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Published: December 11th 2007
On the Boat
The best way to get to the palace area from our hostel is to take the train to the end, then jump on a water taxi. After we figured it out it was rather easy.It was actually three nights but that doesn't make a good title.
And we are going back for more, out of necessity for the most part (we'll get to that) but also to do some shopping. Here is the story:
On our arrival in Bangkok airport (it seemed like an eternity since we left Cape Town!) we were surprised at how nice the airport was... clean, modern, easy to navigate, friendly and so on. After clearing customs, finding a bathroom, and pulling some Baht out of an ATM we were ready to negotiate a taxi fare to the hostel we had booked. Well, there wasn't much negotiation. Unlike in the US where the passenger stands in line for the taxi, at the Bangkok airport the taxi drivers stand in a line for you. You go to the desk, work out your price based on where you are going, and take the receipt to the line where the taxi drivers fight over who gets to take you. That was my impression, anyway. It could have been fighting over who HAS to take us, but it was very civilized.
Our taxi driver spoke little English (apparently 40% of people in
Long Live the King
Shrines to the king were all over the city in honor of his birthday. BKK speak English, but with taxi drivers it is more like 10%... I guess that's why you negotiate with the woman at the desk...), but we were able to communicate enough to learn that we had arrived on a public holiday, the king's birthday. Thai people are very patriotic and seem to ADORE their king. This also happens to be father's day (mother's day is celebrated on the queen's birthday). He also told us that everyone wears yellow (he called it orange, but based on what we saw, clearly yellow.), which I thought was just some airport uniform. Good thing he told us because we might have thought it was some city-wide dress code or something.
Our hostel was nice and the owner was fantastic. The room wasn't ready (we were pretty early) so we took a nap on the rooftop garden, basking in the peacefulness that, in a city as big as BKK, could only be found on a public holiday. We had some lunch in a bit of a westernized place, but the pad Thai was still fantastic. The hostel owner said we should go to the birthday celebration that night, and that if we wanted dinner
Outside the Palace
The streets were JAM PACKED outside the palace, and we deduced there would be a parade or something shortly, so we nudged our way into the crowd. An hour and a half later the caravan arrived. he would tell us which street vendor to go to. But first we wanted to celebrate.
We took the Sky Train, which is pretty new, all the way to the end, and then headed over to the water taxi to take the boat to the palace. It was easy to follow all of the yellow-shirted Asians, and the water taxi was full, like 200-people-on-a-little-boat full, with people going to the festivities. Again, when we got off we just followed the crowd. We exited the dock into a jam-packed market selling everything you could ever eat, and a lot that you WOULD NEVER eat (still haven't figured out if the flat things on a stick are chickens or lizards). We have learned that markets are it here. There are markets for anything and everything (food, cheap crap, lumber, textiles, everything in one...), and for the most part no one hounds you to buy stuff. Walking down the sidewalk is like a middle school obstacle course, the one with the tires, as you dodge around people laying on the ground, selling, begging, or eating lunch.
ANYWAY, the party. We had NO IDEA what was planned for this shindig (and it's
Sea of Yellow
Apparently the official color of the king's birthday is yellow. Fortunately our taxi driver from the airport clued us in, or I would have thought it was some sort of uniform in Thailand. not a touristy thing, so you won't find signs in English explaining the timetable for the days events), but it was pretty obvious there would soon be a parade down a certain street. There were a lot of people, all looking expectantly in one direction... you know what a parade looks like right before it starts, I don't have to explain. Since it was crowded we figured it must be starting soon so we found ourselves a place to stand (which soon became other people's place to stand as well, and it was HOT.) and waited. And waited. Like an HOUR later, after we had sweat straight through everything we were wearing and our noses had gotten used to the funky smell of a close crowd on a summer's day, the police escort arrived with about 10 cars in a caravan, one of which must have contained the king because everyone was suddenly very excited. And then it was over.
With a massive sea of people we crowded our way towards what seemed like a park. During the journey I suddenly understood how people die in crowds from trampling; surge forward, stand your ground, hope the mob doesn't keep
One for the Barn
This is a neon I wish I could bring home to dad. surging. Chris kept a little kid in front of him, I kept a death grip on Chris' shirt, and on either side of me two little old ladies did the same. We emerged triumphant and possibly sweatier, then tried to figure out the method to the madness in the park. Once we got much too far away from the street where the caravan drove, the actual parade started! We could hear but only barely see the marching bands, flag wavers, hordes of yellow shirted people... we wandered some more, somehow ended up in the park with our very own yellow candles (I guess we light them and sing Happy Birthday?) and found a patch of grass with only a row of cars protecting us from the masses of fireworks on the lawn in front of us. And we waited. And waited. We were so tired and jet lagged from the journey that we eventually gave up our waiting and decided to go back to the boat and go home.
