Lots of unfamiliar things

We’ll soon be leaving Southeast Asia, with many memories of amazing sights and experiences. While Rita and I have traveled to many countries, this part of our trip was a stretch… with significant language barriers, cultural differences and historical perspectives. We’ve never been in places where things were so unfamiliar. I found myself hungering for recognizable things… the occasional store sign in English, an identifiable food, understanding a conversation, etc. Arriving in Bangkok was a smaller shock to the system. It looked and felt like many large international cities and gave us a chance to transition from our comfortable home in Minnesota. Even in Bangkok, everything turns completely foreign when you step a block away from a tourist area.

What were the most common things? The word I recall seeing in English the most was “Massage.” The English most often heard was, “do you want a taxi (or tuk tuk)?” The most recognizable meat from food sellers was a fried chicken leg. The markets were full of recognizable fruits, but there were new ones there too. Think of the term “soul food” as being things left over after the premium produce is sold. What you have left are chicken beaks and legs, greens, etc. Every thing gets used. You’ll also regularly find things we’ve rarely consider eating such as frogs, turtles, insects, etc.

After arriving, I pushed myself a bit and tried everything new that I could. Massages were inexpensive, at around $10 or less for an hour. Each country had its own style. Traditional Thai massage was the most “active”, with the masseuse giving you a loose pant/shirt outfit so she could climb all over you and stretching everything. It was almost like having aided yoga. Traditional Khmer massage (Cambodia) was more prodding and pressure point action. I was getting the feeling that it was going to be hard to “enjoy” a relaxing massage vs. being stretched on a rack. I did, however, find Vietnamese massage used some wonderful techniques. While the masseuse literally walked up and down my body, the Vietnamese women are very small and light. She used her body weight with her arms, legs, hands and feet in very fluid motions - almost like a dance. I liked Vietnamese the best, but a good Swedish massage was not to be found. Oh, yes, there are those “happy ending” massage places too – pretty easy to recognize and avoid.

We noticed the fried chicken being sold on the street in Thailand, but not in Cambodia or Vietnam. I’m sure it’s there somewhere, but not a typical offering. I think having a whole piece of chicken in those countries would be considered extravagant. Almost everything is chopped up into small (unrecognizable) pieces to be put in a brew, mix with rice or slipped on a skewer. Everything here is “fast” food that stretches meat… a quick stir-fry, combining with broth or grab-n-go combinations. I liked steamed pork dumplings the best, found in each country. They take a pad of dough (I think rice flour), put a small dollop of something in the center (e.g. seasoned rice w/a little ground meat), ball it up and put it in a steamer. As long as things are hot, they’re pretty safe.

I’ll try near anything, at least once. If you show interest, you’re often offered a sample (hoping you’d buy). There was a plate of raw bugs I saw people buying, so I had to give em a try. They were about 3/4 inch long ant-like things, crunchy and had a nutty flavor. Not bad, but the exoskeleton takes a while to chew (like a popcorn hull). Same with the fried tarantula I had with one meal, although it wasn’t as tasty. I haven’t really found anything I hated. The hard part is just getting past the thought of eating something normally tossed away (like shrimp heads). If you want to eat weird stuff, go to a poor area anywhere.

We consciously try to get out of the tourist areas. Other than walking (which we do a lot of), there are taxis as a familiar option. If a driver can afford a taxi, it’s likely they speak a little more English and have also got enough foreigners to pay inflated rates. Even after negotiating a flat price in advance, there are lots of tricks – such as saying their quote was per-person (essentially doubling their take), offering to show you a tourist attraction (which turns out to be a store who gives them a kick-back if we go in) or trying to add a surcharge for some reason (e.g. high traffic). We even had a guy who some how accelerated the meter. I knew the fare from the previous trip, handed him that amount, gave him a scolding and got out of the cab. You have to be clear, firm and vigilant.

Tuk tuk’s are the next most common transport. They’re 3-wheeled motorcycles rigged for passengers, named after the sound the engines made. They’re an open-air adventure, dodging in and out of traffic. Keep your hands inside and you’re pretty safe. If you’re really up for a wild ride, jump on the back of the many motorcycles offering individual transport without much safety. They’re cheap and fast (no need to follow traffic rules). Cyclos (three wheeled bicycles) used to be the common way around in Vietnam, but they’ve become more of a novelty as people opt for motorized transport. I even rented a nice 125cc Honda for $10 a day in northern Thailand. Got lost as heck, since virtually none of the street signs are in English, but that was part of the way for me to find out-of-the-way places.

Jeff