It has been a sleepy little Monday so far – well except for something that sounded like a parade outside our window this morning around 7am. We never did find out what it was. Today was our last morning at the Lamphu Treehoue and we were definitely both a bit sad to leave – thankfully we’re only headed onto Phuket and not back to Mongolia…yet. I’m going to miss the breakfasts and all those banana pancakes – even though this morning they served raisin ones.
After packing up and checking out – with her Mongolian winter gear and new souvenirs stowed away Ashlee’s bag is now twice as big as when we arrived! – we headed down to say our goodbyes to KSR. I must say that in the early morning light with its littered streets and hungover partiers, it’s not quite as charming as it is at night. The streets were all a bit clearer too because Mondays are mandatory street-cleaning days so all the food carts have to be off the roads.
We followed through on our plans to get a couple of massages. Don’t worry, we didn’t get one of those questionable “oily” massages that your dodgy Uncle Al has told you about. We went to a respectable place that has been well-reviewed in travel books and websites. For 180B (about $6) each we both got 1 hour Thai massages. Now I’m pretty inexperienced when it comes to getting massages and I have that Thai ones can be a bit intense, so I tried to keep an open mind. I can say now, however, that the whole thing was 85% wonderful and only 15% painful.
After changing into some massaging garb provided by the parlor (fisherman’s pants and loose-fitting tunics) we were led to side-by-side tables. We were introduced to our massage therapists (mine was a very good-natured and thickset older woman) and had our feet scrubbed. We then both layed back and the massage was on! It was sort of an active massage in the sense that the ladies contorted our bodies and limbs into different positions. Ashlee called the process a “yoga massage.” The ladies really got into it, too. They were literally using their whole bodies to beat into us: hands, fingers, forearms, elbows, shoulders, shins, and feet. A few times I opened my eyes and found my lady twisted around my lower body like a pretzel with her feet up near my armpits. For me, the only painfully parts were when she pushed on pressure points in my inner thigh and the base of my skull. It was funny, too, because at multiple points when the lady was trying to move me or maneuver my arms and legs she would say, “Ah, you so big!”
After our rub down, we headed to lunch. Not seeing anything appetizing on KSR we headed to a little Mediterranean place a few blocks away. Like I said earlier, it was the best lunch ever! Thinking about it now I’m sure it might have had something to do with being fresh off the massage tables, but still the food was delicious – and we ordered so much of it! We both got pita sandwiches with fries and we shared a bowl of hummus, fresh pita, and a most ridiculously awesome Greek garden with chunks of fresh feta. We had to be carted out of that place!
We love you, Bangkok!
PS – In an unrelated sidenote, there are so many cats in Bangkok! They are literally all over the place and me, the crazy person that I am, always says something like “kitty!” They always look a little mangy, and most of them have something funky going on with their tails, but some area real sweet-looking.
PPS – I hope Phuket doesn’t have any stinking tailor shops. I’m tired of getting hassled into looking at suit brochures every 15 feet whenever we walk in the KSR area. Some salesmen have good hooks though. Most try to compliment my existing wardrobe – which is laughable since I look like a complete ragamuffin – but one guy told me that he “can tell I have good karma.” Thanks, guy, but I’m still not buying one of your crappy suits.
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