Mr Huttunen, we have moved you from 50C to 5H

There's something very sweet in that sentence when you have 9-hour flight ahead of you. I bet the guy who was on the waiting list is also happy to get the seat 50C.

Mo' what?!?

I took the skytrain to Mo Chit today. The ticket is merely 70 cents and the train is air conditioned and clean. Mo Chit is the station close to Chatuchak weekend market. Luckily it was a cloudy day because it can be intolerably hot in there. You can by anything from there: furniture, clothes, lamps, soap, beer and squirrels. You can also see fighting cocks. I must say that the animals are not treated very nicely there. I would also assume that cock fighting would be illegal but apparently it isn't.

SIM or not SIM

For many years I managed with my corporate Sonera SIM-card. Eventually I noticed that the Internet access at the hotels costs too much. If you buy a flat-rate SIM with unlimited internet-access, you will save a lot of money. As I checked in to Amari Watergate, the receptionist asked if I want to take the Internet as well. The Internet Access would've have cost tens of dollars for the week. I bought a prepaid SIM for 6 euros a week with unlimited access. It's EDGE but still it's cheaper than the hotel's deal. I think it's aboout time that the hotels will have a look at the prices the mobile operators are charging. This is the second place where the mobile, wireless access, is cheaper than the WiFi access in the hotel room. If you happen to be in Bangkok, I recommend .DTAC SIM card with around 6 euros/week for unlimited Internet access over EDGE.

Bangkok Rain, Mekong?!?

I listened to the The Cult's Bangkok Rain and The Refreshments' Mekong on the way here. "Bangkok's rain keeps on falling down" or "Bangkok's pissing rain" which one's closer? At this time of the year it rains, at least once a day. Every guide book from Bangkok shows a picture of the Floating Market . However, the guide book I bought from Akateeminen Kirjakauppa tells that the floating markets in Bangkok are not as "good" as the floating market 100 kms outside of Bangkok... I have been here many times but I have never visited the Floating Market. Apparently all pictures of the floating market have been taken on Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. Tomorrow I will go to the weekend market J.J or Chatuchak market. I have been there before, but I'd like to see the inhuman animal market again... Maybe on Monday I will take a taxi to the Floating Market.
I haven't been to Far East Asia for a long time. After I landed I noticed that this is one of my favourite places. The food doesn't cost anything and it's delicious. Today I ate twice and both dishes cost less than 3 euros and both dishes were delicicous.
I have been here at least 5 times. 2 times I stayed in Siam City Hotel. Not bad. The best thing about Siam City is that it's close to the MTR station. So it's easy to get everywhere. I have also stayed in Amari Watergate Hotel. The best thing about Amari Watergate is that it's close to Pantip Plaza. It's a little bit futher away from the WTR but still within a walking distance. However it's practically on top of the Pratunam Market so if you're into cheap clothing, this is the place to stay. 50 euros/night is not much for a luxury hotel.
So tomorrow I will go to Chatuchak and on Monday to Floating market. How much do you think that a taxi to Floating market will cost?

Good cab, bad cab

Hotel Sheraton near Leblon and Ipanema is a little bit better location than Intercontinental in Sao Conrado. It's not perfect but OK. But they charge amazing 14 euros a day for the internet access. Nowadays Internet access should be a complimentary service as it doesn't cost much to the hotel to provide. I have actually quite nice view towards Ipanema, but also a view to the Vidigal favela. Actually, it is quite pretty, at night and from afar.
On Sunday I walked from the hotel to the end of Copacabana and back. About 15 kilometers and it started raining in the end. Having a chopp or two every couple of kilometers. At Copacabana, I saw a tattoo gone bad. A surfer had a tattoo in his back which said Ocean Therpy. "A" had been added later but of course it was smaller than other letters because it wouldn't have fit otherwise. Rule number 1: Do not take a tattoo from a guy who doesn't know English. Rule number 2: Don't take a tattoo on you back because you cannot check the spelling yourself, until it's too late.
Each day I take a taxi to Barra de Tijuca. From Barra back to the hotel, the taxis always use the meter and the price is about 30 reals. The morning is a different story. I hear explanations how the taxis wait here by the hotel many hours before they get a ride. Or how it takes such a long time to drive back to the hotel from Barra. That's why I should pay 40 reals. This morning I was tired of working late last night and I said to one of the drivers that I don't care how long do you have to wait for a client or how big is the traffic jam from Barra to the city. I will pay for the ride to Barra and nothing else. I also said that I could also take the hotel driver. The taxi guy said that it would cost 60 reals. That's true, but I am not paying the ride myself so I don't care. At least the hotel cars have safety belts and suspension. However, I managed to get the price down to 35 reals. I wouldn't care but they think I'm a tourist and that the more they screw them the better. In Barra, my driver said that he can take me there tomorrow also with 35 reals. Even this is too much, but this guys is being honest and not inventing stories how difficult it is to get back. It's their job for God's sake.
Let's see how many Brazilian escort service google ads this blog entry will get.