Category: Thailand

Today’s massage was brutal. I asked for a “strong massage” (after yesterday’s rather slight masseuse). It made me think of someone going into an Indian restaurant and asking, with an assured swagger, for their food “spicy”. You can see the chef rubbing their hands and thinking “right… I’ll show them spicy”.

I realise now that I should have tempered my request based on the size of the masseuse. She was brutal. “You want strong? I’ll give you strong.”  This photo was before she rolled me over and walked on my back:

 

With her full weight on my upper back, she dug in her toes, bent her knees and then thrust sharply downwards. Fire crackers this was not – more like a firing squad, as my vertebrae realigned. Or broke. At the time, I wasn’t quite sure which.

Lesson: be careful what you wish for.

A quick lunch and we were off back to the airport. Such an easy flight – ate dinner, fell asleep and woke up to breakfast.

Rudy was spreading his happiness again, joking with the stewards in his inimitable way:

He just seems to attract people – they warm to his smiles and laughter. Like this random Aussie guy who proceeded to stand and talk to Rudy like an old friend whilst scratching himself and explaining how he was sure to get laid in Sydney… or if not, Hong Kong… or if not, definitely, in Bangkok:

After his stomach, he gave his bum a good old scratch, too. I’ll spare you a photo 😉

(Update: he returned to let Rudy know he was “going for a number two.” What a charmer.)

And just to leave you with a nicer mental image, here are oxygen masks being delivered by Cupid:

Woke up at 10:42am, after 14 hours’ sleep. And felt alive for the first time since boarding the plane in London.

Today turned out to be one of those unexpectedly wonderful travel days. Nothing momentous, but lots of little pleasures.

Starting with breakfast: fresh fruit salad. I love fruit salad, but it’s a special treat here because the fruits aren’t ones I use much in England because they’re so expensive (and full of airmiles). And chicken noodle soup. Fell in love with this wonderful breakfast when I was in China and take the opportunity to have it whenever I can.

 

“Lemon” juice turned out to be made with limes. And I remembered to ask them to hold the sugar (why spoil something that’s already perfect?). It was amazing.

Then for today’s massage. Tried a different place and wasn’t disappointed. Jarasthi gently but firmly coaxed more knots out of me. At times she was a little too gentle, but a soft request for “stronger, please” did the trick. And she had elbows like pins, so the back massage was brilliant.

After a lovely milky latte, we headed off for a foot massage with another of Rudy’s friends. Tjoom used to be a cleaner at A&A, and then moved into the kitchen. When things got tough, she was let go and now works as a street masseuse. She was great, but I did worry about the effect on her joints – foot massages are tough on the hands, and she gets no respite.

Every evening, there’s a free aerobics class at a plaza near the river. Unlike most fitness classes, it starts with everyone standing for the national anthem:

Young and old join in the aerobics, which is clearly well-attended. And free. Such a great idea.

Khao San Road is famous for, well, being Khao San Road. It’s grown to cater for the average tourist, with bars, restaurants and street stalls selling everything from chicken kebabs to souvenirs. Oh, and insects:

 

Croc stick, anyone?

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Rudy’s been staying at this hotel for 25 years. Not constantly, of course, but he’d often start his trips in Bangkok. And, being Rudy, he’s made lots of friends. Ju was the tour guide rep at A&A until a few months ago when she was let go as business had tailed off. She was *so* excited to hear that Rudy was back in town.

We continued the tradition of taking her to dinner, along with her two sons (now 12 and 14 years’ old). Oh, and the random lady from the hotel who announced that she was coming along, too!

Across the bridge, there was a distinct lack of tourists. I’m guessing not many tourists have been to the restaurant we visited. The food was very different to the “Thai” offered near Khao San Road. Ju kept ordering dishes, most eye-wateringly spicy:

Despite her instructions, everything came out super spicy. She had to be quite emphatic that the prawns and squid were to be bland (!):

The arrival of the bill neatly demonstrated one of the cultural differences between Europe (or maybe just the UK) and Asia. In the UK, the conversation would have gone something like this:

• Ju checks the bill
• Ju pulls out her purse to pay
• Rudy insists we’ll pick up the bill
• Ju protests slightly
• Rudy insists
• Ju consents

What actually happened was:

• Ju checked the bill
• Ju passed the bill straight to Rudy

To be fair, Rudy had invited them out to dinner. But in the UK, we still would have done our little “situation softening dance”. Asians are much more direct 🙂

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Random stuff from today:

Cat’s just chillin’:

Went to wash my hair. There were two sachets in the basket. Is this shampoo or conditioner?

Yep, I thought conditioner, too – because “intensive repair” is a giveaway, right? So what about the black version?

That’s “intensive repair”, too. I gave up, and used my own.

Wat Arun Ratchawararam, or “Wat Arun” for short,  is also known as the “Temple of Dawn”. But it started life as “Wat Makok” and has gone through several name changes at the behest of various kings to reach its current name. I assume, therefore, that many other names await it.

It’s spire, or “prang” is where Buddha’s relics are allegedly placed. This contradicts Sri Lanka’s claim that only three parts of the Buddha were rescued from his funeral pyre, all of which are in Sri Lanka. But I’ve realised that it doesn’t really matter – faith and belief don’t require scientific validation.

The guide board stated that “the architectural components of Prang reflects Buddhist ideology about the universe according to Traibhum cosmology”. I have no idea what this means, but it sounds impressive.

Apparently, tourists used to be able to climb about half way, but are now limited to the first tier. And the perimeter circus was also added as part of the cleaning and renovations of the temple.

From a distance, the spire is distinctive, but it’s as you get closer that the most interesting aspect becomes clear: it’s made out of broken pottery:

I think these are Garuda (need to brush up on my Asian history):

And this chap is definitely Confucius (the one with the cup that teaches moderation):

It was also the location of numerous photo shoots. Even the monks were getting in on the act:

The local boat was Bangkok’s equivalent to London’s Thames Clipper… with two notable differences: it was 38p (15 BHT); and lacked most safety features. Humans were packed onto the narrow boat, which moored at each stop by throwing a rope over a bollard and letting passengers jump between the bobbing boat and the moving quay.

Lunch at a local cafe, where they “love the king”:

You see this a lot in Thailand – open adoration of the royal family. It is, of course, an offence to criticise them in public.

 

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Random stuff from today:

Lack of safety measures also extends to construction – these chaps were painting the temple roof sans scaffolding, safety gear or footwear:

Might have to try a “bird’s nest drink” sometime:

Bug of the day: at Wat Arun, I was reminded how large the ants are around this part of the world:

Trees shaped like the mushrooms in my soup last night:

The familiar, and now comforting, sight of a Buddha shrine:

Bangkok from the air:

 

Great taxi system – you collect a ticket from one of the electronic kiosks and it tells you which bay to wait at. Just like Argos:

 

A few minutes later the taxi driver pulled up and I was off, fixed fares for each area of the city, so you don’t have to haggle either (which is always a bonus in my book).

Driving into the centre reminded me that Bangkok is a city growing out of the jungle – concrete edifices rise out of tropical foliage:

 

Mangoes are abundant in this part of the world. And they’re my favourite fruit, so I kicked off my trip with a mango juice (sorry – was so enthusiastic, I forgot to take a photo until it was finished!):

 

Followed by a tom yam soup:

Brilliant start to my trip.

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Random stuff from today:

I don’t usually go into toilets with a urinal – for obvious reasons – so I’m not sure whether balls are standard. I assume it’s to keep the boys amused (and accurate):