Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia

(Photos to folllow)

Sometimes one ends up in a less than desirable place but nevertheless spends quite a few days there. Denpasar is such a place as for example, was Guaymas, Mexico a few years ago. In the current circumstance Denpasar is the main airport in Bali and is the first transit point. I have stayed here because of the holiday travel and because a lot of accommodation is fully booked. So I have to adjust and use a place like this as a base for exploring and/or a place to recuperate. It is a welcome opportunity to stop traveling so much.

I flew from Chiang Mai to Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia on 27 Dec 2011 via Luala Lumpur where I had a long six hour wait. The problem with booking multi - point travel, especially if entering a different country is you don't know how much time to allot between connecting flights given various wait times at check in, security customs and immigration and allowing for what seems like the inevitable delayed departure time. There were two options at KL for onward to Denpasar. One scheduled departure at 4:30 and one at 6:30. As it turned out the flight from Chiang Mai was close to on time and Malaysia immigration (required even though only in transit) was speedy and there was lots of time to make the 4:30 which oddly enough for Air Asia, also departed nearly on time. I had booked on the 6:30 with Air Asia, and even if there had been a seat on the 4:30 and I had wanted to change, I would have had to absorb the cost of the 6:30 ticket and purchase a new 4:30 ticket as there is no refunds or cancellations. So I stayed with the 6:30 ticket and it departed about one hour late.

Anyway after arriving late, getting my Indonesian “Visa on Arrival” at the immigration (with a little kick back to the immigration officer to avoid two line ups) and a long 85000 rupiah taxi ride I got to my 1/2 star hotel, Adi Yasah . There was no one about, so I walked up the street and found a couple of guys sitting and chatting in a playground and asked if they knew where a telephone might be located. I explained about arriving at Hotel, hoping they would understand. The one guy seemed to know what I was talking about and motioned for me to follow. I thought he was just going to show me where the Hotel was but he took me in and got me in my room as if he owned the place. As I found out the next day I discovered he did own it, or his son did ( I am not too clear but the hotel had been in the family for a few generations). It is an old hotel in an area close to the core of Denpasar and close to the government tourist information office. Seven generations of this family have lived here and the 66 year old father and his only son operate it now. He has a daughter married and living in Vancouver.

I had selected this hotel after reviewing a list of budget accommodation on Wikitravel and had booked on line and alerted that I would have a late arrival. Because it is peak season here a lot of places have upped their room rates, so there are few budget alternatives. I wasn't expecting much and I wasn't disappointed.

My first morning I had an expensive, abundant and tasty breakfast at Inna Bali (high end). They had Wi-Fi. So since I have the password, I have been using the curbside outside their hotel for my internet connections ever since. However, because it is the rainy season, it is not always possible to do that.

Many streets here in Denpasar are narrow and clogged with handle bar to handle bar, noisy, polluting motorbike traffic mixed with other vehicular traffic. The sidewalks are hazardous as they are broken up and have frequent step ups and downs and are generally obstructed with trees, vendors, garbage and parked vehicles and signs. A lot of eating places are open to the street so it is not advisable, in my opinion to eat their food as I suspect it contains a healthy dose of hydrocarbon emissions. The main thoroughfares are just as bad for traffic but they do have the occasional traffic light.

Getting around Denpasar is probably the most difficult for me that I have experienced. There is no public transit and no organized taxi services . Walking is difficult because of the condition of the sidewalks and the clogged streets and lack of traffic signals. In addition street names change often, even though it is the same street and lastly, street signs, when in existence, are perpendicular to the street at intersections and not parallel as is the usual practice in every other place I have been. And only one street will be named and not the two intersecting streets. Apparently there are bemos – collective type vehicles which you flag down and, if they are going in the direction you want to go, you hop on and pay an agreed price that usually depends on passenger count. However I have read that these bemos are very difficult to use because they go in every which way and personally I haven't even seen them or at least I have not recognized them.

I have been doing my usual walking around. It is generally quite pointless to ask anyone about directions. The best source is probably the large hotels where I did get a map (sort of). For example there were three traffic policemen at the main intersection of the city and I asked where the government tourist information office was located or where I could get a map. I figured because they were traffic police they would know. No one knew – it turned out the tourist office was within two blocks on the same street and next door to a police station. At the tourist office they were very helpful and I got a couple of maps. The streets that are named on the maps are unreadable because of the the miniature print and most of the streets have no names. Fortunately they show hotels, temples and police stations by numbers on the map against a legend on the side and bottom and that serves as a guide until I familiarize with the streets.

