So, where did we leave off? Oh, right, paradise! A lovely one-hour flight later, we were in Thailand's capitol city. Hustle and bustle is my baseline, but, man, Bangkok takes it to another level: streets full of vendors, insane traffic, and bright neon lights.
Our lovely hotel (the Ramada Encore) was located smack-dab in the center of city, so we spent the first evening wandering around and eating the most delicious shrimp tom yum soup ever. Erik and I were definitely those tourists with our heads permanently tilted back and a dazed, amazed expression on our face. I may have also had a camera around my neck. Ha! The next morning, we headed to the old city to check out Wat Po and the Grand Palace. We gaped at the 150-foot-long golden Buddha with enormous mother-of-pearl feet just a few days after Obama did the same.
I actually saw these sights on my last trip to Thailand, but that didn't keep me from being any less awestruck. These temples are probably the most magnificent historical sites I've ever seen, with their bright colors, gold gilt, and endless detail. Erik took about a zillion pictures. Of course I could only force him to be in two.
After our eyeballs reached their maximum gorgeousness capacity, we made our way to the famous backpacker street of Khao Sarn Road. The thing I love about traveling with Erik is that we're both adventurous and not stuck on itineraries. We poked around and explored the side streets and, finally, when our feet ached, we plopped down and got $5 leg massages on the street. Ah-mazing. I wish that was an option in New York City! When we reached Khao Sarn, we shopped and I ate some amazing street pad thai. Sadly, Erik has a sensitive stomach so he watched jealously as I played Russian Roulette with my intestines. (I was fine.)
On the final day of the trip, we didn't have any set plans, so we took the train to a ginormous flea market in the northern part of the city. We bought a mask for our apartment, and I cooled off with a fresh coconut popsicle. By the time we were going to melt, it was time to have lunch with owner of a store in Thailand that carried Erik's clothes. (Side note: We spotted a bootleg knockoff of one of Erik's shirts in a night market, next to all the Nike stuff. Does this mean he's big time?!) The owner and his girlfriend were so sweet, and it was cool to see Erik's clothes sold in a place half a globe away.
The rest of the evening, we checked out a few more neighborhoods, rode in tuk-tuks, and (what else?) got one final Thai massage. I joked that I felt like a piece of Kobe beef. Sigh. It was truly THE trip of a lifetime. How are we going to top this one next year? Guess I should start planning now... ;)
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