Bangkok: Around Siam Paragon

You know, seeing these pictures now, it would be so easy to assume that I did nothing in Bangkok today at all. 

But it's not true. 

I actually did a lot. 

So it might be that I didn't go very far out of the zone today, but that doesn't mean I didn't do anything meaningful.

Nor does it means that I didn't do anything constructive. 

I spent a good deal of time today hanging around Siam Square 1. 

Not on purpose- I so happened to be wandering round the malls and the shops behind whilst my friend went for an appointment. I didn't take much notice of the shops in the mall (yet) but there were a few snack outlets, a few clothes' shops, and one of Thailand's most popular cosmetics, skincare and beauty stores- Eve &  Boy. 

In the basement too was the Thailand Post Office, and after making a few enquiries, my friend joined me and off it was to lunch at Sizzler over at Central World. 

Didn't matter that I'd had the same meal only just two days before. 

This afternoon I was determined to take my time to enjoy it. 

And enjoy it I did. 

I'd ordered fish and chips. 

Then at the salad buffet, between bites of fried fish and chips, I helped myself to three plates of salad.

All of which, more or less, looked the same. 

See, out of all the lettuces there are out there, Romaine lettuces are probably my favorite- I have it whenever I feel like having salad and the vegetable's there. 

So today I helped myself to the leaves of the lettuce, a bit of orange slices, a ladleful of quail eggs, corn kernels, big slices of roasted pumpkin, fresh sliced onions, croutons, and a scattering of mozzarella cheese. 

After that I got myself a bowl of soup- with croutons, of course.

And then a small bowl of quail eggs because I have a special liking for quail eggs and got extra happy when there was more than enough for me to have some.

But I don't have a picture.

Neither do I have a picture of the dessert I took, which, on a plate I had a small cup of not-so-sweet chocolate mousse, a bit of jelly (which I don't know what flavor), and a small little shot glass of sago with coconut milk. 

Lunch over, we headed back to The Quarter where I pulled out some products with the intention to use at the Thailand Post Office.

But I hadn't gotten all the details right the first time, and so, unfortunately, I had to take it back again. 

After this, from Siam Square we walked to this shop not too far from Erawan Shrine. What we did was to stay on Ratchadamri Road, turn left into the lane near Courtyard by Marriott, then turn out onto the other road. 

At that time I dont' think we knew what the name of the road was. 

I still don't quite know it now. 

But it's near the Chidlom BTS, it's opposite the still-building Chidlom Shopping Mall, and, if I'm not wrong, it's in a building that also houses a couple of offices, a couple of restaurants, a spa, and a few retail here and there. 

Here (the shop's probably Lemon Farm) we bought a couple of organic powders, wandered around a bit, and then after that back we bounced to Siam Square where this evening we had a meal of pork tonkatsu, and salmon at a restaurant called KOGARO. 

Located on the 2nd floor of a three-storeyed building, the charm of the meal had to be this little pear-shaped thing that I think came on top of the rice bowl. 

You know, if there's one thing about tonkatsu meals here in Bangkok that I've eaten thus far, it's that their rice is really, really good. 

Not one time has it ever been that their Japanese rice isn't fluffy and soft and warm and so comforting to the palate. 

Not one time too has it ever been that I've not wanted to finish the rice at all. 

It's just too good. 

I don't know if it's the rice import, if it's the cultivated version that they do within the country- they're no noobs to rice cultivation after all- or if it's just the way they steam their rice. 

But I love it. 

Their tonkatsu was very good too. 

It had a slightly different size, and a slightly different taste compared to some of the other places that I'd eaten- both on the island and in Bangkok itself- but the size of each piece was prepped just right, the bite of each piece was good (there was chew but it still was tender and soft) but the breadcrumbed coat had to be the best of all. 

I love how they do the breadcrumbs, I tell you.

They don't skimp on the quality. 

They don't skimp on the skill to fry it well also. 

This is one of those pieces where I think I could be happy just eating the breadcrumbs by themselves without the meat. 

But it would be silly, wouldn't it? 

