Bruce and Marija go to Southeast Asia
Feb 19th, 2013, 08:13 AM
#21
We had the same paranoia about dengue on our trip last year. And wouldn't u know on the first day in SR, I showered and of course got all the deet off. Forgot to reapply walked outside and got bit by a damn mosquito! Obviously I did survive, but that made me evermore diligent.
I became addicted to pomelo on our trip to SEAsia.
enjoying your TR.
I became addicted to pomelo on our trip to SEAsia.
enjoying your TR.
Feb 19th, 2013, 05:03 PM
#24
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My doctor, who is from Sri Lanka, put the fear of dengue fever in me. He rolled his eyes and said, "Oooo. If you get that you're gonna be a real sickie. A REAL sickie". Problem is, I didn't know exactly how to stay out of harm's way; there are no anti-dengue fever drugs evidently. Bugs like my blood and seem to bypass others in order to feast on me no matter what the precautions. I came back from Cambodia with some nasty bites. When they first appeared, they itched and burned and wept so much that I had to ask our tour guide to direct me to someone or someplace for help. He took me down a little alley to what looked like a roadside stand. Turned out it was a pharmacy, and the lady behind the counter seemed to know what she was doing. Perhaps she had been a pharmacist who had survived the Pol Pot days. She recognized the kind of bites and gave me a topical med along with something to take internally. Both for something like $5. According to the info on their packaging, one came from India and the other from Korea, I think. I used the topical but was afraid to take the pills. I'm prone to allergies and was concerned about a possible reaction. When I got home I went to my own doctor who said that both, including the pills, were right on.
Feb 20th, 2013, 01:31 AM
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Marina, I think you gave me some good advice about truffle hunting in Piedmont last fall. And this is something completely different, but like others I am keen for the next installment as we are currently in Thailand en route to Viet Nam and Laos. I know I will learn a lot, both practical and philosophical!
Feb 20th, 2013, 03:54 PM
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We had a dengue scare when we returned - Mr. Crosscheck had a very high fever with no other symptoms. Turns out it was a virus or flu he probably picked up on the plane. Our doctor was very reassuring but we were pretty freaked out for a day or so. Might be why I'm avoiding finishing the trip report....Sorry to highjack your excellent report, Carry on!
Feb 20th, 2013, 04:29 PM
#29
Hi, Marija,
I'm now enjoying your TR as I've been bit by the Asia bug and dreams of SE Asia are now filling my head! Wonderful report, great writing!
Maybe next year... We'll see what juggling can be done, but I've now added SE Asia to the top of the bucket list!
I'm now enjoying your TR as I've been bit by the Asia bug and dreams of SE Asia are now filling my head! Wonderful report, great writing!
Maybe next year... We'll see what juggling can be done, but I've now added SE Asia to the top of the bucket list!
Feb 21st, 2013, 10:07 AM
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Marija, I'm diligently reading every single word. We had a false start on our own SE Asia trip this winter and are hoping it happens next year. Looking forward to reading more of your lovely report.
Feb 22nd, 2013, 04:14 PM
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Again, thanks for reading. Glad we didn't get those nasty bites or the fever.
<b>Dining in Siem Reap</b>
Based on many excellent reviews, we knew that we wanted to eat dinner at <b>Cuisine Wat Damnak</b>, www.cuisinewatdamnak.com, but not on the first night in Siem Reap, since we weren't sure how alert or hungry we would be. We wanted to be in top eating form for this meal. (We applied the opposite logic in structuring our itinerary. Siem Reap was our most important destination so we headed there first. I had dwelled on possible misfortunes and wanted to make sure we got to Angkor before we were run over by motorcycles in Hanoi, bitten by rabid dogs in Luang Prabang, or held captive by shop owners in Bangkok.)
Lori's list recommends <b>The Khmer Kitchen</b> for its "extensive and authentic Khmer menu" so we hailed a tuk tuk ($2 ) and set off in search. www.khmerkitchens.com
Since we hadn't made reservations, we had to wait a bit for an open table, always a good sign. Our dinner of spring rolls, fish amok, pork curry and beer was an excellent and filling meal for $15.
Leaving the restaurant, I saw a brightly lit sign pointing to Pub Street, a road I have strolled with dogster:
http://thedogster3.wordpress.com/siem-reap-1
but Bruce was anxious to return to the hotel so we'd be rested for temple viewing in the morning. It was just as well since Pub Street could remain a bit longer the way I imagined it.
