Finally I have found a chunk of time to post an entry! I arrived in Bangkok on March 5th (technically March 4th back in the states as Thailand is 15 hours ahead of Seattle) after 20 hours of travel and a brief layover in Taipai, Taiwan. Despite the many negative reviews I had previously gotten about Bangkok, I thought it was great overall and am already in love with this country.
Touring the sacred temples, Bangkok
Bangkok is like most big cities – wall to wall people and vehicles, as well as mopeds and ‘tuk-tuks’ (3-wheeled mini-trucks whose drivers make their money by taking advantage of naïve “farang” or foreigners who want a tour of the city); and I now have a firsthand understanding of why so many Thai’s wear those medical face masks in public – the pollution level is startling….your lungs begin to ache almost immediately and when you blow your nose it comes out nearly black. So, for this reason I can understand why many travelers advise getting out of Bangkok as soon as possible.
Pad Thai made fresh from a street vendor ... total cost = less that $2 USD!
And then there are the massages…Erica and I have gotten two so far (one oil or “Swedish” style, and the other a traditional Thai), one hour in length, and for a total equivalent of less than $20 US including tip for both. Nothing I’ve ever paid $100 USD for at the spa back home can even begin to compare.
But, overall, what really makes the place is the people. Any negative aspects are quickly minimized when you interact with the local people, who are very warm and welcoming, always smiling and willing to offer a helping hand. Let me provide just one example to illustrate….Erica and I arrive at a guest house in the small town of Ayutthaya located in central Thailand yesterday afternoon.
The ancient ruins of Ayutthaya
This is unlike the hostel we stayed at in Bangkok as the sleeping quarters consist of one of a few private bedrooms located in someone’s personal home. We were greeted by an older woman probably around age 75-80 but definitely not in the “elderly” classification as I will later explain, who welcomes us with a bright, wide smile revealing only 3 remaining teeth. We leave our shoes at the door, as is customary in Thai culture, and sit at the couch inside, and after a brief wait she shows us to our room upstairs. We drop our bags, attempt to wash up the best we can knowing all the while that we will instantly return to the hot, sticky state of hygiene the minute we step outside, and then I head back downstairs to see about acquiring a bicycle with which to tour the town. As I enter the front foyer, I see the older woman “ma-ma” sitting criss-cross on the floor in front of the couch eating a bowl of phad thai. As soon as she sees me, she instantly motions for me to sit with her and begins feeding me her bowl of food before handing it to me and insisting that I finish it (and feed some to Erica of course, when she arrives). It looked as if she had only just begun to eat her meal when I showed up, and yet she didn’t hesitate to hand it over to met without a second thought. I have not experienced this level of hospitality anywhere else. And it’s more than just the gesture in itself – it’s the overall feeling you get that I can even begin to convey in words. In other places I’ve traveled to (mainly Europe), you are treated like an “American” or “yank”, an outsider by the vast majority. Here, everyone seems to be happy to have you regardless of your country of origin. And a simple effort of showing that you’re “trying” to learn their culture (even just saying “koh pan kah” rather than “thank you” with a brief bow) elicits a notable response of pleasure.
Anyway, it’s time for us to head to the train station to see about booking a departure north to Chiang Mai this evening. In my next entry I will share my experience of exploring Ayutthaya by bicycle yesterday (definitely not for the faint of heart!) as well as our “dance party” with “ma-ma” elicited by a few 40 oz. “Singh” Thai beers last night 🙂
Ally's Reality 