Sirocco sky bar

Last night we eventually made it into the Sirocco sky bar on the 64th floor of the State Tower in the Silom district of downtown Bangkok.

6 months ago we were refused entry when the door whore took a dislike to Liz's 35 quid sandals and decided that they weren't quite flashy enough to allow entry. No such problems this time though dressed in her two pound fifty sparkly silver flip flops from Singapore!

The open air bar was fantastic and gave some stunning panoramic views of the city below, nearly as breathtaking as the price of the drinks.

We timed our visit there perfectly, just as we were leaving a light drizzle started to fall which sent the open air bars customer's running for cover. Unfortunately for us the drizzle turned into a full blown tropical downpour just as we set off across the city in a tuk-tuk. The open sided motorised tri-shaw didn't provide much protection from the downpour on the 20 minute ride back. We arrived back at our hotel feeling like we would have been drier if we had swam back up the Chao Phraya river rather than taking road going transport.

Bali birthday and back to Bangkok

We ended our stay in Bali by returning to Kuta for a few days. We had hoped to try and squeeze in a bit of surfing but I'm still suffering after I got that board in the ribs a month ago and didn't want to risk making it any worse. So what with that and Liz's mangled toe we have managed to score nil points on the surfing front. Most disappointing.

We again stayed at the Hotel Sorga which is the hotel that we stayed in when we first came to Kuta but checked out of because we thought it was a bit overpriced. We still think it is a bit pricey for the money but couldn't face checking back into any of the other grotty "budget" accommodation that we saw or used on our previous visit.

On Tuesday we celebrated Liz's birthday. Unfortunately she managed to jinx the weather by sending out an email the previous day containing the words "guaranteed sunshine". So of course it rained all day!

We didn't let it spoil the day though. We celebrated in style with a bottle of champagne that I had been lugging around for the last 4 weeks in my backpack and a lovely meal at a place called Poppies. Poppies is one of the original restaurants that opened up in Kuta in the 70's and is still going strong today.

The following day we left Bali to return one last time to Bangkok. It was a bit of a whirlwind of a day, we had breakfast in Kuta (Bali/Indonesia), lunch in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and dinner in Bangkok (Thailand) - Gastronomic globe trotting at its finest! I then made the stupid mistake of staying up until half four in the morning to watch Manchester United get humiliated by Barcelona in the champions league final. At least it will be good practice for the Man U players as they will have to get used to loosing what with the mighty Wolves being promoted to the Premier League next season (I think I may have drunk too much Chang).

We hadn't planned on coming back to Bangkok but have made a diversion here as it is the cheapest place for flights to Kenya. It's also a good place to stock up on essentials before we head off to Africa. Last week we finally booked our flights to Kenya, we'll be heading off on the 1st of June. Neither of us has been to sub-Saharan Africa before and aren't really sure what to expect. We've been trying to find some positive books about travelling in Africa but even the most positive one we have found, Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux (Louis' Dad), contains more than it's fair share of unpleasantness.

Bye-bye Bangkok

We've really enjoyed our numerous stays in Bangkok. It's a great place to visit and recharge the backpacker batteries. It has a real mix of home comforts, the exotic and the unusual. Plus there's some top class attractions to see too. There are also some great bars and restaurants, Sawasdee Terrace on Soi Rambutri being our particular favorite (I think we must have been there at least every other night we were in town).

It may not be the prettiest city in the world, the recently completed sky train, an elevated concrete railway, is a bit of an ugly mess (couldn't it have gone underground?) but it's got a lot to offer.

Next stop Chiang Mai.

Electric Blue

While we we out in Patpong on Sunday night we came across this great advert for a go-go bar . . . no we didn't go-go in!

Back to Bangkok

We're back in Bangkok for the third and final time. We're again staying just off the Khao San Road on Soi Rambutri, this time at a fantastic guesthouse / hotel called O Bangkok.