Dinner finished, I went across to the Novotel close by for a while, then about an hour later, we headed to Thai Thai Massage across the road near Siam Square for a 5-in-1 massage. 

As usual, it made me fall asleep. 

Bangkok: 5am & Rebonded Hair

Traveling to BKK this time I probably took what was one of the earliest flights I've ever taken thus far. 

Most of the time my flights have been in the early afternoon (great timing) or late morning (also great timing), but to have a 545am flight on Scoot is another thing altogether. 

Because it was just me, and because I had to get to the airport at 345am, I decided I'd spend the night at Changi instead of Grabbing down at 3am.

So, yep, I left the house at 1130pm the night before, took one of the last few buses (Bus 24) to Changi, and spent a good couple of hours at Burger King where I got myself a coffee, then headed to the boarding gate at 430am. 

I got to Bangkok at 725am local time.

My friend met me at Suvarnabhumi Airport and we took the Airport Rail line down to the city where I'd be returning back to the same room at The Quarter at Ploenchit that I'd left only a day or so before. 

Today turned out to be a busy day of running around. 

After sorting my stuff, out I went to this place called Mediva Clinic near Ploenchit where I got a filler treatment that solved the issue of my dark undereye bags, 

What's a little funny is that whilst I had heard of botox and fillers and aesthetic treatments, this was the first where I experienced first-hand how a decades-old cosmetic issue could be managed in a matter of minutes. 

No more now would I need to hear that I looked sleepy or get asked if I'd slept enough simply because my undereye circles were bluish and heavy. 

No more too would I have to wonder if the OTC-bought concealer was too light a shade for suitable coverage. 

One injection (or was it two) and suddenly those eye bags seemed way less dark, and those eye pouches seemed smaller and way more natural. 

What I liked best about Mediva Clinic (and I think it's across the board here in Thailand) was just how they embraced the fact that not all patients could afford downtime, and most patients were frightened of needles, and the like. 

If other clinics had glamorous looking cushions, Mediva had a lot of cute-looking stuffie toys of the non-furry kind.

I'm so thankful that the doctor was swift and skilled. 

She simply told me that some shots would feel like pinpricks and then the only scary shot would have some sort of a big click sound and please to not panic.

I tried. 

And it was over.

Having settled the Skin, Hair came next, and off it was to a salon called Niche at this building called All Seasons Place that was too far down the road. 

It's interesting how all these places were within walking distance from each other. 

What exactly the route it was we took to get there I can't remember now, but let's just say it was on Witthayu Road the other side of Ploenchit BTS. 

Of course, as usual, there was a bit of a walk to be had, but we got to the building, we got the place, and then it was four hours straight on the chair as the stylists worked the rebonding treatment all through my hair. 

I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel emo. 

Especially when you consider that it had been 1.5 years since I last saw myself having such straight hair.  

To not have to tie it up (finally) meant such a huge, huge deal to me. 

It still does.

We headed back to Na Ploenchit Boat Noodle right near Mediva Clinic after my hair was all straightened pretty. 

This evening we had a meal of boat noodles, basil beef rice and omelet. 

I don't know if I've ever written about the food at this place before, but it has become one of my new favorite places for boat noodles in Thailand (or anywhere else) and to date I've not bothered to try out eating boat noodles elsewhere either.

Maybe I will- if they're similar to this one here, if they let me choose what type of noodles I like (kuay teow please, thank you) and if their soup is as full of flavor, thick, and brothy as this one.  

Bangkok: The Sizzler buffet

I was going back to the island today. 

Alone. 

By myself.

So, as you can imagine, I was not very much in a mood today. 

What makes this day even more hair-raising is that there aren't any pictures- not a single one. 

There's none on Chonkycam. 

There's also none on the phone. 

I don't know what happened. 

Either by this time I had kept Chonkycam snug in my bag and I didn't want to take her out, or it might just have been that I was too busy keeping check of the clock to really appreciate the surroundings around me. 

It is a very rare thing that I don't have any pictures. 