On my first few walkabouts I was quite taken by all the Hindu temples and structures as it was quite a contrast from the fields of Wats in Thailand. However interest soon wanes as familiarity breeds contempt and the Hinduism just becomes part of the background. Apparently, according to the hotel owner, every Hindu family has a temple. The hotel family have their temple where the father's father and grandfather are. There is quite an impressive place around the corner that I thought was a temple but the hotelier told me it was the home of a wealthy family and they did have a temple within their compound.

For the past few days the government has been holding festivals to promote Denpasar and so one section of the city was turned into a food exhibit and another street was home of textile exhibits. See www.denpasar-festival.com. I have been eating at two of the places. Rujak Sayur (spicy vegetarian dish) for Rp8000 with Mangga drink (Mango) for Rp5000 and Nasi (Rice) Kuning with egg, peanuts and veggie and bottled tea for Rp8000; nasi and peanuts only for Rp5000. (compared to breakfast at Inna Bali at 65000 Rp) There is about 8800 Rp for one Canadian dollar.

Chiang Mai Marathon 2011

The web site for the Chiang Mai Marathon  is viewable here   The 6th annual Chiang Mai Marathon, half marathon and 10k runs were held on Christmas day.

Barbarian at the Gate

There were three categories for entry: Thai residents, Foreigners living in Thailand and Foreigners visiting. The entry fee for the latter being three times that for a Thai. The only on - line registration was through a tour company and that closed Nov 20th. Otherwise a paper copy had to be filed. The marathon web site had in enlarged highlighted print that foreigners could pay cash at the Three Kings Monument on Dec 23 & 24. I interpreted this to mean that a foreigner could register at that time. I had printed the appropriate form off some time ago but decided to check it and the web site on Dec 19. The cash pay and start and finish had been changed from Three Kings to Thapae Gate. But I noticed in smaller print the entry fee schedule only showed dates up to the 20th. Bells went off that the 20th must be the cut off date and my assumption about registering with cash payment on 23rd and 24th was wrong. There was no explicit statement of when registration closed. There was a Bangkok address at the bottom of the form and seemed to indicate that a paper registration had be be sent to that place. I emailed Bangkok asking whether I had to get a paper copy to them even though paying in Chiang Mai. The answer seemed to be yes. I faxed my app. And sent another e-mail telling them I had faxed it and to confirm receipt. I got e-mail back asking me to fax (so I assumed they had not received); so I faxed a second and asked for confirmation. I never did get confirmation but at the payment desk and package pick-upon the 23rd I discovered I was registered twice. As it turned out it seems that I could have registered and paid at Thapae Gate.

Paying and Package Pick U

 The run started at 4:00 AM for marathoners and one hour later for half marathoners.

Fuzzy 4:00AM Starters

The route followed the moat about half way round and then off onto a road leading to Chiang Mai University and then out on the superhighway. In parts where street lighting was poor it got a little dark but overall it was ok. The event was quite well organized but no porta potties. Post run food was rice and pork or rice and chicken. Neither of these dishes is something I want to eat for breakfast nor after running 21 km. I was surprised that given the abundance and variety of fruits in this area that there were no fruit trays at the finish.

Red Line is route - the square is the moat

My run went well. I had no target time and wanted to focus on being relaxed and lifting my feet. I finished without experiencing any muscle pain during the run and without having 'gasping' breathing. So, my technique seemed to work as I think that's a first. My time was slower than my average for the other four half marathons I ran in 2011 but that is ok. Distance adjusted , I estimate a finish in 2:10. I say 'distance adjusted' because the actual distance according to two runners with GPS was 22.3 km and not 21.1.

And a job well done!

I talked to an Aussie who had placed third in his age category for the full marathon. He said the event was better organized than the previous year when the course distances were shorter than regulation. He told me that last year the organizers had invited some Africans who went out ahead of the pack and ahead of the marshals – and got lost – and ran an extra eight kilometres and still finished ahead of everyone else! Oh ya, I forgot. Half marathoners got a shirt for registering and a medal for finishing. Full marathoners also got sign up shirt and finishing medal; but also got a shirt for finishing. Apparently all finishers get a certificate in the mail.