Being as Anne has not been to Bangkok before we're spending most of our time taking her to our favorite spots from our previous visits; China town, Jim Thompson’s house, Wat Pho, Wat Arun, the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew. We wrote about them on some older posts so wont repeat ourselves.

We've also been to some new places too. On Sunday night we headed out for a couple of games of ten pin bowling at possibly the swankiest bowling alley we've ever been to, Blu Rhythm and Bowl. It was a really great bowling alley, far better than most of the flea pits that we get at home.

The big surprise was Liz coming last on the first game. She's normally does really well and always scores into the mid hundreds, where I'm quite lame and need the bumpers putting down the side channels like when a four year old plays. Somehow I managed to fluke a score of 141, Anne also got a great score of 133 (record best scores for both of us) whilst Liz trailed in last on 91.

Things were returned to normal on the second game when Liz wiped the floor with us both.

We've also been to what is probably the strangest bar we've been to. A place called Full Tank which is on the forecourt of a disused Shell petrol station. It's a very strange setup as the tables, chairs and bars are scattered amongst the petrol pumps!

Jim Thompson's House and the Weekend Market

After a very subdued Saturday, due to the funeral of the Kings of Thailand's Sister, we headed off out to Jim Thompson's house by tuk tuk. This is a beautiful teak house built by the man himself in the Thai style and filled with Southeast Asian art. Jim Thompson was an American who loved Thailand and decided to make it his home after serving in the Office of Strategic Services in World War 2. He promoted Thai arts and culture and started an international trade in Thai silk. What happened to Jim Thompson is a bit of a mystery as he disappeared in the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia in 1967 never to be seen again! The house was a very pretty spot and also had some great fish ponds. One contained a sting ray that was so big it took us a while to spot as it was taking up so much of the floor!

Then we got the sky train over to the Chatuchak huge weekend market. You could buy just about anything you might ever want and a few things you night not. In the pet section we saw hedgehogs and squirrels as well as your normal kittens and puppies. The squirrels looked very annoyed to have knitted bonnets on, but unfortunately photography of the squirrels wasn't allowed so you will have to imagine that picture. Si has now honed his bargaining skills and we had a long tuk tuk ride back for 3 pounds. Last night was our last in Bangkok, we've had a great time here and today we fly to Vietnam.

Some random stuff to end our first stay in Bangkok

When you are away from home it's not always the big differences that make you double take.

Back home you would usually find big plastic Ronald McDonald greeting you with a wave outside of most McDonald's restaurants. Here instead you are met with a traditional Thai wai . . .

I think it's rather nice.

Whilst we are on the subject of food below you will find a few of the more unusual things to eat that we have found - including various bugs, frogs and dried squid.





We're not sure if exactly what you have to do with the dried squid, re-hydrate it or if you nibble it as it is.

Top celeb spot for Anne. We saw one of the Hairy Bikers on the Khao San Road.

I'm not even going to comment about this next one . . .

And finally a warning that everyone should heed . . .

Hawk moth for breakfast

We were sat having breakfast this morning (well ok it was more like brunch . . .maybe lunch!), when a huge hawk moth floated past and sat on the plant pot at the back of our table.

Just to give you some idea of how big it was the body is about the length of a man's thumb.

Today we're not sure if we will be able to do much as it has been marked as a day of mourning in respect for the funeral of the King of Thailandr sister. The funeral is taking place about 2 streets from where our hotel is and the whole area is being closed down for security.

Tuk-tuk terror!

If you ever come to Bangkok you have to have at least one ride on a tuk-tuk. However you need to bear in mind that the average tuk-tuk driver has death wish driving skills that would put a kamikaze pilot to shame.

You also need the haggling skills of an Arabian market stall holder in order to get a good price. Those guys can smell the money in the wallet of a fresh tourist from at least 100 yards. And don't forget to hold on tight as they can take a hair pin bend like a roller coaster.

One for the guys in Koblenz

This evening we found a little bit of Germany tucked away in the heart of Bangkok. A German bar called Bei Otto serving real German beer.

