We have safely arrived in Bangkok on Saturday evening and, after some (small, after India not even mentionable) hassle when trying to find our hotel we immediately kinda really felt like "being on vacations" - main reason being in a nice hotel and Bangkok, despite being a huge city, is somehow very relaxing (at least it was to us but that might also be a tribute to be paid to India ;)).
The first evening we spent at the Khao san road watching people (elderly germans or brits with young thai girls or ladyboys, ...), eating from the different food stands (one word: delicious - all of them ;)) and enjoying our first night out since we left Austria.
On Sunday a colleague of mine from the project in Geneva (who basically leaves 9 month in Bangkok and works in Switzerland for 3 months) and his girl friend were friendly enough to show us some parts on Bangkok we might not have been to otherwise.
Our first stop was a huuuuge weekend market in the northern part of the city which was completely different to any markets we say in India - nobody tried to pull us into their shops just because we were "Falangs", nobody followed us, &&& and we could really enjoy our walk etc.. After spending a few hrs there we enjoyed a 2hr Thai massage (which made my shoulders hurt for the next 2 days :)) and then they drove us to their home for a shower (thanks again!!)
In the night we first went out for dinner and then Yuichi and Eu showed us around the red light district. That was for me a weird mixture of being interesting and disgusting - interesting because of again you were not pushed into anything and you could just sit at a bar outside and watch the people and distgusting because of all the elderly man staring at the girls, their salvia turning to rivers,...For a more detailed (and better) description of the red light district feel free to read the following blog entry from a friend of mine: http://richardaroundtheworld.blogspot.com/2009/06/bangkok-behind-red-light.html
On our way back to the hotel around 3 in the morning via a cab we got stopped by the police and thats when I learned that in Thailand it is mandatory for Falangs to carry their passport at all time. Meaning that, as Thomas luckily had his passport with him (I had locked mine in the hotel safe to keep it safe and forgot to take a copy of my passport with me) the police kept his passport and he had to drive to the hotel to get mine while I was waiting with the Police. The funny thing was that I was in an urge for some "relief" and when I asked the policemen he only pointed to the sidewalk. Knowing that I was not in India I asked 3-4 times if he is serious and when he kept nodding I thought ok, turned around and, surprisingly that was when they realized what I had asked them and showed me the way to a public bathroom... ;)
Pics from Bangkok and surroundings can be found under https://picasaweb.google.com/108376587121284252497/BangkokAndAround?authkey=Gv1sRgCJClpNPJ1fayBQ#
further updates to come - gotta run back to the hotel to get our passports with visas for vietnam, laos and cambodia and then we head to chiang mai via a night train.
so long
The first evening we spent at the Khao san road watching people (elderly germans or brits with young thai girls or ladyboys, ...), eating from the different food stands (one word: delicious - all of them ;)) and enjoying our first night out since we left Austria.
On Sunday a colleague of mine from the project in Geneva (who basically leaves 9 month in Bangkok and works in Switzerland for 3 months) and his girl friend were friendly enough to show us some parts on Bangkok we might not have been to otherwise.
Our first stop was a huuuuge weekend market in the northern part of the city which was completely different to any markets we say in India - nobody tried to pull us into their shops just because we were "Falangs", nobody followed us, &&& and we could really enjoy our walk etc.. After spending a few hrs there we enjoyed a 2hr Thai massage (which made my shoulders hurt for the next 2 days :)) and then they drove us to their home for a shower (thanks again!!)
In the night we first went out for dinner and then Yuichi and Eu showed us around the red light district. That was for me a weird mixture of being interesting and disgusting - interesting because of again you were not pushed into anything and you could just sit at a bar outside and watch the people and distgusting because of all the elderly man staring at the girls, their salvia turning to rivers,...For a more detailed (and better) description of the red light district feel free to read the following blog entry from a friend of mine: http://richardaroundtheworld.blogspot.com/2009/06/bangkok-behind-red-light.html
On our way back to the hotel around 3 in the morning via a cab we got stopped by the police and thats when I learned that in Thailand it is mandatory for Falangs to carry their passport at all time. Meaning that, as Thomas luckily had his passport with him (I had locked mine in the hotel safe to keep it safe and forgot to take a copy of my passport with me) the police kept his passport and he had to drive to the hotel to get mine while I was waiting with the Police. The funny thing was that I was in an urge for some "relief" and when I asked the policemen he only pointed to the sidewalk. Knowing that I was not in India I asked 3-4 times if he is serious and when he kept nodding I thought ok, turned around and, surprisingly that was when they realized what I had asked them and showed me the way to a public bathroom... ;)
Pics from Bangkok and surroundings can be found under https://picasaweb.google.com/108376587121284252497/BangkokAndAround?authkey=Gv1sRgCJClpNPJ1fayBQ#
further updates to come - gotta run back to the hotel to get our passports with visas for vietnam, laos and cambodia and then we head to chiang mai via a night train.
so long
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