Bangkok, Thailand
We were apprehensive about Bangkok. We had read so many travel commentaries on the city being dirty, crazy, seedy and generally miserable to travel through. But when in Thailand, you must go, right?
We are so glad we went. Bangkok was incredible. Sure, it might have some areas that are a complete assault on your senses, but this was one of the most incredible places we ventured. Bangkok has it all - city life, quieter days in the parks, people watching, and of course the food. Did I mention the food?
We again planned our accommodation for this leg without any research. Staying at the Golden Mountain Hostel right by, you guessed it, the Golden Mountain Temple (Wat Saket), turned out to be a perfect location for us. The neighborhood felt safe, cleaner than expected, and near but not sucked into the locations we had hoped to visit. We were within easy walking distance (okay, we really like walking) to the Grand Palace, the infamous Khao San Road, and Chinatown. We also had the most delicious selection of street food right near our hostel.
We were visitors to Bangkok at a very unique time - the last month in which the Royal Crematorium for His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej was open to the public. The King is a very big deal in Thailand, and we were honored to experience such a unique cultural event that is celebrating and mourning his life and dynasty. This was an incredible time, and I’ll have to elaborate more on it in another post.
Back to the food. We spent most of our time wandering around the city eating as much as we possibly could. My travelmates will eat just about anything (read: unexpected chicken necks, mystery meat, scorpions), while I’m a bit more reserved. I’ll eat almost anything in terms of flavor, type of dish, and spice level, but meat isn’t really my thing. What this meant is lots of watching the boys chow down on some questionable looking stuff off the grill, while I’m still searching for a stall with some veggie options, or at least some recognizable cuts of.. chicken? Best bet is try not to think about it.
Questionable meats aside, the food here is incredible. Elliott and I have already considered planning another trip to Bangkok simply to eat more Thai food. Before visiting Southeast Asia, I already had a mega crush on Thai food. I could eat spicy green curry every day of the week at home. But even when your local Thai food restaurant is run by Thai expats, can you really know if that food is authentic, or if it’s been dumbed down for American tastes?
Enter Thailand. Eat green curry. Try all the spicy curries. Then ensues one month in which I quite literally ate at least one bowl of curry every day. This might sound like someone who is picky and can only find one dish she likes. Au contraire, mon ami. You’ve just completely enabled a full-on Thai curry addict to sample the dish in as many locations as possible. Yes, while still sampling other local delicacies. But when you have the opportunity to see how curries are done in the south, in the islands, and in the north, and you’re completely obsessed? Try. Them. All.
But I digress. Our food tour of Bangkok included roadside stands for Thai omelettes, the most popular Pad Thai restaurant in town, a late night wander through Chinatown, bustling street corner soup stalls, delicate French pastries, and delicious steamed pork buns. I’m writing this over a year after leaving Thailand and I can still smell all this food.
We alternated eating with sightseeing. There are an insane number of temples scattered throughout the city, each with their own unique and beautiful styles. We wandered through parks. We visited the Grand Palace. We fought off crowds. We survived crossing the streets. We watched traffic roll by and admired the creative work of electricians in the city. We drowned in the humidity and raced through town on Tuk Tuks. We partied on Khao San Road.
Can we please go back to Bangkok?
