Eastbound and Down: Istanbul and Bangkok

Our fabulous European lifestyle has afforded us the time and (just enough) money to take quite a few epic adventures but none so extensive as our summer in southeast Asia. In the next few posts, we'll travel halfway around the world, eating, drinking and exploring six different countries in just four short weeks. Get ready.

***

The impetus for the trip was fairly typical for folks our age: Let's do one last big vacation before settling down and trying to make some babies! The initial planning also came at a time of uncertainty, since Jason was still waiting to hear whether his three-year grant proposal had been accepted and I was still waiting to hear whether I was going to have a job come September. There was a possibility that we would be moving to Minneapolis so we decided to take full advantage of our relative proximity to the East in case we had to leave France by the end of the summer. (Spoiler alert: we're still in Bordeaux.)

Turkish Airlines recently opened up a direct flight from Bordeaux to Istanbul and from there, we could get to pretty much any major city in Asia. It seemed like a shame to skip over such an iconic city with so much history so we took an extra long layover in the gateway to the east before heading off to Bangkok.

Two days before we were scheduled to fly into Istanbul-Ataturk Airport, it was hit by a terrorist attack that killed over 40 people and injured some 240 more. All of our friends and family panicked. You're not still going to Istanbul, are you? The place was just bombed! People died! Why can't you just stay home in Bordeaux where it's safe??

To be honest, the thought never even crossed my mind, for several reasons:
1) It's pretty unlikely that there would be a second attack in the same place in the same week.
2) Bordeaux could just as easily be targeted for an attack.
3) If we stay home, the terrorists win. That's their whole plan: Make you afraid to live your life. I'll be damned if I'm going to let some punk-ass suicide bombers dictate where I go. Get in the plane. We're doing this.

***

Arrival at Ataturk was intense, maybe because of the attacks, maybe because it is one of the busiest airports in Europe and the world. As Americans, we needed a visa to travel to Turkey, which we purchased ahead of time for $20 (valid for 90 days, multiple entries.) We hoped this would expedite our passage through passport control but it did not and we waited at least an hour and a half to get stamped. Luckily, this was the most waiting we had to do during our entire visit to Istanbul because there was no one else there.

You can take the red M1A urban train from the airport terminal and transfer to the T1 Blue Line to get into town via cheap and easy public transit. We couldn't find anywhere to buy or validate tickets so maybe transit was free that day...? We still don't know. Normally, three passes cost 10TL (~2€) but transfers are not included and you need exact change for the machines.

We stayed at Angel's Home Hotel and I would highly recommend it if you're visiting Istanbul. It's a short walk from the Sultanahmet tram stop, which is where all the major attractions of the city are. The staff were friendly and helpful, the room was immaculately clean with high powered AC, and the views from the rooftop deck were nothing short of amazing. This is also where the buffet breakfast (included!) was served every morning and it was a great way to start our day. Please go there and give them all your money.

Once we got checked in, it was time for a little exploring and some dinner so we hit the town. As we walked, we came across some random man offering shoe shines on a just-too-dark-for-comfort street where my lady senses were already on high alert. I don't know what possessed Jason to allow this man to touch his shoes, but suddenly he's asking for money and trying to grab Jason's arm and we got out of there pretty quick when things started to get a bit aggressive. Jason was a little rattled by the experience, saying "I wanted to leave but he was touching me and I didn't know what to do." I resisted the urge to say, "And now you have a small idea of what it feels like to be a woman" and instead just said, "We'll just have to be more careful in the future." I find it funny (but mostly sad) that women have to have a million exit strategies planned out for just such an encounter and Jason had never even thought about what to do if someone was touching him and he didn't want them to be. You mean people don't just assume they have the right to put their hands on you as you go about your daily life. It must be nice! *Feminist rant over*

After that small hiccup, we found our way to some neighborhood that I couldn't direct you to if I tried, where they were serving lots of tasty-looking local food. We stopped at a place called Cag Kebap Sehzade and got some delicious sliced meat wraps, with a side of ezme, which was translated to "crushing pain" on the menu. Despite the aggressive name, it's basically just the Turkish version of salsa, served with bread, and it was glorious! We headed back to the hotel and slept like champions.

Hagia Sophia at night

The next day, we decided to be a little touristy and bought the Museum Pass, which gives you entry into a dozen different sites. It ran us 85TL for a 3-day pass, so if you go to three of the museums, your pass is paid for. Plus, you only have to wait in line once, which is always a bonus if you don't have a ton of time. We hit Hagia Sophia, (if you do nothing else, you should go there), the Basilica Cistern (cool underground cistern with interesting sculptures but not included in the pass), Hagia Irene (totally skippable) and Topkapi Palace (also pretty essential).

