While Thailand possesses a strong and everpresent spiritual and religious tradition in the form of Buddhism, with spirit houses at nearly every house and business, along with Buddhist monks walking all over the city, it also contains the polar opposite with the existence of the infamous Patpong district. This area, centered around 2 main streets referred to as Patpong 1 and 2, contain some of the most extreme and hardcore sex shows and gogo bars in the city, possibly the world.
As long as I was in Bangkok I figured I may as well check out the shows everybody talks about and the tuk tuk drivers are always trying to drive you to. What better time to check out the shows than after u have been meditating at a Buddhist temple severals hrs beforehand. Since the Patpong district is about 7 miles away or so I decided to take a taxi to the area, cost me about $3. Arriving there the scene was totally different than during daytime when I was there the previous wk. It was pretty calm and not much going on there during the daytime. Just a bunch of pushy hustlers trying to interest you in going to particular massage parlors with brochures full of beautiful thai ladies. This time however, the time was around 11pm, the entire area was jam-packed with booths selling the usual kind of stuff in the booth, i.e. t-shirts, buddhas, necklaces and jewelry, some knives and other weapons, touristy stuff, etc. Right next to all these booths are the go-go bars where u can see all the ladies inside dancing. All kinds of people walking and browsing around, foreigners, thais along with families, kids, and old folks. It always amazes me the tolerance and laid back manner of the Thai people and culture that they are able to accept some things in their society as though it were no big deal.
The most annoying part was all the hustlers and pushers trying to get you to check out there shows along with girls grabbing you and trying to pull you into their businesses. I was primarily there just to check out the ping pong shows that I had heard so much about, in which the girls shoot ping pong balls and all kinds of objects out of their coochies. After I had walked around for long enough and had enough of the outdoor scene, I decided to give in and check out one of the shows that the pushers outside were trying desperately to get u into. They walk around holding pieces of paper listing all the stuff that go on inside and that the girls get into. As I walked up the steps and into the go-go bar area with the stage in the middle, I noticed that the bar and strip area was primarily empty with the exception of a bunch of dancers. Within seconds I was swamped by about 5 pushy attractive thai girls vying for my attention and trying to make some money. They were all over me and grabbing my hands and putting them all over themselves. A second later a bartendress lady comes by and tries to interest me in buying an overpriced beer for about $5. I said sure, I would have a beer to watch the show. Then she was pressuring me into buying the girls drinks of coca-cola for about $3 a piece. At this point I had pretty much had enough. I was only there with the interest in seeing a show and didn't desire to be the center of attention for all the girls trying to get me to buy them overpriced sodas along with other services. It was a bad situation and I had to get out. At the moment my beer arrived at my table I jumped up and said I had to get out of there. They tried to grab my arms and keep me there but there was no way I was going to stick around in a empty bar wasting my money away.
I made it safely back out to the street and decided I was going to go back to a warehouse area several blocks away that the taxi driver had dropped me off earlier in the evening. Here it looked crowded and like the real deal in terms of an authentic ping pong show.
The only catch was that u had to pay a higher cover charge to get in, 500 baht which comes out to about $15 US dollars. I would have gone in earlier but I wanted to walk around the general area and see what was going on. At this point however I just wanted to see what I had come down to the area for and experience what one of these sex shows was all about. I paid my money and walked in. Thank goodness it was crowded and I didn't have to worry about a bunch of working girls trying to pressure me into buying them drinks and other services. 1 or 2 girls did try and interest me in buying them an overpriced 150 baht, $5, cup of soda but I just laughed at them and said no thanks. I'm not sure what kind of moron is going to spend that kind of money on a soda for some relatively unattractive bar girls just so he can talk to them for a bit.
Anyway, the stage area was dimly lit and u really couldn't see much of anything. Music was blasting with American music of course. It's weird here in Thailand how at the clubs and bars America hip hop and other types of music are always playing. Just goes to show the influence of America and its pop culture throughout the world. There were an assortment of different groups and nationalities in the crowd with almost as many women as men. Intermixed in the crowd were Indians, Thais, Europeans, Australians, couples, groups of guys, singles, etc...
In regards to the show, the women were on stage in the middle and it was kind of tough at times to see what they were doing as dark as it was. They were not exactly attractive and didn't seem for the most part to have much enthusiasm for what they were doing. Basically they seemed to be going through the motions as though they had done their act a millions times before and were just there to make a buck.
Essentially here is what I saw the women perform at different times:
1) shooting ping pong balls out there pussies while standing up
2) pulling longs string of confetti and other objects out of themselves. Sometimes the strings would keep going on and on for 20-30 ft or more.
3) one women pulled out a string with what apparently had sharp objects on it as she demonstrated afterwards cutting paper with the objects tied to the string.
4) shooting darts out of themselves into balloons and popping them. This was funny as the couple within range of the darts went scattering to make sure them weren't hit by the darts.
5) lighting up cigarettes with their pussies and blowing out candles
6) sucking bottles of sodas out of one bottle into themselves and transferring to another bottle. This was amusing as well as some of the crowd members got the hell out of the way to make sure they didn't get sprayed by contaminated and shaken up soda
7) shooting banana looking objects out of their coochies, sometimes past the stage area and making people scatter.
8) one grotesque looking thai man and women having sex with each other on stage in all kinds of different positions.
