Bangkok is the capital of Thailand and it is full of hustle of bustle. It is one of the most densely populated cities in Asia. Being predominantly Buddhist, there are many Buddhist temples dotted around the city. For example Wat Arun, the decor is intricate but not opulent. Another landmark of Bangkok is the Grand Palace. The ground is expansive and the architecture is quintessential Thai. There are several museums in the palace ground such as arts and crafts which there was an artist doing embroidery on a picture of Thai elephants in the jungle. There is also a museum of Thai costumes of the royalties over the decades. There was certainly a lot to see and appreciate.

The streets were busy. When I say busy, it was BUSY. Roads are full of cars, vans, busses, motorcycles and a mode of transport synonymous with Thailand, the tuk tuks. Travelling by boat seems to be convenient and it allows us to avoid the busy traffic of Bangkok. However, the boats are still relying on diesel engines heavily. The emissions were clearly evident in the air.

When we were there, it was the weekend of their election. According to Thai law, the sale of alcohol was prohibited during such weekend. However, this does not seem to stop the locals and tourists get on with their daily lives and exploring the city. This was evident in Chinatown along Yaowarat. It was full of tourists and locals alike looking for food and drinks and a good time! Despite the crowd, bar a few incidences, there was very little pushing around, surprisingly. The last time we were in such a crowded place was Kyoto. See the Photojournal of Japan here. Having said that, the night scene and the hustle and bustle was an eye opening experience.

Another unique experience was visiting Khlong Lat Mayom Floating Market. It is what it says on the tin. It is a working market by the riverbank which the rivers are connected to Chao Phraya River, the main river trunk of Bangkok. Vendors can often be seen selling fresh produce and food from their boat. Instead of fresh produce and cooked food, boat owner/drivers are also operating boat trip business for tourists.

One of the first things to come to mind when we think of Bangkok was Thai food. It has a balance of sweet, salty, sour, spicy, umami and perhaps other flavours I fail to mention. You can steam, grill, fry, poach or just raw. You can eat in the streets or comfortably in air conditioned restaurants. Thai cuisine is just so versatile and as someone who enjoy Asian cuisine, Thai food is certainly up there amongst our favourite cuisines around the world such as Malaysian, Japanese and Korean food.