December 8th, 2006 Bangkok, Thailand – In Transit

December 8th, 2006
Bangkok, Thailand – In Transit

Jackie and I woke up at around 9:30 and quickly got ready for the day. After showering we started packing our bags. We took a break for breakfast and then I headed to Khao San Road to meet up with my dad. He was slightly late and we did not get back to the room until 11:30. I finished packing my bag and then we all headed down to the lobby.

After storing some of our baggage we headed out to lunch. We ate at Tom Yung Kun (Ben and Ju’s recommendation) and had a wonderful (but very spicy meal). When we were done eating we set out to see some sights!

Our first stop was the Golden Mount. Not knowing how to get there, we took a taxi. It ended up being the shortest ride ever! We were only in the cab for 5 minutes and only had to pay 39 baht (initial fee 35 baht). We explored the wat at the base of the mountain for a few minutes and then hiked up to the Golden Mount.

We climbed many stairs and worked up a good sweat before reaching the top. At the summit we had a great view of the city. After snapping some photos we entered the building and saw a large gold mound.

From the Golden Mount we hired a taxi to take us to the flower market. We were the only white people at the market. Locals were purchasing various flower products (for Buddha) and food items (some that were scary). We wandered around for a while and even sampled an Asian pear.

After a quick stop at 7-Eleven for refreshments we made our way to the nearby dock and gazed upon the river. While taking photos of Wat Arun, we were approached by a lady offering a boat ride around the area. We haggled with her for a few minutes before agreeing to hire her services.

The boat ride turned out to be awesome! We cruised through the Bangkok canal system. The entire scheme was protected by a cool levy system because the water in the main river is much higher. It was cool to travel by some of the local homes and see how many people in the city actually live. At one point our captain threw some bread into the water and tons of large fish swarmed the food. Throughout the entire journey (about 1.5 hours) we were amazed by the amount of life (fish and people swimming) in such a dirty body of water.

When we returned to the docks we headed back to the road and jumped in a cab, which took us back to our guesthouse. When we arrived (after lots of traffic) we gathered our belonging and said goodbye to my Dad. It has been great to see him on the other side of the world (but his journey has gone very fast!).

At 17:30 a bus official came to our hotel and walked us to the main road and our bus (after stops to pick up other passengers). When we got to the waiting area we realized that we did not have any snacks (or dinner) for the journey! I ran back (through the heat and humidity) and grabbed us a few things.

At 18:45 the bus finally left the waiting area (almost an hour late). The bus seats were surprisingly comfortable. Though the bus stopped at midnight for food, Jackie and I chose not to eat a meal. Instead we had some beverages, pineapple, and chips.

For the rest of our time on the bus I was in and out of sleep (Jackie did not sleep at all!).