We walked to the skytrain and took a short ride to a central area where we soon found the rest of the group. It was nice to meet the other foreigners and learn about their various backgrounds. It wasn’t long before Jessie and I were sharing our horrible experience and everyone was shocked. There were 3 different people who had lived in Bangkok for at least 6 months and they were horrified and said that never happens, so at least we were comforted in the fact that it was rare.
The first stop on the tour was the market. This was a traditional Thai market selling endless food products. We started in the poultry section, but keep in mind that this is no Zehrs. Crates stacked upon crates of ducks, hens and geese assaulted us with a vile smell. All were alive, and dirty from the bowels of the birds on top of them. The ground was wet and sludgy… don’t want to think about what we were trudging through. There were also cooked and smoked birds… whole, naturally. And then the chicken feet and other “tasty” morsels.
Next was surprisingly less smelly. We walked through a portion that sold goodies like frogs and toads (alive and dead), eels, bugs and larva. Yummy. We also had the pleasure of watching these creatures butchered. After that, we saw grains – mostly endless varieties of rice. Then fruits of many unusual varieties. (We had the opportunity to try some of these new things later in the day, and my favourite was the Rose apple).
After the whole group of 10 were packed together in the van, we went to meet Poo and her cooking school. Poo is a very warm woman. On the way to her cooking school, we walked past her house and she introduced us to her son and talked about how many of the natives in the village live.
Her school was very clean and tidy. Although it’s not as technically advanced as many cooking schools are back home, it was very appropriate for our uses. Poo gave us a great introduction and then we were set to work.
Our menu included:
• Tom Yum Gai Hot and Spicy soup with Chicken
• Pad Thai Thai Noodles with Shrimp and Vegetables
• Larb Phet Minced Duck with Lemongrass
• Khoa Tom Mut Sticky Rice with Banana and Bean
Cooking was a blast especially because everything was prepared and organized for us. Poo had 4 other women helping us and telling us what to do so everything was well planned and executed. My favorite was probably the Minced Duck however by the time we had that, I had already eaten soup and pad thai, so I was feeling a little stuffed. Thankfully Poo packed up my duck and I ate it for dinner that night… delicious!
The class was an excellent opportunity to get a glimpse into the lives of common people. Poo told us that the average salary of Thai people is 200bhat a day (that’s about $7.50). However, Poo proudly pays her staff 200bhat an hour. She also puts 20% of all of her profits back into the community to help women and children. It seems that in the past four years of owning her cooking school, Poo has transformed the community around her. It used to be the slums and now it’s rising up, thanks to her vision.
At the end of class, Poo brought in the baby who lives next door to her. This baby was absolutely gorgeous and Poo didn’t hide the fact that she loved her. She gushed about how much she misses this little girl when she’s working; almost as if she’s Poo’s daughter… it’s very sweet. This definitely gave the class a nice homey feel.
After the cooking class, Jessie and I made our way back to the hotel and had a little nap. We got up a couple hours later and were much more alert and excited for our show. That evening, we had planned to go the the Siam Niramit show in Bangkok. This is one of the top rated things to do and I was very excited to go.
We took the subway to the appointed stop and then were picked up by the company’s complimentary shuttle. It took us directly to the theater and Jessie and I were impressed by the size and elegance of the facility. Despite some minor complications getting our tickets, we had a breeze getting in.
Upon entry, we were greeted by two large elephants. One came at me with his trunk and it was the first time I’d ever looked into an elephant’s trunk—a neat experience. We also petted the elephants which was interesting because their skin is so thick and rough, yet they are so gentle.
We purposely arrived at the theater early because I had read online that there are beautiful gardens to walk though and various performances before the actually show. This was very true. The gardens were immaculate and actually were surrounded by a small village that depicted early life in Siam. Jessie and I walked from little hut to hut (with our complimentary beer) and observed the different tasks each person was doing.
In the main area, there were performers singing, dancing and playing music. It was so entertaining to watch the talent and different costumes as they came together in a beautiful display. It felt like a show in itself but the big show had yet to begin.
When we were escorted into the theater a few minutes to show time, Jessie and I realized that we had prime seats. This was not expected because we had been budgeting and therefore had purchased the cheapest seats possible (right in the back). We think we were upgraded because I complained about the poor service and unnecessary complications at the check in area (a nice gesture in return).
When the show began, Jessie and I were blown out of our minds. It was amazing! The stage actually has won the Guiness world record for being the largest. There was a river flowing through it and the special effects were amazing. Esthetically, it was probably the best performance I have ever seen in my life.
Here’s a little commercial. Click on this link and you can see some of the amazing sets:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOct2-dzhxY&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL2375E61831DD2BE4
The show had three main acts:
1. Journey back into History the North, South Sea, Northeast, Central Plains
2. Journey Beyond Imagination Blissful Heaven, Mystical Himapaan, Fiery Hell
3. Journey Through Joyous Festivals Boy Sang Long, Phitakhon, Songkran, Loy Krathong
Throughout the entire show, Jessie and I were just beyond impressed. It gave us insights into the culture and history of this country but it also kept us thoroughly entertained for every second. I would love to see this again someday. It was superb!
After the show, we were shuttled back to the subway station but Jessie and I were a bit hungry so we decided to get something to eat. There was a large restaurant nearby and it was full of people (always a good sign). Jessie and I went in and decided to get takeout because we weren’t sure how late the subway ran.
Our server’s name was Jack and he was very unsure of his English, but he was very kind. Jack helped us sort through our menu and even sang and danced while we were waiting. He was very sweet. At the end, I asked Jack for a fork and spoon, but the restaurant didn’t have plastic ones. He gave us their silverware instead which was very kind of him. Jessie and I had a great dinner that night. It was so much food, we also had food for the next morning (we have a fridge in our hotel room). The best part was that the entire meal only cost $3. I love the prices in Thailand!
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