Thailand: The Itinerary, The Weekend Market

Also known as Bangkok, Part II

11/27: The Chatuchak Weekend Market

If you've ever been to a flea market, like 7 Mile Fair for those in the WI/IL area, the Weekend Market is kind of like that...but supersized. It's almost as though the world's most eclectic collectors each had an 8x10 storage locker in the same oversized storage locker maze, and all at once they opened their lockers...overwhelming and yet amazing.

To set the mood for the day, we wandered down to Th Suhkumvit to the friendly neighborhood McDonald's, again, for some familiar comfort food. We then decided to wander the soi's (side streets) to see what was in the area. After aimlessly wondering past countless massage parlors and hostels we decided to hire a tuk-tuk to take us to the market.

We approached the driver, who spoke English impeccably well, and asked to go to the market. Without hesitation this fine gentleman told us it was under water, closed, flooded...but he could offer to take us on a 2hr tour of all of the must see sights of Bangkok for 200 baht. It's true, much of Bangkok had recently been devastated by floods...but something didn't small right. And for once it wasn't the soi. We decided to take a chance and walk away from the very persistent tuk-tuk driver, who followed us btw, and ask the nearby cab driver. The cabbie was quite willing to take us to the market and assure us that the market was quite open. Turns out the market was farther than the tuk-tuk could go, but desperate for business the driver was willing to say and do whatever it took to convince the silly foreigners to hire him anyways...

Let that be today's lesson. Thailand is touted to be the 'land of smiles' with the friendliest people. Wellll, sort of. We did not find this to be entirely true in Bangkok, which I suppose is a reflection of it's size and high tourism rate. Know where you want to go, what is a reasonable rate, be willing to barter, and be firm. And don't be afraid to say no and walk away.

Minor hiccup aside, we made it to the market with a few hours to shop and browse. I think it is best to let the picture do the talking...

We seem to have been dropped off at the antiques and fine art end of the market. It was almost as thought we were transported back in time...ornate woodworking, beautiful furniture, sculpture and fine art surrounded us. It was astounding. We wound our way through that section of the market, without any plan or direction, until we ended up at one of the many, shall we say, food courts.

The smell of chestnuts roasting filled the air...as did the stench of dirty soi and fish, but I'm choosing to remember the chestnuts.

Fresh fruit as far as the eye could see. Tangerines, strawberries, pineapple, coconuts, dragon fruit, watermelon. The fruit was being continually transformed into fresh cut fruit cups, coconut water, popsicles, smoothies and fresh squeezed juice. We partook in the fresh tangerine juice and it was heavenly.

We even found freshly roasted ears of corn on the cob, which I am astounded to say that W refrained from trying.

From food court to the bizarre...knock off handbags and clothing, underwear, lots and lots of underwear, and pet apparel. This particular little guy was sporting a SWAT team vest of sorts and helmet complete with protective visor for scootin'. And believe me, the Thai scooted with their pets.

From there we seemed to be transported back a decade or two. Boatneck tee-shirts, neons, sleeveless t's and "retro" prints. Only I don't believe the items to be revival pieces...I think that our 80's wardrobes finally made halfway around the world.

My only true regret in Thailand was not picking up one, or ten, of the slap watches that seemed to be all the rage.

From there we found our way to the shoe department. While there were hundreds of seemingly handmade shoes, there was also an abundance of used footwear. Original Air Jordan's? No problem. The highest of hi-tops in every color of the rainbow? You betcha. It was like falling through the rabbit hole and finding yourself in the closet of an 80's pro basketball player.

We wandered down aisles of precious,and not so precious gems, beautiful beads by the sold by the string or pound.

We looked at reams of fabric of every style, color and weight....

And eventually found our way to the fish market. This might have been the most astounding part of the market. Goldfish and Koi of ever color, shape and size imaginable. Amphibious lizards. Plants. Piranhas. Waist-high swimming pools set up to house fish nearly as big as I am. And more. Astounding a terrifying all at once.

And that is when we decided it was time to call it a day.

Thailand: The Itinerary, Bangkok

I realized the other day the details of our trip to Thailand are growing fuzzier and fuzzier. There are memories and photos that will last a lifetime...but all the details seem to be slowly running together.

So before any more of it slips away, and because people are still asking about our trip, I thought it was time to put it all down on paper (so to speak).

