Dispatch #14: Bangkok

We've spent the last three days exploring Bangkok and I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I'm pretty relieved to be moving on tomorrow. The city is definitely interesting and there are a number of truly remarkable things that we've seen and done. However, the heat and the noise is more than a little oppressive.

On our first day here, we started out by walking around Chinatown which is an assault on the senses. The narrow sidewalks are crowded with every kind of street vendor possible as well as hordes of moving people. The roads are filled with hectic and loud traffic. On top of that, the cooking smells and exhaust fumes combine to form a sort of haze over the entire area. It's overwelming. We spent the rest of that first day walking around the city and ended up at a rooftop bar at one of the city's tallest hotels. New Yorkers that we are, we all felt better with a good drink and a good view. That night, I was also able to meet up with a friend I've known since high school who is also traveling through Thailand on her bar trip.

We spent Day Two doing most of the big tourist attractions (temples and palaces). Wat Pho was probably my favorite if you're in a Googling mood.

And today, we visited a huge open air market. Aside from the heat, it was a great way to spend the morning and early afternoon. The exchange rate makes shopping here pretty fun. After that, we had a decidedly American afternoon: we went to a huge mall, filled primarily with American stores and restaurants, and watched The Bourne Ultimatum at the mall's movie theater. It was a nice, air-conditioned break from the city.

Tomorrow we're headed to Koh Chang, another island. It's much more developed than the last island we visited, so it might not be as peaceful of a beach experience. There are, however, a lot more activities on the island -- waterfall hikes and elephant treks among them. I'm looking forward to it.