First Days in Bangkok
I had the pleasure of flying into Bangkok's spanking new airport. And here's what I thought of it: Star Wars futuristic. No joke. Grey decor all around with electronic walkways and acrylic white supports. It kind of sucks the only way to the city is an expensive shuttle bus or taxi. Both of which are actually horrible options because the traffic in Bangkok is INSANE.
I assure you that the caplocks was actually necessary. If you have ever (or when you do) go to Bangkok, there is bumper to bumper traffic in every part of the city at all hours of the day. After nearly 3 hours we checked into the wonderfully quaint Suk 11 guesthouse. For cheap sleeps in Bangkok, you have the option of staying on the backpacker happy Khao Sahn road or a slew of guesthouses scattered all over the city. 5 star hotels are also more affordable in Bangkok than anywhere else in the world. So go figure, you can go as high as you want or as low as you want.
I found this to be a reaccuring theme in Bangkok, extreme highs and lows. Beside a luxury mall selling Hermes and LV, you'll find MBK (left). MBK is popular mall where the locals and tourist go to shop for everything they need. It's the cheapest place in Thailand to buy clothes, shoes, bags, etc. Haggling is encouraged, even at official stores.
Also for transportation, depending on how much you have and how well you bargain, you can pay a lot or a little for the same tuk tuk or moto ride. While taxi drivers usually agree on a price or run the meter, tuk tuk and moto drivers are their own boss. More to come on tuk tuk and moto etiquette soon, there's a whole street culture here that more than deserves its own post.
One thing I will note: the sky train in Bangkok is extremely cheap and convenient. It runs at all hours and it's a sky train!! You can get a great aerial tour of the city while on your way to your destination. Today, that happens to be a Thai massage.
What is a Thai massage? It's suppose to be a massage that targets your pressure points to release tension. It also reminds me of yoga, as the masseuse will strech you in order to improve circulation. I went to two very official places for Thai massages, Health Land and the Wat Po School of Thai massage (the institute that issues masseuse licenses). Health Land was like a modern Western spa, complete with private suites and tea. The massage was great, and it was very affordable! It's a local treasure frequented by many wealthy Thais. At Wat Po, a famous temple with a massage school, it felt a lot more authentic though not necessarily better. I have two words for Wat Po: no mercy. Given the choice, I would go back to Health Land.
And oh yeah.... a lady boy lives on our street! He/she is so funny. I wave at her everytime I see her, but she shooes me off everytime telling me she doesn't like girls. My inappropriateness will continue.
I had the pleasure of flying into Bangkok's spanking new airport. And here's what I thought of it: Star Wars futuristic. No joke. Grey decor all around with electronic walkways and acrylic white supports. It kind of sucks the only way to the city is an expensive shuttle bus or taxi. Both of which are actually horrible options because the traffic in Bangkok is INSANE.
I assure you that the caplocks was actually necessary. If you have ever (or when you do) go to Bangkok, there is bumper to bumper traffic in every part of the city at all hours of the day. After nearly 3 hours we checked into the wonderfully quaint Suk 11 guesthouse. For cheap sleeps in Bangkok, you have the option of staying on the backpacker happy Khao Sahn road or a slew of guesthouses scattered all over the city. 5 star hotels are also more affordable in Bangkok than anywhere else in the world. So go figure, you can go as high as you want or as low as you want.
I found this to be a reaccuring theme in Bangkok, extreme highs and lows. Beside a luxury mall selling Hermes and LV, you'll find MBK (left). MBK is popular mall where the locals and tourist go to shop for everything they need. It's the cheapest place in Thailand to buy clothes, shoes, bags, etc. Haggling is encouraged, even at official stores.Also for transportation, depending on how much you have and how well you bargain, you can pay a lot or a little for the same tuk tuk or moto ride. While taxi drivers usually agree on a price or run the meter, tuk tuk and moto drivers are their own boss. More to come on tuk tuk and moto etiquette soon, there's a whole street culture here that more than deserves its own post.
One thing I will note: the sky train in Bangkok is extremely cheap and convenient. It runs at all hours and it's a sky train!! You can get a great aerial tour of the city while on your way to your destination. Today, that happens to be a Thai massage.
What is a Thai massage? It's suppose to be a massage that targets your pressure points to release tension. It also reminds me of yoga, as the masseuse will strech you in order to improve circulation. I went to two very official places for Thai massages, Health Land and the Wat Po School of Thai massage (the institute that issues masseuse licenses). Health Land was like a modern Western spa, complete with private suites and tea. The massage was great, and it was very affordable! It's a local treasure frequented by many wealthy Thais. At Wat Po, a famous temple with a massage school, it felt a lot more authentic though not necessarily better. I have two words for Wat Po: no mercy. Given the choice, I would go back to Health Land.
And oh yeah.... a lady boy lives on our street! He/she is so funny. I wave at her everytime I see her, but she shooes me off everytime telling me she doesn't like girls. My inappropriateness will continue.
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Friday, September 28, 2007.
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