RKS 2025 Travel: Destination Southeast Asia (Short Attention Span Version):16October2025: Bangkok: Liar Liar Pants on Fire!

16October2025: Bangkok: Liar Liar Pants on Fire! I returned to the Peninsula Bangkok feeling better and joyous the air conditioning in the room was not a la polar vortex. I performed a Google search as to a Thai remedy for a cold and selected Tom Ka Kai served in half coconut shell, coconut-based broth, basil,Continue reading “RKS 2025 Travel: Destination Southeast Asia (Short Attention Span Version):16October2025: Bangkok: Liar Liar Pants on Fire!”

RKS 2025 Travel: Destination Southeast Asia (Short Attention Span Version):16October2025: No Guilt Shopping and Observations on Poverty and Luxury

16October2025: No Guilt Shopping and Observations on Poverty and Luxury I have purposely opted out of the day’s tour itinerary not feeling particularly well and exhausted by all the travelling and a late night yesterday. I miss a cruise on the Chao Phraya River, but I did that last night. Yet more temples. The plenitudeContinue reading “RKS 2025 Travel: Destination Southeast Asia (Short Attention Span Version):16October2025: No Guilt Shopping and Observations on Poverty and Luxury”

RKS 2025 Travel: Destination Southeast Asia (Short Attention Span Version):16October2025: Eastern & Oriental Express Embarrassing Good-Bye and a Brutal Travel Day

16October2025: Eastern & Oriental Express Embarrassing Good-Bye and a Brutal Travel Day A rough jerky night on the train. Feeling a tad better but when you don’t feel up to snuff even a luxurious Pullman Cabin equates to being a sardine in a tin can. No appetite so half a croissant and a sip ofContinue reading “RKS 2025 Travel: Destination Southeast Asia (Short Attention Span Version):16October2025: Eastern & Oriental Express Embarrassing Good-Bye and a Brutal Travel Day”

RKS 2025 Travel: Destination Southeast Asia (Short Attention Span Version):15October2025: Forget That Martini and Gourmet Dinner: I Have the Queasies!

15October2025: Forget That Martini and Gourmet Dinner: I Have the Queasies! Back on the Eastern & Oriental Express hot and steamy. It has been in and out of stultifying heat on Penang Island and then thrust into the chill of air conditioning. It has been plaguing me the entire trip. Why on earth did IContinue reading “RKS 2025 Travel: Destination Southeast Asia (Short Attention Span Version):15October2025: Forget That Martini and Gourmet Dinner: I Have the Queasies!”

RKS 2025 Travel: Destination Southeast Asia (Short Attention Span Version)14October2025: On the Rails Again in Malaysia

14October2025: On the Rails Again in Malaysia Let’s alter that Willie Nelson song a bit and hum “On the Rails Again”. The seasoned jungle explorers reeking of danger and DEET having seen terrifying piles of elephant dung on their jungle trek (actually a ride on a Jeep) return to the safety of the Eastern &Continue reading “RKS 2025 Travel: Destination Southeast Asia (Short Attention Span Version)14October2025: On the Rails Again in Malaysia”

RKS 2025 Travel: Destination Southeast Asia (Short Attention Span Version): 14October2025 Taman Negara National Park in Malaysia

14October2025 Taman Negara National Park in Malaysia Breakfast in our Pullman Cabin is so cramped it is near impossible to eat. Pastries galore and all manner of fruit including dragon fruit and various melon pieces on a skewer sitting atop a bowl of yogurt. A delicious bowl of pork congee for me. I do loveContinue reading “RKS 2025 Travel: Destination Southeast Asia (Short Attention Span Version): 14October2025 Taman Negara National Park in Malaysia”

RKS 2025 Travel: Destination Southeast Asia (Short Attention Span Version): 13October2025: Boarding the Eastern & Oriental Express: Where Veuve Clicquot Flows Like Water but the Big and Tall May Face a Tight Squeeze

13October2025: Boarding the Eastern & Oriental Express: Where Veuve Clicquot Flows Like Water but the Big and Tall May Face a Tight Squeeze Goodbye to the Shangri-La Singapore. No complaints whatsoever about that hotel. On the bus to the Woodlands Train Station bordering Malaysia to board the Eastern and Oriental Express (E&OE). I have preconceivedContinue reading “RKS 2025 Travel: Destination Southeast Asia (Short Attention Span Version): 13October2025: Boarding the Eastern & Oriental Express: Where Veuve Clicquot Flows Like Water but the Big and Tall May Face a Tight Squeeze”

RKS 2025 Travel: Destination Southeast Asia (Short Attention Span Version): Singapore 12October2025:  Exploring Peranakan Heritage

Singapore 12October2025:  Exploring Peranakan Heritage Singapore’s Peranakan heritage refers to the rich and unique culture of the Peranakans, also known as the Straits Chinese. The community has a distinctive heritage combining elements of Chinese, Malay and Indonesian cultures. The term Peranakan refers to the descendants of Chinese immigrants who came to the Malay Archipelago, includingContinue reading “RKS 2025 Travel: Destination Southeast Asia (Short Attention Span Version): Singapore 12October2025:  Exploring Peranakan Heritage”

RKS 2025 Travel: Destination Southeast Asia (Short Attention Span Version):Singapore 11October2025:  Eating With the Toiling Masses of Singapore

Singapore 11October2025:  Eating With the Toiling Masses of Singapore We are staying at the Shangri-La Singapore with five-star victuals. Who wants perpetual five-star food? I asked our tour director for a simpler locale where the toiling masses chow down. So for dinner a short walk down Orchard Street where the hotel is located then turnContinue reading “RKS 2025 Travel: Destination Southeast Asia (Short Attention Span Version):Singapore 11October2025:  Eating With the Toiling Masses of Singapore”

RKS 2025 Travel: Destination Southeast Asia (Short Attention Span Version):Singapore 11October2025: Local Flavour Lunch With a Gringo Touch and Only Two Sodas Per Person!

Singapore 11October2025: Local Flavour Lunch With a Gringo Touch and Only Two Sodas Per Person! The itinerary indicates a “Local Flavour” lunch which is at the tourist centric Red House Seafood restaurant. Our tour guide managed to pick up some real local flavour Singaporean Chicken at the best place for this dish (sort of aContinue reading “RKS 2025 Travel: Destination Southeast Asia (Short Attention Span Version):Singapore 11October2025: Local Flavour Lunch With a Gringo Touch and Only Two Sodas Per Person!”