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so! last weekend, we had a three day weekend. the buddhist holiday wesak day ("buddha's birthday") fell on saturday, so we had the friday off in observance. so, i took the two hour flight up to bangkok to explore around for two and a half days. i stayed at a really cute little hostel (here) within walking distance to the big touristy spots. aka...
wat pho/reclining buddha. i got a massage at the wat pho school, and it was honestly the best ever. 420 baht for an hour = just under $15. i intended to walk from there to the grand palace, however, i let the tuk tuks sell me and i ended up going up and around to other places (including the jewelry shops...) before making it to the grand palace. a word about tuk tuks, which is in like every travel guide ever and everyone who has ever been will tell you about it, but i tell you about it anyway: if you're doing tourist spots and not just getting from point A to point B, they will tell you that they'll take you to the tourist spot, but also some side tourist areas that "you wouldn't get to see otherwise." this also generally includes a jewelry store where they try to make you think you're getting a really good deal. you're not getting a really good deal. they are getting a really good deal, because they are receiving commission for whatever you buy for bringing you there. in addition to the jewelry store, my driver took me to a tailor where i got to look through books of dresses. once in the shop alone, i told the tailor i don't wear dresses (stop laughing). he said surely i wear suits. i said i don't work where i need to wear a suit (stop laughing). we went back and forth like this for five minutes until i told him i was leaving in the morning. he said they could make something by the evening, and i said no and walked out. they're very persistent. it's fun to banter though. it's also okay, because my tuk tuk driver took pictures of me. in total, my ride was only 40 baht, which is like $1.something. the sparkly earrings i bought because i am weak for sparkly things were much more, but okay let's just not talk about it anymore.
he took me to the golden mount, which i probably didn't want to walk to anyway, so that was fine. it was really neat.
from the top of the golden mount, there's a 360 degree view of bangkok. it's really cool. i felt like a little ant. after the golden mount and the tailor stop, we finally made it to the grand palace. before looking at anything regarding the palace, i saw ABP!!! i didn't go check it out, so i'm just going to remain blissfully ignorant and assume it has delightful soups and salads. i say "delightful" like i'm not totally overdosed on ABP from dc.
unfortunately, the grand palace was closed for a coronation ceremony. fortunately, the emerald buddha area was open, and because the grand palace was closed, it was open for free! i believe the price to get in when it's both is around 300-400 baht (still, only 10-15 dollars, but you know). you cannot take photos of the emerald buddha, but the outside of its temple was still just as beautiful. i would throw in more picture of temples, but they are all so pretty and detailed that i can't pick a favorite. ALSO, you must cover yourself when entering. you cannot show shoulders (guys or girls) or leg (guys or girls). the thais don't waste any time taking advantage of this - there are plenty of vendors right at the entrance to "rent" you a shirt or hammertime pants so you can still tour. i got this delightfully bright green hawaiian shirt for a 50 baht rental fee (100 baht deposit, just in case you were going to walk away with it).
i met a friend from wvu for dinner. we went to a chain restaurant that is really neat. you can either get a soup that is made, or you can make the soup yourself at your table. you order the veggies/broth/meat you want, and they have heating pads at each table so you can make it. it's neat. unfortunately for me, there was not a single option of chicken without bone. i did really well picking off from this chicken though. everyone should be proud of me. and it was really, really, really tasty. afterwards, we had ice cream!!
saturday morning was my favorite part of my entire trip. in planning my trip, i found some travel website that recommended the vegetarian cooking class at may kaidee. i signed up for it, and it was so extremely worth it. it's only 1200 baht too, so very cheap. we started off with a trip to the market, where our teacher showed us each of the ingredients we'd be using, plus a few things about other treats found in the local markets. we watched a lady who makes spring roll wrappers 365 days a year. we went back and covered 14 different recipes, from tom yam soup, to different curries, pumpkin hummus, chili paste, lots of tasty things! i was most impressed with the fact that we used the same basic ingredients for everything, yet everything tastes so different! it was an experience. and since i don't cook, i know my mom appreciates that i have now made an attempt to learn.
i then went to the weekend market (or chatuchak). it is extremely overwhelming! the market is so large, it covers several acres, and you can find anything you might ever want there. well, maybe not find, but stumble upon would be a better term. clothes, housing goods, random knick knacks, everything!! i ended up only with earrings. there is also an extremely large animal section..
i fell in love with every animal i saw, but especially that baby dog. there were cages and cages of dogs, cats, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, hedgehogs, lizards, everything. at the end of the day, it kind of leaves me infuriated. but i have to remember this is not america (not like it's any better in america).
i went back to my hostel and napped until night time, to see the last of the attractions!
the flower market is open 24/7, but comes alive at night. there is every flower imaginable. including my favorite sunflowers ♥ like every other market in bangkok, it sprawls for streets and alleys and you can easily get lost in it.
i headed back down to khao san road, probably the biggest tourist spot. it has lots of little shops and massage offerings and everything. including the fried insects for eating! i obviously did not eat any fried insects.
i did partake in what i have been waiting to try for forever. they have fishy spas in dc (there was one less than a mile down from my apartment) but i just never went. it might have to do with it being so expensive in dc to feed fish with your dead skin, but you know. here, it was super cheap for 15 minutes. it was such a weird feeling. very tickly. like how sometimes you hit a nerve and you get a strange little tingle? that x 100ish nibbles = what this feels like. i tried to focus on watching the massage recipients instead. i find it very funny to relax in the middle of a large crowd. like those massage machines in malls. how do people relax? you're in a mall. silly.
i actually had quite a bit of time sunday morning so i could have squeezed in a lot, but instead i just relaxed and walked around another one of the morning markets. i got a little waffle, it was tasty.
in all, i'm a little conflicted about bangkok. it overwhelms me that there is so much food, honestly, everywhere. being that i often think of the worst possible scenario, i just wonder what happens to all of the food at the end of the day because surely people don't eat all of that food! i feel like at least the hot dog stands in dc are sustainable (another thing i miss already). on the other hand, it's kind of amazing that there is such an option (again, dc hot dog stands pretty much own the street food market in dc) for eating. i also didn't do everything i really wanted to do (i wanted to see the floating markets, but my sleepiness prevented that), but that's okay. as much as i love itineraries for what needs to be done, wandering around is just fine as well. back to bangkok though, i think i like KL better. it's quieter, more relaxed, and not as dirty. it's still a fun place to visit though. the weekend market is something everyone should experience if visiting, for sure.
so that's all for that. and happy mother's day ♥
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