Why does Bangkok make me sad for Manila?

I happily watched from our bedroom window as he handed over to the guard my precious package wrapped in a white plastic supot. Inside it were two orders of steaming hot Tom Yum Goong and he was the delivery boy from Whistlestop who, at the ungodly hour of 2 a.m., was kind enough to still provide delivery service. They’re probably the only establishment in Metro Manila that cooks and delivers round the clock (bless them!). And I couldn’t be happier – my craving was satiated.

I’ve had an ongoing love affair with spicy food for years now, only to be reinforced when I finally had the chance to visit Bangkok a couple of weeks ago. For me, one of the highlights of each day of the trip were the meals. It mattered not if we ended up at an ultra-fancy restaurant or simply in one of those that were randomly scattered along the streets and shopping areas – the food was bound to be consistently good. And it only seemed to get better and better by the day.

I couldn’t seem to have enough of their Tom Yum Goong (spicy shrimp soup) and I had it practically every day – noon and night. Gosh, if I could have it for breakfast I probably would! I must be so addicted to the food there I crave for it even now that I’m back home. Come to think of it, their cuisine kinda reminds me of our own except that theirs is inherently spicier and more flavorful than ours will ever be. It’s simply delightful!

They also have a lot of local chichiriya that comes in the form of taro and durian chips (the latter is sooo good it doesn’t have the smell nor the taste most people don’t like about the fruit), squid and cuttlefish flakes, sesame candy, tamarind, jackfruit and mango preserves, just to name a few. And if that were not enough to befuddle you, all these come in a range of flavors and spices – plain, sweet, semi-sweet, sweet and sour, sweet and spicy, spicy and sour. I felt like a child let loose in a candy store where I just wanted to try a bit of everything. Richard, every time we passed by one of these stalls, would never fail to hoard his fair share and comment on how well everything is packaged and marketed. They all seem to have one, inviting look–that noisy, transparent, crisp plastic with just a touch of red, yellow, and black print. It’s very compelling; even if you really have no intention of buying you end up doing just that.

I heard that Bangkok traffic could be just as bad as Manila traffic. There were a few times when it was really bad but what struck me was their skytrain that seemed to stretch forever and ever. I’m sure that helps alleviate whatever traffic problems they have. The moment we got settled in, I just knew I was going to love the place. It actually reminded me of the energy Hong kong has except that the people were far more polite. They were so innately charming and it’s amazing how they have managed to retain their rich culture amid the trappings of the modern world. They still proudly wear their national costume both to work and as casual attire. Their sarong is so popular and coming from a tropical country such as ours, one would think every Pinoy already had his fair share, right? Wrong. Everywhere we went, the shops that sold sarongs seemed to have the most number of tourists who couldn’t seem to get enough of them. There were actually more men than women trying them on and buying! And before I knew it, almost everyone in our group (we were almost 30) had latched on to the fever. For myself, I got the solid-colored ones that I knew would look nice with a snug top. They’re very easy and they’re nice to bring along when you travel, too. It can be used as loungewear and will work just as fine when worn on a day out – shopping in the malls or walking along the streets.

Now let me tell you about the shopping. It was raining two out of the five days we were there but at the Hyatt Erawan where we stayed, it was possible to take the MTR and go to three shopping areas without even crossing one street. No wonder the place just keeps on booming – their government thinks of even little details like that. They simply spoil and spoon-feed the buying public, making everything so convenient that there just is no excuse not to go out and shop! I knew Bangkok was cheap (everybody who has been there says so) but I didn’t realize it was deliriously so! There were so many times when I had to do a double take because what I knew I could get here for say, P4,500 would not even be 1000 baht there! (1 baht is equivalent 1.2 pesos) And where in Hong kong it would be practically impossible to get shoes my size, in Bangkok I was able to get two pairs that actually fit and I wasn’t even looking! At 499 baht, those stilettos were not bad at all. The price was too good to be true and I figured they must have been just glued together to be that cheap. Lo and behold upon inspection they were actually sewn and neither did the three-inch heels falter when I tried them on! How much better can that get?