9) other acts that I can't remember at the moment
I stuck around for about an hr or so just to take in the freak show and to hopefully not miss anything worthwhile. For the most part the show was pretty subpar as it was so dark and noisy in the place and the angles to watch the girls perform their skills wasn't typically lousy. However, it was great to have actually been able to make it to a real-live thai ping pong sex show. I can't say that I would ever go back, but it was an experience nevertheless all visitors to Thailand should experience. At least those who are not easily offended and have strong stomachs.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Friday night: Sacred and Profane
Friday evening was an evening of experiencing two extremes of Bangkok life. The first part involved visiting a Buddhist Wat for vipassana meditation practice. This was followed by a trip to the go go dancing and ping pong centre of the city, Patpong.
One of my main objectives in traveling to Thailand is to establish a firm and steady meditation practice as a means of calming and centering my mind. I had previously practiced and studied meditation in the US, however my practice is weak and relatively non-existent. It has been about 10 yrs since I had taken meditation instruction while living in Pennsylvania. Here I had learned mindfulness based meditation with an emphasis and focus on the breath. I had always found a greater sense of calm, peace, and clarity of mind following practice, particularly when I was with a group practicing together. However, while meditating solo, practice is less easy as I am more prone to get off track, lose discipline, and stop.
One of the main styles of meditation that has always interested me is vipassana, or insight meditation. While it is essentially a Buddhist style of meditation, one need not be Buddhist as it is essentially non-sectarian in character and practice. This meaning that the practice can be learned and practiced by anyone regardless of their religious affiliation. Vipassana is a self-transformation through self-observation. It focuses on the deep interconnection between mind and body, which can be experienced directly by disciplined attention to the physical sensations that form the life of the body, and that continuously interconnect and condition the life of the mind. Ultimately, through practice and direct experience, one comes to learn and transcend the causes of suffering and achieve greater levels of awareness, peacefulness, open-heartedness, non-delusion, and self-control, amongst other benefits.
In surfing the internet I was able to discover that there is a Buddhist Wat, or temple, not too far south of me that offers meditation classes to the public. It was located slightly north of the Grand Palace which houses the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, about a 20 min walk or so. Along the way there are many sidewalk vendors selling lucky amulets and buddha figures, manyof which are meant to be worn around the neck. I have bought a bunch but none so far that I have worn. The temple, called Wat Mahasat, is a large temple area and it took me a while to find someone in the temple that could speak enough english to direct me to the meditation classes, held at sector 5. As I arrived at the meditation area I spoke with a beautiful Indian woman who was working the front desk at the moment. She offered me a pamphlet to read over explaining the practice of vipassana. She told me to come back in 30 mins. and that there would be no english instruction that evening , although i was welcome to join in. Fortunately I had enough background in this style of meditation that while instruction and guidance would be beneficial, it was not absolutely necessary.
In the meditation area there was monk leading instruction in thai for about 20 lay Buddhist female nuns? dressed in all white. The male monks dress in all orange and can be seem throughout the city. They are held in the highest esteem and not to be disrespected. Practically every male during the course of his life lives the life of a monk for an extended period or 2.
Anyway, the meditation started off which 30 mins of walking meditation which essentially involves very slowly and mindfully totally focused on each step and the various phases of each step. It can be a bit tedious at first but eventually your mind starts to calm down and you gain a greater sense of calm. With increasing levels of practice greater and greater levels of awarness and insight or supposed to naturally evolve.
After the 30 mins of walking meditation, we sat for 30 more mins. This I found more difficult as there were not western style meditation mats or cushions available and everyone sat indian style. My lower back muscles are not conditioned for this type and duration of sitting so it was difficult for me. Nevertheless, the slow and deep diaphramatic breathing was soothing and I could feel myself relax and slowdown. U are not supposed to change positions when it becomes uncomfortable and painful. Rather u are to stay in the position and observe what comes up without clinging to the sensations and feelings as they occur. The attitude of non-attachment and non-judgment is also to be observed with thoughts and feelings as they occur.
Finally to my relief the 30 mins was over. I definetely felt calmer and relaxed in my stomach, heart, and mind. It is a difficult practice to start but with continous practice the benefits are invaluable. I went back Sat night for more and expect to make it Sun night.
Next blog will detail Patpong experience....
One of my main objectives in traveling to Thailand is to establish a firm and steady meditation practice as a means of calming and centering my mind. I had previously practiced and studied meditation in the US, however my practice is weak and relatively non-existent. It has been about 10 yrs since I had taken meditation instruction while living in Pennsylvania. Here I had learned mindfulness based meditation with an emphasis and focus on the breath. I had always found a greater sense of calm, peace, and clarity of mind following practice, particularly when I was with a group practicing together. However, while meditating solo, practice is less easy as I am more prone to get off track, lose discipline, and stop.
One of the main styles of meditation that has always interested me is vipassana, or insight meditation. While it is essentially a Buddhist style of meditation, one need not be Buddhist as it is essentially non-sectarian in character and practice. This meaning that the practice can be learned and practiced by anyone regardless of their religious affiliation. Vipassana is a self-transformation through self-observation. It focuses on the deep interconnection between mind and body, which can be experienced directly by disciplined attention to the physical sensations that form the life of the body, and that continuously interconnect and condition the life of the mind. Ultimately, through practice and direct experience, one comes to learn and transcend the causes of suffering and achieve greater levels of awareness, peacefulness, open-heartedness, non-delusion, and self-control, amongst other benefits.
