Sawadee Krup Krung Thep

Friday, November 16, 2007. Bangkok, Thailand

(notes from my journal)

We’re in Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit – Thats the official name of Bangkok!

We arrived at 12:30 PM. Since we already had Heena’s visa done at home, immigration was a breeze and we did not have to wait in the chaotic visa-on-arrival line.

We collected our bags, got some cash from the ATM at the airport. Inside the airport, there were a lot of people holding yellow signs that read: ‘Airport Taxi’. When I inquired with them, it was not a cab service, instead it was a limo service and cost almost three times as much as a regular cab. We decided to pass since we did not have large suitcases. As soon as we exited the airport, a few guys accosted us with more taxi/limo offers – the same jacked up rate. Instead, we walked to the taxi-service counter (really a table where a lady will write your destination on a piece of paper and give it to the cab driver and charge you B50 for the service. There was no other way of getting a cab). We were quoted a flat price (tolls and service fee all included, to be paid to the driver upon arrival at destination) and they wrote our destination on a piece of paper (in Thai) and gave it to a cab driver. We loaded our bags in the cab and we were off! The cab was a Corolla and ran on CNG, so there was space for only one suitcase in the trunk and the other we put in the front.

We started driving on the expressway and it was our first look of Bangkok! It was so exciting, even though there was hardly anything to see! The expressway was good and well maintained. US 101 could learn a thing or two from this. We were at our hotel in ~40 minutes flat. Almost hit no traffic.

Check-in was not as simple. We had arrived at 1:30pm and our room was not yet ready since the hotel was full because of a “destination wedding”. Since we were staying in the hotel towers we were taken to the 26th floor to wait in the towers lounge. Amazing views! After waiting for 20-30 minutes, our room was still not ready and we were starting to get hungry (and were tired too, but would realize that later). We left all our bags at the hotel and decided to go to the Gallery Cafe for lunch. We had some really good corn cake fritters, Thai red curry and Thai Iced Coffee for lunch. We headed back to the hotel and our room was ready, so we checked in. I am glad we chose to live in the towers since the view was fabulous! We can see the Chao Phraya river and Wat Arun (at a distance) from our room. We spent almost 30 minutes enjoying all the activity in the river.

This is what I enjoy the most while traveling: Watching life as it goes by its normal routine. We love it here!

Since we were so excited we decided to take a shower and venture out. We walked around the hotel area for a bit. After a while, the humidity, hot temp, jet lag, exhaustion and a feeling of being overwhelmed hit me all at once. So instead of walking around, we went up to the towers lounge and enjoyed the views and just chatted about all the things we were going to see/do the next day. After a while, I just wanted to sleep.

There are three more days to explore this city!