Our first excursion without Johnny! Bangkok

Hello there! We have spent a couple of days in the hustle and bustle of Bangkok and Alex and I are both looking forward to the beach white sand and relaxation!

Yesterday was our first time to go into town without Johnny and it is much different without him to translate. We were definitely marked as "Forongs" (foreigners). We made it back home so that was a big accomplishment! We actually did very well for not being able to communicate much. We stopped in for our morning "cafe yen" (iced milk coffee) in a plastic bag for 12 Baht and then jumped on the local bus.

To get into town, we head up Soi Bat to the Big C, cross over the highway and catch bus 76. The buses are have no air con so having the windows upen is much apperciated. It begins to fill up with people on their morning commute. Once we cross over the river, we get off to catch a water taxi. The bus is only 15 Baht and it takes about an hour to get into the heart of the city.

We wandered in a temple. There were several monks sitting on the floor infront of a shrine of Buddha, lighting incense. This was our first encounter- we silently observed with intense interest.

Next we weaved through the maze of streets and made it into the heart of downtown. We found the famous Reclining Buddha but it was closed. We will definitely come back before we leave.

Alex and I walked around the little neighborhood alley ways. It is just indescribable to explain the living conditions. There are people everywhere!! We walked down one alley and there was a one room house with the door open. The family of 5 was gathered around, sitting in Indian style on the floor. There were 4 dogs tied to a table. 4 dogs and 5 people living in a one room house. Seems like it might be a little cramped for my style.

The street stalls are abundant. The blistering heat of the day combined with steaming street food is overwhelming. The is so much going on in every direction. Tuk-tuks fly by and motorbikes loaded beyond capacity are nothing unusual. It's difficult to walk down the sidewalk without bumping shoulders. It's necessary to stop for a fresh pineapple snack and ice cold coke to refresh.

In the evenings we unwind around Johnny's neighborhood and get to know to some of the locals. His favorite bar in called Long Dang. (It doesn't translate correctly in English!) It's the local hangout. Teeny boppers go crazy over for the live music. We had a personal waitress who stood at the end of our table refilling our drinks after every sip and made sure that we have fresh ice cubes. Now that's service!

There is live music in every bar and restaurant, not matter how big or small. It's either karaoke or a cover band. We were at a hole in the wall outdoor karaoke bar and a group of people invited us to go up to sing and dance. We were quite the spectacle! While Alex and Johnny sang "You're nothing but a hound dog," one guy invited me up to dance. It was pretty hilarious!

There is also a new mega bar across the highway called Holland Beer. It's very out of place. It's about the size of half a football stadium, there must be 500 tables and chairs. The stage is the size of a concert hall. It's so funny to see the elaborate productions that they put on every night of the week! They had an 8 piece band, lights and TV screens broadcasting the performance. The singers had elaborate costume changes after each song. The beer is served by the yard. The waiter attaches a plastic tube to your table. Could we ask for more?

For dinner we went to a buffet where the meat is raw. You select what you want and then take it to your table to cook on a hot pot. There are also fresh vegetables for seasoning. It's an interesting concept because the buffet definitely does not look very appetizing but it's neat that you cook the food at your own table. All of the restaurants are outside so there in no escaping the heat. After finishing the meal, we realized that the hot pot was adding to the uncomfortable evening heat. It is customary to leave the dishes on the table until the guests leave but we just couldn't take it any longer. We had 3 waiters servicing us so Johnny waived one of them down and, as politely as he could, motioned "YOU, get THAT outta here!" We died laughing and felt much better after the hot pot wasn't steaming all over us. After all, our ice cubes where melting in our Singha.

We really enjoy staying with Johnny and love that we have the ability to experience the Thai lifestyle.