Pictures to come soon
When I was 25, it was a very good year! (Modified Sinatra…)
Friday night, I rushed to the airport right after the Strategies for Asia Pacific class, which ran late as usual. I caught a cab with Canan from Turkey, and her charming visiting mother. We were flying Swiss International, and it was a very pleasant change from the Asian discount airlines. For example, we got a free meal, video-on-demand, a glass of wine etc. After landing in Bangkok, we followed Leo’s tip to catch a cab at the departure level and make sure he uses the meter. Our friends were quoted 1200 bahts and ended paying 600 bahts for a cab into town. We payed a cool 150 bahts! After dropping off Canan and her mom at their hotel, I was taken for a ride around town by my new taxi driver, but eventually pulled up at the Meriam Riverside hotel, a very nice 4-star hotel. I moved into my room with Marcus, and went back down to the lobby to grab a drink. I saw Canan and mom checking into the hotel, and they told me that the original hotel was dirty and doubtful beyond a seemingly nice lobby.
On Saturday morning, we grabbed an expensive but good breakfast at the hotel, and caught the shuttle boat to central pier. We walked around a small temple, and ate a delicious fried grasshopper. Chinatown is filled with tiny alleys with shops and stall, and packed with people. After a quick lunch in a department store with live karaoke, we grabbed a tuk-tuk to visit the Grand Palace, which was quite spectacular. We hired a guide who was quite strange, but very entertaining and knowledgeable. My favourite part was the three towers of Sri Lankan, Thai and Cambodian styles, one next to each other. All palaces are covered with golf leaf, and look stunning with the sunlight. After about an hour walking the palace grounds, we moved to the reclining Buddha. I was expecting a regular size statue, but this reclined Buddha is actually the size of a commercial plane! After a quick change at the hotel, we went to watch Thai boxing. We got there near the end of the show, so we were only able to see the last two matches. It was interesting, but for U$20 for 45 minutes, it wasn’t worth the money. It’s much like boxing as we know it, with the interesting add-on of using feet and knees. The first match went to referee decision. In the second match, the two fighters were very young, perhaps 15 or 16. One of them rapidly dominated, and the referee stopped the match when the loser lost his breath and couldn’t stand properly.
After the match, we went to the bed supper club (http://www.bedsupperclub.com/) This super hip restaurant serves you a surprise four-course meal on “beds”, which are really just large sofas. There were 11 INSEADers present. The first course was a ??? The second course was a nice tomato-based soup served warm. The main course was duck, sliced to perfection. The dessert was a delicious warm brownie à la mode. We accompanied the meal with at least 10 bottles of Argentinean white wine. After dinner, I walked up to the manager to negotiate a discount on a port bottle. He was very nice and when the bill came, we discovered that he had actually given us the bottle, as well as taking 2 people of the bill! I got a nice massage with my glass of port in my left hand, and a bolivar cigar in my right. Very very good night!
On Sunday morning, we hired a boat to take us around the canals of Bangkok, also known as the Venice of the East. We visited a crocodile farm, which resembled more a mini zoo than a farm. There was a poisonous snake show, where they teased cobras, and milked the venom by hand. We then paid a quick visit to the Palace of Dawn. After being dropped off at the Central Pier, we split up the group, as half of the people were returning to Singapore on Sunday night. We boarded the very modern Sky Train towards the Siam Paragon, a giant top-end shopping centre which recently opened. After having a late (4pm) lunch, we went to the weekend market, a covered market which literally covers square kilometres. You can find absolutely anything there, from fake brands to animals. I purchased a nice backpack to replace my old one.
After a much needed shower at the hotel, we headed to the top of the world: Banyan Tree’s roof-top Vertigo restaurant. Perched on the 62nd floor of the 5-star hotel, Vertigo is an open-air restaurant with a 360-degree view on endless Bangkok. (a 10-million population city) There was a European Maître d’Hotel who welcomed us, and invited to have a drink at the bar while he was setting up our table. He actually addressed me as “Your Highness”, which I thought was absolutely hilarious… We had a good laugh about it. After a Sherry at the bar, I opted for the 5-course meal with wine. After an amuse-gueule of salmon, I was presented with a delicious signature Caesar salad. Next up was a gazpacho with shrimp. The piece de résistence was a seared duck foie gras, with a glass of Champagne. As a main, I had some sea bass, which was a bit disappointing. Certainly nothing like what we prepare at my parent’s house in Florida! Dessert was glazed peaches in a cream sauce, with a glass of 10-year Tawny. It started raining at the end of the main course, so we had to move inside. Two of our meals (which were almost finished) did not make it in, so we complained a bit. We were offered a bottle of sparkling wine to appease our irritation.
After dinner, we went back to the hotel and got some traditional Thai massages. I was a little bit disappointed, but definitely got my $4 worth for a one-hour massage.
On Monday, I checked out after breakfast. The hotel tried to add 10% charge and 7% tax on top of the bill. I argued for 30 minutes with the reception staff, because there was no such mention on my reservation slip. They finally reluctantly agreed. Canan, her mother and I walked around the business district for about 30 minutes, and visited the world’s second tallest hotel: the Baiyoke Sky. They lost their title in 1999, when the Burj al-Arab opened its door in Dubai. (where else?) We managed to reach the 78th floor, but didn’t want to pay make it to the 84th. After buying 5 neck ties from $0.15 to $2, we boarded a cab and rapidly made it to the airport. After a one-hour delay, we were off to Changi.
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