He gave us a list of sites to visit with approximate costs and that’s where we picked our preferred destinations. Credits to @ace.delaserna
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| Iba siya sa 0 THB for hookups |
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| And our selection! :) |
Day 1: Chinatown and Red District
We arrived earlier than scheduled sa Thailand from Kampuchea since we took a midnight sleeper bus instead of the planned morning ride. Akala mo ang laki nang inaga pero two hours lang talaga. May palive video pa si Ace sa pagsalubong samin e cranky ako dahil inaasar na ko ng mga tao kakagising ko pa lang. Nakasimangot tuloy ako sa pawelcome pero seriously, cranky mode ako sa Thailand coz ilang araw nang biyahe lang ang tulog. Imagine, five hours to Mui Ne on the first night, four hours to Ho Chi Minh on the second night, 18 hours to Siem Reap on the third night, three hours of sleep on the fourth night coz sunrise day tour in Angkor Wat, 13 hours to Thailand on the fifth night. Lol
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| Bes, pagod talaga ako |
Si Ace ung taong mahilig maglakad. Dati nagtetake kami ng one hour lunch break walking for almost a kilometer, ending up just buying Mogu-Mogu in a convenience store e meron naman nun malapit sa office, only to go back for another kilometer, me walking on stilettos.
So pagsalubong niya samin, he said that his dorm where we will be staying for 400 baht for three pax or P200 per pax per night (with AC and own toilet and bath lol) is only 15 minutes away, nagduda na ako. Beh, sa dami ng dala naming dahil backpackers ang peg, around 30 minutes kaming naglakad.
But nilibre niya naman kami ng the best Chaiyen or milk tea I ever tasted for only 25 baht or roughly P40. We rested a bit and ate our late brunch at the dorm’s cafeteria with meals at 40 baht or P60. Brown rice pa.
Before the sun sets, Ace suddenly thought of bringing us to Chinatown. Ganyan siya. Sobrang random tapos andun na kami sa ferry with purchased tickets, nung narestless siya, bigla niya sasabihin na magbus na lang kami. Saya no.
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| Ferry Ride |
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| Subway Ride |
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| Free Bus Ride |
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| Tuktuk Ride We tried every means of transportation na ata lol. (Kahit di mukhang nasa tuktuk kami, no?) |
So we went to Chinatown via ferry. It reminds of Binondo but a whole lot bigger, maybe ten times bigger.
Then we took a free bus ride, yes, there are roaming free buses in Thailand, to Cloud 47. Cloud 47 is a club overlooking the city. But since we’re early for the party, we first checked out the red district where people are offering pingpong shows, whatever that is lol.
At almost seven, we decided to go to Cloud 47 only to find out na sarado na pala siya as in sarado for good. So we ate at McDonald's na as if wala nun sa Pinas, but in fairness, iba ung offerings nila, and went home.
Tumambay kami til midnight at the dorm’s lobby just because Ace had to wait for his Vietnamese couchsurfer, Hao. Damay-damay na lang to sa puyat at pinakilala niya pa akong ladyboy sa tao, insekta siya.
Day 2: Floating Market and Siam Niramit
We woke up early kasi ang excited ni Tzen, ginising niya kami ng pagkaaga-aga. Seven am ung call time for the floating market. We were there by 6:50 am at si Ace, naisip pa na puntahan namin ung rotunda about two blocks away. Si beh di mapakali. Kinontra ko pa e pinaghintay din kami ng agency for an hour.
Luckily, we shared the same van with a Filipino family based in the Mid East. Sobrang feeling close ko, naikwento ko na ung buong buhay ko pati mga buhay ng mga kasama ko kasi excited ako mag-Tagalog. Btw, FB friends na kami nung little daughter ng couple.
We paid another 150 baht for a paddle boat ride on top of the 200 baht for the van and the big boat ride to the floating village. Okay naman ung experience pero 30 minutes lang ung paddle boat ride. Ang cool, though, to see local scenes where people trade on boats. There was another 45-minute floating village tour with matching talsik talsik ng floodlike water sa face mo. Charot.
