The last time I came to Bangkok (on the same trip to Singapore with my aunt and sister), I have to say, I didn't really care for it. From the little I remember, it was very touristy, polluted, and crowded. At 13 years old, the city seemed too big, too overwhelming, and just too much. So when Michael told me he wanted to visit Bangkok on this trip, I was a little hesitant. But now having come here again, I'm grateful to have seen the city through new eyes. Yes, the air and rivers are still polluted, traffic is a nightmare, and there are crowds of people everywhere you go - and I sense that none of that will be changing anytime soon. But Bangkok also has a rich cultural history, beautiful temples, a great food scene, and a vibrant energy I couldn't quite appreciate when I was younger. A couple of the highlights for me were visiting Wat Pho (both in the daytime and at night, which made for very different and yet equally wonderful experiences), seeing the Buddha head intertwined in the roots of a tree at Wat Mahathat, and going on a nighttime tour of the markets, where we got to see the seemingly never-ending flower market (the vendors set up their shops around 11pm, and they stay up all night selling their products to hotels and restaurants. It's humbling to see how hard they work). I also learned that if you forget to bring a sweater or scarf to cover up your shoulders and legs when you go to the temples (such a noob), you can rent outfits for free, like the awesome neon green and purple ensemble you can see below. I only wish I could have brought the outfit back with me...
A quick note: we stayed at the Grand Eastin hotel, and while I never make plugs for specific hotels/restaurants/etc, this place was AMAZING. The hotel itself is gorgeous and incredibly clean, the rooftop bar and pool boasts a beautiful view of the city, the service is wonderful, it's very reasonably priced for everything you get, and the breakfast buffet....I could go on and on about the breakfast buffet. Let's just say that if I could only eat at one place for the rest of my life, I would be very content to eat there. And I can say confidently that Michael and his inner fat kid were very sad to leave.