<b>Apsara performance</b>
Apsaras, in Hindu and Buddhist mythology are female spirits of the clouds and waters. Their graceful images, carved into stone, decorate many of the temples of Angkor. Traditional Cambodian ballet/dance is sometimes called Apsara dance since the dancers mimic the hand gestures of the Apsaras. This is not a dynamic style of dance like you see in Indian dance performances. Don't expect flames on top of dancers' heads! Many restaurants in Siem Reap feature Apsara performances in the evening.
Since it was convenient and we knew the food would be "safe", our second night at Siem Reap we went to dinner and a performance at the Apsara Terrace at Raffles. This was the only day we could go since it takes place only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. This was probably the most expensive option around at $45 per person for the show and "pan-Asian barbeque cuisine." Wine is ridiculously priced at $16 per glass. The food was very good. There were 15 or so food stations on the periphery of the outdoor room. Each station cooks your food to order. There were soups with a large selection of ingredients, Indian food, Khmer food from the Khmer Kitchen, BBQ, vegetable curries, sweets and much more. You can spice up the food as much or little as you want. The lines at the stations moved pretty quickly but you did have to wait for your food to be prepared. Food service started at 7:00 and the performance at 7:45. If you're going make sure to be there promptly at 7:00 so you get a chance to eat before the performance since it's disruptive and awkward to have to go in search of food in the dark during the dancing.
The Apsara dances and martial arts were interesting but we did find ourselves drifting off. If we hadn't invested heavily in the evening we might have snuck out before the show ended. I think we would have been just as happy seeing one of the lesser shows in Siem Reap and then going for dinner somewhere. But we know nothing about the intricacies of Apsara dancing and it may be that we saw an exceptionally fine show that was worth every penny we paid.
<b> First Visit to Cuisine Wat Damnak</b>
With the Apsara performance out of the way, the next evening we were free to set out for dinner at the much lauded Cuisine Wat Damnak. Since its location is a bit remote, we made sure the doorman gave detailed instructions to our tuk tuk driver. It was a beautiful evening and the ride along the river was most pleasant. And then, right in front of Swensen's ice cream shop, all of the lights went out. Our driver continued down the now even more chaotic than usual darkened streets to Cuisine Wat Damnak where we found the owners standing on the street: "Sorry. No power. No dinner." Ever alert, I immediately asked whether they could move our reservations to the following evening. They assured us that would be fine and asked for our phone number so they could notify us if there was a problem the next evening. Now what?!
We debated returning to the hotel, but weren't excited by the dining possibilities there. Our driver offered to take us to a "really good place" but we knew the possible perils of such recommendations. Complicating our decision was the fact that we didn't know if power was out everywhere. We finally asked our driver to take us to Pub Street on the chance that it had power. And indeed Pub Street was all lit up and packed. But where should we eat? I had Lori's recommendations downloaded on my iPhone but it was too dark to read the list. I tried to find the Khmer Kitchen again. No luck. We haphazardly wandered the streets looking for names that I might recognize from the "approved" list. I insisted on "safe" food. Bruce insisted on food.
Before we went our separate ways, we came upon <b>Soup Dragon</b>, an approved restaurant. It wasn't Cuisine Wat Damnak but we enjoyed our spring rolls, pork with ginger and chili, Vietnamese pancake and beer, again all for $15. We made an anemic attempt to explore Pub Street and the Night Market but we weren't up to the mission, though we did encounter the Linga Bar, another dogster haunt. I wonder if any other group misses dogster as much as we do? You can't plan a trip to South East Asia using fodors without repeatedly encountering dogster's footprints.
<b>Dining in Siem Reap</b>
Based on many excellent reviews, we knew that we wanted to eat dinner at <b>Cuisine Wat Damnak</b>, www.cuisinewatdamnak.com, but not on the first night in Siem Reap, since we weren't sure how alert or hungry we would be. We wanted to be in top eating form for this meal. (We applied the opposite logic in structuring our itinerary. Siem Reap was our most important destination so we headed there first. I had dwelled on possible misfortunes and wanted to make sure we got to Angkor before we were run over by motorcycles in Hanoi, bitten by rabid dogs in Luang Prabang, or held captive by shop owners in Bangkok.)
