Solo trips are simply the best. #iheartbkk
This was my fourth trip to Bangkok, but the first one I've taken alone. The first time I traveled to Bangkok was for my first visa renewal back in September. It was love at first sight. The sights, the sounds, the foot massages... In the times I've visited since, it started to become a very stressful place: Always rushing to embassies and doctor's offices, following very structured itineraries and checklists, and running errands all over the city. It became some type of not-fun scavenger hunt to buy all of the things that we cannot find in Yangon - things like migraine medicine, tampons, organic skin care products, macaroni and cheese... you know, the bare necessities of life. I always left the city feeling completely drained, never seeming to have enough time to get to all of the things I needed in a whirlwind weekend. I was sad to have this great place become a source of stress rather than a sanctuary, so when circumstances brought me back to Bangkok, I decided to make it a very good weekend. (After all, a lot of our experiences come down to mindset. At least in my humble opinion.)
There are many things I love about Bangkok. The foot massages. The street food. The East-meets-West, Old-World-meets-New-World vibes. The culture. The people. I decided that this weekend would be spent experiencing and celebrating all of the things I love most about this city.
For example: These guardians live at the airport.
Friday morning, I got up and took my usual Friday run. I had a minor foot injury that sidelined me for a couple of weeks. In the meantime, I spent a lot of time with the kick board in the pool and doing lots of cross-training, and I think the rest did a lot of good. This was my first time back on the pavement, and it was such a happy way to start the weekend. I was so grateful for every step and I'm happy to be at the point where I don't care about mileage or time per mile. I just ran.
#runhappy
After work, I headed to the airport. It was nice to be on my own time table and not worry about keeping other people waiting. My trip to the airport and through passport control was fairly low stress, and my flight actually landed in Bangkok early! When I was waiting in line at immigration in Thailand, I nearly jumped out of my skin when someone grabbed my elbow. It was my roommate! She asked if I wanted to share a cab, and I happily agreed. Yes, I was here for a solo adventure. But splitting cab fare is never a bad thing. Plus, I really love her company. I went off to buy a SIM card (also known as my burner cell for the weekend... lol). When I met up with my roommate, she handed me a cocktail. A cab and a cocktail. This lady is amazing. (Incidentally, I haven't been drinking much lately, so the cocktail put me right to sleep later!)
I made my way to my hotel for the weekend: The Grand Sukhumvit Hotel Bangkok. It was just off the main road but right in the center of everything in the city, in a neighborhood off Sukhumvit, which is a main road in Bangkok. I would equate it to an area like Midtown West in NYC or River North in Chicago, but it is full of Western tourists and ex pats, like Temple Bar in Dublin. I read online that the staff at this hotel is not friendly, but my experience was quite the opposite. When I checked in, they brought me some apple juice on a pretty tray and offered me a free upgrade to a deluxe king suite. I went upstairs, squealed like a child when I saw my room (I definitely ran and jumped into the bed... more than once), and unpacked. That's right, Mom! I unpacked my suitcase! Aren't you proud?? I was pretty exhausted from my week, the travel, and the cocktail, so I washed my face and went to sleep in a bed that seemed to hug me back.
Pretty AND tasty!
One of my favorite safety features (especially this time as a solo traveler): You have to swipe your room key in order to make the elevator go to your floor.
The upgrade... it was larger than my studio apartment in Chicago.
It had a kitchen and everything.
I was diagnosed with insomnia a few years ago. I've struggled with it as of late. This bed was responsible for three glorious nights of sleep! There are no words to describe what that was like.
Nice big bathroom.
A shower AND a tub. Yes, that was one of the selling points for me! #bubblebathsfordays
I didn't even have to get out of bed to turn lights on or off. I was amazed.
