I Shall Return, City of Angels!
If that isn't God hand working then I don't know what it is!
Well, you see, my usual route from the airport to the place where I'm going to reside usually (three times already) entails a lot of walking and searching. And most of the time getting lost. Its part of that great adventure of course. But it was different this time around.
We arrived at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport at 12pm. We had to wait for awhile for the luggage of one of our companions. Then, we went to the first floor to get on their public taxi. You had to get a priority number where the taxi's lane was printed so there was no queuing. Awesome.
I was still groggy because I just woke up from a very sweet two hour sleep during the flight so I wasn't able to take in the sights and sounds although there wasn't a lot considering we were on the highway.
The cabdriver didn't speak a word of english. Oohhhkay. My friend just showed him our address and he just nodded. Praise God for the universality of certain actions.
The driver was either a former racecar driver, an enthusiast of the same sport, had an appointment to attend to or it was their usual speed in that area because we never went lower than, 90kph (except in curves. But it was still fast for 60kph).
And he went as fast as 130kph. I was bonked out of my sleep when he suddenly stepped on the brakes. Being a former British colony, they drive on the right side. He stopped at a suburby looking place and pointed that this was the address. We tried to ask him if this was an apartment but he couldn't understand us. We paid 300 baht for that ride. (You had to pay an additional 50 baht if you came from the airport).
There weren't any labels on the supposed to be apartment. Then we started talking to the guard. Tried talking that is because he couldn't understand a word we're saying. My friend tried in vain to hold a conversation with him.And just when we're about to leave and check out the other apartment, he said "Philippine? " then held up three fingers as if to say there were also three Filipinos in the building. Then proceeded to describe their body structure using body language. One was "plam-plam" and one was like me (pointing to me). We nodded excitedly since it matched our friends description. And even if it wasn't them, at least we could communicate with someone. We waited with bated breaths to see who would get off the elevator and praise God it was our friend! Thank you Lord for that cab driver!
Day1
We started the day right with worship. Then we ate at a hole in the wall. Which served super tasty food. Waited for the mall to open so we could exchange our Philippine pesos. Then headed for the Samutprakan Crocodile Farm and Zoo at Paknam. We paid 300 baht for the entrance fee and got more than our money's worth.
My friend and I proceeded to Pratonam after since that was the place known for cheap stuff. Unfortunately, stores were already closing by 5pm so we weren't able to do a lot of shopping. But there were goods laid out on the sidewalks all across the nearby malls like Palladium and Platinum so I was able to get some shopping done. We also visited a Hello Kitty Cafe and I had my girly, pink, cuteness rush. Haha
Day2
We had our personalized Chao Phraya River Cruise the next day. We took the bus from our place then dropped by in the Pratonam stop. We went inside the mall (almost like Mustafa in Singapore since it was predominantly Indian owned/managed). The scarves were cheaper there compared to other places.
Beware of Tuktuks. Tuktuk First bad experience. Since we didn't know the way to the nearest pier, we rode a tuktuk with a kind looking driver but then charged us 100 baht and dropped us off to a private port who offered a tour for 2000 baht (then lowered to 1,200 baht) for the three of us. We politely declined and they, not so politely, asked us to leave their port. I think tuktuks get a commission if we booked a tour there. We walked for about 10 blocks before seeing the public port which required us to pay 15 baht only.
Second bad experience : while we were on our way to the Grand Palace near Wat Pho, a tuktuk driver again approached us (hapless looking tourists) and told us that it was already closed and we should instead just got to Wat Arun, another temple across the river. Since we were tired and ignorant of the fact that it was not (most likely) closed, we rode on the tuktuk and he brought us to yet another private river tour agency who shooed us when they found out we weren't riding on his boat.
So we got on another tuktuk going to the port and went directly to Asiatique, Bangkok's version of Hong Kong's Avenue of the stars. There was an organic food festival going on.
Day 3
Church starts at 9:30 am and we went to the Ekamai SDA Church. The speaker was Pastor Simon Siew, one of the lecturers in the event I attended in Taiwan seven years ago. In the evening, I met up with my former violin and music teacher at SEACON Mall. Ok. It is so noooot Valentine's day here, obviously.
Day 4
Our gracious hosts brought us to Banumphung Floating Market where there was an array of delicacies, food stalls, and all sorts of things usual to a dry/wet market. Then, we had some pasalubong shopping done at Big C, a discount mall near where we were living. Then, we went to Chatuchak Weekend Market (via Mo Chit Line-BTS) and was surprised with tourist mill. We thought it was so far out there wouldn't be any but I imagined 75% of Khao San's backpackers were there that day. :D
Get your pasalubong shopping done here, it's cheaper! Just remember to haggle. Or try to anyway. Haggling never hurts.
We capped our last night (sob) in Bangkok with a 1-hour Thai massage that was just right for our tired bodies. Awesome!
Gastronomic Adventures
I'm not a fan of spicy food. ( I always say this but then end up finishing a plate of tokbokki,rabokki, curry, laing etc. Lol).
