Another year, another trip to Southeast Asia, another NYE weekend in Bangkok. Unfortunately for us, both Nock and I came down with colds after leaving the island, so the weekend was a bit more sedate than I’m used to. The one thing that made us feel actually better was Feuang Nara, a restaurant around the corner from our Airbnb. We ate there twice in two days, so I feel confident in saying that the service is terrible, but the food is incredible. I ate so much at dinner on Saturday that I barely ate for the next twenty-four hours.
On Sunday, Nock went shopping and I had brunch with a friend before spending the afternoon researching NYE parties and calling around to different bars. Not for the first time, I was amazed at the level of high society that can be found in that city. I called up one rooftop champagne bar and they said the entrance fee was $500 a person and included only a half bottle of champagne. Damn!
We settled on Amorosa (slash Eagle Nest slash The Deck), which had reasonable prices and a fantastic view of Wat Arun across the river. A pleasant surprise of the evening was that a friend I had met in Tokyo during my sabbatical, Nisha, saw my Thailand posts on Facebook and reached out. She was traveling with a friend and was also in Bangkok for NYE, so we all met up for dinner, then went to the river for drinks and music and fireworks over the water. I was able to shake the gross feelings of the cold for a few hours and enjoy myself, especially after I won a pair of Singha sunglasses in the raffle, conveniently replacing the cheap sunglasses I had broken during my sloth on Koh Phi-Phi.
Getting home after midnight was a bit of a hassle since taxis and ride-sharing services were either overloaded or nowhere to be found. We decided to walk to the closest major road and found ourselves strolling past late-night flower markets, bustling with workers mostly oblivious to western New Year’s celebrations. Scattered among the markets and carts of flowers were a few expats and tourists, including us, still in their party clothes. It was a delightfully Bangkok way to end the trip.
Speaking of ride-sharing services, I felt they were much more prevalent and useful on this trip compared to last year. I used Uber or Grab (a service specific to Southeast Asia) in almost every city on this trip and the service was exactly the same as back home. Grab even offers the option of paying in cash, so I didn’t have to link a credit card to my account.
On another financial note, I’ve kept a spreadsheet of expenses and savings for my Southeast Asia trips for the last two years and I thought it would be interesting to share:
Now I think you understand when I say that traveling in Southeast Asia can be very inexpensive!
Much to my dread, here’s the part where I try to write down some meaningful thoughts or at least a worthwhile summary about yet another life-affirming adventure, which is always impossible.
Vietnam was particularly rewarding on this trip, not necessarily because of anything that happened, and not even because it was a last-minute addition that worked out really well, but because I’ve been making more of an effort to learn about the country’s recent history, especially since it is saturated with acts of terror and violence from my own country. Most Vietnamese are too young to remember the war, so Laurie and I weren’t expecting to encounter any hostile attitudes, but I wouldn’t really blame anyone for having one. The war museum in Saigon was shockingly eye-opening and after I returned home, I downloaded the entire Ken Burns documentary about the war and watched the whole series (more than seventeen hours) over the course of the next week. On a much smaller and slightly lighter note, Anthony Bourdain’s Hanoi episode (the one where he eats noodles with President Obama) is incredibly touching and I found myself watching it before and after the trip. I even re-watched his Laos episode because it deals with really similar issues: recent political turmoil, the consequences of war, unexploded ordinance, and a third-world country struggling to move forward. I highly recommend all of these shows as a starting place for learning about that part of the world, but better yet, just go there yourself.
Finally, on a more personal note, this trip was enjoyable and very memorable for slightly different reasons than years past. A lot of my international travel has been solo, but I was rarely by myself on this entire trip. If I wasn’t working, then I was with one of my travel buddies or meeting up with friends from years past or meeting someone new. And though I’m naturally an introvert, all of this was absolutely perfect for this year’s trip. I feel content with my living situation and job and friends and family, so I wasn’t really craving any alone time because I didn’t feel like I needed to meditate on anything. I was happy to be more social and extroverted and enjoy the company of my friends, especially Laurie and Nock, who are both sweethearts and excellent travel companions. I had an amazing time with each of them and I hope that’s not the last time we travel together.
And with that, another unforgettable trip is in the books. Looking at the timestamp of my final blog post from last year’s trip, I see that I just barely improved my horribly slow writing this year. Over two months to document everything! One day I’ll figure out how to do this faster. Or not.