Christmas gift from my sister. A mud mask and bedtime were perfect for my Friday night :-)
While health care in Myanmar is slowly improving, we still have to travel to Bangkok for most medical needs and pretty much all of our medication (we don't exactly have a Walgreens on every corner...). I headed to the doctor early Saturday morning. I passed the lingering street walkers and lady boys, and I stopped to buy a Starbucks coffee on the way. It's funny - when I lived in Chicago, I complained ALL THE TIME about how there were too many chain coffee places, that I just wanted a local place to grab a cup while I studied and worked. I don't know if it's because I can't have it in Myanmar, but I am obsessed with Starbucks. I guess it's one of those things that you want because you can't have it? Or maybe it takes me back to the comfort it offered me in Chicago, when I spent my Sundays doing grad work and sipping coffee at the nearby Starbucks while it was bitterly freezing outside? Or maybe it tastes like home? Whatever the case may be, I happily sipped my coffee while I walked to the hospital.
I was later very happy that I scheduled the appointment early so that I could have the rest of the day to myself. I made no plans because I wanted to do whatever I was in the mood to do. Basically, I didn't want to have an itinerary. After the appointment, I decided to celebrate the good news with some much-needed R&R. I made my way back to the hotel and spent the rest of the morning at the spa. First I got a 90-minute Thai massage. My back has been full of knots lately (I've been under a lot of stress). I had a Thai massage back in September. It is not exactly what I would call relaxing. I remember when I was in there the first time, it felt like the tiny woman was torturing me for information I desperately wished I could give her, but I didn't know what it was that she wanted. I almost cried like four times. But afterwards, I felt amazing. I decided this is what I needed for the knots in my back. I don't know if I'm used to the massages here now (as spas are very cheap in this part of the world and are a fairly regular thing for me), or if it's because I'm doing a lot of yin yoga that forces me to sit in uncomfortable poses long periods of time (and to find happiness in the discomfort), or if I am some kind of masochist now (probably the least likely thing... EVER), but the massage was actually enjoyable. It felt more like the tension was leaving my body, rather than like I was being tortured! After the Thai massage, I got a 45-minute head, neck, and shoulder "destress massage." I didn't know what it was when I signed up, but they had me at "destress." It was everything I had hoped for. By the time I left the spa, I felt like a new, looser, more relaxed person. I quickly realized I was starving, so I ventured out for some food.
I wandered around trying to find the street food stand that I had been to the first time I was in Bangkok. It was the first night of our trip, so I was exhausted and disoriented, and I could not find the alley that it was on. I sipped on some fresh fruit juice as I wandered around trying to find the place, but I eventually settled on a food center near my hotel. A food center here is basically a place to sit indoors (in the air con!) and eat street-style food. After lunch, I headed back to the hotel for some pool time. The pool was one of the reasons I booked the hotel, and I was pleased to find out that the pictures were very telling. Sometimes, photographers can make things appear much better than they are in person, so it was nice to see that this pool was as gorgeous and relaxing as I had hoped. I read, lounged, and jumped in the pool to escape the heat for a bit. In between all of that, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do the next day. I had the whole day. TO MYSELF!
Yes, I know. I'm obsessed.
Fruit stands are EVERYWHERE around the streets of Bangkok. I really love that you can buy fresh fruit along your journey here. And the fruit in Thailand is absolutely delicious.
Some of my fruity purchases. Others didn't make it for the picture!
Getting ready for the Thai massage. They clean your feet before entering most spas here.
The torture suit (AKA the clothes they make you wear for the Thai massage). Pretty typical.
The "destress massage" left my hair absolutely disgusting because of all the oils they used. It was so worth it.
Post-spa fruit juice: Watermelon and pineapple freshly squeezed to combat the heat.
My delicious lunch that cost about $3 USD. It was sooooooooo good!
Yes, please!
It was even better than I had hoped.
Obligatory leg shot to prove I was there.
