Good Riddance, Bangkok!

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When I travel I don't want to feel like I've found a foreign place that feels like home. I think that's why I'm not enjoying Bangkok but Kristen is. In seeking a livable place this is just it - it runs just about the same as home. I, however, prefer travel to feel truly foreign and new. Like something I haven't seen or experienced before.

There's certainly appeal for the livable places. For example, Colorado is livable and I'd gladly go there. That's less of a vacation though.

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Good riddance, Bangkok! While I could have spent my final night there getting a massage or walking around the hawking red light district vendors, I opted for a day of rest. At home, I spend a lot of time with myself and not doing much. In the past 3 weeks I haven't really done that. So I casually woke up and took my time heading out. Went to the mall (Central World) and saw Interstellar (sorry O, ill go again!) on a big screen. It was in English so I totally got to feel like I was at home. The seats were huge and reclined almost entirely. Posh. Took quick walk through a few malls (Paragon, Some other one and BMK), had an overpriced lunch at BMK (overpriced meaning $9), and took the BTK back to the hostel. . At that point it was about 6:30 and I intended to get a massage and maybe have my hair washed and straightened but I ended up napping, meditating, reading, and going to bed early. It was totally necessary!

After all the malls and shopping in Bangkok, I really don't want to go to another mall for a full year. Sorry guys, Christmas is delayed.

Btw, I was all proud of Bangkok for keeping some equality with the sextourism, but turns out I was actually just seeing the parts for gay tourism. Sure I could have walked into the male masseuse massage studio, but I wasn't their target clientele. We did get dragged into a naked man show. Totally eerie music and with 3 naked men on stage dripping wax on each other from their candelabra crowns. Stayed it about 47 seconds and then left before being forced to buy drinks.

The travel time to the airport was about equal to the flight time from Don Muang to Siem Reap. Happy to be in another place that feels vastly different from home. I can see that Siem Reap itself is not a good representation based on what we passed heading here. Prices are unquestionably higher than they would be in non-tourist areas, but the level of poverty here is clear. Kids are running around barefoot anything recycling from the trash, street performers and injured/deformed locals beg for money, taxis are on every corner convincing you you want to go somewhere (that's typical of Thailand too).

We met a girl who is in our dorm room on our ride from the airport and hopefully she will head to Angkor Wat with us to split costs. She's Korean but grew up in Brazil. As an American I tend to forget that people of other nationalities don't need to be of that country's heritage. I am proud that I'm getting pretty good at discerning a Thai from Japanese from Chinese. Maybe Cambodians will be more distinguishable after this jaunt?

Alcohol is cheaper/as cheap as water, coffee, and juice here. Hopefully that doesn't make this a party city, but ill probably have a tequila sunrise for good measure anyway. Vegas Gina would want me to.

Time to plan for the evening and week. I'm excited to meet you Siem Reap!!

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Photos

Fancy dinner with Peach (local)
Kristen's connection took us out for the fanciest dinner we've had yet. I even tried some of that giant fish there!

Central World
One of the many gargantuan malls of Bangkok

Feelin like A Gal!
We needed a break from backpacker clothes and bought these little numbers for $9. Used sample makeup from sephora and lookin good!

Wat Pho
Part of the big temple complex where the reclining Buddha lives