In surfing the internet I was able to discover that there is a Buddhist Wat, or temple, not too far south of me that offers meditation classes to the public. It was located slightly north of the Grand Palace which houses the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, about a 20 min walk or so. Along the way there are many sidewalk vendors selling lucky amulets and buddha figures, manyof which are meant to be worn around the neck. I have bought a bunch but none so far that I have worn. The temple, called Wat Mahasat, is a large temple area and it took me a while to find someone in the temple that could speak enough english to direct me to the meditation classes, held at sector 5. As I arrived at the meditation area I spoke with a beautiful Indian woman who was working the front desk at the moment. She offered me a pamphlet to read over explaining the practice of vipassana. She told me to come back in 30 mins. and that there would be no english instruction that evening , although i was welcome to join in. Fortunately I had enough background in this style of meditation that while instruction and guidance would be beneficial, it was not absolutely necessary.
In the meditation area there was monk leading instruction in thai for about 20 lay Buddhist female nuns? dressed in all white. The male monks dress in all orange and can be seem throughout the city. They are held in the highest esteem and not to be disrespected. Practically every male during the course of his life lives the life of a monk for an extended period or 2.
Anyway, the meditation started off which 30 mins of walking meditation which essentially involves very slowly and mindfully totally focused on each step and the various phases of each step. It can be a bit tedious at first but eventually your mind starts to calm down and you gain a greater sense of calm. With increasing levels of practice greater and greater levels of awarness and insight or supposed to naturally evolve.
After the 30 mins of walking meditation, we sat for 30 more mins. This I found more difficult as there were not western style meditation mats or cushions available and everyone sat indian style. My lower back muscles are not conditioned for this type and duration of sitting so it was difficult for me. Nevertheless, the slow and deep diaphramatic breathing was soothing and I could feel myself relax and slowdown. U are not supposed to change positions when it becomes uncomfortable and painful. Rather u are to stay in the position and observe what comes up without clinging to the sensations and feelings as they occur. The attitude of non-attachment and non-judgment is also to be observed with thoughts and feelings as they occur.
Finally to my relief the 30 mins was over. I definetely felt calmer and relaxed in my stomach, heart, and mind. It is a difficult practice to start but with continous practice the benefits are invaluable. I went back Sat night for more and expect to make it Sun night.
Next blog will detail Patpong experience....
Friday, December 28, 2007
first room with air-conditioning, actual mattress
Splurged an extra 50 baht, or about $1.66 US dollar and got a nicer room with air conditioning and an actual mattress, instead of the 4 inch thick sad excuse for mattresses I had been sleeping on, which pretty much felt like I had been sleeping on the floor. Now I am up to paying 300 baht per night. Plus the room has a small television with a few channels on it including HBO, although I doubt that I will ever use it, unless I want to watch some soccer, or futbol as the rest of the world calls it. My last room cost 250 baht per night and was noisy, hot - had a ceiling fan -, and not very comfortable although I don't need or expect to be living in much luxury during travels in Asia. It was a traditional style thai house - that is what I was told - with an old thai man running the front desk and I think a family living there. There were cats running in and out of the place. In the alleyway outside the house there were mobs of cats slinking around and making all kinds of noise of night keeping me awake. Them damn things can be noisy when they are in heat and looking for attention.
In regards to soccer, the thai people are mad for soccer, particularly English League Futbol. It could also be the influence of the many foreign, mostly European, in the area I am at, but soccer is on television at most of the bars and televisions u see in the area. During the big games involving teams like Manchester United there are often groups of people sitting around watching and cheering on the teams. There are even a few large screens in the area that play soccer for large groups to watch. I was told that every year several of the big name English League teams come to Thailand put on some exhibition games for the people here. It has been a while since I have played soccer but I am looking forward to playing some beach soccer when I make it down to the islands in about a wk. Just hope I don't mess my ankle up at all. I think I will have ankle problems for life on my left ankle from tearing ligaments about 15 yrs ago.
I have already lost about 5-7 lbs since being here. I feel alot slimmer and leaner from when I arrived. I weighed myself today and came out to 84 kilograms while fully clothed. This comes out to about 184 lbs. I was around 190 lbs when I got here. I am sure I will be down to 180 in several wks, especially after I get down to the islands and start yoga training all day, and playing soccer and hiking during off days.
In regards to soccer, the thai people are mad for soccer, particularly English League Futbol. It could also be the influence of the many foreign, mostly European, in the area I am at, but soccer is on television at most of the bars and televisions u see in the area. During the big games involving teams like Manchester United there are often groups of people sitting around watching and cheering on the teams. There are even a few large screens in the area that play soccer for large groups to watch. I was told that every year several of the big name English League teams come to Thailand put on some exhibition games for the people here. It has been a while since I have played soccer but I am looking forward to playing some beach soccer when I make it down to the islands in about a wk. Just hope I don't mess my ankle up at all. I think I will have ankle problems for life on my left ankle from tearing ligaments about 15 yrs ago.
