Feels like you are dying

Come back to Poland was sad. I was flying with Aeroflot to Moscow and than to Warsaw. At the Bangkok airport I almost had a feeling that I'll take my bag and run away. I just could not stand all those Russians around trying to speak Russian with me as though I could speak it and the thought that it's the end. That now I'm flying back to cold Poland, coming back to work and coming back to reality. After 4 months of living relaxed life I have to come back to stressy and long hours work, to the routine which I hate.

On the plane I've spend most of the time sleeping. I've bought some valium at Khao San Road in Bangkok to make my time pass faster. When I was not sleeping I was eating or asking fly attendants to bring me one more blanket cause I was cold. Food was good (I guess this was the only good thing about flying Aeroflot) but attendants were assholes. First I was told: "No, one seat, one blanket". Fuck! What does that mean? After asking three times I've finally managed to get one more blanket, but I'm not going to fly Aeroflot ever again. Such an unpleasant service that I do not wish anyone to fly with them. And to make my fight for a blanket valuable I've decided to take it with me especially that I did not have any jacket with me and it was rather cold.

We had delays on both flights so in the end I've landed in Warsaw one hour later, my bag did not arrive so I had to go and claim it. Because of that I've reached terminal 1 instead of terminal 2. So I walked to terminal 2 trying to find people who come to pick me up and I was not able to see them. Same there, they were expecting me to wear my red Mammut jacket and arrive from different direction. The only reason why they've spotted me was that my dad saw in a window a beggar wrapped in a blanket and turned around to see if indeed he's right. And the beggar was me. Wrapped in Aeroflot blanket, cause my jacket was in a bag which was still in Moscow. There were also Kinga, Fazi and Doris to greet me; they've even brought Polish flag. That was so sweet and funny.

Even funnier was when we've started to drink and went for a party. Dunno how I've managed that all, but maybe it's the sleep on the plane that made me quite fit. I even don't suffer jet lag. The only thing that I suffer it's cold and my feet hurt like hell. After almost 4 months wearing flip flops or sandals wearing heavy boots now is a night mare. My feet are cold all the time and they hurt. All the shoes that I used to wear last year cause me pain now. They scratch my heels or squeeze my toes. I just cannot stand it.

Polish Vodka. Finally! And Asian signs.

Back at MY home.

Nowy Swiat by night

With my mum. Warsaw old city.

Because I got high in Bangkok

Shadows in Bangkok


I've come back to Bangkok, as I always do and as always I've went to Phiman Water View Guest House. It feels like home already. As soon as I got there I went to meet a friend who I've met during one of my previous visits in this city. We went to get some food, quite far away from "our district", so we took ferry, than Skytrain and we got to Sukhumvit. Plan was to go eat and next I was promised to see the best view of Bangkok and to see the coolest spot in there. And I must agree, that promise become true and indeed I saw what I did not expect to see. I was not at all expecting to stand on the helipad of the 35 storey building. Stand, sit, lay down and look into the sky, take shadow photos and just have so much fun. Of course it was illegal, but that made it even more fun. This feeling of uncertainty and slight fear that someone comes... Yeah comes and what? What could the do? Nothing really, just kick us out.
Next day I've spent on shopping. Oh yes, for those who know how much I love shopping, they will know that it could not have been my perfect day. But as I wanted to bring gifts and Christmas presents I had to do that. It was even more challenging as I had no clue what could I bring to some people and if I knew what I want I did not know where to get it (like some spices). But after 4 hours of walking there and back I've managed to get let's call it everything. And in the end I've treated myself with Thai massage.
In the evening I've met with Nico again and we did some party, sitting on a roof but this time only on the 4th floor of his guest house. This time view was different - river and surrounding. That was nice and interesting too. As time flew and when we relised it was about 5 in the morning we've decided to go and see food market, but the problem was that I did not know which one he means and he did not remember the name of the market. What we knew was that it opens about 3 a.m., closes about 8 a.m. and there are only local peoples, tourists usually do not visit it and you can buy any kind of food you like (snakes, cockroaches, larvas, fish, shrimps, just everything) and it is rather big. So we were trying to explain it to taxi drivers, tuk-tuk drivers, shop assistants in 7 eleven. To everyone, but they did not know. In the end when we thought that we got it and went there it was not what Nico meant. It was market, but not the one that he's seen before. It was good, but small. But that's true we were the only farangs there. It was cool cause they allowed me to try sweet sticky rice from a huge bowl, where they were preparing it. Sweet ;-)
After food market we went to see flower market. That involved taking ferry, which made me a little bit sick. River was too choppy for me. Luckily after a short while I got ok again so we could wander around flower market, which in fact was not only flower market, but also fruit and vegetable market. I loved this one. We got some flowers from the sales man. They were really beautiful. Later on I was told that in Thai they are called butterfly flowers, as when they are in bloom they look like butterflies, which is true. From Nico I also got other flowers which I was told later are usually bought for Buddha. Interesting.
We've finished whole trip about 10 in the morning. And that was so surprising, I should be tired after 24 hours of no sleep, but I was not at all. I've tried to sleep, but I was not able. I dunno if it was some kind of excitement or feeling that it's my last day and I just cannot sleep not to waste it. So I was wandering around, took foot massage, manicure and pedicure, got myself a piercing, did last shopping, went for a party and in the end I went to bed around 3 in the morning. So I had something like 42 hours without sleep. Quite impressive.