So we stopped by for a quick half whilst we where passing. It was even going to run it's own Oktoberfest . . . during the last weekend of November!

Cabbages, condoms and Bangkok lady boys

Yesterday (Friday) was another busy day in Bangkok. We caught the river ferry down stream to the Chinatown district.

Our first port of call was a Buddhist temple called Wat Traimit where one of our guide books informed us that there is a 3m tall 5.5 tonne solid gold seated Buddha. Now I don't want to offend anyone here but I'm not sure if someone is having us on. I've not seen a 3m tall piece of solid gold before and I'm still not sure that I have. Plus wouldn't a piece of gold that big weigh more that?

Whilst we were in Chinatown we also came across Wat Mangkon Kamalawat which was really spectacular due to the ceremony that was taking place inside. There were about 100 saffron robed monks chanting in unison inside the small Chinese style temple. It was a real shame that we weren't allowed to take any photos because it was a really beautiful sight.

The main reason for us to go to Chinatown was to see the 200 year old traders market. The market itself is clustered around a series of narrow alleyways with the goods packed in so tightly you can barely see the sky above your head.

Once again it's another place in Bangkok that has a really different and unique atmosphere. We had great trouble identifying most of the produce, in fact most of the items we struggled to be able to categorise into animal, vegetable or mineral! We half expected to turn a corner and see a real live mogwai for sale. The sights. sounds and particularly the smells made it a really interesting experience.

After the market we hopped on the MTR (underground) and headed for the Sukhumvit neighbourhood and a restaurant called Cabbages and Condoms. This had been recommended to us by our friends Jon and Lindsay from when they came a couple of years ago. It's a lovely restaurant that's set in a secluded fairy light illuminated garden with great food.

The other reason why you should pay them a visit is that the restaurant is run by the Population and Community Development Association and all of its proceeds go towards sex-education and AIDS prevention programmes in Thailand. There are a few reminders of this thanks to some of the restaurant's rather unique interior design features, such as the lamp shades. . .

There's also a substitute for the traditional after dinner mint!
On our way out we saw part of their Christmas display which had been erected (no pun intended).
There's also that joke about Santa only coming once a year but this is a family show so we won't go there.

Instead we went to spend an evening in the company of Bangkok's third sex, the Kathoey . . . or to you and me the lady boy! If you're hanging around the go-go bars of Patpong you may (unsuspectingly) encounter a lady boy. We however fancied the safer option of a cabaret show so made our way to the Mambo Theatre. I'd like to point out that this is a traditional cabaret show with song and dance numbers. . . there was no funny business! Here's a few pictures. The first one is of Bangkok's answer to the Pussy Cat Girls; or the Pussy Cat Guys as we re-named them. I'm not sure which one Lewis Hamilton is knocking around with!

The show itself was very entertaining although some of the production was a little rough around the edges. At one point a lady boy appeared to be descending onto the stage in what appeared to be a Stannah stair lift! The evening was made all the more fun thanks to the large Japanese tour party who where occupying the front three rows of the theatre. They were absolutely crackers and where really getting involved in the show - quite literally in a couple of cases. They were a very excitable bunch and made nearly as much noise at the sight of lady boy as the gamblers where at the Thai boxing.

The lady boys where all very convincing and you wouldn't have known otherwise . . . maybe apart from the one who looked like Amy Winehouse . . .

On the way out of the show all of the performers where waiting in the lobby. One of the ushers grabbed my camera from my hands and insisted that we posed for a picture with one. The very second that the shutter had been pressed the demands for money where made. I don't mind paying for something when it's clear that I'm expected to pay. But to have my camera snatched from me and to be coerced into a picture is a bit cheeky. The last time I was mugged for money by a transsexual was on that night out with Danny Cipriani! Anyway if I was going to have my picture taken with a lady boy I would have picked a better looking one than this. . .

