Hatyai - Samila Beach and Klong Hae Floating Market

Hatyai - 18 March 2012 (Day 1)

While on transit at LCCT to Penang on 17th March, I got in touch with a travel agent for a van to Hatyai through the recommendation of Chong. At that point, the intention was to inquire from the agent about transportation into Alor Setar from Hatyai, because we had originally planned to travel to Gunung Keriang near Alor Setar to buy some crystal which my friends were interested. However, the travel agent did not offer this service and special arrangement would come with a fee.

We accepted the offer from the agent for the return trip of Penang/ Hatyai/ Penang with accommodation thrown in for a price of MYR130. According to Chong, a weekday price would be between MYR70 - 100 but 18th March being Sunday, the price would be more expensive. The money would be paid to the van driver.

We left Oriental Hotel in Penang at about 5:35 a.m. to another destination to pick up four Indonesians who would be going to Hatyai too. The Indonesians were late. We finally left for Hatyai at about 6:00 a.m.

At about 7:30 a.m., we arrived at Naluri Aman Sdn. Bhd. at Bukit Kayu Hitam. There were two food stalls there but we did not take our breakfast there. Here, we exchanged our Malaysian Ringgit to Thai Baht. The rate here was very much better compared to the rate offered at Hong Leong Bank at LCCT.  For MYR200, I obtained THB1,770 (MYR1: THB8.85) at Hong Leong Bank. Here, for MYR300, I obtained THB2,979 (MYR1: THB9.93). That was a difference of THB1.08 for MYR1. For MYR200, I lost THB216 to Hong Leong Bank! So readers, don't exchange your money at the airport at LCCT Terminal.

While at Naluri Aman, we passed our passports, MYR2 .00 for each passport and the departure cards which the driver asked us to sign to him for immigration paperwork. The MYR2.00 is kopi-o money, and if I were to call a spade a spade, it is bribe money to get the passports stamped with the Thai Immigration.

Forty minutes later, we were on our way again and we reached the Malaysian immigration check-point at about 8:15 a.m. We were early and there was no queue.

 Four minutes away by van was the Thai Immigration check-point.

Dannok town was just behind the Immigration check-point. It has grown into a large town and unrecognizable from the town I first visited. The first time I visited Dannok about twenty-years ago, there was no proper check-point, just a small office and someone collecting RM1 from each visitor. By 1994, a modern check-point had already been built but I remembered the town was still the same as it was on my first visit four or five years earlier, with most Malaysian visitors going shopping at the hawker stalls. There were also a number of small wooden shops offering massages with girls sitting outside them. Besides that, there was a row or two of brick shop houses and there were no three or four storey building. The road was not fully sealed yet, with side-lanes being dirt street.

This time, we did not have the opportunity to look around Dannok or to shop there. We left at about 8:30 a.m. and were soon on our way to Hatyai.

About 45 minutes later, we turned off from the highway and entered into a town road on the left. Five minutes later, we reached the periphery of Hatyai and reached our hotel at 9:30 a.m. or 8:30 Thai time.

We were soon on our way for breakfast, led by our van driver who recommended this shop for "Zhu Chap" (mixture of pork and innards soup with rice).

The arrangement with the van driver for a local tour fell through when he asked us to pay upfront for tickets to see the Thai Girl show. We just could not trust him enough with the money since he would be returning to Penang at 3:00 p.m local time that afternoon. We were on our own. Earlier, he said it would be difficult to communicate with the hotel receptionists, drivers and traders as they did not speak English. It was time for me to take over and my first task was to talk to the hotel receptionist to help to arrange a trip to Samila Beach in Songkhla and to visit Klong Hae Floating Market. The receptionist had no problem speaking English. She helped to arrange the return taxi trip for THB1,200, much cheaper and comfortable than the tuk tuk arrangement by the van driver for the same itinerary. The driver would wait for us at each destination until we return to the hotel.

The taxi arrived before 11:45 a.m. local time. It was not actually a taxi but a private car but nevertheless, that was not a problem for us. We were on our way to Songkhla town to Samila Beach and reached there before 12:30 p.m.

While waiting for my turn to have a photo taken with the Mermaid, a reporter with Dailynews, a TV station wanted to interview my friend. Thinking that something was not right, I was referred to the reporter who said he wanted to conduct an interview for TV. He asked me a few questions in English, mainly on the Mermaid, including one on whether the Mermaid could be improved further. What was I to say, except to answer the best I could. Unfortunately, my friends failed to take photographs of me being interviewed. What a shame!

The scenery around the beach was nice, and visitors seemed to be mostly locals. There was one lone westerner on the beach. If I were to rate the beach, I would rate it slightly below Batu Feringgi Beach in Penang, Malaysia because rubbish brought in by the tide was not cleared.

At 3:30 p.m. local time, we left Samila Beach for Songkhla Aquarium but nobody was interested in the fish. We left after visiting the washroom for another spot for a few shots of a Thai dragon spouting water before going to Klong Hae Floating Market.

