Thailand....day 5

      I have been going to bed so extremely early that it causes me to get up at the crack of dawn; actually before dawn. Today I had to go to my very first embassy today.....it was.........

 

 

........any guesses?

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Yes indeed, I applied for an Indian visa. I have 2 more countries to visit before that, so lets just pretend I didn't say anything. As far as the experience, well government is government; no different here. I tried to do a little research and the embassy's web site was down. Now don't judge me for my take on that; but.....the world's leader in customer support and their web site is down? Who do I call? If I did call customer support would I then in some kind of role reversal speak to someone in the US? OK, sorry just frustrating. So I blindly left this morning, and managed to find out what I needed to bring and the address of the embassy. I got to the embassy, and received a warm welcome from the guard...."What you want?!" Nice, apparently she wasn't told about the importance of first impressions. Anyway, I told her I needed a visa and she ever so politely told me; "wrong place" and gave me a crudely drawn map which she had a stack of; indicating to me everyone got the same info. I tried to follow it and after wandering around and stopping some locals found it hidden on the 22nd floor of a random office building. So I thought I had what I needed, I had printed out a filled out form in Antarctica, photocopied my passport, and printed out travel info. I waited in a line just to find out I had the wrong code at the top and they needed to keep all of my travel forms. So I paid to have one person put my name in the computer, one to copy my travel info, one to retype my form on the properly coded form, waited in the original line, and then got a number. While I waited I met a guy from CA, and one from Australia. We chatted about our various and much different travel thus for and for the future. My number was called and after some shuffling of papers and a ton of stamps I was once again handed yet another bill. I paid and they told me it would be ready in 8 days.....really? Unlike the US, where everything is for sale, I asked if it could be expedited and they bluntly said no.....no way....no how. Oh well, I guess it's part of the whole adventure....right? So the next time you are at the DMV or courthouse, remember it's the same everywhere, and it is a little easier when you speak the same language!

 

    That fiasco in the books I headed back to the hotel. I decided to wander while my room was cleaned. I didn't really have a plan, and was mentally exhausted from the visa thing. I wandered down the first side street I came to. It was narrow and crowded. It was full of massage parlors and a few hostels intermingled with office buildings. It was kind of seedy, but I wandered on.

 

 I stopped for some street food, which was fabulous, I maybe mistakenly asked for the hot sauce the vendor offered; it was undoubtedly the hottest sauce I have ever tasted. It was oddly enjoyable though.

      I decided after the morning I had a massage was in order. I wanted a real, "legitimate" massage, no funny business. Enough said. I headed back to the hotel and inquired with the concierge. He gave me a flyer and called ahead for an appointment. Once again, I decided to walk, and once again....got lost. I know it is a reoccurring theme in my accounts; but in all fairness I hailed a cab, and he too got lost. He finally called the place and we found it. I went in a was warmly greeted with a cool drink made of lotus flower. At first it seemed almost soapy, having a taste reminiscent of perfume; but after just a few sips I really liked it. The lady in the first room asked me about my day and said they would aim to erase tension and stress. I mean MAYBE I was a little dramatic, I didn't just finish a 12 hour day of open heart surgery; but hey......So she brought samples of oils and point a sample of two different ones on my wrists. She told me to smell each separately and asked which smelled stronger. She told me my body identified the stronger smell as the one it craved. It was relaxation....funny. So I headed up to the top floor of the building and got the most amazing 1 1/2 hour massage. It was a combination of traditional Thai and western styles. When it was done I paid, $40 US; which I found quite cheap. As I was waiting for my change they gave me a warm ginger tea. Just a great and very hospitable experience. They gave me legit walking directions and I headed back. I honestly don't remember the walk. I was so relaxed I think my head was just in the clouds; but miraculously I didn't get lost. I came back to the room and melted into the freshly made bed. I don't think I could feel much of my body for a solid hour, maybe more. Totally relaxed and euphoric, I decided the city could go on without me, so I went into hermit mode. I did go up by the pool to check out the night sky.

 

             So after a lot more doing nothing.....I headed back to the rooftop pool, for a quick dip ending my relaxing day...

 

 

Goodnight Bangkok.......until tomorrow when the adventure continues!

 

Thailand.....days 3 and 4

        Pretty relaxing weekend. Although I am glad the room is so comfortable, at times I wish it wasn't maybe I would be forced to get out. So I decided to go buy some shorts on Saturday. No big deal right? Wrong.....hours later I returned exhausted and empty handed. I looked on MapQuest for directions to the mall and they seemed easy enough. I wandered out and into the bustling city. A side note at 5 am this city is like rush hour on the streets elsewhere. Just like every other city I have been in, somebody is always trying to sell you something. Here so far, it has been tuk-tuk rides. A young guy who spoke English very well asked me where I was going. I told him I was just out wandering the city; just looking. He offered to take me to the mall. I told him I was just walking, no thank you, and kept going. He was persistent to say the least. Every 100 yards or so, he would pull up; asking the same questions. He pulled out a map, and showed me where I was heading, and coincidentally, and quiet conveniently; the mall. I once again dismissed him and headed on. The final time he told me the mall was the opposite way begging at this point. I thank him earnestly and kept walking. He showed me some picture of a well dressed lady and told me it was his boss or "sponsor" and asked me to go show her he was working. No dice. In hind sight it actually looked like an ad from a Macy's circular for women's business suits.....So trusting my instincts I headed the way I was going alone and on foot. Turns out that little bastard was pointing me in the wrong direction. Karma little tuk-tuk man....Karma!!!!  Like I said the mall was a wash. Shorts; yes plenty and ones I really liked; sizes, not so much. Once the 9th grade me comes to visit, I will take him shopping. I think US size 34 waist was the biggest I saw. So I figured, no harm done; I saw some sights and got some exercise in. I think I walked for about 45 minutes or so to get there. The walk back......about 2 1/2 hours. I was guilty of not really paying attention; but I think in reality, I was just going in circles. I saw a few really amazing buildings, one I think was a Temple, and the Thai Red Cross facility. The Red Cross complex was probably 3 blocks long....just immense! I finally gave up and hailed a cab. It was kind of disappointing to find out I was but a short walk, maybe a mile or two, from where I needed to be. Oh well, a 60 cent taxi ride.
     Oh Google! How did man scrape by before your existence? After the first days debacle I decided to do some research. I found out there was a second mall, and they did indeed have "Western" sizes. I choose to cut to the chase and start with the cab. I quickly got there just after they opened with the names of two stores that were suggested online. BOOM! Two pairs of shorts, $20.....now what? I wandered the mall which was enormous. It was 6 floors with a movie theater and bowling alley in it. Whereas "Western" malls have a few kiosks in the middle of the aisles, this mall was filled end to end. They had more electronics accessories than I have ever seem. Literally 1000s of cell phone covers, adaptors, and headphones. The very cool part was the main part of the mall was what we would all recognize as a standard set up and floor plan; while one end was food court on each floor, and the other end was reminiscent of a flee market....yes all 6 floors....flea market! For anyone from PA who reads this, the best way to describe it is if they took the Montgomeryville Mall, cut the end off, and attached.....wait for it......The Montgomeryville Mart!!!! Does anyone even remember that place? Anyway, I roamed the huge cavernous expanse aimlessly, just looking at all they had to offer. I saw a few pairs of sandals I wanted to get, but once again, being in Smurf village, they only had men's shoes up to size 9 or so. Oh well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. I looked at some electronics, but was utterly baffled by trying to do the conversions from Baht to US dollars in my head. Cameras, 80,000bht ; TV 20,000+bht; who knows.....
        Shopping done, and realizing that; once again; I was going in circles; albeit in the safe confines of the mall this time; I headed home. I figured mall....easy place to get a cab. Right. Easy place to find a cab that knows where my hotel is? Wrong! My hotel is, as I said in an earlier post; directly across the road  from the Muay Thai stadium. Its as if you were in NY and said you were in a hotel across from Yankee Stadium, or in Philly and said you were next door to Pat's! The one cabbie just kept yelling "Bigger...bigger word!!!!"? No idea what that meant. I gave them the card of the hotel, with the address on it.....I finally found one guy who looked at it and just stared with utter bewilderment. I said; "Lumpini...Muay Thai....boxing...boxing..." He said "Ohhhhh Lumpini"; which oddly enough it says on the card. The whole way back to the hotel he would just blurt out "Lumpini...boxing..." Funny thing about hindsight is that is sometime shocking, and you are glad you didn't make that realization at the time. My cabbie had turrets!
      I made it safe and sound after an interesting back alley tour from the driver, cutting through streets no bigger than the hallway of my hotel. I came in to unwind for a bit. By sheer accident I pushed on the TV in the bedroom and discovered it flipped around to face into the bathroom. There goes the night! I filled the hot tub, put on a movie and wasted the evening away, watching some B-movie in pure relaxation. Probably the most boring, relaxing, wonderful weekend I have had in a long time. Tomorrow, (today now) I am going to the Embassy for a visa.....where to?..it's a secret....read the next post to find out! This should be an adventure!!!

Thailand....day 2

      I started today by sleeping in; or so I thought....it was actually about 7am. So I decided to go for a walk to check out the area. I figured I'd start small and work my way outward. Thing is Bangkok is kind of like Manhattan. 8 am and there are people everywhere and the streets are packed like rush hour. There was a park near my hotel, it too was reminiscent of Manhattan as in it was exactly like Central Park, only much smaller. Buried right off a major road and adjacent to the highway, it was strangely quiet and peaceful. The even had those dirty little flying rats I call Philadelphia pigeons. I wonder if I will be eating one in the upcoming days. Laughing, but not....

