Travellog: Thailand: Bangkok and Koh Samed

Monday, July 21 2003

I'd originally set my alarm to wake me at 6:30, so when I opened my eyes at 7:30 I got out of bed pretty darned quick. I spent a quick hour getting ready and checked my email for the last time, then Kat and her parents arrived in their 7-seater car to pick me up. I was off!

We put the car in the airport carpark and took the shuttle to the terminal. I thought the trip was unnecessarily long. The carpark wasn't really that far, but the shuttle had to dodge the roundabouts and things, and kept going in graceful circular arcs. The airport was doing some kind of landscaping project. Personally I thought it was quite hideous, but then I know nothing about landscaping. Perhaps it looks more appealing from mid-air - who knows.

The first thing we did at the airport was get our plane tickets from the travel agent and check in. We were slightly delayed by an extremely annoying woman who wasn't happy with the tickets (she wanted to sit in the 'Upper Leg' - whatever THAT was) and kept saying that she would "charn" the travel agent and that she had plenty of money, it wasn't that she couldn't pay (though from what I could see, she looked pretty cheap. And that was pretty cheap language she was using, too). She wouldn't shut up either and kept attacking the hapless representative, who really had nothing to do with the actual buying of tickets. Ugh. Someone should tell her to go smell the tiles on the bottom of a swimming pool. This woman later came to be known among us as 'Upper Leg'. We saw her again at the airport on Friday and steered well clear. What's the point of bitching at people when you're going on a holiday to enjoy yourself?!

The flight to Bangkok was pretty nondescript since we had the middle aisle and there was nothing to look at. I scribbled in my sketchbook, we had a bit of turbulence. I don't mind admitting that I don't like turbulence. When I was younger I loved it, but now that I'm old enough to appreciate the fact that I'm whizzing around in a pressurized aluminium tube - no thanks, I feel too fragile. I didn't have much appetite for the meal then, so I carved a kittycat out of the bread. I'm really quite proud of it. On yee (my aunt) suggested putting the black beans in its eyes - quite effective, isn't it? We had a good laugh.

We landed in Bangkok safely, though the pilot seemed to think the runway was a trampoline. We were picked up at the airport by a minivan (it was part of the package). The company was too cheap to pay 30 Baht (HK$6) to take the highway so we were stuck in traffic for an hour and a half. I did get a good look at the streets though. I noticed that people don't seem to take road safety very seriously - I wonder how these people manage to stay in the back of the truck when it accelerates, and not go tumbling out like oranges!

We checked in at the Arnoma Hotel. They have a policy about not allowing durians, because of the smell. We thought this statue was just hilarious, though! Me and Kat had a room, and my aunt and uncle had another. We asked for adjacent rooms, and it ended up that we were at opposite ends of the corridor, on different sides, although we had consecutive room numbers. Kat had to run quite a distance to get her clothes and things! The room itself was quite alright, though the view left something to be desired - at first glance it seems to be a big slinky. It is in actual fact a shopping complex called Big C, though it isn't apparent why the architect designed it to look like a warehouse (or possibly airplane hangar?? Who knows?). Here's another view.

Anyway, we put down our suitcases, and headed out again. I bought a bunch of postcards and then we took the BTS - the Bangkok version of a subway or MTR system, except it's raised above the ground like a big flyover network. Here's the back of the ticket so you can follow along - we got on at Chit Lom (E1) and went to Siam. The inside of their train is VERY like our own MTRs - if it weren't for the Thai announcements, and the fact that I could see out the windows, I would've forgotten I was in a different system at all! Here's the front of the ticket as well if you're interested. It cost us, I think, 10 Baht (HK$2) each to get to Siam.

Once there, we went to Siam Discovery Centre - it's a shopping centre. Us three females ran around like crazed fruit bats in the presence of shops while my uncle patiently put up with us. Things are pretty cheap in Thailand, and who can resist a bargain?

We had dinner in a Japanese restaurant - it was called Fuji, I believe. They have lots of shops that we have in Hong Kong, and lots more besides. They have Outback Steakhouse, Starbucks (but of course), Office Depot, Radio Shack...but I'm going off on a tangent here. Our dinner was pretty good. They have those glossy menus, with photographs of all their dishes, so Kat and I ordered smiley potatoes just because they were funny. We had lots of other things besides - it was all very good. I recommend that restaurant heartily if you ever visit the Siam Centre in Bangkok - the prices are very reasonable and the food is good!

After that we took a taxi to Suan-Lum Night Bazaar (outside link). It's perfectly huge. There are lots of little stores selling candles, incense, Thai goodies...it was very interesting, but terribly hot! The weather in Bangkok was very comfortable the whole time we were there, cool and slightly breezy, but inside the bazaar it got pretty hot. So eventually we went and sat down and had a drink outdoors, which was really nice. Our four drinks together only cost about HK$20 - and so theoretically we could just sip our drinks and sit there for hours, and pay only $20! Try that in Hong Kong, Land of the $45 Milk Teas! (the milk tea in question is from the coffee shop in the Ritz-Carlton - it's the most expensive one I've ever had.) While we were sitting there I took a couple of photos of the night bazaar, one of a taxi, and one of a funny vehicle called a 'took took'. It's really a motorbike with a passenger carriage built on.

Before going back to the hotel, we looked around at the hawkers near our hotel, and went to the supermarket (there was a supermarket in that ugly Big C shopping complex). The supermarket was simply huge, like American or Australian ones. I am beginning to think that it is only Hong Kong that has such tiny supermarkets! We bought a couple of loaves of bread (to feed fish) and three very big bottles of drinking water. The whole lot only cost about 50 Baht, or HK$10!

Later that night, Kat and I were back in our hotel room, bathed and ready for bed. Alas, we were not meant to get much sleep that night. As soon as our heads hit the pillow, we knew it wouldn't do at all. The thing basically sank down in the middle so your head touched the bed and the sides poofed up and tried to suffocate you. Being rather tired, I collapsed into hysteric giggles and Kat soon followed.

"What the heck (giggle) are we going to do about these pillows?!"

"They're...(hahaha) FLAT! Our heads touch the bed!!!" (hahahahahahaha)

"Maybe we should call room service..."

"What do I say - Can I please have more pillows because ours are (hehehe) FLAT?"

"You know...if we put a bedspread under this...it's really not that bad..."

"What if they charge us for extra pillows?" (hahahahaha...)

And so on, and so forth, until I finally calmed down and called Room Service.

"Umm...hello...could we please have more pillows?"
"Okay."
(pause)
(tentatively) "We're room 1622."
(exasperated) "I knoooow."

And so five minutes later Room Service arrived. With one extra pillow. For the two of us. It was all I could do to keep my composure and say thank you like a civilized human being and not start giggling. I didn't particularly feel like calling Room Service again, either.

So we eventually we settled down - Kat with a bedspread under her pillow and I with just the new pillow. After having laughed so hard, we both had to clear our throats, so every time we were almost asleep: "AHEM! AHEM!!" It was amazing how we ever fell asleep that night, with the both of us spontaneously bursting into giggle-fits and clearing our throats in the dark. It was a good thing Kat's parents were far away across the corridor - their slumber was, I presume, peaceful and undisturbed.

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