Day 3, January 4, 2015 Bangkok
Today would be my first full day in Bangkok, so I thought I would explore a little of the city. I purchased a day pass ($5) for the Skytrain, you can make as many trips as you like for the day and it’s much cheaper then taxis or a tuk-tuk.
I had breakfast at the hotel as it’s included in the room price, a small assortment of Thai and western items were available at the buffet. I wanted to buy a phone at the MBK Mall but they weren’t open when I arrived so I had some time to kill. I walked some of the side streets and bought a few things to take home. I stopped in one shop and inquired about an outfit, but the lady didn’t speak English so she called up the stairs and soon another woman came down with wet hair and wrapped in towels, obviously she was in the shower. I apologized but she was happy to make the sale and even gave me a 30% markdown, I probably could have negotiated a lower price but considering the circumstances I was happy.
I had some street food, coconut pudding and grilled chicken gizzards then headed over to the Wat (Temple) of the Reclining Buddha. The decorative work on the buildings is intricate and beautiful. One of the buildings held the mummified remains of a famous Monk, and you could see where people had left offerings and lit incense to him; I made an offering of a nice cigar figuring it can’t hurt.




The Reclining Buddha is in its own building and some of the faithful were there praying and being blessed by an old Monk. The statue itself is about 60 feet long, and there are many smaller figures with bowls for offerings.



I made it back to the mall and purchased a basic Nokia phone with sim for $20 then headed for the Chatuchak Market, a large assembly of stalls selling everything from souvenirs to household goods. The colors of Thailand are very vibrant giving me some opportunity to try and hone my photo taking skills.




Being that the market is only open on the weekend and this being the New Year it was quite crowded but not uncomfortably so. There are many food stands throughout and a large tented area with vendors around the perimeter and tables in the middle. The dishes with the very large prawns looked tempting, but I wasn’t hungry enough to try them so I opted for a small serving of squid eggs (who knew) over lettuce with a spicy vinaigrette.



Bangkok is known for its hot weather and by mid afternoon the sun was really beating down so I went back to the hotel just in time for happy hour.
After a short nap and shower I made my way back to Nana Square to have a late dinner, the restaurants here are predominately Middle Eastern, with Egypt and Turkey being the most prolific. I ordered some lamb and kabobs, asking which part of the animal the meat came form since lamb testicles, hearts and brains marsala were on the menu. No worries, the meat was from the leg, accompanied by a pickled salad and some flat bread it was a good choice. I stopped at one of the many bars for a beer and a chat with the ever present friendly girls; I’m starting to think they don’t work for the Chamber of Commerce, although I did see more than a few walking with Farangs (foreigners) back to their hotels. I’m going to have to get to the bottom of this as they say. Once again I called it a night around 1:00am and went back to the hotel to call home and do some internet before going to sleep looking forward to venturing out further afield tomorrow.