Bangkok

****NOTE: Sorry for not posting sooner. When we left Bangkok, I wrote this post around some of our funny pictures, but am having technical difficulties getting the pictures to upload now that we are in Krabi and do not have high-speed internet. Bear with me...when we get back to Bangkok, I will upload the pictures.

THINGS THAT ARE BEAUTIFUL IN BANGKOK (Yes, Bri, there really are beautiful things here!):

Temples

A few people told me, “Once you see one wat (temple), you’ve seen them all.” I am disagreeing with this. I think they are amazing. Our first day in Bangkok we visited Wat Ratchanaddaram. It was so beautiful. It was commissioned in 1846 by King Nangkiao, and has 37 spyres, one each to represent the 37 steps to enlightenment. It was built as a gift to his favorite Granddaughter. I would argue that building a temple is a much grander showing of affection than tattooing her name on his shoulder, like someone else I know.

Children

I have literally seen the cutest kids on the planet here…with the exception of Julia, Riley, Ian and Miles, of course. Thai kids are always smiling, even when they are whizzing down the road on the front of their parents’ motorbike with no helmet on!

Gardens

Matt and I were admiring Rama VIII Bridge from a quaint garden in Bangkok our first day, when he said he’d like to see if we could walk across it. The next day we were booking some travel with the TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) and decided to walk around this part of the city, when we came upon the bridge. It turns out you can walk across it to the other side, which is actually in Thonburi. We thought it would just be something cool to do. Well, “cool” isn’t the right word since the heat in Bangkok is unbelievable, but we thought it would be fun. The architecture of the bridge is impressive, and it turns out that when you get to the other side, there’s an amazing garden that we spent a bit of time exploring. Keep in mind we are sweating our butts off from the humidity in this picture.

Sidewalks

Anyone who’s been to Bangkok probably cannot believe I’m listing the sidewalks, as they can be a bit overwhelming and overcrowded with all the street vendors. There is so much hidden beauty in Bangkok, though. We realized that no matter what part of the city you’re in, every square of sidewalk has intricate patterns in it that intertwines with each one around it. It’s sad, though, to see such attention to detail and beauty on the sidewalks, since when you look back up, you remember the poverty, unkempt buildings, etc. that surrounds you.

Lucky Beer

This is our favorite bar in Bangkok. First of all, all the staff wears bright orange shirts. Matt says he likes an establishment with uniforms. And, they all have funny name tags. They obviously know that the clientele will either not be able to pronounce their name, or be too drunk to remember it, so they have nametags like “Mr. T”, or simply “A”. It is in prime people-watching location on Khao San Road, and the layout is tiered, so it’s almost like having stadium seating to watch the craziness outside. We spent hours drinking Leo and just watching our surroundings. This was the perfect spot since they brought out cold towels to relieve you from the humidity, and have vaulted fans all around the bar. We had a delicious lunch here (fried noodles with asparagus for me; red curry for Matt), and the staff is just so pleasant. Once, on my way to the restroom (which was immaculate…a very big deal in this city, believe me), one of the servers was eating shrimp chips and basically forced me to stop and share a few with him! They mostly tasted like air, but it was a sweet gesture. The best example, though, of the way they go above and beyond in their customer service happened right before we were leaving. I was going to take a picture of something in the back of the restaurant and Matt also wanted a picture of a “special” towel dispenser outside the restroom. When I got back there, I took my pictures and realized that one of the waitresses had taken the dispenser off the wall. She saw that I had a camera and ran to my side to show me the dispenser and told me that I had to take a picture of it. Thank goodness, because I would’ve been embarrassed to say that my husband sent me back there for that exact purpose. She ran and hung it up, positioning it perfectly for the shot.

