6 Week Gap Year

Erewan Shrine Bangkok


4th December (Monday)
Got up and packed and discovered t-shirt, swimming trunks and shorts tucked in the pocket of the suitcase. Problem was they are still damp and stink! No time to wash and repair so they go in the bin. Upside, might be closer to flight weight limit. Have breakfast and watch the same old guy come down to breakfast as I had seen the previous mornings with yet another different girl. No doubt he enjoys the idea in his own mind that he is the world’s greatest lothario! It’s actually quite sad seeing these aging men wandering around BKK with these young girls attached to their arms. Most of the men seem to be in their very late 40’s and anything up to 70! But, how shall I put it, aaahh, probably not have a great deal of success in attracting girls normally. It’s difficult making comments like that because as I’ve said before the culture here is so very different to ours. The whole bar girl, working girl, Thai bride girl scene is regarded as just another job with the benefit of possibly finding a husband and security for life for the girl and her extended family. It’s all completely accepted and no social stigma attached. I do just wonder what these men’s family and friends think. Not to mention what their 40 year old kids think!
Today I’m going to get on the train and get off at Chit Lom station and look at the Erawan Shrine. When I get there it is surrounded by Japanese and Chinese visitors all buying packs of incense sticks, candles and flower lei offerings. I watch for a while and you can’t help notice the noise and fumes of the traffic. Because the shrine is actually located on the corner of a busy road intersection on the Sukhumvit road by the side of a massive shopping complex. Fortunately the smell of the incense hides the traffic fumes. I buy a pack of incense, candle and flowers and I light the candle and incense and put them at the foot of the shrine. Look forward to a little help in life now! From there I decide to just walk and see where I end up. As I walk I find a little walk way full of the street food hawkers selling kebabs, little round sausages, pork (possibly!), fish and all sorts of things some of which are unidentifiable. What I do like is the ones which sell fruit in little plastic bags so as you feel a little thirsty and hungry I buy a bag of whatever I fancy for just a few Baht. Any way as I walk further down there is an entrance into what looks like some sort monastery or temple so I have a wander around. It turns out to be a working Wat or Temple which specializes in meditation called Wat Padumavanaram. The Temple is open to the elements and open to everyone. However it is obviously a little off the tourist trail as there are no English signs any where. I take a look through the temple having left my shoes outside and sit down crosslegged and contemplate my surroundings. The statues of Buddha are marvellous and bright gold and there are pictures of the first monk who created Wat Padumavanaram. I feel very peaceful and calm here, in this little oasis amongst the madness of BKK. I am offered a course in meditation which will take some hours but I decline. They then offer free lunch which is available to anyone and I suspect many of the beggars I have seen on the streets probably come here. Eventually I tear myself away and return to the noise and smells of the city and make my back to Sukhumvit Soi 11. I have booked a Thai traditional massage at a place called Raintree Spa http://www.raintreespa.net/ . I am taken to the foot massage room first, remove my shoes and place my feet in a bowl of warm rose scented water with rose petals floating in it. My masseuse, Pai (pronounced Pie) then takes each foot in turn and applies an exfoliating scrub and then rinses them clean. I put my feet in the reed slip on flip flops and follow her to the massage room upstairs. This is a large wooden floored room containing a number of cotton covered mattresses which can all be given privacy by a red curtain which can be drawn around. I am given a pair of cotton ‘pyjamas’ similar to Coolie type clothes to wear. Newly attired in my most alluring of outfits Pai returns and gestures for me to lay down on the floor mattress. The serious work of relaxing me for my 12 hour flight later tonight begins. Lots of pressing and kneading of leg, arm, neck and shoulder muscles begins which includes some limb stretching by Pai. This is actually slightly amusing. Pai is about 5ft tall, very slim and probably weighs about 6 stone. She has to kneel on the back of my thighs for one of the leg muscle stretching massages and I can feel her straining to pull my leg back to the correct angle. So small and delicate but with such strength. Next comes the herb body massage. This is a cotton bag of herbs which is heated in a steamer and then applied by pressing firmly and rolling on the body and is very relaxing. This proceeds until she has covered my whole body (well almost all of it) and then I am taken to a new room for the last part of the treatment. Here, I am given an aromatherapy massage which is heavenly apart from the bit where she massages the backs of my calves, which are quite tender from the pummelling she gave them in the first Thai massage before the herb compress. Slightly annoying also was that in the room next door during the aromatherapy massage, a Japanese client chatted the whole time he was there somewhat ruining the relaxed and quiet ambiance which Pai had built. Nonetheless, this was a good, relaxing therapy although slightly hard on some muscles. After the last massage I was given a large fluffy towel and taken to the shower room and left to shower under a huge shower head in hot steamy, water. The cost? Traditional Thai and herbal massage 750Bht, Aromatherapy massage 900Bht and foot soak and scrub free. Total time taken around two and a half hours. Equivalent price around £23. I left feeling very good. Back to the hotel and take the hotel taxi to the airport to get there in good time for check in. Thought that if I get there early I can check in quick, then go shopping in Tax free for camera and/or camcorder. Discover that the BA desk will not open for another 2 ½ hours! I decide to wait near the check ins in case they decide to open earlier and I can get an upgrade! and fall into conversation with a lovely lady called Sylvia. Sylvia is a Tour Group Manager for Titan Tours and has the most brilliant job in the world. She travels to wonderful and interesting places such as Melbourne, Uluru, Alice Springs, China and so on with groups of people on assisted or escorted tours. She is paid to travel the world and share her knowledge and love of the countries and their customs with others. How cool is that. She is also a talented sketch artist and she showed me a few of her recent drawings. It was a privilege to meet you Sylvia and I look forward to tasting your pickles and chutneys!
Boarded the BA10 flight back to Blighty and only had a ½ hour delay before take off. The flight was pretty uneventful but I would comment that the World Traveller Plus class is not too bad. You do get a larger, wider seat with more legroom, only 2 seats abreast at the windows and 4 abreast centarl, a kickdown footrest and when you recline your seat a leg calf rest unfolds and supports your lower leg. I actually found it a little uncomfortable and not very conducive to a comfortable sleep. But nonetheless much better than economy (world traveller) class. The cabin staff as always on the BA flights are very good and especially so when small children or babies are aboard. Arrived in UK on time and am greeted by temperatures of 10C, wind, rain and very rude people. So good to be back! Lu picked me up shortly after I entered Arrivals hall and we battled the wind and rain across to the car park for the journey to home.
Well everybody that’s just about it. I’m going to continue writing and updating this blog as and when remember other things I saw and did, because it was impossible to write everything due to time and having to sleep sometimes. I will e-mail and advise of the updates and where I made them so you don’t have to try and find them. I would welcome feedback and e-mails from anyone who has read the blog together with comments or questions about the trip.
Thank you for reading my thoughts and experiences and maybe I have touched a few of you and made you want to visit these places for yourselves.