My pool time research stemmed from my desire to go on an adventure. Because I was supposed to be at the beach, I didn't want to end up bitter about a missed opportunity, so I decided to find something else to do. For awhile now, I have wanted to visit one of Bangkok's famous floating markets. The thing is, they are all outside the city and not always easily accessible. A lot of my coworkers discouraged the idea when I brought it up at lunch time as a possible weekend activity, saying it's too touristy or too far from Bangkok. I am a different sort of traveler I suppose, and I like seeing those cheesy, iconic sites in different places. I mean, what would New York City be without Times Square? Anyway, I researched several different websites and read reviews on where to go. I found one that sounded perfect - it was a bit off the beaten path, so it wasn't quite so touristy as the others, and there were some other cool sites along the way. The problem was, I couldn't figure out how to get there. I think if I kept searching, I could have figured it out, but honestly I did not feel like putting a lot of effort into the trip; I just wanted to go. I remembered that I sprung for a luxury hotel, so I decided to go downstairs and talk to the concierge. It turned out there was a day trip tour company in our hotel lobby, so I chose the half day adventure that did not include the elephant camp (or so I thought... more on that later). The trip was to the very famous (read: very touristy) floating market, but I decided this would be my compromise since I did not want to do a lot or research or spend the money to hire a private driver. Again, that would be a cheaper option with research, but I didn't want to take the time to do it. I paid the fee and was super excited about the prospect of my adventure the next day.
I was quite sleepy, so after a relaxing bubble bath I took a little nap. I went out for a foot massage when I woke up. Clearly, I had not been adequately destressed for one day! I absolutely love the foot massages here, and they are super cheap. After that I decided I wanted to see a movie. I've heard nothing but raves about Beauty and the Beast and was dying to see it, so I decided to find a theater. I ventured over to a nearby theater to buy my ticket. It was overwhelming, to say the least. I could not believe how BIG the theater was - and remember, I used to live in New York City. It takes a lot to impress me when it comes to theaters! I looked around, trying to figure out how to buy tickets without looking like a lost little tourist. I spotted some machines and went over to wait in line, but I noticed a slot for an "M Card" on the machine. I had no idea what that was, but I saw people standing in another line buying and loading some kind of card. I thought that would be it. But I was wrong. They directed me to another counter - the Ticket Concierge. I didn't want to sound like an idiot, so I was trying to figure out what to say. When the guy said hello, I blurted out, "How do I buy a ticket??" in a tone that was much more desperate-sounding than I would have liked. He chuckled and told me I was in the right spot. This is one of those theaters that you buy an assigned seat. I stared at the screen and must have looked like I needed help, so he pointed and said, "How about this seat?" I agreed and handed over my money. That was a little more stressful than expected, but I was so excited. I realized I only had 15 minutes until showtime, so I just grabbed some fast food near the ticket entrance and then headed inside.
Interestingly enough, this was my first time going to a movie by myself! I have been to many operas, symphonies, plays, concerts, and other productions alone. I have traveled alone many times in the States and now a couple of times internationally. I have run races alone. I have lived alone. But movies? Never. On date night, no less! (SATC reference, anyone?) I sprinted to the theatre because it was almost time to start. I wondered if there would be previews? When I bolted inside, I was surprised to see that it was almost empty. Duh. Everyone has assigned seats, so you don't need to get there early. And to answer my previous question, yes, there are previews. Twenty-two minutes of previews and commercials, to be exact. The only difference here is that there are Thai subtitles on the previews for the English movies, and many of the commercials are in Thai, so I had no idea what they were saying. They had a lot of ninjas though. And a commercial about travel. That was really cool. At the end of the previews and the emergency exit protocols, a message appeared on the screen that instructed us all to rise and pay homage to the king. The king is very beloved here. He recently passed away, but the montage of his life is still very loving and important to the people. They played what I'm guessing is the national anthem and video clips of the life story of the king. Everyone was absolutely silent. It was a very interesting experience.
When the movie finally began, I had pretty high expectations, so I waited to be underwhelmed. Ohhhhh how wrong I was. It. Was. Incredible. I think I was about five years old when the original cartoon came out, and Saturday night I was definitely 30-going-on-5. The guy next to me probably got tired of hearing me giggle and squeal. It was everything I hope it would be, and more! GO SEE IT PEOPLE.
Because three massages in one day is definitely better than only two.
The movie theatre. Holy crap, it was quite a sight!
The machines in the far middle and the counter in front of it were NOT where you buy tickets. Rather, it was the counter NEXT to them. That was an adventure in and of itself.
I know. #shame
Assigned seats for the movie.
It's almost like I'm in the States... except for the subtitles.
...and the random ninjas and eastern relics animated in the commercials.
Of course I had to buy candy. It's a movie.
