After one last afternoon spent tanning, drenched in blazing Thai sun by the pool, Rosalie was kind enough to show me a small spa at the mall next door to the hotel that offered full Thai massages for the ridiculous price of $14 for an hour. I booked myself for an hour at this spot, “the Palm’s Spell”, and had the pleasure of having all my knots and aches addressed by a little Thai woman named “Ni.” My girlfriend is a masseuse, so I’m no stranger to Thai massage and therapeutic touch, but it was really nice to get worked on by a stranger. Thai massage is a unique synthesis of bodywork techniques, and has some qualities not found in other traditions, such as the liberal use of standing on people to fix their problems. I emerged from the “Palm’s Spell” an hour later feeling much more aligned and at ease, and gave Ni a few hundred baht tip that she seemed very happy with. 5 bucks goes a long way out here.
Made a detour to Asia Books, my favorite Thai bookstore chain, and spent a hundred bucks on items that are hard to find in the states and would have cost twice as much. I got back to the hotel just in time for me and Rosalie to make a whirlwind trip to Bangkok’s famed Night Market, which opens at 6 pm and closes around midnight. I liked this market much better than the Sunday market, as it wasn’t nearly as hot, and easily had the same variety and diversity of things for sale. I bought a few more gifts for people who probably don’t deserve them, and then we grabbed a cocktail on the way out. We had the pleasure of seeing a live band at the Market’s stage, a strange conglomeration of Thai folks throwing down a mix of the latest worldwide hits. As we were getting our drinks, the lead singer, a gorgeous Thai woman in a mini-skirt, started with the initial strains of Beyonce’s hit single “Crazy In Love”, and all of a sudden three other fly Thai women in miniskirts showed up, and started singing along and dancing a la Destiny’s Child, circa 2003. It was surreal. They even had a guy rapping Jay-Z’s part. It's amazing the way cultures diffuse and manifest in places where you’re not expecting it... the last thing I was expecting to see tonight was a Thai version of Destiny's Child, but I'm not complaining. The band was HOT and the music was bouncing...
Made it back to the hotel burdened down with our purchases, to rendezvous with the Burnett “Latin Mafia” for our 9:30 reservation at the Banyan Tree, one of Bangkok’s most famous restaurants. The spot lies on the top floor of a 60 story building, and its restaurant, Vertigo, is a world-famous gathering spot that overlooks all of Bangkok, with only a handrail preventing a very nasty fall. It was waaaaaaaay high up in the sky, and the city looked glorious. The restaurant had a no-open shoes, long pants dress code. It’s really funny that here all the clubs have dress policies designed to keep the skanks OUT, as opposed to say, the dress codes in US clubs… Anyhow, after a brief wait at the Banyan Tree bar, drinking Vanilla Skies and Vertigo Punches, we were led to our table. I had the pleasure of practicing my Spanish with Miguel’s lovely wife Aurora, who’s an interesting foil to Miguel’s self-deprecating, sly humor, and we ate very well. I had a pepper-crusted Kangaroo steak. No joke. I can cross that particular mammal of my list… After a very lush dinner, Rosalie and I bailed and caught a taxi back to the hotel, to pack our bags, and get ready for our 4 am departure to the airport. All in all, quite the trip. 9 days in paradise. I can’t wait to come back….
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