One Night in Bangkok

This was my first time in a large Southeast Asian city, and everything I had heard about Bangkok proved true.  Sprawling, stifling, dirty, crowded, noisy and delicious - a sensory overload in every sense of the word.  I may have fallen in love with Bangkok before I ever set foot there.  We had 36 hours in the city from when we landed on Wednesday morning until we departed for the Laos border on Thursday night, and we were raring to try to do a little bit of everything. 

Our boutique hotel, decorated with whimsical and charming touches, brimmed with personality.  The one bedroom unit was larger than our apartment in Hong Kong - but rather than dwell on that seriously depressing thought, we made ourselves at home among the foyer, living room, balcony, separate shower and bathtub.  The pool proved most refreshing as temperatures hit 41degrees Celsius by early afternoon.

bright cabs stretching for miles

Our first stop was to fuel up on the mall and street food that I had heard so much about.  Thailand's public transportation is very efficient and essential for getting around the city while avoiding the notorious traffic jams.  For the price of approximately 66 cents each trip, the BTS sky train shuttled us around. 

We had lunch at the food court of the Siam Paragon, a large mall (not what I would normally choose in the US, but malls are a way of life in Asia), then headed to Jim Thompson's house on the canal, stopping along the way to indulge in fresh-squeezed orange juice, mango slices, iced coffee and coconuts from various vendors.  Jim Thompson's house was apparently once "the talk of the town" - and upon seeing the grounds, I understood why.  It is a mosaic of stone paved paths, koi ponds and lily pads, verdant fronds and palms planted to lingering jungle effect, with teak wood and shutters peering through stone entrances.    

Upon exiting, we emerged onto one of the canals that connects to the Chao Praya river.

 I also purchased a raw silk purple scarf threaded with darts of orange, yellow and turquoise, scented with just the right romantic touch of sandalwood. (I love it so).

With our day starting at 6 am, we were getting sluggish by this point.  We headed back to our hotel to refresh and resolved to head out after the sun had set.

Sunset from our hotel balcony

On our way to dinner, we passed through some funny and disturbing sights on the street.  Liquor carts strung with neon lights and VW Transporter vans that opened into makeshift bars, selling all kinds of drinks, lined the streets.  Our cart vendor did not seem prepared for customers though, as it took him ten minutes to locate a glass (he did not have plastic or paper cups) and some ice.  We also walked through a seedy night market selling all manners of drugs - ecstasy, cialis, viagra, chewable viagra... you name it, this sidewalk dispensary had it (or claimed they had it - who knows what was really in any of those boxes).  The vendors were also selling BB guns, deadly-looking knives and wickedly pointy ninja stars.

  

Walking those streets in Sukhumvit, surrounded by young Thai women hanging onto the arms of white - sometimes older, sometimes much older, but always white - men, I could not fight the distaste and disgust that walloped me.  We spied two young prostitutes hovering on the steps of a 7-Eleven.  We spied a pack of drunk European boys saunter by.  It seemed so sleazy, so dirty, so unconscionable, so unfair.

I was also acutely aware that we had been reduced to yet another Asian woman on the arm of a white man.  Knowing the assumptions that were being made as Michael and I walked along (and oh, there was no judgment - unfortunately, judgment was the one thing that seemed to be lacking - everyone else was doing it!) made me wish I could explain.  It's not what you think.  I was born in New York.  I'm a corporate lawyer.  I'm well educated.  This is my boyfriend.  He wooed me.  He values my opinion.  All of these thoughts churned unhappily through my head, but there was no one to blurt it out to and there was no one that cared to listen.  I thought, surely they see the contrast of my flip flops, loose pants, t-shirt and lack of makeup; surely they see that we are conversing in perfect English.  I felt a compulsion to explain, to somehow show that we were not "one of those", that I was not "one of them".  That just succeeded in making me feel even more low.

Michael and I had a long talk about it afterwards.  There are so many assumptions that are made about a mixed-race couple - so many little challenges to overcome.  It makes the relationship more interesting, more enriching, but also so much more complicated.  And just when you think you've been dating for long enough that you've dealt with all the stereotypes, well, then that's when you spend one night in Bangkok.

Dinner was a delightful affair of green curry and sticky rice with cool mugs of Chang and Singha. I may have been a little wary due to the fat cockroaches crawling all over the street under our feet... but eventually the tastiness of the food managed to take even my mind off of the creepy crawlies.

sticky rice and green curry with basil, capers, chili peppers, tender chunks of chicken and eggplant

After dinner, we aimed to cross off the number one item on my to-do list: a Thai massage!  I chose Bai Po, recommended because the masseuses had been professionally trained and accredited by the Wat Pho school of massage.  An hour later and $10 lighter, I floated home on a cloud, pretty satisfied with the first day of our vacation.