The street leading to Klong Hae Floating Market lies on a neighbouring lane to Wat Klong Hae (temple). The entrance was lined with hawker stalls and when we arrived at about 4:30 p.m. local time, some of the hawkers were just starting their businesses. About 50 metres away was a bridge and the Floating Market was on the opposite side of the river bank.

Almost all the female traders at the floating market wore tudung, indicating that they were Muslim. On land, it was the opposite with most not wearing tudung but there were certainly Muslim assistants.

At about 6:15 p.m., we left Klong Hae Floating Market to pay and collect the tickets to the Thai Girl show at the office of the driver's employer. We also left our room numbers with the office. It was THB45 per person, again cheaper than from the van driver who brought us from Penang to Hatyai. His price was THB50. Photography was not allowed at the show but patrons would be served a complimentary glass of beer or soft drink.

After a dinner of Thai economy rice at about 7:10 p.m., I went back to my room. The driver was very punctual and called me before 7:30 p.m. The show would start at 8:00 p.m. and end at 9:00 p.m. Printed on the ticket, the show was called another name which I could not remember.

On reaching the destination, the driver brought us to the 3rd floor of the shop where the show would be held. The usher brought us to the first row, which was just a metre away from the stage. We were then served drinks.

Compared to the first time when I attended a similar show in 1994, this show had more varieties and the performers were not "shy".  For those watching the show, especially those at the first row, NEVER accept the garland which a lady would offer to you to put on the performers. You will have to pay for it later. It is a trap and we were lucky to be warned about this by the van driver from Penang. The young men on the same  first row were caught in this situation.

After returning from the show, we went to look for Lee Gardens Plaza and to take a stroll around the neighbourhood. The receptionist at the hotel had earlier told me that we only need to walk left of the hotel entrance and at the first road junction, to turn left again and we would be able to see McDonald. Lee Gardens is beside it.

The shops and stalls which were still opened were closing and after spending a short time around the area, it was back to the hotel to sleep while my friends went for massage.

Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur

28 - 29 March 2012

On arriving at KLIA, I took a bus to KL Sentral and from there, a RapidKL train to Pasar Seni Station, which is the nearest station to Chinatown in Petaling Street. However, this time, the ticket officer refused to sell me and others the RapidKL tickets, and insisted that passengers buy them from the ticket vending machine. I wasn't too eager to try the vending machine and asked a lady in front to show me. It was just two simple steps of pressing the station names on the screen, confirming the ticket cost, inserting the payment into the slot and voila, out came the token. It seemed that buying the token from the vending machine has not caught on yet and many people were still being turned away from the ticket counters. This must has been something which has just been implemented recently.

This was the first time I would be staying in Chinatown. The main reason for staying there was the food. I wanted to try Chinatown food. I had booked a room at Hotel China Town (2) and it took me a while to find it. The street was crowded with shoppers and tourists and by the time I checked in, it was almost 9:00 p.m. already.

I took a quick shower and went to look for dinner. There was a Curry Mee stall just a few steps away. I found most of the tables occupied. It must be a popular place.

It was a very satisfying meal for RM5, worth every sen of it.

Then, it was strolling around to see Chinatown at night, which I last visited decades ago. Then, the stalls were manned by Chinese Malaysians and the streets were exposed to the open sky instead of plastic shelter.

The next morning, I was on the street by 8:45 a.m. to look for breakfast. There were a few places which had opened for business. I saw China Town Food Paradise and went in. It was still early and there was hardly any patron. Food was still being brought out from the kitchen to the stall selling economy rice at the front.

I spotted this stall and ordered BBQ Pork Noodle for MYR5.00.

I was soon on the street again looking for my second breakfast. I soon spotted a coffee shop with fair number of patrons and concluded that it must be offering something good. I ordered a big bun. While eating, I noticed that patrons were having Dim Sum. I decided to have some too. The big bun tasted alright but the Dim Sum was below average.

24 Hours in Singapore

27 - 28 March 2012

Finally, I went back for a month's annual leave after another year in PNG. On the homeward journey, I decided to stay overnight in Singapore to shop for a Garmin eTrex 20 or eTrex 30. In the past, I had been unable to get an eTrex from Low Yat.

On arrival at Changi Airport at about 7:00 p.m. from from Port Moresby, I had to drag my bag around from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 to look for the Tourist Pass office to buy the MRT ticket.  The office would be closing at 7:30 p.m. How stupid of me to look for it at the Arrival Hall. It was at the lower floor where the Changi MRT Station is. This would be the first time I ventured out into the city. I had booked a room at Fragrance Hotel in Little India for SGD72.90. There are several Fragrance hotels in Singapore and this one is called Elegance.

(Click to see the full-size map)

The ticket lady who sold me the Tourist Pass advised me to disembark at Little India Station but being stubborn me, I decided to disembark at Bugis Station because disembarking at Little India Station requires transferring to the North-South Line and finally to the North-East Line. I was not familiar with the MRT system and thought it a hassle, considering that the distant of Fragrance Hotel to either stations seemed the same from Google map.

