No one ever talks about walking tours on Sukhumvit road. Maybe because there doesn’t seem to be much history to the area, and there’s only so many store fronts you can see before you get bored with it. Partly out of boredom and partly out of procrastination, I thought I’d give it a go. I would walk from the end of the current BTS Sukhumvit line (On Nut station) to the start of Sukhumvit road (BTS Phloen Chit). To keep myself from daydreaming, I’d also count the 7/11 or Family Mart convenience stores that I’d run into along the way (though I’m sure I missed a few, daydreaming cannot be stopped). Here’s how it went.
On Nut – Phra Khanong
Start Time: 9:51 am, Finish: 10:12 am (21 minutes)
Camera in hand, I beg walking back into the city. Passing the moo katar resturaunts (though the best one is closer to Phra Khanong) I cross the khlong – the only one I’ll meet on the journey. It’s a pity – like most khlongs in BKK it’s pretty dirty, and isn’t all that nice to look at – but does provide a bit of difference in you have to cross a little footbridge, instead of the boring footpath along the rest of Sukhumvit. It is partly surrounded by slums so isn’t the most attractive approaching, however on the Phra Khanong side of the khlong it does have old nice wooden houses lining the street with shops selling sticky rice baskets and brooms. Further along markets begin lining the footpath, with quite possibly the lowest roofs in Bangkok. Stooping my head constantly I walk through the fruit stalls, I arrive in the shadow of the Phra Khanong BTS station. Damn it’s dark down here on street level.
Mini Marts seen: 1 7/11, 1 Family Mart
Boat stop and houses at the khlong in Phra Khanong, under Sukhumvit road
Phra Khanong – Ekkamai
Start Time: 10:13 am, Finish: 10:26 am (13 minutes)
Moving on past Phra Khanong, and boy, is it uninteresting. It’s not bad, but there’s nothing to really look at. There’s no one around selling things, meaning the footpaths are wide open – which is ok if you want to up your speed. However there is a golf driving range here for you to unleash any frustrations you may have – so a potential good break for those drivers sick of the gridlock on Sukhumvit Road. Closer to Ekkamai station there’s a large temple complex, complete with it’s own “Puff and Pie” shop on premises. Now that’s thinking about the needs of your worshipers.
Mini Marts seen: 2 7/11, 1 Family Mart
Puff & Pie on temple grounds near Ekkamai BTS, for those who worked up an appetite
Ekkamai – Thong Lor
Start Time: 10:14 am, Finish: 10:44 am (30 minutes)
Recently finished, now you can get all your necessary (and sometimes vain) medical needs at the Bangkok Mediplex just outside of the station, and maybe even buy your 3 million baht condo upstairs while you’re at it. Great.. am really getting into the hi-so condo area of town where money really rules. But a little further on, I’m realizing it’s not all bad. The south side of the street is lined with trees, thanks to the Planetarium and UNESCO offices. I’ve been on the road now for an hour, and am getting thirsty. At a drink stall I ask the guy standing next to it for a bottle of orange juice that’s on ice. He looks at me, smiles and shrugs. Oh, you don’t work there. I apologize and slink off with my hands in my pockets.
Mini Marts seen: 5 7/11, 1 Family Mart
On the street in front of UNESCO, which has a pleasant feel to it.
Thong Lor – Phrom Phong
Start Time: 10:45 am, Finish: 11:07 am (22 minutes)
Construction is the order of the day outside of Thong Lor BTS, and the footpath is reduced to a width suitable for one person. I wait for some construction workers to finish some angle grinding, and they let me through, asking me how I’m doing on the way. “Fine thanks, and you?” I start to look down the soi’s as I pass for something of interest. More condo’s being built. How about a public park instead!? I admire the barber shop named “Never Say Cutz” – it’s front window states it’s “Mens barber shop and unisex”, whatever that means. Thinking that a haircut would ruin my walk completion time, plus as I can’t remember how to say hair cut in Thai and I’m not allowed to say “cutz” in there, I move on and come across Sukhumvit soi 30. This is a nice looking soi. No big developments, trees thickly lining one side of the street, and people going about their business quietly. A friendly store owner there is amused that I don’t want a plastic bag with my bottle of water. Pretty crazy eh? Soi 28 is almost better, though they’ve got a big condo development going on. Just 100m into the soi and there are some HUGE houses down here, with very nice tree coverage. It feels like you’re far from the centre of BKK. If only I could get in past those security guards to sit on their lawn under a tree. Upon arrival at Phrom Phong station, I’m drawn to the intriguing combination of French lounge music complimenting the Chinese lanterns decorated outside the Emporium. Plus the clean public toilets inside.
