We knew it was going to be a shock traveling from the chilly, orderly UK to the steamy, crazy chaos of Thailand...but we were not entirely prepared for urban crocodiles, being encouraged to hold deadly snakes, or babies riding on the handlebars of scooters in hectic traffic. Neither of us have been to Asia, and Bangkok is a good springboard of weirdness for our adventure into Cambodia and Vietnam...
While our four days here were sprinkled with tourist activities (exploring the Royal Palace and taking an organized day tour to the Bridge on the River Kwai and the Damnern Saduak Floating Market), we did venture out on our own to tackle this beast of a city head-on.
We went on an epic walk on our second day, and it was mainly epic due to the temperature and sights rather than the distance. Oddly, 7-11 is the one corporation that can be found throughout the entire city, so Kate and I took regular breaks during our five-hour walk to peruse the shelves of these convenience stores while the air-con worked its magic. We stumbled into the Wat Pho Temple early in the day to discover one of the largest Buddha sculptures in the world. At 46 meters long, this gilded masterwork makes Michelangelo's David look like a representation of the tiny, mortal, music-loving king that he was. From the temple we headed for Chinatown, which is a bustling, dirty, unpredictable neighbourhood in the heart of the city. Kate was getting low bloodsugar so we decided to take a risk on some awesome looking dumplings from a street vendor who was hunkered down beside one of Chinatown's disgusting canals. As Kate and I sat at a makeshift table to test-out the garlicshoot and chive dumplings we selected, Kate stopped chewing, went silent, and stared down at the water. "Is that a snake?!" she yelped. I looked, did a double-take, and responded "No Kate...I am about 94% sure that is a crocodile." We ended-up in one of the city's ritzy (air conditioned!) mega malls in the evening, and saw The Hangover 2...which is set in Bangkok and was recommended by several friends.
Our third day consisted of a trip to the Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute Snake Farm, where visitors can view over 30 species of snake common to the area and watch a 30 minute demonstration, which consists of handlers taunting and teasing cobras, vipers and pythons just feet away from the spectators. It was really crazy to watch, and the experience was capped by Kate and I holding a python ourselves, just like Britney during the 2001 MTV Video Awards. We walked around after this and ended up in the entertainment district, on the eastside, where we were treated to live, outdoor Muay Thai fighting. Apparantly, the district hosts live, international bouts every Wednesday in front of MBK Center. This was much better than paying $30 a person to enter one of the city's popular Muay Thai venues. We ended the night back in our hood, on Samsen Road, for a classic street-side meal consisting of (you can probably guess...) pad thai, green papaya salad, spring rolls and two giant Singhas!
Chang on the River Kwai
One of the true highlights was a day trip to Nonthaburi, which we completed on our fourth day. North of Bangkok and accessible via 14B ferry fare, Nonthaburi is a clean and friendly ex-fishing village. The markets were more extensive and navigable than those in Bangkok, and we took advantage: we bought socks, fruit, a button-up shirt, some knickknacks, and dumplings for lunch. We highly recommend that any of you visiting Bangkok check out this town.
We were wary of Bangkok, due to all of the stories we had heard involving ping pong balls, touts, illness, scams and grime. However, we have had a blast here. We wouldn't recommend that one stay here for more than three or four days, but it is definitely worth exploring. Now...the long, loooong overland trip to Cambodia.
Me? I Ain't Scared of No Python!
Banksy (And Kate) at the Floating Market
Dawkinsii on the River Kwai
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