 

On arrival at Bugis Station, I walked out of the station through one of the gates, having no idea that it actually made a difference with the gate you exited. I got myself promptly lost and the map I carried was of no help. There were not enough road signs to guide me, unlike Cairns. I inquired from the pedestrians around. None knew where Dunlop Street is. When I asked in which direction should I walk to get to Sim Lim Square, a helpful pedestrian asked me whether I knew where OG is. Sim Lim Square is opposite OG. Very helpful information indeed! If I knew, I would also know where Sim Lim Square is.

 

Finally, I gave up and hailed a taxi. The young taxi driver did not know the location and punched Dunlop Street into his gps unit/ smartphone to see the route to the hotel. The taxi meter showed SGD4.90 but he said the fare was SGD9.80. Another dishonest taxi driver when I thought Singapore taxi drivers are honest.

I checked into Fragrance Hotel before 9:00 p.m. It was a small but clean room without windows in the basement. After putting down my luggage, I went out to look for dinner. There was a cafe at the opposite corner and I had roti prata there for SGD1.60 and teh tarik for SGD1.00.

 

Then, I went to take a stroll along Dunlop Street. The area was very lively with mostly Indians doing business along this street at night. I did not take any photos as I thought there was nothing interesting enough. I was back in my room before 10 p.m.

 

On the next morning, I woke up early and could not get back to sleep. So I decided to go to Mustafa Centre, which is opened 24-hour everyday. I asked the receptionist for direction and she said just go straight towards Serangoon Road, then turn right and you would see Mustafa Centre. I left at about 5:15 a.m. and reached there after about 10 minutes on foot.

Mustafa has another two levels in the basement besides the four above-ground. I actually got lost in Mustafa and could not find the exit. When you see Masjid Angullia while walking along Serangoon Road, you know you have reached Mustafa as it lies on the opposite site of Serangoon Road.

Mustafa Centre has a varied range of items in its store, from electronic gadgets, watches, jewellery, groceries, DVD, textiles, bags, health products, hardware, computers, gifts, etc. I spent almost two hours there before returning.

There are several backpackers' hostels along Dunlop Street, including Prince of Wales Hostel, Inncrowd Hostel, etc.

Towards the other end of Dunlop Street is Sim Lim Tower.

Turning right from Dunlop Street and along Jalan Besar - Bencoolen Street are Rochor Centre and OG less than 100 metres away. Sim Lim Square lies on the opposite side of Bencoolen Street.

On returning from Mustafa Centre, I went to look for breakfast.

In my plan, I had wanted to shop for the Garmin eTrex 20 at Sim Lim Square but it is notorious for fleecing off tourists. In the end, I decided to get one from Navicom Technology Ptd. Ltd., instead of getting one from a dealer at Sim Lim Square. Navicom has a showroom at Orchard Central. Hence, after breakfast, I took the MRT to Orchard Central and in the process experienced the efficient MRT system of Singapore.

Based on the instruction from the receptionist, I headed straight towards Serangoon Road which I took earlier that morning, crossed the road, turn right to find Kerbau Road (parallel to it is Buffalo Road) and walked along it towards Little India Station. It looks small but below ground, it is a big place.

I was soon on my way to Orchard Central. By following the signs, route and maps at the different stations and interchange and by asking people, I was able to find my way to my last stop at Somerset Station. Somerset Station is located right inside the shopping mall and by following others who seemed to exit at 313@Somerset I found Orchard Central on the same block of building.

After exiting, I turned right and there, I found the walkway to Orchard Central.

I was early. It was only 10 a.m. and Navicom Technology would only open at 11 a.m. The main door of Orchard Central has opened but almost all the retail shops had yet to open for business. Most of the retailers are food outlets. I could not locate Navicom Technology at the floor directory but there was an outlet selling gps equipment on the 5th floor. I could not find it left or right.

 

After an hour searching for Navicom Technology, I finally entered a door to what looked like a vacant lot and saw a ramp going upwards. I walked up and there it was, the small showroom of Navicom Technology Pte Ltd but which was not named the same. The store manager was not able to answer my question of whether maps in jpg format could be uploaded into the gps unit. Anyway, I took the risk and pay for it.

 

The original price quoted was SGD329. I asked for a discount and the final price was SGD313, including GST. Before leaving Singapore, I claimed back the GST to the amount of SGD17.20, meaning Garmin eTrex 20 cost me SGD295.80 (about MYR710).

After making the purchase, I was on my way back. I skipped lunch as I was still full from the two rounds of breakfast. At Little India Station, I took the first exit I saw. Big mistake! I had actually exited at a different building from the one I entered. I knew I would get lost again if I did not get back to the little building where I entered the station. I crossed the road to another building but it was the wrong building. I re-crossed the road and looked around. I saw Buffalo Road and knew that I was on the right track. I took the road to return to Fragrance Hotel.

After checking out from Fragrance Hotel, I was on my way to Little India Station again, this time taking Buffalo Road. I was on my way to Changi Airport to fly into KL International Airport.