Tour 2003 - Things are looking up (note to Stuart)

Late February, 2003 

Dear Stuart,            

As you know, I seldom drink wine while travelling in the tropics.  It just doesn't have much appeal when it's hot and muggy.  Besides, the service can be a bit dodgy at the street side food stalls I frequent.  But today while browsing some stalls at a nearby plaza here in Bangkok, I had a chance to taste a Thai produced wine.  From the handout given me, the wine is made from 'Black Finger-root', a rhizome, which I believe makes it a relative of ginger. 

Anyway, the lady offering samples pressed a small plastic cup on me to try it.  She in turn placed her hand on my heart, stomach, bum and legs, telling me it was excellent for renewing all those areas.  Then, with a furtive glance at my nether region, she whispered "good for sex, make boom boom".  "Good for boom boom.  Boom boom all night", she repeated several times, always in a whisper.  I take it this is still a closely guarded secret.  And it apparently works equally well for men or women.  This stuff sounds unbeatable. 

The wine itself is a pale red, bright, and on the nose...  Oh hell, let's just say it's a hard wine.  I don't have to be hit on the head to recognize a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  I think this is just the wine the Commanderie needs to raise it to new levels.  We'll be up for anything.  And for women, even if they are split over this, I am sure they will be thrilled with it, nothing will be too hard for them.  And to hell with a certain pharmaceutical company called Pfizer who shall remain nameless!

Knowing you would approve, I have ordered a pallet of 64 cases of this fabulous wine (it's called Golden Krachaidam by the way) for our group.  This is just the beginning of course; I have pretty much sewn up rights to this elixir on our behalf.  We're on our way up, Boy!  Best regards. 

Boom boom, toujours Boom boom. 

Merv.

Tour 2003 - A Burma Shave

Dear Family and Friends,

The details of my old age are quite inconsequential.  Winters in Rangoon, sailing on the Irriwaddy, hiking up Mandalay Hill....  Pretty standard stuff.  (With apologies to Austin).

My plans for this trip were quite hastily and casually made.  Not having visited before, I booked a short trip to Myanmar.  I have now spent one furious week there, trying to see in seven days a country that deserves at least one month. 

Tour 2003 - A little of this, a little of that (Malaysia & Thailand)

Hello Everyone,

I have become a slob.  I'm sure many of you will find that hard to believe, knowing the sense of style I display on Savary.  But the heat, the humidity, the humping of heavy bags on and off public transportation, all cause one to sweat like Phil Esposito by the end of a tough game.  Each day I set out with new fresh clothes and literally within minutes, no matter how I try to keep cool, my clothes are sopping, stuck to me, and I'm standing in a puddle of sweat.  It's simply true; we travellers generally look a disgrace.  The locals, on the other hand, all look crisp and cool.  Personal appearance is very important to people in these countries.  Judging from the clothing choices tourists and travellers make, an entirely different value system is at play.  

Anyway, I have nothing of real excitement with which to follow up my Borneo adventure.  But to bring you somewhat up to date, on leaving Sarawak I flew to Kuala Lumpur, a leap into a hot, crowded, noisy, busy big city.  (Flying with Malaysian Air as I am, Kuala Lumpur is an obligatory stop, but it otherwise holds little interest.)  While there I, of course, visited the twin Petronas Towers, the world's tallest buildings at 1,452 feet (even when the World Trade Center was standing).  Both towers are 88 stories high but visitors can only go to the 41st floor where a sky-bridge joins the two towers.  Clad in polished aluminium, they are striking on the skyline, particularly with the sun reflecting off them.  As you can deduce from their name, they are owned by a large Malaysian oil company.  

Tour 2003 - Bloody Borneo & Bong, James Bong

Dear family and friends,

There were five of the little buggers on my leg when I looked down.  About an inch long, brown, skinny as a matchstick, and flipping themselves up my leg to find the juiciest spot to hook themselves on and fatten themselves up on my blood, filling themselves to more than ten times their original size.  Leeches.  Ugh.  In their search for fresh blood, these leeches can squeeze through a shoelace eyelet or the fabric of your sock.  All you have to do is brush a small branch and they can drop on you and they are quickly heading up your leg or down your neck.  I thought to myself "Merv, you are wearing shorts and sandals, you have only walked 20 meters into the jungle and you already have five leeches on your legs.  Don't you think you should at least consider the possibility that you may not be properly outfitted for this?" With that thought I pretty much stamped as paid my interest in jungle trekking, and scurried back to the boat which I had just left.  I was on the Menangul River, a tributary of the Kinabatangan River, at 560 km long, the largest in Sabah, the northern state of Malaysia Borneo.

Around the World in a 60s Daze. China - The Last Chapter

May 2, 2002.



Dear Family and Friends,

As my great friend Craig Ferguson might say, "You could write books on what I don't know about China". Having spent four weeks skipping around China like Svend Robinson on a Trade Mission, I am hardly qualified to comment on this vast, culturally rich, diverse and ancient land. Nonetheless, I am going to do so, but somehow doing so reminds me of the sign Gerry Ennis used to have in his office at Shell, "To yeers ago I culdn't even spel enjineer, now I are one."

Four weeks ago China existed for me largely as the Mysterious East, exotic, inscrutable, teeming. And of course, as characterised by American press, it was Red China, the Evil Empire, repository of all things Communist, and anti-Christ. Well, today I do have a slightly more informed and realistic view of China and its people. This will be a long message to tell you about it. I hope you will accept my apology for being so wordy, but I never use four words when a thousand will do.

Around the World in a 60s Daze. Chapter VIII - Laos & More

April 5, 2002

Dear Family and Friends,

My last chronicle ended as Carole and I arrived in Laos. I can only imagine your anxiety waiting to receive the next instalment, so here it is. Laos has the smallest population of any country in Indo China (5.4 million), and only Cambodia is smaller in area than Laos; but Laos manages to border on Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. The Mekong River called the Nam Khong here, and so important everywhere in Indo China, runs the full length of the country. All those countries just mentioned have been involved in the rule of Laos over the past millennium. A good portion of the Ho Chi Minh trail, leading from North to South Vietnam, was in Eastern Laos, so Laos became a major target for American bombers during the Vietnam/American War. Laos has the unhappy distinction of being the most bombed country in the history of the world. Only in 1975, shortly after the fall of Saigon, did the Pathet Lao secure Vientienne and create the Lao People's Democratic Republic, a regime closely connected with Vietnam.

Carole and I flew in to Vientienne, the capital, for a short visit of this landlocked country. Vientienne is certainly the smallest national capital I have ever been in, and after the frenzy of all the other cities I have visited, flying in to Vientienne is like arriving in Powell River and stepping into a time warp. I don't know how many people live there, but it can't be much more than 100,000. From the first moment at the airport, we knew we were dealing with different people than previously. There was no rush of taxi drivers trying to get us to go with them, rather a couple of them just let us know they were there, should we ever decide to go downtown. No pressure, no bargaining. Traffic is very light and it is easy to walk around the whole downtown, which borders along the Mekong River.