The Tree is up

The Xmas tree at Thapae Gate, Chiang Mai is now up and decorated. Each ball is made from CDs.  This tree along with the "water bottle tree"  shows how to have reusable/recyclable approach to Xmas decorations.

Getting Ready for Xmas/New Year

 Putting up the Xmas tree at Thapae Gate, Chiang Mai on 22 Dec 2554

Water Bottle Xmas Tree at Thapae Gate, Chiang Mai with a light in each bottle.  Will show the lights when full installation is complete

Dental Update

I had my checkup to see how I had healed after my extraction.  No problems but not healed enough for an implant.  Just as well as I had decided against proceeding with the implant procedure.  Partly because the window of opportunity closed as basically one needs four months after an implant to attach the abutment and crown.  That would have meant an additional round trip from Hong Kong just before flying back to Canada.  Too much expense and too much flying.  I had considered ( if healing had been complete) having only the implant done here and then having the abutment and crown attached in Mexico or even Canada.  But I was unsuccessful in trying to confirm there would be dentists using the same brand as here, which is Osstem.  Osstem is marketed in US, Canada and Mexico under the name HiOssen.  I emailed the Mexican distributor asking for a list of dentists using that product in Mexico City.  The reply I got was in Spanish and only suggested I call the distributor.
So now I have a gaping hole waiting for a solution.  I think maybe Mexico will be the solution.  There are clinics in Cancun and Mexico DF that I have contacted and their total costs are quoted as one third to one half that which would have been the cost here in Chiang Mai. It will be easier to make two trips to Mexico than two to Asia.

A day in my life in Tachileak

A day in my life in Tachileak (Tha Khi Lek etc)

When I, as a Canadian, flew into Thailand I was granted a 30 day permit without a visa. This period didn't quite cover my expected stay until Dec 27 so I needed to get an extension. I probably could have obtained that at the Chiang Mai Immigration Office but I wasn't totally clear that that was the case. A more certain way to extend a non visa permit stamp is to leave the country and re-enter. If one re-enters by surface mode, then you get a 14 day stamp ( for Canadians and other qualifying passports).

I opted to go to Myanmar as opposed to Laos just for the experience and to accomplish getting my new stamp. (The same process can be used if travelling on a Thai visa). The penalty for overstaying a stamp or visa allowed days is 500Baht per day. I took a Green Bus van to Mae Sai, Thailand to cross the border into Tcchileak, Myanmar.

So I go through Thai immigration and fill out a Departure Card and get an exit stamp in my passport. (The person in front of me paid 500B for his one day overstay.) I then walked to Myanmar passport control where the first order is to show my passport and pay 500Baht entry fee. Then the passport gets handed to another official who takes my photo and prints out a Myanmar entry permit card. The entry permit card and passport gets handed back to the same desk where the fee was paid, the official takes your passport and hands the entry permit to me. The entry permit allows only restricted access to Myanmar; namely Tachileak and surrounding area. Most people just turn around and re-enter Thailand getting either a new visa or entry stamp. I figured since I was 'there', I might as well spend one night and explore the town. (Up until a couple of weeks ago the permit fee was either $10US or 500B (about $17. Then they stopped the US option. Maybe it had something to do with Hillary's visit. LOL)

When first entering a Myanmar border town one has to run the gamut of offers for Viagra and Cealis; cigarettes (which are made from locally grown tobacco and packaged in counterfeit American Branded cartons), girls and the odd porno dvd. No offer for drugs. The immediate area along the border is a market of mostly Chinese and other manufactured counterfeit goods.

I checked into a nearby hotel, knowingly paying too much. Since no English was spoken I found it pointless to try to negotiate a lower rate.

Then I just did my usual thing and started walking and wandering around. General conditions all round are on quite a bit lower scale than in Thailand. Infrastructure is very poor and the main street is unpaved.

 Pics show street scenes in TachiLeak
There is only the odd personal vehicle in sight, including obvious lower motor bike ownership than found in most Asian countries. People are generally quite a bit poorer than Thailand and at the border there is a steady steam of Myanmar people returning from Thailand where they can work ( with proper documents) for a higher wage than in Myanmar.