The boats stopped running. So, we will walk. Though there was no shortage of taxi and tuk tuk drivers offering us a ride, we thought we would see some of
The Caravan
There is the king... see him? I'm not actually SURE it's the king, but one of the cars had him in there. I think. People made a lot of noise anyway. the city. Sidenote: a tuk tuk is a motorcycle with a spot on the back for up to, i don't know, 6 people? Funny little things. The drivers are pretty shady and you MUST decide on the fare before getting in. I think they are called tuk tuks because they take take your money. Sorry.
Eventually we found ourselves wandering the streets of Bangkok, intermittently joining neighborhood celebrations for the king. The national anthem was in full swing at one, so we stopped and the lady next to me offered me her candle. I pulled out my own and we sang (she sang, I smiled) together. It was a nice moment, and then we continued trying to navigate our way back. Oh, and the fireworks started. We watched them between some trees and buildings and moved on. After finding ourselves down some scary looking, sparsely populated street, we gave up and took a taxi. We NEVER could have walked it, especially with how tired we were and that it was dark.
When we got back to the hostel the owner directed us to the best street vendor for Pad Thai near our hostel, and according to the signs
Candles for Everyone
When we got off the water taxi people were selling candles, which we thought might come into play later in the night. Good thing we didn't buy any because people were handing them out by the handful in their excitement. We still don't know what was going on when they were lit, and thankfully the king himself didn't have to blow them all out. on the stand, the best one in the city. We ate there the next two nights for dinner, and have yet to eat Pad Thai as wonderful as that.
The second day we journeyed to the Australian embassy (after sleeping in... this is the first jet lag we have had to deal with since arriving in Paris!) and gave them my passport for processing. It was freaky to leave my passport with someone and walk away, but it had to be done! Hence the necessary return to Bangkok... can't leave the country without the papers! And it is a good excuse to re-visit the market, which I am getting to (I'll hurry up the process here). We spent the rest of the day wandering around the city.
Day three: The Temple and the palace. I could talk about this place forever, but look at the pictures, and if you want the history, just google Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The Emerald Buddha is perhaps the most important religious icon for the Thai people, and even though he is only a small statue, maybe a foot and a half, two feet tall, it is an impressive sight. And as
Monks
I love monks, and I love that on the water taxi and on the subway there are signs asking you not to stand in a particular place because it is "Space for Monks." Chris just pointed out it is the largest carving in a single piece of jade in the world. He says 63 cm by 48cm, but can't remember the depth. Check your facts before spreading that rumor, but that's what he remembers.
Our last day in Bangkok was spent sleeping in (again), packing, storing stuff in the locker at the hostel, and SHOPPING. I will post later about the market, but for you Australians it is 30-40 times bigger than Queen Victoria market, and for you Americans, this place is the Mall of America, Thai market style. We will return there and spend some money before we go.
We have spent the last few days in Phuket, Patong Beach, which is a beach town crawling with tourists and all the pleasantries that comes with them (trash, hawkers, and as much western food as Thai food). More to come on life at the beach, because tomorrow we leave for Ko Lanta to go to more secluded beaches on the southern part of that island. Hut on the beach, here we come!
In other news, our car sold so our funds have been boosted a bit, but we have decided
I love him!
Buddha, just chillin' out at the entrance to Wat Phra Kaew, theTemple of the Emerald Buddha to end the trip early and be in Australia on Christmas Day. With the car sale we would be able to squeeze a month out of our extra funds, but it would be pretty bare bones and having to watch every penny to make it through. This way we don't have to watch every penny, and we can buy and do stuff 😊 It will be my first hot Christmas, and it is weird enough to see all the Christmas decorations now (I was wrong in the last post, Christmas decorations are EVERYWHERE in Thailand...), and it seems like some weird global ruse to stage a Christmas in July party or something. Kind of a crock if you ask me.
It's crazy that it is almost over, and we're a little bummed even though also a little tired of the traveling thing (well, I am, Chris will never be). There is so much more we could see, but there will always be more to see and you have to draw the line somewhere. (It doesn't help when we talk to people who are traveling for like a year or 18 months...).
But HAVE NO FEAR! For those of
Another Self-Portrait
On the temple grounds. you who actually read this there will be at least one or two more postings, and when we are back I will post many more pictures on Flickr or another site for your viewing pleasure.
Love you all. More to Come.
Sabrina and Chris
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Sally Williams
non-member comment
Your coming home!!!
I am so excited the you shall be home in a matter of weeks. I can't wait to see you both again. Looks like we shall have to visit the beach house and you can come and play in our new place. We have miss you both, good luck with the rest of your travel and we shall see you soon. Love Sal and Gaz