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Post by kerouac2 on Dec 28, 2019 17:10:04 GMT
I had rats in my bathroom in Luang Prabang, but they were polite enough to leave the room whenever I entered it.
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Post by mich64 on Dec 28, 2019 17:21:01 GMT
I have never gotten ill while away on holiday. We have often drank tap water from restaurants in Europe but not while in Cuba or Costa Rica. We also took a product called Dukarol, a drinkable vaccine, prior to our trips to Cuba and Costa Rica to help prevent diarrhea. It seemed to work for us as others who did not take it had some difficulties, mind you they could have also drank tap water.
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Post by Kimby on Dec 28, 2019 18:05:56 GMT
Reposting for page break. I so enjoyed re-reading this old travelog, now I’m going back and looking for my others on Vietnam, Namibia, South Africa.... (back in the days when I used a PC and could type with 10 fingers...)
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Post by kerouac2 on Dec 28, 2019 18:27:05 GMT
Didn't you ask Santa for a new PC?
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Post by onlyMark on Dec 28, 2019 19:02:53 GMT
I'm also quite lucky, if that is the word, in that I have been ill throughout all of my travels just twice. Once because of a four star hotel buffet in Egypt in 2002 and getting a dose of giardia in 1995 in India. I don't take particular care and as seen from any reports I do from India etc, I eat the street food all the time. I don't wash my hands much more than normal and I do eat the ice and raw veggies. I clean my teeth in the local water but I only drink either full fat coke or bottled water for cold drinks. In India a drink called Thumbs Up is a good substitute for coke.
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Post by Kimby on Dec 28, 2019 19:58:39 GMT
Didn't you ask Santa for a new PC? We have a (relatively) new PC. The iPhone has changed everything for me, but not as much as Mr. Kimby’s retirement, and my subsequent loss of free time.
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Post by questa on Dec 29, 2019 5:13:36 GMT
I took the Fast Ferry from Medan to Penang in Malaysia. Made the mistake of eating some egg sandwiches just before the ferry left. The last 20 minutes as the Immigration guys did their thing was awful. I had not booked accommodation as I was only there to renew my Indonesian Visa. so was back-packing.
I checked out the Lonely Planet. seemed there were no cheap places with hot water...which I needed. At last I saw information for The White House, not far from the ferry terminal. It was about 9pm and I was lucky to get a horse-and-cart to take me there.The night reception man found me a quiet room and turned on the hot water.
Next day I was still unwell...stayed in room. Two women came in to clean and I asked them to bring me tea and some rice. We chatted about remedies etc and were joined by a third woman. She insisted I try a porridge to make me strong again. It must have worked, I went for a short walk and had a soup for dinner. My friendly reception ma wanted to practice English so I sat with him and we chatted. My new friends must have been going out, they looked pretty with make-up and cute dresses.I needed some water so headed off to the little shop beside the stairs. For the first time I noticed the kind of reading matter on sale, then some advertising for latex goods.
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Post by questa on Dec 29, 2019 5:38:57 GMT
Just to finish last reply (computer crashED again.
The girls thought it was hilarious and said they would make good nurses. I agreed and asked if I would be as good in their job. The reception man, who was boss, said he could find me lots of business if I wanted it. So, if you stay in Penang, I can recommend a good place with hot water.
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Post by mickthecactus on Dec 29, 2019 8:34:48 GMT
What a great thread this is. A place I have never been and unlikely to visit now.
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Post by lugg on Jan 1, 2020 17:33:57 GMT
What a great thread this is. A place I have never been and unlikely to visit now. Just caught up and it certainly is a great thread. Anyway I would love to visit one day. Similar experiences to Kimby's - rat in toilet in France last year - still so grateful that it did not bite me ! And ... the dreadful S%**$%ts - 3 out of 4 visits to Egypt - still contemplating going back though.
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Post by questa on Jan 2, 2020 0:39:30 GMT
Rats in bathrooms...Most Asian bathrooms have a single drain hole. This is usually covered by a grate. Rats like to nibble on soap and can climb drains and shift grates. From the garden borrow a rock, good heavy one, and place on top of the grate...no more tooth marks in the soap.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jan 2, 2020 6:24:02 GMT
In Luang Prabang, the rats had it easy because there was very simply a hole in the wall where they had installed the toilet drain -- they had clearly just punched through to the outside and never bothered to put cement or plaster around the pipe. After the first night, I managed to get a room upstairs where there was no such problem. Of course you cannot be fussy when you are paying $US 1.75 a night for accommodations. One extraordinary thing about this quite lovely hotel was that the owner actually had a stock of 25 cent coins to give change when necessary.
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Post by questa on Jan 9, 2020 0:53:43 GMT
and rats don't eat coins.
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Post by whatagain on Jan 9, 2020 15:35:59 GMT
My hotels cost more in the range of 100 € a night aometimes a bit less sometimes a lot more. Actually the most expensive one in Mandalay one one of the worst. Our nights were short as a lot of monks were 'chanting' from dawn. Food cost next to nothing. I figure one can find cheap hotels but one is not married to my wife 🙄🙄
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Post by kerouac2 on Jan 9, 2020 17:19:01 GMT
I had a colleague who was a total prissy bourgeoise in Paris but an extreme backpacker when she travelled -- sleeping on floors or benches if necessary. Then she got married to an airline pilot. Anybody in the industry knows that airline pilots are the most demanding, ridiculous people in the world. If you don't put them in a 5-star hotel with extra perks, you're in trouble. And so the colleague had to go to these hotels, too, from that moment on. She would always return from her holidays with a sigh of regret for the good old days.
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Post by whatagain on Jan 10, 2020 13:02:11 GMT
We had a five stars in Argentina. Obsequious staff horrible clients. The kind whose names were playing golf during the day and whose females were getting their nails painted. Kids would roam the restaurant seems there was no need for chairs for them. Our comfort lies in the 3 with the occasional 4 stars. The bare minimum is the toilet with the room. Ensuite ?
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Post by questa on Jan 12, 2020 2:07:02 GMT
Much of my travelling has been away from towns and I am comfortable with a small tent and sleep mat and bag. I can usually find a tap for water at the local sports ground or truck stop. Then comes the tent site in a camp ground...with a toilet block and barbecue...Luxury!
Overseas I avoid hostels but use the Chinese "Business Mans" hotels. Minimal facilities but usually clean and close to airports, transport etc. No-one speaks English but will use their mobile phone translator to communicate.I always check fire escapes as the wiring in the rooms looks more like an art installation. The tourist equivalent is the homestay...hot water if you want it but extra charge. Resident rodent or frogs, geckos or cicaks to sing you to sleep.
At 3 stars they have made an effort, fake flowers in a vase near the odd collection of soaps, folder with information months out of date. However I start getting twitchy. What's the drill here? Do I go downstairs for coffee or do they bring it? Do I give tips now?
Anything over 3 I dislike intensely. There is no reason to have all the frou-frou around.Why am I paying good money for this and I don't need it. And so on. Embarrased by the doorman, shy with the housemaid,tongue tangled at the desk and still worried about tips. My tent is more comfortable
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