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Published: October 19th 2009
Juan and Paco
Now reunited in SE Asia. Watch out! The mule's been known to charge strangers on public transit systems.Meet Clark Davis, my most recent travel buddy on this little trip abroad. Clark is officially the third to join me on this trip. First Dad, then Northy, now Clark. I know; it seems as though the level of maturity and self respect has fallen since the beginning. But don't worry; we're both being equally horrible influences on each other. He's a stand up guy, and although we've only known each other for a few years, we get along pretty well. He's also documenting this lil' trip on his own blog. Visit www.mytb.org/hey-its-clark for his side of the story. His sophmore entry is impressive, telling of his journalistic prowess. But then again, don't believe everything he says about me. some stories may be embellished, partially false, or entirely fabricated.
I'll take you on a journey starting in Bangkok, then through the ancient capital of Ayuthaya.
The first few moments in Bangkok were hectic. I had all the symptoms of culture shock. sweaty palms, no communication skills, 'tourist' stamped on my forehead. And I was all alone; At least for the day. I arrived in the city almost a day ahead if Mr. Davis, so I had a few hours
Bangkok Mailbox
Eventually we'd be headed to 'other places' on our travels to survive before he showed up. I arrived at HQ hostel on Silom Soi 3. It was a great location deep inside the central business district, and steps away from the infamous Patpong night bazaar. We chose to stay away from the backpacking mecca on Ko San Road, but before leaving we would stop by there for a drink and a wander. I had a refreshing Skype call with Andy and Gran as soon as I turned on the computer after dropping all of my stuff on the hostel floor. You might think I have a technologically advanced granny... And I do. Andy happened to be on the phone to her when I logged on, and through a computer screen and a telephone I was connecting with her. It was awesome. After ensuring her that the call was entirely free for me, I was allowed to chat with her and grandad for a few precious minutes. I threw my stuff on my bed and locked away all the important things and at the same time met Oat (pronounced Oh-at). He was a local from just outside Bangkok who had previously worked in Germany. He seemed pretty well travelled and genuinely
honest, so after introducing myself I had a local showing me around the city. We wandered down the street a few meters and stepped into this tiny restaurant. It was my first authentic Thai meal. Since I didn't know the language, Oat ordered for me. Maybe I put too much trust in this little guy, but it was a decent meal. I couldn't tell you what it was, but it was tasty... and for what I paid for it was incredible. I think the meal was only 60 baht, which is the bargain basement price. Oat gave me a quick tour of two malls side by side; In one, legitimate brand name stores were trying to make some sales. On the top floor there were BMW, Lambourgini and Lotus stores displaying some of their latest models. I ran into Thomas the Tank Engine and said hi to him for Nate and Malcolm. And Andy. In the next mall over called MBK, you could buy anything you wanted, any brand for a fraction of the price. It was all ripped off goods, and I couldn't help but buy a few things. I'm not exactly proud of it, but it was impossible
Lambourghini on top floor
Out of my price range by a few hundred thousand baht. to resist. And I don't even like shopping. Two pairs of ripped off ray-ban sunglasses cost me 300 baht, or around $10. One of the pairs were meant for Clark as a welcome to Asia gift, but it turns out I've been wearing them far more often... I headed towards the airport using my limited navigation skills on the light rail transit system after parting ways with Oat on the platform. Thankfully the station names were in Thai and English, so there weren't that many problems. The plan was to greet Clark at the airport. So, in true form, I made a sign reading "Juan", big enough to read from five hundred meters away. The nickname comes from a Halowe'en we spent as the Columbian coffee guy, Juan, and his mule, Paco. It was an epic night and the names have stuck. I stood amongst the taxi and bus drivers with passengers names on them at the arrivals gate. I kept an eye out for the arrival of the flight, and it seemed as if I was right on time. Half an hour passed. Clark must have been held up in customs. An hour passed. Clark must have lost his
Lotus
how'd it get in there? luggage. An hour and a half passes. my arms are getting tired now, and the customs agents are probably putting on the rubber gloves. Two hours pass. Exhausted, I give up, and hope Clark survives the night's sleep in a Thai jail... I had no clue where he was. I left on a bus that costs me 150 baht to get back to the hostel, and it was getting dark. After sitting anxiously in traffic for about forty five minutes, the bus driver kicked me out at Patpong near the night market. I had a city map, but was totally turned around. Surprise surprise, I was lost... I ended up walking in the wrong direction through the night market and was approached by more than a few Thai guys offering me xxx dvds, ping pong shows and fake Rolex's. I was tempted only by the watch offer, but all I really wanted was to get back to the hostel. After about forty five minutes of being hopelessly lost I stumbled on to the hostel patio and wandered up the few flights of stairs to my room, only to find a note on the door from the prodigal roommate. Clark's flight
MBK
Where the real fun began. Bargain central. actually arrived early and was in the hostel catching up on some sleep since I left Oat on the train platform. I collapsed in bed disappointed I couldn't use my 'Juan' name card. Clark woke me up at midnight for a quick hello. It was great to see him alive and well. A cigar, a few magazines, sunglasses and a tour t-shirt were exchanged before we both passed out for the night.