I have already lost about 5-7 lbs since being here. I feel alot slimmer and leaner from when I arrived. I weighed myself today and came out to 84 kilograms while fully clothed. This comes out to about 184 lbs. I was around 190 lbs when I got here. I am sure I will be down to 180 in several wks, especially after I get down to the islands and start yoga training all day, and playing soccer and hiking during off days.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Merry Xmas from Bangkok
Merry Christmas to everyone from Bangkok, Thailand, not exactly the Christian capital of the world. Although it is a Buddhist nation with little need to honor Xmas, it is acknowledged around here to a certain degree as there are many foreigners in the area who are Christians, mostly from Europe. It is amusing to hear Jingle Bells and other Christian songs being played in coffee and internet shops. It seems so out of place and non Christmas for me as I am used to being back in the states with family and in cold weather during Christmas. Here it is hot and humid and feels like summertime. Other than Xmas songs, there are vendors selling santa hats and other Xmas paraphanelia on the streets.
For me, I have spent most of the day sleeping as I am recovering from being a bit sick the past few days. I started feeling like I was coming down with something last Friday but that passed by quickly and figured I was all ok. But come Sun night I got hit hard by something and haven't had much urge other than to sleep and do next to nothing. It has given me a chance to catch up reading on a few books and finish them off.
I was considering going to a doctor later this evening but think I am going to be ok. My thai girlfriend Sarin, who owns a travel agency a block away from Khao San Rd, was going to take me to her doctor and get some meds if necessary. I am still feeling a bit lethargic and tired but my stomach no longer is as queasy and rumbling as it was Sunday night and yesterday. I had bad diarrhea but was able to hold off throwing off, although I was quite close to letting it fly. Sarin has been very nice in tending to me when I went to visit her Sun and Mon night, going out and buying me some healthy thai food and giving me some meds. She is also very helpful in giving me travel advice and information about airfare prices for locations in SE Asia and India. I have also learned lots of good insider info on Khao San Rd and whats going on in the city.
This past Sunday had started off well for me and I didn't feel ill in the morning. I took one of the thai busses for the first time to one of the largest weekend markets in the city, the Chatuchak Market. It's not easy figuring out the bus system in Bangkok as none of it is written in English and Thai isn't exactly the easiest language to figure out. However, after talking with Sarin and some other people I was able to find out a couple of bus numbers and locations where they stop in order to make it to the market. The market was absolutely huge, unlike anything I had ever been to before. Pretty much anything u could ever hope to shop for, although I didn't purchase anything except for some food which may have contributed to making me sick. I enjoyed walking through the animal sections. Was hoping to see some king cobras or other venomous snakes. There was one person who had what I think were cobras although their hoods were not flared up to indicate cobra. Lots of fish and birds for sale. One person had bags of sting rays for sale. In addition, lots of entertainers walking around working for tips.
Had to postpone thai massage training for several days cause of being sick. See how things go and hopefully can begin Thursday or Friday.
For me, I have spent most of the day sleeping as I am recovering from being a bit sick the past few days. I started feeling like I was coming down with something last Friday but that passed by quickly and figured I was all ok. But come Sun night I got hit hard by something and haven't had much urge other than to sleep and do next to nothing. It has given me a chance to catch up reading on a few books and finish them off.
I was considering going to a doctor later this evening but think I am going to be ok. My thai girlfriend Sarin, who owns a travel agency a block away from Khao San Rd, was going to take me to her doctor and get some meds if necessary. I am still feeling a bit lethargic and tired but my stomach no longer is as queasy and rumbling as it was Sunday night and yesterday. I had bad diarrhea but was able to hold off throwing off, although I was quite close to letting it fly. Sarin has been very nice in tending to me when I went to visit her Sun and Mon night, going out and buying me some healthy thai food and giving me some meds. She is also very helpful in giving me travel advice and information about airfare prices for locations in SE Asia and India. I have also learned lots of good insider info on Khao San Rd and whats going on in the city.
This past Sunday had started off well for me and I didn't feel ill in the morning. I took one of the thai busses for the first time to one of the largest weekend markets in the city, the Chatuchak Market. It's not easy figuring out the bus system in Bangkok as none of it is written in English and Thai isn't exactly the easiest language to figure out. However, after talking with Sarin and some other people I was able to find out a couple of bus numbers and locations where they stop in order to make it to the market. The market was absolutely huge, unlike anything I had ever been to before. Pretty much anything u could ever hope to shop for, although I didn't purchase anything except for some food which may have contributed to making me sick. I enjoyed walking through the animal sections. Was hoping to see some king cobras or other venomous snakes. There was one person who had what I think were cobras although their hoods were not flared up to indicate cobra. Lots of fish and birds for sale. One person had bags of sting rays for sale. In addition, lots of entertainers walking around working for tips.
Had to postpone thai massage training for several days cause of being sick. See how things go and hopefully can begin Thursday or Friday.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
2nd muay thai class,very sore
Went to my second muay thai kickboxing class today even though I was a bit sore today from yesterday. Now, about 3 hrs after the last class finished, I am definitely very sore but feels great. It's a blast working with the thai trainers practicing all the jabs, 1-2s, knees, elbows, kicks, and all the other drills they have us doing. There is no one on one work so no chance of getting injured. Today there were a bunch more guys training, more than yesterday at least. Was one beautiful thai girl training who looked like she been doing muay thai for a while. Only done 2 classes so far but I really enjoy it, working on putting together combinations and absolutely sweating my ass off in the humid thai weather. There was one other thai guy training who was in phenominal shape and competes professionally. Small guy but ripped, he was throwing combinations of 10 - 20 punches while working with the trainers. Tons of power for a small guy.
I would like to go watch some professional matches at the stadium out here sometime. I spoke with several agencies selling tickets but they only seem to be selling front row VIP tickets for pretty expensive. Foreigners have to pay much more to attend than the common thai people, until at least u know enough to find the proper connections.
