Bangkok: Day 1

I covered a lot of ground in my first full day of Bangkok yet didn't end up seeing all too much, unfortunately. I packed up and checked out of the overpriced Royal Hotel a little late after languishing in my first real bed in so many days. Freddie, the Swede suggested a cheap guest house on Khao San Road that seemed to fit the bill and even though I wanted to avoid the scene there, the area is positioned well to sight-see so I relented. Not more than a block away from the Royal Hotel though, I was stopped by a man asking where I was going and soon had my map out pointing to places that couldn't be missed, and the most sensible route to hit them all. He was even "so kind" as to arrange a tuk-tuk ride for me for a song of 5 baht (like, 16 cents). Tuk-tuks are basically three wheeled scooters with a little enclosure built around them and buzz around the city like smoky insects. Here's a pic of my driver and his work horse:



Tuk-tuks are the cheapest way to get around town if you don't mind the exhaust and grit of all the other vehicles zipping around you however you do have to bargain aggressively to get a good price and insist that you go to your destination directly. Typically the drivers will try and take you to various "factories," the general word they use for suit tailors, gem sellers, souvenir shops etc. where they get a commission for bringing business in. Apparently there was some sort of government sponsored promotion going on that day wherein the drivers get free petrol for bringing tourists to these factories (the logic of this is still unclear to me), which is why my fare was particularly low. So I was prepared to make a stop or two...Mai pen rai ("no problem"). In retrospect, this is nearly always folly. If you subscribe to the notion that time is money, spending 30 minutes getting to and wandering around a factory where you may be persuaded to buy stuff you don't really want all to save a few dollars on a taxi fare, is dumb. Some things I did manage to see in-between factory visits:


Lucky Buddha


Temple of Golden Buddha


Golden Buddha (they're mostly all golden, really)

I also got set up with a much cheaper hotel and made a trip to the TAT office which is the government run tourist booking agency. I intended to just buy a ticket to Chiang Mai, a city in the north that's used as a jumping off point for trekking and exploration of the surrounding environs, but of course was offered an exciting package deal. It probably would have been prudent to consult more closely with my guide book and do a little more homework before consenting to such an arrangement, but the price was right so I took a chance. For about $120, I got my overnight bus ticket to Chiang Mai, one night in a decent looking hotel and then a 3 day, 2 night trek into the jungle staying with people of the hill tribes. I'm sure there will be some other unseen expenses aside from food (which is cheap cheap), but all the same, that's not bad and nice to have it all arranged rather than wasting a bunch of time in internet cafes or on the phone.

Two more factories and two more wats (temples) later, I was ready for a bite and a break so I set off to wander around on foot. Another tuk-tuk scooped me up soon afterwards, same deal. This time I was adamant about just one factory and the rest of the time to be taken to the said sites. Midway through the ride, the daily monsoon began and started pouring rain. The driver wanted me to go to more factories than we agreed on which I firmly refused. On the one hand, 15 minutes looking in a shop costs me nothing, especially since I'm saving souvenir shopping until my return to Bangkok in 6 weeks so I don't have to carry the stuff around, and would have gotten the driver 5 litres of petrol. On the other hand though, I was through wasting my time and firmly refused (with a smile of course, as all things in Thailand are negotiated with). The driver eventually relented and was supposed to drop me off in Chinatown, our final destination. When he stopped, he waved vaguely in the direction of an alleyway and muttered, "Chinatown" before driving off. It was pouring buckets at this point but I was determined to make a little bit more of my day so I donned my new rain jacket and struck off. Granted, I didn't really consult my map since the guidebook said you can more or less just wander through Chinatown and find lots of shops and markets and stuff (and it would have dissolved in the deluge anyway), but the further I wandered down the street I was directed to, the less and less I came to believe I was actually in Chinatown. This surprised me as I was told by various sources that while many in Thailand will ensure you get ripped off relative to what a local would pay for a good or service, outright lying is rare. Bad karma for him. I wandered around another hour or so, eventually making it to Chinatown (indeed, kilometers away from where I was deposited) but by then most stands were closed on account of the late hour and rain. Hungry and soaked, I finally threw in the towel and tuk-tukked it to Khao San where I dined at a highly recommended vegetarian restaurant.

The guidebook said absolutely find this place, May Kaidee, tucked away in an alley off Khao San. There was little ambiance, few patrons, but I can say that this was one of my best meals of my life. Just thinking about it nearly brings tears to my eyes. I got some coconut curry mixed vegetable dish with an interesting rice (grown organically by Aunt May's family in Eastern Thailand) and black sticky rice with banana and mango in coconut milk for dessert. It was literally like one of those cheesy commercials where people bite into something, close their eyes with a soft smile and moan in delight. Had I visited this place earlier, I would have made it a point to eat all my meals here, but at least I can come back on my return to Bangkok and enjoy more.

I made plans to meet up with my college buddy, Jess, in the town of Pattaya (2 hours east of Bangkok by bus) where she is doing some really noble condom and STI education work with the numerous sex workers there the following day. Wanting to see the premier attraction of Bangkok, the Grand Palace early in the morning before it's overrun with tourists, I called it a night.