Tag: Bangkok
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Singapore, Koh Lipe, and Bangkok
Singapore The plan with Lummi was that I would go to Singapore a few days before her, so I flew across the Pacific, arrived on a Saturday afternoon, and subsequently had a Welcome to Singapore, bitch moment when I got trapped in the local grocery store by a sudden downpour. I took my bags and waited it out at the neighboring coffee shop, then went back to the Airbnb, made instant noodles for dinner, watched the thunderstorm from the patio, and passed out from exhaustion. On Sunday, I worked on my blog in the morning, then met my friend Laurie –…
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Goodbye Again
Another year, another trip to Southeast Asia, another NYE weekend in Bangkok. Unfortunately for us, both Nock and I came down with colds after leaving the island, so the weekend was a bit more sedate than I’m used to. The one thing that made us feel actually better was Feuang Nara, a restaurant around the corner from our Airbnb. We ate there twice in two days, so I feel confident in saying that the service is terrible, but the food is incredible. I ate so much at dinner on Saturday that I barely ate for the next twenty-four hours. On Sunday,…
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Ekkamai
You know how’s a good way to start a 39-day, trans-Pacific trip? As you’re settling into your tiny economy seat and mentally preparing for a long and uncomfortable flight, the lead flight attendant announces to everyone that the cabin doors have been closed and you realize that the plane is only one-third full. Sofas for everyone! Armed with sleeping pills, earplugs, a sleep mask, and a row of seats all to myself, I had the easiest 14-hour flight ever. Dinner, sleep, breakfast, movie, done. Hello Asia! After a short layover in Taipei and a (relatively) short flight to Bangkok, I…
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Bangkok
After a lazy morning in Vientiane and a pretty standard travel day, I found myself back in Bangkok, the chaotic, frustrating, perplexing city that I have such a soft spot for. The last three days of my vacation fell on a weekend – New Year’s weekend at that – and I can’t think of a better place in the whole world to celebrate the end of an amazing trip and ring in the new year. Once I was on the ground, I got a taxi to my Airbnb in Sukhumvit, dropped my things on the floor, and was immediately enchanted…
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More Bangkok, More Islands
Bangkok A few days after seeing Becca off, I linked up with a different group of friends (all from the States) in Bangkok for a few weeks through Thailand. Several had never been to Bangkok before, so they had the usual touristy days while I busied myself with some errands and much-needed clothes shopping. (My personal recommendations are Platinum Fashion Mall and MBK Center.) Nightlife included another beautiful trip to Moon Bar and another meh trip to Khao San Road (though without the stomach illness this time). One of my favorite memories from this time around in Bangkok was an…
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Bangkok, Cambodia, and Thai Islands
Bangkok Becca, Michael, and I flew into BKK on a pleasant Friday afternoon and the two of them were immediately introduced to the urban jungle of Bangkok as we suffered through the first of many hour-long taxi rides through the massive city with its dense, standstill traffic. After finally reaching our hotel, checking in, and getting some food, we decided to go to the Chatuchak weekend market. Friday night at the market was very different from Saturday or Sunday; only a subset of the clothes shops were open and all the non-clothes shops were closed, there was very little food…
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HK ‘N BKK
It’s not lost on me that the two cities I visited initially are currently epicenters of political friction. Admittedly, Thailand has been quiet lately since the junta has oppressed the country into mostly silence, but not long ago there were large, loud, and violent protests all over Bangkok. And as I write this, Hong Kong is under siege by “Occupy Central” protesters looking to send a pro-democracy message to China by stalling business downtown. Luckily for me, the timing of my trip avoided all of this, so I was able to enjoy both places without any logistical headaches caused by…
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And The World’s Your Oyster…
Here we are three weeks into the trip and I haven’t written a damn word. Mostly I blame the heat. And the constant distractions. Who has time to write when you’re spending your days eating and drinking coconut shakes and getting massages? Life is tough. Singapore Let’s backtrack a bit. About three weeks ago, twenty hours of flights and airports culminated in an arrival in Singapore, the city that’s somewhat famous for being the reluctant stopover for Southeast Asia backpackers. It’s not that Singapore is a bad place; it’s actually very clean and modern and safe. The reason it’s a…
