Chatuchak Weekend Market

suan jatujak
"JJ Market"

I actually went to JJ market the day after my night in Bangkok. But as my new editor/ posting guru has suggested I am spreading my postings out a bit. Blogger has been impossible to post to lately, so Thanks to Andy for turning my e-mails into blog entries.

JJ market is huge, I have heard numbers of 9,000 to 15,000 vendors. This is just one asile.


The things for sale range from cute bunnies and other animals that shouldn't be sold. (squirrells, chipmunks, monkeys, hedgehogs and many others)

To beads and fabrics by the ton. Regular old beads are actually just as cheap in America.

The food is great. This is Chris eating the flesh after drinking the juice of a coconut.

Ben had some of Oh's coconut ice cream. We also bought smoothies. Before Ben could drink his, a guy came by and took it right off the counter. The Thai lady making them said sorry, but wasn't going to make another unless he paid again!

As we sat drinking our smoothies, Oh noticed a famous man under an umbrella. She was quite shy, but Chris is not so he went an got an autograph for her. As we were leaving, I finally convinced her to get a photo taken with him.

I actually didn't buy very much. It was more overwhelming than the Mall of America.

One night in Bangkok

After making the trip to the Grand Palace with the safety and security of Oh and Roy, I was fairly confident that Loren and I could make the trip on our own. I boarded the city bus and headed to Ayutthaya, completely opposite the direction of Bangkok, but that was ok. With the use of cell phones, Loren was able to hop on the same bus 20 min later. After the bus, we found the air con vans headed to Bangkok. For 60 baht ($1.50) each, we had a comfortable ride into Bangkok. One hour and a cab ride later, we were on Khao San Road, the main farang district of Bangkok.

We were set to meet a true friend of a friend. We went to the Sawasdee Guest House where Loren's friend Kate's friend Chris was staying. Our only info was that he looked like Jesus. As we went to leave a note on Chris' door, I spotted a man in the bathroom and loudly exclaimed "he looks like Jesus!' Loren and I laughed and ran up the stairs. Sure enough as we were posting the note, we learned the man was indeed Chris. We made quite the team, me from America, Loren from New Zealand and Chris from England. We ate lunch and plotted our day.

Our first adventure was the Tuk-tuk ride. We chose a jolly driver and haggled him down to 120 baht ($3) for a reasonably long drive. He wove in and out of traffic and raced another tuk-tuk. The farang in the other tuk-tuk captured the race on video. We lost.

Our first stop was the Jim Thompson house. He is a man that is given credit for personally revamping the silk industry in the late 1950s. Back then, Americans were allowed to buy land in Thailand. He bought six Thai houses and set up a nice estate. We toured his old home and learned that he mysteriously disappeared in the 1960s.

This is when the true adventure began. Instead of taking the $3 meter-taxi ride to China Town, we opted to walk. After asking for directions three times, we made it. We wove through the shops, Loren ate a grub! And got some dinner. The layout was similar to most of Thailand, but the items for sale were noticeably Chinese.

From a distance we saw and interesting building that just had to have a bar on top. We became determined to get up there. We found ourselves at the Grand China Princess. It indeed had a restaurant on the 25th floor.

From the top we had a great view of downtown Bangkok. It was a rotating restaurant, so by the time our drinks were gone, we had seen most of the city.

I had a fruity drink in a Tuk-tuk. It was so cute I had to buy it for $3. Just a bit more than I paid for the original drink.

After the long walk to China town, I insisted on a Motor Taxi ride back to Khao San Road. Chris takes giant steps and my legs were getting tired!

Back in Khao San, we heard a great metal band on the street. They are just debuting, but are quite good. Chris swears we should keep our eyes out for CyberSin in the next few years. Sadly the closed up shop after just a few songs.

We then headed up to Bird Eye View on the top floor of a building. Hence the name. There was a great Sa band playing, but they were done after just two songs. As they were packing up their instruments, we jokingly begged for more. To my surprise the trumpets and trombones emerged again. The bonus songs weren’t as lovely as the Thai songs, but who can hate “Hotel California” and “Sell Out.”

From there we joined a farang and his Thai girl to a bar called The Unicorn. The ceiling was blue with fluffy white clouds painted on, the furniture was plush and girly. The atmosphere made me smile. Sadly the DJ again closed down shop after just a few songs. I was beginning to notice a theme. It was 2am, but we just weren’t ready for bed.

Our last stop of the night had no live music, so it couldn’t follow the trend. Actually it didn’t even have furniture. We sat on woven mats the size of picnic blankets right out on the sidewalk. The bartender had a little stand, but he would bring our beer out to us. When a cockroach crawled up Loren’s back and into her hair, we met the Spanish man on the mat next to us as he flicked it out and smashed it with a shoe.