Normally, we just ignore the tour but we brought our daughter Juliana along and we just knew she would enjoy the Safari World tour that would enable her to see animals that she normally just sees on TV or in her storybooks. So off we all went at 9 a.m. on our second day (there were 13 of us (Jomari Yllana and his Mommy Vicky, Janice de Belen, Antonio Aquitania, my mom and dad, Richard, Juliana and I, yaya Lita, movie writers Jerry Olea, Rico Miranda, and Ces Hernandez on a bus with a lady named Chuli as our tour guide) and we all had a heyday. It still was enjoyable for Richard and I even though we were not seeing these animals for the first time because then we were rediscovering everything through Juliana’s eyes and we could just see the wonder in her face.

Of course the boys in the group, led by my husband, had a grand time teasing the tour guide Chuli. They constantly threatened and prodded her to allow them out of the bus – which was totally not permissible because these wild animals are left to roam freely around – so that they could pose for photos beside the lions, the tigers, the bears, and the vultures. Chuli, horrified at the very thought, would close her eyes, shake her head and emphatically say, "No, no, no, no please behave. Animal eat moviestar." It wasn’t until later in the afternoon that she caught on to their act. Perhaps we all endeared ourselves to her (and she to us) because the succeeding days when she was free from work, she tirelessly took us around. Once when we were looking for a place to have lunch, she guided us to a restaurant by the river, aptly called Thai Cuisine by the River, which served yummy, yummy food. We had green mango salad, rice, phad thai, crispy catfish, tom yum, a deep-fried fish that looks like our hasa-hasa, spicy squid, spicy kangkong, fruit shakes and iced tea, plus two other dishes with names that escape me at the moment. There were 8 of us then and we practically had a feast. Amazingly, our bill only amounted to roughly 1,300+ baht. How was that possible with all that we ate and drank?

Chuli was nothing short of an angel to us – she knew exactly where we should have our dollars changed to get the best rate possible, would ask the salesgirl to take off an additional 20-25 percent off even when we were too willing to buy an item already, would even give us a steady supply of chichiriya just so we wouldn’t be bored in traffic, and most of all she would patiently wait for each one of us to finish all the shopping we wanted. All we had to do was need something and she would make it possible for us to have it. Unfortunately, she’s very camera-shy so we barely have a good shot of her. But people like Chuli are Bangkok’s best-kept secret – just inherently nice, hospitable, and very accommodating.

We also visited Gems Gallery which they say is the world’s biggest jewelry store. They’re famous for their rubies and sapphires but they have just about every other gem you could think of, both precious and semi-precious. It’s incredible, the gems in every cut and size imaginable sparkle like candy amid fairy dust. Some are even the size of Richard’s open hands! This would be a good place to purchase precious stones because each one will be properly documented in a certificate.

Ben Chan, Miguel Pastor, and Tito Douglas Quijano were our "parents" there, being frequent visitors of Bangkok. They took us to all the places our four days would allow. To save precious time, they already singled out places that we could just make a beeline to. This included dining at the Seafood Market and at Celadon Restaurant in Sukhothai Hotel and shopping at Emporium, Gaysorn, Siam Discovery Center, and of course MBK which looks and feels like our very own Greenhills tiangge. There were famous brand names in the malls but it was so much fun to discover the local designers and their wares. We also went to the Suan Lum Night Market that was so huge you’ll have to have three days at your disposal to fully enjoy each and every booth. And of course there was Chatuchak, the famous weekend market, to which we just were not able to go to. I guess that will have to be for another time.

There are still so many places we’d like to see and so many things we’d like to do, I just know even another 10 visits to Bangkok won’t be enough. I would want to experience the floating market which, based on the postcard, looks like a clip from an old movie, watch an actual muay thai competition, visit the place Chuli said was famous for their Burmese gems and oh, we didn’t even get to go to a spa and try the massage the Thais are so famous for.

Richard has been to Bangkok six times, five of which were for a competition and one for an Asean Filmweek, but he says this was the first time he actually enjoyed the place. It’s always nicer, I guess, when you travel in the company of good friends and your family right by your side. Then you have the best of both worlds as you discover, enjoy and trod along a place far away from home.

Meanwhile, I hope and dream that the Philippines will one day be the way Bangkok is now, perhaps even better. We, too, are a friendly people, we have great talent, rich resources, a beautiful heritage – if we could only be as in touch with what we truly have and own as our Asian counterparts are, our country would be as coveted a tourist destination as theirs are. But as we wait, and hopefully work, for that to happen Bangkok beckons – both to recharge as well as inspire us. And while there, may you find a Chuli of your own to make the experience even more pleasant than it was ever bound to be.