First Impressions of Bangkok

Before leaving for Thailand, I wasn't really sure what to expect of Bangkok. I pictured a lot of hustle and bustle and lots of people on the streets and stalls selling noodles, but I purposely didn't really look up any pictures of the city so that I would be surprised. And no, I haven't seen The Hangover 2 (I've been asked many times) so I didn't have that as a reference either.

I was spot-on with the hustle and bustle. The hum of the hot pink and yellow taxis, motorbikes and tuk-tuks whizzing by is constant (a tuk-tuk is a type of taxi that is like a motorbike with a wagon in back for passengers).

There are many food vendors in the streets. Walking down a block, the smell is changing constantly, from curries to fresh fruit to grilled meats. At each stall you can get a meal for around 35 baht (about $1) or less. There are also other vendors selling souvenirs and things. Unlike some other cities I've been to, none of these vendors heckle you as you walk by or pressure you to buy their products. They just sit and wait for their next customer, or chat with the other vendors nearby.

The city is a really interesting mixture of traditional and modern styles. There are hundreds of Buddhist temples around the city, some incredibly old, but there are also many modern high-rise buildings. One interesting thing that we learned was that it is a Thai custom to build a "spirit house" on the property of any new construction. These houses are usually modeled on traditional Thai architecture and stand about 3 feet tall and posted up on a pole somewhere out of the shadow of the new building. Thais believe that these structures house the souls that were disturbed from the ground by the new construction. Every single day, incense, flowers, and sometimes food, are placed at the spirit house to appease the souls. Once we learned about sprit houses, we started noticing them everywhere - outside houses, hotels, malls and all kinds of buildings.

One of Thailand's nicknames is the "Land of Smiles" and I've definitely been able to see why. All of the people here are so nice and helpful. They seem genuinely happy to have tourists here and to want to help them experience their country in the best way possible. We haven't met a single person who was unwilling to help or chat with you about the area.

I'm really looking forward to going back to Bangkok on Saturday to see more of the city!