A royal day out in the deepest sense of the word. Today it is the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaeow, Wat Pho, before we meet Carrie, an AIESEC friend of Lupo and later on dine out with our hosts Kenny and Daniel in the “Lobster”.
The temples
After a rather quick journey in the taxi (less than 1 hour – that’s good for Bangkok, believe me!) from the Sukhumvit area to the Grand Palace (and around 120.- Thai Bhat, so don’t be fooled by taxi drivers who ask for the double as a fixed amount) we see the area from the outside in all its grandesse. Just to see the temple roofs stretching out towards the sky, fenced by white fortress walls is impressive – especially if you see it first time.
And Wat Phra Kaeow is as impressive as it was five years ago also inside. I am again astonished by the sheer colours and artisanry of the temple, the Buddha figures, the demons watching over the temple. It’s just amazing and I could spend hours here. Just the many pictures on the outer wall, depicting the story of … is amazing. Then the main temple building with its emerald Buddha. A small and very revered statue nobody knows where it originally comes from – the story has it that it was once discovered inside a stupa or chedi after a lightning struck that and cracked it open. But there’s more to see and the audioguides we rented are available only for two hours.
The Grand Palace in comparison is much less fancy – at least in those parts where we have access to. And currently the royal family is busy meeting other people, so for the moment we have to go with that.
But Wat Pho again is astonishing: the giant Buddha, 30+ m long and on the outside made of pure gold, the feet’s soles made of pure mother of pearl works, showing high artistic knowledge of their creators. Unfortunately after this the first rain hits us and we take refuge in a cafe just outside the entrance before it is time again to take a taxi to Siam Paragon and meet Carrie.
The Sports Club
Another real discovery is about only to begin now: Carrie takes us to the next possibility to meet the Royals. We are about to have late lunch at the R.B.S.C. – the Royal Bangkok Sports Club. The guard at the door makes a short attempt to approach us in our touristy outfit and to friendly ask us for our desire. Carrie gives him a short wink with her membership card from afar. A friendly greeting and a shiny smiling, not further approaching us are his answer. Access only for members. And for us (today).
The location looks very much like my imagination of those old English gentlemen clubs is: nice high rooms, a lot of dark wood and brass, tables behind glass, who won what in which year. And they have even a table of the official club and committee representatives, showing even who’s in and who’s out. Not to talk about the horse race track (obviously the “sport” is partly exercised by others), a golf court, and probably somewhere also a pool, tennis courts etc. We just have a look at the horse tracks and the golf court in the centre of the race tracks. And the view from the second floor terrace is spectacular: a huge green spot in the middle of Bangkok, and just behind the Skyline of the BTS Skytrain and dozens of skyscrapers. I will post a panorama foto to this as soon as it is finished (most likely only after my return to Austria).
Restaurant at first floor, excellent food (we have again various Thai dishes, enjoying the rich tastes of sweet, sour, spicy, herbs, …). Interestingly the prices are not higher than in any other reasonable restaurant. Carrie explains it that way, that the club (especially the betting office) are subsidizing the restaurant. I realize how interesting it feels in the beginning to sit here with our T-Shirts and cargo pants and being treated with the same select friendliness as every other person here. I somewhat would have expected at least “those looks” – nothing. And I am also surprised how quickly I get used to that. The club is so distinguished that they don’t even take payment in cash or credit card for the lunch. It is all automatically booked to Carrie’s membership account. Anyway, we passed a few hours here and not it is time to continue again. Carrie needs to take her younger son back home and relieve her baby sitter from her duties and we have another appointment with Kenny and Daniel.
If it swims we have it
7:30 p.m. We are to meet Daniel in his shop. It’s nice to be here again after five years, where our friendship started. It still looks pretty much the same: the interior, the street kitchens in front, the pub next to the shop. And there is even their companion, who serviced my five years ago when I was here first time! He immediately recognizes me again and greets me with my name.
The only thing that has changed are the garments – at least some of them. While we check if there is something we “need to have”, Daniel arrives and we soon leave for the dinner with him and Kenny. They take us to the seafood restaurant they were talking about so often. It originated 35 years ago from a small travelling seafood dealer who grew his business in the meantime to what is said to be Bangkok’s biggest seafood restaurant now. Kenny arrives at the same time as we do and the wedding preparations seem to make him years younger: I haven’t seen him so enthusiastic, so young and so slim for quite a time! He must be very proud of marrying his eldest son now 😀
Back to the restaurant: imagine you enter through the doors into a huge sealike decorated hall and walk along the centre aisle towards what looks like a supermarket cashier. You get your “own” waitress, who is pushing your shopping trolley. That’s right, a shopping trolley. The menu is huge: I would estimate it to be some 30 to 40 meters long. Fresh fish in tanks, fish and crustaceae on ice, mussels and the like, fresh vegetables and finally all kinds of exotic fruits. Whatever you desire, you take it. Ah, that’s not true. Whatever you desire you point at and the waitress is taking it for you.
Then you pay everything at the cashier desk and back at your table you tell the waitress how you would like which seafood prepared in the open air kitchen: grilled, fried, deep fried, in green/red/yellow curry, … I am glad that Kenny takes care of that, I wouldn’t know what suits which selection best.
And then you start eating: placed around a round table that seats 12 or so people, one dish after the other comes served at the table and you start course after course. All in all you better bring enough time 😉 For us it’s another day that ends late in the night. A day full of refreshed memories and new impressions. And a day to sink even deeper into Asian lifestyle.
More to come. Stay tuned 😉