Well, we’ve pretty much done the main touristy bits of Bangkok, and we were also wary of the weather – once again, it was promising to be an absolute belter of a day, with afternoon temperatures in the mid-late 30s, and feeling hotter.
Surveying our options, and with at least a thought on my need for new footwear – with a side order of my wallet’s also on its last legs – we decided to head for Bangkok flower market and then take it from there. So, down the river again on the trusty number Orange, and into the grubby side streets which Google said would lead us to the market. And suddenly there it was – a riot of colour and lovely smells, and hustle and bustle aplenty.
It went on and on, and every time you emerged and crossed the road, there was another big section.
We wandered around happily in the colour and scent, until eventually we emerged back into the scrappy streets and ‘what shall we do now?’ With footwear in mind, we headed for a local shopping centre – Bangkok seems to have a lot of these, and it’s where you go to buy anything. It turned out to be along similar lines to yesterday’s emporium, on a somewhat less grand scale, and we went in search of shoes. Virle spotted an area, and we passed half a dozen or so shops, though all seemed to be selling only women’s shoes, until I happened to glance over and spot just one display of men’s, among which sat The Perfect Pair of Flip-Flops. It was jammy beyond belief. They were exactly what I would have chosen, had I the choice, but hadn’t expected in a hundred years. Hand-made, in very tough-looking leather, and mine for a princely 499 baht – about £12. Result!
Basking in the glow of success, we ambled on, and a few minutes later, well I’ll be…what looked like the perfect solution to my – traditionally quite challenging – wallet/key fob needs. Again, craftsman-made, in tough leather – exactly what I’d have hoped to find, but certainly never expected to. As I said to Virle, finding the flip-flops had been a terrific stroke of luck; to find both them and the keyfob wallet within five minutes was close to miraculous.
A few minutes later we relinquished air-conland for the noonday heat and, reviewing our limited options, plumped for a bit of street art barely 400 metres away. Only to find we seemed to have stumbled into what was effectively another market – a long row of shops all dedicated to saris and the like, silks and other exuberant textiles, and all sorts of related paraphernalia, from buttons and buckles to tiaras and tapes to beads and pearls and threads of every colour under the sun.
At the end of the road we found the promised street art – the mural at the top of this piece – which turned out to be on a very pleasant canal, where we wandered for a while before grabbing a modest lunch at a tiny canalside restaurant and taking the riverbus back, where we’re currently sitting out the worst of the afternoon heat before heading out again in search of cash. We have to settle our bill this evening, because at the crack on the morrer we hit the road for Cambodia.