Sunday morning I had to wake up early for the floating market trip, but I didn't really care about the time. I have hundreds of other days in my life that I can sleep in, but this memory will stay with me forever. I was down in the lobby by 6:25 a.m. to grab a coffee to go. The driver was a little bit late, but it didn't really surprise me. Time in this part of the world is more of a guideline than anything, as they value schedules in a little bit of a different way. Because I expected things to be running a little behind, I just sat and sipped my coffee in the lobby while I read my book. Other people on the tour were not so forgiving. But that's how it goes sometimes.
When the tour guide got to the lobby, I followed him outside and waited on the wrong side of the van. Silly mistake. The drivers are on the "wrong" side of the car for an American, but I should know this because that's how cars are in Myanmar too! Once I found the correct side of the van, I climbed into a seat and settled in for the ride. Unfortunately, one of the stops picked up two screaming children, some men who reeked of cheap cigarettes and B.O., and a family that talked so loud. I wondered what they had to talk about so incessantly at 6:30 in the morning. Initially I thought they were arguing, but I eventually figured out it was just their regular conversation voice. I shut my eyes and tried to sleep a little on the trip to the market. (Note to self: Always bring ear buds). An hour later, when we got close to the market, the tour guide gave us some instructions. That loud family continued talking, but our fabulous tour guide shushed them. It was so great, I had to bite my lip to keep from giggling. He gave us some important information on how to bargain (always negotiate to 50% of the asking price), directed us not to drop things like sunglasses and phones into the water, and told us to keep hands and arms inside the motor boat that would take us to the floating market.
When the tour guide got to the lobby, I followed him outside and waited on the wrong side of the van. Silly mistake. The drivers are on the "wrong" side of the car for an American, but I should know this because that's how cars are in Myanmar too! Once I found the correct side of the van, I climbed into a seat and settled in for the ride. Unfortunately, one of the stops picked up two screaming children, some men who reeked of cheap cigarettes and B.O., and a family that talked so loud. I wondered what they had to talk about so incessantly at 6:30 in the morning. Initially I thought they were arguing, but I eventually figured out it was just their regular conversation voice. I shut my eyes and tried to sleep a little on the trip to the market. (Note to self: Always bring ear buds). An hour later, when we got close to the market, the tour guide gave us some instructions. That loud family continued talking, but our fabulous tour guide shushed them. It was so great, I had to bite my lip to keep from giggling. He gave us some important information on how to bargain (always negotiate to 50% of the asking price), directed us not to drop things like sunglasses and phones into the water, and told us to keep hands and arms inside the motor boat that would take us to the floating market.
My tour bus for the day.
Smiley, even at 6:30 a.m... Ready for my day trip!
Our fierce and fabulous tour guide.
Bye bye, Bangkok!
And hello, Damnoen Saduak Floting Market!
We took a motorized boat along the waterway to get to the heart of the floating market.
Tight quarters for my long legs... #tallgirlproblems. Also, notice how close the water level is to the edge of the boat. That's part of the reason the tilting was so nerve-wracking.
As seen along the waterway...
Getting closer!
All day long, I kept hearing the question, "Only one?" Yes, only one. It's just me. I had the same reactions in Kalaw, but I also heard that in the States when I traveled alone as well. I'm used to it by now. The paddle boat ride was about 30 minutes. We floated along the channel, and there were many boats with items to purchase along the way. There was also a market set up on the dry land, but the floating market was way cooler. When a merchant saw someone in the boat who looked interested in something, they used a long hook to pull us alongside their boat. At our second stop, I fell in love with this painting of paddle boats on the floating market. There was something about it, and I just had to have it. I negotiated the price down to about half of what he asked. The man wrapped it for me, and I was so happy to have new art to add to my collection. I felt like this was special because I bought it in the actual boat. So cool :-)
We continued along the way. There were many little souvenirs and a lot of food for sale. I was looking for these coconut pastry things that our tour guide told us about, but I didn't find any. I also would have enjoyed some mango sticky rice, but again, there wasn't any to be found. There were lots of other things, but I was too hot to have heavy food. I didn't end up buying anything else, but enjoyed watching everything around me. We turned around at a certain point, and on the way back, we got stuck in a huge traffic jam. It was very funny to be wedged in between so many other boats. The guy sitting in front of me ignored the directions to keep hands and arms inside the boat. He had a selfie stick that I wanted to chuck into the river at one point, but I managed to play nice. I read many reviews about floating markets, that they are dumb little tourist traps, but I really loved the experience. It was unlike anything else I have ever seen or done, and I would go back and do it all again if I had the option.
