(no subject)
Hi friends and family,
this is my last post from bangkok, tomorrow I am off to Siem Reap, Cambodia. I am glad to be finished with bangkok, though I do spend a day here on my way home. I am most excited to leave the hostel/hotel. My room has no windows, which in all seriousness makes me anxious. Plus the overhead bulb burned out, so I am relying on the bathroom light and this small bulb over a mirror. Speaking of the bathroom, this morning when I went to brush my teeth, I picked up my toothbrush and about 20 tiny ants went in all directions, I think they were going after the toothpaste. Despite my room having no windows (technically there is a door that opens up onto a small balcony where the air conditioning unit is), I have been covered with mosquito bites. After hearing about my lack of relief from cortaid, my dad recommended very very hot water to relieve the itching...well it would work but I haven't had a drop of hot water. I think I finally had enough of this place when I was awoken at 5:30 am by a screaming scottish guy (I think he was scottish, but at the time of the morning everyone from that part of the world sounds the same) about people being in his room. It wasn't a huge deal because I was waking up early to go to Chatcuchak market, (more about that later).
Yesterday was my favorite day in Bangkok, in the morning I saw the reclining Buddha which was just amazing, I really suggest those who haven't seen in to google image Wat Pho. The guidebook says that in Wat Pho, you maybe approached by monks who want to practice their english. Wel while at Wat Pho, a monk approached me and I was so excited to have this profound cultural exchange. The monk asked me were I was from and I shared that I was from NYC and he proceeded to tell me that he lived in tucson arizona, and had a temple there.
Anyhoo, in the afternoon Jonathan, who lives in Bangkok, showed me around Chinatown and I finally really felt like I was in another country. The word Jonathan uses for Chinatown is labrynthine and I haven't found a better one, it goes on for ever and everything is sold there, everything! Alot of wholesale goes on. We also went to this one temple, which I am not sure how we found it, but in this temple you kneel and shake this cup full of dowels till one comes out. The dowel has a number and you then go to a bunch of boxes where you take a fortune from a box that has the same number. Well my dowel was unclear, so Jonathan, in impressive thai, asked the man. Well the man took it very seriously, he held it under the light, and tried another light and finally took out a jewelers loop to in fact confirm that the number was 22. I have my fortune, but I am not sure what it says yet, I think I will ask Mr. T in the morning when he takes me to the airport. We also went into a chinese dept store, and everyone stared at us, it was the first time that I had felt like I had gotten off the well beaten path. A women told Jonathan in Thai how pretty my pale skin is, apparently pale skin is popular here. They have a whole slew of whitening cosmetics in stores.
I went home and ate street pad thai which was ok and went to bed really early, because the only thing worse is than a backpackers ghetto is a drunk one. Today I woke really early and took a taxi to the sky train which is a really nice monorail type system, and took it to Chaturak market, the thais call it "JJ". I was there for a few hours, and alot of it was walking back and forth in the same few hundred feet trying to find my way. There is an american artist called Nancy Chandler who does detailed maps of markets in thailand. Anyhow, I didn't want to buy anything in bangkok since I know I can get the same stuff in Chiang Mai and I don't want to schlepp all this stuff through cambodia. I bet every single person who just read that sentence knows how utterly unlikely that was that I stuck to that. But I did restrain myself. I bought myself two silver bracelets and these really cool silkscreened pillow covers. The pillow covers weren't thai at all, they looked like something I would buy in NYC, but the price was set (no haggling) and affordable and I really liked the woman who designed them. The pillows have silhouettes on them, and since I collect silhouettes it will be an excellent addition.
I was doing good and then I saw them......(cue dramatic music) amazing handbags. I have a serious handbag addiction, I need to find a meeting or something. Well I really liked two but the price wasn't good, plus I didn't have enough cash. When I later returned to the booth, the bag I really wanted was bought buy a japanese wholesaler. But I still managed to pick one out. It's not a small miracle that I only bought one handbag at the market. The weekend market was totally overwhelming, but another one of the things that makes the 17 hour flight back to Bangkok totally worth it. After walking around nonstop for about two and half hours, I took my sorry butt home, this time I took the subway rather than the skytrain and both are very comfortable and importantly airconditioned. Unfortunately the subway doesnt go to the neighborhood Im staying, so I then hopped another 3 dollar- 20 minute cab ride.
For the first time since I arrived I needed a serious nap, I literally had shopped till I dropped and I needed a two hour time out. After my nap in the creepy cell, I woke up and managed to pick up some bug spray. I don't understand what kind of mutant mosquitos they have in thailand. The stuff that kept me bite free in africa, had no effect, luckily Boots (the british pharmacy chain) had extra strength 50% DEET bug spray, I don't know if its even sold stateside. I am going to be bite-free...and have my very own special hole in the ozone. This afternoon I bought some passport photos for Cambodia (thank you guide book!), apparently you need them for your visa and for a three day angkor wat pass, and the lines at the booths in the airport takes forever.
I then went back to the fancy massage for a deep tissue massage and woohoo before you get a massage they ask you take a shower, (its a really nice place). The place is in a beautiful teak building, and beautifully designed and the shower had hot water, woohoo!! The shower alone was worth the money I spent.
I can't send my last email out about thailand without mentioning transvestites, without going into political or cultural analysis. It is very accepted in thailand. I have to say that some of the most beautiful women I have seen in thailand were once men, apparently there is a saying that Jonathan shared with me, "the most beautiful women in thailand aren't..."
