Evelyn and I awoke before 7 a.m. this morning and puttered around for a bit then threw on some clothes and went for a brief walk. We walked for maybe 45 minutes. Even at 8 a.m. it was already hot humid and muggy. We walked through stands and stalls on the streets near our hotel. We saw lots of different food being prepared and fruit and even shoes for sale. While walking back to the hotel, we talked to a man who told us to go to the Thai Center because it was the last day of a sale in honor of the King's birthday. Evelyn hearing deal was bound and determined to go.
After returning to the hotel, we ate breakfast at the Mandarin Oriental overlooking the water. Breakfast was beautiful with an omelet station, all kinds of different bread, twelve different kinds of juices, pastries, waffles and french toast and even dessert. It was a wonderful way to start the day. After breakfast we talked to the concierge about what to do today. Evelyn asked about the Thai center and she had never heard of it. Ding, ding ding, this should have run some bells.
After grabbing a longer than it should have been shower, we caught the hotel shuttle boat that would take us to the Skytrain pier. As we were walking to the Skytrain, we were approached by a beautiful woman who said she worked for the Oriental hotel and had just seen us. She told us to go to the Thai Center again because it was the last day for the sale. So this was twice we had heard this information. She told us to take a tuk tuk there and then we could take a tuk tuk to the Jim Thompson House. She told us that we couldn't get into the JT house until 2 p.m. because they were having a lunch there. I should have clued in on this one remembering that there was a restuarant at the JT house and there wouldn't have been a luncheon in the actual house. As we were walking to get to the Tuk-Tuk another woman came up to us and started talking about all she had bought at the Thai Center. Despite her jewelry being looking fake and cheap, Evelyn was more convinced that we should go. Our Tuk-Tuk driver dropped us off and it was a waste. Everything looked very cheap but was priced very expensively. We then caught another Tuk-Tuk and told him to take us to the JT house. He decided we should stop at a store for Thai silk and Cotton. We went in and they were making men's suits. He seemed very disappointed when we turned around and came right back out. But he was able to go grab his free water. He then took us to another store, where he would get free gasoline for bringing us there. This jewelry store took you through the factory part where they were making the jewelry and then into a very large store. Once again expensive and not great looking. We were soon out and the driver wanted to take us someplace else and if he did, he wouldn't charge us as he would get free gas. By this time, Evelyn was very mad and upset at wasting the day and herself for believing all these people. She ordered the driver to take us to the JT house. Of course when we got to the house, it had been open all day and there had been no dignitaries there for lunch. Evelyn had to have a glass of wine just to cheer herself up after all that.
The Jim Thompson house was as wonderful as I'd remembered it. He combined 5 or 6 Thai houses to create one complex. The teak wood was just gorgeous and the entrance and gardens along the canal were beautiful. We wandered around in the store for a bit before the tour and the silks were exquisite. Neither Evelyn nor I purchased anything.
We were going to go to the MBK mall, but decided to go back to the hotel for our free lunch. We caught the sky train and then the boat to the hotel. The restaurant for lunch had a Thai buffet. Food was very good though not as good as lunch. That took a while, and then we went back to the main hotel, checked out, cleaned out our room and took a taxi over to the Sheraton.
Once we arrived at the Sheraton, Evelyn decided she wanted a massage. I had seen a nice looking place on our drive over to the hotel, so we walked back there. There were two very nice Thai woman who took us upstairs to a teak room with a mattress on the floor and curtains separating the two areas. Evelyn choose an oil massage while I had a Thai massage. First the woman washed my feet, and then she brutally massaged me. Oh baby, it hurts so good. Thai massage contorts your body in all sorts of different directions. She walked on my legs and ground her feet into me. Parts of it were extremely painful, but it was oh so good. After the massages, we walked down the road a bit and looked for pants for Evelyn. She found some black pants but they had funky Chinese writing on them, and then she found some white linen pants. Sold!
After returning to the room, we both fell asleep, but were awakened to the sound of hammering. When the hammering wouldn't stop and realizing that the room was extremely hot, we requested a room change. We would change rooms after dinner. We then left the hotel and went to the Night Market. (find name) The market was huge. Evelyn found a very cute dress for 530 baht. We wandered to the restaurant the hotel had recommended but it looked deserted, so we went back to where all the people were. We ended up in a Thai Italian restaurant, but we ordered all Thai food. Pad Thai, Green Curry chicken and some kind of crab dish. It was good, though perhaps Thai food is not my thing. We then wandered around the market until 10:30 or so when we decided to come back to the hotel.
Up next tomorrow, Grand Palace and the Wat Po. I am also determined to have Evelyn get a Thai massage, because you can't come to Thailand and not have one.
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