Hagia Sophia: Christian church turned mosque turned museum

After a long day of running around, we treated ourselves to a nice dinner at Fener fish restaurant in the Kumkapi neighborhood. It's close to the water and there are many seafood restaurants in the area but this one came recommended by our hotel. We were both pretty happy with the choice. Just don't feed the impossibly adorable stray cats because they will never leave you alone and you will cry when their hungry little faces beg for more. You have to be a little aware leaving the main area with all the restaurants because the neighborhood has a reputation for being scam-y and it gets a bit seedy pretty quickly on your way back up to the tram line. Be street smart!

Day 3 was another day of touring: We had to get fueled up so we stopped for lunch at Durumzade, a kebab shop once visited by Anthony Bourdain, who referred to their kebabs as "flavor rockets." I would not disagree. I don't know how you get so much tasty into a sandwich but DAMN. We crossed the bridge to the Galata Tower and were treated to some incredible views, strolled through the Grand Bazaar somehow did NOT purchase a rug (or soaps or spices), and found religion at the sprawling Suleymaniye Mosque. Everything we saw that day was a visual feast. The vibrant colors of the bazaar, the artful Arabic script in the mosque, the striking overlap of so many different cultures and time periods from the top of the tower... It was overwhelmingly beautiful in all ways.

Ancient and modern, east and west, Muslim and Christian... Istanbul is a land of contrasts.

Everyday, we had to walk by this restaurant in our neighborhood called the Cozy Garden and everyday, the charming staff guys would try to convince us to eat there. We finally decided to give in and went there for dinner. The food was not knock-your-socks-off amazing but it was tasty and filling, and the ambiance more than made up for any minor culinary shortcomings. We chatted with the guys for hours about politics, language, traveling, family, love and life as we were presented with dish after dish of Turkish specialities and glass after glass of mint tea. It was like that time we went to Mexico and ate at a place called El Shrimp Bucket. It seemed like a giant trap but is to this day one of the best meals we've ever had.

Our flight out to Bangkok the next day wasn't until the evening so we had almost an entire day to kill. We had our breakfast very leisurely on the terrace, soaking in the sun and the view of the city, before heading over to the iconic Blue Mosque. Normally, it's teeming with tourists but was deserted in the wake of the attacks. It was heartbreaking to know that such stunning beauty was going unseen because of some stupid terrorist assholes. And Istanbul's economy, which is highly dependent on tourism, suffers when people don't show up. I get it, you're scared, but life is too short and too filled with spectacular experiences to just stay home. We grabbed our bags back at the hotel and I was able to help the friendly man at the desk deal with some incoming French guests who didn't speak any English. Good deed of the day DONE! We had a bit more stalling to do so we stopped by the Cozy Garden for some more tea and conversation before our long ride back to the airport.

Lesson from Istanbul: Don't be afraid to travel. You'll thank yourself later.

***

We were really interested in traveling to Bangkok but it was the cheapest and easiest entry point in the area. The Airport Link Express will take you to the heart of the city for 45THB (~1€) but since our hotel (Bangkok Dream Apartments) was on the other side of the river, we figured we could just grab a taxi at what was the most major transit exchange in town. I don't know why we couldn't get a cab but we ended up finding another metro line to take us close to where we needed to be. The apartment/hotel was super pimp: 24th floor, overlooking the Chao Pharaya river with free ferry crossings, gym, pool and sauna facilities... It was a bit expensive (6900THB/175€ for 3 nights) but we weren't going to be there long. Treat yo'self!

Despite our best efforts, we had a little nap in the afternoon before heading out for some exploring and dinner at Somboon Seafood in Siam Square One, a massive mall-like structure where the kids go to see and be seen. Jason had looked into it ahead of time and we were sold by their famous curry crab. Of all the things we ate that night, however, it was my least favorite. The crab was completely overwhelmed by buckets of sauce and was way too difficult to eat. The fried grouper was excellent, though, so it wasn't a total loss.