My ticket for the paddle boat
I rode in the boat with two couples and another single person. Fortunately, I had a seat to myself.
Off we go!
You could buy items along the shoreline...
...or from the other boats (hence, "floating market").
This is the guy that I bought my painting from.
My new painting :-)
My purchase sat in the boat with me.
The paintings on the fans were very vibrant, and I started to wonder if I had been too hasty in my purchase. However, the paintings on the fans were a little generic and could have been from almost anywhere else in Southeast Asia. I didn't see another painting like mine at any other stalls, so I am very happy with my purchase.
Some of the paddle boats had signs with their items and costs listed.
The dry land market.
Welcome!
Traffic jam!
These are the hooks that they use to draw you in to try to make a sale.
The paddle boat was definitely the highlight of the trip. Once back on dry land, I wandered around the market. I read online that it had a lot of the same things you can buy at markets in Bangkok, but the prices were higher at the floating markets. The reviewers were exactly right this time. There was nothing else that was special enough that made me want to buy it, so I carried my painting around and looked at the other things in the stalls. I sipped on a coconut (also one of my favorite things to do in this part of the world that is very new-to-me) and was content to just wander. I found an exit that lead to a little foot bridge that went over the channels, so I went and looked at the view from above. It was nice, so I snapped some pictures and moved on. The market got quite crowded as it got later, which I expected to happen. When my time was almost up, I wandered back to the meeting point. I saw the loud dad yelling aggressively at a vendor. It bothered me because there is a difference between negotiating and badgering, and that guy didn't seem to know the difference. It wasn't my business, really, and I'm sure that vendor has seen worse, so I continued walking. It turns out that obnoxious family had lost their child sometime after I passed them, and the tour guide had him. They didn't even flinch when they found him. Hmm.
Yummy coconut!
The foot bridge.
View from the dry land above the floating market.
More stalls.
View from the foot bridge on the other side of the street.
I waited to try to snap a picture of this large statue, but these two women were having a photo shoot. I decided the sun was too hot to stand and wait for a silly photo opp, so I snapped this and moved on.
It started to get very crowded. I turned back shortly after this, as there was no room to walk.
Many people (mostly locals) sat in small plastic chairs along the waterway, eating bowls of noodles and rice and watching the paddle boats float by.
We climbed onboard the bus and continued to our next destination. For some reason, I thought we were getting lunch with our trip, but I was mistaken. I booked this trip specifically because it did not have the elephant camp listed. Well, they stopped there anyway. I was very unhappy about that because I am vehemently against elephant camps here. They do very brutal things to the elephants in order to "break" for people to ride, so I choose not to support the industry. When we were at this camp, you could get pictures with monkeys or tigers or snakes, ride elephants, see some native women... none of this sounded appealing to me. I couldn't be mad because I chose to go with the easy option of a preplanned tour, rather than planning a trip on my own. I decided to go over to the cafe and order a smoothy. It was about 10 a.m. and already about 105 degrees outside, so I happily sipped my little slushy drink and waited for the others on my trip to finish their business. After awhile, we boarded the bus again and went to a teak shop. They had traditional wood carving there. I thought to myself, "Oh, big deal. We have that in Myanmar." Oh how wrong I was. The work in Myanmar is lovely, but this little shop had a lot of beautiful, elaborate, intricate pieces. I was fascinated. I walked around admiring all of the beauty and the work that went into it. I also almost choked at the price tags that were well beyond my means. Needless to say, I could not afford anything in the shop, but it was lovely to visit. I appreciate the work of local artists very much.
Yay! We get a sticker for our next destination, which is.... an elephant camp. Womp, womp.
The smoothie was more of a slushy, so the fresh banana and strawberry was a little weird, to say the least. It did the trick for the heat, though!
The teak shop.
