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Dave's Travel Corner

Seeing the World One Step at a Time

above the clouds

International Travel and Lifestyle Blog


Reflections on Bangkok

May 17, 2014 by Dave2 Comments

Small temple on banks of Chao Praya River near Siriraj Hospital

Small temple on banks of Chao Praya River near Siriraj Hospital

I initially came to the “City of Angels” in 1996. It was my first big trip outside of the United States – to a country that was so different compared to the lifestyle I was used to. I was in my early 20’s; everything about the city was new, exiting and unfamiliar. Mundane things I take for granted when traveling in Asia now – made a huge impression on me at the time.

Writing these words while sitting under part of the Sirat Expressway near Victory Monument, hearing the chants of protesters and waiting for a van to go to Eastern Thailand – I look around carefully, beyond what I normally gloss over, and try to remember what would have made an impression on me during my first trip here.

The weather and the humidity that I am so used to now seemed overbearing at the time – sitting under a freeway with traffic buzzing by, motorbikes, tuk tuks, taxis, vans, trucks, all would have seemed so chaotic. Shacks with tin roofs under freeways. Fancy buildings standing right next to them. A maze of tangled black electrical wires rigged together so that one cannot tell where one wire started and one began – a birds nest of electrical current overhead.

Then you have the street food – friends and I were so worried about eating street food. We dared each other back then – who would be the first one to try “mystery meat on a stick”? Would we get violently sick? None of us had ever eaten street food before or really even been exposed to it. All our lives we had purchased foods in annoyingly clean supermarkets and from enclosed restaurants. What was all this “weird” food we had never seen before? It was a sensory overload of aromas, sights and sounds in the markets and on the streets.

Then there was the aspect of seeing the city; we couldn’t figure out where we had gone and where we had been before – to us it was just one big maze of buildings in all directions. We didn’t identify with any landmarks, of which there are many. Without a point of reference, we just wandered around lost – certainly an exciting way to see the city.

So today, none of this makes the impact on me that it first made. I know how to get around the main parts of town without getting lost. Most of what I now eat in Bangkok is street food. The perceived chaos is all part of the accepted scenery of Bangkok; I am so used to it and comfortable with it.

However, I don’t always stop and think about my perceptions that I had during my first trips abroad. So in that sense, it was a neat feeling today to just stop in the midst of all the chaos (helped by the protesting crowds and additional noise from the loudspeakers) and look around and remember how I used to perceive Bangkok.

With that said, I still get excited before any trip to this urban hotspot – it is certainly one of the world’s greatest cities and one of my favorites.

Related posts:

Weekend in Bangkok Bangkok Day Tripping What to see in Bangkok Bangkok, Thailand Bangkok, Thailand – Food

Filed Under: Asia · Tagged: America, Asia, Bangkok Thailand, Food and Wine, Freeways, Lifestyle, Markets, Restaurants, Street Food, Thailand, Traffic

Comments

  1. The Scuttlefish says:
    July 4, 2014 at 2:39 am

    Interesting post, Dave. I am from a country possibly several times more chaotic than Thailand’s greatest city, so I was not as surprised on my first visit to Bangkok only a year ago. What bothered me however was that the parts of the city that were most accessible to me were the ones offered up to tourists, catering to all their endless needs–never-ending street food and shopping options, entertainers selling culture and sex, touts and travel agents, hotels and lodging houses every way you look.
    Using the train to see the city opened it up in many more ways, but I would love to go back next time with more time on my hands to experience daily life in one of the most commercialized cities of the east!

  2. Dave says:
    November 26, 2014 at 7:22 am

    Over the past 15 or so years, the Skytrain and the Metro have certainly helped make additional parts of the city more “accessible” for visitors. As first time visitors, it can be especially challenging to know where to go – especially when trying to seek out some of the lesser known/less touristy very interesting parts of the city. I hope you get a chance to return soon 🙂

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Hi I'm Dave. After a life changing trip in 1996, I began this site as a creative outlet to educate, inspire and share travel experiences. Read more...

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