28 July 2006

The above is Bangkok's full name. It is read: Krung Thep Maha Nakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udom Ratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Phiman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanu Kamprasit.
I've just returned from a shopping trip that is as extensive and tedious as the name of Thailand's Capital.

We checked in to a ghostly hotel on the first night, which we grew to like and appreciate in the next nine days. We lived amongst Pakistanis, mainly, and there were very few people to remind us of our own nationality.

On the first day, we took a boat ride down Chao Phraya River, punctuated with stop-overs to temples.

On the boat:



We visited The Grand Palace, which is indeed the highlight of Bangkok. I'm amazed by how the Thai people can use so much gold and precious stones with clashing colours for their buildings and yet they can look no less sophisticated. Their architecture is immaculate.





And then our crazy shopping trips began.



This is our guide, 'Kum' Seah (which means Thank You in Hokkien). He insists that no trip to Bangkok is complete without a pilgrimage to a seafood restaurant which apparently serves delicious suckling pig. He sulked when we almost missed out on the order. But he got his wish in the end, though not as delicious as we had hoped it would have been.



Those are my Bangkok travel mates. Kum is extremely pleased with his roast pig.

Bangkok is teeming with people. And cars. Bangkok also has the most beautiful skies I've ever seen in a city.



There were so many people at the bus stop. You might want to notice the amount of people wearing yellow. They were wearing yellow to cheer up their king who had an operation on the day. The patriotism was overwhelming.
If someone in Singapore has a heart bypass again, we shall all streak or wear brown to anger him.



No trip to Bangkok is complete without (1) Visiting the Four Faced Deity (2) Taking a Tut-Tut ride (3) A Pilgrimage to Chatuchak.











We clubbed for two nights.



Loo copied his high.



Random pictures at the club:













The extent of our drunkedness:



My interpretation of myself at a club:



Loo's interpretation of me:



At Khao San Street, we saw a person selling many many balloons.



Now, some feeling feeling shots.









Bye bye Bangkok.

I'm suffering from a post-trip withdrawal now.



D woke up at 7/28/2006 08:21:00 PM [comment]

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