Bangkok
February 2004
On the Tuesday morning, Feb. 17 - lost a day - Ken and I waltzed over to his school where he teaches, Ratchapat, which is within walking distance from his apartment. By the way, he still lives in the same apartment complex, but he now has much more space. He gave a one-hour exam, then we headed back. Chatted with Neung, his girlfriend for a short duration, and headed out again. Because Ken had to go back to work, I ventured out on my own. He gave me good directions to a bus stop, and then some guy helped me get to the Sky Train station (Mo Chit Ro Fie). Once you're at the sleek modern sky train, traveling Bangkok is fairly easy. I went far into the south part of Bangkok to the Phong Pom area.
Above, at one of the Sky Train Stations
Bangkok has squalor, but the place is packed and humming. It is filthy and beautiful at the same time. I sat down at a beautiful patio/restaurant place and ate. I chatted with fellow tourists and later hooked up with Ken at the Nana sky train station. This Nana district has an area that is very red-light. Ken knew a place where we could drink all the Chang beer we wanted for 100 baht, about $3.00 Canadian. I saw some amazing sights that evening, let me tell you.
We proceeded on to the Khao San Road, the area famous as a gathering point for all manner of backpackers looking for cheap accommodation and food. Lots of dreadlocks and tattoos around this area.
Above, Khao San Road, Bangkok
We went back there later in broad daylight on one of my lasts days in Thailand. Ken ordered up some banana pancakes from a roadside vendor, fried right in front of your eyes. The vendor poured sweet milk and chocolate on top, threw them on a paper plate, cut them like a pizza with a wedge-shaped instrument, and gave us a toothpick to eat them. The strange thing about this is right when I got back to Calgary I was reading the travel section of the newspaper, and there was an article about a guy who had traveled all over Asia and had written a book about food. The interviewer asked him, of all the things he had sampled in Asia, what stood out as one of the tastiest dishes, and he said the street vendor banana pancakes on the Khao San Road in Bangkok. I freaked out at the coincidence because I had just eaten them at that location not three days earlier.
Above and below, Khao San Road in the daytime
Above, Ken in front of the Austin Bar, Khao San Road
After this first day, I decided to head to the Southern part of Thailand, Ao Nang and Ko Lanta, but below are a few more pictures of Bangkok from the second week of my holiday.
Above, a sign in Bangkok near Ken's place. They seem to love cartoon characters with huge eyes.
Traffic in Bangkok
Above, a Tuk Tuk taxi. The drivers are sometimes thieving scam-artists if you're not careful.
Above, friendly Thais.
Above and below, the Victory Monument in Bangkok
A happy Ken Austin. Can you blame him?
Pondering the world.
Above, the Soi Cowboy area.
A typical bar in Bangkok.