Bangkok Chronicle

I am back after three days of being missing in action. Where have I been people might wonder...I just got back from a three-day break with my family in Thailand, Bangkok to be more precise. I had a great time if only for the fact that this was the first time in quite a while (as in really really long time) that I went on a trip with the entire family. When I travel, it's either just me and a friend (or sometimes a group of friends) or me and my sister. But this time, it was different. It's actually quite refreshing to travel with them and this time I got to take care of them. From checking in, to boarding, up to queueing at the immigration, I was in charge. And it felt really good knowing that my parents trusted me in those situations. Apart from sight-seeing in the temples, the floating market, the flashy cabs (in hot pink, purple, red, and yellow-green) and tuktuks, and the crazy shopping, I would say without a doubt that Manila is still lovelier than Bangkok. The loveliest parts of Bangkok were concentrated in Historical Rattanakosin. In there were the Wat Phra Kaeo, Wat Arun Ratchawararam, Wat Pho (where the biggest reclining buddha can be found) among the many other beautiful temples. We did not get to walk around the Grand Palace but we saw it from outside and it truly was majestic and beautiful. I can only imagine what it's like inside. But going back, I would say again that Manila is lovelier than Bangkok. For one thing, I appreciate the effort we Filipinos give in speaking English and that we really are a bunch of warm and friendly people. While I was there, I had a tremendously hard time communicatiing with people. Case in point: Sister and I went to Swenssen to try their ice cream. We ordered four scoops (two chocolate peanut butter, one plain sticky chocolate, and one rhum raisin...yummy!!!) one for each of us (including our parents) to go, for take out. When our orders arrived, it was in four separate cups but sans the cover. I asked for a cover since we ordered it to go. What did they do? They got the three scoops and put it in one plastic platter which appears to be a cover, to my dismay. Everything went downhill from there. Hahaha! Imagine my embarrassment when I had to take a 10-minute walk from there to our hotel. By the time we got to our parents' room, the ice cream was already melted. One thing I noticed though, was there were no flies swarming in Bangkok despite the not-so-clean surroundings. I wonder why...Pollution level is almost the same as what we have here in Manila. And don't get me started with the traffic. Although we went by foot for most of the time going to our destination (read: shopping centres), I experienced it to and from the airport most especially when we were in downtown Bangkok. Our tour guide, Mr. Heing advised us to just walk from our hotel since it was conveniently located near the shopping malls. He also taught us how to just ignore the tuktuk drivers who were notorious for bringing you where THEY want and not where you actually would like to go. Shopping in Bangkok was great in the sense that you really have a lot of choices as a shopper and it is cheaper (well somehow). The Platinum Mall for instance, is a one-stop fashion centre. It has six levels with just clothes and shoes in it. Beside it is the Computer City, a one-stop shop for the techies and geeks which has about five levels. Boot copies of your favorite movies could be found in here, as well as the latest in computer software and hardware. The highlight for me was the part where my sister and I explored Siam. We initially walked and explored with our parents but Mama and Papa were too tired to continue walking with us, aside from the fact that they were scheduled to watch a show and experience Bangkok's night life that time. Me and my sister were very persistent to get to Siam since she wanted to see the Siam Ocean World which was located at the basement of The Siam Paragon. It was really tiring since we had to pass through the Isetan (a shopping center on its own), the Central World Plaza (a very big shopping center as well and I liked and really nice), and a walkway very similar to what we have to get to Greenbelt only the stretch was longer. It was all worth it though. The walk was tiring but never stressful. And when we got to the Paragon, I was floored. Hahaha! Pucci, BV, Jimmy Choo among other designers were housed in that very upscale mall. I felt sad and sorry that we would be gone by the time the 70 percent sale would be on for most of the shops. Yet relief flooded me as well since I was be able to walk away unscarred (naks! well financially at least hehe). After our Ocean World adventure, my sister realized that we were too tired to walk all the way back to our hotel and that taking the cab was not an option since we were afraid to be ripped off and that we did not want to deal with difficult drivers. So we braced ourselves to take the Sky Train which eventually turned out to be a really good experience. My belief in myself that I was good in interpreting maps was reaffirmed:p There really was no need to be afraid as long as you know how to read, interpret, and ask when in doubt. I had a slight boo boo though. Hahaha! While my sister and I were trying to get a shot of The Paragon which will include me (read: a headshot with The Paragon on the background), the guard in the train station blew his whistle on us since I was about to be hit by the train while I ducked for a shot. Silly me, I was looking the opposite way for any oncoming trains. I forgot that this was a right-hand drive country and everything was the opposite in terms of my orientation. Teehehe. But I couldn't care less. They don't know us...or me anyway. Hahaha. But it would have been shocking, me being hit by a train and getting killed on the spot, all because of a headshot. Tsk tsk tsk. It would have been a rather apt though not-so-good end to a trip that didn't start well either. On our flight out to Bangkok, my tinted moisturizer was confiscated at the airport as well my Benetint. After fussing over the cologne which I had in my purse and transferred to our checked in luggage, I forgot I had those essentials in my purse as well. After overcoming the sadness and the sense of loss I felt, I shed a few tears out of frustration because I felt really stupid to not have remembered they were in my purse too. But nothing will beat what I got from the flight attendant when we were about to board. SInce I just finished crying then, I was wearing my old trusty pair of shades to cover my puffy eyes. Then the flight attendant, after I presented my boarding pass says..."The shades ma'am, for eye check." It could not have come at a better time. Hehehe. I attached some pictures for your amusement. (Pictures from top to bottom: 1. airport structure; 2. the Biggest Reclining Buddha; 3. a view at the Central World Mall; 4. Seahorses in Siam Ocean World; 5. Me and Me-an at the Central World Complex; 6. Me camwhoring in our hotel room; 7. family shot in one of the temples; 8. a buddhist columbarium; 9. just outside one of the temples we visited; 10. Me and Me-an camwhoring again; 11. an interesting signage...fresh...alive...scary:p; 12. hot pink cab)