Bangkok 2014 Day 3 - 5

DAY 3: 20 DEC 2014
It's sightseeing day today!

We got up really early today to have the famous Sabx2 wanton mee for breakfast.
The stall is actually just beside our hotel, in the alley of Petchburi Soi 19.
We noticed the snaking queues that formed even before the shop was open yesterday,
and so we decided to join the queue today at 8.45am.
We were near the front of the queue, which meant that we will be in the first batch of customers.

There were a few menu pasted on the walls of the restaurant.

As we knew what we wanted, we placed our order almost immediately.

We ordered a large bowl of wanton mee each and a plate of pig trotters to share.

Wanton mee

The wanton mee was really good!

No wonder this place is frequented by Singaporeans.

I'm not a fan of pig trotters, but the meat served was really tender.

After our sumptuous breakfast, we returned to our hotel to get a taxi to Wat Arun.

The entire taxi ride costs 200 baht and it took about 15 minutes.
If you were to take public transport, you will need to take the BTS to Saphan Taksin station.
From there, you will need to take the Chao Phraya express boat to Tha Tien Pier, followed by
a small shuttle boat that brings you across the river which will cost you 3 baht.

Entrance to Wat Arun

Wat Arun is really stunning.

I have never seen a temple like this before, with its exterior decorated by tiny pieces

of coloured glass and Chinese porcelain aligned to form beautiful patterns.

 

The entrance fee costs 50 baht for foreigners.

You will be able to climb up two different levels, which promises good panoramic views

of the river and architecture surrounding the temple.

However, to get to those levels, you will need to climb up a flight of steep stairs.

It was an easy climb for me as there were railings along the sides.

Intricate porcelain art

The descend was a little scary though.
But you shouldn't miss the upper levels because of your fear of heights!
The ascend will be worth it!

After exploring Wat Arun, we headed to Wat Pho.
Wat Pho houses one of the largest reclining buddha in the world.
We took the shuttle boat to get across the river, where Wat Pho was situated.
The entrance fee costs 100 baht, which includes a free bottle of mineral water.

Wat Pho was huge, and we took close to 1.5 hours to cover the entire place.
There were many stupas located around the complex, and these are actually Buddhist
monuments that usually house the ashes of Buddhist monks.

Stupas

A row full of Buddhist statues

We chose to end off our exploration with the main hall, which houses the reclining Buddha.

Before entering, you will be required to remove your footwear and place them in the

recyclable bags provided by the temple.

Also, you will need to abide with the dress code, where bottoms must end below the knee

and tops must cover the shoulders.

Robes are available for rent if you are inappropriately dressed.

Close-up of the Reclining Buddha

The Buddha was huge!

Stretching at 46 metres long, with auspicious symbols seen on both feet of the Buddha.

There was a donation counter in the hall, which accepts a donation of 20 baht.

Both of us donated.

You will be given a bowl full of small change to drop them into 108 bronze bowls located

at the side of the hall.

This is believed to bring good fortune and to help the monks maintain the temple.

So right after the temple visits, we took a tuk-tuk to Chinatown for a late lunch.

Hua Seng Hong restaurant was our lunch venue, and it serves good Chinese food!

Many tables were spotted with steamboats, so I guess their steamboat is rather famous?

Anyway, halfway through lunch, my stomach didn't feel well.

I felt super horrible and just wanted to return back to our hotel.

So we took a tuk-tuk to MBK and then took the BTS back to our hotel as none of the

drivers are willing to go to Pratunum due to traffic.

Thankfully, we always prepare tons of medicine for travelling.

After half a day of rest, my stomach cramps and diarrhoea stopped!

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DAY 4: 21 DEC 2014
Feeling much better today, so our day goes as planned!
First up, Chatuchuk!
We took the BTS to Mo Chit station, which is the nearest station to the weekend market.
We simply followed the crowd after exiting the train, and we reached the market in no time!

Chatuchuk weekend market is only open on Saturdays and Sundays, as hinted by the name.
I downloaded the layout map from this website, which was rather useful in navigating
around the different sections of the market.
We spent two hours walking along the main street from Gate 2 to Section 2.
And our bag was filled by then!