  I had a very good evening meal. But again I was honored with special outrageous tourist price for the meal (higher by far then would have been in Thailand). But why complain?

I didn't have a very restful sleep as there were loud barking packs of dogs throughout the night and there was no barriers to keep the sound from penetrating my hotel room.

  I was up early and headed for the border. I handed in my Myanmar entry permit and got my passport back. Then I walked to Thailand passport control, filled out and entry card and got my new 14 day stamp.


(Have to exercise a bit of care when walking the sidewalks!)

Then at customs I was delayed a bit. I think because firstly I stayed overnight ( which hardly anyone does) and secondly because it was early in the morning and I was the only foreigner passing through. They wanted to know where I had stayed. Fortunately I had the foresight to insist on a receipt from the hotel ( which one normally does not get). Even then it seemed to raise questions in the customs officials and he called over a female colleague who spoke English. She explained that he wanted to see my receipt again and to know where all I had been. Then he seemed satisfied. It was all very friendly and the immigration process goes very smoothly in both directions. It could take quite a bit of time though if you happened to get there behind a full busload.

Chedi on the hill ( I probably have the name somewhere)

Are some zones for spreading and some not?

 Town Buildings

Entry to Wat and Chedi on the Hill

At the Wat

Monks standing inline

Coming down off the Chedi Hill

Phayao - ...Lost, too far from home...

I arrived in Phayao (Payao or Pa Yao) by bus from Lampang. Phayao is a small city and there are few ferang (foreign) tourists who come here. At the bus station I got a city map and matched it to a sketch I had made from one on the net. There were two hotels I had targeted and they were shown on the map. So I make my way in that direction and came to where I thought the hotels should be according to my map. But I couldn't see any hotels and figured they were probably there but had signage in Thai and a non hotel like entrance and I just couldn't see them.

I stopped a monk and showed him my map, pointing to the two hotels (also identified in Thai). He puts on his glasses, looks at map and then points for me to go further down the street. I proceed quite a bit further and find my two target hotel. They weren't quite as indicated on the map. First they were in reverse order of location on the street than they were on the map, so I was momentarily disoriented as to which direction I was going; and, secondly the map showed them close to a market, which I had previously found, and well before a major street called Pratedudontit Rd. Not. They were both beyond that street. The tourist map cartographer must have had a bad day or was dyslexic.

After checking in to the one star Wattana Hotel, I take my trustworthy map and find my way to the lake Kwan Phayao. It's not a large lake and has quite a bit of fish farming activity. I don't think I would want to eat any of the fish as the lake looked pretty polluted to me. Other than that, there is a sunken Wat for a tourist attraction. After all, this is Thailand and no lake would be complete without a Wat!

My map showed a roadway along the shore of the lake and after confirming that I could find my way to the lake and that, yes there was a roadway, I planned to do my morning run on it. Next morning I am up and ready at six and it is foggy and and predawn. I go out on the lake roadway and after about 30 min realize I am nowhere near a lake. I go down a couple of side streets on the thinking that they would come to the lake. After running around in a fog I came across early morning people and asked Lake? Water? But no one seemed to know what I was talking about. So I headed back (?) and the density of buildings got less and less; so I turned back again. A couple of people called out “hello” and I thought maybe they could speak english and tell me the direction to the Lake. Not to be.

Anyway the sun still had not come up and I was totally disoriented as to North direction. Then there was a road sign in English and Thai with arrows; one of which pointed to Phayao Municipality and another to Police Station. I recognized the 'municipality' signs being the place of government buildings close to the lake, so I sighed relief and continued in that direction. I never did see the sign again but low and behold I came upon my hotel. Don't ask me how, for I never thought in a million years that that was where I was headed. The Police station was just beyond the hotel. Now that I was well past one hour into my run, and with renewed confidence, I continued my run past my hotel, out to the super highway and back down a road pointing to the Lake Park. At the Lake I retraced my earlier steps and still could not find the road along the Lake as indicated on my map. Anyway I knew where I was this time and I turned and went back to the hotel; finally completing my target two hour run.

All this experience is good for the brain as THEY say one way to keep the brain conditioned is to 'get lost' in an unfamiliar city. And THEY couldn't be wrong. Could they?

