We spent one day and one night in Bangkok at the end of our trip. Our flight home left at 2:00 in the morning! We had two priorities for the day – eat at Cabbages and Condoms and see Wat Po and the Reclining Buddha.
Per the recommendation of a fellow traveler, we stayed at Saphaipae hostel. When we arrived, we found that they had booked us the wrong room – two twin beds in a boys dorm room! They didn’t have any of the correct room available, so we were upgraded to a premiere en suite room, which was basically as nice as a boutique hotel room. Score! The beds were comfortable, it was quiet and they had hot showers. What more could you ask for?
We spent the day taking in a few “must-see” tourist destinations – Wat Po and the Royal Palace. Wat Po is famous for the Reclining Buddha figure. It is 50 feet high and 143 feet long. It was incredible! The picture doesn’t even do it justice.
We also visited Chatuchak Market, a huge outdoor market that runs on Friday nights and weekends. It is so large, they actually publish a map book that is available for purchase. It had everything from art to furniture to hand goods to food. Apparently there is even a secret section that specializes in endangered animals. We also came across a section with pet stores.
For dinner, we ate at Cabbages and Condoms. This famous restaurant was started to raise money for family planning in Thailand. A Thai-run NGO recognized that large family sizes in rural Thailand (7 children average), was threatening to cause too much resource use. The idea behind the same is that condoms and birth control should be as widely available and accepted as cabbage. We had coconut milk soup and duck in red curry sauce. Especially for a tourist trap, the food was excellent!
All the decorations inside were made out of condoms. There was a condom Tiger Woods, Santa Claus, Christmas three and more.
On the way out, a group of Thai schoolgirls stopped us. They were doing a school project to benefit flood victims. They designed a canvas tote to raise money. I scored the one of the last limited edition, only 500 produced, totes! At least that is what they told me? Come to think of it, saying there are only 3 left is a great way to drive sales. Maybe these girls are master business minds!
Our room at Saphaipae, the biggest hostel in Bangkok:
The Bangkok Airport, all dressed up for the holidays:
Check out the rest of our Thailand adventure here!
The cabbage and condom resto sounds interesting!