Som tam. Traditional Thai food prepared using a deep, tall mortar and pestle. Sliced papaya (or mango) with tomatoes, carrots, kalamansi, sugar, chili, spices, and sauces. Tasted this at a nearby hole in the wall where we were staying. I didn't want to taste it at first but when I did, I couldn't stop myself from eating again.
Pad thai. My favorite!! Stir fried vermicelli noodles with cabbage, carrots, ground nuts and special spices. I just love the sweet, salty taste of pad thai and the fact that its not to spicy! I'm missing it already. I tasted the pad thai at a makeshift sidewalk stall near Grand Palace and also in Banumphung Floating Market in Bangnapi. I added chili powder cautiously. Haha
Street food. Hot soya milk with sago, fried fritters, choco almond covered popsicle stick, their version of bibingka, flat crepe with banana and choco syrup (eating this while walking is not a good idea), and juices. Sliced pineapple, mango, strawberries were my faves not just because of the fruits but because of the dip that went along with them. Salt, sugar, chili powder mixed to perfection!
Tom yum. We ate this at the floating market. Or rather we had some of it because it looked potentially lethal with its fiery red color. We didn't get to finish one bowl between the four of us.
(I have to say among all Buddhist SEA countries I've been to, I had a hard time finding vegetarian foodstuffs. Maybe it was because of the language barrier.)
Travel tips:
1. Bring US Dollars. Not Philippine Pesos. (Ouch)
2. Research and see what you want to see in Bangkok. It's a HUGE city/province and if you'll only be staying for a few days, you might as well do the things you love. Like, regrettably, I wasn't able to see a cultural show (it's one of my very few rules in traveling to see a glimpse of their history/culture). My friend, who was into Muay Thai, didn't get to see a staged fight as well.
3. Buy a simcard. Either from DTAC or TruMove. This is especially useful if you're not on roaming and if you have a friend/s who are fluent in Thai. ("Ummm. How do you say not so spicy?" Lol)
Musings
On our last day, I met a missionary friend for the first time. We were corresponding via group chat on Facebook since he was friends with my bestfriends. For security reasons, I cannot reveal his mission field, but as we sat down and talked over pad thai, I was so blessed by his stories and updates. Overseas mission in a dangerous place is not for the weak at heart (and maybe not for all) and is definitely no picnic. Unlike, short term mission trips (aka tourist missions), these missionaries risk their lives, give up their jobs, and do backbreaking labor to plant gospel seeds. He also recommended a blog by Leslie Ludy for me to read. So blessed to meet him!
And while I was going around Bangkok, visiting the temples and just getting a feel of their everyday lives, while I am appreciative of their culture and their religion, the thought that, have they met Jesus? came all to frequently to me. Our works, our graven images, our altars, cannot save us. Only He can free us from the bonds of superstitious beliefs that we fervently cling on to. And yes, I know I am blessed, and privileged to know the Gospel. But of course, it comes with a responsibility to share it with those who don't know about it. Here's a somber resolution to have more purposeful travels hereafter!And yes, for the first time, I'm saying I shall return! ;)
Well, you see, my usual route from the airport to the place where I'm going to reside usually (three times already) entails a lot of walking and searching. And most of the time getting lost. Its part of that great adventure of course. But it was different this time around.
We arrived at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport at 12pm. We had to wait for awhile for the luggage of one of our companions. Then, we went to the first floor to get on their public taxi. You had to get a priority number where the taxi's lane was printed so there was no queuing. Awesome.
I was still groggy because I just woke up from a very sweet two hour sleep during the flight so I wasn't able to take in the sights and sounds although there wasn't a lot considering we were on the highway.
The cabdriver didn't speak a word of english. Oohhhkay. My friend just showed him our address and he just nodded. Praise God for the universality of certain actions.
The driver was either a former racecar driver, an enthusiast of the same sport, had an appointment to attend to or it was their usual speed in that area because we never went lower than, 90kph (except in curves. But it was still fast for 60kph).
And he went as fast as 130kph. I was bonked out of my sleep when he suddenly stepped on the brakes. Being a former British colony, they drive on the right side. He stopped at a suburby looking place and pointed that this was the address. We tried to ask him if this was an apartment but he couldn't understand us. We paid 300 baht for that ride. (You had to pay an additional 50 baht if you came from the airport).
There weren't any labels on the supposed to be apartment. Then we started talking to the guard. Tried talking that is because he couldn't understand a word we're saying. My friend tried in vain to hold a conversation with him.And just when we're about to leave and check out the other apartment, he said "Philippine? " then held up three fingers as if to say there were also three Filipinos in the building. Then proceeded to describe their body structure using body language. One was "plam-plam" and one was like me (pointing to me). We nodded excitedly since it matched our friends description. And even if it wasn't them, at least we could communicate with someone. We waited with bated breaths to see who would get off the elevator and praise God it was our friend! Thank you Lord for that cab driver!
Day1
We started the day right with worship. Then we ate at a hole in the wall. Which served super tasty food. Waited for the mall to open so we could exchange our Philippine pesos. Then headed for the Samutprakan Crocodile Farm and Zoo at Paknam. We paid 300 baht for the entrance fee and got more than our money's worth.
