Well, I'm going to do a condensed version of the last week and a half or so, so strap in...first stop, Ratchaprasong!
This area of Thailand is basically where all the biggest malls in the country lie; Central World and Siam Paragon, one of which boasts its own aquarium. Unfortunately it was reservation only, and I can't commit to staying another week. I got a pair of trousers since I wanted to go looking at temples, which have dress codes. They tailored the legs for me since the ones I found fit me in the waist but were too long. Apparently, Bangkok is one of the tailoring capitals of the world, and in the areas near my hotel there are a dozen or so lining the main Silom road, with tailors constantly boasting theirs are the best prices. Here, if you say you aren't sure or aren't that interested, they will give you lower prices and special bargains. So if you come here and are looking for tailored outfits, this is good advice to go with. Wait it out and say you have to think it over and you'll get more stuff thrown in. Haggling is considered an art form here in Thailand. But since this was in a department store, I overpaid somewhat. It was still my first week.
I spent several hours navigating only through a small part of these enormous malls and I finally exited. Waiting outside under the Skytrain station was a group of junior high school students eagerly trying to get the attention of a native English speaker. It looked like Westerners were turning them down until I came their way. You should have seen their faces when I told them I was an English teacher! They were doing a video assignment. One student filmed me as I answered questions from students that were overjoyed to have someone to practice with, and they gave me a small keychain as thanks for practicing with them, which means far more to me than anything fancy I could buy in a store. Definitely a feel good experience. I felt so welcome and immediately knew that if I ever wanted to work in this country it would be a pay downgrade, but the people, culture and beauty would make up for it.
Lumphini Park was a lot of fun and to get there I knew the general direction but got a little lost along the walkway that stands over an entire street. The Skytrain stations are enormous subway style trains built above the various intersections. Eventually a tut tut driver pulled aside and told me it would only be 30 baht. In case you are wondering, a tut tut is a golf cart with a rocket motor attached to it (or so I surmise) that zooms through traffic as your life flashes before your eyes. The driver wanted to know where I'd go after Bangkok and then wouldn't stop talking about a travel agency I could go to right at that moment to make arrangements. He wouldn't stop and I kept telling him to take me to the park. A lot of drivers make deals with local businesses to push them, but I flatly rejected this offer, so he pulled over and asked for 100 baht. I gave him the agreed upon price and took off.
Lumphini Park is to Bangkok what Central Park is to New York. Cityscape alongside a peaceful lake and plentiful trees in lackadaisical harmony. Did I mention monitor lizards? Well the park is crowded with one of the largest reptiles in Asia, which hiss their disapproval at the tourists and then often scamper into the lake or the many drainage trenches they hide out in. It is a surreal thing to see to say the least, and I spent a copious amount of time trying to get shots of these guys. It was my day to be a monitor lizard papparazzi and it was their chance to say, "Get out of my face, bub! I'm a star!"
Several days later, I took a tour of the Grand Palace and saw the Emerald Buddha, a giant jade statue that no one is allowed to photograph. The sanctuary itself is gorgeous, with murals lining the walls of demons and saints, and candles everywhere along the front dais with worshipers solemnly praying. The complex has seen hundreds of years of kings add on to the many buildings with elaborate decor, covered with intricate carvings and every one of the outdoor murals are individually painted and amazing to behold. Especially if you love Asian art as much as I do. Equally enjoyable were my two tour guides, whose names were "Mr. Jackie" and "Mr. Chan". Quote: "Together we are action movie star!" Oh, Thailand.
Several days after this, I found myself exploring the beauty of Ayutthaya, an ancient Khmer ruins just north of the city that is situated in its own historical park. Let me just say, I have been to few places as beautiful or as moving and I have waited most of my life to see ruins of the Khmer empire, which has captured my imagination since I was a small child. A truly amazing day was had there!
The last thing to check off on my tourist bucket list was to visit the infamous floating markets. These are a series of canals and a small town made entirely out of stilt houses, nicer houses built along the quay, or shacks that comprise a maze through which hundreds of boats accompany tourists. I was surprised when my boat guide stopped at a certain shop that just happened to be owned by his wife. Note: bring plenty of money if you do decide to do this. I didn't have much more than what I was paying my taxi driver who I hired for the day (for a stunningly cheap price) and the money I paid for the boat tour itself, but they really don't want to let you leave unless you spend a certain amount! There was one shop I made the mistake of having him pull over to, and either it was considered rude not to buy something at that point or they were desperately stubborn, but either way I understood these people are poor and this is their livelihood. I bought just enough to keep the boat going. We zoomed past hundreds of people selling mostly the same array of Buddhist or Hindu related statues, paintings, etc. Not to mention clothes, toys, fruit, straw hats and more things with elephant motifs than I've ever seen in my life. Oh yeah, and there were elephants.
Now when they showed me photos I thought, oh there are elephants in a petting zoo. How nice! I'd love to photograph some elephants. As it turns out, I misunderstood exactly what I was getting myself into, and as I got in line, a line that led up to a wooden structure that overlooked said elephants, I got the jist. This was actually to get ON TOP OF said elephants. Which I did, because the boat driver was waving to me, indicating happily for to get on the elephant. So I did. How to describe being on an elephant? It's a lot like being on an ab machine at the gym. Only you might fall off, so there's a bar attached to your seat, and a tremendously elephantine smell. At one point the elephants get down up to their stomachs in muddy water, immersing themselves in a squelching miniature wetland. Which they tend to enjoy doing, because it's an elephant thing. It was honestly one of the most surreal experiences of my entire life.
The last thing I want to mention is Asiatique, which I explored with my new friends from the hotel room next door to me. It's a big outdoor shopping area along the riverside complete with tons of open restaurants and bars, and even a Ferris wheel. The night smells of the river combine with vendors selling popcorn, ice cream, bean sprouts and pork being cooked on woks and various other goodies. I was full but I tried a fresh coconut, which you can scoop coconut flesh out of with a spoon for the equivalent of two dollars. The bar and restaurant we went to served grilled cuttlefish, whose mere aroma made me hungrier than I anticipated. My new friends took me back via a free boat ride that the city provides. Yeah, you heard right, as in no charge. The lights of the city skyscrapers floated by along with the lights of various smaller shrines and houseboats, lit up with electricity dancing along their sides and an occasional dragon head prow crisscrossed under various bridges before we docked. We ended our night with our Thai friend explaining to us stories about the Ghost Hotel that oversaw the riverfront, a place that was supposed to have collected the souls of many suicide victims over the years. Originally a huge hotel investment, a fire on the upper floors halted construction 20 years ago and it was never finished, but legend says a lot of people that go in never come out...sounds like a great Thai horror movie waiting to happen.
More exciting adventures to come!
No comments:
Post a Comment