Mini Marts seen: 3 7/11, 1 Family Mart
Looking down Sukhumvit Soi 30
Phrom Phong – Asok
Start Time: 11:12 am, Finish: 11:31 am (19 minutes)
Once I walk past the only public park en route (Benjasiri), the trees are now gone and we’re getting into the business part of town. Tailors and tuk tuk drives pop up, vendors are on every street corner in front of office towers, and traffic is the worst it’s been so far (not that this is a problem for me). This is getting close to the “real” Bangkok most would have you believe. On the sky walk ahead of the Asok BTS, you’ve got one of the best views \in central Bangkok of the horrid traffic as you cross over Rachadapisek road. Merely 6 lanes of traffic stretching back 100’s of metres are waiting patiently at the lights. Onwards, next to Asok BTS it’s very relieving to see that they are building another shopping centre (to be named Terminal 21), to help make sure we can continue to live the consumerist lifestyle without venturing too far from our hotels or condo’s.
Mini Marts seen: 4 7/11, 1 Family Mart
One reason why you should have a motorbike in Bangkok.
Asok – Nana
Start Time: 11:33 am, Finish: 11:43 am (10 minutes)
Markets fill the footpaths selling Thai boxing shorts, wood carvings, “iPood” tshirts, 3D nude images, knives, and it should be said, alot of porn DVD’s. It could be one of two places in Bangkok, but if it was Patpong there’s also be talk of table tennis, or something like that. Yep, it’s the Sukhumvit street market and it’s really nothing special. Though I am impressed with the young vendor who selection of black belts have been immaculately presented in his stall. Walking along here is frustrating, as you’ll get stuck behind families or couples checking out a 200 baht Singha t-shirt, and blocking the path left narrow by the shops. If you’re just passing through these parts, the best option is to take the southern side of the street, which has far fewer shops. Pushing on, I soon arrive at Nana BTS.. damn that was fast! Looking through all that rubbish, avoiding bottlenecks and avoiding touts isn’t boring, and makes the time fly.
Mini Marts seen: 1 7/11, 0 Family Mart
Sukhumvit street market, for all the poor quality shirts you could ever want.
Nana – Phloen Chit
Start Time: 11:46 am, Finish: 12:00 am (14 minutes)
Sadly, the passing of the Nana BTS doesn’t see to the passing of the Sukhumvit market stalls, thought it does get seedier. Ladies wait at bus stops, but never seem to catch a bus. Foreigners around here seem to get greyer, older and have bigger pot bellies than they did before. Thankfully crossing over soi 3 is like walking from night into day. The tourist crap markets stop, and the city takes on an appearance that is appealing again. Street vendors sell fruit and Thai snacks instead of t-shirts and DVD’s. The path seems wider. Crowds of slow moving shopping foreigners are replaced by quietly chatting Thai’s taking their lunch break. This is the real Bangkok. Just under an overpass nearing Phloen Chit, an open air day market has opened for the lunch break. The smell draws me in, but I’ve almost finished my walk, I don’t want to stop. I arrive at my final destination, Phloen Chit BTS. Time for lunch at that market.
Mini Marts seen: 1 7/11, 0 Family Mart
Lunchtime shopping at Phloen Chit market
I’ve made it, in far less time than I was expecting (2 hrs 9 mins to cover 7.5km). While this route won’t be added into a walking tour itinerary anytime soon, the walk wasn’t boring nor or too difficult. On Nut – Phra Khanong was most interesting, but closer into the city has alot more going on. I was surprised that I didn’t note more convenience stores, but sometimes they’re well hidden deeper in the sois. Well another day not-so-well spent, and now back to doing what I’m meant to be on.