Was hoping to go out tonight and get boozed up and have some fun at a club, but they are not selling alcohol in the city tonight and tomorrow cause of some election coming up. I wish i had bought a bottle of something before today. Not looking to get totally drunk or anything but having a few drinks makes it more fun being out. I may go down to the ping pong shows down in the Patpong area, the wild red light district where the girls shoot ping pong balls and all kind of objects out of there private parts. The taxis and tuk tuk drivers are always trying to drive everybody down there, asking if u want to go see ping pong show. I like to ask thai girls what a ping pong show is, acting innocent like I have no idea what it is. Many find it funny and laugh, asking if they can come along with me. One girl at the coffee shop speaking in her thai accent said that they shoot ping pong balls out of their pussy. Everybody is very laid back and pretty non-judgmental around here.
Got my clothes back nice and clean and folded. Nice to have some clean clothes after several days. Won't take too long to get them all sweated up and dirty again. Gonna go get a thai massage in a sec, will help with all the soreness from the muay thai classes. Looking forward to starting up thai massage classes this Monday at Wat Po.
I would like to go watch some professional matches at the stadium out here sometime. I spoke with several agencies selling tickets but they only seem to be selling front row VIP tickets for pretty expensive. Foreigners have to pay much more to attend than the common thai people, until at least u know enough to find the proper connections.
Was hoping to go out tonight and get boozed up and have some fun at a club, but they are not selling alcohol in the city tonight and tomorrow cause of some election coming up. I wish i had bought a bottle of something before today. Not looking to get totally drunk or anything but having a few drinks makes it more fun being out. I may go down to the ping pong shows down in the Patpong area, the wild red light district where the girls shoot ping pong balls and all kind of objects out of there private parts. The taxis and tuk tuk drivers are always trying to drive everybody down there, asking if u want to go see ping pong show. I like to ask thai girls what a ping pong show is, acting innocent like I have no idea what it is. Many find it funny and laugh, asking if they can come along with me. One girl at the coffee shop speaking in her thai accent said that they shoot ping pong balls out of their pussy. Everybody is very laid back and pretty non-judgmental around here.
Got my clothes back nice and clean and folded. Nice to have some clean clothes after several days. Won't take too long to get them all sweated up and dirty again. Gonna go get a thai massage in a sec, will help with all the soreness from the muay thai classes. Looking forward to starting up thai massage classes this Monday at Wat Po.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Muay Thai Kickboxing
Took my first muay thai kickboxing class this afternoon. Signed up for 3 classes to save money and get some good workouts while learning some new skills. Classes are actually kind of expensive around here, paid over $12 US dollar for each class. Cheaper signing up for package deal. Gym is located down a narrow alleyway across the street from Khao San Rd. I noticed the gym last wknd and been wanting to take classes there. Earlier in the wk while watching there were some real tough looking fighters training. They were not there today, I was told a bunch of the fighters typically in the gym were out of town. Today it was me and 3 others training. One Japanese guy about 40, a tough looking white girl with lots of face piercings about 25-30 - not sure where from -, and an older guy about 50-60 from Vancouver. He seemed real interesting. Said he was going to Nepal in about a month to do thai massage training. Will have to write down name of center he is going to.
Was alot of fun being trained by the thai guys who were in incredible shape. Practiced lots of 1-2 combinations, kicks, elbows, and knees. Also jumped rope, hit the bag, and did warm up and cool down stretching and situps with everyone. Was about 2 hrs long. Lots of people walking by and checking out class, along with alley cats walking in and out of gym. The cats are everywhere sneaking around. Almost didn't make it too class cause haven't been feeling real well today. Feeling a bit under the weather but didn't feel like sitting around doing nothing.
Going to get a thai massage in a bit. Hopefully will make me feel good enough to head out tonight to a bar and have a few drinks. Be my first Friday night in town. Lots of fun going to bars around here. Only really been out once so far and but got tons of attention from beautiful thai women. Its amazing how the most beautiful thai women will just come right up to you and start talking as though they find you to be a god. The thai women love white guys and find lighter skinned ppl more attractive.
Got a larger, better room today several blocks away. Paying some extra money but larger with double sized bed. Much more comfortable than the room I previously stayed at. Still too cheap to get air conditioning, the fans work well enough for me. Gave my dirty laundry to the owner of guesthouse to get cleaned, an old thai man about 70 or so. Cost me 80 baht, or about 2.50 dollars. I didn't receive a receipt back or anything, but was told it will be ready tmrw. Hopefully it won't get lost or anything as I gave him 3/4s of my clothing. Clothes are cheap here but don't want to have to go out and buy a bunch of new stuff.
Was alot of fun being trained by the thai guys who were in incredible shape. Practiced lots of 1-2 combinations, kicks, elbows, and knees. Also jumped rope, hit the bag, and did warm up and cool down stretching and situps with everyone. Was about 2 hrs long. Lots of people walking by and checking out class, along with alley cats walking in and out of gym. The cats are everywhere sneaking around. Almost didn't make it too class cause haven't been feeling real well today. Feeling a bit under the weather but didn't feel like sitting around doing nothing.
Going to get a thai massage in a bit. Hopefully will make me feel good enough to head out tonight to a bar and have a few drinks. Be my first Friday night in town. Lots of fun going to bars around here. Only really been out once so far and but got tons of attention from beautiful thai women. Its amazing how the most beautiful thai women will just come right up to you and start talking as though they find you to be a god. The thai women love white guys and find lighter skinned ppl more attractive.
