Bangkok is a hefty undertaking if you're trying to see it all in 48 hours. The only way I would stand a fighting chance is if I had an insider scoop on the best sights to see and the tastiest places to eat. By some stroke of extraordinary luck I end up finding just the local insight I seek. My cousin Aron put me in contact with his friend Pii Koi, a smart, open minded, and unbelievably considerate Bangkok native. "Pii" is placed before a name as a sign of respect when speaking to someone older than the speaker, and Koi is short for her name, Koiister. Pretty rad name if ya ask me!
Not only does she guide me through the streets of Bangkok from a locals perspective, she readily helps me arrange all of my transportation wherever I need to go as well! What a wonder, that girl. We meet for lunch at the head of Khao San road, a wild and buzzing stretch of pavement where backpackers swarm in droves to indulge in all that Bangkok can throw at them - from blackened scorpions on sticks, to buckets of booze, to pingpong shows (not in the traditional sense).
We zig zag through the city until we come to a Vietnamese restaurant, who knows where. After we munch on some super spicy and delicious Papaya salad and some other dishes I can't remember names for (but which were also amazing). I learn Koi is studying for her masters in Linguistics (which explains her impeccable English), and has a growing desire to get out and explore more of the world. She spent four months in California seeing what it had to offer, and the real kicker is that in conversation she tosses out CA slang such as "tight", "hella" and "dope" as naturally as any California native. This girl's got it all - a mind as sharp as a tac, a great sense of optimism, and the looks to match!
From our tasty lunch spot Koi leads me to the Grand Palace, a place as lavish and stunning as it sounds. As we stroll through I find myself completely overloaded by the dense beauty of it all. I don't know that I've ever seen someplace so ornate and whimsical, and I've seen a fair share of gaudy Baroque joints. A gigantic golden stupa leaves a real mark in the memory, followed by the modest yet mesmerizing emerald Buddha statue perched up high. He is dressed in different garb according to the season, and each outfit is made of gold (of course).
Koi has to run to work (she's an English tutor for local teens) so we split and I head back toward Khao San and try my best to resist the endless temptations dangled before me. Must-resist-super-cheap-massage. And I do! For now. I end up sitting in a serene riverside park watching sideshow performers juggle and balance various objects on themselves to a soundtrack of blaring Thai jams. Later a spunky Thai dude leads an aerobic dance workout for a group of mostly older Thai women. Very entertaining, and peculiar. That seems to be the winning formula here in Bangkok.
your blogging puts us to shame! we so struggled with writing up all our thoughts, as what we were experiencing was so overwhelming. thanks for posting. yeah, bangkok is awesome, and it embodies all that draws us to travel: beauty, randomness, sensory overload, even down to the funky things you see floating in the river... and it is even more fun to explore with a local. nong koi has been so good to you all; we owe her much gratitude for all her kindness.
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff Parker and I love the photos. I think you should use that leopard bridge in one of your posters, maybe with me crossing it.
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