I was reminded of the words of Bob Segar - “I was lost, too far from home...”

Along Kaow Phayao in the fog 1

 I remembered to take my camera with me on my run.  Usually I come across something interesting and I don't have it with me.

Along Kaow Phayao in the fog2

Posted by Wi Fi at Doi Chaang (expensive) coffee shop, Chiang Rai

Sunday Walking Street, Phrae

Phrae, Northern Thailand

I had planned to go to Phrae on Saturday, Dec 3. Phrae is the capitol city of the Phrae Province in Northern Thailand. Since this paast weekend was the Kings Birthday holiday weekend I asked the person here at Taicoon if she would call to make reservation for me. So I had a reservation for a room, but on Saturday all buses of all classes were full all day. I bought a ticket on the Green bus for the next day, no problem.

One of the reasons I wanted to go to Phrae on this weekend was because of a mini – marathon that I became aware of in a brochure at the Chiang Mai office of the Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT). A mini marathon consists of a half marathon, a quarter marathon and a kids fun run. All the information as to place, time and registration etc was in Thai. I had translation enough to know registration was 10:00 to 17:00 Sunday and 4:00 to 5:00 AM on Monday with the Half starting at 5:30 in the morning on Monday. All I needed to do once arriving at Phrae was to find the registration place and the place for the start of the run. Well, it turned out that these were both out of town in another community about 5 km away. That doesn't sound like much but---the problem was there was no public or taxi transportation available at 4:00 in the morning. I didn't want to walk 5km before attempting to do 21.1 km; even if I could find the place by myself. It is doubtful I could find it as the next day I went for a run in the direction I thought I was supposed to go. Not.

Anyway, all for the best as my legs have been bothering me a bit the last little while, Probably the hurt results from a fair amount of air and bus travel in the last couple of weeks and running on concrete which I am not used to doing.

Phrae was once a centre for teak trade, but the teak has long since been deforested and all that remains are some houses constructed with teak lumber. These houses and the numerous Wats are about all the tourist attractions there are around here. Consequently no tourists. Especially of the pale face variety. There was a 20 something guy from Seattle staying at the hotel where I am staying and he is the only other Caucasian tourist I have seen and we ended up at the same eatery last night and he said I was the only one he had seen.

The hotel is the Tepwiman Hotel. Definitely rates 1/2 star. I got the name from some travel forum on line which only named this one and another nearby (which in fact was the one the taxi delivered me to from the bus station). Don't know quite why these hotels were singled out because I have seen others that no doubt are a bit better. Oh well such is life on the road.

Sunday nite was the 'walking street night'. That occurs on the first Sunday of each month when several blocks of Chareonmuang St (where the Tepwiman is located) is turned into an open air market. As it happened there was some kind of dance competition also; with what appeared to be high school age participants doing traditional Thai dance and modern shake your booty dance.

On Tuesday I came  back as far as Lampang and hten will go back to Chiang Mai today, Wednesday.

Dentist Visits, Chiang Mai

Over the past few years I have been successfully controlling the occasional gum infection with clove oil.

My dentist in Miramichi said the root cause of the infection was a cracked root and prescribed antibiotics a couple of times and strongly recommended extraction and replacement with an implant or a bridge and. However none of this work could be done in the Miramichi and I was referred to a 'specialist' in Bathurst or Moncton The extraction was going to cost in excess of $500.;and then there would be five or six thousand for an implant or bridge. I, of course, balked at the cost and my Miramichi dentist began to soften his position and last spring said as long as I could control the periodical infection (he didn't know i was not using his antibiotic prescriptions), and as long as the crown did not come off one more time I could probably limp along for some unknown time.

That was some three years ago. However I added further injury just before leaving Canada and infection flared up and didn't seem completely controlled even with a penicillin prescription I had from the summer of 2009. So I decided to consult a dentist here in Chiang Mai.

I consulted with an aesthetic dentist and he took an x-ray and while displaying a large screen image explained why I had the problem crack in my root that was the root of the problem (so to speak) . Actually it was caused my an error by the dentist who installed the original post for the crown. The post had been inserted incorrectly and stressed the tooth and cracked the root.

