Return to Bangkok

Apparently in Bangkok the world has only two classifications

Our time in Cambodia had been brief. We had seen the highlights, but we did not have adequate time to delve deeper. We had to get back to Thailand as we hoped to visit the massive Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok for a souvenir shopping blitz. It was going to take us two days of travel to return to Bangkok no matter which route we attempted. We opted for the ‘new’ route via Koh Kong. The road had only been built in the past year and was mostly unsealed. There were several rivers along the way and bridges had not yet been added to the route. So the trip required the slow arduous process of boarding and disembarking car ferries several times.

At one particular crossing the driver indicated that we should get some food from a nearby food stall. Eager to leave our minivan for any period of time we settled in for a bowl of soup. When we emerged from the stall, the van was on the other side of the river. It seemed ridiculous to panic since the driver would surely notice that Kirsten and I, the only two Caucasian passengers, were obviously missing. But we still anxiously awaited the ferry to return for us. Soon we were safely aboard the van once again and on our way.

We spent the night in Koh Kong near the Thai border. There really was not much in the town. We explored the market where Kirsten bought a traditional Cambodian scarf but mostly we hung out at the guesthouse reading for the evening

The next morning marked our final border crossing in Asia. Over seven weeks we had completed six land border crossings. Only one of these had been difficult but we still approached the bureaucracy with trepidation. Luckily, there were no problems and we were even bumped up to the start of the queue once the gates at the border opened. Several hours later we were once again on Khao San road.

The next morning we ventured out to the market. After all my visits to Bangkok I still had not ridden the SkyTrain and I was eager to give it a try. Although the train could take us directly to the market the closest station to our guesthosue was several kilometers away. We attempted to hire a tuk-tuk to take us to the station but the drivers couldn’t understand why we didn’t just want a ride all the way to the market. Also they insisted that we should make a couple of 'quick stops' at some suit and jewellery shops in order to get a better price on the tuk-tuk fare. Eventually we found a no nonsense driver who agreed to take us to the train station, with no stops, for a fair price. Once again I was impressed with Kirsten's attitude towards the hassling drivers. She has definitely learned to be assertive and avoid being scammed during her time in Asia.

The Chatuchak market truly was massive and we only saw a mere fraction of it. We managed to find gifts for our family at home and some pretty things for ourselves. Kirsten finally got to experience the joys of a drink in a bag. The vendors prefer to keep the bottles so that they can redeem the deposit. They simply pour the juice into a small bag and send you on your way.

The next day we visited the Vimanmek mansion, the world’s largest teak building that was a royal residence for a few years in the early twentieth century. The decadence is overwhelming with dozens of rooms ornately furnished. I had to wonder how many of the poor homeless children I had seen throughout my time in Asia could have been fed if some of the pieces were auctioned on eBay. Regardless, the mansion was beautiful. The Thai dance performance was quite enjoyable and is definitely worth checking out.

The rest of our time is Asia was spent pampering ourselves. Khao San Road area is filled with salons offering massages, pedicures, manicures and facials. It was indulgent but ridiculously cheap prices we couldn’t refuse. There was no way we could afford such extravagances once we returned to Australia.

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