15 hour train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai

So... in the rush to leave Kanchanaburi I handed all my money to Jo and Maxine to buy the train tickets and agreed to meet at Hong Kong Noodle outside the train station at 8pm to eat and get ready for the train to leave at 1020pm.

Of course I did not know if anything had gone wrong and if they would even BE there, but as I walked into the restuarant, there sat Jo with our tickets. We happily swapped stories of our travels over the past few days and ordered oodles of Chinese food as we were practically starving by this point.

Chad and Maxine, who had struck up a romance (ie the last time I saw her she stumbled out of his room at 9am)  arrived together about 20 minutes later.

We discussed how all our various nationalities had heroes such as Jean Claude Van Damme from Belgium and I said South Africa had none. "What about Tarzan?" remarked Chad.... hmmmmm......

So we decided we needed snacks! We were not gonna party as we all wanted to chill on the train and read, but stocked up on chocolates, chips etc etc

Let me introduce you to the backpacker squat... the position most comfortable when waiting with a heavy backpack on ur shoulders.... (snacks in the packets)

The train

We booked into second class, nothing fancy, but clean and comfortable!

Reading - bliss

View from the train

 

It was a tiring journey, I couldn't sleep despite taking a sleeping pill. Seems when lying down feeling the movement  of the train I imagine it derailing - and actually had a nightmare to this extent. It was also really hot! Everyone else was fine however. We had to wander around a bit to find accomodation, eventually settled at TK's guesthouse. Nice, clean, but at least one of us were kept up by an all night disco which had the whole room vibrating!!

Exploring the Canals in old Bangkok

Evy and I woke up bright and early and decided to treat ourselves to a breakfast at the Oriental Hotel on the riverside which was amazing!!!! Rather expensive though at 400 Baht an omelet!!!

Using the river ferry is a fast and easy way to get up and down and avoid the traffic, the skytrain connects to the central pier at Saphin Taksin and the ferry takes you all the way up where you can connect to the main tourist areas. Maps of the river and the city are all over the place from the airport to guesthouses. It does always seem to be an adventure somehow whenever you try and get somewhere as the language barrier gets in the way.

Breakfasters at the Oriental.

In a tuk-tuk








We took a tour of the canals in a long-tail boat, easily found from the main stations, and got to see people living in a more traditional setting, making their living off the river where their houses balance precariously on the edge. Often gorgeous homes lie alongside those falling into the river. People ply their trade from floating markets, feed the fish or chill out on the stoop. This is a different Bangkok!

Handing the driver the beer we bought him

Potted plants and plants of any description really are huge in Bangkok and adorn every living space and tumble over balconies, cover walls and even proliferate alongside the river!!! It is gorgeous and I wished I could find such lovely plants at home!

Monks feeding the fish

Wat Arun from the river

Sunset.

Bangkok's best sights Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew

I had left out the big uns in Bangkok for Evy's arrival, so she could at least see some of the main sights in her one day before we set off for Chiang Mai!
The most popular first stop for tourists is the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew temple which houses the Emerald Buddha.
Having wandered around Wat Po - also very impressive with the giant reclining Buddha - a few days earlier I quickly got bored not knowing what exactly I was looking at so suggested we hire a guide this time. We found a charismatic lady for around 400 Baht (200 each).

All the guidebooks warn you to cover your arms and legs - and I in my time-losing daze (see earlier post) had completely forgotten. So had to pull my skirt down to my knees and borrow the following T-shirts at the temple.

Sexy!!!

The tour was wonderful, and we learned about the different kings, styles of architecture and she told us some impressive stories contained in a gorgeous mural running along the entire breadth of some of the walls - an epic Thai fable.

Half-human half-snakes/chickens you name it, 20-armed demon Kings and monkey Kings..... "It is like Harry Potter" said our guide, giggling!

It made the experience much more interesting!

A miniature Angkor Wat

 

The barefoot monkey king with his mouth open (like a woman according to our guide) and a demon king.

