On Kurt Cobain's Death: Suicide or Murder?

Kurt Cobain

It's been 20 years since the death of Grunge rock icon Kurt Cobain but I still can't wrap my head around the conspiracies behind his untimely demise. Years passed I just came to accept that he must've just really killed himself because he can no longer handle being famous...so be it. 

I was in sophomore high school when I started playing the guitar and became a fan of Nirvana. I still recall that their three-chord pattern song All Apologies as one of the few songs I learned to strum on my guitar, it was simply melodious and the lyrics may not make any sense but for teenage souls trying to find their place in this world it was something extraordinary, a piece of poetry.  Hence, I fell in love with this band, with Kurt Cobain. I'm not ashamed to admit that up to this time, Kurt Cobain is still one of my ultimate celebrity crushes. Funny how it seems, while my generation of teens is growing up listening to pop, hip hop or r&b, I suddenly became fascinated with classic rock and began listening to the likes of Led Zeppelin, ACDC, Rolling Stones, Metallica, Ramones, etc. I've always wanted to be different not to catch attention but because I'm happy with being myself. My dad is not a big fan of rock & roll so whenever I play rock music from my brother's tape collection, he'll say that all he can hear is noise so he'll turn the volume down but I'll turn it up again when he's no longer around. But compared to other teens my age, I was never rebellious. Whenever I feel angry or when I'm confused I find solace in rock music, it sort of has this calming effect on me. Teenage life has its ups and downs and maybe at one point or another, we all wanted to be just like Kurt Cobain, just not brave enough like him.  

Born Kurt Donald Cobain on February 20, 1967, in Aberdeen, Washington, he was just like any normal kid who enjoyed all the attention from his loving family until his parents' divorce takes its toll on him. Cobain's parents separated when he was only 9 years old, his mother stayed in Aberdeen with his sister while he stayed with his father and moved to Montesano, WA. His mother found a new partner so he made his father swore to him not to re-marry but eventually broke his promise that left him even more devastated. He moved from one place to another and turned to drugs and alcohol until he found an outlet to express his feelings through music. Cobain together with Krist Novoselic formed their band Nirvana in 1987, they went through a succession of drummers until Dave Grohl joined in  1990. Nirvana became one of the most popular rock bands during the late 80's up until Cobain's death in 1994. The rock & roll scene mourned the death of a truly great artist. He will be missed. I was heartbroken.

After 23 years, Cobain is still one of the most unforgettable artists that ever lived. If he was alive today he would've been 50 years old. My love for Nirvana and their music is unwavering, their album Unplugged in New York is in my Spotify playlist and still play it whenever I feel like remembering Kurt Cobain. Just recently while I was looking for something interesting to watch on Youtube, I came across the trailer of Kurt Cobain's documentary film Cobain: Montage of Heck. While glued to this video, more videos relating to Cobain's suicide and death started coming up. I found myself becoming slowly obsessed with Cobain's death. Clearly, his death remained questionable but how come nobody re-opened the investigation? Cobaincase.com recount the lies and inconsistencies surrounding his death. Another video entitled Who Killed Kurt Cobain Documentary, laid down facts that Cobain is not suicidal and have no intention of killing himself but his plans to divorce Courtney Love is a strong motive for her to plot his murder.  I was like, wtf? After all these years Courtney Love moved on with her life and their daughter Frances Bean grew up without her father and what happened to the possibility of foul play in his death? Cobain was merely a misunderstood young boy who grew up wanting to have another chance in life, unfortunately, it was ended prematurely by some lunatic woman who happened to be his wife. I feel sorry for him, he was used and left alone to die. 

His last words were: It's better to burn than fade away. I'm still hopeful that one day the truth will come out. Kurt Cobain may have been free from physical pain but as long as the truth remains in the dark, he will never be free.

Nirvana
Is never, nevermind 

All apologies

The truth is out there

- for Kurt -

Vlog Up: Backpacking Thailand

Here's the video blog of my birthday holiday in Thailand. We visited 2 cities: Pattaya and Bangkok. 

Enjoy. 

There's another version of this which is shorter and without the voice over. Here's v2.0.

If you like these videos, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe.


Khorb Khun (Thank you in Thai).

Backpacking Thailand

Formerly known as Siam (Sayam), Thailand's tropical beaches are a popular destination for tourists. I have always admired Thailand's rich culture and stunning architecture that is why my sister and I decided that this country would be perfect to spend our birthday getaway this year. Backpacking is a convenient way to travel on a budget but compared to other backpackers, we prefer comfort and would not mind spending a little bit more on hotels and transportation and spend less on other things like food, tickets souvenirs, etc.


