derek

 It’s been a real while since I really sit down and typed about some real things. It’s been a day since I returned from the whole Thailand trip. Notice this is a revisit. Everything before we left for Thailand was rather very like a roller-coaster ride for me because I was so caught up by the thought of working. Now, I just have to focus my two main objectives this few more weeks to the collection of my O-level results: to help my parents and my grandparents. I shall rewind back the clock to last Friday.

Friday:
We left home, bidding goodbye to the Wanti and August for our 6-day escapade to Thailand to see the changes in Bangkok and to experience a totally new area to us – Chiang Mai. At the airport, we ate some deliciously-hot prata sausages and chips immediately after checking into the departure hall while Father took this opportunity to catch up some fresh air in the smoking room. Sister prank called a few people at the phone booth which offered free local calls. I tried to do the same but Firdaus was too smart to guess it was me. Benny played along till I broke the silence (perhaps he really didn’t know). Once the clock stroked, we went into the gate and up on the plane.

Fried noodles were given onboard Thai Airways. All in all, it took a total of 2 hours from Singapore to Bangkok.

Down at the hub of South East Asia, the new Suvarnabhumi Airport, we made our way out to find our tour guide. The travelators in the airport caught my eye because if you see it from the side, it looks like a boiling curve (it goes upwards, horizontal, and upwards again). Our tour guide for Bangkok was Judy – a very funny lady. On the first day of our trip, I started to take some sunset shots which lit up the Bangkok sky for the last time of the day while we were on the way to our hotel.

What was in my mind when I heard the hotel name ‘Bangkok Palace’? Chandelier lights everywhere with a huge grand piano somewhere in the middle of the lobby. Sadly, that was in my mind. The hotel was located at underneath an expressway. We unloaded our luggage out from the van and went inside the hotel to check in. While walking towards the lift, we all agreed that the awful smell only existed in the lobby. I made a joke that the smell was so bad that even the figure of Buddha needed to be enclosed in a clear box.

When the doors of the lift opened, we were greeted by another smell – paint. Trying not to breath, we found out that our room was right to the end of the dimly-lit corridor. With only two bare florescent tubes placed far from each other of the opposite sides of corridor, we made our way slowly to the rooms. It seemed that they were doing it half-heartedly because the walls were not really painted part by part; instead it was painted in patches. The room smelled just as bad. As Sister placed it as if the hotel was just an extract from ‘100 top most haunted hotels’ from Discovery Channel. We were desperate for a few things: water, dinner, a change of rooms. This certainly led us to a walk down the street below us.

There weren’t any food stalls that seemed hygienic enough. It was only when we reached Baiyoke Hotel – the tallest hotel in the capital. The place was painfully empty. I ordered Pad Thai (aka Thai Fried Noodles). Our food was accompanied by a traditional performance. The price was quite reasonable as compared to Singapore’s Hong Kong Cafe. We walked the streets for awhile and I saw this shorts I wanted however I hate to bargain. She sort of cheated me because when I was alone, she told me that the price was 120 baht. When everyone joined me, she quoted me 160 baht. Forget it (although it was quite cheap for an Adidas shorts)! We wanted to walk back to the hotel but it seemed a little far. What was the best choice? Tuk-Tuk! The ride was very thrilling. The ride cost about SG$2.50 which means the basic flag down rate of a standard Singapore taxi.

We stopped by at a massage place opposite the hotel because Sister’s neck has been hurting since A levels. Hoping to ease the pain, the whole family went inside. We spent about 1hr there because soon, everyone except me didn’t anticipate in it. I did not see the need of spending money for massage as neither my neck nor back was aching.

The need of getting water brought us to a 7-11 store. My supper was staring right at me. I had to try it. I’m a sucker for new flavours of burgers. I bought a shrimp burger but that was not all; we could mix and match with the toppings! They provided tomato, cucumber, onion, and some lettuce (not really sure of the hygiene but its 7-11) with mayonnaise, mustard, chilli, tomato sauce. We bought what we wanted and needed and left for the hotel room to retire for the next day.

Saturday:
The day’s city tour started off when we left for the Chao Phraya River. It was interesting because there that river has divided Bangkok into the old and the new Bangkok. Along the river, the first bridge and hospital built in Thailand could be seen. We fed the fishes with bread and went to the Temple on the way back from the ride. Sadly, the vibrant floating market has disappeared.

We stopped over at the Temple of Dawn and decided to climb the steps. They were scarily steep. Climbing up was easier than getting down. I could only take a step at a time because firstly, the space for me to actually rest my leg on is half of my foot size. Secondly, the length of one step is almost 1/3 of the length of my calves.

We continued to visit a gemstone factory which played a familiar tune in the cooperate video – the sparkling sound of Madonna’s Lucky Star. We visited Royal Jelly as well. That was the last ride we will be taking on that van. Feeling fatigue, we all fell asleep. We were awoken by the sound of the van driver sliding open the door. One by one, we left the van.

We were at JJ Mall; right beside is Chatuchak weekend market. On the way to the mall, I started to touch my belongings. My actions repeated when I realised that the camera was not with me. I began to be panic but calmly asked Brother if he had the camera. He didn’t. I broke the silence by telling everyone. Mother, with the kind help from the cashier, managed to contact Judy. Luckily the camera was still in the van. The camera was sent to the hotel. We continued shopping in JJ Mall and later proceeded to Chatuchak.

