Dec 1: Night, Bangkok
We are getting used to city life again. That means, for us anyway, loads of shopping and eating, with no pretense to sightseeing. I would have also dosed up on the offerings from the goggle box, except that the small TV secured high up in one corner of our room in Wendy House was not very conducive to comfortable lounging when watching TV. So I gave up on the TV and went shopping with Annie instead.
Wendy House is a no frills but clean guesthose, tucked near the end of a narrow street, behind Siam Square. When we arrived a couple of days ago, we checked out A-One first, but was told they were full for the night. Then, we decided on the dazzlingly white Bed & Breakfast. Our reception was less than dazzling, however.
The woman manning the reception was very unfriendly and only grudgingly agreed to show us a room. She threw the keys to her staff and indicated us. As we moved to follow the staff, one of the guests from the breakfast nook asked her something. Immediately, she was all smiles, her tone oozing honey in reply. Coincidentally (or not), we noted that the few people having breakfast or a drink were all Caucasians.
Thoroughly disgusted, we gave the room a cursory glance and went back to the lobby to let the woman know we were leaving. She took the keys back from her staff and ignored us, turning to banter with another guest. I could feel a few eyes from the cafe corner trailing us out.
After this rather inhospitable experience, we tried our luck next door, at Wendy House. There were two women manning the counter. They eyed us stonily when we asked them if they had a room.
What is worse? To be treated with outright unfriendliness and dismissed like trash, or to be regarded with suspicion and examined like a bug under a microscope?
Just as I was about to give up and suggest to Annie we go somewhere less trying, one of the ladies asked to see our passports. When they saw our passports, their demeanour changed.
Suddenly, the twin arctic blasts thawed and the ladies even managed a smile or two. One of them showed us a few rooms. The stairs were taxing. But, eventually, we chose a corner one, with wide windows overlooking the street.
As the days went by and we got used to each other, Annie and I came to appreciate the no-nonsense and brisk service provided by Wendy House. The counter staff were very watchful about who entered and exited the guesthouse.
All in all, this looks like one of the sturdier options along the street for women travellers, especially those on their own.
Traffic woes
Yesterday, we were stuck in a traffic jam while getting back from Central Ladprao to Mo Chit BTS station. Earlier, we alighted at Mo Chit, intending to visit Chatuchak Market, but took a detour to Central Ladprao for some aircon shopping after we stumbled upon a notice announcing a free shuttle service to the shopping complex.
By the time our BTS shuttle bus got out of the traffic snarl and dropped us at Mo Chit station, it was rather late. So we headed back to Siam Square and visited Chatuchak today.
Children of lesser gods
Having visited Chatuchak on a previous trip, we were there again on nostalgia. Besides, in this monster of a market, we were sure to 'discover' new areas we missed out the last time.
This time, however, the prevailing impression for me was the presence of beggars, prostrate on the paths leading in and out of the market. Some of the men had only one leg and were lying on the road. One seemed to have a wound (bandaged) on his chest.
We also saw beggars in the shopping areas. Yesterday, we walked past many beggars lining the bridge between World Trade Centre and Gaysorn. These were mainly children and women carrying babies.
Budget (for two in baht)
Nov 29Breakfast >> B20 + Train (Bangkok Noi) >> B50 + Taxi to guesthouse >> B80 + Room >> B500 + Lunch >> B120 + BTS 3-day pass >> B560 + Cinema >> B200 + Postcard >> B7 + Dinner >> B90 + Supper >> B55 + Groceries >> B29 + Breakfast (next day's) >> B32
Nov 30Room >> B500 + Coffee >> B70 + Bread >> B16 + Lunch >> B60 + Titbits >> B67 + Dinner >> B341 + Groceries >> B109.75
Dec 1Room >> B500 + Lunch >> B64 + Drinks >> B30 + Tea >> B78 + Newspapers >> B20 + Shopping >> B2228 + Dinner >> B234 + Groceries >> B19 (minus B50 gift voucher) + Cake >> B23
Next... Tropical Christmas
Nov 27: Night, Kanchanaburi
This morning, we took the train to Nam Tok. The train was crowded with packaged tourists.
