Sunday July 16, 2006: Shop 'til you drop

I met Todd and Liz for breakfast ~9am. We headed to the Weekend Market which is much like the Night Bazaar, but larger! Todd bought a pair of Pumas for 425 Baht, about $10! In the states, the same pair of shoes would have been at least $60. We all bought linen pants/capris because Thais don't wear short shorts at all, and they are forbidden inside wats (temples).
The number of stores and 'stuff' was astonishing! Think of the biggest flea market you can imagine- then multiply it by 100. The interesting aspect is the bargaining that's involved. Liz loves to "make a deal", so she's all into the bargaining. I also bought a gift for my Uncle Chris, and Liz bought a journal. I saw young children playing while their parents try to earn a living. Men played checkers with bottle caps in the 95 degree heat. We were so sweaty after walking around all day. Most of the market is covered, but some sections are open to the elements. We saw many people in wheelchairs with lower-limb deformities and handicaps. We saw a few people begging for money with nothing to sell.
We made our way to the food tents and purchased some food for cheap! The street vendors, in most cases, charged 10 Baht per serving; the same price for a bottled water. I spent 40 Baht on two sausages, a serving of sticky rice, and a bottled water. Total spent on lunch= $1.00. We had to be careful with our selection because we're not exactly sure what is in the food, where it originated from, and how it was cooked. We should also only drink bottled water, including brushing our teeth, and having no ice cubes. We found many interesting dishes, namely crickets, maggots, beetles, and the like. That was only one food station, the rest was more appealing, but again, it's hard to tell what you're ordering unless you've seen it before. There were no signs in English, and barely any in Thai. You basically point to what you want and someone puts it in styrofoam or a plastic bag. Another thing about Thais- they are big into straws. You get a straw with everything; bottled water, soda can or bottle, or even soda in a bag, juice in a cup or in a bottle or a bag! They must have a plethora of straws. And they have a plethora of bags! You buy something small and they want to put it in a bag for you. It's funny, trust me.
We had previously scoped out the foot and body massage area and decided it was now our turn, after a long day of walking and being on our feet. We paid 250 Baht for an hour of a full body Thai massage. We all winced and moaned as the masseurs really got down to the deep tissues. We're convinced Todd's masseur was trying to inflict pain on Todd, using all his body weight, his elbows, knees, and feet! My masseur was responsive to my wincing, but oddly pressed on my belly which was particularly uncomfortable, but felt great on my lower back. Liz's masseur at times seemed bored, sleepy, and distracted. He made phone calls on his cell phone, while using one hand to massage. Liz said it was enjoyable nonetheless. It was my first massage, and Liz's too, but I'm honestly looking forward to a more traditional US massage when I return from Thailand.
We did a bit more perusing and found ourselves in a mini rain storm, so we had a couple of beers and sat at a little cafe at the market in a tiny little booth. We talked again and really enjoyed each others' company.
We headed back to the hotel, bought some calling cards along the way, and decided to skip dinner. Todd and I went for a quick dip in the outdoor pool, and Liz took a nap. We all decided to call it an early night because we're in the lab starting tomorrow, and we've really been on the go since we got here, only 48 hours ago! Thus far: AMAZING!

Our apartment...
big living room with conference style dining room table off to the side
kitchenette with stove, microwave, small fridge and cupboards
pleather sofa and chair, coffee table
corner nook with a light, 2 chairs, and phone on the table
and a TV
Liz has the master bedroom with bath off the kitchenette. She also has the safety deposit box in her closet.
My room, near the conference table, has a queen/king size bed, 2 nightstands, a desk, TV, and closet. Right now the phone doesn't work in my room. There's also a second bathroom with shower attached to my room and the living room.
It's no Four Seasons, but it's more than we need; it's our home in Bangkok!