BKK: shoes, guitars, food, metros, etc

I needed better shoes for my trip to Tenasserim - essentially sneakers that would look decent with business casual clothes, but nothing too flashy - so i hit up the Central World plaza (formerly called the world trade center), by Siam Center on the skytrain (BTS), bankok's crux of international fashion, electronics, and hotels.

(photo: intersection from skywalk by chitlom station)

Central World alone is like several NY city blocks of boutiques and specialty stores stacked onto six floors, with a glass exo-structure that gives climate controlled cafe's an outdoor feel. combed the stores over several hours and found that the Sketchers store had just the shoes...super comfy (for next-day wear) and cute (to match my slacks).

(photo: bldg by NaNa BTS station, near where i've been staying)

i have yet to go to Pratunam, which is the equivalent of the garment district - it's supposed to have everything, and cheap - i like deals, but it's tricky to find things that fit me, so that's often a limiting (and frustrating) factor.

Central World has 3 guitar stores - one of which had the most gorgeous blue steel guitar for 15k baht ($400) that i tried out. not bad for a steel guitar (developed in the 1920's, but eclipsed by the advent of electric guitars thereafter) - they make even my fly-by-night playing sound amazing...

Well, i really don't deserve such a piece yet, so i continued my search for a cheap, but decent guitar elsewhere...which led me onto an adventure on the underground metro (MRT). i checked out a store at Fortune Town, but they were also way overpriced (even the used ones)...

For guitars, i've heard Chinatown has a cluster of stores with the best deals (arguably lesser quality, but there's got to be something i like there). actually, i made it to the right MRT station, Hua Lamphong station, end of the line - but when i got out, i didn't have good directions - i walked around some little streets, but didn't find it, and then didn't want to be taken by a tuk-tuk driver, so decided i would come back with a map, or at least a better idea where i was going. got it now, so next week, i suppose...

(photo: just when u get into Siam Paragon - couldn't resist - a McCafe...)

Siam Paragon, which neighbors Central World, has THE best food court (a floor up from the McCafe). It actually has little restaurants all clustered around - we had great japanese ...other interesting food joints: the Japanese "Mos Burger" and "Mr. Taco" ... fascinating. Paragon also has a gourmet market, with treats from the Royal Project...

The Royal Project is essentially a government program in agriculture that emphasizes diversity and cooperative set-ups for farmers all over the country. It now includes several processing facilities - so we got gourmet carrot chips and pumpkin chips... and these divine little dried mango puree pancakes... kind of like seriously wonderful fruit leather patties. There's all sorts of yummies, and it's basically "fair trade" stuff.

okay, gotta run... more on the Tenasserim project soon...