His name is Luis Miguel. He is from Spain, but he is working on a doctorate in chemistry at a university on England, so his English was great. The four of us sat up talking until 5am.

This is Loren, Chris and I on our mat.

Editors note: Because of some technical difficulties in Thailand, my totally awesome, strikingly hansome boyfriend Andy has been updating this blog for me.

Flood!

Ankle deep water in the house for week? No problem.
Thailand is flooded. At least where I’m staying.
After witnessing the lack of concern the Thai people held for the military coup, I was not surprised by the nonchalant attitude toward the recent flooding in central and southern Thailand. For three weeks, water slowly crept into the homes of many residents of Ayutthaya, Thailand. I have befriended a local Thai family who lives near the river where I’ve spent a lot of time watching the flood rise higher and come closer.

When the water started to creep up the riverbank, I was anticipating mass chaos as the Thai ran for cover. This is when I learned that water floods and people move slowly in Thailand. At the speed of a few inches a day, it seemed that the water would never climb the distance required to touch most homes.
When the neighbors were hauling armfuls of clothing through knee deep water, my friend Roy still stood strong in his opinion that the water would never come the additional few feet to reach his front door.
Before the river itself reached the house, water started to come up through the drainage system on the streets. It kept coming up filling the streets and into the houses.
The flood has come and the water doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.
Each day brings a new report of when the flooding will peak, and of how long it will take for things to return to a normal, dry state of existence.
In the past three weeks, sand bags started appearing on major roadways most likely to flood and eventually water could be seen at the same height on the other side.

A wall was built to keep the water out of the cement house where I was staying. The wall cost 4 baht a brick; the total cost was roughly $25. The walls were built two feet high like small fortresses outside of the front and back doors.
Like the sandbags, the walls only keep out some of the water. They are porous, allowing water to seep in. Water has also come into the house through the drains and between the floor tiles.
In Thai households the kitchen and bathroom floors are set a few inches lower than the main living spaces. Thus the kitchen and bathroom were the first to flood. My reaction was to bake a cake while standing in ankle deep water. There are no traditional ovens, so I baked in a counter top model. All outlets in the house are at waist level or higher, so I was not concerned about electric shock.
But a few days afterwards I heard of a man who died from receiving a shock when plugging something in at his house.
As I was typing at the computer I felt water tickle my toes. I thought it was coming up over the doorway, but it was seeping through the walls. The young adults of the house quickly paused their movie, moved the couch to higher ground and emptied the lower shelves of DVDs and computer equipment. Within five minuets, they were seated on plastic chairs and the movie resumed.
To leave the house and stay dry wee need a boat. Cell phones are quite common, so I simply dial the number for one of the neighborhood boat operators. If I reach a Thai individual who doesn’t speak English they knows right where to go if I say “ban farang,” meaning house of foreigner. She will paddle her long wooden boat through the front gate, right up to the front steps. The ride takes us four blocks to higher, dry land. It cost $.25 or $.50 per person, depending on the driver.


As cool as it was originally once I knew I was safe, it gets old after a while being wet all the time. The Thai don’t seem to mind. Government takeover and two inches of water in the house never stopped them from doing much.
It’s a unique experience to see everyone calm in the face of a flooded house. People aren’t as scared as you might think.

The Grand Palace in Bangkok

Under the great guidance of Thai tour guides "O" and "Apple" Roy and I were given a tour of The Grand Palcae in Bangkok.

This is the Palace from just inside the main gates.

King Rama the III or maybe the IV really liked the Angkor Wat. He wanted it moved to Thailand, but had to settle for a model instead. Notice my covered shoulders and long skirt. Both are required to be on the palace grounds.

The coronation building was desigend to bring together European and Thai architecture.

Roy and I had a great time!

More pictures!

This is me eating an ostrich steak at the 29 Steak restaurant. It was my most expensive meal so far- $12!


Pom (pronounced Bomb) also had ostrich that night. We also had soup in a big pot that cooks at your table.


This is Rosalind and her cousin Lauren feeding the elephant. You can't really see Lauren :o)


Roy and I like to play games together. We are Jenga and Connect Four Champs!


My Friend "O" (right) and her friend "Apple" are training to be tour guides at the Royal Palace in Bangkok. Roy and I scored a free tour. Thanks Girls! They had their exam this week, wish them luck.

My accommodations

This is the living room. All of the floors in the house and even the stairs are this same marble tile. The stairs are steep and each step is quite tall. Not at all safe for a baby! This fish in the tank are not as large as my koi at home. They are just normal goldfish. The wood figure on the wall above the computer is thumper the rabbit from Bambi. Disney and other cartoon characters show up in both high fashion and decor. The little wooden table has a partner and together they make our dining room table. Each night at 6pm, Noi has five or so students practicing their English here.



