Found a great deal at the Berkeley Hotel Pratunam in downtown Bangkok. 27th floor with futuristic views of the huge skyscrapers all around. Felt drawn to the views. Bangkok has certainly exploded… the population is now 14.6 million.
Rather than do the in-house full on buffet breakfast at our hotel, we opted to hit the streets in search of Bangkok’s famous/infamous street food. Found a small breakfast street down a local side road for some fish curry, fried egg and a banana leaf cup of steamed fish custard (Hamuck)sp? So good to be back in the Land of Smiles. It is thankfully amazing how strong the body is, because street food hygiene here is always dicey in the exposed kitchens. But we do love the street food and greasy spoon small family operations.
Took a canal boat for a couple of kilometres along the khlong and walked back to a coffee shop/bakery that we saw in passing that over looking the canal. Enjoyed a pricey, but delicious iced cappuccino up on the canal-view terrace. This upscale place was decorated with fabulous antique furniture and art pieces everywhere. Rosewood shophouse… like stepping back in time. Great find.
One evening we ventured out to one of the local Super Malls that Bangkok is famous for, centralwOrld. Exiting it at night was like being on set for the Blade Runner Movie. Fifty storey skyscrapers emblazoned with laser lights and videos flashing with sparkling lights everywhere and 5 story jumbo-trons flashing the latest BMW ads. Totally awesome. Bangkok has some of the most innovative architecture on this wonderful planet.
Took a couple of taxies and tuk-tuk’s with altered-state drivers speeding and weaving wildly down the jam packed Bangkok streets… somehow you just trust you are not going to die. Thailand is the world record holder for road fatalities.
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