Anyway, thats about it for bangkok, I am off to Cambodia.
this is my last post from bangkok, tomorrow I am off to Siem Reap, Cambodia. I am glad to be finished with bangkok, though I do spend a day here on my way home. I am most excited to leave the hostel/hotel. My room has no windows, which in all seriousness makes me anxious. Plus the overhead bulb burned out, so I am relying on the bathroom light and this small bulb over a mirror. Speaking of the bathroom, this morning when I went to brush my teeth, I picked up my toothbrush and about 20 tiny ants went in all directions, I think they were going after the toothpaste. Despite my room having no windows (technically there is a door that opens up onto a small balcony where the air conditioning unit is), I have been covered with mosquito bites. After hearing about my lack of relief from cortaid, my dad recommended very very hot water to relieve the itching...well it would work but I haven't had a drop of hot water. I think I finally had enough of this place when I was awoken at 5:30 am by a screaming scottish guy (I think he was scottish, but at the time of the morning everyone from that part of the world sounds the same) about people being in his room. It wasn't a huge deal because I was waking up early to go to Chatcuchak market, (more about that later).
Yesterday was my favorite day in Bangkok, in the morning I saw the reclining Buddha which was just amazing, I really suggest those who haven't seen in to google image Wat Pho. The guidebook says that in Wat Pho, you maybe approached by monks who want to practice their english. Wel while at Wat Pho, a monk approached me and I was so excited to have this profound cultural exchange. The monk asked me were I was from and I shared that I was from NYC and he proceeded to tell me that he lived in tucson arizona, and had a temple there.
Anyhoo, in the afternoon Jonathan, who lives in Bangkok, showed me around Chinatown and I finally really felt like I was in another country. The word Jonathan uses for Chinatown is labrynthine and I haven't found a better one, it goes on for ever and everything is sold there, everything! Alot of wholesale goes on. We also went to this one temple, which I am not sure how we found it, but in this temple you kneel and shake this cup full of dowels till one comes out. The dowel has a number and you then go to a bunch of boxes where you take a fortune from a box that has the same number. Well my dowel was unclear, so Jonathan, in impressive thai, asked the man. Well the man took it very seriously, he held it under the light, and tried another light and finally took out a jewelers loop to in fact confirm that the number was 22. I have my fortune, but I am not sure what it says yet, I think I will ask Mr. T in the morning when he takes me to the airport. We also went into a chinese dept store, and everyone stared at us, it was the first time that I had felt like I had gotten off the well beaten path. A women told Jonathan in Thai how pretty my pale skin is, apparently pale skin is popular here. They have a whole slew of whitening cosmetics in stores.
I went home and ate street pad thai which was ok and went to bed really early, because the only thing worse is than a backpackers ghetto is a drunk one. Today I woke really early and took a taxi to the sky train which is a really nice monorail type system, and took it to Chaturak market, the thais call it "JJ". I was there for a few hours, and alot of it was walking back and forth in the same few hundred feet trying to find my way. There is an american artist called Nancy Chandler who does detailed maps of markets in thailand. Anyhow, I didn't want to buy anything in bangkok since I know I can get the same stuff in Chiang Mai and I don't want to schlepp all this stuff through cambodia. I bet every single person who just read that sentence knows how utterly unlikely that was that I stuck to that. But I did restrain myself. I bought myself two silver bracelets and these really cool silkscreened pillow covers. The pillow covers weren't thai at all, they looked like something I would buy in NYC, but the price was set (no haggling) and affordable and I really liked the woman who designed them. The pillows have silhouettes on them, and since I collect silhouettes it will be an excellent addition.
I was doing good and then I saw them......(cue dramatic music) amazing handbags. I have a serious handbag addiction, I need to find a meeting or something. Well I really liked two but the price wasn't good, plus I didn't have enough cash. When I later returned to the booth, the bag I really wanted was bought buy a japanese wholesaler. But I still managed to pick one out. It's not a small miracle that I only bought one handbag at the market. The weekend market was totally overwhelming, but another one of the things that makes the 17 hour flight back to Bangkok totally worth it. After walking around nonstop for about two and half hours, I took my sorry butt home, this time I took the subway rather than the skytrain and both are very comfortable and importantly airconditioned. Unfortunately the subway doesnt go to the neighborhood Im staying, so I then hopped another 3 dollar- 20 minute cab ride.
For the first time since I arrived I needed a serious nap, I literally had shopped till I dropped and I needed a two hour time out. After my nap in the creepy cell, I woke up and managed to pick up some bug spray. I don't understand what kind of mutant mosquitos they have in thailand. The stuff that kept me bite free in africa, had no effect, luckily Boots (the british pharmacy chain) had extra strength 50% DEET bug spray, I don't know if its even sold stateside. I am going to be bite-free...and have my very own special hole in the ozone. This afternoon I bought some passport photos for Cambodia (thank you guide book!), apparently you need them for your visa and for a three day angkor wat pass, and the lines at the booths in the airport takes forever.
I then went back to the fancy massage for a deep tissue massage and woohoo before you get a massage they ask you take a shower, (its a really nice place). The place is in a beautiful teak building, and beautifully designed and the shower had hot water, woohoo!! The shower alone was worth the money I spent.
I can't send my last email out about thailand without mentioning transvestites, without going into political or cultural analysis. It is very accepted in thailand. I have to say that some of the most beautiful women I have seen in thailand were once men, apparently there is a saying that Jonathan shared with me, "the most beautiful women in thailand aren't..."
Anyway, thats about it for bangkok, I am off to Cambodia.