Sprinkling water on myself with a lotus flower for good luck outside the temple

The Emerald Buddha - the most revered Buddhist icon in the country!! 

Giant Bonsai outside the Grand Palace - a former royal residence now mainly used for funerals and and coronations.

The whole complex is magnificent, interwoven with glittering cut glass, perfectly manicured gardens and a rich history! Definitely a must-see!

Unexpected Kindness on the way to Kanchanaburi

As a farang (foreigner) in Thailand you are hardly inconspicuous, and as is probably right due to different earning levels, different rules and prices often apply. Haggling is always a good idea, especially when climbing into a tuk-tuk or on the back of a motorbike. In a taxi always insist the meter is switched on.

As promised in earlier posting - acid taxi's

After a few days in Bangkok, and while waiting for Evy, my friend from Belgium to arrive, I decided to head off on my own to Kanchanaburi, a small town alongside the River Kwai about 2 hours away. After a busy day it was already getting dark and I didn't want to arrive too late, so to save time I decided to jump on a motorbike taxi to escape the traffic, backpack and all.

A motorbike and tuk-tuk zip through a Bangkok street

I needed to get to the Southern Bus Terminal, and on my map this was just on the other side of the river in Bangkok.

An elderly-ish man offered me 80 baht to get there on his motorbike which I didn't even bother arguing with as I had expected much more. After weaving in and out of traffic my arms were beginning to ache and we finally pulled up outside..... the Eastern Bus Terminal!! I had pointed out on the map and asked him whether he understood (Tip: people here often just agree or make as if they understand just to get your business). When I again showed him the map he pulled out his reading glasses ...  hmmmm didn't do that the first time ... and his face fell. It is really far he said, 300 Baht. I just agreed, I was tired and sick of sitting on the motorbike and just wanted to get to the bus!

So off we went, and it seemed like we drove miles, the thick humid late afternoon sky rumbled and fat raindrops began to fall. It was a welcome coolness on my skin and I leaned my head back to feel the rain on my face. As it often happens with raindrops they began to bucket down. I wasn't too concerned initially, but  my driver kept looking back at me worriedly, and then the rain became a veritable flood and all the motorbike taxi's pulled under nearby bridges for refuge.

Well, we just wait it out I guess, I thought to myself. We had already come really far and I try not get uptight about these things. But my driver got off the bike and tried to tell me something which I couldn't understand. He then pulled over a taxi for me so I could go the rest of the way in a dry fashion.

How sweet, I thought, and asked him how much I should pay him for taking me this far at least.

He shook his head and put up his hands in refusal. He refused to take my money. He obviously felt quite bad about the mix-up and the rain - not that I felt he should have - and got back on his bike and sped off.

In a country where tourists are money targets and you forever feel as if you are being squeezed for every cent, this man reminded me why I love traveling - for the moments that just light you up inside, when we are all just people offering each other kindness.

The taxi ride itself took another 30 minutes, and another glance on my map revealed an arrow at the edge saying "TO Southern Bus Terminal" and that spot was not the terminal itself.......

“The journey not the arrival matters.” – T. S. Eliot

Big in Bangkok.... but ditch the flip-flops

One of the main attractions in Bangkok is the Chatuchak weekend market, which my guidebook tells me attracts about 200,000 people a day over the weekend - it is massive and it has everything from clothes to gardening tools and plants and pets (an entire section devoted to fish tanks) and a host of miscallaneous goods.

Random shot of the market

No it does not look like there are that many ppl in this pic - why? Because I went early - trust me it is worth the annoyance of restraining yourself and not partying too hard the night before to get there as it opens around 830 and miss the crowds. Markets in Bangkok as a rule should generally be avoided with hangovers, sources tell me, as the heat and crowds can be a cruel, cruel punishment for the previous night's excesses.

