Eating Bugs and People Watching in Bangkok

Hello Everyone!

We made it back to China safe and sound… I never thought I would ever consider China a home away from home. Go figure! Now it’s time to get to work blogging about our adventures. Our first stop after Harbin was Bangkok, Thailand.

I fell in love with Bangkok the minute we drove into town. The city just buzzes with energy and color. We got in around 4am in the morning, tired but excited! Our hostel was located right off of Khaoson Rd which is the main backpacker’s street where you can find rows of places to shop, eat, and drink. The party was still raging on Khaosan Rd (as it usually does until breakfast starts) but we decided to head to bed and get some much needed sleep.

Our days in Bangkok followed a similar pattern most of the time. We would sleep in until 9-10, have a late brunch, go sight seeing, shopping, or get a traditional Thai massage, grab a late dinner, and finally spend the evening people watching around Khaosan Rd. Bangkok is WONDERFUL for people watching. The most interesting people go there! Most of the time Thomas and I would grab a beer from 7eleven and just sit on the curb for hours just watching people walk on by. You know, being creepy.

We got around town mostly by walking, water taxis (which were my favorite), and tuk-tuks. Tuk-tuks are basically motor bikes with a little trailer attached for people to sit in. They are so much fun but you’ve got to be careful that the drivers don’t ripe you off! Bangkok is famous for these little taxis.

One of our favorite things about Bangkok is the food; it’s AMAZING! Pad Thai’s and curry’s and fresh fruit smoothies everywhere! Our favorite place was this little shack that had tables and stools that you sat on out on the street. They have this pancake with fresh fruit (dragon fruit, pineapple, water melon, mango, papaya, and bananas) with honey drizzled on top! Oh, so good! We ate there most of the time because it was so delicious and the price was right!

We went to several temples and wats within the city limits. The temples in Thailand are definitely different from the temples in China. Thailand’s temples are an odd mix of Buddhist and Hindu beliefs that are heavily influenced by India. We had to cover up our legs and shoulders as well as take off our shoes at most temples. Also, the Thai’s believe that the feet are the lowest part of the body so you had to try and not point your feet directly at the Buddha or at Vishnu (the main Hindu god). They also believe that the head is the highest and most important part of the body. We had to try and avoid touching other people’s heads, especially children’s, which is easy to do sometimes. We visited the Grand Palace, the Wat Arun (Wat just means a type of temple), and Thailand’s biggest reclining Buddha. We even got to sit in on an evening prayer service. Again, this sect of Buddhism is entirely different from China, so it was really cool to see.

The shopping in Thailand was amazing! There are so many neat treasures to buy, Thomas had to control my spending! And we had to be careful because we were only traveling with carry-on backpacks. On Sunday Thomas and I trekked up north to the weekend market. It was HUGE and it had everything that you could ever imagine. This market has an art gallery section, a home furniture section, and even a pet section! We spend most of the afternoon getting lost in the narrow streets of this market and designing our hypothetical future home.

We had plenty of interesting things to do at night as well. Thomas was delighted to find a bug cart pilled high with all different kinds of bugs that were seasoned and fried. We bought two of everything. Thomas even ate an entire scorpion! It was gross… we’ve got pictures!

A few of my girlfriends and I decided to check out a cabaret show one night as well. Thailand is known for its “middle sex” population, also known as “lady boys.” Essentially it was a drag show but with really really beautiful men! It was so entertaining, although we all walked away feeling a bit self-conscious about putting a bathing suit. Most of those men looked better than we did!

One of the last nights there we stayed up late at a bar that was broadcasting the Bears game live. Most of the bars and restaurants on Khaoson Rd spill out into the street so you can enjoy the beautiful weather. This bar was no different. The game was broadcasted outdoors on the side of a building. And there were at least three Bears fans there so I had some company! Oh, and we won! Go Bears!

On our last afternoon in Bangkok (and on Thomas’ 26th birthday) we decided to go see a movie. Bangkok is known for its awesome theaters and cheap movie prices. And we were not disappointed. This movie theater was absolutely amazing! And it was so inexpensive! We even got pop, popcorn, and Thomas bought a birthday beer. The most interesting thing about this experience was when everyone stood up for Thailand’s national anthem before the movie started. It was so bizarre!

I was so sad to leave Bangkok; I enjoyed that bustling city so much! But, Thomas and I had other adventures waiting for us and new places to explore. Our next stop was Cambodia. Here are the pictures from our trip to Bangkok:

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We will write again soon about the next stop on our trip! Hope everyone is doing well. We miss and love you all!