Temples, Traffic, and Thai (Street) Food
Went for a short trip to Thailand last week, for a change of scenery so to speak. And to get a taste of the exotic Thai culture and colors.Basically the major stop is Bangkok, for the temples with very intricate designs found nowhere else in the world. And for the shopping. Bangkok is a haven for shoppers. The Pratunam area is a simple market place where you'll find the best bargains, especially on clothes. If you want branded items you go to the malls.
Then went for a side trip to Pattaya, a beach area about 2 hours from the city. The beach isn't so attractive-- not those pristine, white sand resorts you would picture it to be. But the night life is thriving. Clubs, bars, hotels enjoy good business as tourists flock here by the hundreds. I feel too old for clubbing or bar hopping. But i went there to see a couple of my friends, so that was really neat.
Along the road you'll encounter temples big and small for the communities to worship every...well every worship day. If they have such a thing. And elephants! Being guided like domesticated pets by their owners.
Back to Bangkok, the people needs more lesson on hospitality, truth be told. This is not to say that they'e not nice. They are, it's just that you feel it's not a natural thing for them to deal with foreign visitors.
If you want an authentic taste of Thai food, go to the streets. The street food are really good, start with the noodles then take a bite on one of those grilled stuff.
One thing that really shocked me about Bangkok is the terrible traffic congestion! Day in and day out. No rush hour, it's traffic all the time (see pic below to see my point). It was hard to comprehend. You waste so much time on the cab. So better find the nearest MRT station if you're in a hurry.
All in all it was a fun trip with two of my best friends. New lessons learned and new knowlegde acquired. One thing always remain true, whenever you travel you learn to appreciate where you come from. And be proud of who you are.
