We decided to prompt our weekend in Bangkok with a movie night featuring some of our favorite actors in some of our favorite places. No, Thailand is not pronounced “Th - island.” No, Chiang Mai is not 20 minutes outside of Bangkok. No, Buddhist temples do not look like P.F. Chang’s. But yes, Bangkok is as crazy as it looks.
On Thursday night we hopped on a bus to Bangkok, but for the first time, we planned to stay more than two hours. We arrived the next morning (Chiang Mai is 10 hours outside of Bangkok) and took a taxi to Khaosan Road.
Khaosan Road is commonly known as the backpacker’s road in Bangkok. It is a hodgepodge of people from all over the world, bargain-hunting in countless street shops, feasting on fried spring rolls and pad thai, and shuffling in and out of the plethora of hotels, restaurants, and travel agencies that sandwich the road.
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| Khaosan Road, Bangkok |
We decided to spend our weekend in the D&D Inn, “The Best on Khaosan Road.” The fifteen dollars a night was a splurge from our usual travel budgets, but we decided to make an exception for this weekend. The spacious room, couch and plasma TV, on top of the rooftop bar, pool and view of Bangkok were definitely worth the extra money. What’s it gonna be like when $15 buys me a cheeseburger in New York?
The first day we spent exploring the city. We went to the MBK Shopping Center, one of the biggest malls in Thailand. Then we went to see the Royal Palace, Wat Pho and the Reclining Buddha, which were great for pictures but I’m starting to wonder when people will get sick of me posing in front of temples. In my defense, it’s not every day in America that you drive by a bright yellow, pure white, or intricately designed Buddhist sanctuary filled with monks.
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| Reclining Buddha |
Since Alex and Sage had suffered a sleep-less night being pelted by water droplets from the bus’s broken air conditioner the night before, we decided that 7 o’clock was the perfect time for a much needed nap. Once we were re-charged and ready to go, we headed onto Khaosan Road for our first night out in Bangkok.
Fortunately, no one woke up in an elevator. No one got any face tattoos, and no one shaved their head. I may have misspoke earlier; Bangkok is not as crazy as it looks. But it sure as hell is a cool place to be.
The next day, we treated ourselves to a sleep-in morning, late brunch, and day of rooftop sunbathing. In the late afternoon, we headed back onto the street for some shopping. I have been in Thailand for over three months now, and I have faced numerous shopping temptations at the malls and night markets in Chiang Mai. But I have been strong! I have saved my money for important things like food, housing and travel.
Until I met Khaosan Road.
It was like I was a frantic puppy let off the leash in a field of cats. I was making it rain in every store I stepped foot in. Sundress? - sure! Four tank tops - why not? Necklace, earrings, sandals, tee shirt - yep, just throw it in the bag.
And 3 hours later, I had successfully emptied my wallet and overflowed my backpack with a new wardrobe of clothing and accessories for home. It had to happen eventually. And the shopping in Bangkok is just amazing. No buyer’s remorse whatsoever.
My shopping-high was a nice way to start off our second evening. We dressed in some of our nicest clothes and headed off to Sky Bar, the world’s highest open air bar that overlooks the skyline of Bangkok City. This was probably my favorite part of the weekend. The view was seriously breathtaking - a serene reminder of the big picture mankind has created and the tiny yet powerful contribution we have all made to it.
Looking out over the tops of all the tall buildings that reached up into the sky, I experienced a brief flashback of New York City. The twinkling lights. The constant energy. The city that never sleeps. While I do consider myself more of a nature person, I don’t think I could ever get sick of the invigorating feeling that lives only in the streets of metropolitan areas.
On the last day, we decided we should ride the Skytrain, but we really didn't have anywhere in particular to go. No, we just wanted to ride it. So when I asked the Thai Metro Operator which direction provided a more “scenic route,” he blinked at me through perplexed eyes, wondering why a tourist would ride a train with no destination in mind.
But it worked out in our favor. We ended up at one of the piers on the river. So next thing you know, we’re in the back of a long-tail boat, drifting down the Chao Phraya River and touring Bangkok from the water. It was a great way to end our trip. I snapped a few pictures of everything from skyscrapers to temples to slums, and soaked in the last little bit of cultural diversity that Bangkok has to offer.
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| Chao Phraya River, Bangkok |
Our weekend in Bangkok was a success, and we made it back to Chiang Mai without losing any teeth, fingers, or members of our group. It was a great little weekend vacation and I'm glad I finally checked it off my bucket list.
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