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| Floating Market Troop |
Then we headed back to the agency to get tickets for the play Siam Niramit which cost us 900 baht. There was a big waiting area where you can experience Thailand’s culture, food, clothing, arts, but favorite ko ung traditional Thai welcoming nila na may patali sa braso with pa-God bless you. Di ko pa tinatanggal ung tali kahit nanlilimahid na since feeling #blessed talaga ako after the welcoming keme.
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| Reminds me of T'nalak in T'boli, South Cotabato |
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| The ink is made of wax. :) |
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| Shadow Play |
Meron ding cultural dance as pre-show but medyo busy kami that time editing photos for Skechers Go Walk post. Thank you, Skechers! Lol.
The play started. Naiinis ako sa kaibigan ko. Sabi ba naman, magpapalipad daw ng elepante. Naawa ako sa elepante pero inabangan ko, wala naman. Naloko na naman ako. Anyhow, power ang production ng play at dun ko na-gets kung bakit sobrang nirerespeto nila ung temples and monuments nila. Kung sa Pilipinas nga, basurahan na lang, ninanakaw pa para ibakal. High respect for Thais in terms of maintaining ung infrastructures nila.
We went to Khaosan which is the street party area for late dinner like almost 11 pm. But myself and Ace had to stay behind since he’s meeting Nikki and Ivee for his Jollibee Yumburger. Ung totoo. The girls just arrived from Manila for the Coldplay concert the next day and we had to wait for them til about midnight.
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| Midnight Walk around Bangkok |
While waiting, naglakad lang kami ng naglakad ni Ace. I already asked him if we can stay in one place kasi we’d been walking long distances the past days. Si beh, ayaw niya. Isang oras kami naglakad paikot-ikot ng Khaosan, another hour para ipick up ung burger niya, at another hour pauwi while he shares his political knowledge.
Three am na kami nakauwi. Pagod na pagod at antok na antok ako sa three plus hours ng paglalakad.
Day 3: Grand Palace, Wat Pho, and COLDPLAY!
We went for a tour to the Grand Palace kung saan nakaburol ung king at kung kelan nakabili na kami ng lunch, saka lang naalala ni Ace na may free pa-laps since mourning ang Thailand for a year for their king’s passing. Ang sarap ng Yakisoba noodles tapos may mga padessert and pa-water pa. All for free. And the free food is there every day for a year. Puwede ka mabuhay sa Thailand with little money, relying on free food and free bus rides lol.
We walked towards Wat Pho and the structures made me imagine how colourful Angkor Wat must have been hadn’t it been destroyed by climate change. Sobrang detailed as in they painted every pillar and wall with details. May story pa ung paintings seemingly telling you to do good coz Buddha is everywhere. Parang treat each person as Buddha. Ang galing.
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| Big Reclining Buddha |
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| Wat Pho Group |
I was watching National Geographic the other day and it tells about some palace built in the ancient times where 86 artists were tasked to build statues, them finishing a hundred statues every year for eight years. Di ba ang tiyaga? Eto ba namang friend namin, nakikipagtalo sa Angkor Wat na tinatak lang daw ung carvings sa walls kasi ang intense ng wall carvings like they're in every wall, every floor, every ceiling. E mej di naman perfect ung pagkakapattern like may slight difference per carving kahit mukhang similar. Si beh walang tiwala sa kakayahan ng tao.
Anyway, naenjoy naming ung giant reclining Buddha inside one of the temples at muntik makalimutan ung Coldplay. Two pm, we went home to prep for Coldplay!
Heavy traffic all over Thailand on that Coldplay Friday. We took a free bus ride to somewhere, walked very long til we decided to get a tuktuk to take us to the subway, then free shuttles to the concert venue.
Initially, I purchased a Gen Ad ticket na sitting. E nainggit ako when John upgraded to VIP standing. I swapped my Gen Ad ticket for the VIP Standing ticket. We were inside the stadium at pass five pm. Mej puno na kaagad ung VIP standing but since 9 pm pa ung start, naparaanan namin to get to 20 feet away from the stage. Pak sa lapit sa pawisang si Chris Martin.