Lori's list recommends <b>The Khmer Kitchen</b> for its "extensive and authentic Khmer menu" so we hailed a tuk tuk ($2 ) and set off in search. www.khmerkitchens.com
Since we hadn't made reservations, we had to wait a bit for an open table, always a good sign. Our dinner of spring rolls, fish amok, pork curry and beer was an excellent and filling meal for $15.
Leaving the restaurant, I saw a brightly lit sign pointing to Pub Street, a road I have strolled with dogster:
http://thedogster3.wordpress.com/siem-reap-1
but Bruce was anxious to return to the hotel so we'd be rested for temple viewing in the morning. It was just as well since Pub Street could remain a bit longer the way I imagined it.
<b>Apsara performance</b>
Apsaras, in Hindu and Buddhist mythology are female spirits of the clouds and waters. Their graceful images, carved into stone, decorate many of the temples of Angkor. Traditional Cambodian ballet/dance is sometimes called Apsara dance since the dancers mimic the hand gestures of the Apsaras. This is not a dynamic style of dance like you see in Indian dance performances. Don't expect flames on top of dancers' heads! Many restaurants in Siem Reap feature Apsara performances in the evening.
Since it was convenient and we knew the food would be "safe", our second night at Siem Reap we went to dinner and a performance at the Apsara Terrace at Raffles. This was the only day we could go since it takes place only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. This was probably the most expensive option around at $45 per person for the show and "pan-Asian barbeque cuisine." Wine is ridiculously priced at $16 per glass. The food was very good. There were 15 or so food stations on the periphery of the outdoor room. Each station cooks your food to order. There were soups with a large selection of ingredients, Indian food, Khmer food from the Khmer Kitchen, BBQ, vegetable curries, sweets and much more. You can spice up the food as much or little as you want. The lines at the stations moved pretty quickly but you did have to wait for your food to be prepared. Food service started at 7:00 and the performance at 7:45. If you're going make sure to be there promptly at 7:00 so you get a chance to eat before the performance since it's disruptive and awkward to have to go in search of food in the dark during the dancing.
The Apsara dances and martial arts were interesting but we did find ourselves drifting off. If we hadn't invested heavily in the evening we might have snuck out before the show ended. I think we would have been just as happy seeing one of the lesser shows in Siem Reap and then going for dinner somewhere. But we know nothing about the intricacies of Apsara dancing and it may be that we saw an exceptionally fine show that was worth every penny we paid.
<b> First Visit to Cuisine Wat Damnak</b>
With the Apsara performance out of the way, the next evening we were free to set out for dinner at the much lauded Cuisine Wat Damnak. Since its location is a bit remote, we made sure the doorman gave detailed instructions to our tuk tuk driver. It was a beautiful evening and the ride along the river was most pleasant. And then, right in front of Swensen's ice cream shop, all of the lights went out. Our driver continued down the now even more chaotic than usual darkened streets to Cuisine Wat Damnak where we found the owners standing on the street: "Sorry. No power. No dinner." Ever alert, I immediately asked whether they could move our reservations to the following evening. They assured us that would be fine and asked for our phone number so they could notify us if there was a problem the next evening. Now what?!
We debated returning to the hotel, but weren't excited by the dining possibilities there. Our driver offered to take us to a "really good place" but we knew the possible perils of such recommendations. Complicating our decision was the fact that we didn't know if power was out everywhere. We finally asked our driver to take us to Pub Street on the chance that it had power. And indeed Pub Street was all lit up and packed. But where should we eat? I had Lori's recommendations downloaded on my iPhone but it was too dark to read the list. I tried to find the Khmer Kitchen again. No luck. We haphazardly wandered the streets looking for names that I might recognize from the "approved" list. I insisted on "safe" food. Bruce insisted on food.
Before we went our separate ways, we came upon <b>Soup Dragon</b>, an approved restaurant. It wasn't Cuisine Wat Damnak but we enjoyed our spring rolls, pork with ginger and chili, Vietnamese pancake and beer, again all for $15. We made an anemic attempt to explore Pub Street and the Night Market but we weren't up to the mission, though we did encounter the Linga Bar, another dogster haunt. I wonder if any other group misses dogster as much as we do? You can't plan a trip to South East Asia using fodors without repeatedly encountering dogster's footprints.
