Bangkok Hotels
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Another sprawling city, but better than I expected
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I was referred to a website called 'Couch Surfers' in Australia, and joined up and have had a great time with it since. Its members are people living anywhere willing to offer a place to stay (commonly a couch, hence the name) to other travelers, or travellers looking to meet local people and go beyond being stuck staying at some generic hotel or hostel. So for Bangkok a Finnish guy Tommi offered to let me stay for the two nights I was in town, which worked out well- he really helped with how to negotiate with the cabbies, how to get around town and what to see, and fun to hang out with. Definitely a cool website and anyone interested in hosting travellers from all over or who may be interested in travelling this way should check it out.
I expected to not like Bangkok very much, but it wasn't bad- the people were friendly, the food was good, and there was an energetic feel to the whole city. I was prepared for the party scene and the older guys with their newfound girlfriends (similar to Phuket). I arrived in the mid afternoon twilight, since there is so much pollution that the sun is dark red when it's still a few hours from sunset- although it's not too noticeable on the street level (or not as bad as other cities I've visited). I did some limited sightseeing that night, checking out the night markets and bars around his place.
I did see a baby elephant being walked around (available for pictures for a small fee), and a surprising number of market sellers using sign language- which could have been a way to avoid haggling for the price!
The next day I headed towards the river by train to boat my way up the main tourist area of Bangkok, home to the more well known temples and buildings.
I explored Wat Pho, site of the old palace temple, saw the largest reclining Buddha in the world and the temple surrounding it, and two other impressive temples- Wat Phra Kaeo and Wat Arun. Those names aren't exactly matching to the site, I don't have my notes with me, and already gave away my Thailand guide. But each of the temples had numerous Buddha statues, intricate carvings, and shiny building tile which incorporated a lot of mirrored glass, and a serene atmosphere even with streams of tourists. Hung out with Tommi my host and a few of his friends that night, and met other foreigners working in Bangkok, including some Americans and an Iraqi.
A few things I've noticed about Thailand itself- first, they absolutely love the Thai monarchy. As far as I can tell they don't hold much actual power, but there are images of them everywhere- on every coin and bill, above highways, at the temples... there is even a wristband that looks exactly like Lance Armstrong's 'Just Do It' wristband- sold to help raise money to cure cancer and show support for cancer victims- but this one is orange and says 'Long Live the King'! Wonder where that money goes? Thai food was all very good, but I will probably always have to ask for it not to be spicy.
I don't know what it is with hot climates and spicy food- I'm already sweating a lot, why do I want to eat something that makes it worse? And much like other developing economies, any invention that makes sense and helps make things easier becomes extremely widespread very quickly. Cell phones are everywhere, it seems everyone has one regardless of income; you would be hard pressed to find an incandescent light bulb, almost all of them are the longer lasting more efficient flourescent replacements; water heaters are turned on if you need them right next to the shower head, not on all the time.
One thing I didn't have to tackle was the squat toilet- basically the common toilet bowl is ground level, with foot pads on either side to help avoid slipping- I avoided having to try in Vietnam (once I was sick and still couldn't) and luckily didn't have to try and figure out the balance on this trip either.
Books: 'Touching the Void' by Joe Simpson, about him and another mountain climber facing an accident in the Andes. Unbelievable.
Where I stayed:
With a friend
Latest Comments (1)
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Bangkok (reply)
Feb 28, 2008 22:13 EST by humbaba
I'm glad you like Bangkok! I've been there a few times and love it. If you get a chance check out the malls and see a movie. Both are very cool and a great way to avoid the sun.
If you get into trouble let me know. A friend's wife here in Maine has plenty of Family there. I used her family for some rides last time I was there. Bangkok is getting expensive to stay in which is too bad... show all
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| 43. | Another sprawling city, but better than I expected - Bangkok, Thailand Feb 20, 2008 (  8 ) (  1 ) |
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