This is the final leg of our Great Mekong Tour.
Ho Chi Minh was fascinating. Phnom Penh was charming. Siem Reap was captivating.
From the border, we rented a van and we stopped by this place for lunch. I can say I was happy with my first authentic Thai cuisine. I ordered seafood noodles to help ease my nausea from the land travel.
Melvin, our friend who organized this trip, booked us at Erawan House located at Chanasongkhram Phra-Artid Road, Pranakorn, Khaosan, Bangkok.
The aesthetics is nothing compared to our previous hotel but the location makes up for it. The street is lined up with restaurants, food stalls, souvenir shops, spas and other tourist attractions. It is also only 2-minute away from Khao San Road and other Bangkok attractions.
Home in Bangkok: Erawan
Since we were all in a rush to go to Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok, we decided to have a quick lunch here, which is a few steps away from Erawan.
Here I had My first Thai Iced Tea, which was good with my omelette rice.
Shopping at Chatuckak Market
After our late rush, we rushed to Chatuchak Market. I have been hearing about this weekend market but didn't imagine the size and diversity of the merchandise available. This is where I can literally say shop til you drop.
One of my shopping objectives was to buy souvenirs for my travel companions. It was one of our tour activities.
Souvenir Exchange over Tom Yum Soup
We exchanged gifts after dinner, well, after I had my Tom Yum Soup.
The Canal Tour
It was temple overload in Cambodia so I convinced my travel companions to divert a little from our itinerary and try something else. We decided on a river tour. The station was a short walk away from our hotel.
It was a relaxing cruise at Chao Praya River but it lacked highlights. It didn't impress and it was actually just a notch higher than the flooded streets in Manila.
We did get to feed fishes, but it was nothing compared to the koi feeding at Nuvali. Anyway, we did make the most of it and tried very hard to enjoy it.
After the tour, we decided that the walking tours of the temple were still the best option in Bangkok City. That's up next.
To Wat Pho
We almost didn't make it to Wat Pho. Bad taxi driver told us the temple is closed already and insisted we join him in a tour of another temple. Good thing we didn't believe him, also because of an advisory in our hotel lobby.
Anyway, our friends were already there when we arrived at Wat Pho.
Wat Pho is a buddhist temple known as the temple of the reclining buddha and the traditional birthplace of Thai Massage. Wat Pho is also the largest and oldest in Bangkok. Aside from one of the largest Buddha images, at 160 feet, it is also home to one thousand Buddha images.
As mentioned, the temple is home to one of the earliest Thai massage schools. We weren't able to experience the much acclaimed Thai massage here so that is a reason for us, or at least me, to come back.
After touring Wat Pho, we crossed the river and went to visit another temple.
Wat Arun
Wat Arun is also known as the Temple of Dawn. Its spires are one of Bangkok's popular landmarks.
Nightlife at Khaosan Road
After our temple hopping, we got to experience Bangkok nightlife at Khaosan Road. This small street is like a backpackers' oasis. The street is lined up with stalls offering unique finds and watering holes.
This is the place to party in Bangkok for me.
Khaosan was perfect to cap our wonderful Mekong Tour. With a toast, we cheered and hoped for more travels together ahead.
Thank you very much Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Bangkok. Thank you very much to my wonderful travel companions. Thank you Lord!
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