Thailand Part 1: Bangkok

Thailand was always one of those places that I dreamed of going, but thought it was out of reach. Living in Japan makes it so much easier, so this year for our second anniversary we decided to visit Thailand! Not only was it an adventurous and relaxing vacation, but we came home we knew that we will be back to explore other areas of the country. Definitely not something that would be possible if we lived in the US! After seeing that iconic photo of turquoise water with cliffs soaring out of the ocean in magazines, I can finally say I saw it with my own eyes and even took some photos to prove it!

But our adventure didn't start here surrounded by these beautiful cliffs, instead, we started surrounded by high rises in the one and only Bangkok!

After a 6 hour flight from Japan, we arrived late into Bangkok and not able to see much besides our 1920's deco themed boutique hotel, Hotel Muse. I absolutely loved the style, because it is after all, my favorite!

We were upgraded to a suite with two balconies and a square footage bigger than our house we live in now! As amazing as the room was, we knew we would not be spending much time in it at all. The next morning started early with Zach's college friend picking us up to take us to see some sights. We were so incredibly lucky to have a friend that lives in Thailand, I cannot express our gratitude enough! Our first stop was a floating flea market in Ayothaya and then onto to see the ruins of the old historical park in Ayutthaya. As a first true Thailand experience, it did not disappoint!

After seeing the ruins, we went to one of the biggest weekend markets in Bangkok, Chatuchak. There are hundreds upon hundreds of vendor stalls in a huge maze of aisles, alleyways, massage parlors and restaurants. It was a fun place to get some souvenirs and also to see where a lot of locals shop! After the market, we took our first (and last haha) tuk tuk ride back to the hotel. It was definitely something you have to do once for the experience, but it is not the best mode of transportation. After bringing us to a tailoring shop to try and get us to buy merchandise (I read about this tactic and was expecting it... Zach didn't believe me!) and claiming he couldn't get to our hotel because of traffic, we walked the rest on foot. The ride did make for a good video though!

Needless to say our first day in Bangkok was action packed and extremely hot so we couldn't wait to try out our rooftop pool at the hotel! And once night fell, Chinatown neighborhood was our next stop.

There's not really much you can do to prepare yourself for the onslaught of EVERYTHING that is Bangkok's Chinatown. People, smells, food, cars, smoke, lights, mopeds- all crammed into one very bustling street. You may even get run over in an alleyway if you aren't careful! Everyone sits outside in little plastic chairs within the chaos enjoying whatever interesting food they ordered. I loved that casual environment of it all. Zach and I walked around quite a bit before deciding on food to try, mainly because we were just overwhelmed with all these new sights and sounds.

Believe it or not, that was all in day 1! The next morning we headed to the Grand Palace. It is a huge complex consisting of many different buildings right in the heart of Bangkok. Since 1782, it has been the residence of the royal family and court. Once stepping into the grounds, "grand" doesn't even begin to cover it. The amount of detail that went into every crevice of each building, garden, courtyard and temple was unlike anything we have ever seen. The famous Emerald Buddha is housed here, made of jade and cloaked in gold, it is a sight to behold. Visiting such a magical and unique place is definitely something we will never forget! I absolutely love gold everything, so I was in heaven!

After seeing the Grand Palace and eating a spicy lunch (everything is spicy!) we took a boat across the river with our friends to see Wat Arun, Temple of Dawn, arguably the most iconic image of Bangkok and has been standing since before 1656 CE. Wat Arun recently completed a new restoration and I can't believe how amazing this temple is considering its age! The towers are adorned with porcelain and crushed seashells, fitting because it sits right on the banks of the river overlooking Bangkok.

It was an action packed 3 days in Bangkok and we finished the night with some rooftop restaurants views, which are plentiful here in the city! Our next stop: Ko Yao Yai.