Brother spotted a pastry shop which caters to Thai Airways and later got really excited when he saw the whole fleet of Thai Airways on the shelf. He asked them if it was for sale. The obvious answer was really obvious – no of course. He then asked if they sold the models anywhere else. The people there were so helpful and kind that they actually stopped everything and try every way to find the way to the mall. The boss, I suppose because he was rather old and he was the only man there who was not in any formal attire, led Brother and me outside of the building and gave visual directions. The place was actually Central World – equivalent to Singapore’s Vivocity.

We went to Central World by taxi and Brother was so, so happy that he found out that he found the shop there. However, he was so, so confused when he found out that the price was rather expensive. He said that ‘I got to get one in Thailand!’ After buying a Boeing triple seven plane, we made our way to MK Restaurant; a steamboat dinner. We walked and went back to the hotel.

Soon after we reached hotel, Father took the facial massage while Siblings took the full body massage. Mother and I went to stock up our fridge with water. Once everyone returned back to the hotel, supper took place in the hotel as we ordered Spaghetti and Thai Fried Noodles. We packed our bags ready for the next day to Chiang Mai.

Sunday:
We woke up with our things ready to take our flight to Chiang Mai. I honestly thought we would be going there by land vehicles.

Onboard the plane, we were given the pastry and our own personal choice of drink. Brother and I saw where did those pastry came from. The ride took about an hour.

Upon reaching Chiang Mai, we thought the weather would be freezing cold as said on the website before we left. We sure felt a little disappointed in the weather but at least there were breeze while the sun was shining.

We went checked into Suriwongse Hotel –much better than Bangkok Palace. The lobby seemed much more welcoming. We checked in and went for dinner with our tour group. I was not sure if more people were joining us. The four who were already there were sitting in one straight row. Mother felt abit strange because usually people would want to sit facing the ones they know and now she had to sit facing someone who she doesn’t know at all. The place gave me a very cottage-y feeling. We went out to the night market just opposite our hotel. The things they were selling kept repeating. I only bought shirts because Father is buying them. I really have no idea how to bargain. There were a lot of artist there I must say. We went back up to the hotel room to rest.

Monday: We woke up early, very early for breakfast and made our way to the elephant school so as not to struggle with the crowd. We were amongst the earliest there, or rather the most earliest. They brought us to get up close with the elephants to feed them. Soon, they brought us to an open area where the elephants performed a show for us. They all seemed very well trained and I was really impressed. We got to take 1/2 hr elephant ride. Brother went alone while Sister and Father took one while Mother and I took another. Ours were bumpier then the rest and it was almost a ride in Disney World. We had a great time there!

Next stop? Orchid Park. Brother joked about an “orchid performance” There was a butterfly park inside. We then went to several places to promote their individual things like silk, bird nest, Royal Jelly again, umbrellas. At this time, I wasn’t feeling good because of the ride.

We then stopped by at this temple which had many resemblance of the one in Penang. I was rather in a daze but I did pray for some things at the temple. The sun was brilliant. There were lifts going up to the highest point to see the whole of Chiang Mai. We didn’t go downhill; instead we went uphill to some village.

I felt even worse when we took a hired taxi for all 10 of us including the tour guide to see some opium thing which I really wasn’t interested at all and was really, really feel like teleporting back to the hotel room. At the ‘opium village’, we took turns to shoot at fruits. We all missed except for Mother who got it.

Not long after I started feeling dizzy, we took the same taxi downhill to the temple, and the van to the hotel. We rested for awhile, and took dinner at a nearby hotel – another steamboat. Feeling better, we did some serious shopping. Sister got her Banana Roti and did even more shopping, then rested for the night.

Tuesday:
We woke up same time as Monday and left for the Northern part of Thailand. Along the way, we stopped at a few places.

Firstly, we stopped at a glazer which shot up really high. In that area, we went to this unique toilet that requires us to remove our footwear and wear their slippers. All Slippers have a cut with the letter W at the tip. Interesting huh?

Secondly, we stop by at this deserted village where we saw some tribal people wearing their colourful costumes, with logs in their hands banging onto the wood placed on the ground. Another performance further uphill: More men dancing in circles in a disorderly manner while playing a tune out of time.

Thirdly, we visited the place where long neck people where placed. I have no idea if they really live there.

Fourthly, we went to the Golden Triangle by boat. It is the place where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet. However recently, China was added. So Brother and I were saying that they should rename it to Golden Square/Rectangle/Kite/Rhombus/etc.

Fifthly, we dropped by at Laos. Brother: “I got to get something from Laos.” It’s very rare to actually enter Laos. It was my first time to actually visit Laos after those history lessons.

Finally, we reached to the northern tip of Thailand. On the other side would be Myanmar. Nothing much. Seriously, really. Dropping at the cashew nut factory, we ate dinner and bought some nuts back home. We went back the hotel to do some last minute packing and to get the last bite of the Banana Roti. We slept early that night because we had to wake up for the flight.

Wednesday:
All woke up to a bright sunny day, the last day in Thailand. Ready to leave the hotel and go back home.

derek

 I will go jogging tomorrow morning!
I may bring August for a morning walk to the park on Friday!

10 MORE DAYS!
derek