Currency exchange advise

This is the last blog of my trip. I want to share the "policy" of accepting traveler's check or cash in the countries I visited.

• Dubai: there were 6 money changers in "City Center" mall, Dubai, and two banks near my hotel. None accepted traveler's check. I learn that traveler's check is not widely accepted in Dubai.
• Sydney: I did not exchange any cash or traveler's check. Instead, I withdrawn money from WestPac ATM, one of Bank of America's alliance. The fee or commission is zero.
• Bangkok: the exchange rates between money changers in the airport and downtown do not differ so much. Bank charges $1 commission for cashing a traveler's check.
• Bali: money changers are everywhere. Shop around for the best rate. Avoid the one with too-good-to-be-true exchange rate. They do not disclose the commission on the board. You just realize it when they hand out the money and something is missing. Remember Indonesian money changers or banks are very picky with the condition of the banknote. If the money is old and dirty, the value is less, or even they do not want it.
• Malaysia: money changers accept cash only. For traveler's check, go to the bank. Maybank charges MYR 10 (about $3) commission for every traveler's check transaction. Cash is preferable in Malaysia.
• Singapore: the rate for traveler's check is slightly lower than cash. For example, I get SGD 124 for USD 100 traveler's check, instead of SGD 126 for USD 100 cash.

$10 fee to see a flower

I can get an MYR 6 (USD 2) meal in Malaysia, but to see a flower I have to pay MYR 30 (about USD 10). What so special with the flower? It turns out it is the largest parasitic flower in the world that blooms within 7 days only. It is Rafflessia, named after the British governor who found it in 1800. The 56-cm wide flower (2 feet) was securely fenced and I can see it about 9 feet away. The owner of the land charges MYR 30 for the entrance. Wikipedia article of Rafflessia is here.

Finding Nemo in Borneo

I'm not in the Great Barrier Reef to find Nemo. I'm in Borneo, the second largest island in the world. The temperature is 80 F, slightly cooler than Bali. It was a mix of excitement, eerie, and nervous to discover scuba diving for the first time. I had difficulty equalizing my ear pressure under the water. Look at the photo of Nemo here. I posted the best photos from my Canon PowerShot D10 .

 

Ketut Liyer Fortune Teller

A trip to Bali is not complete without a visit to Ketut Liyer Fortune Teller. Liyers read Julia Roberts' palm in Eat, Pray, Love. Since then, his consultation rate jumps to 3 times more (USD 25 each consultation).

 

Here are excerpts from The Jakarta Post article:

Liyer began by asking his patients' names in English, and was seen observing the shape of their ears, eyebrows, noses, lips and cheeks.

"Oh, your ears and eyebrows are beautiful. Your lips are as sweet as sugar," he said.

 

Liyer then read people's palms, explaining to people the differences between marriage lines and love lines and predicting the number of children they would have. He then moved to inspect shoulders, backs, calves and legs. Liyer began by asking his patients' names in English, and was seen observing the shape of their ears, eyebrows, noses, lips and cheeks.

 

"I bring three to five tourists every day. Some even book from overseas, asking to be taken here," travel agent Komang Putra said. "They are curious about Ketut Liyer after seeing the movie. They want him to tell them their love lives. And most of them said they were happy after meeting the fortune-teller."

Photos of Balinese Tropical Fruit

Just ask if you do not recognize any fruit in the photos. The thorny one is durian. The purple mangosteem is not in the season and very expensive, $1 for each small fruit.

 

Boat wreck snorkel in Bali

I bought Canon PowerShot D10 camera for this trip. Canon says "The Camera Tough Enough for Your Next Adventure". It is shockproof, freezeproof, waterproof without plastic shell and can be used until 10 meters under water. The photos are pretty good for a point-and-shoot camera. The coral reef was not as spectacular as Pulau Redang Malaysia that I visited 6 years ago. It may be caused by coral bleaching (dying coral), a sign of global warming. The Japanese boat in the photo was sunk after being hit by Dutch naval craft during the invasion of Bali in World War II.