Feb 25th, 2013, 12:45 PM
#35
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<b>Cuisine Wat Damnak (again) </b>
The next night we again set off for Cuisine Wat Damnak with our tuk tuk driver from the previous night. (Before he left us on Pub Street we agreed to his request that he would come to our hotel at the same time the next night.) Lights were on everywhere, no calls from the restaurant, everything looked good. It was only when the driver turned off the main road to the side street that all was dark. I hoped that the residents were just conserving power. It was only when we saw the owners again standing in front of their restaurant that grim reality set in. The owners were surprised to see us since they had called the hotel to warn us that they had no power, a message we never received. During our discussion they mentioned that the previous night power eventually returned and they did open. We knew instantly what we had to do--hunker down and wait for the power to come on again. This was our last chance since we were leaving in the morning.
Fortunately the owners invited us into the dark restaurant, lit some candles and even took drink orders. Ever the optimists we asked to see the food menu as well. We were determined to wait as long as it took for power to come back or until we were asked to leave. Luck was with us and within the hour power was restored.
The restaurant serves two menus, a five course menu for $19 and a six course menu for $26. Excellent cocktails are $4 and there's also a selection of reasonably priced wines.
From their website:
<i>"Cuisine Wat Damnak was founded on the simple concept of using only local fresh seasonal produce with which to create exquisite Cambodian food. Our dégustation menus change on a weekly basis to maximise the use of seasonal fruits, vegetables and fish, some of which are only available for a three week period every year. Some items are difficult if not impossible to source through our local market channels, but we go the extra mile and hunt them out so we can incorporate them into our menus and make them as exciting as possible."</i>
We wanted to sample all of the available dishes so we ordered both menus, and a bottle of Viognier. The dishes were excellent and an incredible value for the price. I took a menu to remind me of what we actually ate. Unfortunately, the last evening in Bangkok, the takes- up- no-space menu was tossed during a frantic attempt to stuff a large wooden Buddha head into the luggage.
<b>Angkor National Museum </b>
The last morning in Siem Reap, before flying to Luang Prabang, we headed out to the Angkor museum which is a short walk from Raffles:
http://www.angkornationalmuseum.com/about_anm/1.
Admission is rather pricey at $12. Photography is not allowed in the exhibit halls. We didn't expect much but Bruce is in the museum business so he's always checking out the competition. We were amazed to find such a modern, well designed and curated museum in Siem Reap. It must have been built by the government since we couldn't find any indication of funding sources. Definitely worth visiting this impressive museum of Khmer culture and artifacts. May it continue to find funding and flourish.
The next night we again set off for Cuisine Wat Damnak with our tuk tuk driver from the previous night. (Before he left us on Pub Street we agreed to his request that he would come to our hotel at the same time the next night.) Lights were on everywhere, no calls from the restaurant, everything looked good. It was only when the driver turned off the main road to the side street that all was dark. I hoped that the residents were just conserving power. It was only when we saw the owners again standing in front of their restaurant that grim reality set in. The owners were surprised to see us since they had called the hotel to warn us that they had no power, a message we never received. During our discussion they mentioned that the previous night power eventually returned and they did open. We knew instantly what we had to do--hunker down and wait for the power to come on again. This was our last chance since we were leaving in the morning.
Fortunately the owners invited us into the dark restaurant, lit some candles and even took drink orders. Ever the optimists we asked to see the food menu as well. We were determined to wait as long as it took for power to come back or until we were asked to leave. Luck was with us and within the hour power was restored.
The restaurant serves two menus, a five course menu for $19 and a six course menu for $26. Excellent cocktails are $4 and there's also a selection of reasonably priced wines.
From their website:
<i>"Cuisine Wat Damnak was founded on the simple concept of using only local fresh seasonal produce with which to create exquisite Cambodian food. Our dégustation menus change on a weekly basis to maximise the use of seasonal fruits, vegetables and fish, some of which are only available for a three week period every year. Some items are difficult if not impossible to source through our local market channels, but we go the extra mile and hunt them out so we can incorporate them into our menus and make them as exciting as possible."</i>
We wanted to sample all of the available dishes so we ordered both menus, and a bottle of Viognier. The dishes were excellent and an incredible value for the price. I took a menu to remind me of what we actually ate. Unfortunately, the last evening in Bangkok, the takes- up- no-space menu was tossed during a frantic attempt to stuff a large wooden Buddha head into the luggage.
