08/12/03 Bangkok Adventure 13/12/03
18 of us went Bangkok together. Personally, I'm not a group person really, it gets tedious having to wait for each other and doing group check in. My only kin are two cousins, M, P and uncle (M's dad), I've mentioned M and P before I guess. The rest of them are my uncles' friends, a whole bunch of old citizens.
Initially I felt as if I was travelling with a group of senior citizens, they are my parents' age or older. Somehow, it got easier as things went along. In fact, not as bad as it seemed. We had free food (my uncle paid) and group transportation with them, so... whatcha think!! There was this pair of old couple, comical pair and I really think they are funny. The only one thing I wasn't so comfortable with, is that we weren't allowed to explore alone. These nice old aunties and uncles were too protective of us - the young kids. Hey, but read on...
Day one: I arrived Bangkok in the afternoon. Bangkok is as hot as singapore, 23-32 degrees. However, its dry heat, low humidity and not sweaty. My first hotel stay seems exciting, oh well, first time in everything is, isn't it? I came with no research, no plan, no idea of what I was going to do over the next 4 days.
Day two: 9th December was a holiday in Bangkok. Strange, there was assumingly lesser traffic jam on a public holiday. The traffic was hectic. Every second you are on the road, you are in danger. The cars wouldn't look out for you, they wouldn't stop. Each road crossing was a life gamble!
The original floating market, something I heard of and didn't want to miss. Make sure you pop there if you make a trip to thailand. Its a cultural shock for people whom only live in cities with high-rise buildings. On the near 2 hours journey there, I witnessed lot of rural lifestyle and people selling off their harvest/stocks or whatever they produced by the roadside. The air constantly polluted by the passing vehicles, it is hard life. If you live in a city and considered yourself poor, could you imagine them living each day trying to earn some cash to keep life going... If you grumble too much about life, or do extravagant shopping, maybe you should think twice about that.
I couldn't possibly missed the national treasures of thailand, can I? Elephants... cleverly trained elephants, they could kick soccer better than some humans. Oh yes, and crocodiles' show, which I didn't find it fascinating anymore.
Day three: As the main purpose of the trip is to visit temples for praying, thanksgiving and donation, we had another long journey out of town to 3 different temples. I have been longing to see monks. Ya know, those with orange/yellow robes!! I've seen too much on tv. It was a new experience. I'm not a very religious person myself, yet it has been a good trip to be respectful and do some confessions.
Day four: I ventured out alone. Everyone else had long set off for another long distance travelling to temples out of town. Yes, I'm alone in bangkok! It seemed like they were pretty worried about me, afterall I couldn't speak thai, and it was an unsafe place for a gal to go around they reckoned. I'm 22 already, maybe they should trust me - I can take care of myself.
I ate my buffet breakfast alone before I stepped into the already warmed up Bangkok streets. I had to walk through this small lane before reaching the main road, which I hate it. I wandered around those unfamiliar places (ahh, didn't I say I'm curious about anything new). I discovered a shopping paradise, I was on my way to meet to two friends whom came to bangkok a day after me. So I made a quick browse at the places and brought my friends back. A big mistake, it costed a big hole in the pocket. I spend over a thousand bahts in there, well, if you convert to singapore dollars, it isn't that much really!!
Later we continued the sin in another shopping centre which I failed to cover it yesterday. I found a beads-sewed-on-denim hangbag I really fancy, it was such a task to bargain. But you have no choice, they marked up the prices too much. Yes, and a pair of heels. These things which I had been hunting for back in Singapore! God, shopping is a sin.
Darn, I missed the thai massage because I was nearly crippled by the shopping. Limping.
Day five: Finally! Finally. Finally. I swam in the hotel swimming pool, it was so much smaller than it seemed from a photo. We had 12 laps, but really short laps. I led my cousins out to Pratunam Market (which I shopped for a bit yesterday) since it was our last few hours before our coach arrived. Dang!!! Guess what?? My bikini hunting had finally came to an end, I spotted a black&white-floral-pineapple one. And it costs merely 10 singapore dollars!!! Woo.. I'm done with shopping.
By the way I also got a pair of thaiboxing shorts, believe me, they look incredible. Yes, I'm ready to go home, please.
p/s: For peeps whom are keen in the photos I've taken, they should be ready in less than 24 hours under my photo albums.
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