The kitchen is where we often store the food that Noi orders. When school is in session, the rice is the only thing that is usually cooked in here. There is no oven or stove, only one electric burner. The machine in the back corner under the towel is our clothes washer. There is no need for a dryer. Each week the neighbors get to see my clean underwear hanging out to dry. The contraption on the back wall is the water filter. We store the water in the fridge in glass bottles so that it is cold enough to drink. The fridge is always empty by American standards. We only buy for a few days at a time.



This is where I lay my head at night. I also hang here to use the non-internet functions of my computer. The grey box is my awesome fan. It keeps me very cool at night so that I am able to use my pretty blue blanket. The green doors lead to the balcony. I don't often go out there, but the large doors make for a great evening breeze. I am becoming quite addicted to having a dressing table. I may have to fashion something similar when I return home.

Flood!

So the flood hasn't kept me off of the internet. The blogger service has not been working well lately. I have created the same posting many times, and it never works. I hope this one will. Just in case, it will be a bit short and without pictures. :0(

As I was signing in, I felt a tickle on my toes. It was the water finally making its way into the house. Today is supposed to be the worst of it, so all in all the flood isn't too terrible. I am actually living in the flooded area by choice. I could be snug in Wang Noi, but how boring! School is out until November, so I am spending time with my freinds in Ayutthaya.

This evening I baked a cake standing in ankle deep water in the kitchen. It ddin't cook well, but it was fun to bake. The oven is a step above a toaster oven, so I didn't have high expecataions anyway. Thai houses are mostly concrete, so we have kept the water out fairly well. Others are not so fourtunate as their houses are on lower ground. Some are 6-8 feet deep in the water.

To go into towan, we hire a small row boat to take us up the road to higher ground. It costs about $2. The water is only a few feet deep, so this evening, the "driver" got out and pushed instead of rowing. Few have evacuated. Just like the coup, the Thai aren't too nervous about the flood.

The bed I will sleep in is a few feet higher than the house with the internet. I will be dry and safe for my slumber. If all goes well, I will even have a hot shower before I head to town for the day tomorrow.

I will post more with pictures by Friday morning my time. I left my laptop in Wang Noi where it is dry. The lap top holds all the best shots so far.

Farang = Celebrity

This weekend I set off on an adventure with Noi. As communication has been difficult for us at times, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. We left the house at 11pm on Friday. I questioned Noi's ability to drive so late at night, but she assured me it was fine. To my understanding, we were headed to a city 4-5 hours away, so I was concerned for our safety. As we left the house, we headed north toward Ayutthaya, when our destination was south. Man was I confused. Maybe we were going to take a train from Ayutthaya?

After weaving around some of the old temple ruins, we stopped. "OK, take your bag I will park," Noi said. When I exited the truck I was greated by looks of confusion and a very large coach bus. So we were taking the bus!

We slept the night through in cushioned comfort. We reached our destination at 5:30 am, and were allowed into our hotel rooms to get some more sleep. I never did learn if we paid for one night or two...

We had arrived at Chanthaburi, a province on the Gulf of Thailand. Our resort was right on the sea. Meals were served on a porch just up from the beach. It was lovely. After a traditional breakfast we headed to sight see in the area. I could have stayed at the beach all day and been content, but I do like to see the sights was well. This picture is actually of breakfast on day two, which was more English and less Thai like.



1. First, we visited a huge temple on top of a hill/mountain. It took at least 300-400 stairs to get to the top. I climbed them all, but I opted for the trolley ride down.



This is where word got out that I like bananas. Before I knew it, I had a fresh one in my hand and some green ones for when I returned home. Yum.



2. The next stop was visible long before we arrived. I pointed at a mountain and asked if the white streaking was really a waterfall. It was and it was our next destination. We hiked into the park to the base of the waterfall. The water was very clear with a blue green tint.

Noi and I at the base of the waterfall.

3. Lunch was nothing special. Just beef and noodles.

4. It was down pouring and we were headed to Oasis Sea World!?!? Something about an aquarium and a dolphin show. The rain made me a little nervous for this one. Nothing like walking around in the rain at a large zoo.
It was pretty rundown, and there was no aquarium. Only a cement pool with dark water and five or six dolphins. Here's the shocker... even the dolphins are different in Thailand. The bottlenosed ones were a different color- Pink! The other ones, the Irrawaddy dolphin, had rounded faces- no long nose. It was strange. They did some great tricks and seemed well cared for; so no reason to send in animal rights activists.



5. Turns out we were all gathered for a retirement celebration. Back to the hotel for dinner and Karaoke. There were speeches and a ceremony where we poured 'holy water' over the hands of the retiree.


It was good fun for the Thai people to watch me dance. They say I am good, I have my doubts. Well being the celebrity I was, I did dance all night. I learned some new moves and I was quite a bit better than most. They played mostly Thai oldies, and a few american goodies. I was conned into leading a conga line around the room. Like I said I was a celebrity!