Am I Allowed to Say "Meh"?

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So anyone who knows me knows I am a city girl. I love cities, and believe the bigger the better. While I have visited many a city over the years and don't love every city I visit, at the least I like them. I never thought I would come across a city that I disliked. But I have to admit, there is something about Bangkok that just doesn't gel with me.

At first I was worried that my time travelling around Asia had turned me off cities (as I own a home in the heart of Toronto's downtown core, this had me very troubled). But after subsequently visiting KL and Singapore and loving them, I realized it really was Bangkok that didn't do it for me. The question became why?

Now, no one can deny that Bangkok has some pretty freaking awesome sights. The Grand Palace and Wat Pho's reclining Buddha are stunning. They really do bring a whole new meaning to the term "go big or go home" and I am so glad I got to see them. I also had a great time at a floating market outside of the city, and bought some artwork there that I am very excited to see on my walls at home. The problem for me is that beyond these experiences (which I don't need again), I couldn't stand Bangkok.

I still haven't figured out what my problem with the city is. The constant challenge to get around when you have to go off the metro system definitely factored in. In all the cities I have ever visited, I have never encountered taxi and tut tut drivers so explicitly trying to rip people off. It definitely pissed me off to no end having to deal with them, but that doesn't make me dislike a city the way I disliked Bangkok. Maybe the combination of the heat and finding the city hard to navigate started me out on the wrong foot, and I never gave it a chance, but I don't think that is it either. It might be that I saw the seedier side of the city and that turned me off it. I really don't know, I just know it wasn't a city I want to visit again. I may never figure it out, but I'm okay with that. I don't have to love every single place I experience, and shouldn't expect to.

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