Cebu Pacific bound to Bangkok (BKK)

Bangkok flights are usually at night. Our plane is scheduled to depart Manila at 9:40 PM but it was delayed for an hour and a half. I don't know why Bangkok flights are delayed for the most part. Whenever we travel there's always a delayed flight going to Bangkok that is why we are not surprised when it happened to us. Thailand is an hour behind from Manila and the travel time is 3 hours and a half from Manila. We left NAIA past 10pm and arrived at Suvarnabhumi International (BKK) Airport past 1am on April 26 (which is past 2am in Manila).

Excited

Boarded

We decided to stay in Pattaya first and traveled an hour and a half from Bangkok. Here is our 6D/5N itinerary in Pattaya and Bangkok, Thailand:


Day 1
April 25, 2017

Depart Manila to Bangkok (9:40pm flight via Cebu Pacific)


Day 2
April 26

Airport to Pattaya hotel, The Corner Lodge
Rest
Brunch
Sightseeing at: Art In Paradise, Mini Siam, Buddha Hill & Ripley's Believe It Or Not
Rest & dinner at the hotel


Day 3
April 27 - Happy Birthday to us

Breakfast
Day tour: Sanctuary of Truth, Pattaya Floating Market & Nong Nooch Garden
End of tour
Rest and dinner at the hotel


Day 4
April 28

Breakfast
Check out from hotel at 12nn
Transfer to Bangkok via Cherry Taxi
Check in at Siam Place Airport Hotel
Rest


Day 5
April 29

Breakfast
Temple hopping: Wat Arun & Wat Pho
Hello Kitty Bangkok House at Siam Square
Back at hotel


Day 6
April 30

Breakfast
Rest
Check out from hotel at 8:30pm
Taxi to Suvarnabhumi International Airport
Flight back to Manila at 12:40am (May 1, 2017)



My sister booked us a taxi (in advance) that will take us to our hotel in Pattaya. Since we arrived late at BKK we thought our driver from PT Taxi must've left us already we're thankful that he waited patiently. We're supposed to meet him at Exit 3 of the Arrival area but he probably left for a while looking for us until I finally saw what looks like my sister's name, just misspelled. We took a nap in the car on our way to Pattaya. We only traveled an hour and a half but it seemed like the longest ride of our lives. We paid the driver 1000 baht upon arrival at the hotel.

The Corner Lodge, where we stayed in Pattaya

It's past 3am when we arrived at the Corner Lodge. We thought there's no one at the reception desk but I'm glad it looks like they are expecting us anytime. The lady receptionist asked for our names and a 500 baht (refundable) security deposit since it's paid ahead via Agoda.com. She handed us our room key and wifi password then we settled in our room. There's a lift at this hotel so we didn't need help with our trolley bags. It's a fairly new hotel, it's nice and clean. Our room was on the 7th floor we liked it a lot because we prefer the top floor. There's one large bed, a microwave, and a full fridge. There's also a retractable drying rack at the veranda if we need to do some laundry in case we run out of clothes to wear, we intentionally packed light so there's more room for new clothes and souvenirs. We slept a little over 4 hours, showered, then ate our first brunch at the eatery just across our hotel before we started our own tour. The weather is very hot in Thailand it's almost unbearable. There are way too many nice places to go to in Pattaya like the beach but we decided to skip that and just go to artsy places instead. One month prior to our trip I did a lot of research on places where we want to go to Pattaya which made our trip easier. We prefer to create our own itinerary and customize our tour instead of booking a tour with a travel agency simply because we are more comfortable traveling on our own instead of joining group tours so we can manage our time wisely. During our first day, I noticed that there are no taxis in the area of our hotel even if we walked a little farther but there are lots of convenience stores everywhere especially 7eleven and Family Mart. We bought a local sim when Globe's roaming service did not work on both our phones (sucks), but that's another story. We went back to our hotel when we realized that it is impossible to get a taxi so we just paid a shuttle for 50 baht to take us to our first destination which is Art In Paradise.

