First trip to Southeast Asia

December 1985

Background

If I didn't believe in fate before, my first trip to Southeast Asia made me at least begin to consider that some things were "destined to be".

John M. and I were friends from Georgetown. We had both worked in the Dean's Office at the School of Languages and Linguistics and gone out socially. As it turns out, John went to study in Tokyo for his junior year - the same time I lived in Sendai. I made it a point to get to Tokyo to meet him (several times) during his time in Japan.

After one such meeting, he had just returned from an epic tour with another guy from Georgetown through Southeast Asia. He said the trip was amazing and "transformational". Those were the days that such travel by young "backpackers" was gaining in popularity; in fact, in some places it was already established as a "business" with entire neighborhoods catering to youthful travelers. He told me that I simply had to go. After some consideration (and bolstered by my successful trip to Hong Kong with Bill C. a few months earlier [see: Hong Kong, first trip]), I decided a trip was in the cards.

But I didn't want to go alone...

Preparation

In the time leading up the trip, I had become close to Masaaki, one of the part-time swimming/skiing instructors at the YMCA. A university student, he was a quiet, but funny guy. After a lot of convincing (and permission from his parents), he agreed to join me. As part of the incentive to come, I would buy his ticket and let him pay me back slowly.

Next, I went to Hide International Service (HIS), my usual travel agent in Sendai. They helped me find a ticket on Malaysian Airlines for a reasonable price.

Finally, I reached out to the YMCAs in most of the cities we were visiting. Since I was a "Y" employee, I not only received a discount, but also got priority booking. That came in handy in places like Singapore where even then cheap hotel rooms were not easy to come by.

Finally, all the preparations were made. We were going to Southeast Asia.

Flight

We made our way to Tokyo and Narita Airport (a very expensive trip of its own).

Flying in Asia in the 1980s was nothing like today. Many airlines had multiple-stop flights to pick up and drop off as many passengers as possible. Our flight was Tokyo - Taipei - Hong Kong - Kuala Lumpur - Penang. We didn't have to deplane at each stop either. We just landed, waited for some people to get off and others to board until we finally reached Penang. Since they served alcohol, we drank (a lot).

That was my one and only time going through immigration drunk (lesson learned - they were not pleased).

Penang, Malaysia

We were in Penang for a few days, so we set out to explore. Our room was at the YMCA just on the edge of the main city, Georgetown. I am happy that we budgeted enough time to see the island. I wouldn't have if my colleague/travel advisor, Bill P. from work had not told me there was "much to see". I immediately fell in love with run-down Georgetown and its decaying colonial buildings (since then all spiffed up). We wandered the narrow streets, took the short ferry to Butterworth on the mainland (just for the experience), and walked into the lobby of the grand Eastern & Oriental Hotel, just as faded as the rest of the city. Georgetown, Penang was an amazing mix of cultures and history for me. I wasn't quite sure what Masaaki thought - he was naturally quiet. At least he wasn't in culture shock.

Since Malaysia was a food-lover's paradise even back then, we tasted many exotic dishes and drank copious amounts of beer. The prices were cheap compared to Japan, so it was hard for us not to spend the entire day only eating and drinking. However, there was a lot to see. We took the bus out to the Penang Hill Railway to take in the view from the summit of the highest point on the island. There we enjoyed a drink at the old hotel (which was still in use at that time). The views were amazing and my young self was extremely impressed. That beer overlooking the Straits of Malacca is still a cherished memory.

We visited the famous beaches of Batu Ferringhi before they became super developed. At the end of a long bus ride, we got down at a beautiful series of white sand coves with some very basic hotels. The guidebooks said those beaches were "just OK" compared to what we would later see in Thailand. For me, they were the best tropical beaches I had ever seen outside of the Caribbean. I couldn't wait for Thailand! [note: these days that area is filled with five-star hotels]

One of the supposed highlights of Penang was Kek Lok Sih Temple. We visited and were underwhelmed. For Masaaki, it was his first Chinese temple and he found it bizarrely familiar yet completely alien at the same time. For me, after having visited Hong Kong the year before, it was not surprising, but also not that interesting. The old temples in Georgetown were a lot more atmospheric. Kek Lok Sih was too colorful and too polished. It did at least provide good views from the top of the hillside into which it was built.

I found a travel agent who arranged van transport to Surat Thani, Thailand where we would catch a boat to Koh Samui, an island John M. had said was the highlight of his trip to Southeast Asia.