Workers in a truck on Sam Sen Road. They saw me taking this picture and some of them were smiling. 

Traffic on Sam Sen Road: motorbikes, tuk-tuks and cars

Food

Khao San Road. This will definitelly be one of the things that I'll miss back home. Fresh fruits, chopped and peeled. You can buy half of a pineapple for 10B which is little bit less than 25 euro cents.

Rene Restaurant - they had delicious baguets.

Maybe some shades? Or sunnies? Or just simple sunglasses?

Maybe bracelet?

Or a new pearcing? In the shape of syrgine.

Syrgine was only temporary ;-)

These are the flowers that I got at flower market. Photo was taken from Phiman Water View. In the background is Rama IX Bridge.

Rama IX Bridge (or maybe Rama VIII?)

Khao San Road by night

On the way to Phiman. I was playing with the local girsl. A little bit of jumping was cool.

One, two, three... and so one till ten. It was like english lesson.

In Phiman

With Kuni, my Japanese friend.

Kuni was working on his first leather wallet. Classes were given by Otto. I was too lazy to learn. I also do not have any manual skils, so that would make no sense anyway.

Boy at work

With Thai girls in Shamrock Bar

Sam Sen Road by night. Food stalls are open even ar 3 in the morning.

Fiat 125p in Bangkok. Everything in possible.

Water from the river just at the entrance to Phiman Water View Guest House



Door to hell



On the way to Phiman there is Temple where monks live. You can see their tamarind robes in the window.



Ayutthaya

I wanted to see Ayutthaya, but I was to tired of organising everything on my own, so I've went for an easy option and bought a day trip to Ayutthaya from one of the agencies in Bangkok. This was Israelis agency, where I usually go if I'm near Khao San Road and need to check something on the internet, as they have free computers to use internet.
Ayutthaya is the first capital of Thailand, was founded in 1350 by king U Thong. There were constant wars between Ayutthaya and Burma and in the end in 1767 it was destroyed by Burmese army and kingdom collapsed. Now the ruins of the old city are recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Site. These are mostly temples with stupas containing ashes of Thai kings.
Trip itself was not the most exciting thing that I've done ever, nor were the people taking part in the trip, but I'm glad that I've seen it. Sometimes it was similar to Angkor Wat, but much worse. It was within the city, so surrounded by roads and cars and buses, so it was not that peaceful and relaxing as in Angkor. It was also more organised and you could not enter everywhere like in Angkor. And I did not have such a good company as I did in Siem Reap.

Wat Phu Khao Tong

Wat Maha That

Wat Maha That

Big lying Buddha

Dok Champa (White Frangipani/Plumeria) - national Laos flower in Wat Maha Thao. My favourite one. I wish I had parfumes with the scent of it.

Pink Frangipani (Plumeria) flower in Wat Maha That

Wat Maha That

Wat Maha That

Buddha

Baby elephant near Wat Maha That

Police search and some cooking classes in Bangkok

After adventurous journey from Laos to Bangkok I've arrived there about 6 in the morning, at the North and Northeast Bus Station. Completely opposite direction than I wanted to be, which is Khao San Road. I had to take motorbike for 160, which was probably quite fair price for that ride. So I've arrived in Khao San Road, hooked up in one of the restaurants with free WiFi, ordered breakfast and I've started to update my blog. In the mean time Todd updated me, that he's in Bangkok too.
We've arranged to meet and have lunch or something. So we did, but as everyone had some business to do we were splitting and meeting then and now. I was checking on him from time to time how is his tattoo progressing and taking some pictures for him. That was funny watching him with that stick in his mouth to bite it when it hurts too much. I've almost seen him crying, he denies it, but I can definitely say that he had glassy eyes.
After his tattoo was ready we went to have some dinner and some beers. We bought some in 7 eleven and sat at the river bank to drink it. There were some tables, one Thai guy eating something and having a bunch of drugs on his table. He was strange, but we were enjoying our conversation. And than Police came. They almost did not pay attention at him. They've been interested in us. They've turned on their torches and started to check around, on the table, under the table and so one. Next they would ask us to open our bags and take everything out. They've been checking each single thing, we had to even open our wallets and empty them.
Of course they were not able to find anything, no wonder, we did not have anything on us. But still even though we were innocent we did feel guilty.
It's good that in the end they let us be and went away.
Next day I've went for cooking classes in May Kaidee's cooking school at Sam Sen Road. I went for the afternoon classes and that was a good choice. I was there on my own, so everything that I was doing I did myself. I've learned to cook Massaman Curry, Green Curry, Tom Yam, Spring Rolls, Peanut dip and prolly half of a dozen more dishes. I was not able to eat everything what I've cooked, so they've given me a doggy bag to take it home, but even than I was not able to eat any more so people staying in Phiman were enjoying free meal. She has also promised me, that when I'm back in Bangkok and come back to her she will do the shopping for me (galangal, kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass) so that I can keep it in the fridge and cook at home. I'll also have to buy miso paste, tom yam paste, chili powder and cumin powder. I cannot wait to try it back at home, especially that my parents promised to come and visit me on the weekend that I'm coming back, as it might be the only chance to see me, as five days later I'll be flying to Dubai for work.

