In Love with Siam
Love of Siam, the 2007 gay-themed movie by Chookiat Sakveerakul which stirred a lot of mixed reactions when it was released commercially, was until today, my most lasting and haunting memory of Thailand. Not even Hangover II and its sleaze and hardwired antics was able to spark, notwithstanding the plot of the latter proved too Jackass at some point. Siam’s multi-layered and multi-gendered family drama approach and coming-of-age theme had me hooked, and the best part as previously blogged, was that it was essentially a Christmas story.
Having returned from Bangkok (with a Siem Reap-Angkor Wat overnighter on the side) just last week was an emotional roller coaster, the downside coming from home, where I know the pre and post-departure office drama was gonna be vicious–which indeed it proved to be, and the upswings from marveling at a culturally rich country that is Thailand and Cambodia. Far from the metropolitan chic of Hong Kong and the dazzling casinos of Macau, Thailand and Cambodia were more of a deep immersion into the culture, learning something new and drinking in the rawness and the Southeast Asia-ness. Oh, and uber cheap shopping. At Christmastime. Which is why I put off blogging, since I know I’ll prattle on endlessly on the entire itinerary.
So instead, I cooled off, and here are some highlights:
Temples – Thailand being a dominantly Buddhist country, offers a lot of scenic temples, the more popular ones accessible via the Chao Praya boats and ferries. Therese and I spent one day visiting Wat Traimit, Wat Arun, Wat Pho, Wat Phra Kaew and the Golden Palace. Braving the heat and my growing mouth-sore (singaw), an unavoidable travel must-have, we trekked from temple to temple, jumping on and off the boats along a thankfully less flooded Chao Praya, and delighted in the fact that our digicam pictures turned up as the temples look in the website pictures.
Wat Arun - Temple of Dawn
Therese with a Reclining Buddha
Golden Palace and Wat Phra Kaew
Chao Praya River
Malls – Siam Center is the central point where most of the trains converge, they have two Sky Trains, one MRT subway, and two airport links, and we experienced none of the Bangkok traffic most tourists are warned against. The malls were very Greenbelt-Boni High, and if anything, I appreciated them only because of their scale and number and grandeur, especially as it’s Christmas season. One thing of note were their fun food courts. They give you a coupon/card upon entry, either to be swiped upon purchase at individual kiosks or pre-loaded with a certain amount and then later on a refund. I guess they don’t allow people who prepare food in their food courts to handle money. Astig.
Roda, Jake and Therese at Central World
Fast food munchies!
Chatuchak and Pratunam – were the main reasons why I snubbed the malls along Siam Central. I included it in the itinerary I prepared prior to departure, only to be taken over by bargain hunts. Chatuchak is like Divisoria but twice the size of MOA’s floor area, while Pratunam’s Platinum Mall is like Greenhills, where you go from 1st to 6th floor and cry at every floor because every stall’s offering reminds you of someone who can wear these clothes, and every men’s store makes your hands itch to grab at least two items, but you can’t because you have limited baggage allowance and even less financial mileage.
Chatuchak Weekend Market
Chai Coffee exhibition!
Going praning at Pratunam
Thai Food – one thing I was able to prove, Bangkok really is a street culture. You can put the malls in some place like Eastwood or Rockwell and there it will fit in nicely, but I can’t imagine Manila with tuk-tuks, moto-motos and delicious, authentic Thai cuisine. The unbelievable part is that the price at the food courts and the streets are almost the same, but the street food tastes way better and offers more value for money. I had Pad Thai, Khao Pad, Papaya Salad, and Bubble Milk Tea, priced so reasonably we always over-order. Back here at home, I had milk tea at Distrito and was almost offended at the PHP100 Wintermelon Milk Tea with pearl. At the streets of Bangkok they cost only 20baht, and they taste better, and even have that machine where they seal the top of the tumblers with plastic covers. I mean, come on, do the Math.
Thai street grub
Cheapay Milk Tea, babeee
During our trip I got told several times I look like Thai, the 18-year old handsome variety, and that tops my list why I love this freely gay country.
Now for some UNESCO World Heritage Site adventure: Angkor Wat
Exhausted from the endless walking around and shopping, Therese and I were 50% decided to just junk the Cambodia leg altogether the night before the very early (4AM) wake up call, that will start our 8-10hour land journey to Aranyaprathet-Poipet borders separating Thailand and Cambodia. We stood our ground and made up a list of reasons why we shouldn’t put off Angkor Wat, among them, we’ve press released already that Angkor Wat is on the itinerary and we don’t want to appear weaklings who fell victims to the lure of Bangkok shopping.
Crossing the border was buwis-buhay!
We were so right. Angkor Wat was majestic, and as my camera batt went out on me after only three hours, I remember thinking that even in its centuries-old ruined state, the Angkor temples still look like God’s grace. The place offered a tranquil, almost unperturbed and eerie vibe, as if time stood still and you can stay there for an hour and go out and it’ll be like a decade later in the real world. In a nutshell: the place creeped me out in a good way. I also remember saying you can strike a pose against anywhere in that place and the pics will come out marvelous; the scenery transforms you, almost makes you vivid. Okay that was weird.
Angkor Wat Temple
Angkor Thom
Ta Phrom
Now Angkor Wat is just a few cartwheels from its town/hub Siem Reap, which is a delightful slice of tourist heaven. Aided by the only friend we made there, our tuk tuk driver named Lai, who made our itinerary, charged us ridiculously cheap rates, brought us to a superb hotel, and was like a coach who demanded we wake up early as the Angkor sunset is a must-see for first-timers, Jake, Therese and I mapped out a solid itinerary and did everything we sought out to do.
Step 1: Early lights out!
Step 2: Catch the sunrise!
Now back to Siem Reap: home of several blocks of tourist heaven, amazing street food, Khmer delicacy, cheap pasalubong, and very tourist-savvy Cambodians, this leg of our journey is almost like an R&R within an R&R, if that’s even possible. Where Thais are snobbish when you converse with in English and tried to bargain, the Cambodians are the opposite: they know how to speak and they know how to sell. I never imagined buying the typical Cambodia-Angkor Wat souvenir shirts for as low as 2 US dollars, but as it’s low season, the sellers are all willing to go wholesale, down sale. Jake didn’t need his superb bargaining skills here, show the slightest hesitation and the sellers will trip over themselves and chase after you to buy. It was heaven.
Siem Reap during low season is bargain heaven!
Fish massage!
I went home exhausted, with a mouth sore as big as a cent, anticipating a brutal day at the office when I return, but it was well worth it. I can’t say anything much anymore, but will end by thanking Therese, Jake and Roda, for making this trip a successful one.
Buh-bye
Cheers to two new countries visited before the year ends, and here’s to plenty of good memories to look back to when pressure at home becomes too unbearable.
17 days to go until Christmas!