We crashed hard that night woke up leisurely the next morning to go check out some temples. Our hotel was just across the river from the Central Pier (Saphan Taksin) so we hopped right on the Chao Pharaya Express boat for only 16THB one way, which can be paid in line or on the boat. They will try to sell you tickets for the tourist boat (40THB one way or 150 all day) but it's not really worth it since it goes to the same places as the regular commuter boat and you can't even hear the commentary over the roar of the engines. The boat took us to Tha Tien and we immediately transferred to the ferry that took us across to Wat Arun. The main temple was under construction/renovation and the whole site had a Grandma's-backyard feel to it, but it was still pretty stunning.

We ferried back across the river to Wat Pho, where the glittering masterpieces continued. This temple is best known for a massive golden reclining Buddha statue. It was a bit hard to capture on film since it's housed in a building barely bigger than the statue itself but it was impressive nonetheless. So shiny!

The idea was to check out the Grand Palace as well but the last admission of the day is 3pm, so we were a bit too late for that. Plan B took us to Khao San Road, sort of like an open air market where you can get just about anything you want, from poorly translated T-shirts to henna tattoos to bizarre street food. We had a pretty tasty pad thai and even tried some fried bugs! They tasted like chips.

Our evening adventure was to the Silom Road night market. After years in Europe, we were expecting more food and less shitty clothing and accessories but we were certainly not in Kansas anymore. One thing that there is no shortage of in the area around Silom Road is sex shows. I was not about to go to a "free show" that would certainly require us to sell our souls and dignity to watch some teenager shoot ping pong balls out of her vagina so we kindly turned down all the solicitors but we did grab a picture of the "menu" for one place.

Pussy write letter? Like just your initials or an entire text? I guess we'll never know.

Since we didn't get the food we were hoping for on Silom Road, we wandered into the Bangrak neighborhood and stopped for spicy fish ball soup at this little roadside stand. Questionable hygiene but it was super tasty and we did not have any gastrointestinal repercussions.

Take two on the Grand Palace the next day and even though there were a lot of other tourists, we weren't too upset about the crowds or the wait. It's the sparkliest place I have ever been. The palace grounds are home to a pretty fascinating weapons display as well as the temple of the emerald Buddha (which is actually made of jade and a lot smaller than I anticipated but still pretty cool).

August in Thailand = constant sweating

We wandered around in search of this giant swing that we saw on our tourist map but it turns out it's not really a thing so we stopped at this boat noodle place instead (Thing tiao reur) and got many bowls of super cheap noodles. Yummmm. We were really interested in getting the "Best Pad Thai in the Bangkok" from Thip Samai but they didn't open for another few hours so we had to find something else to do in the meantime. The Golden Mount was nearby so we hiked up the steps to see this massive shiny bell just before an epic storm rolled in.

Very representative of Bangkok: Modern skyscrapers, Buddhist temples and dilapidated shacks.

Looking very tough.

This is right before the wind picked up and forced us inside.

The summer is monsoon season and we had been pretty lucky avoiding the rain until that point but it seemed our luck has run out. We waited in the temple for awhile until Thip Samai opened (my love of food far outweighs my dislike of being wet) and I must admit that it was probably the best pad thai I have ever had. Damn good orange juice, too.

When it rains, it pours. For hours.

After our meal, it was still raining but we were out of things to do/see and just wanted to be dry again. Many failed attempts at taking a bus finally drove us to get a cab (virtually impossible since it was pouring) and it took us nearly 45 min and 150THB to go less than 6km. We ended up back in Bangrak and got ourselves some nice jok prince porridge to warm us up on a rainy evening. I wanted mango sticky rice for dessert but of course when you're looking for something, you can't find it so we had egg rolls and duck legs instead. Not a terrible compromise.

The night was still fairly young but we were traveling the next day and wanted something low key to wrap up our time in Bangkok. There was a Thai massage place just up the street from our hotel and we had some Baht just burning a hole in our pockets. You can get a one-hour foot massage and one-hour traditional Thai massage for only 400THB (~10€). I left that place feeling like I was walking on a cloud. I definitely recommend Shinta Massage and Spa if you would like to have all of your body fixed. Do not let the humble furnishings dissuade you!

Leaving town was pretty simple because the front desk called us a cab to take us to DMK airport (300THB + 120 in tolls) and our driver was quite friendly. Unfortunately, security on AirAsia flights is super strict about carrying on pointy objects. No corkscrews, scissors, screwdrivers or blades, no matter how small and we had to say goodbye to a lot of the cute little multi-tools that Jay got us for Christmas. Oops!

Lesson from Bangkok: The sooner you can let go of your western ideas of what "quality" should look like, the quicker you can start enjoying the best that Bangkok really has to offer.