In one instance, a woman guide told a Caucasian man (not with her tour group) to ask his Thai companion when he asked her if she knew where they were. She said loudly, "Ask her. She's Thai. She should know."
In another display of uncouth behaviour, a male guide plonked down next to Annie. There were other empty seats he could have chosen. Then, a big Caucasian sat down, next to me. He started to crowd me.
When I asked him not to sit so close to me, he said, "It's okay."
I told him it might be okay for him, it was not okay for me. The guide was so surprised that we spoke English. Soon, both men moved off, the Cacausian to a seat in front. No one had been sitting there, so there was no need for him to seat with us at all.
He left at 17
Back in Kanchanaburi, we visited the Allied War Cemetery, across the road from the train station.
All these lives, ended prematurely by violence. Some grave stones marked the resting place of teenagers as young as 17 years old. Others indicated that the dead had left behind children and spouses.
These are the spoils of war...
Our guesthouse, Apple Guesthouse, is within walking distance of the cemetery. We have spent two very restful days there.
The guesthouse's accommodation compromises a series of hut-like units, set in a pleasant garden. Our room is simple, but so spotless that we do not see a single ant anywhere, not even in the bathroom. There is also a rustic restuarant serving very good Thai food, with some northeastern specialties, such as laap (spicy salad for the carnivorous) and sticky rice. Needless to say, we dine there every evening.
Sometimes, Noi, one of the very active owners, would stroll around during dinner, making sure the guests ordered dishes which complemented each other. On our first evening, she took our order and nodded in agreement with our selection.
Buyer, beware
Speaking of guesthouses, the place we stayed in while in Bangkok for an overnight pit stop between Ayuthaya and Kanchanaburi was terrible.
We saw Charlie House advertised in one of those free traveller's magazines. It looked attractive and was in an area we had not stayed before. Telling ourselves we should be more adventurous and sniff out new haunts, we decided to give Charlie House a try since this small hotel had been written as a solid budget choice by more than one guide books.
Bad, bad choice. Our room was nothing like the photos. It was cramped with two sagging beds and peeling paint. It was not very clean either. We spotted ants in the bathroom and the walls of our room as well. Some of these ants were large enough to give us a nasty bite. On the plus side, the lady manager was a very pleasant woman, who made us feel very welcome.
Budget (for two in baht)
Nov 27
Room >> B250Breakfast >> B145Laundry >> B15Train (Nam Tok return) >> B68H20 & kueh (pastries) >> B20H20 (3x) >> B15Lunch >> B30Bananas >> B10Dinner >> B264
Nov 28
Room >> B250Brunch >> B95Songthaew to Bridge >> B12Snacks >> B40Postcards >> B10Drinks >> B40Dinner >> B204
Next... Back to city life
Nov 26: Morning, Kanchanaburi
Kanchanaburi is a surprise, a very pleasant surprise. It is not as choked with backpackers (disco nights at guesthouses and watering holes down river) or as kitschy (tacky Bridge Over River Kwai souvenirs) as the impression we get from guide books and fellow travellers.
We arrive just in time for the week-long annual festival to commemorate the sacrifices of World War Two. Banners annoucing the festival adorn the roads in town. But the heart of festivities centres on the grounds next to the River Kwai Bridge. This is a half-an-hour walk from leafy Apple Guesthouse, where we plan to stay for the next two or three days.
After settling in, we decided to check out the surroundings. It was very hot when we started walking and there was little shade along the road. Luckily, there were enough distractions along the way, one of them being lunch in a shop by the road, next to a patch of parched land.
In this heat, it was difficult to work up an enthusiasm for food, especially of the hot, soupy (or porridgy) variety. But, the noodles were so tasty! We realised we were quite hungry after all and ended up sharing three bowls of noodles and a bottle of ice-cold Pepsi.
Replete and rejuvenated, we tackled the rest of the walk to the Bridge. There, a very different sight awaited us. Gone was the somnolent and almost isolated air during our walk. It was somewhat of a shock to see so many people milling about.
The carnival was already in full swing, spread across the ground on both sides of the small train station (more a stop really). The stalls were packed with all sorts of goodies for sale, from the edible to the usable. The sights, sounds and smells were incredible.
