Sunday, February 5, 2012 My Great Canadian Thai Adventure
Okay, that brings me to……………………THAILAND!!!! "Hey Canada!" in Thailand Bangkok So, today is day 19 in Thailand and I am loving it! I've had a great time meeting new people, starting with my first night in Bangkok. The plan was to land around 9 pm and make my way to a hostel previously booked. Only, my flight was delayed in China (bought a $7 bottle of water there because I had no idea what the conversion was—yikes!) so I didn't land until after midnight in Bangkok. Problem was, I was staying at a hostel, not a hotel, so the place was already closed. I wasn't about to take a cab at 1 am in Bangkok to a closed hostel but didn't want to go wandering the streets by myself looking for a new hotel either. I was trying to formulate a plan B in my head when I looked up and saw a guy walking by with a giant Canadian flag on his backpack. (Almost all Canadians have these, and it's not so much that they are so patriotic, rather that they don't want to be mistaken as Americans. Can't blame them, really). So, I did what anyone in my situation would do and yelled out, "Hey Canada!" until the poor guy turned around. I explained my predicament to him, Simon, and he kindly agreed that I could join him and his two buddies, Brett and Brandon, who were arriving in an hour. Thus began my great Canadian Thai adventure! Simon and Brett getting a fish foot bath The boys and I had no other plan than to arrive at Khao San Road which is the busiest part of downtown Bangkok and search for a hotel. Turned out to be a great plan. After dropping our bags off around 2am, we set out to see the sights and sounds of Bangkok, of which there were plenty. I had been told that grocery stores in Thailand were almost non-existant but not to worry because the street food was fabulous. Let me tell you, as a Pescetarian with a gluten intolerance, I was worried. But alas, turns out the raves about Thai street food were 100% accurate---I LOVE the food here! And the best part is, it's fresh, healthy, and SUPER cheap! I'm talking $1 for Pad Thai, $1 for a grilled fish (head and all), $.60 fresh fruit shake cheap! Day 1 in Bangkok with the boys was a blast. We set out for breakfast in the morning and ended up taking a tuk-tuk ride around to various temples, a custom-made suit shop where they tried to sweet talk us with liquor and closed-door pressure to purchasing some clothes, spent too much money on some package travel deals in Thailand, and ended at the Grand Palace that we decided was quite Grand, but not enough to pay the entry fee for since we were promised it was "free Buddhist holiday." Upon returning from our inpromtu tour, we explored the city by foot and wandered into a local area by the river and tried out some more street food. After a long day of walking, we tried out the famous fish foot bath I had been anxious to try. You sit with your feet inside a giant tank with loads of tiny fish that eat the dead skin off your feet. It's quite an experience that everyone should try. Only took us about 10 minutes to finally get used to the sensation. We followed this by hour-long Thai massages and a mani/pedicure for me. All of which cost a grand total of around $15! That night, we met up with my other Canadian friends, Marielle, Lisa, and Lia who I had met in New Zealand. Turns out my friend Phil was right, "I am quite good at collecting Canadians!" After making some home-made buckets from 711 (they are everywhere!), we had a blast at a rooftop bar, Gazeebos. It is decorated in a Bedhouin style-theme and has pool, plenty of lady-boys, and a pretty decent live band. Day 2 in Bangkok Met up with my friend, Chad who I also met in New Zealand and we all hung around Kao San Road for some shopping and eating. Took that afternoon and the next day easy and unloaded about 50 pounds of winter clothes and gear I no longer needed. It's amazing how priorities change when you have to lug everything around on your back all day. Some things are just not worth the extra 1 pound.