Do read the first two parts in the series here - Part 1 & Part 2
After that relaxing stay in
Krabi we boarded a flight to Bangkok. We picked the Thai Lion flight which
landed by afternoon in the Don Muang airport. This is point in the trip when we
experienced our first major difficulty. Bangkok is rather infamous for it's
horrendous traffic jams. We were scheduled for a cruise dinner which was to
start by 8PM. Our pick up was scheduled at 5PM and we hadn't reached our
hotel only. We learnt about the pickup time from our local contact just as we
landed. There was some kind of a mismatch between the final vouchers
PickYourTrail sent and the timings on the website that we booked. After frantic
calls using the pathetic internet connection we had, we managed to check in and
start out by 6PM and make it on time too.
The Chao Phraya cruise was
the first activity in Bangkok that we choose. The prospect of cruising
peacefully enjoying an international meal and admiring the landscape of Bangkok
was enticing. However, it turned out to be quite the opposite. The ship was
filled with just Indians, with blaring Hindi/Punjabi music being played and
Indian food being served. By the time we got back to the hotel, I had a severe
headache. I was pretty convinced that the our agency had probably booked us
specifically onto to some kind of an Indian special cruise. I have nothing
against Hindi Music or Indian food, but at that place and that setting, I
wanted to experience something global. The view was the only thing which put me
out of my misery that day.
Day two in Bangkok dawned,
after a sumptuous breakfast in our hotel, we headed for the Buddha tour.
We managed to visit the famous Buddhist temples in the city. Yet again,
not the kind of the experience I was looking forward to. The whole tour seemed
slightly commercialized. I was looking to experience Buddhism, but we
ended up roaming around the temples like tourists. The temples however were
truly beautiful. Simply wished we could understand the culture better. It was a
half day trip and we went back to the hotel.
We stayed in the famous Sukhumvit area. It was
quite a busy place with crowd pulling massage parlors and restaurants.
One restaurant worth the mention was a Lebanese one - Nadimos.
Unfortunately, the Thai cuisine doesn't have much to offer for vegetarians.
Lebanese food came to our rescue!
We decided to visit the famous Rod Fai night market.
That trip was one hell of an adventure. It wasn't a part of the package, which
meant we had to find our own way to reach the place. Without Google maps and a
proper internet connection, we knew that was big risk. The valet in the hotel
where we stayed managed to flag down a cab and convince him to use the
meter. We reached the place safely and managed to find our way into the market
which was safely tucked out view thanks to a mall. Filled with cheap cosmetics,
dresses, accessories and street food, that market was the pure Thailand
experience for us. The place was a local hang out spot and didn't really pull
in the tourist crowd. A couple of guys from my home town who were there in Bangkok
for their jobs were the only 'tourist' sort we met. It was such fun to try to
communicate and shop for things in that market. Language was a big barrier but
it didn't hamper the overall experience. Food was the only thing we really
struggled with. With literal non existent vegetarian options, we had to settle
for desserts like Pancakes to fill our stomach.
Our trip back to the hotel
was the highlight of the trip. Getting a cab back to the hotel was fast turning
into a nightmare until one guy stopped and agreed to take us back while with
meter rates. There was girl who was seated in the front seat. Having heard
stories about flesh trade and prostitution, my imagination went wild very
quickly. We didn't know the language nor did we know our way around, we simply
were easy targets to be cheated on. However, that driver and the girl put in so
much efforts to make us feel warm and secure as they sensed our fears. In spite
of not knowing English, she communicated so well with us using google voice and
translate. Technology really came to our help that day. Faith in humanity =
restored.
We woke feeling all warm
and fuzzy from our previous night's experience and looked forward for a
relaxing day at the zoo. Little did we know that we were in for a rude surprise.
Bangkok Zoo turned out to be a bad idea. Filled with unruly horde of tourists,
all from India, it was such a bad experience to move around and get seats in
the various shows. I realized that we Indians, lack that discipline to
stand in a line and move around as a large group. I vowed never to visit a
place which would be possibly flocked by fellow Indians.
After that hectic time in
the zoo, we decided to go shopping to relax. Nothing more relaxing than
indulging in some retail therapy! The people in PickYourTrail recommended that
we hit the Prutnam Market and the Platinum mall. We shopped for clothes,
accessories and cosmetics - all of which were available in dirt cheap rates.
Here is a small list of things which are worth indulging in.
1. Earrings - You can't
possibly chance upon better quality and designs anywhere else in the
world!
2. Handmade soap - That
smell and that shape! It got me as excited as a 5 year old.
3. Cosmetics - There is
this 99% Aloe-Vera lip balm and strawberry lip scrub which is working wonders
to my lips. If you have oily skin like mine, the Srichand
4. Clothes - Dirt chip and
are of good quality.
After that fab shopping
session we decided to unwind and experience the world famous Thai Massage. The
hotel that we stayed in had an attached massage parlor. We picked Aromatherapy
massage. The masseurs were well trained and professional.
Next day dawned, it was
time to leave. We took the Thai airways flight back home. Though the trip
wasn't really what one would call perfect, the time off worked magic for
us.
PS. I've not uploaded pictures for personal reasons. If you want to peek into my album, give me a shout out, will share it privately!
PPS. I know this is such a delayed post. My day job had me clamped to the desk.
