First hours in Bangkok – The Grand Palace & Mango Sticky Rice

I was nervous before my flight to Thailand. For starters, I knew my backpack was slightly over the weight limit… and I was scared I was going to be asked to show proof of funds to enter the country. My passport allows me to enter Thailand visa-free for a total duration of 30 days, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any further requirements. One of them refers to proof of onward travel, a common request, that I was prepared to deliver – I had bought my ferry tickets to Malaysia in advance. However, Thailand also asks for proof of funds – meaning that you should be carrying with you 20,000 baht per person in cash, the equivalent of about £425 or $540. Well, I wasn’t. Not in cash.

I was fortunate. My backpack wasn’t weighted and entering Thailand couldn’t have been easier. And for some reason, I immediately felt at ease in Bangkok.

First hours in Bangkok

It was already the end of the day, and I called a Grab car to take me to my accommodation. When I arrived there, the sun was setting. The place where I stayed was simply lovely and I believe it’s one of the best locations for first-timers interested in exploring the historical and cultural sights of Bangkok. I loved this place so much – it’s located in a back alley and the whole thing was like a cinematic experience to me. The staff was lovely, and the room was so clean, cosy and tastily decorated. No meal options were included in the price, but there was free coffee, tea, and cocoa and a microwave at reception. The room also had a mini fridge.

So far so good. I was feeling incredibly positive and had no anxiety at all, which was a first in this trip. Actually, since my experience at the Elephant Conservation Centre in Laos, I was feeling quite light. Quite literally as if the Elephants had carried my sadness and my anxieties away. After taking a quick shower, my stomach started to announce it was time for dinner. I was about to have my first Pad Thai in Thailand! One of my favorite Asian dishes, that I have had time and time again back home.

Because it was already nighttime, and it was my first time in Bangkok, I decided to eat nearby and leave the exploring for the next day. I found a little family restaurant two minutes away from me, and ordered a 100 bath pad Thai. And it was delicious. I felt it was seasoned with the kindness of the owner, who was so incredibly nice and welcoming, displaying what I sensed were genuine smiles. Was Thailand truly the land of smiles?

After being satisfied with my pad thai, I went to the holy grail of many expats in Thailand – the 7-11! Yes! This convenience store is just another level in Thailand… it has everything you need to buy. Sometimes when I was craving a salad, that’s where I went. On that day, I got some croissants, and yoghurts for my breakfasts, as well as some freshly cut fruit, properly washed.

I could barely sleep that night. Not because I wasn’t tired, had had too much caffeine or was I anxious, or feeling unsafe. No. I was way too excited to explore Bangkok the next day. There was just something there that simply felt right to me. A new fiery energy burned in my veins. Perhaps because the year of the Dragon was about to start as well.

Expectations Surpassed – the Grand Palace

I had booked a few days in Bangkok, but I must say I had a few reservations about it. Some people had told me they loved it – they talked about the markets, the food, the nightlife – but others had told me they hated it – too dirty, too busy, too polluted, too hot. Meanwhile, in my brain, I could only think about the movie “The Hangover Part II” which does take place in Bangkok. Now, I know these movies aren’t exactly high-brow, but it’s one of those you can watch to think about nothing, and hopefully, you still laugh a little. Yet, I must say… it doesn’t make me want to go to Bangkok for sure!

I have to say I was scared of having an experience like Phnom Penh. Looking back, I know mentally I wasn’t in the right place, and of course, your mood has an impact on your experience. Yet, if you’ve been to places like Phnom Penh or Hanoi… Bangkok is a bloody traffic paradise in comparison! It’s also not nearly as dirty. I believe I was lucky with the air quality – I know it’s often so bad, that locals are strongly advised to stay inside. It was hot – but it was the temperature I had been experiencing in the past few weeks, and I was more acclimatized to it.

I started my day early – which was easy, again I hadn’t been able to sleep much. The first stop was the Grand Palace. I had been told about the crowds, so I was there even before it opened. A queue was already forming, but I knew I had come at the right time – once the tour groups start coming in, you know you’re going to be engulfed by a sea of people, potentially made of Chinese and Korean tourists with no self-awareness.

It was when I started to explore the Grand Palace, that I felt the need to give myself a huge pat on the back. Well done, Nic. Well done me. Allow me to open a parenthesis before starting to rave about the beauty of the Grand Palace and all of the temples I visited in Bangkok…I lot of other travellers I had met along the way who were also exploring Southeast Asia had started their trip in a big city – mostly Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur. I was just soooooo happy about my decision to start it in South Vietnam, having visited the temples there, in Cambodia and in Laos before coming to Bangkok. I felt as I moved from Vietnam to Cambodia, to Laos, the temples were getting more and more beautiful. But nothing really compared to what I was about to witness in Bangkok. If I had started my trip there, I wouldn’t have been able to truly appreciate the temples in Laos, for instance, which are more modest but still beautiful. But because Bangkok came next to me, I was still truly impressed.

Falling in love with mango sticky rice

After visiting the Grand Palace, I headed to a café to have something to eat. I was feeling hungry after a light breakfast and so much walking in the heat. And that’s when I fell in love with… mango sticky rice. Remembering it now is making my mouth water. What I know is that this was my favourite dessert in all of South East Asia. The glutinous rice is cooked in coconut milk, and the mango is just in its right state of ripeness, making it the perfect sweet and yet refreshing treat that I could honestly eat any time of the day. I definitely had way too many sticky mango rice while in Thailand… but who knows when I’ll go back to have more!

Mango Sticky Rice, beautifully presented

The Reclining Buddha & New Year Blessings

Having satisfied my stomach and well, the heart (desserts always go to the heart), I headed to the Wat Pho, a temple known for housing the biggest Reclining Buddha statue in Thailand. How big would you ask? 46 meters long (150 feet). Gold plated. Truly stunning…

Besides housing the largest Reclining Buddha in the country, this is also the country’s oldest centre for public education, up to these days home to a school of Thai medicine. This is the place where the Thai Massage was born, and you can also get one here. I spent a significant amount of time here, mostly staring in total awe at the intricate and stunning ceramic decorations in the stupas… and there are 91 in total!

There were also special decorations and events going on for the Chinese New Year. I got myself a “blessing” from a monk, and a good luck bracelet. As someone who hasn’t been especially spiritual, religious or superstitious my entire life, I still hold a fascination for anything that is related to good luck symbols. I did wonder whether the year of the Dragon was going to be kinder, how much I would be able to achieve, how would I go back to my normal life after being done with my long trip in Southeast Asia. At this point, it hadn’t been a month yet since I had left my home country… so I also wished for fortune and good health during the rest of my travels.