Dearest Readers,
Call it writer’s block, being stuck, or having too much on my mind – it doesn’t matter what you call it, the last thing on my mind has been writing this blog post. There’s been a lot going on in my life and unfortunately, life does not stop just because I want to gallivant around the world. I spent a lovely month of May in Thailand. I was primarily in Bangkok but I did vacation in Phuket and Pattaya. Phuket and Pattaya were authentic vacations, not trips – I simply spent my time resting and relaxing at the resort because that’s what my mind, body, and spirit needed more than anything else. As you can tell from the intro, I also spent some time relaxing by binging Bridgerton.
Bangkok has been one of my favorite places to visit thus far and I can’t wait to go back! It’s chaotic, it’s crazy, it’s hot – it’s a lot of things I usually don’t like but they’re the things that make Bangkok really sing! Getting to spend time with my friends while in Bangkok also added a nice element to my experience. Two of my friends, Steph and Sarah (@koswiththeflow) are currently traveling long-term through S.E. Asia, so we got to meet up a few times in Bangkok. Another friend of mine, James, was on a two-week vacation in S.E. Asia and we hung out in Bangkok and again in Pattaya. Honestly, it was wonderful having some of my friends in the same time zone as me again. Ha!
My wonderful Airbnb provided me with a reprieve from Bangkok’s chaos in the form of a peaceful oasis in the middle of the city. My Airbnb apartment was located in the T77 neighborhood – a very unique development complex that feels like a city within the city complete with its own mini-mall, 7-11, several apartment buildings, and my personal favorite…an urban farm (Sansiri Backyard)! I loved spending the late afternoons walking to the farm to feed the ducks and the fish in the pond – it was definitely something that I could get used to doing! Everything was so convenient and walkable, and if you wanted to venture out on the complex then you could simply hitch a ride on the free shuttle to On Nut BTS station which connects you to the rest of the city. Alternatively, you can grab a ride on a MuvMi TukTuk to get groceries or go somewhere else in the On Nut/Watthana neighborhood.
I’m not a “mall person” but Terminal 21 (Asok) mall inadvertently became my favorite hang-out spot, outside of my neighborhood – I ended up going there just about every week while I was in Bangkok to meet up with my friends and/or eat at the Pier 21 food court. It seemed like half of Bangkok also had the same idea – malls in S.E. Asia are very popular, but Bangkok seems to take it a step further because they’re always packed. It’s a way to get out of the house, get free AC and WiFi so you don’t run up your bills at home – respect. Terminal 21 is a really cool mall though – as a travel aficionado, I loved that it was travel themed with each floor being fashioned after a different city around the world. Each set of bathrooms also had their own theme which is kind of nice and they had bidets! Fancy!
Early in May, while Steph and Sarah were in Bangkok we met up for Thai massages and dinner. If you’ve never had a Thai massage before then it’s an experience that no words will ever prepare you for, so I recommend just watching a Youtube video on what it is. I loved it, but I definitely felt like my masseuse kicked my butt – at one point she did actually have her foot on my butt and my arms locked in the bow yoga position. Funny enough, Steph and I worked together, we never met until we met up in Thailand. After the massages, Steph, Sarah, and I chatted for hours about life, work, traveling, and everything in between.
A few days later we visited the Wat Samphran Dragon Temple, in the Sam Phran district, just 25 miles outside of Bangkok. The 17-story Dragon Temple was built in 1985 and was meant to be a Buddhist school and temple, but the interior was never completed. It currently functions as a tourist attraction and a place of worship for the monks that look after the area. Fun fact: On our visit is when I learned that there are female monks – I think the majority of the monks here are women actually, which is super cool! The grounds of Wat Samphran also contain a few other large structures including a huge Buddha atop a staircase, a giant turtle that you can walk through from to tail, a large gold-trimmed bunny, and some smaller figurines.
To get to the top of the Dragon Temple, you have to take the long unscenic route up the dragon’s tail and through its body to the top. It can be very hot in there and a bit steep and slippery – I am extremely grateful that someone had the forethought to set up fans at regular intervals so you could at least cool off every few stories. The top provides a great view of the surrounding area, much of which is suburban/rural. Once at the top, you can touch the dragon’s chin for good luck or you can follow the directions provided to do a family prayer/mantra. We didn’t stay very long because the sun felt like it was trying to take our souls for lack of better words.
