This is definitely a country I want to return to- Thailand, at first, was not what I expected. Just coming from India, I was shocked at how developed and modern it is. I spent the first day in Pattaya at an elephant village. We rode bareback and that was another shocking experience- we sat on their heads and held on to whatever spare skin we could. They have stubbly hair on the heads, their trucks are sticky like honey but are the sweetest animals. I felt bad stepping and pulling on their ears as I climbed on top but tried to just go along with it and enjoy the awkward experience.
Courtney and I went on a SAS trip to visit the River Kwai, Ayuthaya and Bangkok for 4 days. With Billy Idol’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” stuck in my head, we ventured by an old fashioned train into central Thailand. Filled with crops, green grass, straw huts and flowing rivers- this was the Thailand I had pictured. The rivers, both the large and small Kwai, were gorgeous. We rode in canoes down an unreal setting with calm waters, small, straw house boats, the mountains in the foreground and clear blue skies above us. During the 4 days, I had never been as hot in my life. It was 100* and 68% humidity. I didn’t even know that was possible- the air was still and drenched our clothes in sweat but regardless it was phenomenal.
We visited WWII sites like the Cemetery of the Allied Prisoners, JEATH Museum and all along the Death Railway. Realizing how little I actually know about our historical past was disappointing but I was fascinated by everything we saw and definitely want to keep learning. We went to Thai temples where past Queens have stayed or where live peace offerings were occurring. We climbed to the tops of brick remains from temples and stood next to a variety of Buddhas including the “Reclining Buddha.” The religion is extremely prominent and so much respect is constantly paid to the Buddha.
Bangkok was busting with traffic, markets, people and life. Supposedly it’s the city with the worse traffic in the world and I could not agree more. We walked through the streets with vendors selling food that looked absolutely delicious but promised an upset stomach so we passed. We had two massages during our visit: the first was a traditional Thai that basically kneaded out every muscle in my body and left me sore and unable to walk for the rest of the night. The next night I tried a more relaxed massage with oil and it just happened to be the best thing I’ve ever done (and was so cheap I felt bad.) Maybe it’s because my bruises from the previous massage were forming or my body was tired from the heat, the massage was like dying for an hour and being in complete Thailand heaven. It’s something you must do when venturing to this amazing country.
On our last day in Bangkok, we met up with Abby and Anna who had been in Phuket for the past few days. The four of us stayed in an unbelievably nice hotel that overlooked the river that runs through Bangkok. We met up with Kelly later that evening because her mom and sister had flown in for part of the parent’s visit. Kelly’s mom was extremely kind and took us to a fabulous meal at Bennihana where I think we ate the most we have since leaving the US. I had wonderful tofu, miso soup, fresh salad, veggies, spinach and I even took a bite of Anna’s shrimp. We took a small boat down the river after dinner back to our hotel. From there we had an interesting taste of Thailand nightlife- very different from anything I’ve seen and the best way to describe it might be what I imagine Vegas to be like…
Overall Thailand was absolutely amazing. I loved every second of if; I love seeing the country side and getting a historical sense but also venturing to the city and seeing the booming culture. The food reminded me of our favorite restaurant Anita’s Kitchen in San Rafael where we used to celebrate every birthday or family gathering. The people are so kind and caring- they love their country. I felt so safe here and that I didn’t have to worry about anything. I can’t wait to come back and visit more parts of the country- I’d love to see Northern Thailand and Phuket. And next time I come back I can only hope my family will be with me to enjoy it all.
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