The Wheel and Axle

Bangkok By Night

So my vacation ended last Saturday night in a place I’d fallen in love with before: Thailand.

And yes, I still love the place.

Arriving Wednesday night from Mandalay, I managed to do a few more new things this time around, including getting to see the famous Jim Thompson House and Museum (where I saw an authentic silk-weaver), the Erawan Shrine, Platinum Fashion Mall, the Victory Monument, a dinosaur theme park, and Kamthieng House. I ate the highly-rated papaya salad in the famous Som Tam Nua as well as noodle soup in one of the street stalls of Sukhumvit Soi 38.

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My only experience with a Bangkok tuk tuk in the past was in 2005, and it was not a good one. Suffice it to say, the guy tried to rip us off. We decided to jump ship (almost literally) and take a cab.

Fast-forward to 2016, and I wanted to ride a tuk tuk again. You know, just to get that awful experience over-ridden, somehow. My bestie, who has been to Thailand way more than me, did say tuk tuks remain somewhat shady, but as long as you know how to handle them (and perhaps act like a local), it should be fine. The funny thing is, they’re more expensive than cabs and Uber, so most of the time we took Uber.

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I’ve always loved Thai cuisine, but I’ve never really tasted authentic samples as all I’ve eaten had been in the Philippines. The last time I was in Bangkok, which was a mere one-night transit stay in 2005, I ate at the mall food court lunch, then at a McDonald’s for dinner, then in the hotel for breakfast the next day.

Thus, I owed it to myself to eat lots of Thai food this time. Well, you bet I did!

After having delicious street Pad Thai on Friday night, I had a feeling Saturday would be a treat, and it certainly was.

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Continued From:

Kingdoms and Temples, Part 1

So my first day in Bangkok continued immediately after my tour of the Grand Palace. Next stop: the famous Wat Pho.

As it turns out, much like the Grand Palace, Wat Pho is not just one temple; it’s a complex of temples and structures, several of which houses various Buddhas. Exploring the place also required some major footwork.

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The last time I was in Bangkok was in 2005. I’d stayed only one night, in transit from Mumbai where I’d been on a business trip for three weeks. That single night in Thailand didn’t afford me a lot of time to explore the city, and I only got to really go to Chatuchak as well as the Si Lom Night Market. However, Bangkok felt so magical that I vowed to return.

Well, vows can take some time, so here I am, eleven years later, finally making good on my promise to myself. I honestly don’t know why it took me so much time to get back here – I’ve been to several other international destinations in the last decade – but be that as it may, I now have made it back, and it feels great.

Seriously, I could live in Bangkok forever (well… here, Bogota, or Sofia).

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But of course, it’s not really dirty. Freshly cooked by a street food stall vendor, this authentic Pad Thai is the yummiest I’ve tasted, like, ever. Then again, it is in Bangkok, and as in many cases of cuisine around the world, the streets are the place to be when it comes to absolute gustatory delight.

You can find this one in Surawong near Si Lom. Watch the lady cook!