One Week In Bangkok

Day 2: Testing the Waters

Monday: I woke up at 5 am, so I went up to the Executive Lounge for green tea, to watch the sun greet the day, and catch a quick glimpse of the Oscars on TV. (With the time difference between LA and Bangkok, they were being shown live). Around 7, Jason got up and we managed to get in an hour at the hotel gym.

Today's Thai breakfast soup featured squid and shrimp in a broth with rice. I added the usual - onions, garlic, turmeric, chili powder. Yum! I also had half a plate of ‘English breakfast’ items: fried tomatoes, mushrooms and sausage, then threw in a couple of pieces of octopus sushi and smoked salmon, for good measure. (It is too hot to eat midday, so breakfast holds us until dinner.)

At 10 am, we took the free hotel ferry to the Sathorn Pier (a connecting point for Bangkok’s ferry boats and sky tram). There, we bought a day pass for the “tourist boat” for 100 baht ($3) which travels up and down the down the Chao Phraya River. We chugged up to Pier 8, where we hopped off to visit Wat Pho and marveled at the magnificent reclining Buddha. I had no idea how gigantic it is!! It runs the whole length of the building – guessing here but maybe 100 feet long? And, laying sideways, it is as high as the roof - maybe 30 feet? Just incredible!

Then, we walked along an enormous walled compound searching for the entrance to the Grand Palace and its adjoining Wat Phra Kaeo (or Temple of the Emerald Buddha). The palace is incredible. Every centimeter of the many buildings that make up the compound is decorated with gold, mosaic, statues and there are all sorts of varying Buddhas, everywhere.

The Emerald Buddha sits in a small showcase in an upper level of a museum next to the palace, and dressed in garments made of pure gold. It has three outfits for three seasons. Winter, Summer and in-between.

It is absolutely obligatory to wear long pants and sleeves while visiting the palace, and many temples, which we had no problem with, understanding it is customary to show respect in this way. However, at 95 degrees Fahrenheit and full humidity… the heat was stifling! I bought a yellow cap at the palace gift shop, to help shield the sun and get my hair off my neck. The cap has red Thai writing on it, and a heart. Cheesy? Yes, but more practical than the many parasols for sale.

Around 1:00, we wandered down to Pier 9. Jason had work to do and headed back to the hotel. I opted to plug on to Pier 13, Phra Arhit, and hit the famed Khao San Road, or “backpacker ghetto."

At first glance, the peaceful little walk-street lined with 20-something, dreadlocked and tattooed travelers, sipping tea and chatting with one another reminded me of Christiania, a bohemian neighborhood in Copenhagen, Denmark. However, once I turned the corner, into bustling motorbikes, tuk-tuks, car exhaust, people and overflowing shops in every direction, it became its own thing. Wow - what a lot going on!

Browsing the stalls, I found that most of the clothes were either too bright or too tight for me, but I bought a pretty silk purse for about $5. I looked into getting my whole head braided with lots of different color threads - looked really cute on the girl getting it done - but I know Jason would have a cow because of his conference this week. He already told me that he’d prefer I get anything outlandish done after the conference is over. Whatever. I obliged him, for now...

After wandering around for an hour, I was ready for my new daily ritual and got an hour Thai massage and pedicure. The both together were less than $9. To top it off, I got myself a lychee and strawberry yogurt smoothie. (75 cents)

I don't know if it was the heat or my new $2 flip-flops but wandering through a narrow shopping alley, I tripped and fell flat. (Not very Muse-like). One Thai lady remarked (with a big smile), "It is because you are more fat that you not hurt." Ouch. THAT hurt. But, they just say what they think. Yesterday, the lady giving me a foot massage rubbed my hands a bit, and kindly pointed out how lucky I am to have such small hands with my big body. (Man, with compliments like these, who needs insults?)

I did impress some local people with my new yellow hat, though. One merchant informed me that bright yellow is the King's favorite color, and that on Mondays everyone wears yellow, in his honor. (I had noticed a whole lot of Thai people wearing a specific kind of yellow shirt but had wrongly assumed it was some kind of work uniform). I also learned that the writing on the hat means something like "I (heart) the king."

He asked me if I also loved President Bush, which made me laugh like a banchee. He also told me that he thought Bill Clinton's wife would be good next time because she does not like violence but he wasn't sure if she knew anything about business.

By 4:30, I was ready to leave the bohemian back packers and head back to the lap of luxury (ie: newly remodeled Hilton). I managed to get my apparently whale-sized body back on the boat (without sinking it) and embarked on the long journey back to the hotel. It is not far, mind you, just a tedious trek when traveling on “Thai time.” The filthy water of the Chao Phraya sprayed on my face as the boat sped along the river, and I regretted not getting any shots or Malaria pills before coming on this trip.

Upon return to our room, I had a lovely cool bath, with the jacuzzi jets on. Then made it to the free happy hour, upstairs. Woo-hoo! A Campari and soda, and all was right with the world. I even caught a few post-Oscar highlights on the TV, in the lounge. (This is probably the first year I haven’t watched them, in decades!)

Jason had a business dinner, and I was quite tired after all the sightseeing, so I decided to have a bite at the hotel’s outdoor restaurant, on the edge of the riverbank. I ate a wonderfully spicy green curry with beef, sipped a glass of Australian white wine and indulged myself with coconut ice cream for dessert. Breathing a peaceful and contented sigh, listening to the "lap, lap" of the river and feeling the warm breeze, I thought that if I wrote the day out as a movie script, this would be the perfect Hollywood ending.