11/24-25: TRAVEL TIME!! We started out our travel day, which was Thanksgiving btw, in the very we hours of the morning waiting to catch the Van Gelder bus from Madison to O'hare. From there it was 22+ hours of travel...ORD>DET (1.5hr)>NRT(~12hrs)>BKK(~7.5hrs)

With travel time and time zones we arrive in Bangkok at around 11:30pm Friday. After navigating immigration and baggage claim, and figuring out how to hire a cab, we were on our way to the Radisson Suites Sukhumvit. The sights and sounds of Sukhumvit, from the safety of the cab, were mesmerizing and amazing, much as the sights and sounds of NY Times Square would be to a foreigner. Being that we had been traveling for so long we opted to head to bed and wait to explore the city.

11/26: Exploring Sukhumvit. I have to say, I found Sukhumvit, and Bangkok, to be much more endearing from the backseat of an air conditioned cab. Sukhumvit is the "hip" and touristy area of Bangkok, much like Time Square in NYC, only dirtier and seedier.

The streets are lined with vendors selling everything you could think of: Viagra, pocket knives, knock off t's, trinkets and sex toys. It's all there. It also, endearingly, smelled like rancid sewer. I can't say for certain if the stench was a result of the recently receded flood waters or if it is always that funky, but it was positively nauseating at times. Many of the restaurants along the street were either food carts or open air restaurants. I could not FATHOM eating Thai when all I could smell was sewage. SO instead we found solitude and familiarity in McDonalds.

Yes, we traveled a few thousands miles to eat McDonalds. On the bright side, in Thailand, McDonalds makes everything fresh as it was ordered. $3 for a 6 piece nugget, medium fry and a medium Coke, combined with A/C and refuge from the funk...it was a no brainer.

After eating our first official meal in Thailand we hired our first tuk-tuk and headed to the Divana Spa for a much needed massage and relaxation.

The streets are lined with massage parlors, but do your research so that you actually get the kind of massage you want...

Divana was a quaint home, complete with outdoor courtyard and garden. They greeted us with an assortment of fresh fruit and tea, and made us feel at home. We opted for a detoxifying and relaxing couples massage (which I cannot recommend enough when you've traveled as far as we had).

From there we headed to a local tailor to contemplate adding a few custom clothing pieces to our wardrobe....

Before calling it a day!

11/27: Weekend Market The Chatuchak Market, also know as the Weekend Market, was quite possibly my favorite part of Bangkok. That being said, it is worthy of a post all of its own (which I promise will be soon...).

Smarter Than Your Average Bear

We've been in Phuket for a few days now, and will in fact be attempting to head from Phuket to Krabi tomorrow via ferry... But itinerary aside, I had a very interesting conversation with a local today, one worth sharing.

We took a speedboat tour of the Phi Phi islands today (very stereotypical tourist, but still really friggin' cool.). Our tour guide was a young Thai man not much older than I am, I'd say mid-30's at most. While many of the tourists on the trip kept t themselves, I took the opportunity to talk with him.

Turns out, he's been working boat tours for almost 20yrs. He likely left school prematurely when he left his family to move to Phuket and support himself. While not traditionally educated he spoke Thai (obviously), Japanese, Korean and English fluently and is currently working on his Russian. How many of us can say that?

He also, if given the opportunity to talk, had much to say. Most of the people on the oat, either from lack of english or lack of interest, or both, paid no attention to what he had to say. From stories about his past, to how he lives now, to where he was with the tsunami it in 2004, he was a wealth of knowledge. He also wasn't shy about telling you what cultures were the worst to work with. Interesting, very interesting.

Point being, it's easy to become frustrated with cultural differences and language barriers. But it's no easier for those on the other side. And just because you cannot you don't speak the same native language does jot make either superior.

Oh, and you never know when someone is judging your culture, so tread
Iightly!



PS. Wear your sunscreen when near the equator...


- Typos courtesy of my iPad

Phuket

I am finally here.

I have been dreaming about the Andaman Sea and beaches of Thailand since middle school...when Leo romped on the white sands and splashed in the turquoise waters of The Beach.




Not because it was a particularly, or even remotely, good movie mind you, but because it was this amazingly lush and beautiful place. Something that seemed to only exist on a sound stage.

But it was more than Hollywood. It was a real. I put it on my list of places I dreamed to go, but would likely never see.

I cried in 2004 when Phuket was devastated by unprecedented tsunami. And felt my breath Catch earlier this week as a Thai recalled that day almost 7 years ago.




We arrived in Phuket in the middle of the night. I have yet to even see the sandy beaches, but I know they are there.

Chiang Mai was amazing but being here...is a dream come true.






- Typos courtesy of my iPad

A change of plans

We checked out of our hotel Monday with plans of catching a midday train to Autthaya for the night...only, lucky for us, our cab driver asked where we were headed from the train station. Apparently mother nature and her floods were not so kind to the former Capitol of Siam. While the trains had resumed service to Autthaya, many of the sites are closed until further inspection and restoration. Fingers crossed that the outlook is better before we leave Thailand...

