CRASH COURSE IN BANGKOK

Bangkok – Day 3

Had difficulty waking up at 6.30 a.m. I turned up at the breakfast buffet without combing my hair and looking like shit.

Chao Phraya

Was excited that I would be going to see the floating market with my every own eyes. Images of colorful fruits on floating boats from tourism leaflets clouded my mind. However, I was forewarned by my friends who had been there not to be disappointed with the floating market that I was about to see. Most of the sampans are no longer in business when use of speed boats replace the slow paced sampan on Chao Phraya. The real floating market as featured in leaflets is situated some 100 km away from Bangkok. Obviously, we don’t think we want to be stuck in the bloody jam and forced to sing karaoke again in the bus for another 3 hours. (Sorry.. no pics of floating market as I was seated at the wrong side of the boat! @#$%^&*)

The highlight of the Chao Phraya trip, was feeding of the single-white-dotted head catfish near the Goddess of Mercy temple along the river. Ah Lek said that, the Thais dared not eat the fish as they were considered as sacred. Those who are ignorant and ate the fish would be subject to terrible accidents/ unexplained death.

Wat Arun Ratchawararam

Wat Arun Ratchawararam or Wat Arun in short, is a Grand Royal Temple to King Rama II, Phrabaht Somdej Phraputha Lertlarnaphalai, which was a grand elegant stupa and located on the banks of Chao Phraya with its height (67 metres) 1 Sen, 13 Wah, 1 Sork, 1 Keub and 1 Nuit, has been decorated by many thousand pieces of Chinaware which is an unique temple. (I copied this from the entry ticket to Wat Arun – the person who wrote this needs to go back to English school).


I had only 10 mins to take pictures of this magnificent temple. @#$%^&*

Safari World

Since we are rushing to the Safari World, we spent only 30 mins (15 mins assembling to take group photo, 5 mins to be blessed by the monk and 10 mins to take pics. @#$%^&*) in Wat Arun. We were just-in-time for the ending of the Wild Wild West show where the saloon was being blown up and a screaming white chic with a unhooked bra running into hiding.

Mr James Bond in the Spy War is unbelievably gorgeous! Explosives were used. You can even feel the heat, sitting about 500 metres away from the stage. These actors are professional stuntmen. Their comical antics cracked me up big time. The shows were all in Thai, so.. go figure.

While having lunch with 1,000++ people in the biggest buffet lunch that I had ever been to, I bumped into my cousin brother and his wife from Penang. What a small world! I guess I cannot owe people money, if I keep on bumping on people I know, even outside Malaysia.

Safari World – filled with animals, of course. The animals there are well fed, unlike our National Zoo in KL, which are pathetically anorexics.

Unfortunately, I was seated on the wrong side of the bus while going through the wild. @#$%^&* I was so tempted to jump off the bus to get closed ups, but insurance does not permit hazardous hobbies.

There were rhinoceros, giraffes, zebras, etc roaming freely in the guarded safari. Lions and tigers are separated from the herbivores.

I asked Ah Lek, where are the elephants?

Ah Lek said, wild elephants are not easy to manage and also, wondering if I am not sick of elephants, after seeing so many of them in Nong Nooch Village?

Then I reasoned- the elephants probably get better pay in Nong Nooch Village and can drink Chinese white wine after work.

Ah Lek shook his head in disbelief after listening to my explanation. He then, rolled his eyes and tried hard to refrain himself from kicking me in the butt.

I can be a real pain in the ass.

Mar Boon Krong

After basking in the hot sun, we were all dead tired, not to mentioned at the brink of dehydration, we were a bit reluctant to drag our feet to Mar Boon Krong, one of the famous shopping haven in Bangkok.

Yabba complained that we don’t come to Bangkok for their shopping malls. I vowed not to buy anything to show my protest… ended up buying a handbag for myself. In fact, almost every lady colleague bought a handbag. Only 199 baht!!!

We headed straight to the food court to try the authentic Thai food, pork knuckles, beef noodles and dirt cheap beer. Only 45 baht per bottle. Yabba and me toasted our Singha beer to Bangkok. We also had their ocien (fried oyster with egg) and their local delicacy, lokchub, some fake looking colorful kuehs made of green beans.

Four Faced Buddha

The Four Faced Buddha is synonymous with Thailand as you could see various sets ups of the Four Faced Buddha shrines scattered all over Bangkok. This one that we went to, just 5 minutes walk away from Mar Boon Krong, Pra Promph, is a particularly famous one. According to Ah Lek, if we wish hard enough, we would get what we want.

Ah Lek told us a story of a Hong Kong businesswoman who made it after she prayed to this particular four faced buddha. She made a vow that, should her business flourish, she would come back and dance naked for the four faced Buddha as a token of appreciation.

She went home and indeed, her business flourished like no other. Many years passed and yet she did not return to keep her promise. When her business start to flop, she recalled the numerous gods that she had prayed to and made a pact, and she remembered she didn’t keep her vow to this Four Faced Buddha.

She made an arrangement with the Government of Bangkok and had the place sealed off. Then she presented herself naked in front of the Four Faced Buddha and danced away to pay her tribute.

This story was published in their local Thai newspapers and since then, everyone, both locals and foreigners crowd the place to offer joss sticks and flowers to the Four Faced Buddha in hope for a better life.

Which is the first face of the Four Faced Buddha?

See where the legs are situated. That is the first face of the Four Faced Buddha. First face would grant you good career, second face – love life, third face – luck and fourth face – health.

I argued with Ah Lek and said, the first face should be health as, if you don’t have health, you won’t have career, and when you don’t have career, you won’t have luck (Money) and when you don’t have luck, you have no love.

He was stunned for a minute and then, gave me the irritated look for questioning his knowledge.

After a late dinner at Lumba Lumba restaurant which serves variety steamboat (costs 700 baht per pax!! - luckily it is included in our package), we couldn’t wait to go back to Emerald Hotel. My legs and feet were aching due to too much walking the entire day. I decided to soak myself in the bathtub of hot water, after a long, long day, while some colleagues gamble the night away in the comfort of their hotel rooms.