A traveller, yes I am.....A citizen of the world, indeed I am.
And I had my aidil adha doing training course in the middle of bangkok last 20th Dec 2007 (Thursday). My fellow 4 lecturer colleagues and I did not miss our solat sunnat eid adha as we all performed it at 8.00am on our own in each of our hotel room (Century Park Hotel, Pratunam, Bangkok). Takbeer raya pon sendiri-sendiri laa....
That was my first time ever to see bangkok with my own eyes. I had a long transit in the old airport, Don Muang almost 3 decades ago and this time, we landed at the new, more trendy yet looked like some sort of a massive concert stage roof layout structure Suvarnabhumi Airport. Bangkok is a huge capital city and we prolly need like a week or more to cover many parts of it. So we settled with what was nearer, more reachable from our hotel. We were there for the membrane technology course on water treatment and so we tried to manage the little time we had left to get to know the city. Some of us shopped more items in MBK, Pratunam market and Suan Lum night bazaar and had to buy another bag to fill up those merchandises/souvenirs. Alas, I didnt get to be at Patpong, wherein lies the hot spot in bangkok (easily reachable by Sky Train , a public transport that uses a light rapid transit train on the high railway above the busy roads), as no one really wanna accompany me there. It's ok, I'll do that trip if I am in bangkok again in the future. Does tiger show ring any bell?
ON the last day (Friday), we headed to menam chao phraya riverbank and just taking some photos of the views and a very short sightseeing of the Grand Palace. Prior to that, we did our solat jama' qasr at the Bangkok Central Mosque, located a wee bit out of the heart of the city yet on the same highway to Suvarnabhumi (pronounced as Su-wanna-bhoom). We had the pleasure of rental car service driven by a local muslim Thai by the name of Maleekee or better known in his Thai name: Adisak Mamu on Tuesday and Friday, where he picked us up from the airport on our arrival and sending us back there for our return journey while assisting us on some little detouring (pusing2 that is) around the city.
La gon, Bangkok, may we see each other again soon. Even though you are packed with 10s of millions of people there doing whatever job possible just to earn enough baht for the day, you are still an enigma to me. And I have always intrigued by anything enigmatic. And so is you. And nice ladyboys too!
4 comments:
There is a very nice Muslim restaurant near the mosque. The tom yam, ikan tiga rasa and cendol very yummy. There is another nice eating place near Pat Pong, the steam fish and fried wild vegetable so sedap. Love looking at the poles in Pat Pong ;)
Kak Nina,
Thanks for the tips. I shall be looking forward for more trips to bangkok again in the future esp that ringgit and baht value are about the same.
manal,
I heard Patpong is very subdued now compared to the Patpong of old. Things may have gone underground somewhat after the Thai Government tried to change the image of Thailand as it was more of sex tourism back then. I guess they have enough tourism products to attract tourists without resorting to sex as an attraction.
Unfortunately your friends were not adventurous enough to feel the ambience of Patpong by night as I believe they are still as colourful as ever.
Pak Zawi,
1st of all, thanks for dropping by my blog.
U see, thats why whenever i get the opportunity to be in bangkok again, it'll be spent more on sightseeing and patpong will be included as one of the destinations.
Really, subdued? But they are so good at it? Those thai girls, they may not be a va-va-voom beauties but the way they carry themselves and all those manja2 attitude can send any man weak in their knees....
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