Bangkok, Thailand

Let`s Go Bangkok… After a full day and night journey and next to no sleep we landed in Bangkok and headed straight to our favourite boutique hotel on Khoasan Road for some much needed sleep.  In the afternoon we explored the backpacksers haven and all its offerings.  We are really pleased with how much positive change has happened here since we were last here three years ago.  Previously it was not our favourite place to spend time and most often was strictly our hub for flying but otherwise we had little use for it.  Today it is extremely clean with far less smog and garbage on the streets, the wares are of a much better quality and the people seem much more friendly- so much so there are heaps of families walking around at all times of the day and night, strollers and all- never thought I`d see the day that Khoasan Road was a family destination but why not!

After lacking fresh fruit the majority of our time in India we were delighted to find a stunning fruit stand not far from our hotel offering smoothies, shakes and my personal favourite… yogurt, muesli and fresh fruit.  We could not have been happier with this discovery.  That night we sat on the sidewalk café outside our hotel eating pad thai fresh from the street and drinking Singha beer.  Oh it is sweet to be back in Thailand!

For the next few days we kept ourselves busy shopping for Ria`s flea market which has been a lot of fun, and occasionally finding a few items for ourselves!  We also booked a number of excursions for the rest of the week to keep us busy until the weekend market which is a massive market that sells everything from furniture and clothing to animals and is really a sight to see.  We made it there last time but it`s so large you would need days to get through the whole thing but we`re hoping to be able to make a small dent.   

Today we took Thai cooking lessons where we learned to make green chilli paste- which was really more like a soup than a paste but delicious none the less.  Pad Thai was also on the menu as was tom yum soup and a sweet pumpkin desert.  I had to improvise quite a lot as everything had coconut and meat and my removal of such ingredients did not impress the instructor but we had a great time and everything tasted great!  There were only four of us in the class and the other couple just happen to be Dutch and were very nice so we had a great time with them.  I hope they are an indication of the kind of people we will meet travelling through Holland in a few months.  We rounded out the day by checking out a market near China Town and then heading for Sushi.

Next up is the floating market tomorrow morning and Thursday we are doing a day tour at the tiger temple, the museum and the River Kwai.  We also booked a few other adventures for later this month but I hold off on those details for now. 

Up and at it early to catch the bus to the floating market- it was quite a sight to see.   For the most part it’s a lot of the same things that are sold on most streets only now you’re floating by the shops on a long tail boat.  There are ladies floating around offering fresh fruit and snacks and the whole scene transports you back to a time long gone.  After the market we were taken through an area of all the homes built on stilts that line the canals.  We found the homes more interesting than the market itself but all in all it was a great excursion that we didn’t take in last time we were in Bangkok.

The next day we had yet another excursion booked- this time a full day tour.  Our first stop was the war cemetery where we surprised to learn that over 100,000 citizens and 1,800 Dutch (among a number of commonwealth countries) were killed building the railway which was Japan’s transport for weapons and supplies.  The POW’s were kept in a camp of appalling conditions similar to one might expect to find in many of the concentration camps of that era.  The bridge itself was completed in 1943 and is considered an engineering feat for its time but the cost of life was immense and while the majority of the rail line was bombed by Allied forces, the Japanese were ordered to restore it as part of their reparations agreement.  Walking across the bridge it strikes you as many other bridges you might cross but knowing the loss of life that was a result of its construction makes its impact that much more.

En route to the train station there was a market where one stall has a mother and a baby leopard as part of the advertisement for the local zoo.  Though we were torn between feeling badly for the animals and being awestruck by being inches away we eventually caved in a paid to have Stijn be able to feed the baby.  Cradled like a small child in his arms, the amazing animal drank from a baby bottle but the second he was finished his milk he was ready to play which means the claws come out.  At that point the trainer quickly grabs him and puts him back in his cage.  We were pleased to see the care that was given to the magnificent animals and felt better about our inability to simply walk by.

The highlight for the day was the Tiger Temple- we arrived only 40 minutes before closing so we had to make it quick- or at least that’s what they tried to tell us- but as we entered this amazing sanctuary with water buffalo bathing, wild deer roaming and all kinds of other animals freely moving within the park- we knew 40 minutes wasn’t going to be nearly enough.  As we got nearer to the tiger area there were a few of the smaller cats that were sitting on rocks for you to have your picture taken with- Stijn was right at home with the animals but I took some time to feel comfortable especially when I got swatted by a tail- seemingly so small but felt like it weighed 80 pounds! 

An area called Tiger Canyon is where the real cats play… and so we climbed into the canyon not quite knowing what to expect.  Before I knew it Stijn was being lead through a series of full grown tigers with a guide taking pictures of him with every cat.  By the time my turn came around I emerged to find us registered for an evening program that would put us in a ‘cage’ with the off leash giants but not before we watched and guided some of the other tigers out of the canyon.

Then our program began… we were instructed to never turn our backs to the cats or kneel down and to always stay within the ‘cage’ that was nothing more than loosely joined mesh fencing.  I wasn’t sure what Stijn had gotten us into – particularly as one of the guides from Calgary was regaling us with tales of his scars and missing finger-tips from ‘playing’ with the cats!  Luckily it turned out to be an amazing experience- the giant beasts transformed into kittens at play as they chased balls and toys and wrestled with each other.  We were mere feet from the animals for over half an hour before they were lead out of the canyon and back to their homes for the night.   

We rushed out ourselves knowing full well we were well past our allotted time at the temple and as we emerged with a mini-van full of people waiting for us we were given a lecture about time from our guide.  Hopefully they will adjust their itinerary in the future to ensure people are given more time at the temple but somehow we doubt it! 

The next day we had no excursion booked so we woke slowly and headed to starbucks- probably the nicest one I’ve ever been in- and drank real coffee and read the newspaper before heading out for some markets and the famous MBK shopping mall.  We managed to find lots of goods to ship home and even a few things for ourselves.  We also took in a movie before heading back to Kosan Road for some delicious street food. Today was much the same as yesterday with markets and another trip back to MBK for yet another movie (a great air conditioned break from the summer heat)- while the movies are great, our favourite part is after the previews when you have to stand up and pay your respects to the King- much like a national anthem at a hockey game.   The whole 7^th floor of the massive shopping mall is an entertainment centre- complete with restaurants, arcades, the cinema, karaoke and of course the not to be missed glo-bowling which we indulged in before heading back to our hotel.  Tonight we will pack our bags (the number of which has already increased!) and head to Cambodia to take in the must-see Angkor Wat and the Killing Fields.  We’ve booked a 12 hour bus ride to Siem Reap for first thing tomorrow morning and barring the long ride, we are looking forward to a new adventure.