It is also a very rare thing that I forget to write down just what it was I was doing in the morning before heading out to lunch, and then the airport. 

But I'll chuck in a picture of the view outside our room at The Quarter anyway. 

I'm not sure if there was breakfast down at the cafe this morning. 

There might have been.

There might not have been. 

But surely I would have eaten something- I'm certain of it- I just don't recall what it is, and (quite ridiculously) neither do I have any pictures of it. 

Terrible. 

Nevertheless we headed out to lunch at Sizzler over at Central World where I ordered a main of Fish and Chips plus two plates of salad that I'm sure included lettuce, corn, croutons, a bit of salad sauce, black olives and some other vegetables. 

There might have been a bowl of soup. 

I'm also sure I took the dessert, which, here at Sizzler would have included jellies, some sort of chocolate cream, fruit, and pandan pudding with tiny little sago balls on top. 

Bangkok: Ploenchit Stay

We left Kanchanaburi this morning.

Did I feel sad?

Yes.

There were places I still wanted to go- like the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, like the Thailand-Burma Railway Center- all of which were literally walking distance from Natee Riverfront. 

But there had been no time. 

Maybe one day when life's easier I might get a chance to return to Kanachanaburi, and this time, maybe I'll visit what I this time didn't get to see. 

Our bus was a mid-morning one- 1030am from the Kanchanaburi Bus Terminal to Bangkok- and we got to the station around 10am. It wasn't difficult to get the bus tickets that we'd pre-booked. We just needed to show the lady at the table, she ticked off her list, and handed us the tickets. 

It was one of those mid-sized passenger buses- not a coach- and so we had to work our way around the luggage. What's more, I happened to be assigned the seat that was right above the rear right wheel, so yes, it was a wee bit cramped, but, okay. 

Traveling from Kanchanaburi to Bangkok is a three hour plus journey, and we got to Chatuchak Bus Terminal around 1.40pm. 

Perhaps had the bus gone on a direct route it would have been two hours, but here and there along the way the bus stopped to pick people up and so there were little waits here and there. 

I spent most of the bus journey asleep, but the rest of the time I tried taking as many pictures as I could. 

I wish I knew the route the bus took though. 

At least I would be able to know which town this was and where on the route all these were, too. 

From Chatuchak Bus Terminal we Grabbed to our hotel The Quarter at Ploenchit. 

Situated on a road called Soi Ruam Rudi 2, this hotel was relatively close to the Ploenchit BTS, and so was convenient to get about just anywhere along the BTS line. 

We checked in, looked about the room and settled some of our things down. 

The Quarter is a fairly functional hotel. 

First thing one notices about the lobby is this humongous stuffie sitting comfortably on the sofa. 

It adds a nice touch to what is a structured, neat place and although the room might be a little small to some, I found it compact, with more than sufficient space to put a bit of stuff here and there. 

The room too had a round table that doubled up as a desk and a coffee table and which one could work and eat at the same time. 

There wasn't much for me to unpack- I was leaving the next day- so not long after we headed out and walked down to Central Embassy for lunch at what has now become one of my favorite Japanese cafes in Bangkok- Okonomi. 

Here I ordered the Salmon and Cheese Mazemen, and a bowl of pumpkin soup which me and my friend shared. 

I really love this Mazemen, by the way. 

It might look small but the noodles are done really well, there's a sort of chew to the noodle, and when mixed with the cheese, one gets a taste of the fermented and the milky. One of the best ways to have this is to eat it strand by strand. You feel the texture of the noodle better that way. 

Afterwards we headed over to Asok for a foot massage- which spa it is we went to, I'm afraid I cannot remember- but I think it was somewhere not too far away from the main road. 

We then went to collect our luggage from Holiday Inn Bangkok, but not before sneaking into Moxy's lobby a quick and light dinner where my friend bought me a Pad Thai from the Thipsamai stall in the food court of Siam Paragon, as well as crepe snacks, coconut snacks, chendol snacks and a bag of sweet potato balls plus a drink from Shake Shack. 

I'm just glad no one kicked us out. 

