Cthulhu & I

The Screaming Man

No, I have no idea of who the screaming man on the picture is. That is one of the fun things with going to internet cafes. You can always find someone elses pictures on the computer. The snakes in the backgrounds are Nagas. You can find them in absolutely every temple in Laos and there are a lot of temples.

The best part yet in Laos is the strange Buddha Park outside Vientiane. A madman (he must be!) has built a lot of strange statues, a lying buddha, an evil three level high apple with gaping mouth, an octopus with human head, etc, and placed them in a park. Also, in Luang Prabang they have a purring Tiger in a LARGE cage. It actually had more room than it would have in a western Zoo. Asia never stops to surprise me. The tiger was purring and seemed interested in Mr. Cthulhu who wanted to pet it. I didn't allow him.

Avast ye Cookies!

Somewhere in Thailand, an evil witch must have cast a curse upon me. Bit by bit, I'm turning into Fungus the Boogeyman! Now, the doctor I met with said that it would be cured by ordinary antibiotica, but I'm sure he has put newt eyes and bat vomit inside the pills I got. We will see if they help and at least Mr. Cthulhu has found something to laugh at.

It is official now, my new favourite movie is Shrek 3. The scene with Snowwhite as a howling banshee is one of the greatest I've seen in a long time. Also recommended is the Heroes TV-series. Best is the japanese otaku who makes me laugh every time he appears.

Right now, Mr. Cthulhu & I have just arrived in Laos, Vientieane. Hot and humid here, but I am getting used to it. My nemesis has turned out to be the AC:s of more expensive hotel rooms as they turn the rooms into freezing temperatures. Cheaper rooms with fans are much better.

New reports in swedish can be found here, here and here. Also new episodes of the monkey king here and here.

Diving above water

I'm starting to feel like the Rainmain in Douglas Adams hitchhiker's series. After being followed over China by a stubborn rainweather, I gave up and went to Hong Kong. In just one day, the rain managed to track me down after allready having inflicted me with a nasty cold. Trying to loose the rain, I changed my travel plans and went to Phuket, Thailand. And now the rain is here, albeit somewhat diminished.

Phuket, thouhh, is more inflated than diminished. As the charter tourists have no sense of the price levels in asia, some places can set outrageous prices. As I've seen most of the stuff for sale in other places, it doen't really affect me apart from the beer drinking.

The last week, I've spent doing a rescue diver course, learning basic first aid and how to save someone from under water. It is a great course and should be mandatory for all divers. Mr. Cthulhu has been pissed of by the rain and spends most of the time in our hotel room, watching the 100= movies we bought in Hong Kong. Once he followed me out and was totally drenched in a 30 minute downpour. Myself, I have been starting to translate "Journey to the West" to swedish. It is the story on how Monkey travelled west to fetch some buddhist scriptures. The first two installments can be found here and here.

New report in swedish here. And remember, Hardrock is a handicap nowadays.

Buy a zebra tonight!

Back in Hong Kong, this time with a nasty cold I picked up on my way to Shanghai. As my hotel is close to IKEA, I have been comforting myself with dillchips and Annas pepparkakor.

Earlier today, I found the movie Monkey King on two DVD:s for 5 USD, I and Mr. Cthulhu are gonna watch them tomorrow. I have been uploading a few more pictures in the Japan and China archives. Also new reports on http://motbilder.blogspot.com, among other things on the death of Povel Ramel. I hope he will get a Zebra, wherever he is now.

Bananaphone

Bananaphone.

Temple Fatigue

Having left Harbin already, I'm a bit sorry I missed the swedish reporting in Aftonbladet on the animal parks there. According to the report, it is possible to pay buy a cow that is then let in to the tigers that will promptly shred it to pieces. Other options is buying cats or ducks and send to smaller animals. That would have been nice, as I never got to visit the germ warfare base there (see more in my swedish report on this).

My guide book is 4 years old, which gives me some problems. The reason is that I found a pirate copy of lonely planet in Hong Kong, but lost it in Beijing. After some futile searching in bookstores for a newer copy, I found out that they aren't sold in China. Why not? Because their map suggests that Taiwan is not a part of china. Instead, I managed to buy an old copy of Rough Guide at my hostel.

