Thai Tripping: First Impressions

The intense mugginess of the late summer Bangkok air has forced me inside, finding refuge in an airconditioned internet room. Its just past four pm on a scorching Thailand Tuesday. Myself and my traveling partner, Ben, have been here just over two days. My mind is completely frazzled by initial impressions of the Thai capital. One point is certain, foolishly, I did not anticipate the sheer bulk of tourists that descend on this city. I am currently staying on Khao San road which looks like a 1970s timewarp. Hipsters from all points of the globe hunker down here, backpackers mostly, buying overpriced Thai jewelry and clothing, or getting the two week tattoo. This place is honestly overwhelming and not too enjoyable to start.
When we arrived on Sunday afternoon we were immediately pounded by a steady storm, shielded inside the safety of a taxi cab. Ben and I both agreed that the scenary reminded us of Tijuana. Food vendors lined the streets, cars clogged all arteries, tuk-tuks skirted about, and sweat rippled on the dark Thai faces.
Im finidng that, in reality, there isn’t loads to see here. We’ve toured the wats, which are the Buddhist temples and schools. These are by far the highlight. Brightly gilded in rich colors of orange, red, green, these ornate structures define the skyline, and subsequently provide the ambience, for the entire city. Yesterday was reserved for Wat Pho, the largest and oldest of the cities plethora of wats. While there, we each received a half hour session of traditional Thai massage, in which the masseuse cracked bones in my back I wasn’t sure existed. Another feature of Wat Pho is the “Reclining Buddha” that is housed in one of the structures. this gold statue measures approximatley 100 feet in lenght and 40 feet in height and emulates the Buddha on his ascent into nirvana. Its a overwhelming sight.
Sampling the food has also been a highlight and perhaps the main reason that tourists get stuck in Bangkok. The food is relatively cheap and my impression is that the street vendors cook it up right. Most of my meals so far have consisted of a plate of rice covered by spicy vegetables or equally spicy meat. a late night snack in which I have indulged the last two nights is also a dish catered by vendors. This consists of a thin pancake, more appropriatly a torilla, fried on a skillet, with slices of banana inside, this dessert is topped with a condensed milk, and chocolate sauce for an extra 5 bhat.
tonight we plan to see some Thai kickboxing and have a few beers enroute. I’m looking forward to my trip up to Chiang Rai, a city in the northern most province. I depart from Bangkok on Thursday and head to the hills of the north to do some treking and elephant riding.