It's very hard to see in this picture, but the tree stump had tiny elephants, tigers, and monkeys carved along the roots, along with sticks and vines. It was very intricate.
<3
It was time to head home. On the drive I managed to stay awake, and I saw some really cool shrimp farms along the way with some spinny wheels (to churn oxygen) and some guava plantations, but I was too slow to get a picture of either. It was a lovely ride back, as I snagged a seat in the front row of the bus, far from the loud family. It took us longer to get back because there were many people on the road on a Sunday afternoon, but I eventually got back to my hotel a little after 2:30 p.m. I was starving, as I was wrong about the fact that lunch was included on my trip. I was too hot and tired to go get street food, so I ordered room service and watched TV while I happily reflected on my morning.
That night, I wandered around the night market near my hotel. In Bangkok, when all the stores close down, a whole new city comes to life. People set up tables and racks and booths full of anything you can think of: Clothes, souvenirs, candy, sex toys (a whole lot of those!), post cards, sunglasses, food... I decided I wanted to get another foot massage to reward myself for all of the physical activity that day. Afterwards, I wandered through the market and my heart leapt: I found that street food stand that I had been searching for yesterday! The reason I couldn't find it was because it's part of the night market! I was so excited. I used to be scared of street food, as so many people warn you not to eat it because it will make you sick. Well, I have been brutally sick twice since moving here, and guess where I ate? Restaurants, both times. Now, I'm not saying that street food doesn't ever make you sick. It sort of feels like you're playing roulette with your digestive system whenever you sit down to eat it. I've joked with a friend here that if the food is delicious enough, then maybe the misery is worth it!
I ordered food and people-watched while I happily ate. (Fortunately, I did not get sick on this trip!) There were so many different people around. I heard different languages at every table and from every person walking by. I saw people of all shapes, sizes, colors, clothing, piercings, and head coverings. I also noticed the waitresses and the Thai couple next to me all chuckling at me because I was eating around the chilis in my dish. Playing roulette is one thing. But setting my insides on fire, that's another thing. I love spicy food, but the chilis here make jalapeños seem like lollipops. They are no joke! I love the flavor, but eating them literally makes me cry involuntarily. I ate my basil, chicken, and rice, and it was even better than I expected. I paid my $1.50 USD and left. I originally had intentions of doing something else that night, but I ran out of time and energy. I was exhausted, so I decided to take a bubble bath and go to bed. Absolutely no regrets.
Pizza and TV... definitely the "West" part of my day.
The night market.
One last foot massage... for now, anyway.
The place where I feel in love with street food <3
Many different people around, all with their own stories.
Chicken with basil and rice. So. So. So. Delicious.
It usually takes at least an hour to get to the airport and then another hour to an hour and a half to get through passport control and security. I did all of that in under an hour. I was so confused. And then I realized: It's a long weekend. It's Monday. And it's not a national holiday in Thailand, so it's business as usual. I laughed at myself and was just happy that I was early and not late. I bought one more Starbucks and this time splurged on a muffin too. I read my book until it was time to board. My flight back was pretty smooth and I made it home safely (obviously).
Four days later, and I am still sore!
My last Starbucks for the next two months! The next time will be with Mama Britton in Bangkok! <3
Oh, and I got the whole row to myself. #tallgirlvictories
My friend texted me this picture. I think he said it was in his hotel at a conference he is attending in another part of Southeast Asia. He saw my hashtag (#wanderlust) and said he thought of my when he saw this. Considering this is in permanent ink on my body (at least part of it), I obviously love it.
Home sweet home in Myanmar... These are Water Festival flowers, which is rapidly approaching!
I really needed this weekend away. I love the people here, but we live and work with the same people, so it is nice to get away sometimes. I am so happy that I had all of these experiences this weekend, and that I was able to repair my relationship with Bangkok. Until next time, I have my new painting that I have added to my collection, and I will start to plan my next big adventure (I leave in about ten days!).
Waiting to get my Irish castle framed, and then my collection will be complete. (For now.)
Always and forever, I love this quote. Relationship goals when you are single look a little different: You need to work on that relationship you have with yourself. This weekend was so good for my soul <3
