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Published: April 5th 2008
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Team Canada is
never going to complain about cold weather again. Not even if we find ourselves sitting naked on ice cubes in Siberia during a snow storm.
Thailand is
unbelievably hot! The kind of hot where your skin is instantly sticky with just the thought of going outside... where we both have permana-fro's (especially Trevor)... where we take three showers a day just to "refresh". It is crazy, and definitely unlike any place we have been thus far!
Upon arrival in Bangkok on March 14th, we were overwhelmed by two things right away: the first was the humidity - it greets you like an unwelcome dog slobbering on your face, and the second was just how many people there are! "Personal Space" is apparently a thing of the past!
Bangkok is an interesting, interesting city. It is the city that never sleeps! Our confession is that we were both feeling rundown and exhausted from playing tourist in Europe, and so we didn't do a single "touristy" or sightseeing thing in the full week we were here. Jet leg threw us through a loop - we slept a lot during the day and went out at night --
The Skewer Man
He was a favorite -- for 10 Baht a stick, they are amazing! but didn't mind at all because the temperature drops at night! Not significantly, but enough so that we at least had the allusion of breathing fresh air rather than the hot recycled stuff that feels like it just came from someone else's mouth.
Our most favorite thing so far has been the food! Pad thai, fresh fruit, coconut curry, meat skewers, sticky rice and mangos ... it's all available on the street 24 hrs a day and for pennies! For the week that we were in Bangkok, we spent a lot of time just wandering around. We explored a bit via the sky train and taxis -- anything that offered us even 10 minutes of air conditioned bliss was worth the adventure.The best adventure of Bangkok Round One (because we know we'll be back), was the legendary tuk tuk ride home.
Tuk tuks are little motorbike turned taxi things that Thailand has become famous for -- partly for their charm and zoomability through the crowded streets, and then also for the experience of "the scam". The scam goes like this: a tuk tuk driver offers you a ride for 10 Baht (about 30 Canadian cents), and along the
way suddenly remembers a fantastic jewel, silk, or tailor shop that he just
knows we are going to love. The deal is that he works on commission with said shop: if we buy, he gets a cut. If we don't, but spend 10 minutes looking around the shop, he will get a coupon for 5L of gas.
Having heard about this adventure in both the Lonely Planet and from other backpackers, we felt it was almost a "rite of passage" into Thailand. Word on the street is that the sales pressure is unbelievably intense in these places, but 6 months on the road and our newly acquired skill sets of being both unabashedly cheap and ruthlessly stubborn gave us the impression we could hold our own. Curiosity got the best of us and we gave it a shot. What an experience it was!!
We were taken to a "Custom Thai Taylor" (interestingly run entirely by Bangladeshis). Wow, do they ever have a system! First, we were schmoozled. They told us how fantastic Canada is, and their sister's-uncle's-mother's-best friend's-neighbour's-dentist lives in Vancouver, and that one day soon, they also hope to visit. Step two is the divide and conquer.
Street Vendor Spring Rolls
Another favorite: 3 spring rolls for 25 Baht (not even a dollar). Trevor and I were carted off to different parts of the store. The sales pitch begins quite friendly and light hearted, but after twenty minutes or so, step three kicks in. This is where the rabid dogs are unleashed and the whole adventure becomes a shit show.
We each tried to be polite but firm, explained we weren't making any rushed commitments, and asked for a quote so we could think about things. No go. Their tactics switched quickly from flattery to coersion to downright bullying, "You buy right now! Tommorrow never come! Why you need to talk? Talk now! You waste our time?!" On and on and on it went. Little did they know, this was
not our first rodeo (awesome Columbian swindling experience anyone??) and we were both totally prepared to just stand our ground. Eventually we told them we could not be forced into anything and left. No huge commission for our tuk tuk driver, but he did get his gas coupon and we still got an insanely cheap ride home. Rite of passage complete.
That is about it for Bangkok. We plan to return to "really" do the city at some point, but for
Khao San Rd
Most popular and well known road among backpackers. It's a total tourist trap, but we loved it! now are abandoning ship. We are in pursuit for the perfect beach and some serious resting and relaxation. This backpacking around the world thing is hard work. We need a break!
Happy Travels!
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