Saturday, smells and Siam

Just going to make this blog post as short and sweet as I can, just highlighting the really fun things from today.

Following another late rise, Kate and I decided that today was the day for relaxing! We headed downstairs to the Bakery Cafe and treated ourselves a breakfast or croissants and coffee. DELICIOUS!

The day was already warm, and we agreed to quickly visit the gym before finally visiting the rooftop pool.

Siam Square by day - Markets open at 6pm

We departed the hotel around 3:30pm and were approached by a gentleman offering a taxi ride. "Where you going?" he asked. We explained that today we were catching the train, and will maybe take him up on his offer "tomorrow!". I do not doubt that he will be waiting for us again on the same corner, expecting us to pay his suggested 150 THB for a ride to the Ibis. Will not be happening! Not for that much anyway.

Lunch was around 4pm - and we headed straight for the Food Republic again. This time I tried Hokkien noodles but ordered my Coke without ice, just to be on the safe side. Lunch total: 95 THB ($3.35 AUD).

Now for a massage that we both had been absolutely killing for.. We were instructed to walk through the Siam Centre into Siam Discovery, and make our way to the 3rd floor. "Sawadee ka. Full body thai massage please." We were taken inside a large room filled with red leather recliners, given blue silk pants to slip on underneath our skirts, and sat back with our feet up. I have NO words to describe how amazing this massage was. I usually cannot stand my feet being touched, but for 40 minutes I relaxed while a friendly Thai lady kneaded my feet. I believe it is a practice of reflexology, but I had no idea that feet could be massaged in such a way. I was sore in places I didn't know possible, and Kate giggled as the massage proceeded to our lower legs! The last 20 minutes involved an interesting back and shoulder massage, with my arms being lifted above my head and my head being manoeuvred in various directions. I felt like jelly, with every muscle in my body not wanting to tense or allow my body to stand up. 400 THB was handed over and we ventured back into the shopping centre. 

The ground floor entrance of Siam Paragon

Kate and I weren't too fussed for shopping, but I have to admit that I am excited to have purchased a pair of Converse All Stars for 1050 THB (almost $37 AUD!). We ventured through Siam Discovery back to the Siam Centre, and quickly popped into Siam Paragon. Definitely not my style, being filled with designer brands and items that I would not justify spending money on. Back to the markets it was…

Walking through the street markets is a different experience. Firstly, it is BUSY. There are people everywhere pushing their way through the crowd. It was probably even busier being a Saturday night. Secondly, it is HOT. Not only is the weather warm, but heat radiates from the stoves atop many street food stands. My clothes were stuck to my body! Thirdly, it SMELLS. Some pleasant smells… only some. I found that by the end of the night I was pretty used to the sometimes repulsive aromas. Fourthly, it was a great chance to practice greetings! I feel much more confident saying hello in Thai now, and the people are mostly friendly, even when you are not purchasing their goods. Lastly, DOGS. It is a remarkable sight to see dogs trotting around and dogs just lying by the gutter.

We made our way back to a stand that caught our eye on our first night, displaying cute cropped t-shirts. Our haggling skills are still developing, but we walked away with 4 shirts, originally 200 THB each, for a grand total of 550 THB! Very happy customers!

Our adventure then took us beyond the main street and down alley ways, into narrow indoor markets. Clothes appear to be the main market commodity. For as far as we could see, there were markets and more shops. I loved that most markets were playing music: Maroon 5, Pitbull, Kelly Clarkson… and I often found myself singing along. Even though we did not intend on spending anymore money, we both enjoyed just walking around and seeing what was on offer. We eventually found ourselves across the road from MBK and could see our next hotel close by. Excellent - we know where to head tomorrow.

By now, 9:30pm was approaching and we weaved through smelly back streets and alleyways (finding the Bangkok Hard Rock Cafe) back to Siam BTS station. We walked up to the platform and instantly boarded a train. The trains run very frequently here! Feeling extremely exhausted and without thinking twice, we headed straight towards the bar back at our hotel. Immediately we were greeted in Thai (I am getting good at returning the greeting!) by a lady wearing a beautiful, floor length, cobalt blue dress. "2 singhas please". They promptly arrived alongside a bowl of nuts and fried onion. Kate and I contently sat, chatted, drunk, reminisced, and sung along to the 3-piece band that was playing until just before midnight. We have been very spoilt here! The perfect end to another great day, and I can't wait to see what comes next!

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Travel tip 7: The street markets do not begin trading until around 6pm. Many begin to start packing up just after 9pm. Allow plenty of time to check everything out.