Trains rains and nighttime markets

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10th September



We survived public transport with relatively good success. The train from the airport was clean, efficient, and uncomfortable, and though the rain meant it was stupidly humid everything was air conditioned. We must have looked lost and foreign enough once we reached Phaya Thai for someone to stop and give us directions. Thanks to him we managed to minimise the rain/sweat situation and find our bus easily.



Going overground for some distance was a great experience. The journey took us down the very long Ratchadamnoen Road, which seems to have every official building alongside, and is also home to the democracy monument. This is a huge (kind of phallic - surprise surprise) structure which was made less impressive by the countless murals to the royal family looming over the road every 1 kilometre or so. These, although smaller, were bright gold and covered in flowers.



After a short traipse in the rain we found our next hostel with ease and - much to my delight - complimentary Lipton's tea (egh), coffee and biscuits in the lobby! Result!



As neither of us slept well last night, we had a long nap and then went in search of the Khaosan Road - a.k.a backpacker's delight - for some food and pictures. As we left we saw a Thai fire engine and firefighters at a building across the road, which was once white and is now black and grey. Testament to the insulation in our hostel that we weren't woken up!



True to form, I navigated us in completely the wrong direction and we ended up at a very non-touristy flower market right next to Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn). The colours, smells and sounds can never be recreated - a strange mixture of flowers, incense, frying garlic and shrimp, damp, exhaust fumes, sweat, sweet fruit (so many lychees!) and an ever so slight aroma of sewage. It went on for ages and we eventually found a street of street food vendors alongside Wat Arun, we stuck to good advice and chose one that had lots of locals and where the cook wore gloves. The menu was completely in Thai so it was an 'ip dip doo' job and pray for no fish heads! Luckily we got red curry, a soy shrimp dish with al dente veg and two dishes of rice. Very very tasty and we were both brave and ate the shrimp! Success!



After about 2 hours of waking around in the thick heat our feet gave out and we took our first tuk-tuk back to the hostel. Fast, belchingly loud, compact and cheap as chips if you know how to haggle... we do not (yet)!

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Comments

[Rob]

Becky the navigator - not :-)
No surprises that your navigation skills are still delivering. At least it means you will get to see some interesting surprising places!