I woke up to a nice view of our complex’s pool. We’re staying in what has to be a brand new condo complex, because most of the units have plastic wrapped furnishings and there are more workers than people. This complex is resort style and very luxurious, and located in Watthana, a non-touristy part of town surrounded by countless smalls shops, restaurants, bars, and street vendors.
Morgan, Joseph, and I went to the complex’s fitness area where they did yoga flow and I lifted weights. The dumbbells still had price tags around the handles, reinforcing the infancy of the complex. Then, after a group meditation, we spent the morning working poolside. They work together for a company called “Dance Kitchen”. It’s an app designed for those in need of learning or practicing rhythmic partner dancing (i.e. salsa). Those in need of honing their partner dancing skills or develop rhythm for dancing should check it out! I’m currently unemployed, but expanding my coding skills through developing the Travyling website and writing/uploading content keeps me plenty busy. We took a lunch break at a close local Thai restaurant, where I ordered a Dom Dim Soup. I have a high spice tolerance and love Thai food, but wow this was the first meal I’ve had in 5 years that was so spicy I had to tap out. Very tasty though!
We worked for a couple more hours by the pool in the afternoon, taking breaks dipping in to mitigate the Bangkok heat and humidity. The temperatures get up low 90s this time of year, and this is the coldest month of the dry season. I can’t imagine coming here any other time. We then took a water taxi to a train station, where I observed metal detectors upon entry that weren’t present in Japan. We rode the train to Lumphini, where we met up with one of Joseph’s childhood friends named Patrick, who has lived in Bangkok for the last 7 years. The four of us walked around Lumphini Park, enjoying the beautiful park and steering clear of the massive water monitor lizards lurking about. There was a large group of people spread out doing coordinated dance exercising that was entertaining to watch. I’d consider myself a good dancer and love to move, but there’s no way I would’ve been able to keep up. Perhaps I need the Dance Kitchen app…
After the Park, we walked to a restaurant that Patrick had made reservations for us four. We ordered several dishes, each of which were incredible, sharing family style. For dessert, a serving of black sesame and serving of coconut caramel ice cream. Next, we hopped on a tuk-tuk and head to Chinatown. This weekend is the Chinese New Year, so this neighborhood would be a popular place to be.
In Chinatown, we had drinks at a spot, sitting on a table next to the street where motorbikes, cars, and people would constantly pass. When asked what he misses most about living in the U.S. since his move, Patrick answered small talk conversation, large grocery stores, and craft beer. It is illegal to brew beer in Thailand, so even “Thai beer” is an import. Also, you can’t buy alcohol except for between 11:00AM-1:00PM (lunch hours) and after 5:00PM. I believe this is a way to try to mitigate Bangkok people and mostly tourists from getting too rowdy early in the day.
Patrick left Chinatown to return to his family, and Morgan, Joseph, and I migrated to a cocktail lounge (still in Chinatown) where we got a lounge style section with cushion seating around a low table. We enjoyed good drinks and conversation before ordering a ride back. Grab is a popular app for hailing rides or ordering delivery abroad. On our ride back our driver laughed when he gave me the aux and we listened to, you guessed it, One Night in Bangkok. Sometimes being the stereotypical tourist can be fun!