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.



Country for Old Men

I've wanted to spend last days of my holidays doing nothing somewhere at the beach. So I've decided to go to Pattaya, which is close from Bangkok and getting there and back will not be to much of a hassle. Especially that I could stay there at home with my aunt and uncle, which is so much nicer than staying in a guest house or in a hostel.
So I've went there last Wednesday, and funny thing. My aunt recommended me to take bus from the airport as it stops almost directly at the place where they have their apartment, but from Khao San Rd it was easier to buy a ticket for mini van. But in the end I've been forced to take bus from the airport, as the bus which I was meant to take had an accident earlier and travel agent took me to the airport and bought me a ticket for a bus from there. Which was handy in the end as mini vans do not go as far as Jomtien, they only go to city center of Pattaya which is quite a distance from Jomtien.
Pattaya is well known for its sex tourism. For old usually fat guys coming here to meet Thai girls, Thai boys, lady boys, anything that you imagine. What I did not know is that its also popular holiday destination for Russians and Arabic people. If you go out here in the night and go to the Walking Street you meet mostly Russians and Arabic people. Very barely you are prone to meet other nationalities here, which was kind of disappointment for me. I was not hoping for anything big, just to meet someone to make party with. In the end I've been having fun on my own. Wandering from one club to another. I've had most of the fun in Mixx and Lucifer. I've also visited famous Insomnia, but I did not like the music at all.

At the beach here (which itself is not too nice at all - very narrow and sand is not fine and littered) mostly what you see are fat people, ladies sometimes top less (as if they would have something nice there to show), you also see gay couples lying on their fronts with they speedos (yes, speedos as 99% or mes wear them here) pulled down to tan their asses. Those are quite good looking, at least in terms of how they are built. But still not too much to catch your eye.
Also when you walk along the beach in Central Pattaya on the one side, closer to the beach you see all the Thai girls waiting for one of the men sitting in cafes on the other side of the street or walking along. If I were one of them I'd definitely be embarrassed of standing there like behind the window in a store and waiting who will buy me.
That made me spend most of my time at the swimming pool in the apartment where I'm staying. There of course also most of the people are rather old, but at least I can swim there and read and stay in a calm atmosphere, which is what I need now before I come back home and fly to Dubai for a new project, which makes me nervous already. I'm concerned how it'll be there especially that it's Italian project and Italians are known for their long working hours which I hate as I love to have some time to make my sports. I had some break from working out during my trip but now I want to come back and in fact I slowly do. I thought it'll be more difficult after over 4 months of break, but as I swim here I do about 1,5 km as I used to do back at home and it's not too challenging. So I'm happy that my stamina is not fully down at least if it comes to swimming. I'll see in about week time how it is in terms of running as my plan is to come back to running as soon as possible.

Central shopping mall in Pattaya. It's purely for tourists as regular Thai citizen would not be able to afford to buy in all those expensive stores that are there.

Something nice in Pattaya - view from the beach in Central Pattaya

This is how walking street looks like on Saturday - packed with Arabs and Russians

Show time 1:30 a.m.

Walking Street - Pattaya party area

Pattaya city by night

Having dinner with my family, this time we had European food - the best pizza in Pattaya is meant to be in Hopf Brewhouse

This is how beach looks like. Very narrow and packed with umbrellas and fat people underneath.



To proof my last sentence. Have a look at speedos.



Save the wales



Things like that would be impossible anywhere else in Asia, maybe Phuket.

Swimming pool where I do my laps

That is why I spend most of the time at the swimming pool, where at least I can do laps and I don;t have to pay to go to the toilet.

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