6 Week Gap Year

23rd November (Thursday)
Wake up at 6.00am. Great, three and a half hours sleep. Try and go back to sleep but no luck as the sun is starting to peek round the edge of the curtains and can hear people in the huge foyer area by the lifts. Lots of dinging noises and I work out it’s the lifts announcing their arrival at the floor requested. I get up and open the curtains and reveal the panoramic view of Bangkok city from the huge equally panoramic window of the room. With sun rising to the right of me it cast an orangy glow across the clouds on the horizon and I wonder if it’s going to rain. Go down for breakfast (6-10am) and am met by a fantastic spread of goodies. Fried rice with chicken, pak choi stir fried with oyster sauce, omelettes made to order in front you, fried eggs, poached eggs, boiled eggs, toast, water melon, pineapple, all types of cereals, yoghurts (yuk), porridge (double yuk) boiled rice and scrambled eggs but done in a Thai style, sorry didn’t try it as too full from eating loads of other stuff. As I’ve only got one day on this side of the city I intend to visit the Royal Palace and one of the Temples at least. Just realised I haven’t got a plug adapter for Thailand and the laptop is almost out of battery charge. I go out to see if I can find a shop and 2 things strike me as I step outside. The heat again and it’s only 8.30am, and the noise. A market has sprung up since I was out here 6 hours ago and its right up to the steps of the hotel with a small gap for cars to negotiate between. The concierge advised I went right and down to the canal and hang a left then another left for a 7/11 shop. Down to the canal and look at a dirty brown waterway that no way would I want to fall into by accident or design. The only left turn is a small walkway along side the canal with street stalls of clothes on the left. As I progress I can see small aisles between some of the stalls heading deep into what I presume is a clothing market. Emerge at the end onto the road I was on last night, at the bridge I had reached, but decided to turn right and look from the bridge to the canal. The river taxis do not travel so much as hurtle along the waterways and metaphorically speaking screech to a stop at the little landing platforms along the canals. So, turned back and saw the 7/11 store. No adaptors there, so go for a walk around the market. Photos will be uploaded later sometime. How the hell do they make any money. All the stalls (and there are hundreds, literally) are selling the same or similar shirts, t-shirts, jeans, underwear and yellow or light blue polo shirts wwith what looks like a crest on the left breast. I’m sure I’ve seen it before somewhere but can’t place it in my memory. There are food vendors all over the place selling everything from pineapples, whole or cut, to what could be curry in banana or palm leaves. And a few other things that I wouldn’t like to identify. There are a number of vendors on 3 wheeler bikes cycling slowly round the market and one old guy with a radio attached to a car battery blaring out a story or play or something. Might even have been the news. Eventually return to the hotel and book a car to take me to the Royal Palace, a river trip and a Temple called Wat Arun. I know, I know, not another bloody temple, but this one is different trust me. Charge me 1500baht for 5 hours. Go to the river trip first via the madness of Bangkok roads during the day. Good job I’m used to driving in London but some of the moves this guy makes would end in accidents and punch ups in there. We pull up outside a place called the Offices of State or something similar, and he gets out, moves a big metal barrier and parks in the only space that is in a whole line of official looking cars. The security or army guard just watches and we wander off to the river. Have to pay another 1500baht for the hour long river trip in a long-tailed river boat. These boats are very long and wide enough for about 3 people. They have a huge diesel engine mounted at the rear with a long (10ft or more) propeller shaft dipping in and out of the water, hence Long Tailed. river boat. The boat guys steer by holding a 3 or 4ft steel bar attached to the engine and using it in tiller fashion. Attached to the bar he holds (it’s like a piece of scaffolding) is his accelerator handle. See the photo above. We go up a canal and see the Royal Barge house. All the Kings barges are covered in gold and intricately carved and now are only used on very important royal occasions. The taxi driver said they might be used this year for the king’s birthday celebrations as he will be 80 on December 5th. The country has a holiday on King Bhumibol, (pronounced Poomipol) Rama the lX’s birthday. He also explained why I saw so many blue and yellow polo shirts. They are in the royal colours so people buy and wear them as a sign of respect for their king. Which explains that design, it’s the Royal crest. Anyway, further up the river, not the main river Chao Phraya we encounter some of the Thai Royal Navy, (see photo and don’t laugh) and also see back side of one of the golden Buddhas. Back we go t the main river and pass the Royal Grand Palace on the left and stop eventually at Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn.) This Temple is 341ft high and originally was purported to be the first place in old Bangkok (Thonburi) to see the dawn and was why previous rulers chose it as the place to build their Temple. It is absolutely stupendous, not just from a height point of view but because of the level of detail and decoration that has been put to the Temple. I have tried to do some justice to it with the photos but to be honest seeing it myself in the pictures is no where near the beauty of it in the “flesh”. It is just so intricate and it is all the way to the top. Some of the decoration is in a mosaic style and some such as flowers are made from small ceramic dishes.