After a week of doing very little on the farm at my home, I got the chance to do the very same thing at a family friends house in Sydney for 2 weeks. Their house is in an amazing location, 2 minutes walk from Whale beach in the northern Sydney suburbs.
Whale Beach has one hotel, two small restaurants opened during the day, limited parking and off the main row. These things (and probably others) all mean that it keeps a very local vibe, and doesn’t ever seem to get too crowded. If want to spend a morning / day at a beach in Sydney and have your own set of wheels, I really recommend you head here (or the neighboring beach Palm Beach, which has a little more public facilities, but also bigger crowds).
Whale Beach, Sydney.
Most of my days consisted of waking up, (doing my best to) exercise, spending time at the beach, reading, hanging with my hosts / family, getting to bed. Not always in that exact order, but mainly so. (I was a bit restricted, without my own car, and staying in an outer suburb.) Apart from a bluebottle sting across my shin and learning to play Mahjong (though the scoring in this game is beyond me), not much that I did is worth writing.. so I’ll leave it at that. It doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy my time there though.
After Sydney, I had a whirlwind trip to Melbourne to catch a few friends which just wasn’t long enough, and now I’m now back in BKK. Time to begin thinking about getting back into the working life again (oh man, you mean back into some form of a routine again!?!). But.. I’ve also got European holiday planning to do.. and to learn how to score in Mahjong (though this make take several years).
For the last two weeks I’ve left Bangkok to return to country Victoria to see my family for Christmas. Since my last trip home a year ago I’ve become an uncle for the first time, so I was really looking forward to seeing my nephew. So in time, I’ll have to conduct my self in an uncle-y sort of way.. whatever that is. Otherwise I’m sure my sister and parents will bring me into line.. which isn’t necessarily always a bad thing.
Seeing family members aside, after leaving my job I really wanted to get away from everything for a while. No work, no phone calls, no responsibilities. Nothing. Just catching up on sleep, remembering who I am (or was), and sorting through my neglected paperwork. Being at home in country Victoria was indeed at home on the farm. No shops to waste money in. No close friends in the area to catch up and share late nights with alcohol. Hardly the sight of another person, outside of my parents.
At nights it’s even better. An absence of background noises like heavy traffic that I’ve grown so used to in Bangkok makes it eerily quiet. Apart from my house, there are no other lights within a few kilometres. On a clear night the sky is filled with stars, and after your eyes adjust, the moon provides enough light for you to make your own way around without a torch.
A distant thunderstorm at night. Too far away to hear it, but great to watch.
I never used to take note of these things when I was living here. As many have noted, you only really appreciate things once you no longer have them. Like having a dirt road draped in gum trees entirely to yourself to drive along. Like receiving a tray of fresh plums from another local farmer to thank you for help on something. Like only needing to have one shower a day to remain clean. Like living in a house, instead of a 9th floor apartment. All small things, but enjoyable never less.
Though I didn’t miss the endless “Simpsons” repeats, the stupidly large coins used as Australian currency and the plethora of flies that hang around your face as soon as you go outside. But you can’t have everything.
I couldn’t happily live in a rural area at this stage of my life, as I miss other aspects of life. As a place to relax and get away from it all, I don’t think I could have had a better place. Now, time to start getting in contact with my friends…
2008 – Taipei, Taiwan
I was really looking forward to going to Taipei. The city itself seemed interesting a lot, but I had a few good friends from university who live there, and they said they’d take me out whenever I could go. So with local friends, strong history and cultural knowledge, and with comparably fewer foreigners than other countries in the region, it ticked all my boxes as a place to go. Just a pity I knew nothing about what I actually wanted to do there in my spare time.
In terms of work, I had a great time. My hotel was a short trip to the office, meaning I spent minimal time in traffic. On a sidenote – the hotel Landis in Taipei is amazing. Great service, comfy beds and a lobby set well in the 1950’s give it a charming feel. Highly recommended. Back at work, the people were always more than pleasant hosts, who took me out to a variety of lunches and dinners through the week. One day they even brought some local delicacies in – which included various organs from various animals that were dried, cooked and/or smoked. I don’t normally do organs, but they actually tasted pretty OK. I did find it weird though working with people who were eating duck beaks.
A blue break dancing street performer.
