The DL on Bangkok (Sara)

We're nearly two weeks in, and the days are really starting to fly by. Before it all flies right out of my head, here's the download on where we started: Bangkok.

The city is huge and so very crowded. There are 10 million people living in Bangkok and it seems that each one of them is driving somewhere every minute of every day. The air quality was so bad while we were there that they closed the schools. It felt like you were chewing dust when you walked outside. Despite this mild health hazard, we had a truly fantastic 5 days there.

Bangkok is a mix of so many things that it was like an instant cultural infusion. The sites, sounds, and smells let us know we were not in Kansas anymore, Toto. We typically did one excursion a day to give ourselves time to adjust to the time difference and set a slow and steady pace for the long stretch of activities ahead. We saw just enough and took a pass on the "shoulds" in the guide books, opting instead for the "what looks good" and "how much time do we have before our kids need to eat again". Afternoon pool time was a daily reward for surviving the brutal heat of the day.

Where we stayed: Maitria Hotel - totally fine. Not fancy but clean and comfortable. We had a 2 bedroom suite (because regular hotel rooms don't typically accommodate 5 people), there was a rooftop pool, and American-style breakfast was served downstairs each morning.

What we did:

1. Imaginia Playland: The perfect kid-friendly place to start our trip. It was a well-developed indoor playground of 21st century skills disguised as fun activities. It was delightful and also really close to our hotel, which made everyone happy. It was also inside one of the many, many malls in Bangkok, which appealed to my Jersey roots.
   
2. The Markets - We hit the railway market and the floating market with a guide. Having the private guide was necessary, as it was over an hour away and she explained some of the foods and had us try things we wouldn't have known about (like these flower-shaped sesame funnel cakes that I don't know the name of). It was a little disappointing that we didn't see the train come through the railway market. The whole draw there is that the market vendors all scoop up their stuff from the tracks and pull in their canopies to let the train pass. It only comes 4 times a day though, and our timing didn't line up. The floating market was also a hair less interesting than expected, BUT the totally unexpected and random zoo in the parking lot outside the market was a big hit. I stuffed down the animal cruelty voices in my head long enough to feed those sad camels and sheep some scallions and then got the heck out of there.
   
   
   
   
3. The Snake Farm - This will be the thing we all remember. PSA: Snakes can't really hear or see, but they can sense movement through vibrations. If you encounter a snake, stand still or back slowly away. If I can save just one person's life through this blog post, I'll know it's all been worth it.
   
4. The Massages:  $8 for a 60 minute foot rub. OMG. Thai massage spots are as common as nail salons in NYC. And before my naughty friends start formulating comments in their heads (you know who you are), these places were NOT offering any off-menu services. Believe me. I asked. (I'm kidding. I didn't.)

Where we ate: 

We pretty much worked off of this blog post (thanks, Karps) and a Thai Street Food book (thanks, Matt Haynes) and I am happy to report that NOBODY has gotten sick yet! (Just like if you pack an umbrella, it won't rain...if you pack a suitcase full of Immodium, your tummy will be A-OK)

A few favs:

1. Rot dee set
2. 392/20 Sukhumvit Rd (this is the address, not the name. I'm pretty sure there was no English language name on it. It's a tiny hole in the wall in an alley serving noodle soups for a dollar that were SO good.
3. Indulge - I wanted to hate this place because it looked more like NYC than Thailand, but the food was delish and the cocktails were made with fresh fruit purees. It was also the first cocktail I had in Thailand AND we were out without the kids AND we had just had that 60 minute foot massage beforehand, so there were just a lot of good impressions going on here.

Overall Impressions:

It's gritty but has so much to see and do. It feels very safe. At one point we passed a bike parking area where not one bike was locked up. They take their Buddhist principles seriously. The food is outrageously good and cheap if you know where to go. Our guide told us that most of the apartments don't have kitchens because everyone eats from the street vendors. The guide was helpful because there were specific things we wanted to do and there were a lot of unknowns, but the train, taxis and tuk tuks are easy enough to navigate if you want to wing it. If I went back, I'd probably stay closer to the river on the other side of town. For us, 5 days was just right, if not one day too long. The beach is definitely more my jam.