As the title suggests, we did not feel fully capable of answering that question for the first two weeks that we were in the country, because as you saw in our last post, we didn’t get to see very much of it! Besides the view from the roof that we got for 45 minutes a day for the last 9 days of our quarantine, all we really got to know was the nooks and crannies of our hotel rooms and the schedule of the food delivery people (about 15 minutes early, every time).
We most certainly have a different answer now! We’ve had a little over a week to explore the city that has become our home for the foreseeable future. And getting to know this city is going to be much harder than getting to know our quarantine hotel room. The most striking thing about
Bangkok so far is how BIG it is. Our new apartment building is 35 stories tall, and from the rooftop garden/lounge area we can only really see a small portion of the city. We can ride the metro for a few stops, then ride the BTS (sky train) for a few stops, and we pop up in what feels like an entirely different place, but nope! Still Bangkok. Its really cool to feel that, even as we explore our neighborhood, there is still so much to discover.
And explore our neighborhood we have! Because we teach from home, we wake up around 7:30 am and finish up at 4:00 pm. Each day after work, we’ve taken a few minutes to breath before throwing on our sandals and making our way to the metro. The closest metro stop is about 4
steps away from the apartment property, which makes it VERY easy to get wherever we want to go.
Mall culture is pretty big in Bangkok- one metro stop in each direction from our apartment are a few multi-story malls where we have been able to buy groceries, things we need for our apartment, and delicious food. Each of these malls has a food court at the top. In America,
when we say things like “mall food court” it calls to mind Panda Express, McDonald's, and Burger King. Here, that could not be farther from the truth. These food courts are essentially a bunch of stalls where people make incredibly authentic Thai street food. Even though we don’t entirely know what we order each time, we know its going to be delicious. On our last food court adventure, Jessica got a giant bowl of sea food Tom Yum and Nolan got a 4 course meal for 130 baht- just slightly over $4. For both of us! We’ve also gone to a super tasty Indian restaurant, and gotten ice cream sundaes from Swensen's, a giant ice cream restaurant that we've seen in just about every mall we’ve been to.
After getting food each day, we’ve tried to include mini- adventures. One day, Nolan got to play DnD with a group of new local friends while Jessica hung out in a coffee shop. Another time, we took an evening stroll at sunset through the gorgeous Benjakitti park, with a massive man made
lake, trees, shrines, and an exercise park. But on most days, because the city is still so new, even walking through malls and metros still feels like a bit of an adventure. Yesterday, we discovered a mini-mall inside our metro station- it stretched a few hundred yards back, was full of small restaurants, a grocery store, and coffee shops, and we had never even noticed it before!
Along with our mall adventures, we have also made stops at some local markets, something that had really spiked Jessica's interest before arriving. So far we have been to two weekend night markets, and one weekend day time market. The night markets (Ratchada Train Night Market and Khlong Ong Ang Walking Street) were full to the brim with exciting shopping opportunities, strange and delicious food, and many stray cats (stray cats are so much more fun than squirrels). The best
part about these nights is that we usually make up our dinner of many different stops: A few dumplings here, some pad thai there, grilled skewers over on that side, and maybe even a Pepsi Popsicle or chocolate roti for dessert.
The day market we went to was called the Chatuchak Weekend Market, and it is widely known as the biggest market in all of Bangkok. As Thailand is going through a wave of COVID-19, a lot of the
stands were closed, but the market was so big that it still would've been impossible to see everything that was open. The market was made up of many different sections, from food to pet supplies, and clothes to dishware, this market had everything. There were large sections around the edges with lots of walking space, but the entire center was a maze of tiny alleyways with
shops as far as we could see. It seemed like if we found a shop that looked interesting, we had to go to it right away, because it would be entirely possible that we would not be able to find it again. As we walked around, Iced Thai Tea and Cocoa in hand, we scouted for food and any merchandise that seemed interesting. After an afternoon of walking and eating in the Bangkok heat, we stumbled across an air-conditioned massage stall that was offering hour long foot and shoulder massages for just under $7 each, and, well, it was impossible to say no.
On our way back home, or on our way out, or if we are bored, a quick run to the 7/11 on the ground floor of our building is a good place to go for just about anything. In the United States, the only thing that could pull us into a 7/11 was a slurpee or maybe a desperate bathroom run on a road trip. But here, 7/11 is a full on cultural cornerstone. These small convenience stores have anything and everything a person could want or need. We've had many freshly packaged meals that are always delicious (and cheap). They have jugs of water, toilet paper, paper towels, and cleaning supplies that we just cannot justify buying anywhere else because we would have to carry them through the metro otherwise. And they also have many things that we probably shouldn't have constant and easy access to, like a coffee bar with Iced Thai Milk Tea, a selection of alcoholic beverages, and a freezer full of ice cream. It is safe to say that we understand why Thai people are so obsessed with 7/11, and we are starting to garner our own obsession too.
Each day, after all our adventuring, we get to come back to our cozy little apartment. Despite
being just over 300 sq. feet, the way its designed really does make it feel much bigger. We have a
bedroom, a living area, a bathroom, and a kitchen. Our pillow cases, imported from the US, are tie dyed to go along with our life theme (Thailand is very tie dye friendly!). We have made the place comfortably our own. We brought pictures of family and friends that we have hung on the walls, we bought a few small house plants at one of the night markets, and after finding a $2 vase at the Chatuchak market, Jessica has made good friends with two ladies who sit at our metro stop selling flowers.
So, to answer your "How's Thailand" questions, Thailand is amazing. The food is incredible, the people are so kind, the cost of living is incredibly cheap, and we are so happy to be settled completely on our own for the first time. All that being said, we have barely even scratched the surface of what this city, and this country, have to offer. There is so much more exploring to do, and we can't wait to keep sharing it with you.
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