The week I was in Taipei coincided with the first week of the Olympic games in Beijing, and it made the reading of the morning papers fascinating. Every day there were China pieces written on how the Chinese weren’t allowing in certain Taiwanese supporters into the country, how they faked many elements of the opening ceremony, how protesters were getting arrested if they even thought of applying for a protest permit, how the Chinese were bending the rules and sportsmanship in many of the games. I was getting slowly brainwashed to be anti-Chinese, and didn’t mind in the slightest.
On my last day of work Taiwan was taking on China in the baseball. It was near impossible to get the group to concentrate on the task at hand, with each of them – even the ladies – checking online regularly as the latest update on the game. Even the girls here like baseball?? But this wasn’t the worst of it. China has never taken any interest in baseball – the only reason they qualified is that they were the host nation. But for the first time ever, the Chinese beat Taiwan fair and square in the game. Taiwan was distraught – how can they lose to a country that doesn’t care about baseball? And worst still.. losing to China!? I may as well have just gone home – everyone was acting like they were all told that their parents were getting a divorce. They couldn’t concentrate, slouched in their chairs, stared out the windows. They’d been cut, deeply. I dared not to joke about it.
Taipei is clean, has parkland, generally law abiding citizens, but still retains a feeling of unpredictability and energy. The people are well dressed, trendy, friendly and polite. You can drive for 30 minutes from the centre of Taipei, and you’ll be in forests. If I was to elect for a city to live in Asia apart from Bangkok, Taipei is on the top of my list.. but I still wouldn’t watch baseball. I just hope the loud talking mainland package tourists who are threatening to cross the straight in mass don’t detract from its charm.
2007 – Manila, Philippines
Manila is another city which it’s reputation proceeds it, as a place with high levels of violent crime and a seedy nightlife. I was travelling alone again, and didn’t want to chance it, so spent my evenings and nights in the impressive shopping centres of Makati, the upper class district of Manila. Like in KL, my work was located 1 ½ hours drive outside of the city, so my mornings and evenings were spent sprawled in the back seat of a Toyota, driven by my cheerful and endlessly polite driver. He was so nice, but like many in his country, very poor. He was so happy to be taking his only daughter for her birthday to Jollibee’s (a Pinoy burger chain), but on the day after her birthday, was distraught when a security guard accused him of damaging a security badge – for which he’d have to pay 200 peso (around 6 dollars) to repair. From what I could tell, the security guard was being a jerk.
The city of Manila is huge, containing many very visible slums, but some parts also retain a Spanish feel in the pinks and yellow paints used. Once out of Manila, is where the Philippines gets interesting. It is lush, and you feel like your on a tropical island.. hey, guess what, you are! Palm trees, green fields, rolling hills is what you’re in for, while still sucking in the horrid traffic in and out of Manila.
Island in a lake in a volcano, or something like that at Tagatay.
My eating experiences was only ok at the Philippines, with food being very similar to that of Thailand without the chilli. So still good. However my food was limited – at breakfast it was at Starbucks, at lunch at the office canteen and dinner was in shopping centres.
The office canteen was good – rice normally sided with some form of fish, and some form of vegetables. But hardly anything to blog about. What was the most fun though was the canteen. It was dominated by the wall mounted television, with a number speakers set around the room, and turned up to 11. On it was the daily television program Wowowee – a gameshow where the audience must dance to daggy music first be shortlisted, and then dance again while singing the programs theme song – those deemed to dance and sing good enough then made it to being a contestant. I didn’t watch the show much past here, but watching the mothers and grandmothers of the Philippines gush and groove in the way they do on this show was enough. It was a little embarrassing, but their enthusiasm made it really entertaining at the same time. I was later told by another foreigner that the Pinoy’s have a love of dancing embedded in their DNA.
It’s a bit sad that all I have to report about the Philippines is shopping centres, rolling hills, my drive to and from work, and daytime gameshow TV, but that’s all my working schedule really allowed for. Again, the people were lovely, and everything a bit easier as English is widely spoken. Also, as the Philippines is off the mainland of Asia, it means you don’t get the same backpackers crossing in to get a new stamp in their passport – only those who really want to go here make the flight. In that lies the beauty, fewer tourists, a more undiscovered feel, while the widespread use of English makes it easier to get around.
