Bus to Bangkok

Daron about to swim in the rooftop pool

We decided to head north into Bangkok after spending ten days in southern Thailand – the weather was forecasted to be rain everyday for the next week (not a surprise for us!), and we wanted to see some other areas of the country before our 30 day visa expired.  The quickest and cheapest way to travel in Thailand is via the bus.  They have various levels of buses:  VIP, 1^st class, 2^nd class, and then the rest.   We decided to do an overnight bus to Bangkok, which would take 12 hours, leaving at 5pm and arriving at 5am.  The VIP buses were sold out so we ended up on a 1^st class bus.  We weren’t sure what to expect, since our level of bus was second tier, but were pleasantly surprised.  Our bus was a double-decker, with 38 seats, all which reclined quite a bit back for resting comfortably.  We were each provided with a blanket too.  The bus had its own attendant that did drink and food service.  Upon sitting down we were given a snack of buttered sugary bread –closer to bread with frosting on it.  It was actually good, in a Little Debbie kind of way.  The next treat was bottled water, followed by a glass of coke with a straw.  Such good healthy fare!  J  After we left the station they turned on two big plasma screens and started up a movie:  Inception.  Daron and I were thrilled at the distraction until we realized that it was dubbed in Thai with English subtitles!  It was strange to watch Leonardo Dicaprio speak Thai in a totally different voice!  Strangely, the subtitles disappeared about a half hour into the movie.    

Monks walking through the market

Two hours into the ride there was an announcement made in Thai over the loudspeaker.  We have no idea what they said.  Shortly afterwards we made a stop and everyone got off the bus.  We followed the crowd to the restrooms, and then we got back on the bus.  Minutes went by and nobody else got back on the bus – it was just us.  So we disembarked again, only to find that everyone was in the next building eating dinner!  We figured out that it was included in the bus fare.  By now we’re the last ones to eat, so we scarfed down what food was left at the table where they sat us.  I was nervous about getting left behind (we almost got left by a greyhound bus in central California about 15 years ago – had to chase it down in a parking lot), so we headed back to the bus where just about everyone was already seated.  Shortly after, the bus continued down the road but they never turned the movie back on.  I wondered if the people who were watching it were curious how it ended. 

Me shopping at the outdoor market

We arrived at the bus terminal at 4am, one hour ahead of schedule.  It was dark out and we were latched onto by a taxi driver who would not leave us alone.  We negotiated a set price to our hotel, even though our guidebook told us to only hire taxis that will use the meter.  We didn’t see any other taxis around until the guy took us to his car – they were all parked away from the terminal.  All we could figure is that maybe they aren’t allowed inside the bus complex.  Oh well, too late for us – we were whisked away by the persistent man, who we realized wasn’t an official taxi driver at all, just an entrepreneurial guy with a vehicle.  It worked out in the end – he got us to exactly the right hotel in no time at all. 

Of course our hotel wouldn’t let us check in that early without charging us for another night.  So they stored our bags and we walked around the area.  We picked the Pratunum area, near Siam Square, for its central location and large market.  The market was setting up (it was 4:30am) so we sat on a street corner and watched it all get put together.  An hour or so later we saw the Buddhist monks come through the area and stop at each shop so the owners could give them parcels of food and receive blessings in return.  Daron even made a donation of a couple of cartons of soy milk that they gave us on the bus.  Despite us not knowing the proper way to make an offering, the monk seemed happy with the donation.

Daron & Ronald doing the wai

During the two days we stayed in that area our goal was to get a new digital camera.  Our old one died in Phi Phi after getting dropped (is that supposed to be bad for a camera? J).  It was old anyways and had issues – we were due for a younger model by now.  We picked up one in Bangkok that seemed like a good deal (hopefully it’s not a counterfeit!).  The only problem is the power cord only fits into the Asian outlets, so we’ll need an adaptor when we use it in other countries.  Oh well.

We visited all the malls in the Siam area near our hotel.  I think there were five of them total, all in a row.  Three of them were newer, one was recently renovated and looked new, and the last was a crowded building with six floors of markets, where all the locals shop.  The newer malls are beautiful, and rival anything we have in the U.S.  Many of the stores are the same as what we have, and the prices are the same too.  One mall was all high-end stores like Gucci, etc.  We spent some time in the mall with the local markets where I bargained for an imitation LowePro backpack from a young guy who spoke English well (they do imitation North Face too!).  We couldn’t agree on the final price so Daron flipped a coin to see which price would win – and we did.  It was good for a laugh between all of us! 

We visited a nearby McDonalds, just to check it out, and it was one of the nicest Mickey D’s I’ve ever seen.  The menus were computer screens that flipped through the burger options and jumped out at you with animation.  The seating was small and low to the ground, but very modern, almost like someone’s living room.  Lots of folks were hanging out – it was definitely a popular place.  The only differences we saw on the menu were a pineapple pie and a corn pie, in addition to the regular apple pie.  Prices were about the same as in the U.S. 

Erawan Shrine

Near the McDonalds was the Erawan Shrine.  You know when you’re there because of the haze of incense smoke surrounding the place!  The shrine was originally a spirit house.  Just about every building in Thailand has a spirit house, or at the very least an altar.  Thai people believe that the actual owners of any piece of land are spirits, and if a person wants to build on the land, the spirits must be placated with a house of their own (plus then they won’t be tempted to move in with the new owners!).  The Erawan Shrine was originally a spirit house for the Erawan Hotel, but was deemed ineffective after much bad luck befell the construction of the hotel.  The shrine was constructed in 1956 to replace the spirit house – it halted the bad luck, and became known for its strong talismanic powers.  That shrine was hacked up in 2006 by a madman, who was immediately lynched by an angry mob (this shrine is very special to the Thai people).  The shrine was  .

There is a small troupe of Thai dancers and singers at the shrine that can be hired by the folks whose prayers have been answered.  We enjoyed watching the dancers and listening to their singing, as well as watching the Thai people leave offerings at the shrine.  Ninety percent of the population is Buddhist, six percent is Muslim (mostly located in the south, close to the Malaysian border), and the rest is a mix.  Although it appears that they are doing so, the people are not worshiping Buddha or his image; it is just a formal background for their prayers.  It is thought that the Buddhist beliefs regarding the impermanence of life and possessions, the imperfection of all beings, and the necessity to avoid extreme emotions and behaviors, have contributed to the relaxed, carefree charm of the Thai people.