Bangkok: First Impressions

Filed in archive Budget Asia on April 19, 2008

We arrived in Bangkok in the middle of the evening. To describe it, I can only use a phrase that I have not used since the 1970s: Mind Blowing. To a Westerner, Bangkok seems like an alternate reality. I'd say that it is up there with Cairo, Luxor and Aswan as one of the most unique places in the world. It is also a budget traveler's paradise. Food, lodging and transportation are dirt cheap!

Bangkok is an almost ironic combination of the ultra ancient and the ultra modern. Its design is obviously urban, however, since the taller buildings are interspersed at visually attractive intervals, at first glance, it may also seem to be urbane. At night, if you glance out your window at the colored lights, you might think that Bangkok is a cross between Las Vegas and a movie set from the Fritz Lang movie, Metropolis.

Bangkok's first impressions can also be deceiving. As you watch the small boats sail the Chao Praya River, you might believe that the city moves at a mellow and gentle pace. This is not the case. The streets are crowded, the traffic is terrifying and the heat and pollution are unbearable. Should you skip it?

Not on you life! While you may not be able to see it all, you really need to see some of it. The trick is to balance your day so that you are not visiting all of the temples at once. More details will be featured in the days to come.