We've had a few crazy weeks at school and I was soooo ready for spring break!! I left on the Friday we got out of school - my flight left at 1:30 am. I saw several students and teachers at the airport - everyone was trying to escape Mumbai!
The flight was uneventful, but since I had a seat in the row in front of an exit row it didn't recline and I was exhausted. Bangkok was HOT! It was only high 90s/low 100s which is what it is in Mumbai, but it felt so much hotter!!! The pollution and buildings in Mumbai keep the sun from beating straight down. I was going to visit Nancy and Zach!! They were at ASB last year, and I miss them!! My cab dropped me off at the Starbucks in their neighborhood. I was welcomed with a big hug from Zach and he took me to the house and I got a big hug from Nancy too! Their house is HUGE!!! and is in the cutest neighborhood. That night we went to a market along the river and I ran into two of my students and his parents :) We had a nice meal and walked around and it was pretty cool by the water. On Sunday we went to Chatuchak market. It's Thailand's biggest market - it has 6,000 stalls and is the size of 5 American football fields. You could spend DAYS there and never see everything. It was hot and crowded, but still a lot better than Indian markets. No one was pushing or shoving, no one was haggling us to buy anything. There is no honking in Bangkok. NONE!! We bought some fresh squeezed orange juice on the street :) best part of Bangkok - you can eat street food!! We ran into two of my co-workers. Bangkok is a busy place for my school :)
On Monday, I slept in, took a walk with Zach and did some work. We went to an actual grocery store and they had string cheese!! It was Nancy's birthday so we went out that night for dinner with some of their friends. We went to Tuba - during the day it is an antique store and at night it is a restaurant. There were old toys staring at us everywhere. I left to go spend the night in a hotel so I could go to the floating markets in the morning. I am staying in Tara Place which is very near Khaosan Rd which is the epicenter for all the backpackers. It is an awesome hotel for $45 a night!! It is a few blocks from Khaosan Rd so it is a little quieter, but close to all the action. I had planned a tour to go to the floating markets and they were to pick me up at 6:10am at a nearby hotel. I called a couple times and they said I was in the right place and they were coming. At 7:30 I called for the third time and they said they had left without me because I wasn't there!! augh!! I was so disappointed. I took a nap, then walked around for a few hours. I took a cruise through the canals on a rice barge. We left from Sheridan River shops. Nice area. We got to see a snippet of Thai life on the river. At the end of the two hour trip they served a fruit buffet - dragon fruit, mangoes, pineapples, jackfruit, mangosteens, coconuts and guavas. They also served free Mai Tais :)
Tomorrow I was supposed to take a tour of the Grand Palace, but I switched it to go see the floating markets. Hopefully I will make it tomorrow!! I will have to see the Grand Palace the next time I come to Bangkok. After the markets tomorrow I am going back to Zach's and Nancy's Wednesday and Thursday. It will include walks, naps, string cheese eating, and me dodging him shooting me with toy arrows. On Thursday night we are all going to Chaing Mai :)
The flight was uneventful, but since I had a seat in the row in front of an exit row it didn't recline and I was exhausted. Bangkok was HOT! It was only high 90s/low 100s which is what it is in Mumbai, but it felt so much hotter!!! The pollution and buildings in Mumbai keep the sun from beating straight down. I was going to visit Nancy and Zach!! They were at ASB last year, and I miss them!! My cab dropped me off at the Starbucks in their neighborhood. I was welcomed with a big hug from Zach and he took me to the house and I got a big hug from Nancy too! Their house is HUGE!!! and is in the cutest neighborhood. That night we went to a market along the river and I ran into two of my students and his parents :) We had a nice meal and walked around and it was pretty cool by the water. On Sunday we went to Chatuchak market. It's Thailand's biggest market - it has 6,000 stalls and is the size of 5 American football fields. You could spend DAYS there and never see everything. It was hot and crowded, but still a lot better than Indian markets. No one was pushing or shoving, no one was haggling us to buy anything. There is no honking in Bangkok. NONE!! We bought some fresh squeezed orange juice on the street :) best part of Bangkok - you can eat street food!! We ran into two of my co-workers. Bangkok is a busy place for my school :)
On Monday, I slept in, took a walk with Zach and did some work. We went to an actual grocery store and they had string cheese!! It was Nancy's birthday so we went out that night for dinner with some of their friends. We went to Tuba - during the day it is an antique store and at night it is a restaurant. There were old toys staring at us everywhere. I left to go spend the night in a hotel so I could go to the floating markets in the morning. I am staying in Tara Place which is very near Khaosan Rd which is the epicenter for all the backpackers. It is an awesome hotel for $45 a night!! It is a few blocks from Khaosan Rd so it is a little quieter, but close to all the action. I had planned a tour to go to the floating markets and they were to pick me up at 6:10am at a nearby hotel. I called a couple times and they said I was in the right place and they were coming. At 7:30 I called for the third time and they said they had left without me because I wasn't there!! augh!! I was so disappointed. I took a nap, then walked around for a few hours. I took a cruise through the canals on a rice barge. We left from Sheridan River shops. Nice area. We got to see a snippet of Thai life on the river. At the end of the two hour trip they served a fruit buffet - dragon fruit, mangoes, pineapples, jackfruit, mangosteens, coconuts and guavas. They also served free Mai Tais :)
Tomorrow I was supposed to take a tour of the Grand Palace, but I switched it to go see the floating markets. Hopefully I will make it tomorrow!! I will have to see the Grand Palace the next time I come to Bangkok. After the markets tomorrow I am going back to Zach's and Nancy's Wednesday and Thursday. It will include walks, naps, string cheese eating, and me dodging him shooting me with toy arrows. On Thursday night we are all going to Chaing Mai :)
