INSECTS A LA CARTE & A BROKEN BUS8 min read

THE THAILAND SERIES, DAY 14

Pattaya – Bangkok

Insects a la carte & a broken bus. I packed my stuff, cried a little and set off for my bus back to Bangkok. It’s at this moment I know my trip was coming to an end, what a terrible feeling but it had to be one of the most satisfying trips to Thailand yet.

SO APPARENTLY YOU ARENT MEAN TO EAT ALL OF THE GIANT WATER BUG

For whatever reason I decided to get a small public bus back to Bangkok, well the price was a factor; $4. However just 10 minutes after setting off we were sitting at the side of the road needing help.

WHERE IS JODD FAIRS?

Jodd Fairs

REPLACEMENT BUS

Going for the public bus option there was no chance of me knowing what the problem was, the driver didn’t speak English. Not that I am an expert in fixing buses but it’s always good to know the situation or how long we should expect to hang around for. The unknown is always frustrating.

But to my surprise it was only 1 hour before a replacement bus arrived. I was surprised they sent anything at all but we were headed for Bangkok regardless 😊

Insects a la carte & a broken bus

KEY PREMIER HOTEL

Back in BKK I decided on a different hotel, I like routine but also like variety and this hotel was ok, it certainly wasn’t the level of The Landmark. But I threw my stuff in, got changed and headed for Jodd Fairs, Bangkok’s newest market.

JODD FAIRS

Bangkok is world famous for markets and street food, but out of all the times I have been to Bangkok I am not sure I ever visited a market… But there was something I have always wanted to try and it’s no Thai Green Curry. Insects are on the menu tonight.

Walking around Jodd Fairs you can see it’s a proper tourist hub, everything is new and there are plenty of options to satisfy the western tongue. The famous pork mountain was popular but what took my attention was the restaurant which does not offer plates, and instead customer’s food is dolloped straight onto their table.

Insects a la carte & a broken bus

INSECTS

There are so many other options, places the drink, deserts and also entertainment so you will never be stuck, just keep an eye on the weather as I am not sure how much shelter there is.

But I was here for one reason, certainly initially anyway! It took me a while but finally I found the only stall in the market selling insects. If this was anywhere else it’s seen as a bit of a p*sstake or a novelty, such as Khaosan Road but here locals come and buy these pieces in bulk. Saying that Bamboo Worms (the most edible) were the only ones bought.

SALT, SOY & WHITE PEPPER

With a mango shake in hand I felt I was half prepared. I was sure I only wanted to do this once so ordered one of everything, unfortunately they didn’t have any scorpions but I’ve already tried a spider, absolutely rancid. Each of these are deep fat fried and then the lady smoothers them in salt, pepper and soy sauce to hide the obvious taste.

TASTE TEST

Beside each tasting horrendous and very salty this was the outcome.

• Bamboo worms – Small crisp like things with have little to no substance and taste
• Silk worms – As close to potato/pasta as you’ll get
• Grasshoppers – Crunchy but xero flavour
• Crickets – Very similar to crickets
• Giant water bugs – This was the absolute worst and wasn’t helped by me eating it entirely wrong but it wasn’t until I was halfway through the first one that the lady told me I ate the part I was meant to throw out, the entire rear. Also the wings were like eating plastic.

It might sound like these were edible but you cannot for the life of you forget what is actually in your mouth. I’ll avoid this stall in future.

Insects a la carte & a broken bus

TODAY’S YOUTUBE VIDEOS

If you want to see today from a different perspective, and catch a few different stories from the front row, then check out today’s YouTube videos below.

FINAL THOUGHTS

A little part of me was looking forward to this, sometimes you just think you are more capable than you actually are 😬

NEXT UP

An eventful day in Bangkok; Ayutthaya, eating and freezing in a Cryo chamber!! Click to read.

SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
152/229

This post was part of The Thailand Series. To view the full YouTube series from the trip click here or for my Instagram highlights you can go here.
If you would rather read the rest of the series from the blog just click here.