After a hectic trial and error session of getting out of Philadelphia during what the papers called a ‘snowmagedeon’ my parents made it safely to Singapore. Neither one of my parents had ever been on vacation to Asia before. The plan was simple, 3 days here in Singapore, 3 days in Bangkok, 3 days in Siem Reap. It wasn’t until about halfway through the trip that I realized we were on a tourism marathon which we should have been training for months in advance. In Bangkok, we agreed that Khao San Road lives up to its reputation; it is the center of the backpacker universe. As I was there with my parents I didn’t spend much time mingling with the backpackers, but I could see that they were open and friendly. I did coincidentally run into a girl I met in the 4th grade and we had a very ‘Khao San Road’ style reunion: G&Ts and Singha Beer! My parents and I were lucky enough to make our way through the busy streets of Khao San Rd to Chinatown in Bangkok on one of the evening of Chinese New Year, year of the Tiger. Imagine a street lined in red lanterns for as far as the eyes can see. The vendors were selling a variety of goods like ‘fish paste wrapped in a coconut leaf,’ baby bunnies in sweaters watches, knives, everything. We topped the night off by going to a Chinese restaurant on an adjacent street and it turned out to be one of the best meals of the trip. An expat-looking patron eating on the stoop-section of the restaurant recommended the lobster, so that’s what we had.
After Bangkok we were off to Cambodia for a lesson in the origins of Buddhism and Hinduism, archeology, and war history.
e lucky enough to make our way through the busy streets of Khao San Rd to Chinatown in Bangkok on one of the evening of Chinese New Year, year of the Tiger. Imagine a street lined in red lanterns for as far as the eyes can see. The vendors were selling a variety of goods like ‘fish paste wrapped in a coconut leaf,’ baby bunnies in sweaters watches, knives, everything. We topped the night off by going to a Chinese restaurant on an adjacent street and it turned out to be one of the best meals of the trip. An expat-looking patron eating on the stoop-section of the restaurant recommended the lobster, so that’s what we had.
and Hinduism, archeology, and war history.
Just saw this. You are really capturing the trip. Don't forget to do part II!
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