The King and Us - First few days in Bangkok

We did the marathon journey from Oahu to Bangkok via Narita, Japan. After the series of cut-rate, econo-airlines we had flown on from Calgary to Hawai'i, we were pleasantly surprised by the top-notch service we received from Delta on both legs of the journey. We were fed hot meals! We were not charged extra for checked luggage! Each flight was an orgy of mindless entertainment on the little screens mounted in front of us! The cocktails were free! Travel is fun and easy!

The boys were greatly impressed by the services at Narita Airport. They both expressed a willingness to spend the year just living in Japan, what with its efficiency and the fact that it is the heart of the computer gaming industry. The restrooms were a marvel, exposing us for the first time to the "squat and shoot" porcelain, while Liz raved - no, really, raved - about the various spigots and pipes with which the bidet toilets are equipped in order to ensure hygiene in the nether regions of the body. The best part was the fake flushing sound one could set off to cover any offensive "bathroom noises". Liz was in heaven. In the spirit of exploration that we have instilled in them, Hollis and Bowen both hoovered down Big Gutbombs at the airport McDonald's.

Hollis is thrilled to be having McDonalds in Japan. He was a bit flummoxed when they asked him if he wanted the small or the large Big Mac though.

Remy and Liz having Japanese fast-food at Narita.

We landed at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport after a total of 17 hours actual travel time which somehow put us 13 hours ahead of Calgary time. We cabbed it to our home in Bangkok, Shanti Lodge, and all crashed in the tiny family room that we had pre-booked. We discovered right away that the Thais like their beds hard, and that having a private bathroom means that you have privacy from other people in the lodge but not necessarily from each other in the room. A 1/2 size swinging saloon style door was all that separated the toilet/shower from the rest of the room. Liz was really going to have to figure out some privacy for herself.

Staff at the Shanti Lodge doing kitchen prep on the floor. Traditionally, this is where Thais eat, which explains why they insist on shoes being removed before going inside. You don't want to track dog shit in on the table.

The heat in Bangkok has a stifling quality different from the island breezes that had caressed us in Hawai'i, and even in the cars there is no option for heat from the dashboard vents, only cold. If you want heat, open a window. There is a constant bombardment of noise and smell that contributes substantially to the culture shock. Pile on top of that an opaque alphabet and the need to rely completely on the English language ability of the locals and we knew that now we were really traveling. The Tompkins were no longer in Kansas.

Bowen and Remy enjoying the grilled appetizers at Shanti Lodge for a cost of $.30c/ skewer. Enoki mushrooms wrapped in bacon and chicken skewers. They went really well with a gin and tonic!

Hollis fits right in

We explored the city on foot, in tuk-tuks and taxis and river ferries. It is apparent that one could spend years in Bangkok and still only learn a fraction of the city. It was helpful to be in a metropolis like Bangkok, however, as we needed to sort out a few things: refund the thousands of dollars worth of tickets that the Delta agent on Oahu had insisted we buy before we were allowed to board the plane; fix Remy's iPad; equip Liz' cell phone with a Thai SIM card; develop film for Hollis.


Remy, in a daze one evening after a day of hard touring, stepped on his iPad and shattered the screen. The miracle that is Bangkok meant that for the cost of a trip to the Pantip electronics mall, a one hour wait and 1500 baht (about $60) the screen was replaced on the spot and the iPad working as good as new.

Pantip Mall, 6 floors of knock-off electronics.

Bangkok is still organized as of old, where all the merchants of a particular good or service tend to concentrate in one neighbourhood, so as long as you know where to go you can get what you need, usually at an outrageously low price and with outrageously good service. This place is a marvel!

Speaking of getting what you want, we all made an evening outing to Khao San Road, which is the epicentre for backpacker culture in old Bangkok. There is a heavy emphasis on cheap, overpriced clothing, alcohol, tattoos and unique cultural experiences like the "goldfish show" (Google it). There is also street theatre, when the police roll through to re-open the street at the end of the evening (it is blocked off for pedestrians for a few hours in the evening) and the vendors all rush to move their racks and tables off the roadway and on to the sidewalk as the police roll by, only to shift everything back out after the police have passed. One is constantly assailed by touts trying to lure you into tailor shops and bars, while tuktuk drivers offer impossibly low fares in what is already a well-known scam to transport you to vendors that will pay them a commission.

More Tuk Tuks awaiting customers

Crammed into a tuktuk. Liz fit in there too.

We also spent time at the Chatuchak Market, an amazing weekend market where there are 15,000 stalls selling everything you can imagine. We only managed to visit about 3,000 of them.

Blind guy with all sorts of crap and one beautiful farang attached to his body at Chatachuk Market

An interesting vendor at the Chatuchak market. He was selling moustache rides.

We found an oasis at Jim Thompson's house, a museum of sorts set up in the residence of that man who was an architect and probably a CIA agent.

Respite at Jim Thompson's house in the centre of the old city.

It is set along one of the canals that criss-cross the city, which were marvels of engineering in their day and early modes of rapid transit, but now constitute open sewers plied by incredibly noisy water taxis that stir up their festering contents every few minutes. All grey water sewage in Bangkok (sinks, laundry and showers) drain directly into the canals and river. Incredibly, large catfish and other species apparently thrive in these conditions, milling so thick on the surface in some places that you could walk across them. Certainly the evocative odour of Bangkok is that of raw sewage, while the totem animal would have to be the rat.

Water taxi on the canal

Liz enjoying her first $1.25 pad thai! It was delicious.

Overall, the city of Bangkok is a source of constant sensory over-stimulation. The only escape is to retreat to the air-conditioned confines of the room, which when shared amongst four people can be a little aggravating in itself. Bangkok has an incredible amount of things to share and explore, and overall we were left with a very favourable impression, even if our nerves were a little ragged around the edges.

-Remy

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