Asia

Asia sticks to you. The joss sticks lit for the household shrines in Thailand impart a sweet perfume to the thick air. The heavenly aroma of Indian spices follows you for days.
This is a spiritual place infused with the gods of past and present: the ancient spirits of the land and the family, the deities of Buddhism and Hinduism and the rules of Islam. Architectural wonders and sacred spaces abound from the Great Wall of China and the temples of Angkor to lesser known marvels in Myanmar, Nepal and Afghanistan.From sublime coastlines to snow capped mountains, rolling landscapes fed by the monsoon rains and frenetic cities fizzling with energy, Asia’s landscapes are mind-boggling diverse. As are their highlights from trekking Malaysia’s steamy jungles and wildlife spotting in southern India to riding horses through the Mongolian steppes, skiing Japan’s Alps and dodging falling coconuts on of the continents many remote islands.

Then there’s the food. Tuck into fiery Indian curries, get adventurous with a local dish from a road side stall and gulp down a hearty bowl of Japanese ramen. With its colours, smells, flavours and personalities, you’ll find Asia is deliciously rewarding.

Warnings or Dangers

The danger is not for the tourist - but rather for the animal. Elephant trekking is the latest "big thing" in the area - and unfortunately this means that the market has not really settled down yet. Operators are supposed to be licenced, and many are humane and perfectly acceptable in their treatment of these beautiful beasts. Some operators are however less mindful of elephants needs and are there to pick up as much as they can from this latest 'cash cow' .

Operators change all the time - so it is difficult to give advice, but the following tips may helps (taken from www.phuket-guide.net)

1) Avoid elephant operations that allow the Mahouts (elephant keeper) to use the dreaded metal hook to control the animal. This device is cruel and unnecessary for a well trained and happy elephant, but are legal in Thailand and are frequently used.

2) The dawn to dusk regime of many elephant camps is unhealthy for the animals. Adult elephants need to graze for 8 to 10 hours a day. Elephants are forest animals and do not like being in the direct sunlight. Avoid camps that have the animals staked outside in the sun all day.

3) Elephants are nervous around automobiles, and loud noises, and they do not eat properly when in this type of environment. Many of the roadside elephant camps are offering little more than a 'photo opportunity' of you while riding atop an elephant, before it plods slowly down a well worn path for your ten minute elephant trek. If it looks like a fly-by-night operation it probably is one. Avoid the elephant camps that appear to have just opened yesterday.




Local Customs

It may not be possible to learn every Asian language just before your trip. But learning a word or two can endear your local host or warm up the local people you meet.

How about saying "Thank you" and then the local equivalent, eg "Thank you, arigato" when in Japan or "Thank you, xie xie" when in China or Taiwan.

Here is a list for you.

When in Malaysia, Brunei or Indonesia,
"Thank you, terima kasih" (third-read-mar car-say)

When in Singapore,
"Thank you, thanks lah" (adding the "lah" makes it Singlish)

When in Thailand,
"Thank you, khorb khun" (cop croon)

When in Cambodia,
"Thank you, awh khon (owl croon)

When in Vietnam,
"Thank you, cam on (come earn)

When in Hong Kong or Macao,
"Thank you, do je" (door jack)

When in China or Taiwan,
"Thank you, xie xie" (see-eh see-eh)

When in South Korea,
"Thank you, kamsa hamnida" (come-suck-harm-knee-dark)

When in Japan,
"Thank you, arigato" (are-rid-guard-toe)

When in Nepal,
"Thank you, dhanyabaad" (done-yah-but)

It does not matter if you mispronounce. It will create laughter and perhaps a conversation on how to say it right. Have fun, thank you.

Restaurants

After reading many "horror" stories of stomach upset from drinking water in Nepal, I was literally on a coke drinking diet in Katmandu. Of course, it just made me more thirsty.

At Angkor Wat , under the hot sun, you can buy two cans of coke for a US dollar sold by young children who can speak fluent English and Japanese phrases.

Coca Cola and other major American soda company have become a standard item in most Asian countries. As it is potent itself enough to "kill off" some bacteria, it is a safe drink straight from the can or bottle.

Ensuring clean and boiled water is important when visiting the more isolated parts of Asia. Ice cubes if not well prepared can be a trouble maker. So play it safe and drink coke or pepsi or kickapoo.