Roxanne... you don't have to turn on the Red Light.

So no trip to Bangkok would be complete without visiting the Red Light district, Patpong. We decided to hit up the nearby night market first which was huge. Not quite as big as the Weekend market but still big. Lots of stalls with higher end goods. Then there was a big stage and a beer garden where you could grab a beer and watch Thai bands play. We also managed to squeeze in an hour foot massage because our feet were sore from all the shopping:)

We walked over to the Red Light district not really knowing where we were going or what to expect. Surprisingly it's not much different than all the other streets in Bangkok. There were street vendors selling the same stuff as everywhere else and then a few selling more "erotic" items. The only real difference were the throngs of people asking you if you wanted to see a "ping pong" show. I will leave that one to your imagination but if you'd like details, give us a call. In all I guess you could say it was a cultural experience. It's strange that a country that infuses Buddhist ideals into all ways of life would have such a HUGE sex market. But it does, and for a reason. It makes a lot of money!

Our last day in Bangkok we went back over to the infamous Kho San Road for last minute souvenirs and to grab a new book for the plane ride home. Gabriel had mentioned maybe wanting to get a new suit custom tailored made while we were there and it turned out they could still do it in time. For $80 we met with the tailors, chose the style of suit, the fabric and had a suit made. We initially met with them at 2pm, had a fitting at 6pm and it was ready to take home by 9pm! It's really nice and fits him to a T. Now he just needs somewhere to wear it! I think it was a great purchase on his part. Thailand is famous for that and there are tailor shops all over Bangkok. I could have had a suit made myself or even a fancy ball gown made from Thai silk. Maybe next time...

Our final wish before leaving Thailand was to have one more traditional Thai massage so we did that on our last day. It's funny though. The massages are so cheap you really can't complain but it's not like getting a massage at a spa. You walk in and there are mattresses laying on the ground next to eachother. You can be getting your massage with numerous other people. There is no soft music playing or privacy. And the masseuses are usually talking the whole time to eachother in Thai so you have no idea what they are saying. It's kind of like getting a pedicure at a Nail Salon in a strip mall vs. getting one at a spa. Even though the atmosphere may not be as nice, it still feels great! A good way to get relaxed before sitting on a plane for 24 hours.

Hawaii here we come!