Days 236 – 237: Bangkok – Part I
We left our hotel in Agra before the sunrise, as Delhi traffic could be very unpredictable. Avinash got us to the airport a good 5 hours before our flight to Thailand, but it’s better to be safe than sorry! We used the extra time to pig out at the executive lounge, so time well spent.
Passport & ticket to Thailand in hand, we head over to the executive lounge in the Delhi Airport. We arrive just as the breakfast buffet is ending so we load up on breakfast and then immediately move on lunch – hey! – travel makes us HUNGRY
Boozing it up on our Air India international flight
Since there was an hour and a half time zone change between Delhi and Bangkok, our travel day was really short. It was already 7:30PM by the time we landed, so we didn’t have any sightseeing booked for the day.
Now, we’ve been around the world…and we don’t speak their language…but Thai immigration don’t need explaining! Of all the countries we’ve been to so far, Thailand was #1 in being foreigner-friendly. Immigration was a *breeze* (no visa needed for US citizens!), and there are tons of ATMs and SIM card vendors in the Arrivals terminal next to baggage claim (no more following a shifty local to an out-of-airport ATM and demanding a tip, like in Kenya). We had anticipated getting hassled by unmarked taxis once we got out of the airport, but it seems that the BKK airport has cracked down on the shadiness. As soon as we stepped out of baggage claim, we took a numbered ticket for a metered taxi, got line and were quickly assigned to an air-conditioned sedan – even JFK could not have been smoother! The drive took about 45min on a clean and modern highway, and only cost about 300 bhat (about USD $10).
Our fancy & spacious suite at the Oriental Residence in Bangkok
Our arrival in Thailand marked a stylistic shift in our journey. Up to India, we had been following a very detailed itinerary, with all flights, hotels and activities pre-booked by Igor (and sometimes by Lindsay) back in February/March, but now we were flying by the seats of our pants! We pre-booked 2 nights in Bangkok, and then decided to extend our stay an extra day as our hotel was AWESOME and…well, why not? We don’t have anywhere we *need* to be yet!
Since we had 2 full days in Bangkok, we decided to find a tailor and order some custom-made suits for Igor. Some of his work buddies have tailored suits from Hong Kong. Yeah, we don’t roll like that. Unlike Hong Kong, Bangkok is CHEAP. However, as long as you steer clear of the “2 suits, 2 shirts only USD$99” deal (trust me, you’ll get what you pay for), you can get an amazing wardrobe for a fraction of the price tag you’d pay in the States. We looked up a few tailors in our neighborhood (our hotel was in the embassy district, so a LOT of suit outfits nearby) and settled on Nickermann’s – a well-reviewed place in the basement of a mall. Igor got measured for 3 suits (two wool blends and one 100% Italian wool) and five non-iron dress shirts, all of which he got to pick out the fabric and lining. Try to guess the cost. J
Chowing down on some fresh baked pastries at the mall while we wait for the tailor to open shop – and yes, those are Christmas decorations in the background!
Igor getting fitted for some custom-tailored suits. His ponytail is really coming in nicely – with his flashy new suits he’s business in the front and party in the back!
We spent the rest of the day in Bangkok doing some more shopping. Now that Igor had some nice clothes in the works, it was Lindsay’s turn! We had just started making our plans for the holidays and now knew that we would be on a cruise ship next month, which would have a few formal nights, so Lindsay needed a dress (although if it were up to Igor, she would just wear her beach wrap to dinner – sigh, men just don’t *get it*). A custom-made dress was tempting, but unrealistic as Lindsay had dropped a dress size in the last year and would gain weight once we returned to our old habits in New York, so we looked for something that could easily be thrown out after the trip.
After a few department store visits didn’t yield any gems, we were about to give up when we decided to head to the Platinum Fashion Mall – a 5 story bazaar that Lonely Planet describes as full of “no-name couture.” It was an absolute zoo filled with a lot of tacky crap…but just when we were about leave Lindsay spotted a passable selection of floor-length black gowns that were (thankfully) devoid of sequins. The store manager refused to let her try anything on, but looked her up and down assured her that the Small size would fit. Whatever, the dress was only USD$20, surely it would work for a cruise. Satisfied, we were on our way out when all of a sudden Lindsay saw it – the PERFECT little black dress! “Why didn’t I see this one before?!?” she wailed. Then she looked at the price: USD $10. Long story short, Lindsay now has TWO dresses for the holidays! J
Next errand – and most important! – was groceries. After months of eating out, we *finally* had a kitchen for a few days and we were so excited to be in charge of our own menu for a change! Igor had been craving our old favorite – quesadillas. Tortillas and cheddar cheese are not easy to find in Southeast Asia, but Bangkok did not disappoint – we found a gourmet grocery store (on the 7th floor of a mall, for some reason…?) which had a huge international foods section. I know Bangkok has a thriving restaurant scene, and I should feel guilty about missing out on it…but I don’t. #sorrynotsorry
While picking up groceries for dinner, we stop in a bottle shop for some bubbles. After a few minutes of looking around, Lindsay is super excited when she finds a bottle of Casillero del Diablo Sparkling – she’s only ever had this in Chile! She gleefully runs up to the register to buy it, but the cashier stops halfway through the purchase and tells Lindsay she can’t buy it. Apparently there is a ban on alcohol sales between the hours of 2PM – 5PM, and we just happened to walk into the store at 1:59PM! I think you can all guess what happened next…Lindsay made Igor come back exactly 3 hours later J
Lindsay is SO EXCITED to have a kitchen again!
It has been over HALF A YEAR since we’ve eaten Lindsay’s homemade quesadillas (she checked the blog – last time was in April in New Zealand) – Igor was in HEAVEN