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As soon as I opened my eyes at the bus stop on Koh San Road and looked out the window a tuk tuk driver was waving me down….how could I forget they would be pestering! It was quite a treck to our hotel so we decided a taxi would be the best way - maybe we were wrong; it took one stop to ask another taxi driver plus twenty times repeating the name of the hotel to get there (but at least we did get there I guess).
It was our second time in Bangkok and because on our first visit we were immersed in the Songkram festival we didn't get to see much of the 'tourist stops' due to the quantity of flour and water being dispersed left, right and centre; this time we were going to be tourists. Our first stop was the Grand Palace. Mistake number one - why did I wear shorts? I never ever wear shorts to temples/religious places but this time I didn't think. Luckily enough (maybe not so much for Will) long Asian skirts (wrap-around silk material) were handed out for the ladies and workmen's trousers for the men - phew it wasn't a wasted journey. It was a beautiful place and it even had an Angkor Wat miniature temple statue! It was, however, the hottest day in Bangkok as of yet (so we were told) so we looked like sweaty messes (well I did anyway)! We then took a little boat ride along side villages and on to a floating market. Does a market only have one small boat? Isn't there meant to be more? Where's the rest of them?. We had clearly been had, but not all was lost because the driver then took us to Wat Arun which was beautiful. Templed out we decided to go to Chinatown. This was crazy - we might not have managed to find the main part (if there was one) but we saw our fair share of market stalls and food stalls (most selling interesting food only Asia could sell). We then called it a day, walking around in the heat was tiring so we treated ourselves to a swim in the pool…arrrrr! Refreshed and ready to go, there was no stopping us, we mooched around the markets. Now these weren't normal stalls (well, some were); some stalls were selling police handcuffs, batons and machetes, knuckle dusters, oh, and vallium. All you could ever need right?! We then asked about a dozen people where a place called Nana Plaza was (we now realise why we got so many funny looks - we knew it was seedy but we didn't think it would be that bad). Let me explain… Nana Plaza consists of strip clubs and prostitutes, old English men, young Thai girls and crude named bars (g-spot). We sat in a bar watching kids running about (exposed to such an atmosphere at night) and the girls and lady boys enter to get ready. They did this for a living - something Bangkok is very famous for - it was different to see, kind of sad after a while - definitely a different side of their culture. The experience didn't stop there however. Our walk back had me in fits of laughter. A man approached us - 'want to see ping pong?' 50 baht in tuk tuk….you want to see man and lady make love show or lady on lady lesbian show…I'll take you now?....but as it was our last night we decided to go for drinks on a rooftop bar overlooking Bangkok to end the evening. The views were stunning. Everything was lit up, it was perfect. Bangkok you'll never cease to amaze me.
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- comments
Mum Oh my goodness. I thought you were going to say that as it was your last night you decided to go to the show! Thank goodness you went to a rooftop bar instead!
Doreen Gould I thought the same as Mum !! but realised you had a better way to finish your time in Bangkok. What a marvellous holiday you have had the last 4 weeks!! now back to some work I expect you are excited to see the children. take care love N & G xx