A few of the food stalls selling doughtnuts, cakes and pastries were making them on the spot! Meanwhile, other stalls peddling deep-fried snacks, bubble tea and crispy insects competed by offering as bewildering and colourful a spread as they could display at their compact stalls. There were mountains of food.
As if not to be outdone, the non-edible sections brought out a vast selection of casual and more formal clothing, from rugged jeans and funky (or rude, depending on your sense of humour) t-shirts to smart pant suits and slinky dresses. Looking around, we also saw loads of household items on sale. If we wanted to, we could even order custom-made curtains!
Meanwhile, entertainment (besides people-watching and snacking) came in the form of performances on the open-air stage. There was some kind of schedule posted, but we could not read Thai. It was all so fun-filled and lighthearted that we found it difficult to remember that countless prisoners of war toiled and died constructing the Death Railway during the Second World War.
However, once we walked away from the carnival and towards the JEATH museum and war shrine, a much more sombre air permeated. It was moving to see small groups and couples entering the shrine to lay a wreath or burn some incense. In space and time, how far removed this tranquil and leafy nook must be from the rousing festivities a short distance away, and from the human suffering in the not-too-distant past.
In the evening, we headed back to the Bridge for the Light and Sound show. It was drizzling, but that did not deter the audience, who packed the muli-tiered stands, wearing rain coats or carrying umbrellas. Some did not even bother, seating bareheaded in the rain.
The Light and Sound show was an impressive display. Action flowed seamlessly between the river, the Bridge and the two floating stages by the river bank below the spectator stands. One of the highlights included the dramatic entry of the gleaming locomotive, steaming regally out of the woods from the other side of the river and pausing just after crossing the Bridge for spectators to admire.
Midway through the show, Annie whispered to me, "I wonder what the Japanese are thinking about when watching this display?"
It must not be easy watching the segment depicting Japanese aggression in Southeast Asia, even in this watered down version.
Pillage and plunder, terror and torment. That is the dominant nightmare for many Asians, especially the older generations, who have lived and suffered through the Japanese Occupation. Although there now seems to be little outward anger towards the Japanese in Southeast Asia, it is obvious that many Asians still remember their tragedy, as is evident from the outpouring of anger every time a Japanese leader visit a war shrine where major military figures of the period were interred.
So no, not water under the bridge at all in this part of the world, and not for a long time, I suspect.
Especially as some seem intent on fanning the flames of hatred to fuel their own ambitions. With Japan seemingly on the road to sheding the 'shy' military mein it has cultivated so scrupulously after its defeat by the Allied powers in 1945, such anti-Japanese sentiments can very easily warp into darker impulses. All in all, a potential minefield that, if detonated, may destablise and destroy everything this region has achieved since the end of the Second World War.
I should stop. Enough speculation. However, I am now reminded of a danger, more immediate and definitely closer to home, to travellers visiting Kanchanaburi. Dogs have dogged us since Ayuthaya. Having said that, the dogs here are less of a problem, but we have still been stalked by the occasional over-zealous one.
Budget (for two in baht)
Nov 24
Room >> B500 + Breakfast >> B115 + Entry (Wat Mahathat) >> B60 + Entry (Ratchaburana) >> B60 + Drinks >> B35 + Lunch >> B160 + Dinner >> B40 + Supper >> B65.25
Nov 25
Room >> B540 + Breakfast >> B115 + Minibus to Bangkok >> B90 + Taxi to hotel >> B71 + Lunch >> B199 + BTS (Sala Daeng to Nana) >> B50 + Drinks >> B120 + Dinner >> B105 + H20 >> B10
Nov 26
Room >> B250 + Breakfast >> B105 + Taxi to Southern Bus Station >> B110 + AC bus to Kanchanaburi >> B158 + Songthaew to War Cemetery (for guesthouse) >> B12 + Lunch >> B55 + Internet (2 hours) & Pepsi >> B90 + Dinner >> B200 + Tuk-tuk (Guesthouse to River Kwai Bridge) >> B30 + Light & Sound show >> B200
Next... Iron Rooster on the Death Railway
