We had a bit of a rough start, as we somehow mistook Newark for JFK, which resulted in a mad dash to the correct airport two hours before our plane was due to take off. (Thanks to Jackie for correcting us, and taking us to the right airport!). However, after a 16 hour flight to Taiwan, a 3 hour layover, a 20 minute delay, and a 3.5 hour flight, we made it safely to Bangkok. Our Airbnb is apartment style, and we are staying in the Sathon/Thep Narin Village area where we have not seen a single non-Asian person yet. Sam got a head cold on the plane, so our first day was spent eating toasties and soup while napping in between.
Day two in Bangkok was ambitious and adventurous. We mapped out several locations to check out, starting with Lumpini Park, which was 2.3 miles from our apartment. As we walked through the park, we saw many people running, exercising, and even an outdoor lifting gym complete with tires for weights. It felt like Central Park, Bangkok style. However, the biggest surprise was when we looked out into the lake/pond and saw many creatures, but we figured they were turtles- that is until a large lizard about 3 ft long slithered along the shore mere feet from where we were taking selfies. We walked a bit more, and found several more Monitor lizards, ranging from 3-6 ft long, they looked like they belonged in jurassic park. Then we took a long detour (we got lost) to Sukhumvit, where we enjoyed delicious green tea and mango sticky rice.
Terminal 21 is a huge mall located right off the SkyTrain, and is easily the largest mall I’ve ever seen. Jersey-boy was not quite as impressed as Montana-girl. But I mean, it has NINE internationally themed floors, and a cinema, AND an extensive food court. We also tediously got AIS SIM cards so we could have a map on our phones to avoid getting lost again.
We hopped onto the SkyTrain, which is incredibly easy to use and efficient, to the stop Ratchathewi. We planned on getting off at that stop, and walking to Khaosan Road. However, I did not realize that it was about 4 miles of walking until it was too late. We had already walked about 10 miles at that point, but we trekked on. Exhausted and hungry, we made it to Khaosan Road only to be very underwhelmed. It is extremely touristy, with many hyperaggressive salesmen trying to convince us to buy anything and everything from tuk-tuk rides to “ping-pong” shows. Feeling like it was far too touristy and consumer-centric, we abandoned our plan to get a hostel there. We also abandoned our plan of walking back to the SkyTrain to get home, and instead relied on a comfort classic, Uber. Our plan to go the the Grand Palace was postponed for another day, and we crashed into bed at 6pm. This feeling is the most freeing thing I’ve ever felt while on a trip; we don’t need to pack everything into one day, because we can stay as long as we like (within budget constraints), but still. We have so much freedom to do what we want and to take our time.
As our first few days of December have passed, we have become more accustomed and more appreciative of this bustling city. After three cancelled Uber drivers, and a very turbulent ride to our next AirBnb, we finally arrived to our next stop. This AirBnb (Kang Thai Restaurant) feels like a hostel, and is more centrally located near Vadhana and Huai Khwang. It is still not terribly touristy, but makes it much easier to access more of Bangkok because it is very close to the Metro. Our host, Robert, is extremely friendly, accommodative, and informative. After a stressful morning, we lounged (Sam worked) for the day, and then spent the evening at the Ratchada Night Train Market. Imagine hundreds of stalls selling food, clothing, shoes, etc. in a small block. There were bars around the edge of the market, and the food options were endless. It was amazing and overwhelming at the same time. Sam and I shopped a little bit, and then we got some very spicy noodles for dinner.
The Old City, and all it encompassed was calling our names, so we went. We caught a canal bus, which was very exciting. The canal bus is definitely more of a local form of transportation, but at 12 baht per person, it was a steal. We treacherously hopped on, jumping over the rope and into the crowded boat. A man wearing a face mask scaled the side of the boat, accepting the boat fare. As we rode the boat to the last stop, we saw houses and plants lining the side of the very dirty canal. Then we made our way toward the Grand Palace, but we were a little late in the day, so we decided just to walk around it rather than going in. Perhaps we will go in another time. The King’s crematorium is right near the palace, and hundreds of Thai people were lined up to go pay their respects. The architecture was fascinating, with every building adorned with gold and red paint and intricate carvings. Once again, we were bombarded by people trying to get us to buy something, so we started to walk towards Chinatown, which is where the Metro stop was.
We stumbled upon the entry way to Chinatown, and we were immediately greeted by absolute madness. There was a very tight walkway with stores and street stalls lining the sides selling fabrics, jewelry, and all sorts of trinkets. The traffic of people was almost at a standstill with everyone taking just a few steps at a time, which was interrupted by people on motorbikes squeezing through narrowly avoiding people’s toes. Above us there was a green roof, almost as if the walkway had been a train station at some point. We walked through the craziness for nearly an hour before we escaped to the Metro and rode it all the way home. Exhaustion settled in, and we ate at Kang Thai where we are staying. Not only are the accommodations clean and nice, the food is delicious.
Chatachuck Market was next on our list, so we hopped on the Metro (can you tell this is our preferred form of transportation?) which took us right to the market. The markets are starting to blend together here in Bangkok, because they all sell similar stuff, and are all so massive. I quickly got lost, but Sam has a great sense of direction. We set out to find the “pets” section, although I’m not sure why.
There were easily thousands of fish being sold, some very exotic looking, and some goldfish. There were also dead fish lining the sidewalk, showing the quality of life for those poor fishies. There were also all sorts of puppies and kittens being sold, for cheap as 250 baht ($7.65 USD). Hedgehogs, mice, squirrels, prairie-dogs, macaws, parrots, and more were in dingy cages waiting for their forever home. However, the most interesting animals we saw were fennec foxes and what I think were finger monkeys- tiny, adorable, miserable, monkeys. While we were grateful for the opportunity to see this, it was also heartbreaking. The quality of life for all these pets appears to be nearly insignificant, and I hope we can do better. #adoptdontshop
We are enjoying the culture here, although it is very different than what we are used to. There are some neighborhoods with luxurious stores and homes, but they’re right next to shacks with holes in the roofs and blankets as doors. The pollution is suffocating, and many people wear masks while walking around and even in stores. Thai people are mostly nice to us, or they are just indifferent- either way, we haven’t come across any real hate or discrimination. Sam is pretty good at learning Thai, and he speaks a few words here and there to people, which always leaves them with a big smile. It feels as though this city is endless, we have explored several neighborhoods, yet we are surprised by something new everyday.
The weather in the islands of Thailand is rainy- to the point of flooding. So we decided to extend our stay here in Bangkok because there is endless opportunity to explore. Robert (our AirBnb host) was extremely accommodating and extended our stay. We hope to do some day trips nearby, such as Lopburi and/or Ayuntthaya while we wait for the weather to clear up.
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