Last Day in Bangkok - 08 October

We all woke up early since we didn’t get much sleep last night. A combination of really hard beds and a too-efficient air conditioner. I can’t believe that I’m complaining that I was too cold given how I’ve been talking about the heat, but there you go. After a leisurely breakfast in the hotel restaurant, we took a taxi to the flower market across town.

We got out of the taxi and just started to wander down the street admiring the profusion of flowers. There were many lotus buds, marigolds and other flowers that were intended as offerings to Buddha. Then we stumbled into an alley where the wholesale market was located and were overwhelmed by the sights and sounds. There was a frenzy of activity and we were constantly in danger of getting mowed down by vendors pushing trolleys and baskets everywhere. We were the only tourists in the place and they just wanted us out of the way. We tried our best to do so but were busy taking pictures and didn’t pay as much attention as we should have. We were lucky to get out of there with all of our toes and shins intact.

After the market we decided to walk to Chinatown to see the shops since they had been recommended by a tour guide. We managed to figure out the right direction to take although we weren’t too sure which road we were really on. The maps of Bangkok are rather fluid, shall we say. One map will call a road by a certain name and another will call it something similar but not really. And neither map will match the street signs. So, basically, it was a big guessing game.

We walked for about ½ hour and didn’t even get close to Chinatown. I started getting cranky around this time due to lack of food and the intense heat. Have I mentioned that I’m very delicate? My brother and sister call it something else. We took a break in a donut shop where I had a donut and a coke which is not a combination that I’ve ever had before but one does what one must to ratchet down the crank-o-meter to acceptable levels.

After the donut break, we decided that we didn’t really need to see the Bangkok Chinatown since we just had a visit to China itself. Flash of genius, yes? So we got some help from a man who spoke English and got a tuk-tuk to take us to the part of town where they sell clothes. Let me tell you that three American women in a tuk-tuk is a very tight fit! Let’s just say that there wasn’t a need for seat belts even if they had been in the vehicle.

We arrived at the place and none of us had a clue where we were. We were going on blind faith at this point. We wandered up and down streets and alley for about an hour while Eileen and Carol found some clothes to buy. I refrained from purchasing anything since the psi on the seams of my duffle bag were reaching stratospheric levels and couldn’t take anymore. We declared ourselves exhausted, tired and hungry (ok – I did, at least) and we took a taxi (air conditioned) back to the hotel. We collected our luggage and checked out and walked to the mall where the bus shuttle to the ship would be meeting us at 6:00. It was only 1:00 but we were so eager to be on the bus that we got there early.

We found a restaurant that served noodles and sat down for a delicious meal of Pad Thai. Isn’t is a rule or something that you have to have Pad Thai in Thailand? If not, it should be because it was delicious – as was the ice cold beer that was served with it. After lunch, we wandered around the mall enjoying the air conditioning and the shops. We got lucky around 3:00 when we bumped into a fellow S@S person who said there would be a bus leaving at 5:00 if we wanted to leave early. Hell, Yes! (Please excuse my language, but that one needed the emphasis.) After four days in Bangkok I was ready to leave.

We got on the bus and settled in for a three hour trip back to Laem Chabang (3 hours due to the traffic, of course). We pulled into the terminal around 8:00 and the ship was such a sight for sore eyes. I enjoyed Bangkok to a certain extent but I definitely spent too many days there. One or two days would have been sufficient with the rest of the time spent elsewhere. Next time.

Once on the ship, I logged into my e-mail (I need e-mailer’s anonymous) and grabbed some dinner (I miss the Thai food). A quick shower and I was in bed at a ridiculously early hour. I’m officially a bore.

Thailand has some beautiful aspects to it that I need to explore more. At this point, I’m feeling rather ambivalent about Thailand. I don’t think I would ever need to return to Bangkok after spending four days there. Once you visit the temples and the Grand Palace, there isn’t much about Bangkok that distinguishes itself from other large cities. Although from the stories I’ve heard from fellow passengers there are places that I need to visit in Thailand. If the opportunity to return to Thailand ever presents itself, I’ll probably return – but only if I can skip Bangkok and focus on the rest of the country. On to India!