Nick browsing the Bangkok Post on our way to Bangkok
We had a few things to do in Bangkok, such as getting our Russian Visa, buying panniers for the bikes and sending our packs home!!! Getting our russian visa proved dead easy after getting all the paper work together (which was 99% of the work). We also bought flash new Ortieb panniers - 40L for nick and 25L baby ones for Nat - to carry all our gear. They are 100% waterproof, german made, and 9/10 cyclists we see use them.
We enjoyed our time in Bangkok and managed to whittle away 8 days. It was our 3rd time here in as many months but we both have become fond of the hustle and bustle of the city. We were both in need of a change of clothes as our's were starting to show the signs of 4 months of handwashing, so we visited the Chatachuk market, which is a huge weekend market. We had been there a few times before and new there were bargains to be had. The market has over 15,000 stalls and you can get anything from, clothes, furniture, antiques to pets. There are food and drink stalls at every corner so we ended up snacking all day. We ended up with a few new t-shirts each, a bargain at NZ$6 each.
We also spent a few days exploring the city using the local buses. You can get across town for 7Baht (25cents) so they are a great way to get around once you figure out which ones go where. We visited Siam Square, a collection of 5 shopping malls and an outdoor mall. Each mall caters for different levels of fashion and price. There is MBK that is packed with teenagers fighting for cheap clothes bargains or electronics then there is the Siam Paragon where you can visit Gucci and Armani shops. They even have people who have giant squiggie brooms that soak up water on the pavement after it rains!!
But the great thing about Bangkok is there contrasts at every step. You can go to a flash mall, then walk around the corner and slurp up a noodle soup from a street vendor. Or a 2 minute bus ride away and you are in the heart of chaotic chinatown.
We were also there for the beginning of Songkran - Thai New Year - also know as the water festival (13-17 April). It is good luck to soak and be soaked in water. The day before Songkran people pour water on Buddhas then on the 13th all hell breaks loose. The streets are lined with Thais and foreigners armed with water guns, buckets and hoses whose sole purpose is to get as many people as wet as possible. If you have dry clothes you are especially targeted. It is also 'fun' to put clay paint on peoples faces!!
We had to ride through town to get to the train station and knew we would not be turning up dry. We wore some dirty clothes and headed out. After making a bad call and riding down a street near Khao San Rd (THE backpacker street) we got caught in a street party. We ended up getting totally soaked and we both looked like we had just got a facial as we were covered in white clay paint. Lucky we had our new 100% waterproof panniers!! It had been pretty hot in Bangkok so the water provided some cooling relief. Talking to locals, the waterfights usually go on for the whole 4 days. Many locals leave because they are sick of getting wet everytime they leave the house!! Nick got soaked while out the day before Songkran and had no underwear left, so he had to resort to wearing Nat's bikini bottoms!!
Soaking Buddha for Songkran
Waterfighting in Bangkok
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