Jul 22, 2005 01:49 PM
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(Updated Jul 22, 2005 07:55 PM)
My first international trip was to Bangkok. Bangkok is the capital of Thailand.
It is one of the most preferred inexpensive tourist spots in Asia after Nepal and Sri-Lanka. Bangkok is a highly religious place and this is highly evident from the architectural designs.
The country was has lot of faith in their King and Queen, you might find their photos put up in most of the monuments and buildings.
The currency of Thailand is Baht, and 1 $= 37 Baht approx.
We decided to stay in China Town, in a hotel named Hotel White Orchid, which is a fairly decent hotel.
The first place we visited was the Buddhist temples. These temples are a delight to watch, the kind of cravings done on the walls till the roof is one sight that you can’t take in at a glance. Photography is prohibited in the inner regions. The inside and the outside of the temples are painted of gold (not sure if pure). The place also has little gift shops from where you can buy souvenirs.
Next destination was the snake farm and trust me if you are in Bangkok no way can you miss this place. This place left me mesmerised. Snake farm is a place where snakes all thousands of varieties are cultivated and the venom from them is taken out for study purposes. This venom is then used for medicinal purposes including saving lives of people who have been bitten by snakes. Strange nah! We have always heard “Loha Lohe Ko Katata Hai” ( Iron cuts iron) and in case of the snakes we actually see it, a snake venom used to save a person from snake bite. The visit includes a video presentation followed by an actual demonstration by the workers of how they extract the venom from the snake’s mouth. And if you are brave enough they might even dare you to put the snake around your neck (like God Shiva). So guys if you want to prove that you are really tough then this is the one opportunity, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.
During our 6 day visit we also visited the World Trade centre, there is so much of shopping to do that you can spend all your holidays in there and still return without visiting a few shops. The place also boosts of several small cafes which offer variety of delicacies. We visited one such cosy café. My mother was in the mood for experimentation so she saw the menu and ordered a juice with a weird name. We warned her and even tried to scare her saying that it could turn out to be a cockroach or butterfly juice but she didn’t bulge. When the juice came it turned out to be a simple watermelon juice. Shakespeare said it right, “ What’s in a name?”
In the night time the streets of Bangkok are crowded with shopkeepers and food stalls. One advise don’t visit these places if you have just had your dinner or you are going to have it especially if you are not fond of eating weird looking insects with eyes staring at you. You might end up vomiting or your appetite may just vanish. But Bangkok is famous for its night stalls and they are truly a shopper’s delights. You tend to get very good quality stuff at great bargains. That day while returning back to the hotel, our taxi driver mentioned that if we visit Bangkok, then the visit can’t be complete without going to Pattaya.
There are lots of travel agencies that take tourists from Bangkok to Pattaya but choose them carefully because many of them overcharge to outstation tourists.
Pattaya is a beach resort and extremely famous for wonderful cuisines, cheap bargains and not to miss sea sports. So we decided to visit it after all shopping was a big agenda and on top of it bargains would make it simply fantastic.
Now this is one thing that happened to me when I was in Pattaya.
The first thing we visited in Pattaya was the beach. Our local guide said that we should go for paragliding. Both my father and I wanted to do it. But the ride was expensive (300baht) and only one of us could go for it. So I was the fortunate one to do it. (one good thing of being the youngest in the family) Well, whether fortunate or unfortunate I still had to find out. Now here comes the funny part or to say tragic part for me, in Bangkok the official language is Thai and the people there very slightly understand English. The men in-charge of the paragliding were one of them. Our local guide had to leave us because he had certain urgent work but he assured us that the men knew their work well. Since I had not anticipated going for paragliding so I was in my casuals. Then when my turn came the men started fixing all the safety jackets and fastening the belts ensuring that I won’t fall. Normally most of the people firstly take a dip into the water and then start flying. Knowing that fact I tried hard to make the men understand that I didn’t want any dip into the water. Finally they somehow managed to nod but they looked utterly confused. When my ride was going to begin they pushed me and I started running on the platform. And Splash! In I went into the water. I was drenched from head to toe and in that process I even lost my specs. Now I was flying in the air fully soaked and I couldn’t even enjoy the view, thanks to my poor eyesight. I was just praying to reach the ground as soon as possible. When I was landing I saw that one of the men was standing right below me where I was supposed to land and that also faced in the opposite direction. I yelled at the top of the voice asking him to move but he didn’t bulge and before anyone else could ask him to move BANG!!!!! I landed right on top of him. We ended up getting bruises all over.
So finally when I reached the hotel, I was having fever, a sore throat and bruises all over. Not only that I was even partially blind for the rest of the trip and shopping.
Places worth visiting in Bangkok:-
Buddhist Temples or any temple.
Snake Farm.
World Trade Centre.
Ripley’s Believe it or not museum (I missed that)
Night market places.
Alc azar Show.
Beaches in Pattaya.
Other Features
Tut-tut, similar to our rickshaw, offers great view and has ample of space.
Taxis. The taxis in Bangkok are like the cars we drive in India. They have music system (don’t ask them to on it- you will get only Thai music), AC and not only that they come in different colours.
Don’t be surprised if you find more women outside their homes because in Bangkok more of women work outside than men.
Things to remember while planning a trip to Bangkok:-
If you can’t afford to spend large amounts for the stay avoid staying in the city. Best place to stay will be China Town.
Do purchase bags as they are damn cheap and of good quality.
Do bargain especially on the road markets.
Do buy gold, it is cheaper in Bangkok compared to India.
Electronics are also damn cheap.
Learn Thai or sign language. ( or god save you, well He didn’t save me)
