Party time in Bangkok (Part one)

So after Song Khran I decided to see what the party and clubbing scene is all about. Especially because of the fact that I now have students coming over and all they want to know about are the places that they can go party at.

I decided to take two of my students to Silom and see what the party scene has on offer there. We took a van to Victory monument (all roads lead to Victory monument…). There we grabbed a taxi and asked for Soi Song (Street 2), because this is where the clubby part is. After having some warm up beers at home and spending 1 hour of travelling I really needed to go to the loo. So we first went to some half decent looking restaurant (trying to dodge all the Katois and decline numerous offers of sex and massages) and ordered a beer. While the guys ordered me a beer a hastily went in search of the place where I could rid myself of 100 liters (1 bottle) of beer.  (Thank goodness I know enough Thai by now to understand “Throng pai” means straight ahead.) I eventually found it and released the Victoria Falls in the middle of Bangkok. Reliiieeeve.

I went back and we all enjoyed our beer while we asked the waiter to direct us to Soi 2 as we were ready to party now. We paid our bill. And went out to face the Katois (ladyboys) and their offers of massages and sex again. (Not easy being an attractive foreigner in Thailand…) Eventually we found Soi 2 – dodgy side street to the max!!!! Haha. We went in “just to have one beer and check it out”.

We went into the first club with aircon and ordered a beer. Welll after ordering the beer we realized that indeed it would be “just one” One bottle of Singha = 300 baht (WHY WOULD PEOLPLE DO THIS EVERY WEEKEND???)

Our one beer had the following consequences:

So obviously we wanted another one (dit smaak toe mos soos NOG). Then we saw small bottles of Sangsom on the counter and it turned out that one of those was 300 baht and you get mix for free. Well PROBLEM solved. The one bottle turned into two and this was the result:

  

You see I have this alter ego "Brandon" that pops out after some alcohol. Read in the next blog how Brandon "borrowed" a pink bicycle, how there is a new law about drinking in taxis and how Johan was offered a beer with a very happy ending. 

Back to Bangkok - Flight through Dubai and Sonkhran in Bangkok

After my 2 week visit in South Africa it was time to return home to the sunny Land of Smiles. It was with mixed feelings of excited and sadness that I prepared for my journey back. It was also a whole new adventure now that I had to take the next part of the journey on my own.

There I was at the airport saying goodbye to my loving family and saying goodbye and good riddance to old memories. The flight was with Emirates at 23:00 and we flew via Dubai. I met some students of my new company “GoTeachAsia” on the airport to help them with the whole “flying thing”.

If there are two things about flying that I am shit scared of it is the taking of and landing part. So as I showed own of my students where he should sit and said that he should come look for me whenever he wants some company he asked me if we are going to make it and I said: “Of course it is just the taking off part that is scary” and he replied with a very confused face: “I mean will we be in time for the connection flight.” EMBARRASINGGGGG. Hahaha

So I sat down before I hurt myself. Fastened my seatbelt and started to play with the gadgets in the seat – you know from my first blog that this is definitely an absolute favorite of mine. We arrived in Dubai at 9:00 in the morning and the connection flight was at 9:40. I told the 2 students “RUN!!!” hoping that we will make it on time. As we ran like mad banshees through the airport a friendly staff member said “Bangkok”. Yesss Bangkok. And she informed us with a smile that we will not make it in time for the connection as it will take at least an hour to get to the plane and board it. Now this seems impossible until you see the size of the airport – you have to take a TRAIN to get to the departures. WTF. It is huge. We got complimentary rooms at a very nice hotel including lunch and dinner.

The view from my room:

 The hotel:

And as you know me by now – how do I spend 9 hours in a strange country? I EXPLORE. I unpacked. Took a shower. Gathered up the two students (you can sleep when you are dead) and we went to explore sunny (SANDY) BORING Dubai.

Dubai is about as exciting as a daytrip to The Vaal River. The buildings are massive, the cars okay and then there is sand, sand, sand and nothing. Just look at the excitement:

  

 We got our connection flight at 23:00 and arrived in Bangkok at 8:00. Lars picked us up and we went to show the students their apartments. After the show and tell and explaining the hot water showers (hahahaha) I immediately got into Thailand festive mode (which is of course the best mode to ever be in). I went down to the street and allowing the kids to drench me with buckets full of water. Their mother decided that it is fun and sprayed me with a hose.

I went to Fashion Island mall to get my laptop fixed and went back home to get myself settled in again. At about 21:00 some students and I took to the streets to experience Songkhran. Sanook!!! (For that of you that don’t know – Songkhran is a massive water festival where people throw buckets of water (and ice) on you and also smear powder on your face. Songkhran is the Thai new year and the water indicates washing away the old year and the powder is used to bless someone.)

We took a van to Victory monument and got out in POURING rain – but who cares, it is Songkhran, very hot in Thailand and we are going to get wet in anyway.

We took the taxi to Silom and there was people EVERYWHERE. (Afrikaner optog Monument toe wanneer Steve Hofmeyer sing skares).  At first we just stood at the side of the street and watched the scores of people celebrating, dancing, singing, and just having fun. Well it was time for us to join in after we also received a few buckets full of water (and an ice block or 6 down our backs), so we bought some of the chalky powder stuff for 20 baht and danced up and down the streets drinking beer, smearing people and welcomed the buckets of water.

After one hour we did not have an un-chalked space open on our faces.

After hours of fun with masses of humans we headed back home at 4:00 in the morning. I needed my bed!!!

Things to do in Bangkok - Golden mount and Loa Prasat by ferry

Steven and I decided that it was time to attempt the Ferry going down the canal since our New Year’s Ferry ride did not work out as planned. The plan was as follows – take the bus to The Mall Bangkapi, jump on the Ferry, and go to wherever it takes us. Brilliant plan – we know. (You would love to do something like this one day – we know. You wish you could also give freedom to your adventurous spirit – we know. You are jealous – WE KNOW).

Since we had no idea where we would end up or how we would get back home again we decided that it might be a good idea to take a picture of the supposed route that the Ferry would take:

 The Mall Bangkapi is the one second from the bottom and we decided to go right down to the other end and see what it has to offer to our explorian spirits. We waited about 5 minutes and the Ferry arrived:

It cost 20 baht to go to the other end. About half way the ferry stops and everyone has to get off – you can imagine the confusion on our faces as we saw the masses getting off. We decided to explore the area before we try again to get to the other side of Bangkok. We realized that this was an amazing part of Bangkok and we also discovered The Platinum Fashion Mall. WOW! 5 Floors of clothes, bags and accessories – all at whole sale price. Shopaholics this is definitely a mall to visit in Thailand. We grabbed something to eat at the food court and went back to the pier. Jumped on the ferry (paid another 15 baht) and at last ended up on the other side of Bangkok.

This part of Bangkok is amazing. It feels like a part of Bangkok that was somehow lost in time. There is such an old flavor to the area that you cannot be other than amazed by it. We discovered the “Metal Palace” Loa Prasat. It is the only one left in the world:

 Right opposite the Loa Prasat is The Golden Mount. Another impressive building with a picturesque view of “old” Bangkok: