A Few Bangkok Highlights

My thoughts on my week-long visit to Bangkok last January are rather conflicting. The bad is astonishingly bad and the good is really good.  I was both inspired and discouraged in the city.  Let me start with what I actually enjoyed about the Thai capital.

Beautiful People - Yes I can be shallow! But you'll honestsly find the most strikingly good-looking men and women strutting along the streets of Bangkok. It's where international models re-locate once they've landed their big contracts or where model hopefuls show up simply to be discovered.

Never have I seen so many gorgeous people all in one spot. You hear about models getting air-brushed and all during their post-photo shoots; but the ones I saw right before my eyes were absolutely flawless.  I had to stop myself from gawking at all the beautiful people above me!

Friendly Locals - The women I met at the salons, shops, etc. were extrememly nice and easy to get along with. Perhaps there was a tip-incentive behind it, but I didn't mind. I got to have great conversation with some who were happy to share a little insight into their lives. 

Many  of the local women complained about being unable to meet a decent, straight man in town. The ones they did know of were the "cheats." There's a high number of transexuals all through the city, or 'sheboys' as the ladies called them. Straight men were a rare find.



Thai Buddhism - I now understand why many travellers return from their Thailand trips mesmerised with Buddhism. I walked into some temples just for a quick glance but after a few minutes of sitting down, found myself unwanting to leave. There's an immense, almost elevated, sense of peace felt  inside the quiet spaces. It was the collective energy of everyone combined that made the experience so powerful and memorable.



Public Transportation - The train system was quite convenient, simple and inexpensive to use. I was able to switch train lines quite easily - and I'm a person who's known to get lost! The train was also quite clean, efficient and punctual with its schedule.

The only downside to the train system was that I love to munch though, so security would always ask me to discard my food or beverage before hopping on. That was a shame.
I never needed to use the buses but did travel by ferry; that too was extremely easy to navigate.

As for the dislikes, best I save them for another time...