Bangkok…Speechless!

So, as I write this entry, I’m already in my next destination, Phuket. My toes are currently pointed out toward the Amandan Sea in the north part of Phuket at the JW Marriott…I’m poolside and its 9:00 AM. Michael is still asleep and I’m thinking back of what an amazing 4 days we just experienced in what could be my new favorite city I’ve ever traveled…Bangkok.

Paris had always held top honors with me, but experiencing all that Bangkok had to offer makes me think we’re in a “tie” situation. Every city has to have a couple of drawbacks as well and although I’m hard pressed to find anything bad about Bangkok, the smog and exhaust is a bit overwhelming (and I’m from LA) and that one damn taxi driver who tried to take advantage of us. Trust me…the city more than made up for these two minor glitches.

Our first night

 

We started our Bangkok leg of the trip via Singapore Airlines through Singapore and connecting to Bangkok. The 12 hour flight was pretty much drama free. We had the opportunity for a little quiet time before Bangkok took over our senses. The minute we walked off the plane, I had a good feeling. We grabbed a taxi and made our way to the Hilton Millennium Hotel. The hotel was perfectly located in the heart of the city which made simple transfers to boats, subways, trains and other transportation very easy. Our room was on the 29th floor and looked out over the river to the entire city…the perfect view. We got settled and made our way out to start exploring Bangkok. We thought a massage would be a good way to get started so we made our way to Health Lands (thanks Amy Doyle) where we experienced the perfect 2 hour massage for $23…yes, $23! We ended up using Health Lands over the next couple of days. Its sort of like the thai version of Burke Williams without the cost…Oh and by the way, I’ve gotten a massage every day since we’ve been in Thailand. The most inexpensive and probably the best was last night on the beach of Phuket for $13! OK…I’m getting off track…SQUIRREL!! After our massage, we poured ourselves onto the streets and made way for a bite to eat and a beer to cool down. There were PLENTY of people watching opportunity to be had so we settled in at a bar called Telephone. A great seat outside was our home for the next few hours and we enjoyed our first dinner of Spring Rolls, Green Chicken Curry and Spicy Beef Salad…accompanied by a few Singhas of course.

Grand Palace

Over the next few days we were non stop, visiting all of the “must do” tourist destinations. The Grand Palace was quite a sight to see. The main palace grounds is also home to the temple that houses the Emerald Buddha, the most important Buddha figure throughout Thailand. Wat Pho temple which houses the Reclining Buddha was amazing to see as well. Picture a 10 meter high x 44 meter long gold reclining Buddha. Very impressive and represents Buddha entering nirvana. We also ate our way through the city.

Medicine Buddha

Reclining Buddha

We tried out a few traditional Thai restaurants, but some of the best food came off the street carts which are located EVERYWHERE. For about 20 baht, or 60 cents we would walk away completely happy with a few skewers of grilled chicken/pork and sauce to dip. I think we’ve eaten Green Curry every day since we landed in Thailand and still not getting over it. Food is a very important aspect of life here and is almost practiced as a hobby by the local people. If you ask me, it’s a very good hobby to practice!! I’ve gained about 10 lbs so far and still growing!!!

One of most vivid memories will be the transportation throughout the city. Taxis, trains, subways and a mono-rail type system are all available and very easy to use. We chose to rely mostly on the traditional Tuk Tuk…Probably not the safest option, but it got us places quickly and cheaply…usually for around 50 baht or $1.50. If you haven’t seen the video experience, make sure you check it out here…pretty funny. We definitely are ready for our Amazing Race experience!!!

Death By Tuk-Tuk

Our last night in Bangkok ended with quite the bang. We decided to take in a very popular Ladyboy Cabaret Show at the Asia Hotel. The Ladyboys are a VERY respected group within Thailand and their show is a blend of lip synching and dance routines played to American, Thai and Chinese popular music in elaborate costumes. They are truly beautiful women and hard to believe they were born male.

I could smell death!

 

Ladyboy Opener

 

Grand Finale

 

Seriously?! Flawless!

Thailand has definitely made an impression on me. The people, the food and the culture are something I will never forget. The “openness” and diversity in Bangkok was very enlightening and something people around the world should hold up as a standard to live by. In true Buddhist fashion, I’m trying to live in the moment, but already looking forward to our next trip back. I am in love with Bangkok and it seems like we’ve just scratched the surface. Next stop…Phuket for a little downtime on the beach, massages and more delicious food of course.

Namaste!

Brad and Michael