Bangkok Virgin

   Welcome to Bangkok

    When you land after traveling more than 26 hours (that’s with limited layovers) from the U.S. all you want to do is get the hell out of the airport. A long line for immigration and get that passport stamp. Being a Bangkok virgin, grab your bags and head out into the crowd and what seemed to be an endless line of cell phone service vendors and currency exchange booths. You will walk out those doors into the Bangkok air and it hits you like a sensory head kick! Grab a taxi and you are off into …Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahinthara Yutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udom Ratchaniwet Mahasathan Amonphiman Awatansathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukamprasit. ( that’s the cities name, longest name in the world!)

  Overwhelming    

    To describe all of what you see and feel the first time here is never going to do it justice. You have to set foot in this MEGAtropolis. I always seem to land at night. But let’s focus on the first time. I was lucky enough to have a good friend that had already been in the country for some time before I arrived. As a result, it was way less painful than it could be. 

   Time to Explore 

    After my first night staying in a small guesthouse ( small hotel with less than 20 rooms) it was time to no longer be A Bangkok Virgin As we walked out the heat once again smacked me in the face to remind me that I was in Bangkok, not Vegas anymore. The heat was intense, humid and reminded me a lot of Florida heat.

     Walking down the street in the backpacker area looking for some breakfast. I remember the heat and then the smells. You will walk past a fruit vendor selling some exotic fruits you probably never seen before and the scent of sweet fresh fruits, just to be punched in the nose with the pungent odor of the sewer drain that you just walked over. Then replaced by some meat on sticks cooking over a small grill affixed to a portable cart. The food experience in Bangkok is like nothing I have ever seen in my life.

   The New and the Old 

    The thing you start to notice is the intermingled new and old of Thailand. What I mean by this is, you may be looking at a beautiful ornate temple as a new Lamborghini roars past you. You may notice some locals releasing small fish into the river in the tradition of good luck while filming it on the newest iPhone to upload to IG! A rabid pack of continuous motorbikes rushes past a Buddhist monk. This place is an absolute explosion of culture. 

  Take It In

    There is so much to experience and I wanted to! Travel from temple to temple seeing a reclining Buddha to the Jade Buddha, Tempel of dawn and onto a long tail boat to shoot out into the busy riverway! trek down to the fashion district where the malls are supermalls.  You can purchase Prada and you can purchase knockoff! Whatever seems to be popular in the States or Europe has a perfect counterfeit waiting for you here in Thailand. The latest Venum Tshirts to a fully working iPhone knockoff that runs on Android! This is so fun to check out! Buy some souvenirs and head off to check out the next thing.

Nak Muay

    Wait I am in Thailand lets go see some Muay Thai!!! We looked up where we could go and not far from the room was  Rajadamnern Stadium. Just happened that my first real Muay Thai experience in Thailand would be at a historic stadium, in fact, the oldest stadium in Bangkok. Hours of fights some exciting some confusing to me as a westerner. The experience was one to remember! 

 Lasting Impressions

      The first trip to Thailand we only spent a couple days in Bangkok and to be honest I was not a huge fan. But I was no longer a Bangkok Virgin. This kinda made it only a staging point for no more than a night or 2 for my next few trips. Now I will say that Bangkok is my favorite city in the world. I have been to NYC, L.A., Vegas, Orlando, Toronto to name a few but Bangkok is like that friend you had for a while before you realized you liked them more than a friend. Bangkok has become my favorite city. So if you are traveling to Thailand and you get the chance to spend a few days here, do it! Don’t stay on Koh San Rd go out and see things. definitely check out Wat Arun!