One of the must-eats at Chatuchak is the coconut ice cream!
There were many stalls selling coconut ice cream, but I was looking out for the
stall that Singaporeans raved online.
True enough, I managed to find it by spotting a long queue at a particular stall.

Each portion of coconut ice cream is selling for 30 baht, which comes with two toppings 

and a small cup of coconut juice.

I really liked the idea of using the coconut husks as the bowl because it not only

reduces wastage but also brings out the theme of coconut more!

Coconut ice cream

I only had a mouthful of it because I just recovered from diarrhoea.

So sadly, I just stared at the ice cream the entire time...

Never mind, I'll be back!

The sun was really making shopping a little uncomfortable, so we decided to

have lunch at another highly raved eatery.

This noodle stall is located at Section 21, Soi 29, and it faces Soi 47.

 

Noodle soup with chicken

We ordered two bowls of noodle soup with chicken.

Each bowl costs only 50 baht, but the portion might be a little too small for big eaters.

It was just right for the both of us!

The broth tasted a little like herbal soup, which is just what my stomach needed.

The chicken meat was actually a chicken drumstick!

I was really surprised because we have to pay more for a drumstick in Singapore.

The meat was really tender and I enjoyed my lunch a lot!

After all that shopping, we decided to go for our massage appointment at Healthland Spa.

We took the BTS to Asoke station, followed by a 10 minutes walk.

This is my first time going for a massage.

I used to dislike the feeling of people touching me, and I would insist on sitting

somewhere while watching my parents get a foot massage when I was young.

But since my mum really wanted to go, I decided to give it a try.

I tried the 60 minute foot massage which costs 300 baht.

There are many other places that offer massages at a cheaper price.

But this place has excellent service!

Your name gets called and you will meet with your masseur, who will bring you

to an area to remove your shoes.

Then, you will be brought into the massage venue, where lights are turned off for

a more relaxing experience.

The foot massage was really good and it did take away some tiredness in my feet.

The last 10 minutes will be neck, shoulder and back massages.

It was so painful, my goodness.

I should have asked her to reduce the amount of force applied, but I doubt I would

be able to take it even so, haha.

After the massage, you will be brought to the common area to put on your shoes.

A cup of hot tea will be served as well.

Tipping happens here, and I gave my masseur 40 baht which was my mum's usual tipping amount.

Thereafter, we left Healthland for Central World.

Mummy wanted to have mookata again on our last night in Bangkok, so why not!

We had some time before dinner and we decided to pop by a famous cafe - After You.

This cafe is famous for its toasts, especially the Shibuya honey toast.

I just had to eat it before leaving Bangkok.

We managed to get a seat after a 20 minute wait.

Do note that you will need to order at the cashier first before taking a seat.

Shibuya Honey Toast

We ordered the Shibuya honey toast to share, which costs 175 baht.

The toast is really good!

Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and it is not too sweet.

Together with honey syrup and ice cream, this toast is complete (;

I was only supposed to eat a little bit, but it was just so good that I ate half of it!

I couldn't resist eating again after every scoop.

After the toast, we went for dinner at Bar B Q Plaza again.

We were experts this time round, taking control of everything all by ourselves, heehee!

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DAY 5: 22 DEC 2014

Sadly, this was our last day in Bangkok.

We went to get the stir fried Basil pork with rice from 7-11 to bring it back to Singapore.

We bought 4 packs as we only had 2 days to eat it before it expires.

Then, we shopped around Platinum mall before having lunch at the food court.

I guess our shopping skills sharpened over these few days, because we got 2 items

in just 5 minutes.

Thai sweet dessert

For lunch, we had beef noodles again, but this time from the stall right inside the food court.

I prefer the one I had on the first day though!

And to end off, we each had a bowl of the Thai sweet dessert, which was filled with red ruby,

nata de coco and other toppings commonly found in Singapore's ice kachang.

I really very much enjoyed this dessert, but it may be a little sweet for some people.

And that marks the end of my first visit to Bangkok!

I really really love this city.

The food, the shopping and the accomodation are all so cheap and good!

I will be back, definitely!