The Bangkok Experiece: Part II
-Bangkok: Part II-
So as I already mentioned in a previous post, our orientation was held in Bangkok in late October. We were new to the country, jet lagged and weighed down with the obligations of transition and info-sessions. Although we did take some time to navigate the city, we were staying in a beautiful hotel and living lavishly considering the living circumstances we have encountered at our placement schools. Now that we were adjusted, understand how to navigate transportation without getting brutally lost somewhere across the world, meeting up in the city is the easiest way to get to your friends fast. My Roomie, 'Teacha' Emily had a friend who taught in Bangkok the year prior to us and mentioned to this amazing monthly party at a rooftop pool on the last Saturday of every weekend. Naturally we immediately went online and researched the hotel, its location and the pool views. Coming to the conclusion that this option was good enough for us, we reached out to the Thailand family chat and offered this option for Thanksgiving weekend. The holidays is a post I will dedicate separately as I have a lot to say about being away from home on the holidays I hold closest to my heart. Needless to say, I had to find a good distraction around this time of the month because it was very difficult for me and other teachers I was surrounded by. We thought a rooftop pool party extravaganza would be the perfect option. On that note, we had a number of friends who also agreed this was the best option for the weekend and we immediately booked a hostel known as Blocks Hostel in downtown Sukhumvit, a hip and happening neighborhood as the kids would say these days. Sukhumvit is comparable to the Soho of New York City or the downtown hipster late night melting pot of culture and food hub of a major city. In this area, there are tons of places to stay. A mix between 'bougie' or should I say nicer places to crash and also cheap hostels that people like me can afford and if I must say they are much more fun and 'cooler' than the rest. Bias aside, Sukhumvit is the place to be in Bangkok.
We found ourselves that Frieday on the rooftop of our hostel drinking Chang beers in the middle of Bangkok reunited once again. The same crew that we had spent the weekend with the weekend before caught up as if we had never left each other, because it had only been 5 days. Sarcasm aside, the sun was setting, and the Town, ready for us. As all Americans who travel to another country know that it can take as long as only one week to begin missing the food we have at our disposal in America. In our fragile states 3 weeks away, having just missed Thanksgiving and the food that comes with this gluttonous Holiday, we need to find ourselves some food that would fill the void. Friends of ours had spread word of an amazing Mexican restaurant in Bangkok, a cuisine that is very rare to find in Southeast Asia. Needless to say, we were there within the first two hours we arrived in Bangkok sharing pitchers of margaritas and bowls of guacamole. You could say that we were extremely happy. Our Thanksgiving experience had in fact turned into a table of 20 loud English Teachers standing up one at a time professing our gratitude for the experiences we have shared together and the company we were lucky enough to be surrounded by. After about 20 chip refills, 4 pitchers of Margaritas and unavoidably clearing out the entire patio of the restaurant by our volume level alone, we found ourselves stumbling out of Charley Browns in downtown Sukhumvit towards a strip of bars ex-pats usually migrate towards. The bar of choice for the night was named The Australian Bar. As predicted, we found ourselves around travelers from all over the world in a packed bar listening to a Thai cover band playing American music from the 80's/ all in all I believe that our Friends-giving was a huge success.
-Saturday-
-Bagels and Punkin' Pie- Yay.
It was the day we had all been waiting for! News has it that you have to get to the pool party pretty early in order to snag the lawn chairs with the best views and sun. To all of the girls in the group, this was a very important priority. We woke early, found BAGELS in Bangkok which was just the most amazing find of the weekend as Bagels are one of my main food groups. Not only did we find bagels that were amazing, but we found PUMPKIN PIE. The one thing we all missed most during this missed holiday was pumpkin pie and we had pretty much made amends with the fact that we would not be setting eyes on a slice this year. Meghan, my foodie soulmate and I decided to share a slice along with our Bagel sandwiches. Let me pause and begin a rant about how important it is for me to find friends that share my love for a smaller but more various portioned meals shared with one to two people. Do not get me wrong, if you are one of those people that doesn't like to share their meals for the fear that they will not be satisfied after, I will not fight you. However my foodie beliefs follow the course of action that calls for all of the best choices on the menu split between 1 to 3 people. Although I believe in equal portions, I do believe that I suffer from a rare cause of food envy, something that happens when I regret what I ordered and would rather have another person's meal. This condition slights me from relationships and friendships where the other person does not believe in sharing. I feel very lucky to have found a friend who shares this rare condition and still proves to this day that sharing is caring. Cheers to you Meggy.
Back to the subject of this blog post. Belly's full, we made our way towards the famous hotel known as SO Sofitel Hotel in Downtown Bangkok. One thing I learned on this journey is that the Tuk Tuk drivers in Bangkok are on a whole other level. They are fearless, they don't seem to care whether or not they are cutting people off, going too fast around corners and most of all if their passengers are scared out of their minds. I actually began to cry on this Tuk Tuk ride for two reasons, one being post traumatic stress from an accident a few years back, and second because I was legitimately scared for my life and hadn't learned the word 'slow' in Thai yet. Although we made it alive, I could have gone without the make up tearing down my face before a giant party on a city rooftop of a hotel. Nine stories later, we found our selves floating in an infinity pool overlooking the skyline of this amazing city. The lawn chairs we reserved were perched on the pools edge, the Sun slowly making its way across the pool deck, DJ blaring music and free drinks in hand. We spent the day in and out of the pool dancing to the endless music and meeting new people from all over the world who had traveled to the very same party. The crazy thing about this day was the fact that you almost forget that you are on the other side of the world. We met people from London, Dubai and the United States, some working and living in Thailand, others, visiting. It got dark before we knew it, and the day began to blur in front of our eyes. The event costed us 600 Bhat each including entry and one free drink ticket. Considering the location, views and fun crowds, this event was well worth the 19 USD paid. It continues to shock me each time I convert money from Thai Bhat to USD.
One tip I must accentuate in this travel blog is that when you find the time to take a nap, take it, enjoy it, take rejoice in it and savor every single moment of shut eye. Living in Thailand, I have begun to notice that sleep is something that I have lacked. It's almost as if I believe that I will miss something if I do not wake with the sun, even if that means I only slept 3 hours until sunrise. On that note, we woke up from an amazing nap hungry and ready to explore. One market that I cannot get enough of in Bangkok is known as Ratchada Market, a weekend night Market. This market is a place that we found solace during orientation. It is filled with in numerous food stands, clothing stands and a strip of two floor open air bars and restaurants where BYOB is allowed and a great view of the market and surrounding city buildings. This is great place to sit, eat and socialize with friends and relax. It was the perfect end to a perfect Saturday.
-Sunday-
-Brunch at Cafe Tartine-
After a weekend of parties, we naturally woke up starving, our other friend Emily who has been teaching 6 months longer than we arrived knew of a couple amazing brunch spots in the city. We ended up at a cafe known as Cafe Tartine. This place was exactly what I had been missing since moving to Asia. If you know me well, then you know that if you gave me eggs and bacon I would be pretty much the happiest person on the earth. Unfortunately, Thailand doesn't normally believe in either food group in the morning. The Breakfast offerings in our province usually consists of fried rice, or street cart donuts. Both of which I don't have a problem eating but, just isn't the same. I ordered my favorite brunch item, Eggs Benedict with spinach, something that I have been dreaming of since leaving the states. It was all I had hoped for. The cafe itself had a wonderful french aesthetic and good coffee all of which made me more than excited and ready to brunch. I would highly recommend this brunch spot to anyone who is craving a city style morning Brunch Spot. It is cozy, outdoors and beautiful.
