There is a very conveniently placed 7/11 about every 100 metres in Thailand. I love it. I particularly love that you can buy all sorts of goodies there. My favourite thing at the moment is soda water in a cute little glass bottle. Its the best.
Our trip so far has been very cruisy and relaxing. (Aside from Big Sissa needing to do a 'quick' trip from Sydney back to the Berra to collect a forgotten passport on the morning of the day we flew out!) Mumma mia booked us into a fancy-pants hotel for my birthday so that was very lovely indeed. We had a giant room, with an entrance lounge area and there was the cutest birthday cake waiting for me on our arrival at 4am in the morning!! (a little premature, but cake none the less)
We had fun jumping in and out of 4 different taxis trying to get to Khao San road for some sight seeing on our first day. The taxi drivers either a) didn't understand where we wanted to go b) didn't want to go there c) wouldn't put the meter on, or d) had their tuk tuk buddy banging on the window for him to take us instead.
Our modus operandi for heading to Khao San rd was (besides checking out backpacker street) to go on a nighttime bike riding tour of Bangkok. When we were a little lost and checking out the map some very 'helpful' thai men approached us and said they hadn't heard of the street we were looking for but if it was a tour we were after, they knew just the place only a short walk around the corner (in the opposite direction and doubtless one of their friends where they would make a healthy commission) - we just laughed them off and did a covert 'enquiry' at a tour company and then as a last minute question asked if they knew the street we were after - sneaky, sneaky. We eventually found the right place and headed out for a tour of Bangkok by night.
The bike ride entailed a number of things including 1) negotiating Bangkok traffic in the dark 2) seeing a number of temples by night with no tourists - it was so so serene. Our guide was fantastic with the info she imparted to us about the buddhist history and traditions 3) visiting the flower markets by night (it was sooo soo cheap!) 4) eating yummy yummy food 5) being chased by 4 and 5 year old neighbourhood kids who wanted a high five (not the easiest thing to do while riding a bike) then they wanted a dink on the bike. So cute. The flower markets were particularly impressive as the street was filled with the most amazing roses and lotus and orchids. They were so inexpensive I wanted to buy a thousand bunches to bring home with me!
1. Negotiating traffic
2. Serene temples at night
3. Flower markets - $5 bunches of roses and amazing amounts of Lotus flowers!!
2. Serene temples at night
3. Flower markets - $5 bunches of roses and amazing amounts of Lotus flowers!!On the second day we also hit a spot of shopping - what? what else is there to do in Bangkok? :)
These glasses are my new acquisition. I plan to wear them EVERYWHERE. They are not prescription, nor to they stop the glare. Come to think of it, they don't do much BUT look cool.
Big Sissa desperately wanted to buy a new cover for her iphone. We had so much fun sifting through the 3 billion options including this uber bedazzled iphone cover! No. She didn't buy it.We also spent all afternoon looking for shoes to wear to the rooftop bar. The hotel had strict rules about clothing and footwear that could and could not be worn to the rooftop bar. 'Flip flops' were definitely out - and since the only other shoes I packed were sneakers - a new pair was in order. I finally found a pair that I might wear again on some occasion (Lets just say that Thai fashion is not classy by any means) - and wouldn't you know it, the ones I did find didn't even go with the dress I had packed!
View from rooftop bar
View from rooftop bar lounge
After a SUPER hard day shopping at the mall (bargaining is soooo draining) and cocktail drinking, we opted for in-room dining in our robes. Ooooh la la.