Art In Paradise
A3D art museum in Chonburi

Art in Paradise is Thailand's first 3D imaging or live art museum. They have locations in Bangkok and Chiangmai too. We thought that this attraction is the closest to our hotel in Chonburi that's why we decided to go there first. Ticket price is around 400 baht for adult foreigners and it's required to deposit your shoes before entering the museum. We loved the 3D experience, we enjoyed taking pictures and had so much fun it's definitely one for the books. Getting around Pattaya is quite a challenge because metered taxis do not use their meter especially for tourists. Taxi drivers usually set a price and you have to haggle unfortunately for us, we always end up saying yes because we just want to go to where we want to go. Our next stop is Mini Siam, a famous miniature park also in Chonburi but a little farther out. We're looking to get a cheap ride we tried riding a motorcycle for 160  baht (80 baht each) which is rather scary but quite an adventure for us because we never ride motorcycles back home even with helmets on we swore never to do that ever again. Nevertheless, we arrived in Mini Siam safe and sound. Inside Mini Siam feels like you have traveled the world in one day. The miniatures are exact replicas of famous tourist spots in the world. Families with kids will truly enjoy strolling this park. There is an onsite restaurant as well. Transportation is not a problem because there are taxis in the area.

Mini Siam
 A famous miniature park attraction in Pattaya

Wat Phra Yai Temple a.k.a. Buddha Hill
A Buddhist temple on Ko Phan

From Mini Siam, we rode a taxi for 200 baht to get to Buddha Hill a.k.a Wat Phra Yai Temple. Entry to this temple is free but beware of photographers who take stolen shots of tourists then sell you your photo as a souvenir for 100 baht. Before leaving the temple we met a tour driver who offered us a day tour for the next day. He showed us a catalog of tourist attractions where we can go but we told him that we already have a list of places where we want to go. We agreed at 700 baht for a day tour and gave him information about our hotel so he can pick us up the following day. He drove us to Ripley's Believe It or Not located at the Royal Garden Plaza. While looking for Ripley's inside this Plaza, we saw a shop that sells Thai soaps where we bought 3 soaps for 90 baht as souvenirs. Fruit and flower soaps are everywhere in Thailand. Ripley's website recommends to buy a ticket online at least a day in advance but we took our chances and decided to just go there only to find out that it actually cost more. Online price for Louis Tussaud's Waxworks is 500 baht but the walk-in price is 589 and that's quite a difference. They also offer discounted prices online like pick 2 for the price of 600 baht. Despite the hefty ticket price, we gave it a go because we didn't want to miss the chance to see these famous celebrities, well at least their wax figures lol. Across the plaza, there's 7eleven where we bought food for dinner before we rode a taxi. The driver offered us 300 baht to take us back to our hotel and FYI, metered taxis do not use their meter at all in Pattaya especially for tourists. 

Ripley's Louis Tussaud's Wax Works
Located at the 3rd level of Garden Plaza Mall

We spent our second day which is our birthday in Pattaya going to more attractions and buying souvenirs. The driver picked us up at the hotel at 9am. First, we went to Sanctuary of Truth, a religious construction made entirely of wood. We paid the 500 baht entrance fee for adults but if you book online it is discounted at 450. Before entering the wooden building they provide hard hats that must be worn at all times for safety. The hand-carved wooden structures depict Khmer architecture it reminded me of the images carved on temples in Cambodia when we went there in 2013. It's amazing how intricately made these structures are.  Just like in Buddha Hill, there are photographers or shall I call them paparazzi too who will take stolen shots of tourists so don't be surprised if someone will approach you to buy your picture as a souvenir before you leave. To be honest, I think it's kinda odd to have your picture taken by a stranger without your permission and have your photo displayed afterward, I'm not sure I like that idea. Before heading to Pattaya Floating Market we asked our driver where we can buy souvenirs and much to our surprise when we stopped by a place called Gems Discovery. There is no entrance fee and there's a tour of how their pieces of jewelry are made but we're not really interested in buying jewelry we bought something else like keychains and soaps instead. We met Filipino folks who assisted us while shopping for souvenirs they're just happy to see fellow Pinoys in Thailand we even had our pictures taken with them.

Sanctuary of Truth
A religious construction in Pattaya expected to be done by 2050

Gems Discovery
A gem factory, shop, and museum

Upon arrival at Pattaya Floating Market our tour driver asked us if we want to ride the boat for 800 baht each we thought it wouldn't be necessary so we just paid the entrance fee of 200 baht each. We arrived almost lunchtime that's why it's kinda crowded already. There are lots of souvenir shops, fruits stalls, eateries and art galleries we got really excited. It's no surprise that there's an atm machine there too in case you run out of cash there's just way too many stuff to buy. We had lunch while Indian sitting in one of the eateries by the river it was quite an experience dining like a local. We also tried customized fried ice cream.

