Temples and Happy Endings | Bangkok
Exploring Grand Palace, Massages, & Tong Lo
Updated January 24, 2020
After a small glitch at the airport, (I needed to purchase a refundable onward ticket to Vietnam since I was traveling on a one-way ticket) and 24 hours of traveling, I arrived safely in Bangkok. Priya greeted me with open arms and delicious leftovers at her lovely flat in the SoHo of Bangkok, Thong Lo. For those of you who don’t know, Priya was my first girlfriend in junior high school. Even though she moved away the year after we met, we’ve managed to stay in good touch over the last 12 years, in part because of our mutual love of travel and international living. She’s been living in Bangkok the past four years, working with Non Violence International and the UN, and it was her invitation to visit that initially sparked this trip.
On my first day in BK, I decided to amble around the “temple district.” Because Thailand is Buddhist country, they are everywhere. And they are beautiful! I grabbed my first tuk tuk (cheap transport) and wandered into a few smaller temples before heading to Golden Mount (Wat Saket). This ended up being my favorite temple. After Golden Mount, I ventured to the Grand Palace. There is a strict dress code and I had to “rent” a shirt to cover up. Inside, there are many things to see, but the emerald buddah is the biggest attraction and probably Thailand’s most sacred site.
Everything in Thailand is cheap. Dirt cheap. Street food, (which is amazing) for example, is $1-2. Long distance cab rides are $3-4. And what’s the most amazing cheap thing you can get in Thailand? Massages. Massages are a huge part of Thai culture, and many people get them every week. A two-hour Traditional Thai massage will set you back about $12. So yesterday I set out to get my first Thai massage. Priya told me there were dozens along the main road near her house, so I strolled that way. I passed one that looked quite fancy, and so I ultimately opted for one that looked less extravagent. The sign said Traditional Thai Massage and “Sauna.” Sounded good to me. It honestly didn’t phase me that the massage tables were double beds. I just assumed that was normal! After a extremely gentle massage and a lot of giggles from the staff at the front desk, I left. No happy ending for me, and in fact I didn’t realize it was a men’s happy ending massage parlor until I causally pointed out the place to Priya and her friend Phon. They started hystically laughing… and that’s how I learned sauana is a code word for happy ending.
My happy ending was dinner. My first taste of real Thai street food was amazing. I just cannot believe how good and how cheap the food is. I will eat my way through this city if it’s the last thing I do! Tomorrow Priya, Phon, and I are going to the islands, where Phon has a music gig…we will be staying somewhere called the Djembe House, which is a hippy musician house on the island of Koh Chang. After a few early mornings and a wild night out in Bangkok (next blog post) I have recovered from my jetlag. After only a couple days into my trip I am fantasizing and plotting about how I can live here 3-6 months out of the year…
The view from Priya’s flat
