One week in Bangkok

On the 30th January Sally and I flew to Bangkok to meet Jodie and Paul who had freshly arrived from Europe the day before. As the title suggested, I have been in this crazy city for a week after we zoomed through the Islands in just five days. There is something about the frantic atmosphere of being in a city that makes my head spin just a little bit more than I am comfortable with. There are so many options whirling round, so many distractions, so many things to do and people to meet. So much train, boat and bus travel, so many things to buy and things to taste. There is something in the water here that has had me rushing and busy doing

It’s a strange thing for me to be alone. Last night was my first night in seemingly forever that I had a room to myself. The hotel room I reserved in the old city was not available when I arrived. The subsequent hotels I looked at were reminiscent of horror films and crawling with slimy goggle eyed western sex tourists. I met some friendly American grandmothers in a veggie restaurant who looked after my computer and luggage while I darted around the backstreets (I’m noticing a trend here of trusting vegetarians!). I quickly found the cutest room I have stayed in thus far, decorated in pink and purple with satin curtains. It was meant to be, fit for a princess, it was revoltingly feminine. The place is manned by two aging ga-toi (lady boys) with black roots and blonde extensions, they neither speak or write English so I had to check myself in and complete all their paperwork. Hilarious! And just around the corner from three vegetarian restaurants. Perfection.

Jodie and Paul left Australia just a week before me to travel around Europe. Thailand is their first stop in Asia. While I was traipsing around India Jodie and Paul have seen some of the more breathtaking sights of Europe. Cinque Terre is now on my list. Our youth hostel was amazing, so clean and beautiful, people young and old from around the world, a roof top patio with daybeds, there is not much more we could have asked for to stage a reunion and it was great.

While reviving in Bangkok we have done some major sightseeing in the hectic heat of this city. First up were the Chatuchak Weekend Markets. They are huge, the guidebook says that you will find things at this market that you won’t even know you needed, and true to its word, I found a stapler size sewing machine that I had to have. For 50 Baht I had myself the world’s smallest clothing repair device. I was so blown away by the plastic technology that I momentarily forgot that I can hand sew and that my clothes are not in need of repair. Other unforgettable souvenirs for sale were blobs of goo that splattered into recognizable forms when thrown at the ground, so funny! There were so many beautiful clothes that I couldn’t restrain, and once again my backpack is bulging. The regular purges of my belongings are beginning to get rather brutal. Yesterday I threw out a dress, my swimmers, most of my toiletries, all of my mosquito repelling devices (for someone who doesn’t get bitten by mozzies I had coils, an electric plug device, a mozzie repelling bangle, repelling wipes and cream). I also threw out a pack of cards I took around Asia last time, the pint sized sewing machine (it didn’t work properly once it came home) and a bin full of other bits and pieces that I would prefer to forget I have thrown away lest I need them. On the ‘to bin’ list are my scuba booties (which would be tragic because I love them) and lots of other clothes. I promise myself that I will be more restrained from now on.

For me, the Grand Palace is all about visual pollution (maybe that’s a bit harsh?). There is so much to look at and everything is intricate and mind-blowingly decadent. It is so beautiful but hard to photograph because there is so much going on. It is virtually impossible to take a picture a temple without catching a bit of another temple, or a statue of a dragon that looks like a dog. I took great pleasure in taking re-make photos of the ones I took here last time. It’s amazing to think we only took a handful of photos with the old film cameras, I love digital!

There are a zillion statues of Buddha, all covered in gold. On some you can see the gold leaf peeling off, on others you can repair the gold leaf yourself. I still don’t understand how Buddhist temples can be so decadent. My understanding of Buddhism is a little more gentle and simple than any of the temples I have been to visit. Down the road from the Grand Palace is the Reclining Buddha, a humongous Thai Buddha lying on his side resting his head in the palm of his hand. It is ridiculously monstrous, and I wonder the significance is of having a monument so big. I wonder how Buddha would feel about all of this fuss.

Khao San Rd is as I remember it from my trip here with Mitchell in 2002, shirtless poms and lots of drinking. Street stalls selling backpacker delights at inflated prices. Hill tribe women selling friendship bracelets, Mr Men shirts with Jihad designs on them, bootleg DVDs, computer programs, fake IDs – even a NSW driver’s license. Last time I stayed here we stayed in a different hotel on Khao San Rd every night as the previous one was always too unbearable to return to.

 

Today I finally went to my Vegan cooking class after having a fitful sleep in my pink palace. I arrived late after mistakenly going to the May Kadee Restaurant rather than the cooking school, and amazingly, instead of shouting at me in Thai and pointing in the right direction, they walked me down the street, flagged me a tuk-tuk and went with me all the way to the kitchen. They even paid the fare! I have to keep reminding myself that I’m not in India anymore.

There will be a Thai feast when I come home… either this year or next, let’s just say when I have a kitchen I’ll whip up some incredibly tasty fresher than fresh Thai goodness. Mmmm.

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