So had a nice stroll around, some good shopping (poor Richard brought a book with and everytime he saw me lured into a stall he sat down, long-suffering, to wait it out. (He claims it was every store but I refute that). What a trooper!

It all went pretty well, until I decided to buy some shorts! I am not a petite girl even by South African standards, but generally a Medium does me well.
I handed the gentleman manning the stall a medium I wanted to try on and he said "don't worry, we have many size" - chucking it away and delving through a pile to hand me an XXL (extra....extra..Large).

I shimmied it up my thighs and the button fell about an inch short of closing. "Suicide rocks weekend market" is a headline which came to mind.
So I eventually found a suitable pair, pictured below....

*choke*

So turns out I am pretty Big in Asia, or obese.... luckily I can see the funny side of this and bought two pairs!

Buying two pairs of things you like such as flip flops ( "one pair 70 baht, two pair 100 baht [ just over 3 dollars, about R25) just makes such SENSE!!

I bought a lovely white dress and wore it with my new blue flip-flops for a night out last night. After a depressed week without a converter I figured sticking the plug in the wall and testing it is quite effective, and my hair straightener could actually work (yes it is prob very uncool to drag along hair devices but it's for the public good) So hair straightened, clad in new dress and necklace we went out for a dinner at Cabbages and Condoms - a funky little restuarant which makes all sorts of things -- like dresses and lampshades -- out of condoms (and u get one instead of a mint at the end of the meal) and proceeds go to AIDS charities. Some guide books said the food wasn't anything to write home about - I thought it was fantastic!

So afterwards we decided to go and have a drink at the top of the State Tower, reputedly the best view in Bangkok. As we enter the lobby the woman guarding the lift evilly gazes down at my feet and says: "must wear high heels, we very strict. Only high heels or fashionable shoes" The look she gave my feet would have withered them if feet were witherable.

So we pretended to disappear, re-emerged a few moments later and hid behind a group of Thai's heading up. It is a stunning view, but at 400 baht a cocktail, and a rather dull and strained atmosphere (with a few men in sneakers looking like rogues and drug addicts allowed in while my poor flip-flops were dissed) I wouldn't rave about it. No one really seemed to be enjoying themselves.

As a backpacker high heels aren't a huge priority, but since I was now morally bound by my shortcomings.... I went to buy a pair. For the "stuff to leave at Richard's place until the flight back home" pile.

The offending shoes. For the beach... not the State Tower.

Fran, this is Bangkok. Bangkok, Fran.

Exploding in guns blazing, or easing in sleepily: two ways to meet a city.
Bangkok arrived like a bit of a supernova in my case! After about 16 hours traveling, with a stopover in Dubai I was a little exhausted.
Hit by the cloying blast of heat that is Bangkok's 30 degree C evening in the cool season I grabbed a neon pink taxi to my friend Richard's place in the funky neighbourhood of Sukomhvit where I am staying for the week.

The rooftop pool at Richard's apartment which I made good use of 

I will get a picture of one of the taxi's before I leave - pinks, orange, yellow - its public transport on acid! Even the driver of my motorbike taxi was wearing a bright pink jacket. They will zip in and out of traffic and scare the bejesus out of you - but dammit they will look snazzy while doing so!

Anyway - so Rich (a colleague living here) dragged me off to a party with a bunch of foreign correspondents thrown by the local BBC guy. It was an absolute blast. I was quite intrigued when they whipped out some fireworks, setting awesome lanterns adrift into the night sky. One caught in a tree which we were all scared would catch alight - but luckily this is humid Bangkok so it sputtered out after a few minutes.
I, being the brightspark I am, politely whispered to a nearby person "Is this common in Thailand, having fireworks at a soiree" and was promptly informed that it was in fact Guy Fawkes day! *blush*
Luckily for me I had jet lag as an excuse for forgetting the date. And everyone was duly impressed that we were among the last to leave at 330am.