Nakakaiyak lang ung mga matatangkad na tao at nilalait pa ko ni John kasi ang liit ko, natatabunan lang ako ng mga nasa harap ko. Tinetesting niya pa kung ano nakikita kung sa height ko ung basehan. Tiniis ko lahat ng amoy ng kilikili for six hours in total with no food and drinks since bawal magbaon just to stay at some 20 feet away from Chris. Close kami like first name basis. At everytime may nagdidistribute ng water sa gilid kasi andame na hinihimatay, kinukuha namin ang oportunidad para makasingit paharap.
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| We were this near! Shot by Alexis Lim @litratonijuan @sinosijuan |
Eight pm. Bumukas ang ilaw ng stage. Naexcite ung mga tao. Akala nila si Chris Martin na e may preshow. Natawa ako na naawa kasi on the artist's fourth song, She said, “I’ve got one more song.” Hala, nagchorus ung mga tao, “No!” Grabe. Di kasi nagcheck ng schedule na parte ung pre-show. E, di ako na.
Bukod sa auditory entertainment, sobrang visually entertaining din ung concert. Naiyak ako sa Yellow. Wala lang. Nakiiyak lang ako. Saka the stadium turned yellow because of the xylobands. Sobrang ganda ng view. Power pa sa confetti na tinatry naming icatch at sa balloons na di umabot sa kinatatayuan ko. Power pa sa fireworks.
Power din ung isang hinimatay nung padulo na ng concert kasi tumutumba na siya pero tinatry niyang dumilat at tumayo. Mga three times niyang inulit yun hanggang sa binuhat na siya palabas. Matindi ang paglaban ni beh.
After the concert ended, nagstrategize pa kami paano ipupuslit ung xylobands kasi must be returned daw for recycling. Gumitna kami sa crowd palabas ng stadium at siniguradong di kami mahihingan.
Six hours na walang upuan, walang inuman, at walang kainan, naghanap muna kami ng convenience store to buy drinks which was 30-minute walk away. Sobrang crowded sa area, everyone was walking since mahirap to catch a ride home.
Everytime na may sasabihin sila sakin, puro pagkain lang naririnig ko.
Karl: Maglakad tau at *incomprehensible.*
Me: O sige, maglakad muna tau at kumain.
Karl: Sabi ko sumakay.
Me: Ay, di ba kumain?
11 pm natapos ung concert, we were home by 3 am and paid almost 600 baht sa Uber. But definitely worth it! Ang lapit ni Chris Martin!
Day 4: Ayutthaya and Khaosan
Ayutthaya was the old capital of Bangkok until it was burned down by... Di ko maalala, basta old capital siya. We took the 11 am ordinary train for 1 ½ hours under the noon heat. We then rented two tuktuks to show us the different temples and attractions in Ayutthaya.
Pero food trip talaga ung ginawa ko dun. Chocolate icedrop, strawberry shake, hotdog, chicken balls. Ang mura rin kasi ng food dun like mas mura pa sa street foods sa Pinas. Di ko tuloy nakita ung face of a Buddha overgrown by a tree puro kasi ako kain.
Nakipray-pray pa kami sa Buddha, walking around the big reclining Buddha three times before you make a wish. Tapos mamaya, inuuto lang pala kami ni Ace. Napagod ako sa three rounds.
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| Three rounds around this Buddha then make a wish/prayer. |
Eto pa, may isang grass covered area na they said perfect for conceptual shots so pumunta raw ako sa gitna ng grass. E feeling ko, burak un, sabi nila hindi. I was about to go down sa slope to try kung water o lupa when someone said, itry ko ng stone muna. Beh, pond siya. Nalunod pa ko kung nagkataon. Ang baho kong uuwi e two hours ung train ride.
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| This is the swamp. |
We went to Khaosan in the late evening to party as in super wild party. Pinipilit pa nila ako uminom e I am uninhibited even without alcohol so party party lang ako dun, drinking water. Ang dami kong energy kaya naprove ko na di need ng alcohol.