Tuk Tuks

Tuk tuks are these fun little motorized vehicles that zip you all around the city. The day we got to Bangkok was actually a day where the government was funding the tuk tuks, so it was only 20 baht to go anywhere. We hired one to take us to the TAT to book our travel, but had a minor ATM authorization issue that required we go back to our guesthouse to get a different card. So, our tuk tuk driver drove us to the TAT, waited while we booked our travel, drove us back to our hotel, took us to an ATM, drove us back to the TAT, waited while we paid, then drove us back to our guesthouse. He was with us for about an hour and a half, all for 20 baht, which is less than 1 USD. Obviously, we tipped him generously. At any rate, the tuk tuks are a fun way to see the city.

Khoa San Road

Khoa San Road is a backpacker’s paradise. It seems like all the backpackers in the world convene here to get street food, great deals on lodging, and to make friends with other backpackers. I think some people would find it a bit claustrophobic, but it is truly a sight to see. Literally the best people-watching I have ever done. Everyone is in a great mood. And you can get great deals by bargaining with the street vendors, which came in handy since I still needed a sleeping bag for our safari, plus flip flops since mine broke the first day. There are unique t-shirts, cute sundresses, books…I think you can find just about anything on Khoa San Road. But, I think the “wedding” ring Matt bought me is a fake…it turned my finger green today.

THINGS THAT ARE NOT BEAUTIFUL IN BANGKOK

Smell

Bangkok smells. That’s all there is to it. You cannot escape it. I think it is a combination of the smog, too many types of food vendors in one place, water, exhaust, sewage, thousands of sweaty bodies, etc. It’s gross.

Humidity

Wow. I mean, I grew up in Jersey. I get humidity. I have never experienced anything like this. It is OPPRESSIVE. The headbands I bought are put to good use every single day. Fortunately, I have found a new appreciation for water. The first day I seriously thought I was going to drop from the humidity. When this happens now, I run into the nearest 7-11 (which is the most prevalent Western influence in the city) and get bottled water. Slamming down a bottle is the only way to try to reinvigorate yourself from the humidity, and even that isn’t a sure bet. We have also adapted a slower pace, both literally and figuratively. We still walk like East Coasters, even after nine years in San Diego. We walk way too fast for everyone there, so even moreso in Asia. We did realize that the locals are always wearing long pants and long sleeves, but never seem to be sweating. We also realized that they walk MUCH slower than us. So, we've slowed down our gait...we're still hot, but not dripping wet.

Bathroom Signs

We were walking around Patpong when we needed to use a restroom. There was a giant McDonald’s, which we thought may be our most sanitary bet. We were right. It was actually the cleanest public restroom we found in Bangkok. However, please take note of the bathroom signs indicating which bathroom is for which sex. I could not get over this! I know we are on the other side of the world, but I was not raised this way! I never even played soccer as a kid, but I resented these signs. Nonetheless, I hesitantly used the appropriate “girl” facility.

Stagnant Water

It’s everywhere. The canals look like the water hasn’t moved in years. It is dark, completely opaque and stinks. Matt wondered if you would get some horrible disease and die if you fell in one of them. I told him I would surely die of cardiac arrest if I fell in because I would just completely freak out about what had just happened. The puddles on the sidewalk look like they have been there forever, not drying up because of all the moisture in the air. We are steering clear of the water.

Flesh-Eating Fish

These are all around Bangkok. The signs read, “Please feed our hungry fish by your dead skin.” Gross. They have these giant pools of too-blue water and hundreds of fish in them that nibble away at your feet. I have seen shows about this on TV, so I know it is done in some salons back in the US, but somehow I think the sanitary conditions may be slightly different here. Trust me, I love a good pedicure, but there is no way I would stick my feet in those tanks.

Electricity

This is what the electric wires look like all around the city. No joke. Everywhere. Very different from Encinitas, where everything is hidden underground. I guess both methods serve the same purpose, but this just seems a bit unsafe to me, especially in a place known for its moisture and rain.

Despite the un-beautiful things, we had a great time in Bangkok. The same two people who told me about the wats also told me, “Bangkok sucks.” And, on one hand, I can see what they’re saying. But, I am choosing to be positive and focus on the beautiful things we saw and experienced there. We had so much fun, a ton of laughs, delicious food and good beer. Then again, this is the first of many weeks on the road. Give me three weeks or so.