Got a larger, better room today several blocks away. Paying some extra money but larger with double sized bed. Much more comfortable than the room I previously stayed at. Still too cheap to get air conditioning, the fans work well enough for me. Gave my dirty laundry to the owner of guesthouse to get cleaned, an old thai man about 70 or so. Cost me 80 baht, or about 2.50 dollars. I didn't receive a receipt back or anything, but was told it will be ready tmrw. Hopefully it won't get lost or anything as I gave him 3/4s of my clothing. Clothes are cheap here but don't want to have to go out and buy a bunch of new stuff.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Kicked Out of the Oriental Hotel
Today I took a river barge from my area - Khao San Rd. - as a way of seeing the city from a different perspective plus to make it to a part of the city that I hadn't been to yet. So far I had mostly stuck in my area and gone south down to Chinatown, primarily walking and taking the tuk tuks. It takes pretty long getting around to different part of the city as traffic is quite congested and often bumper to bumper. Getting on the river - the Chao Phraya - is a much quicker way of getting around and I wanted to check out the Silom Rd and Patpong area. Both of these areas are busy business areas during the day. Some of the most expensive real estate of the city is in this city. Patpong streets are toward the east end of Silom Rd and contain the wildest and most outrageous strip and gogo bars. In the area adjacent to the west side of Silom Rd and next to the river is the Oriental Hotel, considering one of the most upscale and exclusive hotels in the city with incredible service. Since I was in the area I figured I may as well walk past the Oriental Hotel and check it out and see if I could walk in the place. There were many bellman and expensive cars in the outside foyer of the hotel. As I was approaching the front door I was told by one of the bellman or some official that I was not dressed properly as I was wearing shorts and not allowed in the hotel. I told him that I just wanted a quick peak and to check out the prices. Surprisingly he let me pass on through the door and didn't give me a hard time. The inside of the hotel was quite amazing with huge chandeliers, very posh and expensive furniture, along with huge windows and high ceilings. I could see the pool through the windows and figured I would go check it out. There were two very nice pools with ppl lounging around the area on chairs. I walked up somwhat near the pool but chose not to actually go into the pool area, but up to some bushes. I was wearing a some decent pair of shorts and a tank top with a small backpack on, not exactly the kind of upscale look that would go over to well with the crowd, as evidenced by the comments by the doorman at the beginning.
I was able to get a few quick pics of the pool area as well as the inside and was walking around the foyer about ready to walk down a hallway into some other areas of the hotel when the outside bellman approached me and told me that I was going to have to leave. I just told him no problem as I was pleased to just get a look and feel of the place. Definitely very upscale and fancy. It would be great to have a chance to hang out at the pool and go swimming some day, although I'm doubtful I will make it back to the place. I'd have to dress up and wear a pair of nice pants and shirt just to get back in without a hassle. The heat in the city definetely makes you want to go swimming. It will be great making it down to the islands in several wks to go swimming in the Gulf of Thailand.
I was able to get a few quick pics of the pool area as well as the inside and was walking around the foyer about ready to walk down a hallway into some other areas of the hotel when the outside bellman approached me and told me that I was going to have to leave. I just told him no problem as I was pleased to just get a look and feel of the place. Definitely very upscale and fancy. It would be great to have a chance to hang out at the pool and go swimming some day, although I'm doubtful I will make it back to the place. I'd have to dress up and wear a pair of nice pants and shirt just to get back in without a hassle. The heat in the city definetely makes you want to go swimming. It will be great making it down to the islands in several wks to go swimming in the Gulf of Thailand.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Dental Work
Was able to see the dentist this evening with little to not wait. Dentist had been trained in the US so at least he had some good and credible credentials. I believe he went to SUNY Buffalo. He told me his daughter went to school at University of Colorado at Denver. Pretty school world. He had a picture of the Colorado rockies San Juan mountain range on the wall. Since I had a root canal last month and had a temporary filling, I was looking to get a crown over the tooth to fill it up. I had been told previously that my current filling would last for several months, andthen I'm not sure. Anyway, the dentist here put in a more permanent filling instead of a crown. He told me it should last for about 5 yrs. I was basically in and out of the office. Cost me 2500 baht, or about $70-80 US dollars. A crown would have cost me about $250 here depending upon the quality of it. In the US a crown would cost about $1200.
Also had a great thai massage session today inthe neighborhood. Cost me 250 baht for 1.5 hrs, or about $7-8 dollars. Was incredible work. Looking forward to starting thai massage training here in the city. Went to the Wat Po yesterday which is one of the most renowned training schools in the country for thai massage. Much more expensive there to receive a massage. Paid over 300 baht for just an hr. Also visited the huge reclining Buddha on the grounds of the Wat. Probably the most incredible Buddha I have seen so far in Bangkok. It was absolutely huge, several hundred feet long and about a hundred feet high. Taking pics of the Buddha as well as everything else out here does no justice for how incredible it is. The artwork and architecture of the Buddha as well as the surrounding area was great. Hoping to go visit the Grand Palace tomorrow where the Emerald Buddha resides, the most revered Buddha in the country.
