Bangkok Day 3, A Grand Day visiting a Palace, Eating a Michelin Star Meal, and Sipping at a Rooftop Coffee Shop

Our last full day in Bangkok we wanted to make the most of it and see everything we missed our first day. We started by eating our 7-11 breakfast and rode over to the Grand Palace, hoping to see it early enough in the morning to beat some of the crowds. We got there at 9:30am, and we in fact did not beat the crowds. Part of me is convinced the reason it was so busy is because it is so gorgeous, there is just no good time to go there. Despite the loads of tourists taking photos, me included lol, there was so much beauty to treasure and there was a reason it was so famous. The ornate, bejeweled temples towering one after another. There was even this large gold bell shaped building the dominated the area and attracted every eye as soon as it became visible. Within the Grand Palace is the Temple of the Emerald Buddha which we saw first. We even got to go in the temple, but first having to take off our shoes and neatly set them on the racks just outside the temple (one of the photos you can see I'm in my socks). When we walked inside, it had a power and energy that was so calming and so cool to be a part of. There were no photos in the temple but it resembled a shrine like all gold pyramid shaped buddha decor that was adored by people sitting on the floor in quiet manner. 

The other area of the Grand Palace was the palace itself. All I can say to describe it is a perfectly manicured and grandiose palace truly fit for a king. It had a subtle cream base with vibrant accent colors and the green shrubs enhancing the visually pleasing unity of it all. It was a sight to see and of course the yard was decorated with other structures that were stunning and made the whole area seem worthwhile for royalty.

We stayed there for about 2 hours before finally leaving. We were right by the water taxi so took a 30 baht (about $1) ride south around the river and pass Wat Arun to a coffee shop with a view. We had an iced coffee that looked out at the skyscrapers of bangkok and the modern built up side of town. We sat outside chatting for a while before finally mobilizing to get some food. We decided on a vegan place for lunch, we shared a stir fry with glass noodles and a yellow curry. It was perfectly filling and left enough room for some dessert. 

In my research on the must dos and see in Bangkok, I stumbled on a mango sticky rice restaurant that had a Michelin star. It was just a 15 minute walk from our lunch place and we had to try it. My first time eating at a Michelin star restaurant and it was truly a check off my bucket list! It was an interesting set up for a restaurant, we ordered and paid on one side of the road, and then crossed the street to eat in another storefront. And this being said that the roads are not easy to cross with bikers and drivers zooming by at a consistent rate. But these workers have it down and in no time we got our mango sticky rice delivered to us. It was so delicious, it met up to its Michelin name, my favorite part being the extra crunch on top of the rice that leveled up the dish.

What we had set out to see for the day was accomplished so we headed back to the hotel, walking our way back to see some more of the city, and running into school kids on their way home and watching them interact with each other, hopping on bikes with their parents, or stopping at street food places was quite the sight. 

When we got back to the hotel, we went to the pool, it was such a cool setup of a pool in our hotel and we had to make the most of it and use it. I ended up finishing my book while relaxing in it, A Court of Thorns and Roses. Next up on the book list is a Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes that I am actually book clubbing with a friend. 

To cap off the night, we got dinner at Veganerie Concept, a fully vegan place where we split a BLT wrap, mac and cheese, and dessert waffles (pictured to the right)! It was a bit of a trek out there because the traffic was so bad we couldn’t taxi there and had to figure out the public transport. For a moment we were going down the wrong line because we didn’t get off at an exchange, but the ride home was quite smooth. Our learning lesson among many we've been having along the way. But I treasure these learning experiences, they widen my view and perspective of the world, making me reconsider there are certainly more than one way to go about something and to engage active problem solving skills. We spent the rest of the night packing up and trying to get to bed as early as possible for our 7am flight the following more, and to a new country, Vietnam!