I spent a night in Bangkok but didn’t sleep a wink. If you’re thinking about Bangkok’s nefarious reputation you might need to get your mind out of the gutter because it’s not what you think.
Bent over double I managed to squeeze passed the banyan tree that half blocked the narrow alley. I would never have even found this place if it wasn’t for the family I encountered eating their dinner on the pavement who very kindly led me here. This is where I’m staying tonight; in a hostel down this alley.
This is Bangkok, just off Yaowarat Road. I’ve been to Thailand before but it’s my first time in the capital. It had been a long day flying from Saigon via Hanoi then exploring the city, little did I know I wouldn’t get any rest that night…
Meeting up with a friend from Glasgow was a rare treat. Unfortunately Mook had come home due to a sick family member but it was still great to eat street food and compare life in Southeast Asia to life in Scotland. However the reason for me being in Bangkok was very different.
It was the eve of Chinese New Year. The festival is also celebrated in Vietnam so I get a week off work and I’ve taken advantage of that to travel. Have you figured out why I chose to stay by Yaowarat Road?
Thai culture doesn’t observe Chinese new year; their new year celebration falls around April and is called Songkran. However there is a large Chinese diaspora in Thailand and Yaowarat Road is Bangkok’s Chinatown. This week the street is done up with lanterns and lined with an tantalizing array of street food vendors. The food is an amazing fusion of Thai and Chinese cuisine. It’s one of the few places in the world where you can still see people selling the controversial shark fin soup (which I did not try!).
And so after an evening of crowds, snacks and Thai beer I headed to the dorm. I’d just settled my head down when the clocks struck midnight and there was a cacophony of drums! It turns out that Chinese New Year here is welcomed with dragon dances which are accompanied by a band of drummers. It was impossible to sleep! So as they say, if you can’t beat them, join them. It was amazing to watch the dancers in their elaborate costumers parading down the brightly lit street. The lions collected lucky money which the audience fed into their mouths.
I spent the next day exploring Bangkok. In the evening I headed to Hua Lamphong station to catch a sleeper train to Chiang Mai for the next exciting instalment of my trip. Keep an eye on this blog for the next update.
I think this trip will be difficult to match next chinese new year! Do you know any great or unusual places to celebrate chinese new year? Leave me a comment to let me know!
Eastward Ho! 