Needless to say sightseeing was a little slow in kicking off as I only woke up at 1330pm the next day! So took it slowly, had the requisite argument with taxi drivers refusing to put on their meters and wanting to make "two stops" (at shops from whom they earn commission). These guys couldn't be bothered and just let me get out. In Morocco they would eventually give in, happy just to have business. This is how I got annoyed and ended up on the bright pink motorbike for a heart-stopping ride (although very effective in the traffic-clogged city)to go and wander around Wat Pho temple - a 16th century marvel and the country's biggest temple.

Scenes from Wat Pho

This is the famous massive reclining Buddha at the temple.



After this I took a tuk-tuk (three-wheeled, noisy, but fun) to the river which runs through Bangkok where I jumped on the ferry for a cheap tour of the Mae Nam Chao Phraya - River of Kings. It is a reminder that many Thai's are river people, with the looming buildings of the city and ancient temples dotted along the riverbanks an interesting contrast. There are tourist boats around but a 20 Baht (five Rand) ferry was good enough for me. You see the same stuff pier to pier anyhow!
                                                                                                           

Scenes from the River of Kings

 

I don't usually frequent shopping malls as a pleasure activity but needed to get a spare key cut so headed to the massive Siam Centre on the Skytrain which flies you over sections of the city. It seems young Thai's -- very funky, fashionable and tech-savvy with their stylish outfits and cellphones glued to their ears -- spend most of their time in the ubiquitous Mall. Yes they do sound like most teenagers but I was intrigued by the Asian mall-rat culture too. I was also blown away by the stores, every brand you can imagine, more than we have in South Africa to be certain! I also came across this:

No self-respecting woman could resist that! So I gave in and bought a pair of shoes!! I had to get out before I spent my small budget and would be forced to eat plain rice noodles for the next six weeks.

I love the energy in the city, it is a lot bigger and more developed than I had imagined. I got the chance to get a beautiful night view of the city from the swish Long Table restaurant, a dark cool interior with shiny floors and a stunning pool at the bar.


One Night in Bangkok: A Play with four acts


So  this was the group who met for dinner, a friend of Richard's and some of his work colleagues. This is the part before things started getting out of hand!

Views of the city from Long Table  

 

The pool at the bar - awesome!

Delicious cocktails, thai food and at some point tequila, and some-one mentioned the words Ping Pong shows - referring to some of the acts to be found in Bangkok's notorious redlight district. I was of course very keen to go check it out (It is popular among tourists, or dodgy perverts masquerading as tourists). I should say first that sex tourism is mostly quite sad, with huge fat/old/white westerners accompanied by young girls (or boys) easily spotted. It is open, it is accepted and it is everywhere. Someone was telling me that the child sex trade is not clothed in secrecy like one would expect in most countries.

Anyway, we had to see what all the fuss was about so off we went! Everywhere you walk pamphlets are being shoved in your face offering the variety of things women have accomplished with their vajayjays... shooting ping pongs, smoking, shooting darts (we heard a rumour that someone had once come across a bird flying from some ladies nether regions but a rumour it remains for now)

A line up of rather unattractive women at Super Pussy provided the entertainment we had expected, the drinks cost a fortune and we were swamped by women offering a whole raft of other services. It was definitely something you have to experience, but I don't think I will be going back anytime soon.

Fran and Dan post ping-pong - shellshocked??

Our Haunt 

 

Me, my wonderful host Richard and Ping-pong compadre Daniel

Hereafter we headed to a gay bar around the corner, which also turned out to be a kareoke bar... of course this excited me quite a bit at this point in the evening, and out came my inner rock star!!

The impassioned Thai singers were also quite entertaining!

 
Jonno and I - the duet

 

It was epic - from this there was a final bit involving late night swimming and getting to bed around 6am! Welcome to Bangkok Fran!

And of course the best way to cure a hell of a hangover.... (tip.... it is hot here, mixing drinks and not drinking water = dehydration and the worst headache ever)

.........  Street Food!! 

Ouch!!!