I’m home, and I’m exhausted. Bangkok was beautiful and disgusting all at the same time. I think the only way to keep my thoughts in order is to break this down by category. so here I go:
Food
The food is delicious. I think the most surprising thing was the price. I don’t think I paid more than $3-4 for any meal, and most cost less than $1. I expected the food to be spicy, but what shocked me the most was what food was spicy. For example. The salad, while in western culture, is usually a mild flavorful appetizer to a nice spicy entree, was probably some of the spiciest foods that I ate. More specifically, in papaya salad, they use the fruit juices as dressing, and it blends with the chilli peppers. Every bite burned every part of my mouth, including my lips. It basically made beer a requirement for every meal since beer has the cooling effect of bread.
My favorite dish was actually the same thing that I used to eat at Tulsa Thai restaurants. It was the Pad See Iew (definitely don’t know how to spell it). It’s basically a very large fried noodle with various vegetables and cilantro. It was easily the best meal I had.
The beer is good, but they put ice in it since Thailand is always so hot. I tried this, but I just couldn’t keep doing it. It waters down the beer, and makes it taste pretty nasty. I just ended up drinking my glass rather quickly and moved on to the next.
The fruits are some of the best I’ve ever had. They were so fresh, and cheap. I ate pineapple, papaya, watermelon, mango, as well as a few others every day. Everything was so sweet. The street fruit vendors made walking around in super hot Bangkok manageable.
Buildings
The buildings were both beautiful and terrible. I have never seen such a combination of high class, ultra rich right next to run down, ghetto style buildings, with a few ancient traditional buildings in the mix. It was more shocking than anything.
Having said that, the temples were beautiful. You can really see the effects that Buddhism has had on the culture, and its importance even today. Monks are revered, and cared for by everyone. Statues dedicated to the faith are all over the place. It is really a beautiful sight.
Markets
The markets are really cheap. I was shocked that I could buy almost anything at their street markets. Sure, some of it is used, but a lot of it is hand made. I think my favorite thing at the markets were the baby coconuts. They just chop a hole in the top and then give you a straw to drink the water inside. They cost about $1, which is a little expensive considering the prices of everything else, but it was well worth it on a hot day.
People
The people are wonderful. Everyone is. They are always so happy, and they are so caring. More than once was I offered free food when I was walking through parks. Everyone was happy to talk to me if they could understand some English. They acted like they really wanted to help me if I was lost. I never felt as if I was imposing on them. They are very laid back and relaxed. It was the complete opposite of what I see everyday in Japan.
Despite their happiness, I was shocked at the economic disparity in Bangkok. As I said in the buildings section, you have the ghettos mixed in with the ultra rich. There are poor people everywhere. Victims of war with missing limbs, as well as children, begging for money can be seen in every part of the city. It killed me. I really felt like I wanted to do something to help, but simultaneously felt that there was nothing I could do.
It’s strange though, because it seems as if they just accept life. It’s sad that there is little ambition to improve, but the fact that they are still very happy despite all the terrible things they have lived through. I don’t know that I can put the feelings into words. It was just… amazing.
Final Thoughts
Bangkok is a city of extremes. There is very little moderation there. You can have anything you want, and there is very little oversight. I must admit, that while I had fun, it’s not a place I want to go back to. Yes, I think everyone should visit once. As an American, I know that I used to live in a tiny bubble, and was only exposed to terrible living conditions when I saw the “Feed the Children” videos on TV. It’s so much more powerful when you see it with your own eyes. It’s amazing how I was always able to separate myself from “those poor people” who have nothing. I never considered that there were any similarities between them and myself, but after talking with them, and seeing how they live on a daily basis, I understand how we are all the same. The difference is only where we were born. I was born in a place where I have many many opportunities. They were born in a place where they have nothing. In many cases, they don’t even have the ability to make a choice to improve their lives. They just do what they can to survive, and enjoy the parts of it that they can.
I think I will definitely go back to Thailand, but next time I’ll either go to the northern or southern parts.
I know I left a lot out, and I’m sorry about that. I’m still a little fuzzy from the traveling. Feel free to ask any questions, and if there’s interest, I may make another post to talk more about what everyone else is interested in.
Good overview, Oggy! I’m curious though, what was the available transportation like? Buses, rickshaws, taxis, waterway taxis? Were there many stray animals? Was there much evidence of crime (were there guards at the markets, were you warned away from certain areas, etc.)? Was malaria a concern at all where you were (probably not in such a big city, I assume)? And lastly, were there any particular exchanges you had with people there that stand out in your memory?
Keep up the blog!
There were so many different kinds of transportation.
Trains, express trains, subway, buses, taxis, motorcycle taxis, and tuk tuks (pronounced took took) which are 3 wheeled carts with two benches in the back and no doors or windows. On the rivers they have many different kinds of waterway taxis, and restaurant boats.
There was definitely a military presence almost everywhere. It didn’t feel dangerous though because even the men in the military were so nice. They smiled all the time and tried to talk to me. They even helped me find a couple places when I wasn’t sure where I was going.
Disease wasn’t much of a concern. In fact, I didn’t even think about it until you mentioned it =p
And there were animals everywhere. It was so depressing too, because nearly all the animals were sick and mangy. One particular example was this really cute black cat. It was night, so from afar I could only see that it was a cat, but couldn’t make out any details. I called it to pet it, and it started walking over to me and as it got closer not only could I see blood and decay right behind its ears, but the smell was awful.
The people were all very friendly, but on my last day, I went to a park and sat down next to the pond on the grass. I heard someone call excuse me from behind, so I turned around. It was obvious that he couldn’t speak English, but he was holding up a spare tarp for me to sit on. I politely declined. Later as I was leaving, he stopped me and offered me some peanuts, which I also declined. I thought that he was really nice, so I wanted to ask him directions to a different park. Upon asking he and his son pointed in opposite directions. In my confusion, I asked again, but this time said butterfly (as the park was a butterfly park), and then he pointed in the same direction as his son. I thanked him and moved on. Things like this were happening all week though. I think this stands out only because it was on my last day, and the fact that he offered so much.