One Night In Bangkok. . .

(Editor: Oh come on – is there anything more cliched than using that song title as a blog post when in Bangkok?  Writer: Well, since you put it that, way, no, there’s not.  But Murray Head deserves props.  And, since when have I passed up the chance to use an ‘80s song lyric in the blog?)

So after our tour of Ayutthaya, we got cleaned up and met our fearless leader and the rest of the group at 6pm in the hotel.  Bun (pronounced “Boon,” but you probably knew that!) is very personable, and a good leader.  That was our initial impression, and, days later, it was the right impression.  Besides, he laughs at my jokes, so you know he’s smart!

We’ve liked all of our guides on trips in Asia – Ye Ye in Myanmar, Leo in China, and now Bun.  Honestly, after two cities on the trip, Bun is my favorite of the three, and that’s saying something, because the other two were really good!

It’s a group of twelve of us on this G Adventures tour, and we all get along very well.  There are seven Americans and five Canadians on the trip.  There are seven women and five men.  Two of the men are traveling solo, and four of the women are traveling as two (separate) couples.  Hometowns include Winnipeg, Vancouver Island, two towns in Michigan (Lions fans spotted in the wild!), South Carolina, Scottsdale, and, of course, Alexandria, VA.

After “get to know you” introductions, and a detailed briefing by Bun, we headed out into the night for a group dinner.  Our hotel is in Bangkok’s Chinatown, and let me tell you, those streets are hopping.  Street food, bars, restaurants, traffic, pedestrians, neon signs – very lively and fun.  The sidewalks were so crowded I was afraid if I stopped to take pictures I’d be left behind, so I didn’t get any, except in my mind’s eye.

If you want to have a fun evening in Bangkok that doesn’t involve illicit items (you are on your own for that, pal), head to Chinatown after dark, wander the streets, have a drink, and get some dinner.  None of us had any problems, but do be aware that it is fertile ground for pickpockets.

We walked multiple blocks to get to the subway, which was jam-packed.  And, by the way, pay attention, because I’ve never been on escalators that move as fast as the ones in the Bangkok subway.  

When we took it the one stop to our destination, it was like a different city.  The subway station was relatively empty of life, and coming up to the street was completely different than the scene we had left.  Very quiet.

Bun took us to his favorite little hole in the wall Thai restaurant, the 511 Cafe, where we sat at a long table and chatted freely, getting to know others in the group.  Carol and I both ate Pad Thai (reminder, this blog rarely features photos of our meals) and it was quite tasty.  

As a group, we walked back the 20 minutes or so to the hotel.  After traveling across the world, we were all looking forward to a good night’s sleep (sad trombone).