Oh, Bangkok, we'll be back.
Going into the trip I knew very little about Thailand other than it was hot and that everybody who has gone loves it.
It's easy. In the three short days we used a canal boat, tourist boat, express boat, SkyTrain, Metro and Airport Link to get around the city. While Bangkok is huge you can figure out how to get to and fro with relative ease. Especially if your boyfriend looks at maps and you don't have to think. Just sayin'.
It's cheap. That may be the understatement of the century.
-28 cent bottled water on every corner.
-7 dollars for an hour massage.
-2 dollars for a complete delicious meal. Could be less but you need to try everything on the street carts!
-56 cents for freshly squeezed juice. Pomegranate? Pineapple? Orange? You decide.
-80 cents for a huge Thai iced coffee.
You get the point. During the first two days of our trip we spent $43 which included all of our transport, visiting temples, eating non stop, getting massages and buying souvenirs. I can get a really mediocre lunch for that in London.
When people talk about their gap year or month long trips it makes perfect sense that this area would be at the top of the list. You can enjoy life and not cry about your expenses when you get back home.
The more I travel the less Europe looks good. I am glad I got some of it in pre- Euro and when airfares weren't my monthly salary. Central America, I discovered in 2007, is much more affordable but as the last decade has gone on it has become less so. Thank God for this huge world and discovering new places to visit. Long flight? Oh my god, yes. Totally worth it? Absolutely.
Thais. We found people to be very polite, helpful and not out to screw us. It's amazing how you need zero language but a couple of fingers and expressive eyes to communicate. More on that in Vietnam.
In China, we were led to buy sandwiches for breakfast. As if any foreigner couldn't possibly want noodles for their meal. Chips? No we didn't want them but the nice lady made sure we knew where they were. Why in the world would we want to try local delicacies?!
In Thailand, it was much easier to get in with the locals. I couldn't tell you what we ate half of the time but damn it, it was so good. Meat on a stick? Dip we didn't know was spicy before smothering the chicken? Ball on stick? Yeah, still don't know what that was. Not that it mattered, it was delicious and I got pics.
Locals wanted us to explore and we obliged at every step.
Those massages. My sister in law warned me they'd be cheap. But $7 per hour for an awesome Thai lady jumping on you and twisting you all around? It became a bit of a goal to get one evey day. And because I achieve everything I put my mind to (har har) massages were had! 3.5 hours over the course of four days. One day ended with a 11 pm massage and the next morning by 9 am another lady was going to town. I can get used to it.
Temples, Buddha, Architecture. We read somewhere that Bangkok is a representation of the past, present and future. It's a great way to describe this bustling city. Older buildings falling apart are standing next to gigantic air conditioned malls that are right next to futuristic hotels towering over the Chap Praya river. Traditional temples covered in gold leaf are startlingly beautiful. Tourists gawk as locals pray to a variety of Buddhas in different poses, moods and locations all over the city.
Damnoen Sadauk Floating Market. One of the days we headed out of town to leave the bustle behind and see another part of Thailand. 90 kilometers out are small canals with merchants preparing foods and selling their goodies right from their long tailed boats. We hired a boat towards the second part of the day which meant we had the market to ourselves. For two hours we went canal after canal enjoying people's offerings and gawking at paintings and clothes. It was tranquil and beautiful and worth the adventure out of town.
Food. In case you haven't been following. It's everywhere. Accessible. Cheap. Delicious. Yes, we dined at one of the best restaurants in the world. It was gorgeous. And tasty. But the memory I'll take with me is walking out of our apartment door having no clue what we will run into. No sit down meals were ever had for breakfast or lunch. It's the best.
Bangkok and Thailand are a sensory overload regardless of what you are here for. People, food, culture, heat, whatever you want is here. There is not a doubt in my mind that I'll be back. It is one of the most memorable cities I've visited and I'm hungry for more.
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