slosh down the pepper!

Bangkok "rendezvoUs" FINALE

DAY FIVE / 1st May 2006, Monday

Last day... we continued to remain non-repentant and woke up at 10plus. How I would love to while our final night together with mounds of stuffs; pillow-fights, food-fights, man-fights blah blah blah! Instead, we involved ourselves with a dollar-wasting activity in a bid to appease that tired body. Best sleep so far, SIX hours.

Last day... our wallets still felt rich and full. What's more, WR would be getting back the 1000 baht deposit too! After 3 days of frugal living, it's time to pamper our grouchy stomachs with a good fat meal! The good thing about Bangkok guesthouses is that most of them are equipped with internet access. The funny thing about us is that we prefer variety, to the extent that even using the PC next door made us happy. We walked out of Happy House, bought a pack of mangoes and walked right into Wild Orchid Villa which is just beside the former. RIGHT. We sussed out two hotel buffets: Baiyoke's International Seafood Buffet @ 740 baht per person & Oriental's International Seafood Buffet @ 1140 baht per person.

Of course, last day already... we took every opportunity to talk to the lady recep who had been attentive to our needs for as long as we stayed with them. We wanted to widen our options; there could be better deals out there that weren't in the internet. So after moving out of Wild Orchid, we returned to Happy House to find the lady busy attending to some angmohs who had just arrived. Hai, BUT we still refused to give up. Our 'calls' were being heard! After pacing up & down Soi Chanasongkram for 5 - 10minutes, she's finally available to attend to us. Not much insight though; she recommended us those pick-and-choose-your-own-and-we-will-cook-it-the-way-you-like-it seafood restaurants which open only at night.

Oh well, since it was the last day... we gave ourselves a break. "Don't think anymore! Baiyoke Seafood!" *flags cab* Wah, first time I heard a Bangkok cab driver trying to do negotiation instead of turning on the metre. He got a big nerve to ask for 150 baht! Of course, we said no! After more than 80 hours meandering through the roads, we knew better than to get cheated by dishonest drivers. He continued: "100 baht", he still didn't get it when we wanted to use the metre-based pricing instead. "METRE" we insisted. "hmp" and he waved for us to hop on. I dunno if he's sore about losing the opportunity to slice us; he put on a grumpy face and remained silent throughout the journey, unlike the other drivers we had met. What was most disgusting was that he kept sniffing and did the ghastly act of digging his nose and sticking the product of his effort onto some part of his cab. YUCK! Oh yea, we got the ride at only 80 baht! *grinning*

Last day to eat well! I remembered we made 4 to 5 rounds the buffet tables. Like any hotel buffet in SG, theirs categorised into 'appetisers', 'italian', 'japanese', 'korean', 'chinese', 'local', 'western', 'pastries', 'desserts' & 'drinks'. Sounds like a great deal, but really, the focus on seafood seems a little off. Maybe seafood to them only meant the prawns, the fishes, the sashimi (only salmon & Tai), the crabs, sotong and nothing the likes of crayfish, lobsters, scallops, abalones, shark's fins... Yah, at only SGD$32 which also includes a visit up the Observation Deck on the 84th floor (usual fee at 200 baht), I ought to shut up. THEN, in the midst of tearing a piece of tough steak, uh oh.. "500 baht for airport tax!". SHUCKS! A quick glance at our wallets revealed a total less than 700 baht! And we still needed to make our way to the airport! OMG.

Never mind, last day already. Enjoy first. After all, we got nothing to worry about. Our sane minds told us to bring some sing dollars along. So.. plans made, thought discarded, stomachs filled, we stomped to the observation deck. The deck itself was not appealing at all. Luckily, the sight was a more interesting picture, with each side of the deck facing a different part of Bangkok. High-rise business-like buildings in the direction pointing to Sukhumvit, while flat structures dotted the landscape of Silom / Pathunam. A marvellous view that can only be doubly wonderful when captured at night.

Last day to try new stuffs. So we decided to take the Airport Bus from outside one of the hotels. Then we spotted those sweet smoked coconuts! Well, since we had money to spare after exchanging another SGD$50, we each had one. I didn't notice the flesh was so soft that I could simply use the tip of the straw to scrap it out! A nice cooling finish to a big meal! Half an hour went by and there was still no white-colored bus coming our way.. It was already 4pm! Our flight was at 6.15pm. Darn. We went back to the cabs and were smoothly transported to the airport within half an hour.

Sheesh... our last day already. Time flew mercilessly when you begin to enjoy yourself.

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Total expenditure:
- Mango breakfast = 10 bht
- Internet access = 22 bht
- Baiyoke Seafood Buffet Lunch = 740 bht per pax
- Cab fare = 80 + 250 bht = 330 bht
- Smoked coconut = 20 bht per pax

Expenditure per pax = 941 bht [SGD$40.30]

All in all, total dollars used up = $177 airfare (inclusive of 500 bhat airport tax when departuring from Don Muang) + $43 accomodation + $230 for food & entertainment = ~$450. Perfect!

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Lastly, a couple of noteworthy conversations:

1) Thai: "Where do you come from?"
We: "Singapore"
Thai: "Oh! Lee Kuan Yew!" Three to four incidents already wor!

2) Local staff in Happy House: "Where do you come from?"
We: "Singapore"
Happy staff: "Oh! I thought China.."
Me: *utterly surprised* "Filipino", "Indonesian", "Thai", "Malay", even "Indian" I have heard ofWR being associated with, but never a China-man! I personally thought he was a Malay when I first met him in the University Cultural Centre in NUS. Gosh! I think the staff probably inferred his statement from my looks. After all, I was constantly being mistaken as a Northern China lady, basically those more delicate breeds from Shanghai, Suzhou & Hangzhou etc. O_o

3) Mum: "So, did you buy anything back?"
Me: "No lah.. nothing.. all lousy material, low quality stuffs, no point buying"
Mum: "Aiyoh! I think you don't know where to go lah!"
Mum again, on the 2nd day: "You really didn't buy anything ah? Not even one item?" (O_O)"

Labels: bangkok, travel

posted by slingwoof @ 5/15/2006 12:19:00 AM