{"id":6194,"date":"2014-05-13T14:06:44","date_gmt":"2014-05-13T08:21:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/?p=6194"},"modified":"2014-05-13T14:37:10","modified_gmt":"2014-05-13T08:52:10","slug":"ktm-for-the-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durianapocalypse.net\/travel\/2014\/05\/13\/ktm-for-the-win\/","title":{"rendered":"KTM For The Win"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chiang Mai: Lychee capital (so far as I’m aware) of the Universe. Unfortunately, Monsoon is late in arriving, and so it’s unspeakably hot right now. Hotter even that it was in Bangkok. (At time of writing – about 2:00 in the PM — Wunderground reports that it’s 105\u00b0, and that it feels like 118\u00b0. On the plus-side, there was a massive<\/em> — if somewhat brief — thunderstorm last night, with more scheduled for the next few days.)<\/p>\n

This means that, while e.g. Lychees and Durian are easily available<\/em>, they’re not as inexpensive, nor as tasty, as they ought to be for this time of year. Coconuts are even the worse: difficult to find, and far too expensive when you do. Mangoes, on the other hand, love the heat. So they’re available for sale any- and every-where, and are dirt cheap, and oh so unimaginably delish. Not for the first time, my allegiance to the almighty Durian is this week receiving a stern test at the hands of the Thai Mango. Watermelons, too, love the heat. They’re almost<\/em> on par with those available in the States in the Summer (in other words, far the best\/most consistent Southeast Asian Watermelons I’ve yet experienced).<\/p>\n

It also means: no hiking in the hills west of town — as I’d had in the back of my mind to do – until the weather breaks. Instead, getting up early in the morning — when it’s a nice, cool eighty degrees out – to get some exercise in before the scorching sets in. That’s the best time to visit the markets anyway.<\/p>\n

To-day, Tuesday, is the day of the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and death (i.e., all three events are reputed to have occurred on the same date — which is considered to be a goddam miracle). Out of respect, alcohol cannot be purchased in Thailand on this day.<\/p>\n

\u2022<\/p>\n

So, Kathmandu.<\/p>\n

The tourist district of Thamel is apparently the most heavily backpacker-infested such zone outside of Bangkok’s Khao San Road. It’s awash in Money Changers, Restaurants, Music Shoppes, Trekking Gear Shoppes, and Arts\/Crafts\/Clothing Shoppes; as well as thick clouds of street-hawkers and taxi- and rickshaw-drivers.<\/p>\n

The latter double as dope-peddlers, though they’re very uncreative in their marketing: their only<\/em> intro line – and one will encounter this dozens of times per day – is, “You need something?” That’s often followed up with, “Very good quality!”<\/p>\n

Once, I did have a guy take a different approach:<\/p>\n

Him:<\/strong> Excuse me, sir. Do you remember me?<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> No, I don’t think so.<\/p>\n

Him:<\/strong> You were\u2026you need some hashish!<\/p>\n

Me [Laughing]:<\/strong> No, I don’t<\/em> need any hashish.<\/p>\n

In re the Music Shoppes, some of them have Marley or Hendrix bumping. But the vast majority play this<\/em> on an endless, endless 24\/7 loop.<\/p>\n