50 Shades: Bangkok, Thailand!

I was ready to count every single of those '5o Shades' because Bangkok kept me on my toes! From a spot of laundry service to my very first Thai tea, the Thai capital kept me grounded. Making every moment count, I was able to inject the culture that had been snatched away! 'Tom-Yum-Goong' in 'Talat Noi' gave me Bangkok in a bowl, everything worked out fine in the end! 

Waking up after my second night out in Bangkok gave me the fear, was I hungover or not? I stayed in bed for a little bit longer that day because I needed to recover! Now, my head was in a different place, I didn't know what to do! That wasn't a question, it was a fact! I needed to do some laundry, I had only brought a small suitcase and had gone through most of my clothes in 48 hours after arriving in Bangkok, Thailand. I headed down 'Si Lom 3' to find a cheeky little laundrette, memories of my time spent at the laundromat in Newark, N.J came flooding back! I popped my laundry on a thirty minute cycle before I headed down a little alley, I was starving! Brunch was Thai style noodle dish, the previous day and night had been a lot, I needed to refuel. Before my wash cycle had finished, I stumbled upon a donut concession. Those simple yet delicious sugar donuts tasted sublime, I really find it so difficult to find such delights where I am based. All I needed was an ice cold drink to wash it all down, not alcoholic! BKK helped me out! 

Thai tea? I had officially found an ice cold serving of that bright orange coloured tea drink, I felt special as I watched the world go by, Baker's House had me sorted! What happened the previous night? Now, that is classified information but all I will say that it was a great night out! I would definitely be taking it easy during that night because I had a day tour planned to Kanchanaburi the following morning. It didn't take me long to sling those freshly washed clothes into the dryer, I had just a little bit longer to wait. Oh, my clothes! Into the dryer they went because I needed to eat once again, I knew that a little bit of sightseeing had to be done that day! Andy had gone to the riverside after having his breakfast at the Irish pub we had visited the previous evening, I wanted to try something Thai. With my laundry packed away in my suitcase, I headed towards Si Lom Station with another craving to be satisfied. That Thai order was simply too spicy for my liking, I had to put that one down to experience and move on. Where would the MRT take me? 

Instagram had been my source of intelligence because Bangkok had me wondering what else could I do? I had found stunning photos and reels taken of the Buddha at Wat Paknam in Phasi Chaoren. I took the Blue Line from Si Lom with the confidence of a peacock because I thought I was better than following the tourist guide, I was about to be wronged! I followed those quiet little roads, it was like I had walked into a village with the chaos of the city nowhere to be seen! I really liked that quiet vibe but I kept the look-out for any dogs because that's my fear whilst overseas. I had read in some places that the golden Buddha was being restored but the Instagram posts had not stated when the content had been captured. Was it going to be a wasted journey? Following my maps only a little bit further, I saw clearly a bright green figure, that was the Buddha but it had been covered. I tried to keep it together because the canal I had clocked looked gorgeous, I put that experience down for the next trip to Bangkok. Where was my taxi? 

I definitely didn't feel defeated because I already knew that a second or third chance would be given to Bangkok. I headed back to Silom to spend the rest of the afternoon in much cooler and relaxed setting. It was a pretty relaxed end to a rather messy day, I had kept moving even though the previous nights antics had made me feel rough. I loved my donuts and iced drinks, they were the perfect distraction whilst my clothes were been washed. Even that spicy mistake made me want to try more Thai food because those mistakes were just setting my up for next step. The business down at Phasi Chaoren didn't impress me much but I knew that Bangkok wasn't playing with my time, I was being told to not trust Instagram and maybe it wasn't my time. It was a first for me, I usually pay for my clothes to be laundered by the hotel that I'm staying at but my hostel had no such service. Those moments weren't shade in a negative way, I was simply being redirected or schooled for another time. Bangkok was still judging me! Talat Noi, who?? 

My time in Bangkok was running out, I felt that I wanted to fight against the shade that had been thrown at me! Back in Bangkok from my 'Bridge on the River Kwai' trip, I took a Tuk-Tuk from Silom to Talat Noi. I was fronted by the kind of Bangkok that I had envisaged, I soaked in every slice of action with those mish-mash buildings serving exactly what I had wanted from the city! Dubbed as Bangkok's coolest neighbourhood, I wanted to clock the infusion of Thai and Chinese style buildings. I took my time, I felt like I had been given a second chance, those side-alleys filled my expectations like a bucket on a rainy day! Not fearing the lack of time I had before I headed to Chiang Mai, I knew that nothing would or could disturb my happiness. Colours galore, I was so far gone by the time I had clocked those lively market streets even though dusk wasn't far away! Located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, I didn't get to see those waters again but the district that I set foot in, made up for it. That tour buffet lunch started to fade away! OK!

Talat Noi saw me walking aimlessly, in awe at the same time because those aged buildings impressed me much. I felt content in that moment, my experience in Bangkok had been so chaotic because I didn't have anything set in stone. The after-glow started to set in, dusk fast approached but I knew that those streets would still stay lit by some kind of daylight. The Tuk-Tuks whizzed past, including mopeds creating a slice of organised chaos, I lived for every second. Talat Noi wasn't flashy, it held a sense of authenticity and in some places today that can be rare. I didn't see a barrage of coffeeshops, it was refreshing to see local businesses and stalls of all kinds, refreshing I said it! Walking away towards a MRT station, I didn't want to leave Talat Noi but I knew in my heart that my Bangkok ramblings weren't done, I had something more to do. I kept on moving with no plan, I knew that I needed to eat but I ignored those hunger pangs. I felt sad in one way, I knew that Chiang Mai called me but Bangkok had more! 

I had heard of 'Tom-Yum-Goong' soup from Dua Lipa, she had spoken about this delicious soup that she would always eat after a show in Thailand. If it was good enough for Dua, then it was good enough for me! I turned my back on that route, heading back into an older street that oozed charm. I found some patience from those streets, I stumbled upon a streetside operation with some serious delicious smells, I fancied a slice! I managed to order a bowl of the mentioned soup with the all important spice level suggested, I did not have time to make the same mistake twice. I headed across the road to get an ice cold bottle of LEO because life always tastes better with a bottle of that Thai beer. That streetside restaurant held the unapologetic vibe that I had been longing for, it was almost evening and that street boasted no other tourists. Minding my business, I didn't want to share this off the radar setting, I was serious! Prawns? You know that I was going to get a serving of prawns, Thailand just got me! The stars had aligned, I wasn't mad!

My soup was served up right away, I didn't have to wait long before a piping hot bowl of 'Tom Yum-Goong was in front of me! I slurped with caution because I had only asked for a little bit of spice, I was wary due to the previous days experience. Those flavours were present but the spice was palatable for me, I found tomatoes and prawns in this orange coloured soup! I had never before had a soup that tasted that delicious! I was in actual food heaven, I finished every single drop of that soup and even mixed the rice in to get the best of the liquid. The beer complimented that evening meal, it had been a long day on the tour and that pre-hostel beverage went down a treat. The shade came in the form of a gorgeous sunset as I left that simple dining spot. The walk back to the nearest MRT was under the cover of darkness but I was fine, Bangkok was safe as houses. The shade was bountiful but during the second part of this blog, I had no complaints. I will get back to the Buddha and devour another bowl of that fiery soup! Bangkok was so shady! 

This Shady Thai Lady! 

Desperately Seeking Adventure