Remembering City Life

It's great to be able to head to the city of Bangkok every once in a while, to remember what city life is all about.  And then, typically, after 4-5 days I'm ready to come back to the quiet life I have on the Gulf of Thailand. 

This year, I decided to drive to the Hilton in the inner city just for a change of pace.  Typically, I drive to the suburbs where I then let a taxi deal with the traffic going into this city of 17 million.  

Well, I got my Christmas wish remembering what traffic is like as I drove along the numerous highways and byways to get to my destination.  And it didn't help that the traffic lights were not working at a major intersection about 2 blocks from my hotel.  Imagine 16 lanes of traffic trying to find its way through an intersection, all at the same time!  It's at times like this that you simply have to 'push through' the seeming parking lot of cars if you want any chance of getting to where you're going.  

I don't usually take pictures of my hotel room and post them, but this room surely met all expectations.  It was definitely a nice environment to relax after days enjoying the city!

I also took a picture from my hotel room to remind me of the neighborhood and the traffic that moves day and night.  Quite the different scene from life on the coast!

One advantage in coming to the city is meeting up with friends and heading to restaurants I don't find in the more rural parts of Thailand.  

Besides my Mexican and Lebanese favorites, I met a good friend at the Cheesecake Factory.  This was one of my absolute favorite restaurants when I lived in Denver Colorado some 30 years ago.  Needless to say, it was a wonderful discovery to find this restaurant in Bangkok with the same 20 page menu and dessert options.  It's like taking a flight back in time!  

You never quite know what you'll run into on the streets of Bangkok.  This year I came across what looked like a Chinese observance of Dongzhi that celebrates the winter solstice, having dragons move through the crowds at the famous Erawan Shrine.  Not sure exactly what the dragons represent, but it was interesting watching them move around!

I was also able to spend some time in Pattaya this year, a city roughly two hours south of Bangkok located along the coast.  I had only spent time there back in 2014 for a staff weekend, so I thought it would be good to reacquaint myself with that city and connect with some friends in that area. 

I heard that Pattaya is a place with a lot of foreigners but had no idea to what extent!  My hotel was in the city center and there were times I had to wonder if I was still in Thailand.  If it wasn't for meeting the occasional Thai worker, I could have imagined I was visiting some European or western country.

I'm back in Mae Phim as I write this.  While it was good to get a change of scenery this Christmas, I am glad to be back home.  No doubt I'll be ready to venture off again sometime in the new year, but am glad to lay low for awhile.