Exploring Bangkok
Last weekend, Lauren, a William & Mary Law student interning in Cambodia, came to Bangkok to visit me.
Day One:
As soon as she made her way to my condo on Friday night, we hit the ground running. We quickly grabbed food and then headed to the infamous Khaosan Road. We started our night, sitting on a rooftop, talking loudly to be heard over the noise coming from the street below us, and catching up on each other’s lives living in Southeast Asia.
After making our way down from the rooftop, Lauren and I were immediately approached by individuals trying to sell scorpions, novelty bracelets, and tickets to various different aspects of Bangkok nightlife. We eventually found a spot at a somewhat less hectic of a place and spent the night listening to American pop music with locals and backpackers.
Day Two
The next morning, we got an early start and grabbed breakfast at a local restaurant. Following that, Lauren and I took the 45-minute metro ride to Chatuchak Weekend Market. We spent a copious number of hours browsing the stalls, eating street food, and shopping, Though we were there for about half of the day, I don’t think we even saw half of the market due to its sheer size.
Lauren and I then made or way to Chinatown to grab dinner. Because we got there just as vendors were setting up their stalls for the night market, Lauren and I walked around for a bit and explored the local shops. As the evening approached, the streets got progressively more and more crowded. Lauren and I made our way back to the night market and walked up and down the street before deciding where we would be grabbing dinner from. As a vegetarian, it can be quite hard to find food that I can eat in Thailand, however Chinatown had no shortage of vegetarian options. Lauren and I found a spot to sit down and eat our dinner. After that, we took the subway and the train back to my condo.
While we were exhausted from being in the heat all day, Lauren and I did not want to waste time by sitting in my condo. After getting ourselves together, we headed to a small local hub with bars and restaurants. Lauren and I watched as locals and expats played pool in pubs and planned our next day.
Day Three
On Sunday we got an early start once again. Lauren and I took the train and then a ferry to across the Chao Phraya river to visit some of Bangkok’s most infamous temples. The first temple on our agenda that day was Wat Arun. Directly overlooking the Chao Phraya river, this temple is encrusted in porcelain, shells, and colorful faience. While at the temple, I had the opportunity to be blessed by a monk.
After Wat Arun, we took another ferry to Wat Pho - one of Bangkok's largest and oldest temples. Lauren and I spent about an hour at this location, where we walked around and looked at the breathtakingly colorful architecture. We then funneled into a crowded room to get a glimpse of the infamous, reclining Buddha statute.
After viewing the temples, we grabbed lunch at a local, vegan Thai restaurant and then headed back to the pier.
Later that evening, Lauren and I headed to one of Bangkok's most breathtaking rooftops: Tichuca. At this location, we saw panoramic views of Bangkok's downtown lit up at night. On the actual rooftop was a unique light structure that looked like it came out of the movie Avatar. We spent the evening listening to music, enjoying the view, and talking about where we were going to travel next.
Overall, I had a lovely weekend showing Lauren around the city that I will be calling home for 10 weeks.