MY FIRST STAMP!!! SAWADEEKA THAILAND - HERE I COME!

Have you ever had that feeling of sleepless nights and over thinking? I guess some of you already had one. So just sit down, relax and I will take you to one of my adventures.

Yes! You heard me right!😊 Sleepless and overthinking in a sense that you are very excited to travel outside Philippines and see what other country has to offer. Hi Dear Hivers and @worldmappin Fam. It's my first time to post in this community. Now, let me tell you my adventure.

Way back 2023, it was my first ever international Trip with my boss. I could never imagined traveling outside Philippines is possible for me until this day. Just a quick recap, during that time I can still remember how sad I was and feeling so down because of some reasons. My boss who I also called “mother” and I were having a conversation of random things and then out of the blue she asked me “ do you want to travel abroad?” - right away when she asked me this question my eyes opened wide asking back the question to her. It goes like this “travel abroad?! Are you serious?!” And she said "yes! Let’s go!". So from that moment we started looking for a plane ticket, decided the date of travel and which place we wanted to go. Both of us agreed the country Thailand. We booked a plane ticket and a hotel to stay for 4 days and 3 nights.

Fast forward, the day of our scheduled flight. We met at the airport- checked in and pass thru immigration. This was my first time to be interviewed by the Immigration Officer and I was not even aware of what they’ll ask me. Luckily, there was no difficult questions asked and my boss also said to the officer that I am with her. Looked at me, smiled to the officer and tadaaa!!! I got my first stamp!😄 During that time I was telling myself "Yes! I made it! This is really is it. I am going to Thailand!". Afterwards, we were already inside the airport and we looked for a restaurant to eat first while waiting for our flight. When we were on the plane, the other seats were empty, so mother decided to move there to sit comfortably. The flight took approximately 3-4 hours.

SAWADEEKA THAILAND!
When we landed, we grab a taxi going to our Hotel. We arrived very early, I think it's around 4am or 5am. The staff nicely offered us coffee while we were waiting to check in. We started our day by looking for a coffee shop. We rode a "tuktuk" as it is called in Thailand. We first explored the streets and tried buying "makopa". I don't usually eat it but mother tried for experience. The first restaurant we tried is called SUPANNIGA EATING ROOM. They serve authentic Thai dishes inspired by the owner's grandmother's recipe. This place feels cozy and welcoming, a perfect spot to enjoy real Thai flavors.

After enjoying some Thai food, we headed to a coffee shop since we both like to start our mornings with a cup of coffee and also we had a lot to explore that day. We then started exploring the different Temples. The first temple we visited is called Wat Pho which is commonly known as The Temple of the Reclining Buddha. This is the main attraction in Bangkok Thailand which measures 15 meters high and 46 meters long, also covered in gold leaf. This is one of the must see attractions when you visit Bangkok. The next we visited was the Grand Palace. This is the Temple of Emerald Buddha and Queen Skirt Museum of Textiles. There's also so much to see here. More people were actually visiting this Temple. You just have to be careful to those people pretending to be a Tour Guide or offering a car service going to the Temples because if you are already in the area it's just a few minutes walk to get to Wat Pho and Grand Palace is also next to it. We were so tired that day and we even grab a taxi again straight back to our hotel. We had a long day and at night we decided to just chill at the Hotel.

By the way, we stayed in Amdaeng Bangkok Riverside Hotel. This is along the Chao Phraya River. The place is like an old charm, very peaceful and you get to see scenic views of the riverside. This place is highly recommended, with the quality of service and all the food and drinks served to us were really delicious. We gave a tip to the staff who were gladly assisting us and she even cried because she was not expecting to get a tip from us and she was very thankful. Those kind of people deserves it. Plus, the ambiance of the hotel and the service was nice.

The next day we went to Iconsiam and Mahanakhon. These are also a touristy attraction in Bangkok. We first went to Iconsiam since it's close to our hotel. We enjoyed walking and exploring the areas. Everything we saw we have something to say. Sometimes, comparing Thailand to Philippines - the cost of living, prices of food, the streets, the weather and a lot more to mention. But we were not complaining just observing 😂. In Iconsiam you can see a small traditional Thai floating market. This is a high end shopping mall with stores of luxurious brands. We also get to see those exotic food where Thailand is very known for. These are the edible insects such as fried crickets, Grasshoppers, scorpions on stick and many more. Weird snacks obviously but yes it is very famous when you visit Bangkok. Next is the Mahanakhon which according to my research its height is 314 meters, it has a "pixelated" cut out design which make it distinctive. Its major attraction is the Skywalk. This is also a must experience when you visit Bangkok, this Skywalk has glass floor platform where you can see 360 panoramic view of Bangkok. Scary when you're on top and walked through this glass floor but this was definitely worth the try and it conquered my fear as I am afraid of heights.

And on our last day we went to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. This is the most iconic floating market in Bangkok. Fun and adventure day for us since we both like to explore places and foods, of course we will not leave Thailand without trying the famous mango sticky rice. We were in a very small boat and sailing the river which scares me again because of the color of the water. We even saw alligator on the abandoned house we passed by. It was such an unforgettable moment. Next place to explore is the Maeklong Station. This is the famous railway station in the province of Bangkok. What makes it famous is when the train approaches, vendors pull away their goods then put everything back once the train passes by. This is one of the most visited spots too but during our time we weren't able to see it. It might be a wrong timing but it was still nice to see.

I still can't get that smile off my face after exploring all those places. It was a core memory which I will always look back. I got to see beautiful attractions and discover places rich in history and culture, trying local Thai foods and meeting different types of people. It was a bliss of happiness. One of my dreams come true. I realized that anything is possible as long as you believe in what you want to achieve and experience in life. Everything will happen at the right time. I am also thankful to my boss for this amazing trip. We would want to do this trip every year!

I am smiling as I share this memorable trip of us. I hope you enjoyed reading my blog. That's all for today and I can't wait to share more adventures with you in my next blog! 😉😘

Until the next adventure!
Cessa 💖
Photos are taken by me.