This trip was an adventure of many firsts. First footprints left on the Asian continent, first time stepping completely out of my linguistic comfort zone, first time flying 13 consecutive hours… the list goes on. Now that I have a minute to actually sit and think about my spontaneous two week Thailand experience, I am left with heartwarming feelings of nostalgia and warm memories of new friends and places.

I am definitely not an adrenaline junkie by any means, however this trip has pushed –no– shoved me out of my comfort zone. Whether it was hurling my body over a 30+ foot cliff into a canyon; riding motor bikes through the steepest, most winding roads I have ever seen; or sliding down waterfalls along the backroads of Pai, this trip has encouraged me to do the push my limits and do the unthinkable.

Day 1:

I had very low expectations when I arrived in Bangkok, simply because this trip was so spontaneous that I had no time to plan or read up on anything. I went in with an open mind, ready to absorb all that I could of Thai culture and experiences in my short 2 week trip.

After spending what felt like two full days of traveling I finally landed in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport. To my delight there was free wifi in the airport and Thailand has Uber, so I evaded my first linguistic nightmare by requesting an Uber to my hostel.

I ended up staying at the Yodsiam Hostel which is located directly above the flower market in the old town. After ascending the stairs into the common area, I was delighted to see how backpacker friendly the common area was. There were plenty of funky chairs, steps for sitting and even a pool table! However, little did I know, I was visiting Thailand during the hottest time of the year (April/May) and so any and all backpackers were hiding in their air conditioned rooms.

Not long after arriving, and before the jet lag could set in, I was instantly invited on an adventure with another traveler who was staying in my room. Being the type of person who never has any plans set in stone, I agreed to join her in an adventure to see my first Thai temple, Wat Pho (pronounced Wat Po). Wat Pho is one of the oldest temples in Bangkok, and houses not only over a thousand Buddha imagines (the largest collection in all of Thailand), but also is home to one of the largest Buddhas, the Reclining Buddha.

It is considered disrespectful to visit a temple with your knees or shoulders revealed, so it is best to dress in LIGHT pants or a long skirt and have a shawl or scarf to cover your shoulders. Even despite the heat, its important to stay covered and stay respectful. It is poplar in Thailand, and South East Asia in general to get a sarong and simply tie it around your waist for temple tours. It seems to be the coolest option by far!

I’m not sure whether it was the sleep deprivation, the heat or the sheer fact that I was diving headfirst into Thai history and culture, but Wat Pho left me giddy and excited to experience more, see more and learn more. I was baffled at the detail of every inch of the temples and structures that were able to withstand the elements throughout the years.

To escape the heat, my new friend and I decided it was time for food and set out in search for some Pad Thai. Honestly, throughout my entire time in Thailand, there was never a moment in which I thought “hmm I think I’ve had enough Pad Thai”. It was a struggle to try and experience foods besides Pad Thai, because honestly, its such a perfect meal that how could I not constantly be in the mood for Pad Thai?

After our meal we retreated to our air-conditioned room where I met two fellow travelers, recently graduated doctors from Virginia. The four of us decided we would head to Chinatown in search of some street food.

Street food is huge in Thailand. Before coming, I heard nightmare stories of people getting food poisoning and being stuck in the hostel bathroom for days at a time, wasting half their trip and having an altogether awful experience. I was definitely skeptical when I first saw the little carts on the side of the road, however after spending two weeks in Thailand, I can safely say that I did NOT have any of those experiences. I don’t think I have the strongest stomach either, as dairy and meat products tend to leave me feeling sick. Another traveler told me that the street food is actually safer to eat than a restaurant because it is fresher and you can see it being cooked right in front of you, instead of in a restaurant that might not have that much traffic and the food has been sitting around all day.

We finished our night by taking a walk through the bustling, hippie/touristy Khao San Road and treated ourselves to some coconut ice cream before turning in for the night.

Day 2:

Waking up early wasn’t a decision, as my circadian rhythm was anything but normal. However my new friend and I had plans of seeing the Grand Palace early, before too many tourists showed up. However, this plan was unsuccessful because a mere 20 minutes after opening, there were well over a thousand tourists simply waiting around the gate area of the Grand Palace. Stampedes of people armed with umbrellas and selfie sticks swarmed every possible inch of space. It didn’t take long for us to decide that maybe the Grand Palace was not the best idea for the day. I think there is a difference between going places and checking items off a list and going places simply because it is genuinely interesting.

The Grand Palace is amazing, I’m sure. It is enormous and is home to the Emerald Buddha and countless other interesting temples. However after being completely bombarded by hoards of tourists, eager to snap photos of any and everything, we decided that perhaps this wasn’t the most worthy use of our time.

The day before we happened upon a tourist sign that pointed towards the “Golden Mountain”. Never having heard of it, we set off for a welcomed change of pace from the hectic Grand Palace.

The Golden Mountain turned out to be a fantastic view of the city without all the hustle and bustle of the Sky Bar. All of the reviews I’ve seen of the Sky Bar have said that it is cool overlooking the city, however that it is like an overpriced New York bar and is packed with other travelers and tourists. However, by happening upon the Golden Mountain, we were able to evade the crowds and still got an awesome view of the city!

The next few days we spent escaping the never-ending heat in a series of different malls. This section of the city is drastically different from the old center that our hostel is in. This Bangkok is hectic, crowded, loud and most importantly filled with Thai people and not just tourist. There are so many people that the pedestrian walkways over each and every street crossing are completely swamped with people. However, being in Thailand, Bangkok has its own special charm that only a Thai city can have.

Over the course of the next two days we made our way across the central shopping area of the city. We started by eating copious amounts of food in the MBK food court (definitely would recommend this one for the HUGE variety they have). For someone who might be afraid to try the street food at first, this is a great option to eat “stall” food prepared indoors and with a much cleaner vibe (vegetarian options available as well!).

We also visited Terminal 21, a mall geared towards the true traveler, as each floor of the nine floors is modeled to resemble a different city throughout the world. We also visited the massive Siam Center and Siam Paragon, not sure the difference besides location but these malls are ENORMOUS. I’m definitely not much of a shopper, or one to buy souvenirs, however these malls created an interesting haven to escape the oppressive heat of late April Bangkok.

After our first day of exploring the malls, we decided to treat ourselves to an authentic Thai massage. And what better place than at Number One Thai Massage. When we arrived we were instructed to remove our  shoes and to sit on benches for our feet to be washed. Then we were led upstairs to a dark room with curtained off sections and we were instructed to change into what can only be described as a sumo wrestlers pant suit. We then spent the next hour in a half doing involuntary yoga, as our masseuses massaged us while contorting our bodies. I would describe a thai massage as a workout, without actually doing it yourself. The process is viewed as painful by some, and I definitely had some moments where I was thinking “move on to the next thing!!!”, however after the massage was finished, I felt like a brand new person! Definitely a nice treat after exploring the city of Bangkok by foot all day.

My favorite massage of the trip was a food massage. A foot massage tends to also include your back and shoulders. It starts out by the masseuses rubbing your arms and hands, and then moves on to your feet and legs. After a heavenly amount of time they move on to your back and shoulders, and even use hot rocks to press into your back, neck and stomach. As if all of this attention to detail wasn’t enough, they serve tea after the massage is finished! It was truly an amazing experience and definitely worth a trip back to Thailand just for the approximately $6 massage.

For not having planned anything out for Bangkok, I would say I made a good use of my time and got to experience everything that I wanted to in my three days there. Now, time to head north!