The problem with Rough Guide is that it is very proud of its reputation of having the clearest maps of all guide books. Because of this, they don't like to clutter down their maps with pointless information such as street names or locations of internet cafes, travel agents or such. This gives me some problem, as the information on buildings is mostly chinese (apart from some misspelled english).

In Chengde, Mr. Cthulhu & I found some great statues of copulating gods that I weren't allowed to photograph. Also, they had a great phallic rock, 20 m high, that supposedly enhances the virility of all citizens. Photos uploaded later.

Now in Danton, where I've been viewing the Hanging Temple and the Yungang Caves. Mr. Cthulhu found a pair of new red shoes that seems to fit ok. He likes to think that they look like monsters, but that I'm a bit more skeptic. Both of us are getting a heap big dose of Temple Fatigue. It is a bit like going around Europe and take a look at every church that exists. Most of them look a like, same kind of ornaments, same kind of statues.

Famous from TV

Forgot to tell you that last week, I was interviewed by Greek television when I was peacefully munching on my 6 inch (15 cm) black scorpion. So sometime in the future, I should be shown in a greek documentary on china.

Otherwise, I've been checking out the dead rodents (or whatever it is) that they sell in the medicine shops here. Have to buy one before I leave.

New photos uploaded in for Japan, Hong Kong and China. New report in swedish added on http://motbilder.blogspot.com.

New reports in swedish

Heap big load of reports available in swedish now on http://motbilder.blogspot.com.

Stairway to Heaven

Some time since my last entry, have been having some trouble with my little palm computer that insists on re-booting all the time. Right now, I'm in Beijing in China and can give the following opinions the food:

• Small scorpions does not taste that bad, are kind of crispy and goes fine with some sugar. The bodies of large scorpions taste like mud though.
• Snake is great meat! I recommend it!
• Lambs dick was not that good, It's nothing I will recommend for anyone. I will try the testicles some other time.

Regarding the tourist attractions:

• The great wall is nice and the summer rodel track down from it is great. Only maybe one third of speed of an ordinary rodel, but with no real protection and an abyss below. Great views if you have time to see them while trying to break before the next curve.
• The tunnels under Beijing, made to accomade a few million people in case of a nuclear war, are cool! Recommeded.
• The shooting rage outside Beijing is bizarre, but safe. Chinese people go their to shoot with machine guns and rifles of every kind. Lots of regulations so no one gets killed though.
• DVD:s are cheap, around 2 USD, and I've never seen such a variety of movies before. Among the movies I've bought are Monsieur Hulots Holiday, Phantom of Paradise, 300, old superman cartoons, Whitnail and I and The Great Rock'n Roll Swindle.

Some strange observations:

• Lonely Planet and Rough Guide books can't be bought in China. They show Taiwan as it's own country and not as part of china and are therefore forbidden.
• Blogs can't be seen from china, but they can be edited, if they don't have their own registered domain name.

Mr. Cthulhu gives his regards. He's pissed of, because no clothing seems to fit him. Will se if I can find something later.

Ninja Training!

Yesterday, I went to Togakushi, outside Nagano, to visit their Ninja-museum while Mr. Cthulhu elected to stay at the hotel, afraid of the possibility of rain. However, the museum was closed and as armed ninjas, hanging in the roof, was guarding it, I went to the nearby Ninja-house instead.

The ninja house was a great place, filled with secret doors and labyrinths. To my eternal shame, I failed to detect one of the cruicial doors, masqueraded as a wall, and had to be helped by a guard. A great place to go, both for adults and kids.

Kanazawa also had an old "ninja-temple", Myoryo-ji, so called because of the many hidden doors and traps. From outside it looks as a two storey building (due to a law from the shogun on maximum levels to build), but inside it is really four levels partitioned into 7 sub-levels! Fantastic architecture, made by a real genius.

Also, Mr. Cthulhu and I have loved the sex museums of Beppo and Uwajima, the one in Uwajima by far the better one, but photographs were prohibited. Check out the snow white display from Beppo in the photo album.

Tomorrow it's back to Tokyo again.