Met an interesting guy from New Zealand along with a Scottish woman at the thai massage place today. They both been traveling all over Asia themselves and had just met that day. The guy said he was going to be biking Cambodia in several days for a few wks. Going to try and meet up with them for some drinks this evening if I can find them. She had mentioned a certain in the area, forget the name of, which I will try and locate
Also had a great thai massage session today inthe neighborhood. Cost me 250 baht for 1.5 hrs, or about $7-8 dollars. Was incredible work. Looking forward to starting thai massage training here in the city. Went to the Wat Po yesterday which is one of the most renowned training schools in the country for thai massage. Much more expensive there to receive a massage. Paid over 300 baht for just an hr. Also visited the huge reclining Buddha on the grounds of the Wat. Probably the most incredible Buddha I have seen so far in Bangkok. It was absolutely huge, several hundred feet long and about a hundred feet high. Taking pics of the Buddha as well as everything else out here does no justice for how incredible it is. The artwork and architecture of the Buddha as well as the surrounding area was great. Hoping to go visit the Grand Palace tomorrow where the Emerald Buddha resides, the most revered Buddha in the country.
Met an interesting guy from New Zealand along with a Scottish woman at the thai massage place today. They both been traveling all over Asia themselves and had just met that day. The guy said he was going to be biking Cambodia in several days for a few wks. Going to try and meet up with them for some drinks this evening if I can find them. She had mentioned a certain in the area, forget the name of, which I will try and locate
1st night in Bangkok
Finally getting around to writing on blog. So much to write aboutsince i've gotten here. Todays - Tuesday - is my fourth full days and the time has flown by. The trip started off early Thursday morning on a flight from Denver to LA sitting next to the only baby aboard the plane. A nine month old named Amelia who enjoyed crying the entire first 2 hrs. Thank goodness this didn't occur on the 2nd and 3rd longer legs of the journey to the other side of the world. These flights were 12 and 6 hrs long respectively. Never been on flights that long before, mostly just slept and read the entire times. Sat next to a nice Vietnamese girl on way to Japan. Flight outta LA to Japan was delayed about 1.5 hrs, hence almost missed flight from Japan to Bangkok. Arrived in Japan just in time to make connecting flight.
After arriving in Bangkok airport had to go through admission progress and get visa stamped. Very long lines for this, was able to get luggage very quickly afterwards. Thank goodness no complication in getting my one piece of luggage. Although didn't bring much would have sucked to have had to replace everything and get new malaria pills. After luggage, went to currency exchange and got some thai baht for my US dollars. Exchange rate is about 33 baht to 1 US dollar. Earlier in the yr it was about 40 baht. Unfortunate how the US dollar has plummeted so much. The British pound is the strongest currency, at around 65 baht per. Euro is next in line.
Got money and then focused on getting taxi to take me to Khao San Rd, the backpacking, bohemian, and expat mecca of Bangkok. Many taxis were asking upwards of 800 baht for the taxi trip, particularly pretty girls holding taxi signs. However, I was able to share a taxi with another traveler from Australia and pay about 300 each to make it onward. The first thing I noticed upon stepping into the Bangkok atmosphere was the heat and humidity, even for 12:30am at night. Still beats the hell out of the frigid cold weather of Denver . Feels great here in the mornings and evenings. Gets very hot during the afternoons, especially when u add in all the heat from the exhaust of the cars, buses, and motorbikes. And this is considered the cooler season, with the hot season to come around April and May.
The drive from the airport to Khao San Rd. was amazing and eye-opening, my first moments in Bangkok outside the airport. Since it was about 1am or so at the time I couldn't see everything as during daytime, but under darkness and city lights it was quite a surreal experience. Driving past all the street vendors, pictures of the king and buddha figures, Thai and Buddhist architecture, and thai script everywhere were the things which most stuck in my mind, along with warmth and heat. First time I had ever really been out of the country and I was now in the middle of one of the most exotic cities in the world. About 15 mins later I arrived at Khao San Rd, nothing in the US quite compares to the experience in the area, at least where I have been. Like being on South Street in Phila time 1000 with all the street vendors, music blasting, world travelers and thai folk milling around, etc. Absolute sensory overload with action everywhere. Iwas only on the street about 30 seconds before I was approached by a group of beautiful thai women asking me everything about what i was doing that night and if I would like to hang out with them. They may have been prostitutes although I never got around to talking money or anything with them. Also possible they were ladyboys, the infamous category of men transformed into very passable women, some impossible to tell the difference after taking hormone pills and having surgical procedures done. However my goal was to locate my guesthouse in the area for the evening, the GreenHouse. I walked halfway down the street, which is about a quarter mile long or so, just taking in and absorbing all the sights, sounds, smells and feel of the street. I had forgot to write down the exact address of the place although I near Khao San Rd within a block or so. I had booked reservations online the day before. Asking several people I was given vague directions by a seemingly inebriated traveler to make several turns going down the street, turning at an alleyway, and then making another turn at the end of the alley. I wasn't sure exactly what I was told but deciding to give it a shot anyway. After making a couple quick turns i looked up and there the sign was, for the GreenHouse. It felt as though I had received divine guidance in finding the place so quick. It can be challenging finding places in this city as there are so many signs and other sensory distractions.