Those days in Penang were life-changing for me. Arriving in Southeast Asia was like some dreamworld of which I had never heard.

Kek Loh Sih Temple

Travel to Thailand

Masaaki and I climbed into a small van with some other tourists and soon we were crossing to the mainland via the newly-built Penang Bridge - it had only opened a few months before. The bridge was about to transform Penang into a high-tech hub for Malaysia. (Note: it was one of the first foreign infrastructure projects taken on by the Koreans)

We got on a highway and headed north at a speedy pace. The border crossing into Thailand was easy enough - just a little time-consuming. The biggest shock was that on the other side of the border the road instantly turned into a two-lane, not-so-well-maintained road. It almost looked like a joke: a four-lane highway abruptly ending and becoming a country road. The development gap between the two countries was vast.

We continued north at a much slower place. The total journey was about six hours.

Finally, we arrived in Surat Thani where we were dropped at the port for boats to Koh Samui. It was all very confusing ... and informal. We opted for the more expensive private boat (with security and a gun) as opposed to the public ferry which was slower and often besieged by pirates. We had to wait for a bit, but no problem. We wanted to reach the island that day rather than overnight on the mainland (there was nothing appealing about Surat Thani).

The boat ride took a couple of hours and was uneventful. The sea was a beautiful blue. We were excited!

Koh Samui

The whole reason for the trip to Southeast Asia was actually the visit to Koh Samui. John M. had gone on and on about how idyllic (and cheap) it was. He and his travel partner found a place they christened "no problem bungalow" because the owner answered each request with "no problem". He said those days on Koh Samui were the best of his entire trip.

After a couple of hours on our "fast" boat (and no pirate attack), we arrived at Koh Samui and were met with a barrage of people greeting new arrivals. We figured the best thing would be to take a tuk-tuk around the island in search of a place similar to "no problem bungalow". We were in high spirits. Koh Samui was as yet, a lightly developed paradise.

We started our search and soon came to realize that every single accommodation on the island was booked by agents in Surat Thani or Bangkok. We were travelling during the peak of high season and there was no reservation system outside of Thai travel agents. "No rooms, no rooms, no rooms" - again and again. We passed by stunning beaches lined with simple cabins, but all were full. Clearly, we had misjudged the place's popularity. Soon we were back at the port (where there were also no rooms).

Dejected - we sat at the pier trying to decide what was next. It seemed we had no choice but to skip the island and continue on to Bangkok.

Koh Phangan

On the pier, confused and frustrated, Masaaki and I contemplated what was next. Our plans were crashing down around us.

A woman came up to us - like some kind of "South Pacific" reboot:

"Where you go?"

(angrily) "Back to Surat Thani. No rooms in Koh Samui."

"You come my island, Koh Phangan. Very beautiful, very nice, very cheap."

After a few more exchanges we found that there was actually another island "near" Koh Samui (which is actually part of a group of islands), Koh Phangan. At that time, no one had even heard of the place. Masaaki and I discussed it: give up our beautiful days on the beach and head to Bangkok, or set out on a dodgy local ferry to Koh Phangan (visible in the distance)?

We were young and incredibly trusting. We set off for Koh Phangan like some mythical trip to Bali Hai. My older self is still shocked by how naive we were. However, it turned out to be a great decision! It was likely one of the best moments of the trip and my first "cutting edge" travel.

We arrived after a 3o-minute boat ride to a rustic dock and were transferred via motorcycles to the beach bungalows. Just as John M. had described Koh Samui, we found a perfect strand of beach nestled in a coconut grove with a small "restaurant" and a collection of ramshackle cabins. We stumbled upon our own version of "no problem bungalow".

Our hut was basic, but good enough, and it was right in front of one of the most beautiful tropical beaches we had ever seen. We signed a ledger for all the food and drinks we consumed - kind of the honor system. Bottled water was scarce so we mostly drank beer - even brushing our teeth with it a few times (gross). The food was spicey, but we were OK. I remember one other guest complaining and our host (the woman from the boat) patted his hand and said "ok, I make like baby for you". We laughed a lot.

Most of the other guests were doing mushrooms. Masaaki and I passed - although mildly curious, being on a remote island basically at the mercy of the bungalow owners in an altered state did not seem like a good idea. Mostly we just relaxed for those days, drank a lot of beer, and ate good Thai seafood. Those were actually the only options.