Back on to the river boat and back to the landing stage where I find my driver fast asleep in a chair. We go back to the car and as we pass the security guard my driver shakes his hand, which is most unusual as they normally greet each other with the Wai. Hands together as if praying in the chest and raised to the chin. I realised that he was actually passing him some Baht notes as a bribe for letting him park there!
We head on to the Royal Grand Palace and he drops me near the entrance. As I walk in I’m accosted by an old guy who has an official tour guide i.d. card around his neck and offers to take me round. His English is quite good so might as well, coz you get loads more info this way and I’m his only client so one to one is good. 300baht for entry and you have to cover your legs in the Grand Palace grounds and buildings as a sign of respect. So for your money you also get a cool pair of camouflage green nylon trousers that are up to the minute fashion accessories. Bargain. Off we go and I’m hit with a torrent of information in reasonable English but with no pauses for breath or breaks between words and sentences so hard to decipher but I soon manage to adjust. Missed about 10 minutes though while I was learning to decode. One of the first things you notice is the Golden Temple and Mr Guide makes me stand by the lawn with the Temple as my backdrop. We’ll come back to it later. I’m trying to gather my thoughts on this experience and it’s not happening. Mainly, I think, because of the overpowering assault on the visual sense and the incredible amount of information needed and given to make some sort of sense of what you are seeing. I’m just going to write about what I remember as I remember it and not rerun the tour as I would do normally. Elephants used to be a Kings normal mode of transport for land and elephants were used as guard(dog!)s for the palace. Every side of every entrance to every Temple in the grounds has a golden serpent with a tail in the shape of 5 fingers. These fingers each represent the 5 commandments that the Thais (who are predominantly Buddhist) live by.
Do not steal
Do not lie
Do not commit adultery
Do not Kill
Do not
We then enter the main temple where the Green Buddha lives. He is made of Jade and very important to the Thai people. The temple is incredibly ornate with wall murals depicting many important events in Thai history. It is also going through a renovation as many of the wall paintings and murals have faded with time and being touched. The paying public are allowed in but you must remove footwear and once inside whisper only and never point your feet at the the green Buddha or anyone. The feet are considered as very low and it is a mark of disrespect. No photography is allowed in here so I’m unable to give an idea of just how beautiful the room is but probably you can find images on t’internet. My guide takes me to the ceremonial room where the King goes on his birthday and sits on his throne and receives guests and presents etc. The thrones, there is one for his Queen and children, all have golden canopies over them but they are suspended from the ceiling and circular, similar to lampshades. The King has a “lampshade” that has 7 tiers, with each lampshade ring smaller than the one below it. The queen only has 6 tiers and prince and princesses have 5. Outside this room is where Anna, the schoolteacher who came to Siam, and with whom the king would fall in love with, would teach the king’s and other parent’s children and who was responsible for changing the way education was taught. She insisted that schools and schoolrooms be built and that Monks, who previously had provided all the educational needs for children, only give religious instruction.
Finish the tour in the weapons musuem. There are hundreds of pikes, knives, lances, swords and heavy wooden clubs there many of which are ceremonial and many which were used in wars. Some of the swords, blade and handle, are as long as 5ft!
It’s now around 3pm so make our way back to hotel.
I’m having trouble writing this without having a moan because everywhere I went, without exception, Thai people come and talk to you. Some you can see quite obviously are trying to sell you something. Postcards (faded in the sun), hats, fruit and drinks. Some it’s not so obvious as they’re not holding anything, but after a few seconds it’s clear they want to: take you on a sightseeing tour, visit their cousin’s factory for genuine cultured pearls (and there’s me thinking they came from oysters!), visit another relative who knows where we can see loads of lovely Thai girls who will, “look after me” and “show me lovely sights of Bangkok”, (more like look after my wallet) or see his brother who can make me a suit in 2 hours! HAH! Not once though, was I asked, “hello Mister, you wan’ me love you long time?” !
At the end of my trips and this constant harassment, it was a relief to get back to the taxi and my hotel “guide”. As we head back to the hotel he asked me if I wanted a suit as his brother knew a man…………….., no thanks.
Ok he said, we go find lovely Thai girl, you not visit Thailand if you not visit Thai girl ! Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrgggggghhhhhh, get me back to the hotel, you‘re fired. Decide to have a 10 minute rest after a shower and then have dinner. Wake up at 7! Order room service as can’t get enthusiasm to find somewhere to eat. Have gorgeous garlic and pepper prawns with mixed meat fried rice and sesame prawn toasts for dinner washed down with a couple of Singha beers. Watch Man with the Golden Gun with Thai subtitles and fall asleep again!

