Breakfast at Suk 11 (pictures on next post) was included, so I got my plate, loaded it with fresh fruit and toast piled high with coconut butter (or coconut-flavoured peanut butter?), and sat down to enjoy the ambiance. What a place. I met Steve in the first few minutes I was sitting, and he invited me to explore the city with him and his friends. We ascertained that we had until about 4 or 5 until Leanne got to the Suk, so I opted to tour.
We took the sky train to the water taxi, boarded this bad boy...
for an interactive tour of the city via the river. It was amazing. Here's a pic of Adam and I, one of Steve's friends. Adam had a bad case of food poisioning the night before, and scared me half to death, steering me clear of chicken in Thailand until at least my third day there. A girl has to be careful!
Along the way, we saw the famous Mandarin Oriental hotel,
where Joseph Conrad, in an apparent drug-induced stupor, wrote Heart of Darkness in a room later coined, the Author's Lounge. Swoon. I wonder if this river influenced him at all? Here's a Thai home...waterfront takes on a whole new meaning...
On the west side of the river lies this spectacular temple that we never did see up close. It's called Wat Arun. There is apparently a 4-or5-room guesthouse that overlooks both the river and the Wat that is wonderful and new. Didn't make it there either. hahaah... 
The boat docked for a mere moment near the end of the line (N8 or N9 along the river), we deboated (hey, if "deplaned" is a word, why not?), and were on our way to the Grand Palace. First came the cry of the stomach though. It WAS an hour and a half since our last meal after all :) I like these people.
Thailand takes the cake when it comes to quality, cheap street food. I was thoroughly impressed as well as wowed. This conglomeration might not look that appealing to you die-hard North Americans, but to me (read: World Traveler), it was heavenly...
Exotic fruit I still don't know the name of...prickly pears? Who cares...they were delightful. And they were 70 baht per kilogram: that's $2.50. Bring it.
We paused for some noodle soup and to watch these adorable children do some ceremonial dance/fight/spar. It was Children's Day at the market near the Grand Palace and it was only then did we know why. Prior to this, hence the powdery appearance of many of the little faces, there was an exciting (well, it was highly entertaining, though not at all exciting) obstacle course that the kids went through. It included scarfing down a cocount and drinking all the milk/water inside, shoving their faces in piles of icing sugar to find something-or-other, and other such strange Asian things to do to children in an attempt to convince them that this is for their benefit, when organizers know full well that the adult audience is the one laughing their keisters off AT the children. Oh Asia, you always know how to make me giggle.
Then we were back on the street market for some more picking at random delicious street food. I love this place. I think I spent about three dollars and ate my fill (which we all know is difficult) for the afternoon. Wonderful.
Asia loves meat on a stick, don't they? I can't wait to go to other countries to see if the obsession is as strong there.
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