Sawadika Thailand

I am just back from a vacation. Guess where I went! The land of smiles – Thailand!! Although we were advised that it is unsafe for women, our gang of 9 female warriors charged into the country. Right from the time you step onto their land, you can experience the Thai hospitality. They are warm, welcoming and very polite.

We landed in Suvarnabhumi airport and straight away took a cab to Pattaya. We watched the Alcazar show which was performed by ladyboys. Some of them were extremely pretty and graceful too. The production quality is top notch. The sets and performances are a sight to behold. Since the men were keeping a close watch on us through online means we went to walking street at 9 PM :P It was pretty calm during that time. We finished dinner and went for a Thai foot massage. It was amazing!! On the way back, we passed walking street and we could see it coming to life.

Alcazar Show

Next, we hired a full day cab and went to the Sanctuary of truth. It’s entirely made of wood (no metal nails too). Understandably, you have to walk around with a helmet. The temple is mesmerizing. It is dedicated to the Trinity – Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva. You can also see sculptures of Ganapati, Saraswathi and Narasimha. Our food experience in Pattaya had been lacking so far, but Black Canyon totally made up for it. After a delicious lunch, we went to the Sriracha zoo. I was in two minds about getting a picture with the tiger. Finally, I gave in to temptation, kept morality aside and went on to cuddle the giant cub in my arms. When I was feeding the tiger cub, it had a paw on my hand so that I don’t take away the milk bottle. I found it absolutely adorable! <3

Sanctuary of Truth

Next stop was Krabi. We checked in to the picturesque Beyond Resort and the coastal vibes in us went haywire. The sun and sand, beach and breeze – we were lost. The ocean waves and the moonlight took us to another world as we got our massages done by the sea shore. We booked the Phi-Phi island tour from the hotel for the next day. Sitting on the deck of the speed boat, we felt really adventurous. And now for the grand reveal – I overcame my fear of water and went snorkeling! *Whistle podu* Initially I was terrified, but when I looked into the blue green waters, all my fear was gone. The fishes came right up to us without any hesitation, as if they were inspecting us. The water was crystal clear and we could see the sea bed glittering with corals. It was a breath taking view!

View from Beyond Resort

Viking cave enroute to Phi-Phi Islands

We were sad to move out of Krabi but equally excited about shopping in Bangkok! We wanted to finish sightseeing first and hence went to the Grand Palace. A guy posing as a guide tried to misguide us by saying the Grand Palace was closed and it would open only at 1 PM. Luckily, we did not fall for it. We found a spunky guide called Jitra who took us on an express tour of the Palace. She was witty and feisty driving away anyone who tried to photo bomb our pictures with a stern “Oiii”! :D As soon as we were done, we hit the malls.

The Grand Palace

Bangkok is shopper’s paradise! The quality of the fabric is way superior compared to its price. Beautiful dresses, gowns and jumpsuits were available for as less as 250-300 bahts which is around 500-600 rupees in INR. However, size is definitely an issue. The Thai are petite people and you have to dig around a bit for bigger sizes in shoes and clothing. We went to MBK Mall for electronics and if you are good at bargaining, you can get items at throwaway prices. The Platinum Fashion Mall in Pratunam is dedicated to women. Bargaining is not entertained here and honestly, we did not even feel like doing so when the items were already available at such discounted prices.

All in all, this Thailand trip has been very satisfying. It gave me a much needed break and managed to rejuvenate me. I have been involved in every stage of planning this vacation and I am proud that we did most of the things on our list. This was a girls only trip which made it all the more fun. The only missing piece in this perfect trip is my sister. If she had come with us, I would have rated this the best vacation of my life! :)

Here is our itinerary. 

Thailand Trip Itinerary with expenses

List of things we wanted to try.

Green Papaya Salad (Som Tum)
Thai Fish Cakes (Tod Mun Pla)
Flat Noodles (Pad Thai)
Thai-Style Omelet (Khai Jiao)
Thai Coconut Ice cream / Fried Ice Cream
Mango Sticky Rice
Banana Pancakes/Crepes
Fresh fruits – Mangosteen, Dragonfruit, Rambutan
Thai Massage
Snorkeling

Attachments

After a long time, I gave in to one of my guilty pleasures. Reading a chick-lit! I read about epistolary novels – literary pieces written as a series of letters or journal entries. I love letters. They have the power to bring hidden emotions to the surface. One just has to start and the rest pours in. So, I decided I had to read someone else’s letters! Nothing can beat the thrill of going through someone else’s personal stuff :P Okay, I sound like a pervert now.

Moving on, I picked up Rainbow Rowell’s ‘Attachments’. It seemed contemporary since the exchange was in the form of emails. And, it was between two friends who work at the same place! As soon as I had read the first few emails, only one person came to my mind – M. That could have been us in the book. Funny, witty, angry, emotional, crabby, random. Yep, we are all that as we constantly IM each other at work.

When I look back, I honestly don’t know how I ever survived without her. I do have a lot of friends at work and outside of it. Even then, I kept looking for that one friend who shares the same wavelength as me. M is definitely the chosen one. We get excited about craft sales, become emotional looking at newspaper articles, go crazy over discounts, are passionate about work, share a common love for food. Even our flaws are the same - over thinking and the inability to say no :D

I don’t think she realizes how big a void she has filled in my life. She has kept me strong whenever I felt like breaking down. Several times, her message in the chat window has brought me back from the brink of a meltdown. She has helped me make some of my best memories and made my untold wishes come true :) I wish I could tell her what she means to me. She is like that favorite sweater, one which takes the shape of the body and fills it with warmth, always preferred over the pile of new clothes, comforting and reassuring just by its presence.

Every girl needs another girl who can have her back. I am lucky to have two women in my life who are always making my life better and beautiful. My sister and M – my two best friends. I hope I can do the same for them.