Muay Thai and the Golden Mount

On Thursday night we went to see some Thai boxing. It was a great evening out and not just for the fighting. The locals do a lot a betting at these events and the bookmakes are right in the crowd. So, with the punters cheering on thier boxers with big money at stake. The bookies shouting the latest betting and odds at each other, accompanied with a manic hand waving tick-tack in a John McCrirrik crossed with Magnus Pike stylee. Oh, and the live musical accompanyment. It was certainly quite a spectacle. Sometimes you didn't know whether to watch the boxing or the crowd!

The tickets are split into 3 classes. 1st class, which are 2000 baht (40 quid), puts you ring side. We sat in the 2nd class area for 1500 baht (30 quid), whilst for 1000 baht (20 quid) you get the luxury of the caged off bit at the back where all the die hard locals are! Our only complaint is that there is a major two tier ticket system in place where foreigners pay exponentially (somewhere between 50 to 100 times) more than locals. We don't mind paying a bit more but I think that this is a little too much.





On the way to the boxing we visited Golden Mount (Wat Saket), which is buddhist temple built on an artifical hill overlooking the Banglamphu area in which we are staying. I think it could hold the record for the noisiest place of worship we've ever been to.

At the bottom of the mount is a really hectic market cum fun fair which has to be negotated first. Then as you wind your way up the steps you are accompanied by various prayers and chants that are blairing out of speakers spaced every 10 to 20 paces. As you continue to climb you also encounter several series of large bells which the faithful all have to ring. This is accompanied by further prayers and chants that are blaring from more speakers at the top of the mount! It's a real cacophoney of noise . . . but not in a bad way. Even though we didn't understand all that was going on all the noise really added to the atmosphere.

Another Day In Bangkok

Yesterday (Tuesday) we started the day at Wat Arun, which is the third of the big Buddhist sites after Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Pho. It's not quite as striking as the other two sites but it's still worth a visit as you can climb about half of the way up the 82m high prang to get views back across the river to the rest of Bangkok.

The buildings and temples here have an unusual look from up close as they are decorated using broken porcelain which was used as ballast in Chinese trade ships.

Some monks on the way to the temple . . .

We then caught a boat downstream and headed for the Silom district which is the financial heart of town. Right next to the pier from where you disembark the boat is the original Mandarin Oriental hotel. Once again we put on our best posh act and waltzed in to make the most of the 5 star ambiance with a cocktail at the riverside veranda.

Just down the road form the Oriental is (another!) bar called Sirocco. We had seen a lot about this place before as it often crops up in the Worlds best bars lists. The big wow factor is that it's on the 64th floor, giving great views of the city (and beating our 61 floor altitude record for the Macau Tower). Unfortunately we soon came down to earth with a bump.

Upon exiting the lift at the 64th floor one of the bar hostesses informed Liz that she would not be allowed in because her foot ware is too scrubby! Oh the shame . . . I won't let her forget this one in a hurry.

We instead ended up at a place called the Sky Garden, only a mere 20 floors up but still with great views of the city. Unfortunately they were accompanied by some rather ropey keyboard playing and out of tune singing thanks to a local band who were playing.

We continued down to the far end of Silom to Patpong. Bangkok's most infamous red-light district, home of the go-go bar and ping pong show. You can barely walk 10 paces without a tout approaching and shouting "Ping pong show" repeatedly at you. Before you ask . . . no we didn't . . . I'm more of a badminton man myself.

It's not all sleaze though. There's a fantastic night market selling all types of knock-off stuff like fake watches, clothes, bags, shoes and jewelry. They even had fake Tiffany stuff complete with the presentation box and bag. That's where I got Liz's wedding present. We had a very entertaining evening in Patpong sat at a pavement side bar watching the touts, hawkers and punters.

Today we are going to have a bit of a quiet one as it's a holiday in Bangkok due to the Loi Krathong festival that is taking place this evening. We'll be going down to the river with the locals to see an illuminated boat parade. We also get to set off onto the river some small lotus shaped boats made out of banana leaves illuminated with candles. It should look really pretty.

Tomorrow night gets us back into something more macho as we will be going to the Ratchadamnoen Stadium to see some Muay Thai (Thai Boxing).