Do you believe in love at first sight? I do, and especially with Bangkok.
From the moment I landed in your airport, I was enamored with you. I immediately called my parents on WhatsApp and their first words to me were, “You look so in love and happy.”
They couldn’t possibly know just how much.
After all, I had just taken my longest flight ever to reach you. A twenty-six-hour flight in total. I slept a lot. I watched a ton of shows. And there were moments when I would suddenly squeal with delight that I was on my way to you.
We left the Bangkok International airport, and the air was dense, humid, and hot. The sky was an ethereal blanket of darkness — dyed with the hues of navy and lavender and mauve. If ether had a color, it would look just like the Bangkok sky at night.
It took twenty minutes or so, but with my backpack heavy on my shoulders, we finally caught a cab that drove us down empty highways and meandering streets.
Where was everyone?
Khao San Road in Bangkok.
For twenty dollars a night, we rented a room in the busiest backpacker party hub in Bangkok. A place where you could buy fake documents, scorpions (meant for consumption), drugs, and buckets of cheap booze.
Thai Foot Massages.
It was exactly midnight, and rather than turn in early after our long flight, we got Thai foot massages. My asthma had been bothering me in the last leg of the trip (excuse the pun). The woman who put her life and soul into rubbing my feet pushed a wooden stick into my sole — releasing a loud pop that even made her colleague stare at her, and suddenly, I could breathe again.
My asthma no longer troubled me. It was pain that felt good. That same colleague who stared at her sideways ran across the street and got us bottle of Chang beer. “You never know what the alcohol percentage will be — it could match the label, it could be higher.” What!? I’ll drink to that! Chang instantly became my new favorite beer.
The madness of Khao San and its deviant dwellers closed in around us, but I felt meditative, peaceful, transformed.
Strange But Cool Accomodations.
Some hours later, we did retired to our cheap accommodations. And it was faultless in my eyes. A comfortable bed, a decent sized closet, and…what was this? A hose connected to a toilet!? No separate stall for the shower? How strange! How different! And how COOL! Well, it wasn’t cool when I slipped on the floor of the same bathroom the next morning and spun out on my back like a turtle. As much as I wanted to be mad, I only laughed, HARD, because…well because I had you in my life, Bangkok.
In that same hotel, I woke up at God knows what time the next morning and devoured an entire bag of Goldfish crackers because…jet-lag? In that same hotel, we sat in the rooftop pool with other foreign travelers and watched the darkest, most foreboding clouds commandeer a formerly cloudless, blue sky. And still in that same hotel, we fell asleep to the shouting of partiers and thumping of music outside our window.
And I loved that.
Interesting Transportation Methods.
You showed me that there was more than one way to get around you. Trust me, I haven’t forgotten half-way sliding out of a tuk-tuk or piling into a small cab with five other strangers who became friends.
And who could forget those friends? I remember drunkenly fixing our makeup in the bathroom after smashing a beer tower together, and hugging and kissing at the end of the night like we’d known each other forever.
But before all of that — before them — there was you and me, Bangkok.
We shared deep, spiritual moments. I’d never been to a Buddhist temple in my life and you introduced me to so many. I felt a profound, overpowering change occur in my heart and soul walking through your many wats and marveling at sights such as the reclining Buddha.
Rated-R Entertainment.
We tested the limits of our morality…a lot. You showed me the seedy parts of life that would make a lot of people cringe and say, “What are you doing in a city like that!?” I can’t possible forget seeing that ping pong show…who knew that the female body could be so…versatile? I could have used a ton more drinks that night, but the glass that my mandatory drink was served in, well, it was cloudy and as I recall perhaps even sticky. Let’s move onto a different memory, I’m eating here and this is turning my stomach.
The Street Food.
Speaking of eating, I didn’t believe people who told me that you could dine like a king in Bangkok for as little as two dollars a night. It turns out it was true! One of my most memorable meals, something so simple, was a dish of pad thai cooked on the street, sopping with oil, served on a remarkably strong Styrofoam plate, with the crunch of ground peanuts and meatiness of shrimp between my teeth. It was so filling that I could barely finish it, and it only cost me a dollar.
Muay-Thai Shows.
The Muay-Thai shows, where we noshed on buttery popcorn while watching prized fighters decimate each other was sensory overload. I was floored to learn that this wasn’t just a bloodbath sport, but also a way to honor each fighter’s ancestors. It’s disciplined and rigid and cool as fuck to watch.
Bangkok’s Famous Lady Boys.
The lady boys who dazzled me, and even, dare I admit, left me just a touch self conscious in regards to my own beauty were remarkable. I remember well their glistening gowns, their enviable make up, their perfectly set hair. Bitches.
But, it’s not just that.
It’s the cars buzzing and honking. The crowds. The neon signs and lights. A sex show getting raided by the police seconds after we leave. It’s the constant pressure to barter or haggle at the market for a better price. It’s being overcharged for a cruise down the Khlong Phadung Krung.
But, it’s not just that, either.
It’s the feel of velvety fruit juice on my lips as we check into a luxury hotel. It’s realizing the ham and cheese toasties are possibly the best cost-effective meal in the city. It is crab stir fry for pennies. It’s the pride of learning even a few words in the local language. It’s picking my jaw up from the floor after seeing the ornate gems and jewels of the Royal Palace.
Bangkok Is Bad To The Bone.
You see, everyone thinks that Bangkok is dangerous and grungy and edgy, especially for a woman. Bangkok is the bad boy with a Harley, tattoos, and bloodlust as far as southeast Asian cities go.
But, bad boys have souls and a soft side too — and so does Bangkok.
I’m turned on by Bangkok. I’m entranced by Bangkok. And what’s more — I am in love with Bangkok.
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