Sawadee kah, Bangkok!

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My friends, it has been one week since I’ve written and truly that is too much time! I have seen so much, eaten food I can not pronounce, and produced more sweat than I’ve ever seen come off of my body! It is H.O.T., and I mean HOT, here!

I’d like to tell you about my first few days spent in Bangkok, but I must keep this short since I’m rushing out to chat with monks!

I booked my stay at a hostel known for being very sociable in Bangkok. Suneta Hostel Khaosan. And I am SO GLAD that I did! From my first day I met so many kind and friendly travelers that there wasn’t any way my trip was going to be a solo one.

We explored the highlights of Bangkok and discovered many things. Here are my 11 favorite, because I couldn’t keep it to 10.

1. They love their Buddha! The respect they have for Buddhism is humbling and inspiring. No one is bigger, or more important than respecting their culture and the Thai people won’t hesitate to express that.

2. Street food is good, soooo good. And the juices are too, all natural and all delicioso.

3.There is no set price, everything is negotiable. From tuk tuk’s, taxi’s, clothes, and even tours, if it’s a-sellin’, I’m a-hagglin’.

4.This heat and rain is not a joke, nor are the mosquitos. Bring sunscreen, wear a poncho, and put on bug repellant continuously! I never get bites, ever, and today I purchased tiger balm. I didn’t even know what it was until two days ago. Thank you travel friends!

5. Don’t try to be a superstar. When I’m traveling I always want to do and see as much as possible, regardless of how much sleep I have had or think I need. Well, that caught up to me on my 6th night and oh buddy, it was not looking good. My kebab went down and did not want to stay there! I ended the beginning of a surely fun-filled evening, to go to sleep. And wouldn’t you know, it was the first night I slept for my normal 8 hours.

6. This truly is the land of smiles; everyone smiles at you. Sure, sometimes, most of the time,  they want to sell you something, but not always! For the most part, if you refuse their service, they still want to chat with you and give you tips on how to best navigate their city.

7.Bangkok smells. It does! Is it all the street food vendors? Maybe the pollution from all the cars, motorbikes, and tuk tuk’s? Whatever mixture it is, the scent is quite strong and won’t be going anywhere

8. The food court in the shopping mall is cash less! You have to put a deposit down for a card, load it with the mulah, and then buy your food. When you’re done, you go back to the cashier and get your money back. The food vendors never touch cash

9. They’re aren’t trash cans in the street. It weird, because you see people sweeping quite often, and picking up, but they’re aren’t any bins…anywhere…

10. The market are intense and not claustrophobic friendly. Be prepared to be bumped, poked, and a whole lot of side stepping when traveling through the markets. Chatuchak weekend market was massive and filled with everything you could ever desire, literally everything. Chinatown was basically, china town. For a several block radius you were in another country, and it’s awesome.

11. 7-11 is king! 7-11 is everywhere and has just about everything! Beer- the cheapest around so go there first! Snacks- weird things you can’t pronounce, just eat it, it’s good! And Prickly powder! Oh prickly powder, you are good…

p.s. Hello Kitty is everywhere here, and I mean everywhere…

XOXO,

Voyaging Vanessa

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