I love hot and spicy food, but this dish, I almost couldn't handle......almost! In the end, I was victorious, but that simple noodle dish with papaya salad really put up one helluva fight! Foolish me thought that a dish of just noodles and vegetables would be a walk in the park, in spite of the reputation of Thai food. I was wrong. The Thasiam Hot Noodles and Papaya Salad were definitely worthy adversaries. ;-)
In the background of the shot below, you can see the Amari Watergate, which is the hotel we were billeted in for the trip. The shot was taken from the CentralWorld Mall, which is just a stone's throw away, which is where we had our Thai meal. Our host, my partner, refused to allow us to eat traditional Thai street food. Besides, he said, I would have a hard time finding vegetarian fare, and the food would definitely be double the hot-and-spicy level of the food we had just taken. This was validated by the locals. I felt like my bravado for being able to handle spicy food had just been doused. I was a cub amidst all the lions.
Each time I visit a foreign country, I approach the place with an open heart and mind, for it is the only way you can appreciate everything new you see, without biases and pre-conceived notions. This has worked to my advantage on several occasions. On this particular trip, I was approached by no less than three people, all wanting to point me in the right direction, without my asking or calling their attention. I was even mistaken for a local, yet these kind souls offered to help me get around, and specifically visit the Luck Buddha temple. All three of them, not knowing each other at all. And so I visited and paid my respects. I felt that I must have been led to the place. I have been told that I should not talk to strangers, especially when you are a foreigner in a distant land. I entertained these strangers for my heart told me to do otherwise, and I was brought to new places we would otherwise have just let pass.
Such is the protection of a pilgrim.
Bangkok is a pleasant place to visit. The streets are clean, sightseeing and food is cheap, the culture is fairly exotic by western standards yet you see quite a number of tourists and where there is a significant amount of history behind the country. I look forward to my next trip to Bangkok.
Please visit my other BLOG, where I share my thoughts on the various systems I observed in Bangkok.
1 comment:
I used to see many Lotus Flowers at Pathumwan Princess Hotel. I knew Pathumwan and Lotus are same meaning..Thank you for sharing the story...
Post a Comment