When it came to an end, the kicker was that the boat back to the mainland could not come into the pier as it was low tide. We had to wade out the boat (quite a distance off shore). Although part of the adventure, it was the least enjoyable part of the trip - we were so worried about falling over and getting all our stuff wet. The departure was brutally early, too.

We made it to the boat and somehow returned to Surat Thani (on the slow, local boat - no choice).

Next stop, Bangkok.

Our room

Travel to Bangkok

Masaaki and I booked an overnight bus to Bangkok in Surat Thani. That was easy enough and the bus was surprisingly luxurious. The journey was all via two-lane roads. Thailand had virtually no highways at that time. Nevertheless, we travelled at breakneck speed. We also had one ferry crossing on a barge that looked far too small for our massive bus. During the journey, I remember the passengers occasionally shaking the driver to make sure he did not drift off to sleep! It is Thai long-distance drivers who first drank Krateng Daeng to stay awake (we all know it now as Red Bull).

Without much sleep, we arrived.

We queried fellow passengers if we had arrived in Bangkok once we hit the edge of a huge metropolitan area. We asked, "Bangkok, Bangkok?" and only got blank stares. Little did we know that "Bangkok" in Thai is "Krung Thep". Ha! I kept thinking, "how can these people not know the name of their capital city?" (God, was I stupid)

We got off the bus where many (but not all) people disembarked. Somehow, we found the way to our hotel, the centrally-located YMCA on Sathorn Road. It was a stroke of luck that the hotel location made it easy to explore the city.

We checked in, showered, and rested.

Bangkok

Before Bangkok had mass transit, the city was notoriously difficult to navigate. Masaaki and I walked a LOT (not pleasant and nor easy). Luckily, Sathorn Road led us to the river where we could easily catch one of the public ferries to reach the Royal Palace and the famous Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The ride up the river was something neither of us had ever experienced - such chaos, interspersed with beautiful temples and occasional palm trees. "Exotic" does not even sum up the experience.

We passed by the arresting Temple of the Dawn - wow.

We then spotted the golden spires of the royal complex. It seemed impossibly otherworldly. We disembarked and after a bit of confusion, found our way to the main entrance. For as chaotic and dirty as Bangkok was, the temple precincts were clean and beautiful. Many things were covered in gold leaf and jewel encrusted. I wondered if they had a problem with theft (most certainly not - there were guards everywhere). How could a country of such poverty hold such great wealth for no other reason than to impress? I was mystified.

We took many photos of ourselves and the temple. The place complex was likely the most opulent place either of us had ever visited. The actual temple of the Emerald Buddha was ornate with a reverent atmosphere. We saw said Buddha atop a raised platform. For all the build up, it was very small - but that small statue gave legitimacy to the Thai king. It was all so..... foreign. (maybe less so for Masaaki since Japan has an emperor with important and mystical royal regalia)

We visited several other temples in the city, but having seen the best, none of them measured up. Also, Bangkok was not pleasant to "roam". With its perpetual gridlock, taxis or tuk-tuks were not an option (in those days, some drivers just refused certain destinations due to stopped traffic). That didn't bother us much - Bangkok was totally different from anything either of us knew. We literally had no expectations.

The other "big event" in Bangkok was eating at the Oriental Hotel on the river. The Oriental used to be the only luxury hotel for monied Westerners visiting the city. It had a lovely riverside restaurant and the buffet there was legendary. Masaaki and I decided to try it and enjoyed (at that time) the most luxurious meal we had ever eaten. My first "all you can eat" meal featuring high end food, I was in complete shock. How was that even possible? Steak, lobster, shrimp? And drinks were cheap, too. In the following years, the price of said buffet slowly climbed until it wasn't nearly the bargain it had been, but oh that first meal is a wonderful travel memory.

We took a river cruise to the ancient capital of Ayutthaya. Although the cruise up the river was not all that exciting (mostly just palm trees and humble dwellings back then), the stops at the summer palace at Bang Pa In and at the ruins of Ayutthaya itself were both interesting and photogenic. The former capital of Thailand (sacked by the Burmese) is now just a jumble of remains - one of those places I wished we were on a tour. Everything except the three massive funerary stupas of former Thai kings was more or less meaningless to us. Bang Pa In is a more recently built summer palace that tries to incorporate Thai, Chinese, and European styles - quite the juxtaposition in a small area. It was an interesting day trip which included a wonderful brunch on board.