There we were, in the back of a cab, checked out of our hotel with luggage in tow, and no place to go. We came on this trip with no set itinerary, expectations, or back-up plans. So with nowhere to go but out of Bangkok, we asked the driver to change course and take us to the airport, where we found a flight to Chiang Mai leaving in 90mins. Did I mention that in Bangkok it is possible to purchase a plane ticket, check baggage, get through security, and book a hotel with time to spare in this situation? Yeah, TSA could learn a thing or two from these people.

An hour flight later we were in Chiang Mai and on our way to our hotel.

I suppose it is worth mentioning here that while it is very possible to stay cheap in Thailand, thus far we have chosen not to. By American standards the places we've stayed have been very very reasonable, but we have not made the foray into $15/night guesthouses yet. We were advised by multiple people that Bangkok is not the place to skimp as it is, to put it mildly, so hit or miss. What can I say, it's out honeymoon.

We checked into our hotel in the old city of Chiang Mai, rested a bit, and ate a late early dinner. By this time it was just passing from dusk to dark and we decided to take a walk to see the neighborhood.

A few short blocks later we noticed that trailing across the sky were a dozens paper lanterns. As we got closer we heard fireworks which appeared to be coming from a temple down the road. We followed the fireworks and lanterns to the gated yard of the temple where inside were a few dozen Buddhist monks and students, intermixed with other locals and some tourists.



Unsure if this was a private ceremony or not we hovered awkwardly until a middle-aged American couple invited us in. In turns out this couple spends any where from 4-12weeks in Chiang Mai yearly for business, a business I am quite curious to know more about, and considered this their "home" temple.

The locals were celebrating something, which I did not catch, by sending lanterns into the sky. As far as I can understand, the release of the lanterns is symbolic of sending away or letting go of the bad. A sort of cleansing. The Thais, who are also a superstitious lot, will release the lanterns with a firework* attached to scare of ghosts.







While I do not typically wax profane, or even consider myself a sentimental person, this ritual was one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced. The children of all ages playing with lanterns and running through the lot. The joy and calm of the monks. The intrigue of the tourists. It was magical to say the least.



*The lantern I released had a firework attached, that when the monk lit it, I almost peed my pants...


- Typos courtesy of my iPad

Chatuchak Weekend Market

My second sleep in Bangkok was not nearly as solid as the first, but I didn't wake up with a vicious drug hangover either. I suppose there are trade offs.

We wandered down Th Suhkumvit in search of breakfast...and found ourselves back at McDonalds. The problem I have with the steer vendors and open air restaurants on Th Suhkumvit is that it smells so friggin bad. I don't even know How to describe the street smells, but I find myself fighting back the urge to toss my Pad Thai just about every time we are outside in Bangkok. I don't know if all of Bangkok is this stinky or if we landed ourselves in a seedy part of town. Either way, I cannot wait to get out of Bangkok.

Anyways. McDonalds. McNuggets. Don't judge. If it makes a difference, they make everything fresh when you order it here...and the fountain Coke is legitimate real sugar Coke.

After breakfast/brunch we wandered the streets a bit before recruiting a tuk tuk to take us to the market. Interestingly enough, the first tuk tuk driver we spoke to told us the market was underwater...but offered to take us on a tour of the nearby sites for 150TB. It seemed a little odd so we declined, much to his protesting, and walked to a nearby cab.

Turns out, the market, not flooded.

Side note...Thus far my experience with the people of Bangkok is that they are not nearly as friendly or as helpful as the guidebooks would have you believe. But I suppose that would be like people judged the US based on the behavior of NY cabbies.

Back to the Chatuchak Weekend Market. The market itself seems to wrap around an indoor shopping center, which I could not tell you if it was open all week. I can however tell you it's air conditioned. We wandered the outdoor market for probably 2hrs in the 90degree heat before seeking shelter of the AC.

Outside the vendors ranged from antique Chinese furniture, to puppies, to clothing, and everything in between. There was likely a plan to the layout, but I couldn't tell you what it is. Each area seemed to have its own "food court" of sorts serving up all of the local fares.

It was hot, sometimes stinky, crowded...and fascinating.


Chestnuts roasting over an open fire...


Thai corn on the cob?
I cannot believe W passed this up.


Amazing fabrics


Beads sold by the strand or weight.



Shoes...some new, some used.




All of the latest in Thai fashion.


A HUGE fish section.