Food Photos from Cabbages and Condoms, Bangkok

"Our food is guaranteed not to cause pregnancy"

 

Cabbages and Condoms is an odd name for a restaurant. But the food is really good. Everyone gets free a condom after dinner. For its history, read here or here.

 

Three dollars Drunken Noodle

Drunken noodle is THB 80 (about USD 3) at a higher class restaurant, not a food center. At breakfast, a guest from New York told me that he just visited Laos (it is a name of neighboring country, in case your geography is not good). He paid LAK 16,000 for a massage. The exchange rate is USD 1 equals to LAK 10,000. The massage is cheaper than my food!
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One Dollar Pat Thai

Food is so affordable in Bangkok. I stopped by the food court in near Vimanmek Teakwood Mansion Museum in Bangkok. I ordered Pat Thai (a noodle dish) for only THB 30 (USD 1 = THB 30.41; THB = Thai Baht). The noodle was made in front of me. Very fresh. See the photo.

Native Australian Animals

It is interesting to know that Australia was isolated from the rest of the world hundred millions years ago. Such isolation produced unique animals that cannot be found anywhere else. Today I visited Tarango Zoo to see them.

• Koalas eating the fresh tips of eucalyptus leaves
• Female kangaroo exposing its belly pouch (where the baby stays)
• Large kasuari bird
• Tasmanian devil sniffing around (the dead body was a dummy kangaroo)

Last dinner in Sydney

Year 2011 is the year of rabbit. Let's eat the rabbit, like I did today for dinner. It was Macleay Valley rabbit braised in balsamic with fregola (a type of pasta), pecorino (Italian cheese), rosemary and marjoram. It tasted like chicken, but it had "mammals" taste, not bird taste. The sauce was so overwhelming that I could not recognize the meat.

Trip to Manly beach

I took a ferry to Manly beach today, about 30 minutes north east of Sydney. All of sudden the dark clouds covered the sky and it rained. The temperature turned to 70, not really perfect for beach. A short walk from Manly beach was Shelly beach, famous for snorkeling. I stepped my feet into the water. Bbrr... Too cold. I wished I had come to Shelly beach yesterday when the temperature was the hottest.

Breathtaking view from Sydney Harbour Bridge

I was out of breath when taking this breathtaking photo of the Opera House and Circular Quay from the bridge. Outside temperature was 109 F and I had to climb hundreds of stairs to the top of the walkway of Sydney Harbour Bridge. Notice the shadow to the bridge on the bay. I also realized I left my Canon 250-mm zoom lens at home!

Sydney Bridge and Opera House

Sydney reminds me of Vancouver, Canada. It is beastly hot today! (34 C or approximately 95 F). Not sure why everything is so expensive. A bottle of Coke is $3.50. A doughnut is $2.50.

 

Burj Al Arab photos

The Dubai City Tour brought me to the Jumeirah Souk (Jumeirah "Market"). The build in white is Burj Al Arab.

 

Burj Al Arab is the hotel that claims the most luxurious 7-star in the world. Expedia.com shows one night stay at Burj Al Arab costs $1,900. I reserved a dinner with friends at Al Iwan Arabic restaurant so I had the opportunities to enter and explore the hotel. Simple drinks like margarita costs $25.

Too hot at the bus stop

Is Dubai the first country in the world to have an air-conditioned bus stop?

Arabinized American Food

Have you ever heard the term Americanized Chinese food? The Chinese food is modified so much to the local taste in America until it is not Chinese anymore. The same thing was practiced in Dubai. Hot dogs and hamburgers, and pizzas -- typical American 'junk' food -- are localized in Arabic way. It is called Arabinized American food. Look at the menus in this blog.

Desert Safari – Dubai – U.A.E.

Desert safari tour:

• Ride a camel (the line was so long that each person can ride only for 5 minutes).
• BBQ dinner
• Belly dance
  

Entertainment system

ICE (Information Communication Entertainment) is an advanced in-flight entertainment system in the Emirates A380. Hundreds of movies, Hollywood classics, cartoons, sitcoms, talk shows, and music of any genre can be enjoyed from 10" personal touch screen. USB jack and AC outlet are in front of you to charge your gadgets or photos, and PDF documents in a flash drive. See the screenshots from the front and downward cameras.
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