Day 14 - Bangkok, Thailand

We meet downstairs at 9 this morning. Feeling. Little hung over. First stop is the Chatuchak weekend market which is huge and really reminded us of Camden market. You could literally spend the day here getting lost in this labyrinth of a market.

Breakfast is a series of street food stands that catch our eye. Including pancake sausage which is delicious. 

The highlight had to be the paella at a chic little bar called Viva 8 in the middle of the market. 

After we finish here we try to get a taxi to the river but it turns out to be far more difficult than anyone could ever imagine, despite having a map up show the driver where we wanted to go. The distance was about a mile but the plonker ended up taking us to the southern part of Bangkok when we were way way up north. It ended up a 40 min cab ride! To give an example it was like getting in a taxi in Leicester Square and asking to go to the Thames only for him to take you via the north circular!!

As we were downtown we decided to see if we could have a drink in the very cool bar from the film the Hangover, Sky Bar on the roof of the Lebua State Tower. It's not open in the day but we make plans to come back later on. 

Not a bad setting for a bar!

Next stop is a boat ride (the right one this time) back up the river to the temples we were originally trying to get to. 

Passing the shrine to me, Wat Arun. 

Decided to go to the Wat Pho temple, a beautifully intricately decorated temple with a huge reclining Buddha in it which was pretty cool. 

Me and my new friend.

Bong time. 

Meet giant reclining Budda. 

Probably spends about the same on pedicures as Lynne does. 

Definitely templed out now so head back to the hotel via Hard Rock. Had a crazy Tuk Tuk ride. All five of us in the back of a two seater Tuk Tuk. Pretty cosy and very sweaty and uncomfortable. 

Very disappointing Hard Rock pretty devoid of atmosphere. Looks like a place tourists come to die. And ridiculously expensive. Cost the same as our dinner last night for a round of drinks. Got my glass though. Starting to wish I had decided to collect shot glasses now. 

Another ridiculous taxi ride back (lost again!) and time for a quick dip before heading out. Nice view from the pool. 

Started off at the Sky Bar first. What a bar! Such a cool place with a live band playing in the sky. Loved it. Great view of the city. Makes you realise what a huge and sprawling city Bangkok is. Apparently Sky Bar is the worlds highest outside bar which is probably about right given it is on the 64th floor. 

http://www.lebua.com/sky-bar

The band playing underneath the dome. 

Last night with our buddies :-(

I look black in this picture...

Next up is Vertigo at the Banyan Tree Hotel for dinner. A lovely place on top of the hotel 50 or so floors up but appalling value for money. Most expensive meal we have had by a country mile and only had mains too!

http://www.banyantree.com/en/bangkok/experience_the_resort/dining/vertigo_and_moon_bar

Fantastic view though, better than the Sky Bar as it's further up town. Our table...

Right underneath the band. 

More views. 

Now the next bit deserves a blog post in itself. Time for ping pong!

WARNING EXPLICIT CONTENT! ;-) 

This is where we experience the image that everyone has in their head of Bangkok.  

We head to Cowboy Soi as it is supposed to be the friendliest of the three red light districts in Bangkok. It's a pretty short street jam packed with strip clubs. It's heaving but with more prostitutes and lady boys than customers. 

To the left...

And the right...

They don't call it the red light district for nothing. 

We go to a place called Bacarra first which is basically a brothel parading about 20 girls on stage, none of which look like they want to be there. The glass ceiling with girls dancing above with not much on also a bit weird.

Funny signs. 

Now as this area is the tamest of the three red light districts we can't find any "shows" so jump in a cab to Patpong. We look pretty seedy jumping from one red light district to the other but 'when in Bangkok' and all that.  

We get to Patpong and after a quick inadvertent detour into the gay street we find the main street and get talked into a bar by a tout. What happened next was hilarious. It was exactly what we were looking for. Classic ping pong although even me and Dave were shocked by what we saw and experienced. 

We were handed table tennis bats and ended up having a round of ping pong with the lady on stage. Our faces must have been a treat especially the girls. She fired about 25 at us like a machine gun, of which we only managed to return about two. The rest hitting us. One hit Nat square in the forehead!!! She then subsequently started wretching! Never laughed so much. My shirt definitely needs a dry clean tomorrow! 

It was great fun. Also saw such classics as woman smoking cigarette down to the butt (literally!), razor blade snowflake making (see pic below), opening bottles, taking a full bottle of coke from one bottle and dropping it into another and firing darts to pop balloons we were holding above our heads (which was actually really impressive). She had an aim an Olympic archer would be proud of. 

Slight bill admin at the end when they tried to charge us £150 for one drink each. Always good to practice the bartering skills!  Got it down to £30 in total. 

Very funny night and great, if not unique, way to end the holiday with Dave, Caroline and Lynne. We are going to really miss them when they go tomorrow. 

PS. We are now back at the hotel in bed and randomly have just seen on BBC world news about the riots in Bangkok. First we have heard of it. Rest assured we are safe and sound. Its taking place way up town from where we are. I hope Gun is OK ;-) (see yesterday's blog!)