My last day in Bangkok, I went to the big, giant, crazy mall (to see Harry Potter), had pineapple fried rice served in a pineapple at Hemlock for dinner, and got a massage.
In the 5 weeks in between, I experienced a world of firsts – took a sleeper train, rode an elephant, took a Thai cooking class, traipsed around the temples of Angkor Wat, sat in on a war crime tribunal, and relaxed on the beaches of Cambodia and Thailand. I learned enough Thai to haggle with tuk tuk drivers over the fare and bargain in the markets, and to let waiters know that I wanted my food with just a little bit of spice (“peht nin noi”), or, as I was recovering from my bout with Bangkok belly, no spice (“mai peht”). I pampered myself with massages (8), a facial (1), and manicures/pedicures (3). I tried Thai beer, Cambodian beer, Laotian beer and Vietnamese beer, and found that I preferred a mango smoothie over any of them.
I also met people from around the world and next door, learning again what I already knew – that traveling solo does not mean traveling alone. In 5 weeks, there was barely a day that I didn’t meet someone to share a meal, a drink, or a tour a temple with.
But now the trip is over, and I’m back to reality. I can cross off two more countries in my atlas, and check off Angkor Wat in my copy of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. And, of course, start thinking about where I want to go next…
No comments:
Post a Comment