#thailandseries #bangkok #thailand #solofemaletravel #bigcity #tourist #adventure #culturalshock #foodie #GoldenMount #siteseeing #buddha
My travel journey to Bangkok from Athens was 10 hours in total, 4 hour flight from Athens to Qatar, and then 6 hours from Qatar to Bangkok. I slept through both my flights, quiet easily actually, as I usually pull all nighters the night before flying. I woke up to the pilot announcing the welcome message and the passengers moving around to grab their personal belongings. Excited and nervous, where am I going? No one is greeting me at the airport, I do not have cash on me, how far is my hotel? What is the first thing I want to do when I get out of the airport? Will the airport staff be friendly? Will I have cell phone reception? Blah Blah Blah.. Literally that's what it felt like in my head. My mind racing, questions pouring, anxiety levels rising, and everything in between.
My hotel room at V One Pride 22 Sukhumvit
I finally exit the aircraft and head towards passport control where I was greeted by an officer who gave me a hard time about filling out my application in green ink instead of blue or black ink. Oops, forgive me for not carrying a blue/black pen with me during my travels, lol. Now that my passport is stamped I make my way towards exiting the airport, but before the exit I notice there's a booth selling SIM cards. Perfect, that's exactly what I was looking for. Unlimited talk, text, and internet for €15, that already made me happy. I couldn't believe how cheap it was to have phone/internet reception, and this is in the airport where everything is overpriced.
Ok so phones connected, everyone at home knows im safe, now let's look for a taxi to head to my hotel. I walk through the exit doors and i'm greeted with thick heavy air and an awful smell. Boy did it stink! I literally held my scarf over my nose for the first 10 minutes. I hail a taxi and show him my address of my hotel, V One Hotel . The drive was 40 minutes through the busy streets of Bangkok, tucked away in a dark alley, which somewhat felt scary at first, and I arrived! My taxi did not speak English, not even one word, but he was sweet and polite. Thankfully I had the option of paying with a credit card, €11.00 for a 40 minute ride from the airport. I purposely mention the price as I was incredibly shocked at how cheap it was for Americans/Europeans to travel in Thailand.
I checked into my hotel, shower, and headed out for dinner at a local restaurant that was recommended to me by my hotel. As soon as I stepped into the restaurant I was suffocated by a sewage/fishy smell, I forced myself to be open minded and try out some local dishes. I ordered a few things off the menu, all vegetarian, I didn't have the guts to eat any fish/meat at a place with such a stench. I didn't make it past 3 bites before I paid the bill and headed back towards my hotel. I was disappointed, both at myself and Thailand. Myself for being so picky and sensitive with foods and smells. At Thailand for being so dirty and smelly! What was I thinking coming here? Why didn't I research all this before hand?
At my hotel there were a few guests sitting outside at the bar, I joined them and shared my experience at the local restaurant. They laughed and said "don't worry you'll get use to the smell and enjoy the gritty dirty part of Thailand very quickly" - of course I couldn't believe that to be true at the time. The receptionist overheard me complaining about my experience and offered to make me a plate of food. I mentioned to her that I love Thai Fried rice and Thai Iced Tea back at home and would pay anything to try the authentic dish here. 10 minutes later she comes back with a huge plate of fried rice and salad. Fresh, tasty, and filing, I asked if she can make another plate for me. Without hesitation she agreed and served me this delicious meal again. Mind you there is no kitchen in my hotel, she ran across the street to the cafe and used their kitchen to cook for me. I couldn't believe her generosity and willingness to serve her guests at the hotel. She went out of her way to make sure I was happy, not just once but twice, and all for just €6.00 - that's how much she charged me.
Over the next couple of hours the receptionist, "Sonia" is what I called her, and I, spoke for hours about the Thai culture and how they are raised to serve those around them. The culture in Thailand is strongly influenced by India and China. Referred to as the "Land of a Thousand Smiles", the Thai are known for their core characteristics and attitudes such as: welcoming, respeciful, warm, compassionate, and harmonic to say the least. Now that I took a mini crash course in Thai culture, I was excited to explore this vibrant cosmopolitan city.
The following morning I headed out to visit Wat Saket, also known as the Golden Mount Temple in the district of Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok. The Golden Mount Temple was once the tallest structure in Bangkok, with 344 steps to the top, the 360° panoramic views of the surrounding city are breathtaking! Previously used as a crematorium for the locals in the 1800's, temple as seen today is a result of the reconstruction that took place in the early 1900's. In present day it mostly serves as a major tourist attraction however it still hosts an annual festival in November.
Being that Golden Mount was my first experience at a temple, I did not know what to expect. Naturally, coming from a religious and conservative family, I dressed in modest clothes in order to respect the holy/religious site I was visiting. I did notice a stand that was giving out scarves to those who needed to cover up. Upon entrance to the temple, I was instructed to take off my shoes, and remain silent in order not to disturb those praying. The sounds of the prayers felt like music to my ears. Peaceful, graceful, harmonic tunes played in the background as people offered candles and flowers as a sacrifice to Buddha. It was interesting for me to witness this as a Jew, in our religion we do not believe in idol worshipping. This was the first time I saw people worshipping a statue that symbolises a superior force.
Along my walk up the 344 steps I noticed statues of monkeys and miniature people with their eyes, ears, and mouth covered. This represents the three wise monkeys of Buddhism, illustrating the positive personality traits of not fixating on the negative or evil thoughts/actions.
I spent 2 hours at Golden Mount, observing the scenery, learning its history, and connecting with tourists. I was satisfied for the day. I usually do not overwhelm myself with touring and getting the most done during my travels. The rest of my day in Bangkok included walking around the surrounding area, observing the pace, movements, and activities of the locals. Everyone moves very quickly in Bangkok. Traffic is heavy but is moves very fast. Being that it was the peak of the summer, the weather was 43° C with 99% humidity, so I tried to remain indoors as much as possible. A local I met along the way introduced me to a taxi app, similar to Uber, thats used in Bangkok. I quickly downloaded it and used it throughout my time in the city. I highly recommend downloading "Grab Taxi" if you plan on going around in Bangkok. There is an option of ordering a car or a motorcycle for your ride. I mostly opted for the motorcycle drivers as traffic was heavy and they swerved through cars like fish. What an experience that was!