Hamburger Run

I have not had a proper hamburger in a really long time and I have been thinking about it daily for some time now, so last Tuesday was the day.

Now the best hamburger in my opinion is one you build yourself and burn in your own skillet, but with a lack of good beef a road trip was necessary. Also because I have given up driving and Mee did want to tackle at 185-kilometer trip motorcycles, buses, and tuk-tuks were involved.

We left home at 8:45 via motorcycle, rode to the local bus station and purchases tickets to Khorat. The tickets were purchases at a price of 104 baht each or a total of $6.25 for the both of us and we were underway at 9:00.

It was not a pleasant trip. They billed the bus as being air-conditioned but that remains to be determined. On top of that the seats were small, hard with little legroom for my tall lanky frame. As is typical on most Thai buses there was also the mandatory DVD blaring music at a decibel level, which is not fit for human consumption. We also must have stopped a dozen times to pick up passengers along the road. I believe the driver must get a bonus based on how many people he can pack in. By the time we arrived in Khorat at 11:00 we were backed to the gills with the lovely aroma of sweat and garlic breath filling the hot stifling air. Luckily there were no pigs or chickens allowed on board.

From the bus station we elect a Tuk-Tuk as our mode of transportation to The Mall rather that a metered taxi. The cost of the short trip was 50 baht or about $1.50.

Upon arrival at The Mall we had to do the obligatory walk through from one end to the other on all three floors while Mee looked at all the ladies apparel. I really didn’t mind it very much as it was near lunchtime and there were many students from the local university out and about and as in Bangkok they also love to wear their little uniforms as tight and as short as is humanly possible. Lots of eye candy for this old codger.

Lunch was as the Sizzler Steak House. I ordered the BBQ, Bacon with Cheddar Cheeseburger with French fries and ice tea. The above picture does not depict the actual burger, but it was close. The one I had was actually larger, better dressed and juicer. Mee ordered a chopped beef steak with French fries and Pepsi. She also lit into the salad bar but I did not partake, as I wanted to save myself for the hamburger which I am glad that I did because it was large and filled me up. With a little fruit from the salad bar our lunch was most enjoyable. Cost of the lunch was 633 baht or about $19.00. I know, a little steep, but what want you pay if you want western food, service and cleanliness.

Following our meal, we wandered down to the grocery store and they were having a sale on American/western products so we were obliged to purchase a few things to haul back home. Our purchases included several cans of Spam, Tobasco Sauce, Pickles, Olives (green and ripe), Raisins, and a few other hard to find treat items, which I now can’t recall. They also had some good-looking beef, but I didn’t buy any, as I was worried that it would spoil before we got home. This little excursion put me back another 1200 baht or about $36.00.

It was then back to the bus station via tuk-tuk (another 50 baht) and return bus tickets for the same price of 208 baht.

The bus trip was a bit more enjoyable, but not much. The air-conditioning worked a little better and we did not stop and pick up passenger along the way. Funny though, even with all the stops going and none coming back, it was still a two-hour trip. We were back home by 4:00 P.M.

So in conclusion for a cost of only 8 hours of my time and about $70.00 bucks I was able enjoy a hamburger. Heck of a deal huh?