Asia Warnings

Stay in hotels or hostels with security/safety boxes - and use those safety boxes for your valuables!

Cheap Chinese brass lock about 40 baht, good digital camera about 8000 baht. Hmmmm?

quote:

Originally posted by static:
Firstly, I am saddened by the theft. Secondly, I saddened that nobody offered me any drugs when I was in Pak Beng.

The drugs in Pak Beng don't work anyway. I've gotten higher off water.

I second Baruch's advice: "Just stay one night and get on the boat to luang prabang!!"

quote:

Originally posted by vbrookie:
Seoul Tower in Nam San Seoul Korea is currently under renovations. They said they will reopened around November. I haven't catched any signs indicating this. It's good work out walking up STEEP 1KM STAIRS, but I wouldn't have walked up if anyone told me this sooner.

ATM doen't work well in Korea. Always look for KEB Bank they are the only bank that takes Visa Check Cards.

I wouldn't up the stairs unless I was in mountain goat training since you can take the cable car up for a mere $3.

ATM works if you know how to make it work. KEB isn't the only one that takes foreign cards - check in subways and the machines in post offices. You're pretty much able to find a working ATM machine in each subway station. Also, if the first "ATM international" doesn't work, just move on to the next one.

Generally, women in India dress considerably more modest than women in the U.S. & Europe. I'm not justifying women getting groped by any means, but it's a good idea to look into what is considered appropriate, and what is considered inappropriate, before traveling. It MAY invite less reaction to respect Indian culture and abide by their norms.
For example, if women wear pants in India, it is considered provocative if their shirt is short enough to be above their rear ends. Of course Mumbai is more westernized, but I would just play it safe.
I knew a girl who traveled around India for months (she wore saris) and she said she got groped because she had blonde hair. I guess you can't do much about that . . .

Hey Static! . . . I can't believe you missed those guys every 20 meters saying "Ganja, Ganja . . . Opium" I swear that I could throw a Bangkok Tuk-tuk driver with my eyes closed and hit more of those guys than I would hit an internet cafe or a bargirl . . . probably better that your internal screen filtered them out

I think that those of us who are over 40 get vastly different offers.
Instead of offering us drugs, the Tuk-tuk drivers whisper "Depends? Metamucal? Early bedtime?"

Believe me, I would prefer the ganja.

Nepal: the current political situation in Nepal can best be desribed as tense. The last two days have seen violent exchanges in central Kathmandu between the security services and the protestors. There have also been widespread protests across Nepal.

There are many credible reports that innocent passers-by have also been caught up in the violence. A Nepali newspaper reported that a Polish tourist arrested and beaten by police while observing the confrontation. For your own safety, do not attend political rallies, etc anywhere in Nepal.

Bandhs have been scheduled for January 26th and February 5-11th. Early February is likely to see more confrontations due to political aniversaries and events occuring at this time. Feb 1st is the first anniversary of King Gyanendra's takeover of power, Feb 8th is the date set for municipal elections and mid-February sees the the 10th anniversary of the Maoist rebels' "People's War".

It could turn nasty or it could be a storm in a teacup - I don't know but please stay safe if you're going to Nepal.

Not quite a warning, but some firsthand experience if you're looking for peace of mind...
Bring a combination lock (regular, like the one on your Jr. High P.E. locker) and a cable lock (bike lock). There are lots of places in Thailand (and India, I hear, and probably elsewhere) that have metal "eyes" on the outside of the door to your room/bungalow. I feel so much more secure using my own padlock instead of the one provided to me. Who knows who else has the key? Also, the cable lock was perfect for a night train -- I just locked my back to the metal luggage rack and slept like a baby in the upper bunk without feeling like I had to check on my bag. (My bag has tiny combo locks on the important zipper compartmets as well.) The cable lock also helped the bag keep from falling over, something the backpakers across the way were not as fortunate with.