You’ll probably notice me mention how hot it was in Thailand at least a dozen times. On average it was 90-100 F daily but the heat index was usually 110 F and I’m just not built for that kind of weather. Lol.
Shortly after Steph and Sarah left Bangkok, my friend, James arrived in Bangkok so we hung out on his first day in Bangkok. In true wet-season fashion, it rained as soon as I stepped foot outside that day so we ended up going to Terminal 21 to kill some time and get something to eat. Yum! After the rain died down, we set out on our adventure – it was his first day in Bangkok, so I allowed him and his sleep-deprived and jet-lagged mind to guide us around Bangkok. We first went to Wat Pho, which is by far one of my favorite tourist attractions in Bangkok.
Wat Pho (or Wat Phra Chetuphon), which predates the city of Bangkok, was built in the 16th century and is one of Bangkok’s oldest temples. The Wat Pho complex is quite expansive and contains several chedis/stupas (burial grounds), housing for Buddhist monks, and several other buildings that are important to the local Buddhists. Wat Pho also holds the distinction of holding the first public university in Thailand and is also the birthplace of Thai massage. The Wat Pho Thai Traditional Medical and Massage School, which opened in 1955, still operates on the grounds of Wat Pho and has trained hundreds of thousands of individuals in the art of Thai Massage.
Wat Pho is definitely somewhere that you can spend hours exploring and still not see everything. One thing you absolutely must see when you visit Wat Pho is the Reclining Buddha. I don’t think anything can prepare you for just how large or extravagant the Reclining Buddha statue actually is – we both knew it would be large but we were in awe of its size and opulence! The Reclining Buddha is 46 meters (150 feet) long and covered from head to toe in gold leaf, and the feet are the most spectacular part – the designs on the feet are inlaid with mother of pearl! The attention to detail on this Buddha is absolutely breathtaking. We definitely could have stayed at Wat Pho all day, but James was on a mission to get to the Grand Palace before it closed.
On our way there, James had an interesting interaction with the Royal guards while looking for the entrance – let’s just say he wasn’t tired and jetlagged after that encounter. Ha! The Grand Palace was built in 1782 and had been the official residence of Thailand’s King until 1925. The Grand Palace is currently home to over 35 different buildings scattered throughout the expansive complex. One of the most “palatial” buildings on the property is Phra Thinang Chakri Maha Prasat which is a well-appointed amalgamation of Thai and European architecture that was built in the 19th century. In addition to well-decorated state buildings, former royal residences, and imposing demon guards that litter the complex is The Temple of the Emerald Buddha or Wat Phra Kaew.
Wat Phra Kaew
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew) is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand and the ornate decorations and figures on and around the temple certainly reflect that. Funny enough, we were both surprised by how tiny the emerald Buddha itself actually is, especially in contrast to the magnitude of the nearby Reclining Buddha. The emerald Buddha, though small (only about 26 inches tall) is certainly worthy of its honor and name. Although it’s not actually emerald but jade, it is adorned in gold and 3 times a year the King of Thailand gives it a personal costume change! Due to its sacred nature, no pictures or videos of the inside of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha are allowed.
Yak – Demon Guard
The Grand Palace was soon closing, and while we made our way back to the exit we ran into the guards marching – perhaps it was a changing of the guards’ ceremony but I don’t know for certain what it was. All I know is that James was fading fast and I was tired of being in the heat, so we called it a day. We took a TukTuk back to the train station and eventually parted ways at Asok station. Content with my day, I headed back to my Airbnb to enjoy the finest in 7-11 food and a slushie from the drink vending machine downstairs of my building. Actually, I have no idea what I had for dinner but it would NOT be a far reach to say that’s what I had for dinner.
It’s been a whirlwind last month – I’m now in my 4th new country since I last posted back at the end of May! At press time, I am recovering from flu and in order to get something out into the world before the end of June, I’ve decided to separate my Thailand blog into two parts!