Kanchanaburi: Safari

One of the very first things I did this morning was to go out to the balcony.

I'm the kind who is a little fascinated with rivers and waters and certain types of jungle forest, and having wondered about this place- this part of the country- for the longest time, I was curious, and interested, and I wasn't going to miss it for anything in the world. 

It's one of those views that I think the island once used to have but has since lost. 

It's also one of those views that I think the island ought to have, but somehow (in the name of urban development and whatnot) it doesn't have. 

What fascinated me most were the color of the skies. 

Up till now I had heard of purplish blue skies in the evening. 

I never knew that there could be such colors in the early morning as well. 

There's a sense of quiet and a sense of serenity just looking out over the waters to the hills beyond. 

These aren't very huge hills, mind, but seeing them from this point of view, I felt my heart settle. 

And I wonder how it would be if one were to wake up every morning to such a view. 

Would one become more restful? 

Would one be able to forget the troubles and live in hope?

Or would one yearn to pursue further?

Such be questions that visitors not be able to answer.

But one doesn't think much, or one doesn't try to think much when they're tourists here, and when they have a breakfast to go to.

Breakfast here was at the restaurant one floor below the lobby. To get there you had to get down to the lobby, go down a staircase, then cross a kind of open air patio alfresco dining area, and then you were in the restaurant proper. 

I won't say that the breakfast buffet was basic. 

Because it wasn't. 

It might not have looked fancy (like how the international hotels do) but this was systematic, it was beautifully laid out, and it was so heartfelt and sincere. You could almost feel the heart of the kitchen as they scooped out the food and placed it in the trays. 

What's more, there was something for everybody. 

One might assume that a hotel in the provinces might not have cereal, but oh no, there was cereal, there was milk, there was yogurt, there was fruit, and there were a variety of sliced breads. On one side there was the egg station, there was the cooked food section, there were small little pieces of dim sum here and there, a small salad section, and there were of course the traditional cooked breakfast for those who like warm food in the mornings. 

I helped myself to the coffee. 

I also helped myself to the scrambled eggs, a cute little stick of Moo Ping, a bit of soy sauce glass noodles, and cherry tomatoes. 

I can't remember if I took anything else.

Maybe I had a yogurt. 

After breakfast we hung out in the room a while, then in the early afternoon headed out to the Safari Park Open Zoo.

Located in the Bo Phloi district of Kanchanaburi, it describes itself as an open safari park where you can feed the animals and have close contact with some of them. 

I think it's a rescue park of sorts too. 

When we reached, we bought a basin of thickly sliced carrots to feed the animals, then waited in line to get onto the mini bus ride where, I have to say, turned out to be one of the most enjoyable activities in this safari.  

Because when they say the animals come up close, mind you, they really do come up close. 

I'm not joking.

The giraffes and the zebras literally poked their heads into the bus to help themselves with the carrots, no kidding. I had thought we'd stick our hands outside the windows to feed them, but no, they stuck their heads in through the windows and right into the basins we were holding on our laps. 

Was I startled? 

A little.

But I was more surprised than startled. 

These animals are huge. 

Mind, it was a full grown giraffe and a full grown zebra poking their heads through the window. 

How often is it that one gets to stroke the snout of a giraffe? 

And how often is it that one gets to stare right into the (gentle but mischievous) eyes of a zebra? 

Not just them, below the window there were also the deer swarming around the sides of the bus. I don't know about the left side of the bus, but here on the right side, I counted at least four or five deer right below my window, all of whom seemed more than eager yanking the carrots out of my outstretched hands. 

They were surprisingly gentle though. 

One might have thought these lovely creatures would grab the carrots out of your hands, but no, none of them did. 

Not the giraffe with its huge snout. 

And not even the zebra with its gigantic strong, white teeth. 

From here the bus carried on further into the safari and I caught sight of free roaming lions, panthers, camels, and lots more deer. 

They were supposed to be free-roaming but at that hour a good number of them were well into their afternoon nap- and visitors like us had to peer a little just to see where exactly they'd camouflaged themselves. 

There were two shows that we managed to watch. 