Over the next few days, Clark and I went on a Bangkok rampage. The first stop was to check out the biggest reclining Buddha in Bangkok at Wat Po. It was very impressive. If that wasn't the highlight, then having a monk bless us was. After checking out the reclining buddha, Clark and I discussed our travel habits. One of his was that sometimes he gets taken for a ride sometimes. No isn't always his answer, and at points, he might lead us down some path that might end up with us spending more money than we anticipated. At points, he said, he was gullible. Before I could say "Dude! Me too!", a Thai man approached us and asked us to follow him inside. We enthusiastically followed
Water Taxi
from Bangkok central to Wat Po him into a monk's home. Inside we're greeted by the monk and sat down in two chairs. He saw the Canadian flags on our bags and listed off a few Canadian cities, I'm assuming to make us feel more comfortable or at home. It seemed everyone trying to get some of our money knew of at least three Canadian cities, usually starting with Montreal. I'm sure he's met guys like us before. A few short moments later, we were in the middle of a monk blessing. Our heads were bowed and water was being thrown at us. It was refreshing on such a hot day. Another moment passed, and we found ourselves outside the building with the door quietly but quickly closing behind us, and we were a thousand baht poorer. We'd been had by a monk. And really, in that situation, the only thing we could do was laugh. The temple grounds were truly impressive, and we took some great shots of the grounds before leaving. The tile roofs got our attention, as well as the hundreds of Buddha images all around us. It was a hot day, so after our first temple visit we took some refuge in
a bustling little restaurant a few hundred meters away, just around the corner from Koh San Road.
Koh San is where most backpackers choose to stay while in Bangkok. It was a little nuts. During the day the street was packed with people and stores selling cheesy t-shirst, belts, suits and trinkets. We weren't sure what was on the menu but we picked something, and we were not disappointed. We were offered a few tuk tuk rides which we politely declined. So far we have not visited a tailor's shop to buy a suit, which I've heard is an issue for some people here... we just decided it would be better to avoid those guys in Bangkok for now.
The next day we ended up visiting MBK again. It was Clark's first time, but I was a seasoned veteran at this point. We were on the hunt for some cheap t-shirts and a tripod for Clark's camera. He found one easily for only a few dollars, and I found my t-shirts. We had one of our weaker moments that day though. Somehow, wandering through the mall and on the streets we couldn't find a decent thai restaurant. I
Horse and owner
in Miniature on Wat Po grounds know... They're all over the place, but we still couldn't get to one. We were exhausted and hungry, and the only option at the time was the Outback Steakhouse. It was embarrassing, but we had a meal in there. It was very strange. We looked out the window to my left and there was Bangkok. I looked to the right and in front of me, and I was eating chicken fingers in some steakhouse in the middle of Australia. After quickly finishing our meals we promised ourselves that we would never do that again. Oh... and we also ate some McDonalds and Clark had a Starbucks, but we won't talk about that. Honestly though, the best food by far is from the little stands and local restaurants and we honestly feel silly eating at these large chains. KFC's are all over the place here as well, which boggles my mind. thankfully we haven't had a meal there.
Nightlife in Bangkok for us was great fun. Oat, Clark and I went to a Muay Thai fight one night. What an experience that was. It cost us a thousand baht, which was a little steep, but if you were a local,
it cost you just four hundred baht. I didn't really appreciate the discrimination, but didn't argue fearing a sharp knee to the gut or elbow to the temple... Inside we bought a few beers and sat down with a great view to the ring. Muay Thai is intense. Most of the scoring is done with a knee to the opponents ribcage. And every knee threw the crowd into a frenzy. They'd scream "Knee!" when one connected. You could strike with any part of the body except for the head, and the pre-fight dances were impressive. During the fight there was distinct music playing in the background, and bets from the crowd were never ending. I wondered how much money was riding on these guys. I read in the Lonely Planet that there are something like 60,000 full time fighters in Thailand. And they're revered. The crowd goes nuts watching these guys fight, including us. We were intrigued by the sport so much, that later on in the trip we'd get more actively involved with the sport...