Pattaya Floating Market
One of the major attractions in Pattaya 
where you can shop for  souvenirs

The last leg of our Pattaya tour is at Nong Nooch Garden, a 500-acre botanical garden good for families with kids. Our driver bought our tickets for 800 baht each. We're a little disappointed that we have to pay that much just because the ticket included elephant show but we skipped watching the show and just walked inside this very large garden for over an hour. I'm not sure why he did not give us the option without the elephant show which is kinda odd I thought there must be a cheaper ticket available. Elephant riding is very popular inside this park, poor elephants. Before we head back to our hotel we decided to swing by at Big C Mall to buy some cake and dinner food. We're so darn exhausted.

Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden
One of Thailand's most extensive gardens

I think we pretty much accomplished everything in Pattaya. Good job to us. So much to do yet so little time but we're happy campers.


Hello Bangkok

Siam Place Airport Hotel
We spent our remaining days in Bangkok at this hotel

Because of traffic, it took us over 2 hours to get to Bangkok. The hotel that we stayed at is accessible to pretty much everything. Public transport is just a few walks from the hotel and there are eateries and convenience stores nearby. Despite all the good things in the area, I'm not satisfied mainly because it is not as nice compared to our hotel in Pattaya. This hotel is poorly maintained I've no regrets giving them a poor review in Tripadvisor.  One thing I learned from booking hotels online is to never again book a hotel that does not have its own website. They have no email address or any way to contact them directly even if they are legit. Our stay in Thailand would've been better if we stayed at a nicer hotel in Bangkok. This hotel is good as bed and bath, that's it. We stayed at the hotel to get some rest and went out for a walk to see what's around the area.


The next day, we went temple hopping at Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) and Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha). Our hotel is close to the airport but very far from tourist attractions so we paid over 200 baht for taxi plus toll fees at 75 baht which is kinda expensive. We checked out Wat Arun first, a Buddhist temple in Bangkok. This temple is currently under construction but still open for tourists. The entrance fee is only 50 baht but there is a dress code and sarongs are available to rent in case you need to cover yourself since it is a sacred place. Siamese cats originated from Thailand and they roam freely inside the temple.

Wat Arun Temple a.k.a. Temple of Dawn
Is a Kmer-style Buddhist temple named after 
Aruna, the Indian God of dawn

We rode a taxi again to get to Wat Pho a.k.a Reclining Buddha. This temple is among the popular attractions in Bangkok because it housed the 46 meters long Buddha covered in gold leaf. The entrance fee costs 100 baht. Before entering the temple it is required to remove footwear but you can bring it with you as long as it is inside the blue bag.

Wat Pho a.k.a. Reclining Buddha
One of the oldest, largest and most revered 
temple complexes in Bangkok

We noticed that taxis in Bangkok use their meter compared to Pattaya. From Wat Pho, we paid 92 baht to get to Hello Kitty House Bangkok inside Siam Square 1. Siam Square is the fashion city of Bangkok. When we went to Hongkong about 2 years ago we visited Hello Kitty Le Petit Cafe in SOGO Causeway but it's just a pop-up store we thought we can take pictures there but we end up just buying cupcakes. I'm happy that we're able to finally eat some cake inside a Hello Kitty House this time around and take lots of pictures. Food is quite expensive from 100-300 baht but not that great, to be honest, but if you're quite a Hello Kitty fan then it might be worth it.

Hello Kitty House Bangkok
Located at Siam Square One, comprise 
a Hello Kitty Cafe, Shop and Spa 
under one roof

The following day we stayed at the hotel until check out time. Our flight back to Manila is past midnight we had to check out early from the hotel. We're supposed to check out at 12nn on May 1st which is the standard check out. The only reason why we book one more day is for us to be able to stay for a few more hours until our flight. why we book one more day is for us to be able to stay for a few more hours until our flight.

Suvarnabhumi Airport

That wraps up our Thailand birthday getaway. Just a few pointers in case you're looking to visit Thailand:

• Make sure to book you're hotel and airport transfer in advance. Do not book a hotel without a website or direct contact details

• Plan your tour itinerary well and do a lot of research on how to get around Thailand, the cheaper, the better.

• If you're traveling on a budget make sure to bring your essential toiletries kit, they do not provide everything for you. Not all hotels provide slippers so might as well bring one especially if you book a budget hotel.

• Bring comfy clothes. No need to wear too much makeup too, especially during the summer season (Trust me).

• Bring enough cash for tickets and souvenirs.

• Guard your belongings. One of the temples we visited has a warning sign that says Beware of pickpockets, better be safe than sorry.

• There's a long queue to get passed security check and Immigration at BKK Airport so be extra early.

There you have it. Every travel is a learning experience so enjoy it while it lasts. Sawasdee Thailand!