<b>Angkor National Museum </b>
The last morning in Siem Reap, before flying to Luang Prabang, we headed out to the Angkor museum which is a short walk from Raffles:
http://www.angkornationalmuseum.com/about_anm/1.
Admission is rather pricey at $12. Photography is not allowed in the exhibit halls. We didn't expect much but Bruce is in the museum business so he's always checking out the competition. We were amazed to find such a modern, well designed and curated museum in Siem Reap. It must have been built by the government since we couldn't find any indication of funding sources. Definitely worth visiting this impressive museum of Khmer culture and artifacts. May it continue to find funding and flourish.
Mar 3rd, 2013, 10:56 AM
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<b>Luang Prabang</b>
The flight from Siem Reap to Luang Prabang, with a short stop in Pakse, left early. I was a bit concerned about Laos Airways and regretted that I hadn't booked a flight on Bangkok Airways, a more "reputable" carrier. It was a needless worry, since Lao Airways had new planes and was definitely not a second class airlines. They were so careful that the snack boxes had stick on labels correcting "Your's safe with Lao Air" to "You are safe with Lao Air." Yes, we peeled off the labels to see what atrocity was being hidden!
On arrival in Laos we were first in the visa on arrival line. I filled out the forms distributed on the plane, although I had almost identical completed forms that I downloaded from the Laotian embassy website. I wasn't going to risk being sent to the end of the line again. The procedure could qualify as a comedy routine. Two guys on stage. One collects all 40 or so passports and applications and stacks them in a pile while other guy eats his noodles. First guy then leaves, presumably to eat his noodles elsewhere. Second guy finishes noodles and then takes a leisurely postprandial stroll back and forth along the counter. Satisfied that digestion is successfully underway, to our relief he flips the tower of passports, so the first is no longer last. He takes the documents back to his office, snoozes a bit, and then finally stamps them all and returns to collect money. Slightly less than an hour and we're on our way.
We arranged a pick up for $12 by our hotel the <b>Maison Souvannaphoum</b>, the return by regular taxi was $5 or so. I thought it quite unhospitable to ask us to fill out credit card and passport forms by hand in the dark in a moving car on the way to the hotel. The hotel was OK, but certainly not noteworthy, especially for the price. Our room was adequate but the welcoming envelope on the bed had a card addressed to someone else. The bed had a heartfelt message constructed of leaves and blossoms. Too bad no one came to remove the arrangement. We had to pick up all the petals if we didn't want them joining us in bed. We did enjoy the breakfasts, especially the traditional coconut pancakes, which were seriously delicious. The hotel staff was pleasant but the manager Sergei who is consistently praised in reviews never made an appearance during our three days. There was no one to offer suggestions for activities or restaurants during our stay.
The hotel is located about a 10 minute walk from the night market, at the edge of the old city. There's little of interest around the hotel. Most of the restaurants are a 20 minute or so walk away. If I had to do it over again I would stay in a more centrally located hotel. There were plenty of tuk tuks around at $4 a ride, but the roofs of the tuk tuks were very low (and hard on the head) making for less than a comfortable ride. Interesting how the construction of the tuk tuks differs from place to place.
No surprise that after checking in we immediately turned our attention to dinner reservations. Our first choice, L' Eléphant, was not available but we were able to get a reservation at <b>3 Nagas</b>:
www.3-nagas.com
We stopped at an ATM on the way to the restaurant and were confused by the currency--there were no recognizable numbers on the bills. Turns out that one side of the bill is only in Lao, the other side features Arabic numerals --quite a relief not to have to master Laotian numbers!
The nightmarket is on the road between the hotel and the restaurant, so we walked through it. Bruce found the going slow since he was taller than the canopies that covered the market. I found the market large but disappointing with everybody selling the same massproduced stuff. It's certainly possible that a more skilled shopper (that includes just about everyone) might have unearthered treasures where I saw only junk.
Dinner at 3 Nagas was great. We ordered seaweed chips, Lao sausage and river fish, Lao beer and a decadent chocolate dessert recommended by a neighboring table. The evening was lovely and we enjoyed sitting outside protected by our trusty insect repellant since Luang Prabang is a low malarial risk area.