Wat Phra Cheo

Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur

Finally, it was time to head south. We took an overnight bus (with some great drama over our "assigned seats" being double-booked) south to Surat Thani where we planned to book another small van into Malaysia. Memory fades - it was a very long ride - Masaaki and I were getting irritable. We had been on the go non-stop and even if we were happy with our travels, our youthful selves were nearing exhaustion. Kuala Lumpur was not an easy destination to reach in those days by road from the north.

After the exhausting ride to Surat Thani, we went to the same agent who booked our outward journey from Penang for the return journey. Unfortunately, the van was packed and we were already tired. Upon reaching Penang, we had to find the bus terminal for the onward trip to Kuala Lumpur. Finally, we were on that bus (very comfortable). At least there was a highway (mostly) between Penang and KL and departures were literally every 30 minutes.

We arrived in bad moods, exhausted. We located the YMCA (again, centrally positioned) and crashed.

Kuala Lumpur

Modern Kuala Lumpur did not exist in the mid-1980s. No public transport, not much tourist infrastructure, and there wasn't a whole lot to see. However, the population spoke English more than in Bangkok and it was not as traffic-clogged. That alone made it more manageable.

We noted the fine faux-Mughal architecture that the British constructed in then "Malaya". The Sultan Abdul Samad Building stood out for its beauty. We mostly stayed downtown in the colonial center - the Petronas Towers had not been built and the "soon-to-be-famous" Bukit Bintang shopping area was just another crossroads.

Highlights of the visit were the National Museum, the National Mosque (in the days when entering mosques was not only easy, but welcomed), and the Masjid Jame - a tiny, colonial era jewel that still is my favorite building in the city. Individual buildings impressed us, but KL did not. There was nothing particularly "bad" about the city, but it wasn't interesting either. For people who go on and on about how modern Dubai literally sprung out of the desert in a few years, they forget that Kuala Lumpur used to be nothing but one or two tall buildings, a collection of colonial leftovers, and many low-rise "kampongs" as far as the eye could see set into a steaming jungle. Modern KL is just as miraculous as Dubai (or neighboring Singapore).

We took a bus out of town to the famous Batu Caves. That was likely the high point of the visit. The huge stairway and its massive limestone cavern were impressive. Neither of us had been in a cave with such a stunning main chamber. It's not surprising that it had become a Hindu religious site.

Without much else to hold us in Malaysia's "yet to blossom" capital, we caught the bus to Malacca. At least it was only a few hours away. Malacca had been highly recommended by colleague Bill P. back in Sendai.

High Court (now Textile Museum)

Kuala Lumpur to Malacca

Masaaki and I were getting tired. Although we both liked traveling, we were moving around too much. Even as young men, it was wearing us down. Thankfully, the bus trip to Malacca was straightforward: easy to buy the ticket, comfortable ride, and a bus station near the center of town. We were staying at the Majestic Hotel as recommended by Bill P. . Luckily, it was a short walk from the bus station.

Malacca

Our hotel was but a shadow of its former self (these days it is a luxury property):

The origins of The Majestic Malacca began in 1929 as a private mansion of a tycoon named Leong Long Man where imported Victorian tiles, stained glass windows, expensive furniture and fittings were all incorporated into his home. Sadly, he fell ill and died in 1931, just two years after moving in. His son entrusted with the family estates squandered his inheritance and eventually sold the mansion to a businessman named Lim Heng Fang in 1955. Fortuitously, Mr. Lim preserved the building and converted it into The Majestic Hotel. It became quite de rigueur to stay at the hotel in the 1950s and 60s with a clientele that comprised mainly of British planters and even played host to Malaysia's first prime minister when he announced the former British colony's independence in 1957. Before its doors closed in 31 July 2000, the hotel had taken a turn for the worse, operating as a guesthouse with a dilapidated air. A public outcry to restore the mansion back to its former glory ensued in the years after its closure. Acknowledging the need to preserve an integral part of Malacca's rich heritage, YTL Hotels stepped in and the property acquisition was finalised in 2006. Sparing no expense, the historic building was fully restored and reopened as The Majestic Malacca in January 2008 with much fanfare.

https://www.majesticmalacca.com/pages/our-story.html

The room was old, dirty, and tired - but it was cheap and the largest we had stayed in since coming to Southeast Asia. It made the perfect spot from which to explore Malacca (and rest a bit).