My friend and I proceeded to Pratonam after since that was the place known for cheap stuff. Unfortunately, stores were already closing by 5pm so we weren't able to do a lot of shopping. But there were goods laid out on the sidewalks all across the nearby malls like Palladium and Platinum so I was able to get some shopping done. We also visited a Hello Kitty Cafe and I had my girly, pink, cuteness rush. Haha
We had our personalized Chao Phraya River Cruise the next day. We took the bus from our place then dropped by in the Pratonam stop. We went inside the mall (almost like Mustafa in Singapore since it was predominantly Indian owned/managed). The scarves were cheaper there compared to other places.
Beware of Tuktuks. Tuktuk First bad experience. Since we didn't know the way to the nearest pier, we rode a tuktuk with a kind looking driver but then charged us 100 baht and dropped us off to a private port who offered a tour for 2000 baht (then lowered to 1,200 baht) for the three of us. We politely declined and they, not so politely, asked us to leave their port. I think tuktuks get a commission if we booked a tour there. We walked for about 10 blocks before seeing the public port which required us to pay 15 baht only.
Day 3
Church starts at 9:30 am and we went to the Ekamai SDA Church. The speaker was Pastor Simon Siew, one of the lecturers in the event I attended in Taiwan seven years ago. In the evening, I met up with my former violin and music teacher at SEACON Mall. Ok. It is so noooot Valentine's day here, obviously.
Our gracious hosts brought us to Banumphung Floating Market where there was an array of delicacies, food stalls, and all sorts of things usual to a dry/wet market. Then, we had some pasalubong shopping done at Big C, a discount mall near where we were living. Then, we went to Chatuchak Weekend Market (via Mo Chit Line-BTS) and was surprised with tourist mill. We thought it was so far out there wouldn't be any but I imagined 75% of Khao San's backpackers were there that day. :D
Get your pasalubong shopping done here, it's cheaper! Just remember to haggle. Or try to anyway. Haggling never hurts.
We capped our last night (sob) in Bangkok with a 1-hour Thai massage that was just right for our tired bodies. Awesome!
Gastronomic Adventures
I'm not a fan of spicy food. ( I always say this but then end up finishing a plate of tokbokki,rabokki, curry, laing etc. Lol).
Som tam. Traditional Thai food prepared using a deep, tall mortar and pestle. Sliced papaya (or mango) with tomatoes, carrots, kalamansi, sugar, chili, spices, and sauces. Tasted this at a nearby hole in the wall where we were staying. I didn't want to taste it at first but when I did, I couldn't stop myself from eating again.
Pad thai. My favorite!! Stir fried vermicelli noodles with cabbage, carrots, ground nuts and special spices. I just love the sweet, salty taste of pad thai and the fact that its not to spicy! I'm missing it already. I tasted the pad thai at a makeshift sidewalk stall near Grand Palace and also in Banumphung Floating Market in Bangnapi. I added chili powder cautiously. Haha
(I have to say among all Buddhist SEA countries I've been to, I had a hard time finding vegetarian foodstuffs. Maybe it was because of the language barrier.)
Travel tips:
1. Bring US Dollars. Not Philippine Pesos. (Ouch)
2. Research and see what you want to see in Bangkok. It's a HUGE city/province and if you'll only be staying for a few days, you might as well do the things you love. Like, regrettably, I wasn't able to see a cultural show (it's one of my very few rules in traveling to see a glimpse of their history/culture). My friend, who was into Muay Thai, didn't get to see a staged fight as well.
3. Buy a simcard. Either from DTAC or TruMove. This is especially useful if you're not on roaming and if you have a friend/s who are fluent in Thai. ("Ummm. How do you say not so spicy?" Lol)
Musings
On our last day, I met a missionary friend for the first time. We were corresponding via group chat on Facebook since he was friends with my bestfriends. For security reasons, I cannot reveal his mission field, but as we sat down and talked over pad thai, I was so blessed by his stories and updates. Overseas mission in a dangerous place is not for the weak at heart (and maybe not for all) and is definitely no picnic. Unlike, short term mission trips (aka tourist missions), these missionaries risk their lives, give up their jobs, and do backbreaking labor to plant gospel seeds. He also recommended a blog by Leslie Ludy for me to read. So blessed to meet him!
And while I was going around Bangkok, visiting the temples and just getting a feel of their everyday lives, while I am appreciative of their culture and their religion, the thought that, have they met Jesus? came all to frequently to me. Our works, our graven images, our altars, cannot save us. Only He can free us from the bonds of superstitious beliefs that we fervently cling on to. And yes, I know I am blessed, and privileged to know the Gospel. But of course, it comes with a responsibility to share it with those who don't know about it. Here's a somber resolution to have more purposeful travels hereafter!And yes, for the first time, I'm saying I shall return! ;)
Yieeee.. Magnifico! This article reminds me of my wonderful travel with you and romeo :) thanks for that great experience even without that muay thai show 😂 May God bless u as u will return to city of angels soon 😊 til next travel Girl :)
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