Sketch

Tattoo artist in action

Last pic of Polish Canadian friendship

Green Curry paste production

Tom Yam

Cela the cook

Traveler's stories

When in Siem Reap in a bar a guy came to me and said - Your name is so and so and you are from there and there I was surprised to find out that it was Krzysiek with whom we've been trying to arrange traveling together, but after a while of planning we've decided that actually there is no way that we'll manage to organise our travels in a way that they overlap somewhere. So we gave up. And than I meet him in Temple bar in Siem Reap. Ok, things like that happen...
... but when in Bangkok, in the middle of the night I walk furious at KhaoSan Road, I pass by a group of guys, who check me out. I check them out too, but I keep walking. One of them follows me and asks me if I'm religious. But I look into his face and I know where he's going with that. I suddenly know who he is. It's Matt, Aussie who I met in Taize in France something like 6 years ago. How possible is that?
I even do not say about whole bunch of people who I met somewhere in Hanoi, Phnom Pehn, Siem Reap or Mui Ne and meet them just by coincidence in Dalat, Koh Phangan, Hoi An etc. And actually if you name any two places where I've been there is very high chance, that there will be someone who I've first met in the first town and than in the second one mentioned.
One more quite funny example. Yesterday I was sitting with Poles. Friends of friends, some of them living in BKK, some traveling. We chat, laugh and we come to the topic of western guys dating Thai girls. So I start telling about my cousin who dates this girl who is an actress in one of the Thai TV series and whom I had the pleasure to meet and who I really think is nice, pretty and smart girl. So one of the guys there, one who works here in Bangkok says, but I know them. He speaks some Polish but he's not fully Polish. And that girl is like 6 years older than he's. Yessss man! That's them I'm talking about.
This is how paths of random people cross now and then. I wish that my paths cross again with some of the people that I've met. Not necessarily here and now, but one day somewhere.

I've spent couple of days in BKK. This time I've been staying in hostel. Phiman Water View, recommended to me by one German girl who I've met in Hanoi. It is really different place. About 15 minutes walk from KhaoSan Road, which is main travellers' place, directly at the river bank, lead by artists. Gay artists. Which makes things even more interesting. They are so open and willing to talk to us, sometimes drink and go out with us. Like the other day when it was Maymar gay boy,\ who works in hostel, NiNi, Thai girl - friend, and her sister who looks more like a boy, Ex - guy from Peru and me. We've just had really good evening and night together.
To get to the hostel you have to go through small streets, flooded sometimes by either river water or water that they just pour out, inhabited by Thai families, their door open. A little bit like hutongs in Beijing. This gives some insight into life of locals. They are very friendly, telling hallo every time I pass by.
After all together 3 days in Bangkok I've managed to do some sightseeing. Finally. I've seen Grand Palace, where I had to rent skirt and shirt, cause you are not allowed to enter there in shorts and top. At least rent fee was 0. I had to leave deposit only.
Grand Palace itself made very good impression on me. I did not have any expectations so I was nicely surprised. It is complex established in 1782 and is a royal residence with throne halls and number of government offices and a Temple of Emerald Buddha. Everything is build very posh and packed one next to another which makes it a little bit too much, but still all the buildings are amazing. Borom Phiman Mansion which is build with great taste and made me want living there, mini Angkor Wat all statues etc are just beautiful.


Ex, Me, Nini and her sister




Boy




Somewhere within Grand Palace




Somewhere within Grand Palace



Bormo Phiman Mansion

The Phra Maha Monthain Group

Roofs somewhere within Grand Palace

Somewhere within Grand Palace - Mini Angkor Wat in the front

The Grand Palace

Phiman Water View Guest House