Travel Writing - Bangkok
Really, that's all I want to do. Travel, and write.

I've been back a few days from my trip to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, and I'm still adjusting. I think my body clock is back on track, for the most part. But my heart and soul is still in Southeast Asia.

It was a GREAT trip, complete with a trip soundtrack on my nonpod mp3 player that ended up being perfect for the variety of adventures that ensued (a mix of Black Eyed Peas, old school Michael Jackson, U2, Coldplay, Joss Stone, Kelly Clarkson, Earth, Wind & Fire, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Usher, Sheryl Crow, and on and on). It's a mix that makes no sense, yet for every bus ride or bumpy car ride that required tunes, I had something on the nonpod that provided the perfect muscial interlude.

Even after a trip, I usually come home and continue researching and reading about the places I've just visited. I've read some travel blogs this week by people who have traveled to the places I've just been, and I'm absolutely in love with the whole world of travel, adventure, and writing about it. I don't care if anyone cares about what I have to say about it. It's just beautiful to me.

It's a completely different world over there, and I loved it. It's so simple. Us Westerners make life so complicated and difficult and stressed. It's nice to see that life doesn't have to be that way. Of course, there are difficulties over there that are completely different than any difficulties most Americans face on any given day. But, I think "stress" is a foreign concept to them. Meaning, I think Americans invented the word.

We started in Bangkok, Thailand. Friend C flew over early, so I met her there a few days later. She found me at the airport, and after a taxi ride to our hotel, we went in search of food. Sadly, all of the places she had in mind for me to eat my first Thailand meal were closed, since it was late at night. So we ended up at Water Bar, her favorite bar and hangout from her two years of living in Bangkok, where she swore me to secrecy that my first meal in Thailand was ... fried rice.

We spent the next four days or so seeing the entire city. She showed me all of her favorite restaurants and places. We visited the Grand Palace.















And we visited some other templey-type place.


















There was a picnic in the park that was fabulous until the monsoon rains came. And there was shopping at some of the most unebelievable malls I've ever seen. America has nothing on malls in Bangkok. They are completely modern, are several stories tall, and are a complex maze of passageways and escalators, serving only to get one lost in a sea of shops and restaurants. I think I'm good on malls for the rest of the year.

The food was amazing. Except the night Friend C tried to kill me with some green curry that was quite possibly the spiciest thing I've ever put in my mouth. But otherwise, everything we ate was delicious. I tried to eat and drink something different for every meal throughout the trip. I may only eat a variety of about four things while at home. But when on vacation, I want to experience all of it. Fortunately, nothing made me really sick. I had a few stomach moments throughout the trip. But for the most part, food did me well.

Our July 4th celebration took place on Saturday, July 2. We found the shindig put on by the Americans for the city, and decided to stop in to see what there was to see. What there was, was American food, complete with burgers, hot dogs, ribs, and bad American beer. We didn't eat the food. I can eat burgers at home. There was also a very cranky Uncle Sam barking orders at people to move through the program for the evening. The Thai Army band was there, but before you pass judgement, they kinda rocked. The singing was terrible, but the band itself rocked it's way through lots of American covers, down to The Cranberries, who aren't actually American, but are known by all good Americans. It was funny to see the band rocking out in their Thai Army uniforms. If you didn't see them, but heard them without seeing them, you would not think they sounded like they looked.

Then, the fireworks happened. I'm not really sure what safety precautions were taken (if any), but when the fireworks started, Friend C and I suddenly found ourselves covered in flaming firework shrapnel. The fireworks were being shot from directly behind the school building we were all standing next to, firing directly overhead. So as we looked up, they exploded right above us, probably not as high in the air as they should have gone before exploding. And the result was a lot of confused people screaming and running for cover under the tents. It all lasted about 5 minutes. Most. Bizarre. And. Dangerous. Fireworks. Show. Ever.

Afterwards, Friend C and I went to a lovely restaurant called The Pickle Factory. No pickles. No factory. But great Thai pizza and beverages. I learned one very important thing in Bangkok. Singha = good, Beer Chiang = bad.

Friend A joined us Sunday night, and the following day (July 4) was a day of more shopping and eating, and some sightseeing. We also did the thai massage again. Soooo good!

I don't know what it is about bookstores, but I go through phases of not being able to stay out of bookstores. I don't read every book I buy, but I can get lost in a bookstore and be quite happy there for awhile. I think I went in every Asia Books and Bookazine store we passed in Bangkok (except for the Bookazine I couldn't find while Friends A and C got manicures and pedicures). They went in to the shop and could tell I wasn't down for the pampering. Friend C asked, "What do you want to do while we are here?" I said, "Ummm..... books." She pointed me in the direction of books, and I was in heaven for the next hour or so, wandering around on my own in search of books that I don't need. I even got another iced coffee, one of many during the trip.

I never bought a book in Bangkok (not even at the market when we found the used book tent! It was so beautiful! books in english everywhere! and cheaper than cheap!), but I've bought a couple of books since I've been home. A by-product of still wanting to get my hands on more Asia goodness.

I really liked Bangkok. It took me a day or so to get used to the city. And to the heat and humidity. I’m not usually bothered by heat (I do, after all, live in Texas), so I was generally fine. It just took awhile to understand that even though I will shower in the morning, as soon as I step outside I will be drenched with sweat for the rest of the day.

It’s a very busy city, dirty and poor in some places. There are smells, not always of the good variety. The motorbikes whizzing around scared the Bajeezus out of me more than once. They even come up on the sidewalks, so it pays to be alert at all times while walking. Funny, even though you will see signs everywhere that say "Safety First" (my favorite motto!) in both english and thai, the city is basically one big hazard waiting to happen in many places.

Traffic is ridiculous. They drive on the opposite side of the road, for one thing. But really, they just drive all over the road, close to other cars and bikes, and there really seems to be no rules. Getting in a taxi and paying any amount of attention to how the taxi driver is driving will only succeed in freaking you out. Just enjoy the sights outside the window. And if you are lucky, enjoy a crazy conversation with a taxi driver that thinks you are beautiful.

Otherwise, getting around the city is amazingly easy with the Skytrain and the new underground subway. It’s a very modern city, with very pretty people in very pretty and cute clothes walking busily around. Everyone smiles. Everyone is friendly. Everyone is shorter than me. I loved it.

We took a couple of rides on the river.
That was another fun way to see the city. We walked a lot, including one really long walk for dinner one night that proved a bit scary when we discovered the restaurant we were searching for was now a pile of rubble on a dark street. Sometimes I questioned my blind following of Friend C as she took me all over the city. But, she always came through, even when the plan changed (eventually we decided that the plan was that the plan would change) and usually she rewarded me with some good food for our efforts. Except that shredded crunchy catfish salad she tricked me into eating during our picnic. I may not forgive her for that one.

Here, Friend C prepares the catfish salad.

THEY SHRED THE CATFISH AND CALL IT A SALAD!!! AACK!!

All in all, Bangkok was great. I am so glad to have had that time with Friend C for her to show me this world of hers where she lived for two years. I hear her speak about it so often, I'm glad I now understand more about that part of her life and exactly what is so beautiful about that land far away.

We did have one case of unfortunate luck during our last night there. But it was minor in the grand scheme of things, and worked out fine.

I almost hated to leave Bangkok, but I was very excited about the next part of our trip – Cambodia.

continued in Travel Writing, part 2 - Cambodia

C.T.