I eventually spoke to the Indian Visa Centre in Kuala Lumpur, and it
appeared foreigners could apply in Malaysia. My annoyance with the
whole saga was that I stayed at Peter’s on the outskirts of Kuala
Lumpur and could easily have applied there. But no, I had ants in my
pants and wanted to get going.
I phoned Kuala Lumpur to make 100% sure and, this time, the
answer was, “You can apply but have a 50/50 chance.” I didn’t quite
understand this either, as I assumed the answer would be a simple
“Yes” or “No.” However, the Indian embassy in Myanmar was more
helpful and confirmed one could apply in Yangon. This suited me
perfectly, as I was heading to Myanmar anyway.
It’s no secret I love Bangkok. I love it for a variety of reasons. Where
else in the world can one board a water taxi and a few minutes later
a modern Skytrain which will drop you right in the buzzing CBD? A
walk around the corner of these modern skyscrapers will bring you to
where people live in askew homes upon stilts over the water, right in
the heart of the city centre. Even in these modern times, the river
remains the city’s heartbeat and a place where tugboats, barges,
river taxis and longtail boats all jostle for position.
Old temples sit snugly amidst modern architecture, and old wooden
structures cling desperately to rotting stilts. So, I smiled when I saw
longtail boats plying the waters, on the hunt for the unsuspecting
tourist. Add the weird, wonderful, pierced, dreadlocked, and tattooed
farangs, and I could easily linger awhile.