This weekend we took a wonderful break from the hustle of Bangkok and it's incessant concrete and small shops. The pollution, traffic and smog all felt like a distant memory as we navigated the small winding roads into the heart of a small suburban area to visit Patcha’s cousins and their delightful newborn son.
I didn’t realize this was all marsh until I almost walked into it!
Every once in a while you’d hear strange movements or slithering hidden beneath the leaves
It’s hard to believe this was just a 15 minute cab ride from one of the major subway interchanges and still surrounded by the sprawling mass of Bangkok’s metropolitan population. What I thought was simply lush vegetation turned out to be swamp land which crept up on me, taking me completely by surprise. House were built right on the edge of these marshes and dangers like snakes and other animals were very real and very present dangers. Luckily we didn’t see any, but apparently they frequently rest and hide near the front gate, so when it turned dark, we relied on flashlights to make sure the way was clear as many of the snakes here are quite poisonous and an ambulance would take a considerable amount of time to find us amidst the winding roads.
Peering through the gate, I couldn’t see anything beyond the overgrowth, no sign of the house beyond.
We passed some older houses and buildings, a lot of stray dogs and cars parked along the street before arriving at a small forlorn looking gate sitting directly beside the open marsh. Upon entering, even the other houses and buildings disappeared and it really felt like we had escaped Bangkok for good.
The house had a beautiful Buddhist shrine in their courtyard, a typical sight all around Thailand as families and business’ pay homage and tribute to the Buddhist spirits. I’m always immensely interested by this as my knowledge of Buddhism all stems from philosophical Buddhism which is quite different and unique from the religious practices around South East Asia.
Time definitely slowed down here and it was so nice to spend a quiet evening, playing with Patcha’s nephew, listening to hours and hours of Baby Shark in all it’s iterations and remixes, and enjoying some wonderful food as well.
Perhaps the craziest part of this area was the behemoth monster house that was built right on the same corner as the house with the blue gate. I couldn’t believe how huge it was, with the swamps and marsh all around surrounding it. I’m sure it must be nice to be able to afford such a luxurious house, but I couldn’t shake how out of place it was and how hard it was trying to show off.
It was such a welcome break from everything new and exciting in Bangkok, where shopping malls, luxury stores and material wealth accost you at every corner. Juxtaposed with the poverty, wealth disparity and real need, Bangkok often wears you down without you even knowing. I didn’t even realize how much I was craving green spaces and relaxation until I arrived here and I was sad to leave it so soon. While I enjoy my life right now in Bangkok, it is devoid of peace and quiet and has very little access to mother nature. I definitely need to spend more time outdoors and away from pavement, even if it means watching carefully for poisonous deadly snakes.
The shortcut to the main road