After the fight we went through yet another night market to a big courtyard where you could grab some local food and enjoy
a song and dance routine on a massive stage. Some of the choreographed moves we saw on that stage might be replicated in a bar or club near you. They were classic. Clark who was feeling a little ill headed home a little earlier than I did. I urged him to stay and come with us for another drink, not knowing exactly where Oat would be taking me next. He seemed harmless, but something wasn't right... As Clark headed one direction Oat led me in another to 'his favourite bar'. We got there and it wasn't exactly my scene... Men were cuddling, holding hands and canoodling as Oat waved and winked to all the bar staff, who apparently were all his best friends. It was the friendly neighbourhood gay club and this was where Oat took all his new friends and that scared me A LOT. After I insisted on only one drink, three more mysteriously appeared, and I was getting more uncomfortable as the time passed. I tried to look for a rescue, but any help was at the hostel sleeping off some sickness. I smiled at a girl down the row, and felt relieved she was there until
Bigger Buddha
And two Canadians realizing it was a really sneaky lady boy. Oh boy... I don't think it could have gotten much worse. As soon as Oat was finished his drinks I was quick to leave to the safety of the hostel. I barely survived the night as I wondered how I got myself in that situation.
Another night took us through the crazy world of Pat Pong. It's Bangkok's Red Light District if you will, and we were there for one reason, and one reason only. The Ping Pong show. I will spare you most details because this is a 'PG' blog. But what some people can do with their body truly amazes me. We came out of the bar with a certain look of disgusted bewilderment on our faces, and half our dignity. We were happy to have gone, but it's truly a once in a lifetime experience. the strange thing to me was seeing who else was watching the stage act. Over our left shoulder there was this older Indian family enjoying a few drinks, and looking at the stage stunned. Later on two younger couples came in to see what all the fuss was about. And I learned something
about myself that day as well. When there's soda water, bananas or ping pong balls flying towards me, I have surprisingly quick reflexes. Enough said. Later on that night Oat would take us out to a bar on Ko San Road, then to a local's hang out after hours. It cost us a bottle to get through the door, and once inside we were the obvious minority. We were having a good night until we realized that every local girl in there was after our money. They were working girls, and even though our new friend Oat was encouraging us to partake we stayed far away. We saw some of Oat's true colours that night; it seemed as though he might have been a sneaky little Thai pimp. When the sun rose, we were out of the bar, and headed home. The day would be for travelling north to the old capital of Ayuthaya.
We travelled by train from the Hualamphong Station to get there. The day of travel started late because of the night before, so Clark and I munched on some snacks before getting on the train. It was the cheapest transportation we've done yet. It was
only fifteen baht to get ninety kilometers to Ayuthaya. The train ride was great. We were the only Westerners on it, and the scenery was worth the time it took to get to the old capital. Once there we got off the train (Clark barely got off a moving train headed further north), and went on a misguided wander towards a guesthouse after taking a short ferry across the river. Ayuthaya's central core is surrounded by a moat. After a great meal and a quiet night, we spent the next day on bicycles touring the dozens of temples around the city. These were old and impressive structures. Most of them had been destroyed hundreds of years ago by the Burmese. Since then, most of the sites have been protected by the World Heritage Committee (UNESCO), and declared a "World Cultur4al Heritage" in 1981. the two most impressive Wat's (temples) were Wat Mahathat and a massive one called Wat Chaiwatthanaram. It was there where we began the "Where's Brooksie?" game. Check out Clark's blog, and if you can spot me in all the pictures I'll be sure to get you a nice little trinket for your trouble. There will be more
Three stooges
Clark, the infamous Oat and myself. Soaked from the torrential rain outside. "Where's Brooksie?" pictures to come, so stay tuned for those. I'm like Waldo, but better... and without the cool hat.
Ayuthaya was a refreshing break from Bangkok, but we'd have to pass through again to make our way down south towards the islands. It was only the beginning of our adventure, and there was plenty more to come. But there's only so much time to write these things, so I'll update you on the rest of our trip.
It's been epic, and I'm looking forward to updating you on it.
Bye for now!
Geoff
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