Anna Casey

Bangkok: Highlights Reel

Best Experiences: Anna Meditating on impermanence to the background music of Buddhist chanting at the glorious Wat Suthat Thepwararam. Chatting pleasantly with the lovely owner of Mitramit Teahouse while nibbling on Thai confections and sipping milk oolong. Making friends with every cat at Caturday Cat Cafe. Aaron and I have really been missing our pets. Continue reading “Bangkok: Highlights Reel”

Bangkok: Days 9 & 10

Today, we were going to the Bangkokian Museum, but first, we needed food. I did some Googling and found BBQ Delight, a Bengali (I think) restaurant a few blocks from the museum. We’ve decided that we’re going to eat at mostly holes-in-the-wall, with the occasional peppering of somewhere shmancy. BBQ Delight is definitely the former–meaningContinue reading “Bangkok: Days 9 & 10”

Bangkok: Days 7 & 8

Wat Traimit was our first stop this morning, once we had some hostel coffee in us. The temple is known for its gigantic, solid-gold Buddha. The five-and-a-half ton statue was discovered when a crane dropped it and broke its stucco-and-mosaic-glass exterior. This facade is believed to have been placed around it to protect the goldenContinue reading “Bangkok: Days 7 & 8”

Bangkok: Day 6

We rode the canal boat again. But I was a little older and a little wiser this time. I did my research. Now, I knew how to ride the cheap boat that locals take, which is thirty cents, as opposed to ten dollars. I had been suckered by a tourist trap the first time, justContinue reading “Bangkok: Day 6”

Bangkok: Days 4 & 5

We got a late start. Sleeping in has become the norm. Usually, this would be fine for a vacation, but those cooler hours in the morning have become the only time to see any non-air-conditioned sights, which is the majority of sights here. So, when we sleep in, the day is pretty much shot inContinue reading “Bangkok: Days 4 & 5”

Bangkok: Day 3

Enough with all these malls. It was time to get serious and visit some of Bangkok’s famous temples. Not too far from our hostel, upon a steep artificial hill, lies Wat Saket. First built during Thailand’s Ayutthaya period (1350-1767), it was later renovated and renamed by King Rama I when Bangkok became Thailand’s capital. WatContinue reading “Bangkok: Day 3”

Bangkok: Day 2

We got a late start on the day. In Siem Reap, we had been waking up very early every morning, and now we needed to sleep in a bit. By the time we finally woke, it was already almost lunchtime. It took us a little while to get to Tonkin Annam, and we were walkingContinue reading “Bangkok: Day 2”

Bangkok: Day 1

We got into Bangkok late at night, so we went straight to the minimalist, hotel-like Chern Hostel, and then, to bed. After a subpar breakfast at the hostel the next morning, where I once again discovered that meat just doesn’t really do it for me here, we headed out. Bangkok has everything. In the sameContinue reading “Bangkok: Day 1”

Siem Reap: Highlights Reel

Best Experiences: Anna Birding in Prek Toal: I felt like I’d been dropped into a nature documentary Exploring Beng Mealea with Aaron for hours on Valentine’s Day Playing “I Spy” with the remarkable bas-reliefs of Bayon Best Experiences: Aaron I’ve never seen so many birds as we saw in Prek Toal; really wish I hadn’tContinue reading “Siem Reap: Highlights Reel”

Siem Reap: Day 8

Heat makes me want to eat my vegetables. Usually a salad sounds boring, but after being outside in the sun all day, a salad is bliss. Guess I need water wherever I can get it. So, it was with this in mind that we chose Vibe Vegan Restaurant for dinner. It’s a very small, cafe-styleContinue reading “Siem Reap: Day 8”