-Chatachuk 'JJ' Market-
Our final stop of the weekend was Chatachuk Market, one of the worlds largest markets covering 27 Acres and containing more than 15,000 booths selling goods from all over Thailand. Naturally, we were bound to spend money. The minute we entered the market I lost my friends. This market is captivating, stalls with beautiful clothes, colors and handmade artifacts at amazing prices. When I say that overstimulation is the most common symptom of Chatachuk, that would explain why all three roomates found ourselves lost in a matter of moments. With lots of self control, I bartered and squirmed my way through the market checking out all of maybe 1/16th of the market in a matter of two hours. My best purchase was a Dueter brand 45 ml hiking packback for a whopping total of 900 B or apprx. 29 USD. Hiking backpacks go for 15x the price in the states and I have to say that this backpack has remained stable and withstood many over packed weekends and grueling travel adventures since. This was an amazing purchase. Last but not least, this day marked the very day I fell in love with mango sticky rice, a thai recipe that only someone who is allergic to mango would say no to. The pictures documenting this moment don't even do Mango sticky rice and it's delectable sweet and savory justice. With that, I will end this post and continue to the important information you need to know, tips for Bangkok.
-Saturday-
-Bagels and Punkin' Pie- Yay.
It was the day we had all been waiting for! News has it that you have to get to the pool party pretty early in order to snag the lawn chairs with the best views and sun. To all of the girls in the group, this was a very important priority. We woke early, found BAGELS in Bangkok which was just the most amazing find of the weekend as Bagels are one of my main food groups. Not only did we find bagels that were amazing, but we found PUMPKIN PIE. The one thing we all missed most during this missed holiday was pumpkin pie and we had pretty much made amends with the fact that we would not be setting eyes on a slice this year. Meghan, my foodie soulmate and I decided to share a slice along with our Bagel sandwiches. Let me pause and begin a rant about how important it is for me to find friends that share my love for a smaller but more various portioned meals shared with one to two people. Do not get me wrong, if you are one of those people that doesn't like to share their meals for the fear that they will not be satisfied after, I will not fight you. However my foodie beliefs follow the course of action that calls for all of the best choices on the menu split between 1 to 3 people. Although I believe in equal portions, I do believe that I suffer from a rare cause of food envy, something that happens when I regret what I ordered and would rather have another person's meal. This condition slights me from relationships and friendships where the other person does not believe in sharing. I feel very lucky to have found a friend who shares this rare condition and still proves to this day that sharing is caring. Cheers to you Meggy.
Back to the subject of this blog post. Belly's full, we made our way towards the famous hotel known as SO Sofitel Hotel in Downtown Bangkok. One thing I learned on this journey is that the Tuk Tuk drivers in Bangkok are on a whole other level. They are fearless, they don't seem to care whether or not they are cutting people off, going too fast around corners and most of all if their passengers are scared out of their minds. I actually began to cry on this Tuk Tuk ride for two reasons, one being post traumatic stress from an accident a few years back, and second because I was legitimately scared for my life and hadn't learned the word 'slow' in Thai yet. Although we made it alive, I could have gone without the make up tearing down my face before a giant party on a city rooftop of a hotel. Nine stories later, we found our selves floating in an infinity pool overlooking the skyline of this amazing city. The lawn chairs we reserved were perched on the pools edge, the Sun slowly making its way across the pool deck, DJ blaring music and free drinks in hand. We spent the day in and out of the pool dancing to the endless music and meeting new people from all over the world who had traveled to the very same party. The crazy thing about this day was the fact that you almost forget that you are on the other side of the world. We met people from London, Dubai and the United States, some working and living in Thailand, others, visiting. It got dark before we knew it, and the day began to blur in front of our eyes. The event costed us 600 Bhat each including entry and one free drink ticket. Considering the location, views and fun crowds, this event was well worth the 19 USD paid. It continues to shock me each time I convert money from Thai Bhat to USD.
One tip I must accentuate in this travel blog is that when you find the time to take a nap, take it, enjoy it, take rejoice in it and savor every single moment of shut eye. Living in Thailand, I have begun to notice that sleep is something that I have lacked. It's almost as if I believe that I will miss something if I do not wake with the sun, even if that means I only slept 3 hours until sunrise. On that note, we woke up from an amazing nap hungry and ready to explore. One market that I cannot get enough of in Bangkok is known as Ratchada Market, a weekend night Market. This market is a place that we found solace during orientation. It is filled with in numerous food stands, clothing stands and a strip of two floor open air bars and restaurants where BYOB is allowed and a great view of the market and surrounding city buildings. This is great place to sit, eat and socialize with friends and relax. It was the perfect end to a perfect Saturday.
