we love bangkok!

we planned on being here for only a few days, and we're already on day #8. bangkok is vibrant, alive, and fun - we don't want to leave! what have we been doing?

• eating - although we have primarily dined at street stalls, the food has been fantastic. by far, it's the best thai food we've ever had. pad thai, spicy curries, green papaya salad, whole fish, fried chicken, sticky rice, banana pancakes, and an over-abundance of fresh fruit…we are eating good! it is nearly impossible to make it down a single city block without stumbling upon another food stall. the only problem with eating so well is that eventually we get full!
• drinking - the only way to move through the city and not succumb to the relenting heat is through hydration - and the thais know how to do it right. they like their beverages loaded with sugar. milk teas are blended with palm sugar, sweetened condensed milk and then topped with evaporated milk and poured over crushed ice, into a plastic bag with a straw - we've traded in our caffeine addictions for serious thai sugar buzzes… the city is littered with vendors selling teas, coffees, water, beers, fresh orange juices, fruit juices, veggies juices, smoothies, shakes and bubble teas - it has been a culinary adventure with the beverages alone.
• shopping - bangkok is loaded with markets, shopping malls and boutiques selling just about everything that you could imagine. the options are endless with every brand name available. we have wandered the corridors of a few of the massive malls in the city center and hit the massive weekend market, boasting 15,000 vendors every saturday and sunday.
• people-watching in banglamphu - we're staying in the main traveler's centre and budget neighborhood near khao san road. the famous road is a bit too "much" for our taste - and we're glad our guesthouse (baan sabai @ 450 bhat $13.50 per night), is a few minutes walk away. we do certainly have fun though walking the pedestrian strip and watching all the freaks and craziness going on. you can completely change your image in the course of a few hours by getting dreadlocks, purple hair extensions, piercings, tattoos…we opted for some cocktails and beers and a few good laughs.
• visiting the american embassy - after 2 quick visits to the embassy, david has 20 new pages added to his passport and is ready to get stamped into the remaining 15 countries on our itinerary. funny, while in the embassy area we were approached by numerous locals offering us translating services - just in case we were interested in getting married…
• using public transport - local buses, river taxis, the metro, and the ultra-modern bts, bangkok's elevated rail line - thanks to david's keen navigational skills, we have easily managed to find our way around a city of 6 million people.
• visiting wats (temples) - bangkok's skyline is adorned with golden stupas, gleaming colored glass plastered temples and countless buddha statues that are sitting, reclining, standing - you name, we've seen it… bangkok's wats are the epicenter of buddhism in thailand and have provided magnificent backdrops to our touring of the city.