In keeping with the theme of seeing Rebecca’s Bangkok, there was no question what we would be doing on the last day of the year. It was a Saturday after all and Saturday in Bangkok, as far as Rebecca was concerned, was JJ time.
The Jatujak Market, or The JJ as the locals know it, is one of the world’s great markets. We wrote about it on this blog many times because we loved it. We always said that you could tell everything about a destination by visiting their local markets and this one is simply beyond belief and entirely worthy of an amazing city, like Bangkok.
Happening every weekend, the JJ is a sprawling maze of booths selling literally almost anything under the sun. There are even exotic animals to be had - and not just exotic animals, but the endangered species kind. The market is made up of booths – and there are close to 9000 of them. The cab driver dropped us off in the front of the market, and we entered the home furnishings section. The first thing we saw was truly mind-blowing – a close to life-size replica of an elephant made entirely of drift wood.
Neither of us was in a shopping mood so this wasn’t about that. This was all about showing Shaun one of Rebecca’s favorite places. She loved this market so much that she would time out our entire trips so that we could be sure to hit Bangkok on a weekend. Our home is evidence of her many trips to the JJ because there are odds and ends all over it that came from our excursions there.
It was hot and a bit crowded as we wandered through the narrow aisles. We passed booth after booth with some amazing things and a lot of utter crap. We wandered in and out of one section after another until we eventually found ourselves thirsty, which meant that it was time for Revolver.
Now, those of you who knew Rebecca well know how much she loved a good bar. She could happily never set foot in a nightclub again but she adored a truly honest bar. Revolver is such a place and was, in fact, her favorite bar in the world. She could always somehow find her way there in the chaotic maze that is the market - almost like a bird that knows how to return to a remote mating location purely by instinct. Shaun HAD to experience it. There was never a doubt. She would never have allowed him to be here and not have a beer there and there was no way I was going to let her down. There was only one problem…..I had no idea how to get us there.
Shaun could tell I was getting frustrated and a little upset as we meandered through the JJ in apparent circles. I guess it was the tears that gave it away. I explained what I was looking for and what I remembered being around it. What happened next can only be described as freaky. He stepped in front of me and led the way, as Rebecca had done every time before. He weaved in and out of aisles making a turn here or a turn there. Ten minutes later, there it was, Revolver Bar. Unless you’ve been to this market and have some frame of reference for its scale and complexity you can’t fully grasp how incredible that was. There is absolutely no way to explain that he was able to find a bar he had never been to in an Asian labyrinth of booths other than to believe that Rebecca wanted him to see it so much that she again used the invisible hand to guide him there.
Since we have written our impressions of this magical little place a couple of times on this blog, I have asked Shaun to take it from here and tell you about it. After all, he took us there.
The Revolver is an oasis nestled in an endless maze that truly assaults the senses, but in the best possible way. The sights, the smells, the sounds and the electric bustle of life are truly incredible. However, as a sensitive fair-skinned individual, like Rebecca (DO NOT CALL ME A GINGER!), I tend to overheat easily and need sanctuary from the sun. The Revolver is such a place. It is a small, unassuming and downright cool bar. There was a quartet of ladyboys who were tending the bar when we arrived. To honor us Westerners and our New Year celebration, the bar was decorated in silver balloons, balls and flowers. The ceiling was a sky of silver Mylar balloons that made a soothing sound when the breeze jostled through. Small café tables covered in white tablecloths accompanied by a single flower in a small vase littered the 3 small seating areas. There were cases of beer under the tables, under benches, in front of the bar – everywhere you looked. There wasn’t a storage area there, so the barware and alcohol are very much a part of the bar.
Shelves around the bar contained aged bottles from yesteryear that came from around the world. The music was good, chill, downtempo music – a favorite of mine. It was nothing I had heard before, and it added to the ambience. I love nothing more than to hear new music that I like. It’s easy to see why Rebecca loved it so much. It was tasteful in its shabby chic way and completely unpretentious. See, down one of the hundreds of rows, we walked by a bar that was full of Westerners – complete with Western DJ spinning trendy music. It was a scene. Revolver was a hidden gem. It is everything I love in a watering hole, and quickly became a favorite of mine, not just in Bangkok but anywhere.
We drank beers, shared stories of Rebecca while laughing and crying. But the whole time I knew she was there smiling that Dade and I were at her bar, sitting in her seat and drinking beers sharing of love of her.
OK, I’m back.
After the Revolver, my mission at the JJ was complete. Shaun had experienced it and loved it as Rebecca knew he would. But, I know she was there because she led us to it…..just like she always did.
By now it was starting to set in that it was New Year’s Eve. I was spiraling into a depression/anger mess and we had not a single plan for the night, which wasn’t fair at all to Shaun. He knew here was nothing I could do about it and was wonderfully patient and he decided that he would make something happen. He tapped away at his iPhone for a while as I cried and between him and the mystic device, they came up with a plan.
Step one would be dinner. Step two was a proper New Year’s Eve party. He even arranged for us to get advance tickets for the party to avoid a line or, worse yet, the party reaching capacity.
The dinner would be at a little Thai restaurant that his “contacts” said was very good. His contacts have a gift for understatement. We found Uren Urai Thai Restaurant nestled in the garden area of the Rose Hotel. It’s in a century-old Thai house and is peaceful and serene – just what I needed. It was New Year’s Eve, they were fully booked and we didn’t have a reservation but they were very kind and accommodated us nonetheless. Maybe they recognized the Tiger Mayor Man…..I don’t know.
What followed was one of the best meals either one of us had ever eaten. Each and every dish was sublime. We shared a variety of plates and each was so subtle but so complex that it boggled the mind. Shaun’s favorite dish was a fluke as he didn’t order it originally. The original dish was steamed egg with curried crab. But when the server returned after the order was placed saying it would take at least 20 minutes he ordered a salad instead. And what followed was a revelation in our mouths.
The piquant pamelo salad. Oh what can be said about it? It is truly something special. The pamelo, for those unfamiliar, is a large citrus fruit. To compare it to a grapefruit doesn’t do it justice. The delicate wedges of pamelo are tossed with herbs, chilis and a peanut dressing. The mixture is then laid in a coconut quarter and topped with grilled prawns and cilantro. Each flavor is balanced in perfect harmony. The sweet, the salt, the spice meld into what can only be described as a ballet on the tongue. And that was only one dish. Each one that was presented at the table was nothing short of fantastic.
We are both certain that this was the best Thai restaurant we had ever eaten at but it was also simply one of the best meals we had ever had…..anywhere. It was so good that we went back every day until we departed.
After dinner we walked the short distance to the party, which was on the roof of a new 50 story building a couple of blocks from the restaurant. I was in no mood for a crowd and my mind was beating the crap out of me with every possible thought it had at its disposal but it was beautiful up there and we had an amazing view of the entire city of Bangkok. The breeze was blowing across the deck, the music was pretty good and there was a nice crowd.
I wish I could tell you that we danced and got drunk or that it took my mind off of the things that were tormenting me but none of that is at all true. We enjoyed a few drinks, watched the funny people and rang in the New Year as best we could. While I missed Rebecca madly and longed for her lips at Midnight, I was grateful for Shaun’s embrace and words of love and encouragement.
We watched the city become engulfed in light from fireworks and, once the show was over, so was our night. We took a tuk tuk to the hotel and called it a night.
Well….I made it through Christmas and New Year, thanks to Shaun. Now all I have to do is figure out how to get through the rest of my life….easy, right?
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