-Sunday-
-Brunch at Cafe Tartine-
After a weekend of parties, we naturally woke up starving, our other friend Emily who has been teaching 6 months longer than we arrived knew of a couple amazing brunch spots in the city. We ended up at a cafe known as Cafe Tartine. This place was exactly what I had been missing since moving to Asia. If you know me well, then you know that if you gave me eggs and bacon I would be pretty much the happiest person on the earth. Unfortunately, Thailand doesn't normally believe in either food group in the morning. The Breakfast offerings in our province usually consists of fried rice, or street cart donuts. Both of which I don't have a problem eating but, just isn't the same. I ordered my favorite brunch item, Eggs Benedict with spinach, something that I have been dreaming of since leaving the states. It was all I had hoped for. The cafe itself had a wonderful french aesthetic and good coffee all of which made me more than excited and ready to brunch. I would highly recommend this brunch spot to anyone who is craving a city style morning Brunch Spot. It is cozy, outdoors and beautiful.
-Chatachuk 'JJ' Market-
Our final stop of the weekend was Chatachuk Market, one of the worlds largest markets covering 27 Acres and containing more than 15,000 booths selling goods from all over Thailand. Naturally, we were bound to spend money. The minute we entered the market I lost my friends. This market is captivating, stalls with beautiful clothes, colors and handmade artifacts at amazing prices. When I say that overstimulation is the most common symptom of Chatachuk, that would explain why all three roomates found ourselves lost in a matter of moments. With lots of self control, I bartered and squirmed my way through the market checking out all of maybe 1/16th of the market in a matter of two hours. My best purchase was a Dueter brand 45 ml hiking packback for a whopping total of 900 B or apprx. 29 USD. Hiking backpacks go for 15x the price in the states and I have to say that this backpack has remained stable and withstood many over packed weekends and grueling travel adventures since. This was an amazing purchase. Last but not least, this day marked the very day I fell in love with mango sticky rice, a thai recipe that only someone who is allergic to mango would say no to. The pictures documenting this moment don't even do Mango sticky rice and it's delectable sweet and savory justice. With that, I will end this post and continue to the important information you need to know, tips for Bangkok.
- Tips for Bangkok:
- Use public transportation, the BTS or the "Skytrain" is extremely easy to follow and clean!
- Bangkok is a very easy way to meet friends around the area, most stations lead to this city making it very accessible
- Trip advisor is the most reliable internet site for proper rating of food in Thailand, and will even give you directions to the closest cuisine of choice
- Must do Food:
- Dinner: Charley Browns Kitchen, Ratchada Night Market
- Breakfast: BKK Bagel, Cafe Tartine
- Ex pat fill: Mall Bangkae, Central Mall- Siam BTS stop , Terminal 21 Mall at - Asok BTS stop
- Keep an eye on funds on a busy Bangkok weekend, 5,000 Bhat ideally should be more than enough, but it is very easy to spend money in this city
- The last Saturday of every month holds a SO Sofitel Rooftop Pool Party and if you happen to be around, this event is a must do! Breathtaking views of the city and people from all over the world, not to mention good music and all for 19 USD
- Nightlife: Ratchada Market, Khao San Road, The Australian Bar- Sukhamvit
- Hostel: Blocks Hostel Sukhamvit. This Hostel was cozy clean, and kind and the location, phenomenal. My roomates and I shared a private 4-bedroom suite. Suites range from 4 to 8 people per floor depending on numbers and prices. Facebook page link: - https://www.facebook.com/theblockshostel
Charley Browns Kitchen- For your Mexican food fix
BKK Bagel
So Sofitel Rooftop Pool Party
Chatachuk 'JJ' Weekend Market
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