As far as I am concerned, I could just as well take or leave Barcelona, Sevilla, Rome, and all of the other Europeans cities that are on everyone's top 10 list. I'd much rather come to Bangkok, especially in the cool season.
Sure it was nice to be in Europe and see some European stuff, old and new, but as far as I am concerned, none of the cities I visited can hold a candle to Bangkok in terms of the possibilities that are offered.
First of all, Bangkok is a very affordable city. There are so many hotels and more and more being built. Unlike Rome, where I slept in a closet-sized room for over $100 per night, I am in a very luxurious room in a really nice hotel with a pool and exercise room and a delicious breakfast buffet for about $55 per night. Meals are cheap, especially if you eat in food courts or on the street, but even in a restaurant, a decent meal would not cost more than $10-15.
And the food! It's just amazing!!! Taking cooking classes is introducing me to a lot of Thai food that I don't usually eat. Normally I have a few standards I go for - green curry, green papaya salad, fried rice, and when I am in Bangkok, some soups and a steamed pork with rice that I like. But I am eating so much amazing food. It all tastes so fresh and healthy and the flavors are so complex and layered. Making it myself allows me to adjust things like the sodium and heat, so the food has really been just perfect for me.
I've already mentioned how I feel like a royal with everyone greeting me with smiles and a wai, and that feeling continues. Add to the royal treatment, the fact that I can get massages, facials, teeth cleaning and any other service I want for a fraction of what I would pay in the US. I had a massage earlier today and just finished with a foot massage. I booked a teeth cleaning for Wednesday.
But what I am really loving is being able to walk around and just see Thais going about their normal business. Today I went to the shopping center I tried to find yesterday. It is called Gaysorn (I know, what a name) and the place I wanted sells all kinds of natural soaps and aromatherapy products. I bought some soap and aromatic oil.
I took the Skytrain there (which is one more thing I love) and from Chit Lom station, there is an elevated walkway that goes to different shopping centers and department stores. I remember walking down on the street below in pre-Skytrain days. It was not easy to walk on the crowded and uneven sidewalks and not pleasant with all of the traffic. But here I was, above it all, able to look down on the street below. I could see taxis and tuk tuks, and buses and cars chugging along, and pedestrians and vendors and little shrines with people praying. I really enjoyed being able to witness everything from above.
Because I had a massage, I was running a little late for school and didn't have time to stop anywhere to eat. Plus I was on Sukhumvit Road, which is a major tourist trap these days and there weren't many options. But, I knew at Surasak Station where my cooking school is, there are some vendors selling things like fried chicken or hot dogs wrapped up in crepes. I thought I would get a small snack and a lemon grass drink since I have been feeling so full lately and I knew I'd be eating at school.
I looked at the chicken, which was very tempting, but I didn't know how to order it. It turned out that the chicken guy was at the entrance to a little eatery that had several people cooking. One woman was making stir fried noodles. Another had this stewed pork I like and that is what I ordered. I went and sat down and she brought me my meal, which was really like a little snack (I guess I know why so many Thais are not fat - portion size!). It was the perfect meal, but I had time to kill and wanted some fruit or something. So I walked down the street and found a fairly good sized market, filled with people eating and surrounded by vendors selling all kinds of food (I will probably go there one day this week). It was truly amazing and even though I wanted to take pictures, I knew that a photo could not capture what it was like there.
After school I walked home because I was full from dinner. It was a pleasant walk, even though it was rush hour and there was a lot of traffic, but it was cool. Kids were just getting out of school and I enjoyed seeing them congregating at food vendors on the sidewalk or open air restaurants.
I stopped at the Silom Dental Center to make an appointment for a teeth cleaning and from there walked to Silom Road and down the soi that is a bustling market place at lunchtime. Things were closing down and many vendors had gone home. I saw some of the vendors sitting down together for a meal, probably their first break all day. Others were still going strong and all kinds of foods were still on display. It is mind-boggling how much food is being sold on the street every day.
Finally, I arrived back at my hotel, rested a little and went to the little massage place across the parking lot for a foot massage (my feet are getting tired from so much walking). The massage was not the best, but for $10 I really can't complain.
I know Bangkok can be stressful and sometimes annoying, but on this trip, I am really appreciating all it has to offer and I know that there is so much more that is beyond my limited experience here. I'm feeling like I would like to spend more time here, learn some Thai, and really get to know Bangkok beyond the tourist track.
For now, I am content with everything I am doing now and so happy to have a city that feels so welcoming.
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