 

 

A cool temple was in the center of the park.

 

 

 

          I walked a small section of the city and although some things were very strange, many things had a comfortable familiarity.7 11s, Mercedes Benz, Volvo, various banks, and of course.....

 

 

 

 

Coke!!

 

 

       I took a break for lunch in my room. I needed to cool off a bit, and wasn't quite ready to tackle the street food. Baby steps....

 



 

A whole new experience in Pad Thai....

there are super tiny shell on shrimp pan fried in it!

 

 

           I walked a little more and then came back. I was stopped by a guy in the parking lot of my hotel asking me if I was going to see the fights tonight. I looked were he was pointing and saw the display of fighters. I didn't even realize that it was one of the 2 national stadiums here. It is run by the Army and proceeds help fund various needs they have. It is a great idea, maybe MMA can donate some of their millions to the military. Anyway, I can now check that off my bucket list....see a Muay Thai fight in Thailand....check!

 



 

 

        I got a ticket from the hotel for only $2400....oops I mean Baht....about $80 The ticket was ringside VIP. I was leery, but sure enough I walked over and was escorted right in....nice!

 

 

        There is a lot going on besides the actual fighting. Here is a short explanation of the pre-fight ceremony. Rather than a flashy entrance to loud music like our fighters do; the Thai fighters pre fight ritual is all about reverence and respect.

 



The meaning of the traditional pre fight muay thai dance ritual

Performing the whole wai kru ram muay is tougher than it looks.
Most thai fighters make this traditional muay thai dance look easy with their fluent and graceful motions… I on the other hand sucked when I first tried the entire wai kru ram muay!
But if you’re serious about muay thai and want to compete in it one day or if you would just like to know more about the rich muay thai traditions like the wai kru or the ram muay, scroll down and start reading!

What Is The Wai Kru Ram Muay?

The traditional muay thai dance ritual is composed of 2 parts. The wai kru and the ram muay. It’s performed before the fight with traditional sarama or muay thai music.
The Wai is a traditional greeting by the thai people where they put their hands together like a prayer. Kru means teacher. As a whole the wai kru is a way to pay respect to your coaches, gym, training partners and family. The wai kru is the portion of the muay thai dance where the fighter circles the ring 3 times before kneeling and bowing 3 times to show respect to God and man.

Ram means dance and Muay means boxing… so put them together and you got a ‘boxing dance!’ The ram muay is simple (or complex) movements that the fighter demonstrates to the crowd to show their style and control. Each ram muay is personal and unique ranging from very elaborate to easy and simple. Sometimes you are able to tell what gym the fighter trains at because most fighters from the same gym have a similar ram muay wai kru.

While performing this pre fight ritual, muay thai fighters where headbands known as Mongkols and armbands known as Prajioud which each have their own unique meanings, history and powers behind them!

 

I know it looks like boxing, but these guys kick so fast, I couldn't even snap a picture.....

 

for real.....

 

And just like this poor guy, it's time for me to say goodnight......

 

until tomorrow......

Thailand day 1

       Well, I finally made it....Thailand!!!! It was a long flight, and I must admit that Emirates Airlines, was to say the least disappointing. Cramped doesn't even begin to describe it. The flight to New Zealand a year ago, on Quantas was great; this flight from New Zealand to Sydney, not so much so. I asked at the counter in Sydney if I could switch seats, and to be honest by then I was willing to pay for business or even (gulp) 1st class. Instead I got an attitude and the same exact seat on the same plane. Great, only 9 more hours. Luckily there was a seat open and the girl next to me moved to sit with her boyfriend, so I had a little breathing room.
       Upon entry into Bangkok, I walked for a good 15 minutes to get to customs. BKK must be one of the largest airports in the world. I thought immigration would be quick, no such luck. The line went on for ever; even at 1am. The one police officer told me to just put Bangkok city in the space for where I was staying; I did as he told me. When I got to the next officer who checked me through, he immediately threw me out of line; along with 4 or 5 other people. I added the hotel and he eventually let me through. I am still not sure about the whole visa thing....I may or may not have one. No customs to speak of, just wandered on through the airport and out into the streets of Bangkok. I got a taxi to the hotel and he said it would be 500Baht. As we drove I was getting nervous thinking I was going on a tour of the city, but it turned out he took me right there.....and 500 Baht is about $16.
      Then the not so great start took a pleasant change at 3 am. I checked into the hotel, and the two people working were wonderful; super nice and surprisingly awake for the time. They informed me I had been upgraded free of charge to a suite. Nice! The gentlemen walked me up to the room and explained the amenities. I can't wait to see all of them as well as begin exploring...after some sleep. 4 am guess I should try to adjust to the time and get some rest. At this point I am mentally as excited as a kid on Christmas morning; physically I feel like said kids parents.....

       More tomorrow.....