We met a bicycle rickshaw driver who showed us a set tour based on a well-used photocopy in a plastic folder. It looked "fakely official" - so we went with it. After all, the price was low. We saw the famous A Famosa Portuguese fort (just the remains of the main gate), the ruins of St Paul's church (not much to see either), the Chinese cemetery (where I learned that it DOES matter where one is buried), and finally, Malacca's centerpiece, the Dutch main square and the old city hall (Stadhuis). So much to see in such a small city!

I was blown away by Malacca's history more than any other place we had visited. The Portuguese, the Arabs, the Dutch, the English.... all of them left their mark on a city that used to be incredibly important in world trade.

With its government buildings, churches, squares and fortifications, Melaka demonstrates the early stages of this history originating in the 15th-century Malay sultanate and the Portuguese and Dutch periods beginning in the early 16th century. Featuring residential and commercial buildings, George Town represents the British era from the end of the 18th century. The (town) constitutes a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia.

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1223/

Although I thought that Penang was fascinating and Ayutthaya was old, neither could compare with the history of Malacca. Malacca (and who controlled it) literally influenced the development of world history... just wow.

Stadhuys

Malacca to Singapore

Another easy bus ride took us to Singapore. In a few hours we were in Johor Bahru showing our passports to enter the Lion City via the causeway. The bus dropped us at Queen Street Terminal. We found our way to the YMCA hotel - not the conveniently placed Y at the end of Orchard Road, but the other one off Stevens Road (which was then not close to anything).

We were excited to be in Singapore - but also tired. We had already experienced too much to process.

Singapore

Singapore was just starting its amazing transformation into a modern city. It was at its peak of strictness with fines being levied for even "minor" infractions. What most people did not realize was that those fines were largely aimed at Singaporeans who were being literally bludgeoned into compliance. Visitors were largely unaffected (mainly because most of said "transgressions" were things one would never consider doing).

Masaaki and I were at the end of our ropes. We were happy to be in Singapore, yet we were exhausted, too. The memory of that first visit now has merged with many other memories of the the city for me. For us, Singapore was hot and hard to navigate. We arrived ready to leave.

Getting around was an issue because there were only buses (mostly for locals) and no MRT. We walked a lot (almost on the equator). Singapore was trying hard to woo tourists, but at that time, beyond Orchard Road and the old colonial center (which wasn't too impressive), there wasn't much to see or do compared to today. We were not impressed by its tall buildings, the shopping on Orchard Road seemed "touristy", and the hawker centers in those days were a lot less hygienic. I do remember walking inside the Raffles Hotel pre-renovation. We had no idea it would later be renovated and become a regional "brand". The Singapore I would come to love was still over a decade away and then was just a seed in the ground that had yet to sprout. Masaaki and I felt "unimpressed" - most likely, however, we were simply over-tired.

Raffles Place

We made it to the airport (by bus) and boarded our flight back to Narita. I don't think we drank much on the plane. We just wanted to be back "home". I almost remember none of the return journey except that Masaaki and I took a break from each other for some time after the trip. We weren't angry - we simply had enough "together time".

Coda

The trip to Southeast Asia with Masaaki was seminal for me. I was introduced to a part of the world where I would spend two decades of my life on and off. If Japan had been a culture shock for me, Southeast Asia blew my mind with possibilities. That vacation with Masaaki established Penang as my perennial favorite (even now) - nothing can beat its mix of cultures and food. The ill-fated trip to Koh Samui ending in us travelling to Koh Phangan was groundbreaking as well. I had no idea such places even existed. Bangkok was exotic to such a degree that Japan didn't even come close. Kuala Lumpur had strange, colonial relics left by the British that I liked, but scarcely understood. Malacca and its history made me realize I knew nothing of the region. Singapore was on the cusp of greatness (we had no idea).

In short, I had discovered SE Asia and it changed my life trajectory.

Most ironically, it is a trip that foreshadowed meeting Brian. John M.'s (who had recommended the trip) travel partner ended up being Brian (whom I had not yet met). After all, without John (and Brian)'s trip to Southeast Asia, mine likely would never have taken place. And years later, when Brian and I met, we would not have instantly had something in common.

My life journey indicates that everything is interconnected to some degree. That trip with Masaaki set in motion something that led me to Brian and my subsequent life path.

No regrets - what an interesting start I had.