Wednesday, January 10, 2007
January 10th 2007 - Bangkok
Well, here I am in the big smoke as we say. I was a bit daunted by the prospect of traveling to Bangkok but now that I'm here I'm fully enjoying it. After a couple of days in Phuket town I felt totally at home, knew my way around by day or night and it was a nice feeling. The trip to Bangkok by plane was easy although just as we were to touch down the plane suddenly accelerated and took off again at rapid speed... I've taken many many flights in my life but nothing like this had ever happended before so I was a bit perplexed when it did. But, we just flew a bit more and turned around and soon came back down again without a hitch.
I have to say, it's so nice to know people here like Marc and Donna. Marc had booked a nice hotel for me and all I needed to do was get there. You can find everything from cheap backpacker to very expensive accommodation in Bangkok and what I have is extremely good value for the money. I pay 2200 THB per night which is just about US$62 per night but have a serviced appartement with full gym and everything is perfect. It's nice in fact to have this level of accommodation in crazy Bangkok as many places may not have been so safe. Also Donna and Marc who actually lived in those appartements for about 1.5 years when they first got here live only a few blocks away.
Hence I spent the morning with Donna at their beautiful home and it was lovely to reconnect and talk about our lives and also about what to do in Bangkok and in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia. I really haven't done my research on this and so their help is invaluable. Spent part of the afternoon at the Vietnam embassy to get a visa because it's one of the place you need a visa before you go. I also intend to go around and do a bit of sightseeing while I'm here but I doubt I'll do everything before I go. I can do the rest when I come back through. If anyone wants to come to Bangkok, I can say that this time of the year is best as the weather, while still muggy in mid afternoon is delightful in the morning and evenings. I can imagine it being very different in summer or during the rainy season.
But, it's the city with shopping malls and restaurants and tiny food outlets on the street and scooters, cars and tuk-tuks. And also plenty to see. Donna pretty much outlined the MUST DOES to me and hopefully I can start on that tomorrow. I may actually have to stay until Monday because I feel I have much to do before I go to plan my travels and how much time I'll be away from Bangkok. I'm lucky to be able to leave some things like my computer and many things I will not need with Donna and Marc and will pick them up upon my return here. Shopping-I'm sure you all know- is a national passtime here. A bit like in Doha in fact. Shops are everywhere and according to Donna it's not that cheap. Well, the word is you get what you pay for. So if you buy cheap, you get cheap and for good quality you'll pay just the same or more than anywhere else. That being said she pointed me out to some IT Market where you can find anything for your computer, discounted copy software, movies, etc etc and there are bargains to be made there of course.
Having diner with Donna and Marc tonight. I haven't seen Marc yet as he works long hours everyday (even weekends) and from what I hear I don't think they will be here much longer. The long hours over the years have taken their tool on Marc. They have lived over ten years in Thailand now, two in Phuket and 8 in Bangkok. When I met them, Marc was posted in Perth and doing on the field work on Oil rigs for Halliburton. This type of position sends you out for 28 days and then you have 28 days off. But then they moved him in the office to fill in for someone temporarily when they came to Bangkok 8 years ago. With his attention to detail they just continued to promote him so that now he is the Country Director or South East Asia director for all I know.
Had a meal on the street last night at a ambulant food stand. Sitting down on a plastic stool. The food was eggs on steamed rice and the man next to me who was waiting for his take away order smiled at me impressed that I was eating there. He handed me a spoon when he saw me trying to eat with a fork, and then the soy sauce, the chili sauce and the mint sauce. And we laughed because I thought the chili sauce would be too hot. Of course he couldn't speak a word of english.
Bye for now and more soon
Well, here I am in the big smoke as we say. I was a bit daunted by the prospect of traveling to Bangkok but now that I'm here I'm fully enjoying it. After a couple of days in Phuket town I felt totally at home, knew my way around by day or night and it was a nice feeling. The trip to Bangkok by plane was easy although just as we were to touch down the plane suddenly accelerated and took off again at rapid speed... I've taken many many flights in my life but nothing like this had ever happended before so I was a bit perplexed when it did. But, we just flew a bit more and turned around and soon came back down again without a hitch.
I have to say, it's so nice to know people here like Marc and Donna. Marc had booked a nice hotel for me and all I needed to do was get there. You can find everything from cheap backpacker to very expensive accommodation in Bangkok and what I have is extremely good value for the money. I pay 2200 THB per night which is just about US$62 per night but have a serviced appartement with full gym and everything is perfect. It's nice in fact to have this level of accommodation in crazy Bangkok as many places may not have been so safe. Also Donna and Marc who actually lived in those appartements for about 1.5 years when they first got here live only a few blocks away.
Hence I spent the morning with Donna at their beautiful home and it was lovely to reconnect and talk about our lives and also about what to do in Bangkok and in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia. I really haven't done my research on this and so their help is invaluable. Spent part of the afternoon at the Vietnam embassy to get a visa because it's one of the place you need a visa before you go. I also intend to go around and do a bit of sightseeing while I'm here but I doubt I'll do everything before I go. I can do the rest when I come back through. If anyone wants to come to Bangkok, I can say that this time of the year is best as the weather, while still muggy in mid afternoon is delightful in the morning and evenings. I can imagine it being very different in summer or during the rainy season.
But, it's the city with shopping malls and restaurants and tiny food outlets on the street and scooters, cars and tuk-tuks. And also plenty to see. Donna pretty much outlined the MUST DOES to me and hopefully I can start on that tomorrow. I may actually have to stay until Monday because I feel I have much to do before I go to plan my travels and how much time I'll be away from Bangkok. I'm lucky to be able to leave some things like my computer and many things I will not need with Donna and Marc and will pick them up upon my return here. Shopping-I'm sure you all know- is a national passtime here. A bit like in Doha in fact. Shops are everywhere and according to Donna it's not that cheap. Well, the word is you get what you pay for. So if you buy cheap, you get cheap and for good quality you'll pay just the same or more than anywhere else. That being said she pointed me out to some IT Market where you can find anything for your computer, discounted copy software, movies, etc etc and there are bargains to be made there of course.
Having diner with Donna and Marc tonight. I haven't seen Marc yet as he works long hours everyday (even weekends) and from what I hear I don't think they will be here much longer. The long hours over the years have taken their tool on Marc. They have lived over ten years in Thailand now, two in Phuket and 8 in Bangkok. When I met them, Marc was posted in Perth and doing on the field work on Oil rigs for Halliburton. This type of position sends you out for 28 days and then you have 28 days off. But then they moved him in the office to fill in for someone temporarily when they came to Bangkok 8 years ago. With his attention to detail they just continued to promote him so that now he is the Country Director or South East Asia director for all I know.
Had a meal on the street last night at a ambulant food stand. Sitting down on a plastic stool. The food was eggs on steamed rice and the man next to me who was waiting for his take away order smiled at me impressed that I was eating there. He handed me a spoon when he saw me trying to eat with a fork, and then the soy sauce, the chili sauce and the mint sauce. And we laughed because I thought the chili sauce would be too hot. Of course he couldn't speak a word of english.
Bye for now and more soon
# posted by AdeC @ 2:48 AM 