He agreed with my Canadian dentist that priority should be given to extraction. He then outlined in detail the costs of a plan for an implant and the costs of a plan for a bridge. I opted for the implant which under normal conditions could be done simultaneously with the extraction.

Anyhow the extraction went without a hitch. ( Cost: X-ray $5.00Cdn and extraction $52.00 Cdn). The 'freezing' unaesthetic was instant. Unfortunately there was an infection, which I kind of thought there might be, and so an implant couldn't be done the same day. Interestingly when I asked whether I should take antibiotic, he said no, just let nature heal. (try that in Canada!). I had absolutely zero pain or nauseous after effects and had the sutures removed yesterday.

I will follow up Dec 20. If the implant can be done then I will go ahead. If not I may heve one in Indonesia or return to Chiang Mai before returning to Canada.

Chiang Mai Break

An original corner of the former wall around Chiang Mai and the moat

 Tuesday, 29 November 2011

I went down to Lampang city, capitol of Lampang Province.  It's SE of here, one and one half hours on second class A/C bus. Lampang is kind of a nondescript type of place on the Wang River.

Not a whole lot of English spoken here but enough to eat and sleep. No Golden Arches or Starbucks My first night was in a very fine guest house – except there was a night club across an open space facing my room and the music was LOUD with a heavy boom box base. I couldn't sleep and packed my bags ready to leave if it didn't stop by midnight. A couple came back as I was just on my way out and said it would definitely stop at midnight or a few minutes after, else the police would come and shut it down. So back to my room and the boom boom did stop.

Of course there are many Wats in Lampang, one of which is an UNESCO heritage site. I followed a map until I came to a multiple street intersection with no markings. I was standing there, perplexed when a lady asked what I was looking for and had me hop on her motorbike and drove me to the Wat. There were no english interpretation signs (there may have been some in Thai, but it didn't appear to be). So I am not sure why UNESCO. I assume historical significance.

Part of Wat Pongsanook, Old City Lampang

Lampang is 'known for' it's ceramics, horse drawn carriages and the occasional heritage teak building and it's Ratsadaphisek Bridge:

I know, I know - it's just a plain, old ordinary bridge.  But wait...........

Verbatim from plaque on the bridge:

"Ratsadaphisek Bridge is the classic bridge with a white hen as the city symbol decked up right at the head of the entrance of the bridge. It was Built in reign of King Rama VI and Chao Bunyawat Wonmanit who ruled Northern Lampang. It was built with wood and reinforced concrete for celebrating the silver jubilee in Bangkok for King Rama V. Later the bridge tumbled down in A.D.1915 and King Rama VI has continued to rebuild the bridge with more of reinforced concrete for stabilizing permanency of the bridge. The main parts of the bridge are four historical posts which are the head and tail of the bridge. The decoration right on top of the spire that is the garland in commemoration of King Rama V and the lower part of the Royal Garuda in reign of King Rama VI and also the royal Hen.

Ratsadaphisek Bridge has gone through two generations of World War. Also by saying the bridge had no war strategy usefulness of Mrs. Lucy Starling, ex director of Witchanaree School who was the advisor of the Allies.

Ratsadaphisek Bridge is a reflection of the Royal Railways civilization and The Cement products of Thailand according to the royal remark of King Rama VI. Presently the general steel bridges for crossing the rivers of the same generation with Ratsadaphisek bridge on the Northern Railway have all been tumbled down.

Nevertheless Ratsadaphisek Bridge is still stable until today."

There is even an annual "historical memorial day" for the bridge. How to have a holiday!

One of the four pillars showing the royal Hen

Next morn I go to bus station, undecided whether to go on to Phrae, return to Chiang Mai or stay another nite in Lampang. While sitting on the step of the 7-11 across from the bus station having Yogurt and orange juice a motor cycle taxi driver asked where I was going. I said Phrae and he said “oh very cold there. Three degrees”. Well that sort of gelled my decision making. I had left my jeans in Chiang Mai and I needed to return by Friday for a dentist appointment and I was very tired. So I stayed one more night in Lampang in a one star Hotel ( not bad) for some quiet rest. Went for a short run the next morning, had coffee at Wawee and caught a bus back to Chiang Mai.

I am planning to go to Phrae on Saturday. Since this weekend is the Kings Birthday holiday weekend I asked the person here at Taicoon if she would call to make reservation for me. Done.