Bangkok Evenings!

“Bangkok is safe. If you see anybody wearing camouflage holding a machete, don’t be scared. They sell coconuts”. Bobby Lee

Bangkok comes alive at night! I wanted to hum ‘One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble, not much between despair and ecstasy…’ I am not a fan of the lyrics though…But I am sure all the 80s and 90s kids recognize the tune.

There are lights everywhere and all the night markets beckon you with their exotic wares and dares. Yes! Lot of ‘dares’ also, as we could indulge in many adventurous things which are not readily available, especially in India.

However, except for the de rigueur sniffing of the famously polarizing durian, I couldn’t muster enough intestinal fortitude to try out the deep-fried and crispy scorpions, crocodiles, wigglers, etc, on display. There was no question about their edibility, but I was seriously lacking pluck and spunk at that moment. On the other hand, I couldn’t smell anything stinky about the Durian. Au contraire, it smelled sweet to me. I was prepared for an assault on my olfactory nerves but nothing! zilch! Perhaps those ladies cleaned it with something to remove the smell. I don't know.

The evenings were exclusively for the younger lot to be out. Our seniors/ preferred their rest and recuperation time, and we chose to head out for a nice walk from the old town to the popular China town. It was about 2 kms straight eastwards. One could also take the metro from SamYot to Wat Mankon on the MRT blue line and then walk around.

There is also the famous Khao San Market in the old city. It is a happening area which comes alive and screaming at night and it was only a kilometre away. We had already checked out the Giant Swing, the Buddhist temples nearby, the democracy monument and other shrines on our evening walk on the previous day. Evenings are windy and very pleasant to walk around in May.

China town, to be honest, was a bit of a disappointment in the middle of May. I think it is much better to go there around Chinese festivals when it comes alive with the lantern decors and banners. What we got to see was just the remnants of Songkran décor. I think the local people were being wise with their electricity usage. There was hardly any Las Vegas type lighting which you see in photos. It was all very subdued. Even the picturesque canals on the way, like the Ong Ang were dim and lifeless. Nevertheless, it was charming and quaint and minus the crowd we could enjoy the stroll.

                

I wanted to try ‘mooncakes’ but couldn’t find them anywhere. We saw ‘bird’s nest soup’ everywhere on the menu boards and many of the typical Chinese ingredients for sale. Many shady massage parlours on the way but it was fairly safe, if you stick to the main roads. Instead of being lured with cheap foot massages and pedicures, it is better to walk on and do not even think of hiring a tuk-tuk! We were told by a kind Thai gentleman that tuk-tuks parked there are not for the locals, it is for the foreigners who could be duped or those who could splurge. While the metro would cost you 30 Baht, the tuk tuk guy would ask for 300 baht straightaway! It doesn’t even make sense! It is just WILD! preposterous!

There is also the Chatuchak Weekend Market which is number one for local market shopping. There are also markets inside most of the big metro stations where one can get everything from food, drinks, clothes and all the basics. Later on, when we moved places, we had a gala time shopping at the Phra Ram 9 station which was under a 5-storey fashion mall. It literally had everything!