Don't forget your toothbrush, tunes and fully functional minature Japanese road bike

Bare essentials

Ok, we need to share this with you. One of the, by far, most bizarre thing we've encountered on our trip so far. We would have loved to show a photo of the actual sight, but we didn't have a camera at the time to capture this gem of a Kodak moment. Hence words will have to do.

The night before we left Langkawi island to cross the border into Thailand, we were packing up our stuff. Since we shared a rather tight room with another traveller, and the bathroom was occupied, Sami decided to go outside for a quick late night bathroom break.

On his way back to the room, casually strolling past the length of the hostel, he walked past the end room, facing the beach. The door was open.

Get this. Inside the room a grungy looking, long-haired Japanese man in a bright pink thong (nothing else) was sitting on the bed, reading. Door wide open, as if to invite passers-by to stumble upon him, in all his unashamed late night glory.

On the floor he had his stereo, pumping out loud hard core techno. It wasn't an iPod with speakers or one of those travel friendly medium sized portable stereos. But a proper giant three piece stereo, with thick wires and stuff, like you'd see in a bachelor pad.

As if that wasn't wacky crazy enough, our eccentric Japanese thong wearer had, next to the door, a frickin motorcycle. Yes, a fully operational miniature Japanese road bike. Probably 2 foot high, 3 foot long and 1 foot wide. Not something he'd rented locally, but something he was clearly travelling around with, on his eclectic thongy escapades. Next to the bed there was a large Sampsonite, possibly large enough to hold the bike, and parts of the stereo, within.

Now, we're not ones to pass quick judgements. But as we, for the last 2 months or more, have been scrupulously rationalising what to carry with us and what not to carry with us. To the point of lengthy deliberations about whether to forfeit an extra two ounces of weight, for the benefit of a few more pairs of underpants.

And then to come upon this hairy man, so clearly unconcerned about extra weight that he travels with his entire living room stereo and favourite miniature motorcycle!? Jeez, dude. What gives. Respect to you, oh grungy wacky Japanese man. Don't follow the herd.

Guess when all you wear is a thong, then you have room in your luggage for those little extras.