Prince Palace swimming pool area on level 11.

Prince Palace Hotel, Bangkok (Much better inside than outside appearance!)


22nd November (Wednesday)

Up early and pack. Down to the Global Gossip and upload some more photos. Quick lunch and pick up the shuttle bus back to Sydney airport. As we go down the road from the hotel we take a corner and to my left I see the harbour and docks and waterfront area which would have been a 10 minute walk. It would also have been a really interesting area for exploring as part of the Australian Navy is based there. The driver is a nightmare, talks to himself and shouts at the traffic and then his radio controller tells him to take a detour to collect some more passengers. The family I’m travelling with in the shuttle who are from Singapore look at me with a look of resignation. Their flight is at 5pm, mine is 5.30 and it’s now 2.15. I say to the driver he hasn’t time to pick up more people as the family are catching 3.30 flight and the driver is already late. Tell his controller that. We continue to the airport with out the detour. The family are really nice and the Dad used to travel to England a lot so we have a good chat about places he visited and chat about Singapore. Get to check-in and all goes well until we get on the 747 to Bangkok. Sydney air traffic control decide to change the direction of take off so we have to travel to the opposite end of the runway. This decision obviously creates a delay so they decide to give priority to smaller aircraft and Qantas flights. We wait a further 50 minutes at the side of the runway before finally getting cleared for take off. I’m beginning to notice a pattern emerging with all my flights, can you? Arrive in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport an hour late at 23.50 local. Clocks back 4 hours so is 03.50 by my body clock. The first thing you notice as you leave the aircraft and step into the walkway is the smell. It’s a sort of dull, spicy, herby, curry and slighty sweaty body odour type of smell but it’s everywhere. The other thing you notice is the heat and humidity. This is a brand new airport and only been operational since end of September 06. It is huge with 6 levels and has quite a spectacular design but is also a concrete monolith. Make my way to baggage reclaim which is about a 10 minute walk from disembarkation! Ok, how do I get from here to the hotel? Find an information desk but get accosted by numerous men and women for taxi services to Bangkok, best price was 900baht biggest was 1200baht. About £13 to £20. Information advise of shuttle bus which is 150 baht, yeah bargain! Hah, takes me to city with 20 others squeezed onto a smallish bus with inadequate storage luggage. Then find that it only takes me to near the hotel when the driver stops bus and says “tha’ way” and waving his arm in the general direction of a street to the right as I get off the bus. My glasses steam up in the heat and humidity after the aircon of the bus. Go down the road but is not the name of the road I need (Damrong Rak) but has a sign that says Bo Bae and the hotel is in Bo Bae Tower so I take a chance. Walk down the road past loads of fruit street vendors packing up their stalls and wares. I say stalls loosely as they are more ramshackle metal frames and many load their fruit and some seem to have been selling t-shirts, on to motor scooters or Tuk-Tuks. Get to a bridge which crosses a river? And decide I have gone too far or the wrong way. Just then a taxi pulls around the corner so I flag him down and ask “Prince Palace Hotel?” He nods and I ask him if it’s far. Stupid move on my part because of course it’s going to be far, he’s a taxi driver. At least he didn’t say “don’t go south of the river this time of the night Guv”. He shrugged so we loaded the suitcase and I on board and off we went into the night and uncertainty. Well, what a journey. All of half way back up the road I had just walked down. About hhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmm let me see, some where round, aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh oh 300yds! Hotel Prince Palace was down a side road behind a market area and couldn’t be seen from the road I was on. Ha, cost me 50baht, .80pence but what a relief. Ground floor busboys and concierge met me and sent me to floor 11 reception. Signed in and got key card for room 2001 (A space odyssey). Lift to floor 20 (another 23 above me) and into the room. Wow! Huge. Aaahh, very soft carpet and hey, spectacular views of Bangkok by night from 20 floors up. My suitcase then arrived with bellboy and he showed the room and the remote control for everything. Well all the lights and the tv and the aircon and whether you want the room cleaned or not to be disturbed. It doesn’t draw the curtains tho’! It’s now 02.30 and I’m a bit weary so will retire and check out stuff tomorrow.