Inside we indulged in ice cream from a "traditional" American ice cream shop.





Later today we will attempt to navigate the Thai train system and make our way to Auytthaya, the ancient capitol Siam. It's another balmy day here...and the train to Autthaya isn't air conditioned. It could be a very long ride.

- Blogging from my iPad

Bangkok He Said, So Bangkok She Did...

Hey-o!

Can you tell my travel insomnia has set in...?

After almost 30miserably long hours of travel, we arrived in Bangkok around midnight Friday night/Saturday morning (11am Friday for those of you playing along at home). Except for a bit of a language barrier at immigration, as in she spoke no English and I spoke no Thai, our first trip through the airport was blissfully uneventful. Our luggage even made it here unscathed (thank you Delta!).

We hopped a cab and headed over to our hotel, which was just off of Th Sukhumvit. We are spending our first few nights in a Radisson...can you guess who booked that? Somebody, aka W, was giddy like a school girl when he saw that Bangkok had Radisson hotels just like back home. Ok, whatever.

My initial observation as we navigated our way to the hotel was that we must be staying in a seedy part of time, but in the daylight I've come to believe that's just Bangkok. But I'll come back to that.

Our room was spacious, air conditioned and clean, so I have no real complaints. We settled in, climbed into bed around 2am, and much like a fine Calgon soak, we let Ambien take us away. As a side note, I had to BEG and plead with my dr for a very small allotment of Ambien for the trip. For our 20 day trip I was able to finagle 5, which was after a visit to the dr and 3 phone calls. W, on the other hand, made one quick call and was set up with enough drugs to put down a herd of elephants. For a month. WTF?

Anyways...I woke up Saturday morning around 8am initially to the sound of construction. Awesome. Luckily I was just drugged enough to pass back out for another 2hrs. When I woke up at 10 I felt like I had the worst hangover of my life. Seriously wretched. I don't know if it was the Ambien, the travel, dehydration or all three, but I thought I was dying. All I could think about was how badly I wanted a Diet Coke the size of my head. We showered and wandered down the street to the convenience store...only to find no recognizable soda. We snagged a few water and kept on walking. At the next convenience store I found Coke, but no diet. I've come to surmise that they just don't have Diet Coke in Thailand, which unfortunately means I could never live here. Their loss!

We decided to wander the street markets on Th Sukhumvit a bit in search of palatable food. Coincidently, wandering the streets of Bangkok was not what this hungover girl needed. It smells like a mix of leftovers gone bad and pee. Or perhaps that someone peed in your questionable leftovers. Barf. Also note, that in modest culture that won't allow women into some temples an other such things, it is perfectly acceptable to sell religious tchotchkes, knock off DVDs, and dildos from your cart. On the street corner. In plain daylight. And apparently Viagra is OTC here. Bizarre.

After navigating several blocks of street markets, I spied what I do believe saved my first day in Bangkok. McDonalds. Let me tell you, those McNuggets were pure magic. Turns out that the hangover curing powers of McDonalds' greasy, salty goodness is universal.

So yes, I am telling you that our first meal in Bangkok was McDonalds. And I'm ok with that.

Stay classy San Diego.

Three Things Thursday

Thailand Edition

1. For better or worse, come hell or high water (too soon...?), our airfare has bee purchased. We waited too long to nab the best of deals, but came in under our max, which is promising. On Thanksgiving day we start the 23hr trip to Bangkok....and don't head back to the good ol' US of A until December 13 (19 whole days!!!).

1 1/2. If you all note in your calendars to make sure we make it back on December 14th that would be excellent. Check the blog, stalk me on Twitter, peruse my facepage, shoot me a text, or perhaps stop by (if you're in the area), just please make sure we're alive and on US soil. If not, please contact the US Embassy.

2. Now that the tickets are purchased, I'm actually getting, um, nervous. All this time I've been cavalier and bold. I've talked the game of a season traveler, of an adventure seeker. But now that the proverbial ball is in motion I'm wondering what I've gotten us into.

I've wanted this to be a low-budget, backpacking adventure, with maybe a touch of luxury along the way. I wanted to arrive in Bangkok with little more than our backpacks, a fistful of Bahts, and nothing but time. Sure we'd have a checklist of things to see and our dog-eared LonelyPlanet guidebooks to help us get there, but other that it was a game of wait and see.

But now I'm wondering if this fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants plan is really such a good idea....

3. Then there's all the unknowns. Like, can I find vegetarian food? Will anyone understand us? Will the flood waters be down? Or, will we be able to find potable water? What if one of us get sick? What if, what if, what if.... But isn't all these what if's and unknowns that make it an adventure?