The first was a crocodile show.

Second, an elephant show. 

For some reason I don't have pictures of either show- perhaps I was too occupied just watching these creatures work seamlessly with their minders and keepers to put up a performance that is steeped in skill, ability, and culture. 

We'll never really understand the connection between the crocodiles and their minders. 

Neither will we really understand the connection between elephants and their keepers. 

But the crocodiles seemed comfortable with the minders tugging them along by their tails.

They also seemed quite comfortable lazing out there in the middle of the pool and having the minders (armed with sticks) move around and about with them. 

It must take special skill, no question about it, to be able to open a crocodile's mouth and stick your head in it. 

Maybe there's trust, maybe there's a cue. 

Secrets, we'll never know, and they never should tell.

Same way it was for the elephants. 

I mean, elephants aren't docile creatures. Sure, they look the part (sometimes) but oy they have their spirit and their own mood and they most certainly will not listen to just about everybody and anybody save for those who have a longstanding connection with them. 

Somewhere between the crocodile and the elephant show we came upon an area where we got to see adorable creatures up close. 

There were donkeys tethered to their posts but with more than enough space to roam around.

There were fluffy chickens running happily around their space. 

There were camels in their enclosure, and there were goats, bunnies, guinea pigs, a capybara, and a turtle. 

It was quite a variety of animals that they had in this place, really. 

Sort of a prey and predator thingy less than 200 meters away from each other, and  yet, well taken care of on all sides. 

In another place a deer or goat might have been prey for the tiger. 

Or a crocodile might have helped himself to a chicken or deer. 

Here they lived side by side in their enclosures, and from the looks of it, these animals wouldn't return back to nature's charm any day soon. 

There were small creatures even, like birds, bunnies, and an entire enclosure of guinea pigs all busy doing what guinea pigs do. 

I was rather excited by the guinea pigs, honestly.

I've never seen so many in a single spot before.

After we'd seen everything here at the Safari Park we took a 700B bus-taxi back into town. 

A tad expensive (I thought) but that's how things go, I suppose, and taking public transport would have been too complicated otherwise. 

The bus-taxi brought us to this place called TMK Park Kanchanaburi. 

Sort of like an open-concept sort of mall where there're different retail in different sections, the main section held the TMK Supermarket, other sections included a Starbucks cafe and a Korean grocery store and at the other section was EatSmith- the cafe where we would be having dinner. 

EatSmith is a mixed cuisine type of restaurant that offers diners the choice of Western, Chinese, and Thai. 

So we decided to embrace everything and ordered a mixed cuisine meal consisting of Green Curry, Prawn Omelet, Fish Maw Soup, and Steak. We also had a Green Tea Latte. 

The Green Curry was remarkably tasty, I tell you. 

It is so, so seldom that I have a Green Curry that feels like it's loaded with spices of all kinds and is rich and thick and so good that I wish I could bring the curry back with me. 

The steak too wasn't bad. 

They were thorough. 

Where at (other) places more familiar the vegetables might be hard and cold, here they were soft steamed and warm and added great color plus comforting warmth to the meat of the steak. Not just that, the steak was good enough that we didn't need any sauce to go with it even. 

The omelet too was lovely. I had thought it would be oily, as Thai-style omelets sometimes do), but surprisingly it wasn't, yet it still had the clean taste of egg plus the fluff that comes with the way they do their omelet eggs. 

And of course there were plenty of fish maw pieces in the fish maw. 

No compromise on that one. 

We returned to the hotel after that.

Later that evening we headed out to hunt for the JJ Night Market, which we had heard was supposed to be open, but somehow it wasn't there that evening, and we had no idea where else in the vicinity had the night markets. 

So along Sangchuto Road we went, just walking and seeing.

Along the way we passed by an England Road, an America Road, and a Singapore Road. Had we walked further down we would have passed by a Taiwan Road, a Philippine Road, and an India Road, but I don't think we walked that far. 

Instead we somehow turned into one of the lanes, made our way down, and got ourselves back onto River Kwai Road that led to Natee Riverfront.