I decided to be spontaneous the other day.
I saw someone post about this small local noodle shop online last week, so I decided to check it out. Since the weather is getting a tiny bit cooler here, I thought I'd walk. The noodle shop was about an hour away from my place, and it took me through some neighborhoods I had never been to before.
Just before arriving at the noodle shop, I turned off from the main road onto a small soi (side street) and discovered a tiny Hindu temple dedicated to the god Ganesha.
Continuing my theme of spontaneity, I decided to step inside and look around. The shrine was small, but surprisingly busy. There were lots of people there praying and making offerings at the statues of the deities.
This is why I'm such a huge proponent of walking places. I bet that most people out there have no idea the interesting things that could be just within 5 miles of their homes, because they never take the chance to explore. They stick to their cars or the metro line, and don't take the chance to discover what's there. I know I don't do that as often as I should, and just taking this little walk introduced me to a very cool local spot I had no idea even existed.
Just past the temple, I finally came to the noodle shop.
The day was growing hot, and I placed my order, then grabbed two bottles of ice-cold water from the refrigerator. The menu was entirely in Thai, but even if you can't speak or read Thai, there are great photographs to show exactly what you'll be ordering.
I decided to order the Thai pork wonton soup, and I asked to make it spicy.
You can read a short writeup here on my food blog:
The soup was made with a super savory broth full of garlic, onion, and sliced shallots. The bowl was filled with deliciously rich Thai-Chinese-style wontons and served with a heaping portion of minced pork to add to the thickness and richness of the dish. Was it really "the best noodles in Bangkok"? I have no idea! To be honest, I don't go out for noodles all that often, because I still find them kind of complicated to order with my limited Thai language abilities.
Though perhaps my hunger and tiredness after a long walk under the hot sun may have played a role, I did find the noodles to be exemplary. The wontons themselves were really filling, and the soup was the perfect combination of savory and umami that made it perfectly satisfying on a warm sunny Bangkok afternoon.
Feeling energized after my lunch, I decided to turn off my map app and keep walking. I had a bottle of water and some great podcasts to listen to, and I decided to set off on an on-foot adventure. After popping in at a local Boots pharmacy for some sunscreen, I was back on the road!
A few hours later, I found myself passing Phra Ram IX, an upscale business district in Bangkok, and eventually I came to Our Lady of Fatima, a beautiful historic Catholic church.
I wanted to poke my head in and look around, but it looked like they were busy setting up their Christmas decorations, and I didn't want to get in the way.
I ended up wandering for 13km. It was really incredible to discover places I'd never seen before, and to let chance and serendipity lead me to new places and new experiences.
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