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| Party People! |
Funniest part, we tried ung laughing gas. So ibibigay siya sau in a balloon. E parang ayoko na, like napeer pressure lang ako. When they insisted I try it, nung iinhale ko ung gas, nabitawan ko ung balloon. Half of the laughing gas escaped. Sila ung natawa, hindi ako. Tapos ung natira, nagkakandaubo ako everytime I inhale. Ayoko na ulitin lol. Kaya ko naman tumawa nang walang dahilan.
Party stopped when the military came at 2 am. Pero we didn’t go home. The guys got porridge and naghatiran pa so we were home at 4 am over their drunk talks.
Day 5: Chatuchak and the Legit Thai Massage
Ace went to Pattaya beach while we went to Chatuchak for the guys’ shopping errands. Ako pa talaga ung di nagshop. At everytime may itatanong ako, it’s about, “San tayo kakain?”
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| Magician at Chatuchak |
Since namiss ko si Ace and I was reminded of him when I saw an elderly woman selling drinks, I bought two large Yakults. Di talaga Yakult basta cultured milk. Yan kasi si Ace, maawain sa matandang babae na nagtitinda. Dati, pinabili niya ako ng sandamukal na anklet kasi naawa siya pero nagtitipid siya. Ung totoo.
Best part! Thai massage! Akala ko, di namin aabutan since 9:30 pm na kami nakabalik sa dorm. E til 10 pm lang ung massage. Buti tinanggap pa kami. It’s 180 baht or P270 per hour, way cheaper than Nuat Thai sa Pinas at way malakas si ate masahista.
Minaliit ko ung kahinhinan ni ate masahista bago niya ako pahigain sa kama. Nakakatawa siya kasi binigyan niya nga ako ng pajama since nakadress ako pero hinayaan niyang bukas ung kurtina ng kama e glass walls ung harapan ng massage clinic nila. Nasa pambungad na kama ako. Ung lalaki sa sunod na kama, fully covered. Take note, sinara niya yung kurtina pagkatapos niya ako imasahe.
So minaliit ko nga siya dahil ang hinhin ng pagkausap niya samin pero beh, ang lakas ni ate. Pigang piga ung left lower limb ko kasi dun siya nag-umpisa. Natatakot akong sabihin na gentle lang. Ganito kasi:
Naglaundry ung mga kasamahan ko sa dorm. After one hour of waiting sa automatic washing machine, they’re looking for a dryer. Nagtanong sila sa Thai. Due to miscommunication, akala ni Thai, paumpisa pa lang sila. Beh, binasa uli ung damit na patutuyuin na dapat nila. Tapos one hour ung washing time na hirap na hirap sila ifigure out paano istop.
So ayun nga, natakot ako sabihin na be gentle kasi nga baka mamiscommunication ako. Buti napansin niya atang nasasaktan na ko sa lakas niya, kumalma na siya sa right lower limb ko. Pero 20 minutes din siya sa left lower limb. Longest 20 minutes. Lol.
The rest was perfect! Ang sarap ung pinatunog ung spine ko at ang intimate nila magmasahe. As in nakaupo sakin si ate at ang daming ganap sa singit. Kbye.
Day 6: Goodbye, Thailand! :’(
Beh, di jan nagtatapos ung Thailand. Sobrang traffic. Flight namin is 9:35. Nagtaxi kami at 7 am. Nagsubway at 8 am. Nakarating kami sa sa check in counters at 8:50 am. Dumaan sa immigration at naharang pa ung backpack ko dahil sa mini-gunting na pangkilay na obviously di ko ginagamit kasi sabog kilay ko. Pagkalayo-layo pa ng boarding gate namin.
In fairness, nung Korea ko, boarding gate closes at 9:10, andun ako by 9:10. Dito sa Thailand, boarding gate closes at 9:20, andun kami at 9:15. Improving by five minutes. Hingal na hingal kami pag-upo sa plane.
