posted on Wednesday, December 24, 2008
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I recently learnt that there is only one type of tea leaf. All varieties of tea come from a single type of plant. What allows for the hundreds of varieties you see at the supermarket is simply growing conditions and preparation methods.
Coffee is more varied but not by much: there are only two types of plants that yield the coffee bean. If you put together the list of beans used by big chains like Starbucks and Costas it would probably run into the hundreds, let alone if you included ...
posted on Wednesday, December 24, 2008
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It's not easy to admit when you've been conned, your own weaknesses used against you. That's what happened to me in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, by the manager of the guesthouse I was staying at.
It's annoying because everyone else in Mayalsia has been really nice. This guy, who also seemed really nice, got chatting with me, got me to drink, then suggested we go see some of the other people staying at the guesthouse who, apparently, told him they were going to this pub.
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posted on Thursday, December 11, 2008
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The crossing into Malaysia was uneventful except for one notable incident. Someone tried to con me! Twice! This happened quite unexpectantly in a stopover travel agent in Surat Thani.
After a boat and then a bus ride I was dropped off at the same travel agent I have now visited three times. Behind the desk is a surly, bad-tempered women whose only job seems to be to exchange travellers' printed tickets for little bits of sticky paper telling you where you're going. (Well, if that was ...
posted on Thursday, December 11, 2008
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Ko Pha Nang is best known for its full moon parties but many of the people I have spoken to tell me it's actually a very beautiful island as well, with great jungles and beaches. My plan was to try and confirm this by travelling to the less visited north of the island and only heading south on the full moon night.
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