Bangkok

Sorry for the delay in posts, it has been a busy week but I realized I needed to post this before leaving for Saigon. Last Thursday me and four guys from the Hong Kong crowd headed to Bangkok, the city where it is said, anything can be found or done for a price. We got into Bangkok found that it was hot, not surprisingly as we were much closer to the equator, but it was still an annoyance. We crammed into a cab and headed for our hotel about 40 minutes away. A quick note on being the largest of the people you’re traveling with, you always get the front when the situation calls for four in the back seat. It's nice. Upon arriving at the hotel we got settled and explored the surroundings. The hotel was situated on a canal and along the canal was a rather extensive market selling any type of fruit or vegetable imaginable. I have never seen as many pineapples in my life. The market was filled with smells I cannot and should not describe. After leaving the market we headed back to the hotel for some dinner and then got ready for the night. The day before leaving Andrew, one of the four, found out that a DJ named Paul Van Dyke would be playing at a club in Bangkok, now this news meaning nothing to me was explained as being very important. For it seems that PVD has twice been ranked the top DJ in the world and he was currently in the middle of his world tour. DJs go on world tours? So that night we headed to the show and I have to admit the guy puts on a great show, the place was filled and everyone was really into the DJ which made for quite an experience. We got home late that night and quickly headed for bed.
The next morning we got to a later start than might have been preferred but it was expected seeing as we had been out until three. We were going to the Grand Palace and hopefully some other culturally relevant sites today. One thing everyone should if they come to Bangkok is take a ride in a tuk-tuk, I won't go into much detail over what a tuk-tuk is, it has to be seen for itself, but it essentially a covered tricycle that hold three people in the back. We decided to take two of these amazing contraptions to the Palace and we were not sorry. Seeing the city from this point of view provides for a perspective that is as unique as the city itself. Upon arriving at the Palace a massive thunder hit and it preceded to downpour for about half an hour leaving us soaked wearing pants (one has to wear pants at the Palace) in a tropical city. As the sky cleared up we headed into the Palace to take in the way of life for Thai royalty. This Palace is quite the site spires covered in gold paint rise from all sides and statues of Buddha are all around. It is truly a humbling place. We spent a while in the palace exploring the grounds and watching the people pray at the temple on the grounds. After finishing up here we got back on a tuk-tuk and headed for the standing Buddha. The standing Buddha is exactly what it says, a large gold Buddha standing, that’s it, nothing more nothing less. We spent a short period of time there and then headed back to the hotel to clean up and get ready for Muay Thai. Muay Thai is the national sport of Thailand and it a form of martial arts that involves the use of hands, feet, knees and elbows. We went to a fight Friday night at Lumpini Stadium, we sat in the upper decks with the locals and that decision seemed to make all the difference. Upstairs with the locals we entered into a world of screaming, shouting and rapid hand signals that only grew louder and faster as the fight went on. The reason for all of this commotion is gambling. Lumpini is one of the few places in Thailand where gambling is allowed and the locals take advantage of it. Since we don't speak Thai and didn't know what the rules were about betting so we decided to just enjoy the atmosphere the gambling brought instead of taking part. This was the first time I had experienced any sort of organized fighting and it was pretty cool to see these people go at it for three rounds. We saw nine fights that night and it was well worth it.
The next morning we woke up early and headed for the Bangkok railway station. Our destination for the day was Bang Pa In, also known as the summer Palace for the royal family. The train station was old school with a large atrium and platforms leading out to old locomotives. We got our tickets and headed for the train, the train was in a word unique, it had no a/c with large open windows and oscillating metal fans on the ceiling. Luckily we got on the train 45 minutes before departure and got seats cause half an hour into to the trip it was standing room only on a hot humid Thai day. The train took about two hours, it would have been much quicker but we seemed to making stops every five or ten minutes. After a long hot train ride we hopped off at the sleepy rural town of Bang Pa In and headed for the Palace. We walked about a mile and half to the Palace rather than taking public transportation and were rewarded with a stunning home fit only for a King. The Palace had exquisitely manicured lawns with a lake in the center. My favorite part of the Palace had to be the observatory tower that gave a view over all the grounds and required you to take your shoes off before entering. After walking through the grounds and enjoying the peace and quiet we headed back to what would be another hot and crowded train. On the way back to Bangkok I was lucky enough to get a spot on the stairs off the train which meant I could hang of the edge and let the wind hit my face, I can't promise it wasn't dangerous because it was but I was careful and should be putting videos of it up soon. After we got back from Bang Pa In we decided to take motorbikes back to the hotel, it was a fast wild ride and mom I have to tell you, a motorcycle might be in my future. That night we headed to the seedier part of town to see firsthand what the famed Bangkok red light district was all about. All I'm going to say about it is that it is not for me and I find a great deal of moral qualms with the whole idea of it.
We headed home early that night and woke up early the next morning to get to Chatuchak market, arguably the largest market in the world with over 35,000 stalls and anything one could need. Products ranged from food to clothing to illegal animal trade where you weren't allowed to take pictures. The whole place is a blur of alleys and maze like hallways that can be difficult to navigate. I would not suggest anyone with claustrophobia go there. We spent the day at the market and I regret to say I could not find anything worth purchasing; tee shirts filled with innuendo are not really my thing. After the market we went back to our hotel and cleaned up, we all felt pretty grimy from spending the day soaked in sweat bumping past other people. That night we decided to splurge a little, $30, and went to a restaurant called Vertigo. Vertigo is on top of the 61st floor of a hotel in Bangkok and claims to be the highest open air restaurant in the world. The View was amazing, off in the distance a storm was going on so we watched as silent lightning flashed in the distance and we enjoyed a great dinner in an incredible atmosphere.

Bangkok is quite the city, fast, hot and willing to give you whatever you want as long as you put in the effort. It was a good experience and I'm glad to say I saw it but I don't have any urgent plans to get back there. For now there are many more places to explore and see before I start doubling up.