Muay Thai Madness!

March 26/2012
I haven't had much of chance to update this little bloggity blog due to the fact that since we hit the ground in Bali we haven't had much time for anything!  But I'll start where our story left off: in Bangkok. 
Our last day in Bangkok was mainly to pick up the rest of Chad's suit and maybe outfit him with all the rest of the attire that goes along with his suit.  Now the poor thing has never had much of a fashion sense, as our friends will attest to, and really doesn't care what goes on his back or his feet for that matter.  But for some reason Bangkok and all its glory opened that little portion of brain he had hiding in the back somewhere.  We spent the afternoon shopping for ties and shoes and belts.  I can now safely say that Chad can attend any fancy shmancy event in the big city and look just as hip as anyone. 
After we were confident that our shopping was done we decided that Bangkok should not just be about clothes and purses.  We needed to experience a little Thai culture and what better way than to watch them beat the snot out of each other?  There was a big Muay Thai match being held at the Raja Stadium close to our hotel so we decided to head there.  We got dropped off right in front and the ticket sellers were on us instantly.  We were going to go with the third class seating that was up more in the stands with the locals and the gamblers with standing room only.  Those tickets went for around $30 each.  Second class was $40 had cement steps so you could sit if you didn't mind looking through people's legs.  But ring side seats! These were the cream of the crop and for a measly $60 each!  We insisted that we really only wanted the third class but they kept staring at my growing belly and said that would be no good for me, no sit, very bad.  So I asked for a discount and a free drink and agreed to the ring side seats!  So for less than the cost of a hockey game at home we got treated like Muay Thai royalty and got to see some amazing fights.
The fighters themselves ranged in weight from 81 lbs to 126 lbs.  Tiny little guys, built for speed and deadly in the ring.  There were two title matches and the place was roaring with cheers and young girls screaming for their favorite fighter.  Always red against blue and each fight always begins with the dance to honour their teacher.  Music accompanies the fight, played by a band in the stands.  After the main matches were done it was time for the kids to practice their skills in the ring.  I swear they couldn't have been more than 10 years old but I wouldn't want to meet them in an alley way!  We took a couple of photos with the fighters and we went outside for Chad to sample the street food.
Chad had a few skewers of mystery meat and I almost stepped on a rat.  I figured it was time to head back and seeing as how we hadn't had a tuk tuk ride yet I figured what better time.  We found a guy who would do it for a few bucks and we climbed in.  He asked us if we wanted to go to the "world famous Bangkok Ping Pong Show".  For some reason we didn't think this was the kind of ping pong we play back at home but more of the vaginal kind so we politely declined the offer.  Safely back in our hotel room I decided to stay in for the night.  Chad was not nearly full enough off his 6 sticks of charbroiled meat so he went off in search of a late dinner.....and he swears to this day not a free ping pong show.