Bangkok and a rendezvous with an old friend

---

Our flight from Beijing to Bangkok took off at 3am and despite a few hours of interrupted sleep on the plane, by the time we touched down I felt as though I hadn't slept a wink. Dazed and bleary-eyed, we grabbed a taxi to our hotel. We were staying at iCheck Inn, a brand new budget hotel just off Silom Road. We'd struck gold as it was offering an opening promotion. As we waited for the room to be cleaned, Sonya and I went looking for breakfast. We found a food market a couple of streets away and picked up some fresh pineapple and papaya, as well as some banana cake. The breakfast was so cheap we were giddy with excitement. It was a relief to be in South East Asia after the last few budget busting months in China, Australia and New Zealand.

We returned to hotel to catch up on our night of lost sleep. By the the time we awoke it was dark outside and we were ready for dinner. Sonya was eager to try some authentic Thai food and we stopped at a restaurant the hotel had recommended called Silom Village. The place was a bit of tourist trap, with traditional dancing and stick fighting performances but nevertheless, the food did not disappoint. Our stir fried seafood dish was very tasty and the Thai green curry was so feisty it made your nose run - certainly authentic! As we left the rain was pouring down, as it so often does in Bangkok in August, we decided to save our exploring for a drier night and head back to the hotel.

The next day, we were up and out early to visit the Grand Palace - a complex of temples and the official residence of the king of Thailand. A ten minute hop on the river ferry and just a short walk from the pier, we reached the entrance but the hoards of Asian package tour holidaymakers had descended. As we entered Sonya was accosted by a security officer. He shook his head disapprovingly at her shorts and leggings combination. She read earlier you had to cover your knees and shoulders to visit the temple but it seemed skin hugging leggings were a no-no. We were directed to another queue to hire some appropriate attire. It was long and the crowds made us restless. We decided to give the Grand Palace a miss and to try another day, perhaps even earlier or in the late afternoon. Instead we made our way to the Corrections Museum, a former prison building which now chronicles the history of crime and punishment in Thailand. Inside we took a tour of the cell block, experiencing the cramped living conditions as well as seeing some of punishments used by guards. It was quite brutal. Amongst them was a large wicker ball, the caption described how prisoners would be confined in the wooden spherical cage which was lined with nails inside. Then the guards would take the prisoner outside to be kicked around by working elephants! As part of the tour we went to another building which outlined the various methods used to execute prisoners through history. There were a series of graphic and gory illustrations in the foyer depicting some of the older, more inhume methods. These included being burnt alive, cutting off chunks of the prisoners flesh, frying it and feeding it to them, stoning to death and many other gruesome examples. Upstairs documented the more modern execution techniques of use of firing squad, decapitation by a sword and lethal injection. It was a fascinating visit but something not for the faint hearted.

Next we went to Wat Pho, a temple complex famous for its huge reclining Buddha. Thankfully Wat Pho was considerably less crowded than the nearby Grand Palace. We walked around the complex admiring the various temple buildings and statues which were detailed and elegant. Many of them had intricate mosaics or were covered in gold and gems. We took lots of pictures and marvelled at the gleaming golden Buddha lay on its side. It was so big though I couldn't fit it all in one shot. After we returned to Silom and grabbed a lunch of Pad Thai from a little street vendor. This is a favourite dish of travellers with noodles, crushed peanuts, bean-sprouts, tofu and your choice of meat, seafood or vegetable. It's popularity might have something to do with its lack of chilli - as the majority of Thai cuisine contains a handful of chilli, the more palatable Pad Thai is usually sold everywhere westerners go.

That evening we had a stroll around the nearby Patpong night market which sold all kinds of counterfeit goods and souvenirs. Sonya was on the look out for some gifts but didn't like any of the fake stuff. Again and again we were approached by people asking if we'd like to go to a 'ping pong show'. Sonya took a look at a card one guy put in front of her - she looked shocked then she burst out laughing. There were some weird and bizarre other offerings which made the ping pong show seem quite run of the mill. Initially we thought a ping pong show may be funny and worth a look but Patpong was so seedy neither of us felt comfortable with the idea. For dinner we ate at a little street vendor with plastic tables and chairs that lined the road. It was very popular, the prices were cheap and the food was tasty. Back in Patpong we found a street with a lot of bars so sat down for a drink. We began to people watch and soak up our surroundings. There were a lot of guys here, I thought. The waiters were very friendly, touching my arm while taking our order and it was then we realised we were in the middle of a gay strip. Old western men sat with overly affectionate Thai guys that were half their age. It was a little creepy so after one drink we called it a night.

Day three in Bangkok and it was time to shop. The backpack I had left home with and that had served me so well since my first round the world trip aged 18, was a wreck. Despite Sonya's efforts, sowing patches onto the ever growing rips and tears it was time to get a new bag. We visited the MBK shopping centre, a five storey complex of shops, restaurants and lines of market stores. We spent hours looking in the various stalls, haggling and buying a few things. I eventually found a new rucksack as well before we left late in afternoon. That evening we had another walk to Patpong market where I picked up a Banksy print t-shirt I'd seen the day before. We ate at the same street food vendor and again were not disappointed. No time for drinks though on that evening as we had to pack and be up early the following morning.

The next day we were off to see my old friend Wes who was living in Pattaya. Wes and I first came to Thailand together back in 2006, at the start of my gap year. Since then he had been living on and off in Thailand and was now teaching english in a local school. It was a two or three hour bus ride to Pattaya and we slept most of the way. Wes picked us up on arrival with Lin, his girlfriend. Lin drove us to a seaside cafe where we chatted and caught up over a latte. It was nice to finally meet Lin and to catch up with Wes and hear about his life here in Thailand. Later that afternoon, after we'd dropped our things off at Wes and Lin's apartment, Lin drove the four of us out of the chaotic city to Silverlake wine and grill - a nice restaurant overlooking a vineyard and lake. The food was delicious and we treated ourselves to some tasty cocktails. We took a stroll through the vineyard and by the lake, taking pictures as the sun was setting. After venturing back to Pattaya, there were more cocktails on the agenda as we stopped at a bar by the sea. Then Lin, who makes her own jewellery and sells it at a popular market, had to go back to help pack away the stall. Sonya was keen to have a look and Lin proceed to give her about a dozen pieces - necklaces, bracelets, anklets.

The following day we were back to Bangkok to catch our train south as we headed for the islands of the Gulf of Thailand. Before we left Pattaya, Sonya and I had time to visit central, a large shopping centre and have lunch with Wes and Lin at a local restaurant. It was sad saying goodbye, our time with them was over so soon but it was great nonetheless. Our time in Bangkok and with Wes and Lin had been a brilliant start to our time in Thailand. Now we were both eager to find a beautiful, quiet beach and to continue to enjoy the flavours of Thai cuisine.

---