Settling In

This past weekend was devoted to getting my bearings in this crazy city. At first, the chaotic nature of Bangkok had me a little bit overwhelmed. When I was given directions to the grocery store I was amazed that someone would trust me to walk outside by myself. After a three days here, I've gotten a little better sense of the city and am beginning to feel more adventurous.

On Saturday, I headed to a nearby mall with my roommate and a friend of hers in order to run errands. I got myself a phone and a few random groceries-- I'll have to go back later this week, now that I have a better idea of what food is available. The day after a trans-Pacific flight was also the perfect time for me to get my first traditional Thai massage. My roommate recommended a tiny massage parlor in the same mall as the grocery store. Thai massages are quite different from the massages I've gotten in the past in the US. My roommate described them as "sort of like dancing" which made no sense at the time, but is actually a fairly accurate way of describing them. Once you have changed into large cotton pajamas, your feet are washed and you are told to lie on your back on a mat on the floor. My eyes were covered by a little scented pillow, so I couldn't exactly see the techniques that were used, but it was still very clear that my masseuse used her entire body in my massage. Though much of the massage was with her hands, she also used her legs as resistance when stretching my legs, knelt/crawled on my back, and put her entire body weight on me in order to push stretches deeper. It was sort of like a partner's yoga where she was doing all of the work. In the end, I was very relaxed and more loose that I've been in a while. All of this for 330 baht (I paid 400 to tip her a bit= $12.50 total). Next time I'll probably try a two hour massage.



On Sunday morning, I walked to the nearby outdoor market with my roommate and one of her friends. Much like in Tunis, Thai buy a lot of their foods from open air markets scattered throughout the neighborhoods. I sampled some mangosteen and rambutan. I'm going to push myself to integrate local produce into my diet... it's time to branch out from the nectarines and grapes I bought myself at the grocery store.



In the afternoon I was picked up by my friend, Eve. Eve and I met my senior year of high school when she came to the US as an exchange student. We didn't know each other well at school, but I fully intend on getting to know her better and spending time with her while I'm here! Eve swung by my condo and drove me down Sukhumvit (the traffic-jammed mall-laden main street that my street connects to). After getting stopped in traffic by some random Hindu parade, we toured Wat Suthat. While there, Eve taught me how to pray to the enormous buddha in the center. After donating some money, you grab a small candle, a large lily, and three sticks of incense. You place the candle on a candelabra and then walk up onto a raised platform where you kneel and pray while holding the flower in one hand and the incense in the other. After praying, you place the flower in the base and stick the incense in some sand. Then you pray on the platform again. Following that, you grab a cylinder filled with things that I can only describe as wooden letter openers with numbers on them. You shake the cylinder until a stick falls out. Finally, you match the number on the stick to a numbered cubby where you take a paper with a fortune. Mine was "mostly good."



Following our Wat trip, we wandered down Khao San Road. Khao San Road was exactly what I expected. Lots of bright lights, bars facing the street, shops with cheap clothes, and tons of foreigners. Most are wearing backpacks and have dreadlocks. Although the place wasn't quite my scene, I can see how it would be a logical stop for a backpacker. There are many cheap travel agents and hotels and I believe some bus trips leave from the area as well. It would be a good place to connect with travelers from all over the world if you were looking for a travel buddy.


I'm just starting to get my bearings in this city. Next step will be to venture out on my own! From what I've been told, Thailand is a very safe country to travel alone in-- pretty exciting as that opens up many possibilities for weekends away from the city.

I believe I have fixed the comments section such that anyone can make a comment. Also, you can find more pictures from this weekend on my flickr.