Since today was a Sunday, I decided to take it easy and get out in nature. I started off the day once again at Bottomless coffee to do some computer work and then headed toward Pantip Plaza, an electronics store, to buy an adapter for my laptop so I could connect my Kobo e-reader up to it to transfer books. Looking at pictures online, this store used to be much more alive. When I visited there were only a handful of stands in the main lobby area. A helpful clerk helped find the adapter I needed. I was feeling a bit peckish since it was past 2pm at this point, so I ducked into the nearby Japanese noodle shop and ate some prawns and minced pork with noodles.
Overall a decent meal, but nothing worth returning for. Afterwards, I headed to the first of the two major parks here in Bangkok, Lumphini Park. This park reminds me a little bit of Central Park in New York. It well maintained and even has a fitness center featuring basketball, pickleball, and a swimming pool. This park seems to be the place for runners.
There was an orchestra concert about to begin but I had to get on to the next park, Benjakitti. In my opinion, Benjakitti was much better than Lumphini. It has a forest park that was part of the expansion of the park that opened in 2022. It may be one of my favorite parks I've visited. I'll definitely have to return before I leave. There were people playing pickleball and futsal in what looked like an abandoned warehouse building. I'm glad to see pickleball is catching on across the world. It brought a smile to my face.
To finish off the day, I decided to visit the Train Night Market. Although, this market was 1.5 hours away by train, I'm so glad I visited it. This market is by far less touristy than most markets here in Bangkok. I think I could count the number of foreigners on two hands. There were many pop up clothing shops but I was there for the food. And food they had in abundance. I just walked up and down the crowded rows buying whatever caught my eye.
I ended up eating crickets and some type of larva.
I also tried the infamous Durian fruit for the first time. It wasn't as smelly as I was lead to believe. It has a stringy texture and a creaminess to it. There is a slight rotten smell or taste at times but nothing that overpowers its sweetness. Overall, a good fruit but not my favorite.
