Cabbages and Condoms

I usually just put all the foodie photos from my travel in one post but this restaurant deserves a special space as you can see in the title. I was already templed-out on my fourth day in Bangkok so I decided it was time to visit one of the most popular attractions in the modern parts of the city. In Bangkok, being a such a lustful city, the rate of STD is quite high among the population. Cabbages and Condoms in Sukhumvit is a unique restaurant that promotes great sex along with safe food. I mean, safe sex along with great food. Mieng Khum. Traditional Thai appetizer. Dried coconuts, cashew, chili pepper, lime, honey sauce, etc rolled into some kind of leaf. They have a nice souvenir shop too. All I bought was some key chains (with...

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Food in Bangkok

One more thing to love about Bangkok aside from its ultra-cool Asian culture is that almost everything there is cheap. I have to say, sometimes even cheaper than in Manila. And then of course, there's the food. THE food. My favorite place to eat was Sampeng Lane, which is a narrow, noisy and bustling street with lots stalls and merchants walking by hawking their goods. Since it was just a short walk from the hotel I get to hang out there every morning, grabbing every interesting-looking food that I see, gobbling it up while walking along and joining in the hustle and bustle of the market filled with the incessant calls of "sawadee kha!". "Sawadee kha", I swear, is much nicer-sounding and inviting than the "yes ser, yes mam, bili na po kayo"...

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Touchdown Thailand

I was going to Bangkok with a mix of excitement and apprehension. Thailand was actually one of my favorite places on earth I've never been to. However I knew that traveling there alone would be a lot different from traveling alone to the safe and sanitized streets of Singapore. Bangkok strikes me as a dark and gritty city from what I’ve seen in movies like The Beach, Street Fighter and The Hangover. But then, I grew up and live in Caloocan so why should I be hoity-toity? Sunday morning in Sampeng Lane, Chinatown Coffee by the Chao Phraya River, with a view of glorious Wat Arun Bangkok's rail station is speedy and efficient. Although it doesn't travel along the older areas where the touristy temples are abound. The hotel which is to be my...

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Temple-Hunting in Bangkok

The religion of Thailand, which is Theravada Buddhism with an obvious influence of Hinduism is really quite something to see in practice. Watching a devotee in prayer is at times almost like watching a dramatic performance art: prayers involve graceful and measured movements, often using lotus flowers, incenses, thick garlands, goldleafs, giant candles, and colorful ribbons. Large elements of animistic thinking is also retained. Spirit houses dot almost every corner of the city, always containing fresh offerings of flowers and fruit, and around significant temples there are rows and rows of vendors selling Buddhist amulets, which apparently are quite a serious business here. The beauty of this religion is reflected into the numerous exotic...

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