel 'yuck' about the city.

-------------------------------------------------
p.s :
- First Picture, Me at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Ho Chi Minh).
- Second Picture is the famous Vietnam Coffee, that coffee was the cold-ice coffee one.
- Third Picture, Me and two beautiful Shop-keepers at Ben Thanh Street Night Market Area.
- Fourth Picutre is , hem, wait, oh no, I really can't remember. Anyone have an idea ? what statue it is ? and where was it in Saigon ? For sure, I took the picture when had my taxi from Ben Thanh Market to the airport. 

Can I or Can't I ?

Let make it quick. On this Monday, August 23, 2010 I have a flight to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. I've booked the ticket last year along with my brother and my friend (and I got the promo fare, a very cheap one). So, it suppose to be three of us will be flying to Vietnam to enjoy our holiday but plan still a plan, it could happen and it couldn't happen too. The fact my brother just got his new job couple months ago, made him 99% for sure couldn't go with me to enjoy our holiday due his not able to get off from his work and my friend, hem, I do not know yet wheter he's in to this holiday or not, 'cause untill now He have not made his passport (fyi, we need two weeks long to make a passport). So, with those explanation, I have my own conclusion (at least for now), I think I'm going to do this all alone by myself.

The fact that I'm going to meet new people from other country with their culture, their language that I have no idea are freaking out my mind yet make me excited, off course the excited feel is more bigger. But, the truth, Yes I am ready to do this travel. So, guys, just wait for my travel report on the end of this month. I am so excited.