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Travel to SE Asia (part I)

Alex Mumzhiu
2006-03-20 17:17:06

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in order to have as much fun as I have, a several conditions have to be met. Let me describe them. You can order a tour to SE Asia from reputable travel agency. You will be guaranteed 5 stars hotels with luxury rooms including single supplement (whatever it means). Three times per day meal in superb restaurant in a company of elderly American ladies and hotel to airport transfer. Is this fun? No, it is not. A fun is to travel in a company of young and enthusiastic boys and especially girls and being accepted as equal (or almost). In order to have it, you have to stay in hotels they stay, eat in restaurants they eat, go to bars they go, and stay there till sunrise ( this is especially difficult for me because music is loud and I do not hear what they say, and even when hear I do not understand, because they say it in English).

Best way to get accepted is to take a bumpy ride as I took from Thailand to Ankgor Wat, because real camaraderie is developed in difficult situations. If such ride is too much for you, you can go to one of these tours recommended by Lonely Planets book "SE Asia on shoestring" and booked by Sinh Cafe, a travel agency specializing on backpackers. A tour I took to Mekong Delta was one of them.

Generally, it looks like this: less money you spent, more fun you will have. And main thing you have to have the same spirit as they have. Do you remember the story from Ilf and Petrov's book "Golden baby cow" where the main hero, Ostap Bender gets into the train and ends up in the rail car with group of students returning from the summer practice. They accepted him as equal. But later he opened his famous cardboard suitcase and shown them his millions. One by one they left and leave him alone.

Alex Mumzhiu
Faifoo, Vietnam
2-19-2000 11 p.m.

19 February 2000

One of my subscribers (who is not a backpacker) was so exited about my trip that he decided to repeated it. I should warn him and other potential copycats that in order to have as much fun as I have, a several conditions have to be met. Let me describe them. You can order a tour to SE Asia from reputable travel agency. You will be guaranteed 5 stars hotels with luxury rooms including single supplement (whatever it means). Three times per day meal in superb restaurant in a company of elderly American ladies and hotel to airport transfer. Is this fun? No, it is not. A fun is to travel in a company of young and enthusiastic boys and especially girls and being accepted as equal (or almost). In order to have it, you have to stay in hotels they stay, eat in restaurants they eat, go to bars they go, and stay there till sunrise ( this is especially difficult for me because music is loud and I do not hear what they say, and even when hear I do not understand, because they say it in English).

Best way to get accepted is to take a bumpy ride as I took from Thailand to Ankgor Wat, because real camaraderie is developed in difficult situations. If such ride is too much for you, you can go to one of these tours recommended by Lonely Planets book "SE Asia on shoestring" and booked by Sinh Cafe, a travel agency specializing on backpackers. A tour I took to Mekong Delta was one of them.

Generally, it looks like this: less money you spent, more fun you will have. And main thing you have to have the same spirit as they have. Do you remember the story from Ilf and Petrov's book "Golden baby cow" where the main hero, Ostap Bender gets into the train and ends up in the rail car with group of students returning from the summer practice. They accepted him as equal. But later he opened his famous cardboard suitcase and shown them his millions. One by one they left and leave him alone.

Alex Mumzhiu
Faifoo, Vietnam
2-19-2000 11 p.m.