When getting to the front desk I inquired about my name and found out a room had been saved for me. Wasn't sure if my internet request had gone through or not. It turned out to be exactly what i expected, a nice small little room with a single bed and fan. The bathroom and shower for me was community on the hallway. The shower is right on the wall next to the toiler and water sprays all over the place, draining right next to the toilet. It keeps the bathroom pretty clean with the soap and shampoo cleaning everything off, except for some of the more dirty bohemian folks around here. The room cost me about 300 - 350 baht, I forget exactly how much, about $10 night. My next place I found was 200 baht a night, about $6. Today several blocks away I saw something for about 100 baht. I didnt' check it out and it may have been dormitory living, not sure. As long as i got a room with a lock a bed, and access to a shower I am relatively content. I don't spend to much time in room so don't really need anything that luxurious. Just somewhere to sleep and take a shower. So much to do and explore around here. Can almost be too much at times heading into the streets after being indoors in a coffee shop or internet cafe. The heat and all the movement and chaos can be overwhelming.
After arriving in Bangkok airport had to go through admission progress and get visa stamped. Very long lines for this, was able to get luggage very quickly afterwards. Thank goodness no complication in getting my one piece of luggage. Although didn't bring much would have sucked to have had to replace everything and get new malaria pills. After luggage, went to currency exchange and got some thai baht for my US dollars. Exchange rate is about 33 baht to 1 US dollar. Earlier in the yr it was about 40 baht. Unfortunate how the US dollar has plummeted so much. The British pound is the strongest currency, at around 65 baht per. Euro is next in line.
Got money and then focused on getting taxi to take me to Khao San Rd, the backpacking, bohemian, and expat mecca of Bangkok. Many taxis were asking upwards of 800 baht for the taxi trip, particularly pretty girls holding taxi signs. However, I was able to share a taxi with another traveler from Australia and pay about 300 each to make it onward. The first thing I noticed upon stepping into the Bangkok atmosphere was the heat and humidity, even for 12:30am at night. Still beats the hell out of the frigid cold weather of Denver . Feels great here in the mornings and evenings. Gets very hot during the afternoons, especially when u add in all the heat from the exhaust of the cars, buses, and motorbikes. And this is considered the cooler season, with the hot season to come around April and May.
The drive from the airport to Khao San Rd. was amazing and eye-opening, my first moments in Bangkok outside the airport. Since it was about 1am or so at the time I couldn't see everything as during daytime, but under darkness and city lights it was quite a surreal experience. Driving past all the street vendors, pictures of the king and buddha figures, Thai and Buddhist architecture, and thai script everywhere were the things which most stuck in my mind, along with warmth and heat. First time I had ever really been out of the country and I was now in the middle of one of the most exotic cities in the world. About 15 mins later I arrived at Khao San Rd, nothing in the US quite compares to the experience in the area, at least where I have been. Like being on South Street in Phila time 1000 with all the street vendors, music blasting, world travelers and thai folk milling around, etc. Absolute sensory overload with action everywhere. Iwas only on the street about 30 seconds before I was approached by a group of beautiful thai women asking me everything about what i was doing that night and if I would like to hang out with them. They may have been prostitutes although I never got around to talking money or anything with them. Also possible they were ladyboys, the infamous category of men transformed into very passable women, some impossible to tell the difference after taking hormone pills and having surgical procedures done. However my goal was to locate my guesthouse in the area for the evening, the GreenHouse. I walked halfway down the street, which is about a quarter mile long or so, just taking in and absorbing all the sights, sounds, smells and feel of the street. I had forgot to write down the exact address of the place although I near Khao San Rd within a block or so. I had booked reservations online the day before. Asking several people I was given vague directions by a seemingly inebriated traveler to make several turns going down the street, turning at an alleyway, and then making another turn at the end of the alley. I wasn't sure exactly what I was told but deciding to give it a shot anyway. After making a couple quick turns i looked up and there the sign was, for the GreenHouse. It felt as though I had received divine guidance in finding the place so quick. It can be challenging finding places in this city as there are so many signs and other sensory distractions.
When getting to the front desk I inquired about my name and found out a room had been saved for me. Wasn't sure if my internet request had gone through or not. It turned out to be exactly what i expected, a nice small little room with a single bed and fan. The bathroom and shower for me was community on the hallway. The shower is right on the wall next to the toiler and water sprays all over the place, draining right next to the toilet. It keeps the bathroom pretty clean with the soap and shampoo cleaning everything off, except for some of the more dirty bohemian folks around here. The room cost me about 300 - 350 baht, I forget exactly how much, about $10 night. My next place I found was 200 baht a night, about $6. Today several blocks away I saw something for about 100 baht. I didnt' check it out and it may have been dormitory living, not sure. As long as i got a room with a lock a bed, and access to a shower I am relatively content. I don't spend to much time in room so don't really need anything that luxurious. Just somewhere to sleep and take a shower. So much to do and explore around here. Can almost be too much at times heading into the streets after being indoors in a coffee shop or internet cafe. The heat and all the movement and chaos can be overwhelming.
Monday, December 10, 2007
2 Days to go
3 nights and 2 full days left to go.. working at getting everything organized, paying bills, and cleaning up apartment. Getting rid of car tmrw morning to guy in Aurora, have to ride bike and bus back to town probably in the snow. Hard to believe I will be in tropical weather in 4nights from now in Bangkok. Will be quite amazing arriving there around midnight on Friday night, still need to look into getting a room somewhere near Khao San Road in Bangkok, then walking around the city for a while taking it all in. I don't think I will be able to sleep as I will be so keyed up from being in a plane for 15 hrs or however long it is. Be cool to walk around and maybe make it down to Chinatown.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
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