We returned to the hotel with a tuk tuk driver who, as is usually the case, claimed no money to make change. (We needed the equivalent of $4 back, the fare for a single ride. Hard to believe we were his only customers of the day.) Of course, it was our own fault for not inspecting more carefully the stack of Laotian bills we were now carrying. Fortunately the hotel gave us smaller bills. I wonder if drivers just don't know enough arithmetic to conduct such delicate transactions.
The flight from Siem Reap to Luang Prabang, with a short stop in Pakse, left early. I was a bit concerned about Laos Airways and regretted that I hadn't booked a flight on Bangkok Airways, a more "reputable" carrier. It was a needless worry, since Lao Airways had new planes and was definitely not a second class airlines. They were so careful that the snack boxes had stick on labels correcting "Your's safe with Lao Air" to "You are safe with Lao Air." Yes, we peeled off the labels to see what atrocity was being hidden!
On arrival in Laos we were first in the visa on arrival line. I filled out the forms distributed on the plane, although I had almost identical completed forms that I downloaded from the Laotian embassy website. I wasn't going to risk being sent to the end of the line again. The procedure could qualify as a comedy routine. Two guys on stage. One collects all 40 or so passports and applications and stacks them in a pile while other guy eats his noodles. First guy then leaves, presumably to eat his noodles elsewhere. Second guy finishes noodles and then takes a leisurely postprandial stroll back and forth along the counter. Satisfied that digestion is successfully underway, to our relief he flips the tower of passports, so the first is no longer last. He takes the documents back to his office, snoozes a bit, and then finally stamps them all and returns to collect money. Slightly less than an hour and we're on our way.
We arranged a pick up for $12 by our hotel the <b>Maison Souvannaphoum</b>, the return by regular taxi was $5 or so. I thought it quite unhospitable to ask us to fill out credit card and passport forms by hand in the dark in a moving car on the way to the hotel. The hotel was OK, but certainly not noteworthy, especially for the price. Our room was adequate but the welcoming envelope on the bed had a card addressed to someone else. The bed had a heartfelt message constructed of leaves and blossoms. Too bad no one came to remove the arrangement. We had to pick up all the petals if we didn't want them joining us in bed. We did enjoy the breakfasts, especially the traditional coconut pancakes, which were seriously delicious. The hotel staff was pleasant but the manager Sergei who is consistently praised in reviews never made an appearance during our three days. There was no one to offer suggestions for activities or restaurants during our stay.
The hotel is located about a 10 minute walk from the night market, at the edge of the old city. There's little of interest around the hotel. Most of the restaurants are a 20 minute or so walk away. If I had to do it over again I would stay in a more centrally located hotel. There were plenty of tuk tuks around at $4 a ride, but the roofs of the tuk tuks were very low (and hard on the head) making for less than a comfortable ride. Interesting how the construction of the tuk tuks differs from place to place.
No surprise that after checking in we immediately turned our attention to dinner reservations. Our first choice, L' Eléphant, was not available but we were able to get a reservation at <b>3 Nagas</b>:
www.3-nagas.com
We stopped at an ATM on the way to the restaurant and were confused by the currency--there were no recognizable numbers on the bills. Turns out that one side of the bill is only in Lao, the other side features Arabic numerals --quite a relief not to have to master Laotian numbers!
The nightmarket is on the road between the hotel and the restaurant, so we walked through it. Bruce found the going slow since he was taller than the canopies that covered the market. I found the market large but disappointing with everybody selling the same massproduced stuff. It's certainly possible that a more skilled shopper (that includes just about everyone) might have unearthered treasures where I saw only junk.
Dinner at 3 Nagas was great. We ordered seaweed chips, Lao sausage and river fish, Lao beer and a decadent chocolate dessert recommended by a neighboring table. The evening was lovely and we enjoyed sitting outside protected by our trusty insect repellant since Luang Prabang is a low malarial risk area.
We returned to the hotel with a tuk tuk driver who, as is usually the case, claimed no money to make change. (We needed the equivalent of $4 back, the fare for a single ride. Hard to believe we were his only customers of the day.) Of course, it was our own fault for not inspecting more carefully the stack of Laotian bills we were now carrying. Fortunately the hotel gave us smaller bills. I wonder if drivers just don't know enough arithmetic to conduct such delicate transactions.