Traveler Tip: Keep in mind that Thai women are tiny. It is only normal to feel huge next to them... (repeat three times to self, if necessary)

One Week In Bangkok

Day One: A Gentle Landing

Saturday Night / Sunday: For me, the trip over to Thailand was one of those Machievallian “ends justify the means” experiences. Two very long economy class flights: nearly 12 hours from LAX to Tokyo, a couple of hours layover, then a 7-hour flight to Bangkok. I dreaded them, all week.

The long one, on American Airlines, was fair, at best. Crappy three-year old in-flight movies and a noisy man, reeking of B.O., sat in front of me. His seat, pushed all the way back, left no room for my laptop, hence no working (which I had planned on…) Additionally, most US carriers charge for alcoholic beverages on international flights. Boo, Hiss.

However, I enjoyed transit in Tokyo’s airport. I bought wasabi-covered peas, a bottled lychee beverage and some bean-paste cakes, in duty free. The airport itself has all sorts of fun comforts and conveniences: electrical massage chairs, long lounge chairs for naps and computer desks with lamps.

I got a super seat on the Japan Air Lines flight (heaps of leg room and a whole row to myself). The flight attendants were smiling, courteous, attentive and friendly. I sampled two kinds of (free) sake. One was called Kiku-Masaune, a dry, floral tasting rice wine made with miya mizu mineral water, and the other was Hakatsuru, which seemed to have slightly higher alcohol content, and hints of green tea flavor. Both were served with little plastic sake glasses - very cool!

I arrived in Bangkok at midnight, Saturday night and Jason was waiting for me at the airport with a big bouquet of flowers (another reminder of why I married this guy). We got into the Mercedes limo and whisked away to the newly remodeled Millenium Hilton. Our room is on the 25th floor, overlooking an incredible view of the river and the city. The bed is big and fluffy and there is a beautiful carved wood panel on the wall. The marble bathroom has a big bath with hot tub jets, and a separate giant shower. Unbelievably, Jason’s conference rate is under $200 per night!

A luscious breakfast is included, and served on the 31st floor, overlooking the river and city, too. I tried a traditional breakfast soup; basically a chicken porridge to which I added chili, garlic, chopped green onion, tumeric and ginger. I also had octopus sushi, shrimp and smoked fish. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! We drank coffee and mango juice.

Next, a little sightseeing! We took a taxi across town ($5) to the Weekend Market. It was too overwhelming to fully take in: over 1500 stalls crammed with clothes, art, buddhas, bags, hair decorations, cooked food and exotic fruit. The horrible part, though, was a section selling puppies. Barely off the mothers’ teats, the tiny dogs were perched on crates, or in small cages, and some lay listless and panting from the heat. I wished I could take home a few. Their sad cries pulled at my heart.

Next, were cages packed with little squirrels with string tied around their necks. The lady in charge had one on her lap. Suddenly, I saw it slip off, and grasp for her skirt, while dangling by its throat. I fought back tears at the knowledge that there is just nothing to do about these animals' situation. So very upsetting.

That's when I'd had enough of the market. We snaked our way through a lost maze of stalls with varying sights, smells and wares, of all kinds. I bought some little fried donut thingies covered in sesame seeds, to taste. (Not worth the calories. Chucked them in the trash.) Finally back on the street - drenched with sweat - and decided to try some of the famous street vendor food. For 30 cents, I got some sort of pork-on-a-stick. (Also quite yucky. Jason wouldn't even try it!)

Upon arrival back at the hotel, armed police looked under the taxi with mirrors, due to terror threats against western hang-outs in Thailand, recently. Soldiers saluted us as we drove in. Odd.

The second half of our day included a water taxi ride up the river. We got off at a shopping area and went into Robinson's, a big department store. In the bottom of it was a grocery store, and in a corner of that was a tiny spa. Jason got a one-hour Thai massage and I had one-hour foot and shoulder rub - both for under $12, including tip!

I finally got some tasty food from the vendors. A stick of 5 shu-mai (little pork pot-sticker type dumpings) cost 75 cents and a skewer of squid, flame-broiled right there on the cart, was about 30 cents. Both super yummy.

We woke up from an afternoon nap in time for Happy Hour in the Executive Lounge and enjoyed free appetizers and cocktails (I had Pernod and Jason had his own creation, which he calls the Nelsen Negroni: Campari, Gin and Grapefruit Juice). We marveled at the nighttime view of the city from the 31st floor.

For dinner, we went to a restaurant recommended by the Concierge. She told us that President Bush had eaten there, as well as other dignitaries. (No idea if its true, and I didn’t really care where Bush has eaten, anyway…) Still, it was beautiful and we sat outside, overlooking the river. However, the downside is that it was a bit of a tourist trap and cost $50 (with drinks and tip) which is a lot in Thailand, and, frankly, we've had better Thai food in the states.

After dinner, we hit the lounge, back at the Hilton, for live jazz and a cocktail. It is on the very top of the hotel, in a round, glass room, appropriately called 360 Degrees. Again, not surprisingly, we got tourist rip-off prices. My Thai Martini (thai whiskey, cocnut milk and ginger, ganished with lemon grass - fantastic) was $12, and Jason's calvados was $8. Still, we will go back. And, I can’t wait to explore the city, tomorrow!

Traveler Tip: Though the street vendor food is highly praised, keep in mind that it may not always be your "cup of tea." However, it is cheap, so give it a try.