About Pak Beng...My daughter and I took the "fast" boat from Luang Prabang to Thailand rather than stay a night in Pak Beng, because we had reports that it was a place to avoid, unless traveling from the river into the hinterlands at that point. We didn't because the rains had the public busses delayed days while stuck in mud. Taking the fast boat was thoroughly miserable for our bodies, however--the frying pan or the fire of Pak Beng, so to speak. Arm yourself with earplugs, protect gear from water, wear glasses/sunglasses/sunscreen/hat that ties on, locate something soft to sit on, and practice isometrics and deep breathing to get you through the pain of sitting in one cramped position for too long. Usually very leary of the minibus guys offering private transportation, we jumped at the chance to go from the Mekong to Chang Mai in a mattter of hours, an excellent move as it turned out. I spent 6 months in SE Asia this past year, and, oddly, I was never approached to buy anything "off"(or "on"...), and I never had anything stolen. I did carry my own padlock and slept on trains and buses with my little bag's strap wound 'round my arms... and I dressed the part of a Thai school teacher. I recommend blending in as one strategy to remaining safe and being well received by locals. Must sound boring to many, however, huh?
Blessings,
Carolinda

Taxi Drivers at Bangalore Airport.
Bangalore has been gettin more and more international flights but the infrastructure and corruption remains the same (NorthWest was going to fly direct from MSP via AMS but cancelled on corruption issues, I was told). The flights from Sin and KL arrive late at night as does connecting flights from BOM (Delta and Northwest arrive close to midnight. Continental now flies direct from EWR). If you wait to get a taxi until after you had gotten out of the Customs, you will be approached by many taxi drivers who will agree to your price and once inside the cab, will show you a printed page showing the price to be three times as the one agreed upon. The best bet is to get a prepaid taxi while still inside the terminal. BLR airport is chaotic, without rules and as charming as the city itself in microcosm.

quote:

Originally posted by jcat:
Hi I'm thinking about travelling to Thailand July 10th-Aug 3rd. My friend backed out on the trip and now I seem to be going on my own. I know no one there. Do you have any suggestions? I've done quite a bit of research, but would really like to have someone show me around for at least the first few days so I can get acclamated with how things work there. I fly into Bankok at midnight. Any suggestions or website recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
janice

Hey janice dont sweat travelling alone everything works out in the end, i arrived in bangkok like you will at night i just asked around and I made it to my hostel (hostel thailand which is ok its cheap and the airport bus stops practically outside it. As for traveling alone I just ventured out picked up a few maps and got on random buses and ventured out as long as you no the name of your hostel your sweet, and as for meeting fellow travelers there is a large majority traveling alone I must admit the day I landed I have met many a traveler and got immersed in the thai culture anyhow enjoy asia

I don't know if this is more of a beware then a warning. If you go to Chiang Mai to do a trek becareful of who you do it with. The 1 day tracks from Eagle house were not great. I felt the hill tribes where selling themselves to hard and that they were on display for us tourists. The only reason they exists is mostly do to us farangs. If you do a a 2 or 3 day trek its a little better I suppose. Just be warned that it's sad to see these tribes living like that for our amusment. The only reason the Karen tribe with the long golden ringed necks still exist is to show tourists. If you have no heart then it will not be so bad. The Hmong tribe were forcing us to take a picture of them and their kids for 10 bht. Just an FYY

I think you are right YANA 1973. These "Long Neck" women only exist for tourists. However, the only good thing is that this style of "neck mutilation" is slowly dying off. More and more young people are not doing it - unless they are forced into this style by their family - for tourist money!

Everything changes, some cultures used to flatten the heads of babies by binding boards to their heads, the Japanese used to think having "really tiny" feet was beautiful - fortunately most of these "traditions" have stopped.

Are "really huge" tattoos on women and young girls the next fad to change? Will they be on exhibit for tourists to gawk at - for money - in the future? Sorry my mind was wandering again.

AL

Hello my name is Kunka?
I have a warning to everyones.
It is very hot and I sweated alot, but only one thing-my skin got burned and in the future I would bring tubes of sun tanning lotion because I went for bad time of the year.
I met several friends I knewn since the days of ARPANET-since they has taken up jobs accross the world, these friends. Very good but many places very smoky and I seggest if you do not smoke it is not like americer where you can be rude to smokers.

I have two excellent suggestionss for you.

www.hospitalityclub.org
www.globalfreeloaders.com

Happy travels
Adam

quote:

Originally posted by jcat:
Hi I'm thinking about travelling to Thailand July 10th-Aug 3rd. My friend backed out on the trip and now I seem to be going on my own. I know no one there. Do you have any suggestions? I've done quite a bit of research, but would really like to have someone show me around for at least the first few days so I can get acclamated with how things work there. I fly into Bankok at midnight. Any suggestions or website recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
janice