Lauren and I have been friends for about a decade. It is a friendship built on a mutual love of goldfish crackers and vodka. Over the years, we have evolved, now we both love traveling…and vodka.
Sleepwalking Through Stockholm
Our first international adventure saw us touring Iceland together in a day, hopping on a plane, and due to some very poor planning immediately touring Stockholm, on about a combined 5 hours of sleep. What this looked like was two people wandering in circles making half sense about everything, and then passing out on the top of a double-decker tour bus. This is also about the time where we started referring to ourselves as “Two Halves of a Whole Idiot.”
Dinner and Dancing in Old Town
That evening, we rallied to go out on the town. Found an Italian place in Old Town, where the waiter was immediately smitten with Lauren (typical, it’s those dimples!). He listed off a few hotspots for us to explore, and we set off. Our first stop was Stampen, a pretty well-known Jazz bar, with amazing music and a lively crowd. A few vodka sodas later, we stumbled out and decided to try a second location.
The second bar turned out to be too quiet for a couple of giggling patrons, so we moved on quickly, but not before having another fancy cocktail, named something silly like Miss Pink or Bee’s Knees. We set off in search of a dance club, stopping along the way to practice our moves. We never actually made it to a club, but we had an enjoyable meander back to the hotel and crashing immediately.
Thailand Hijinks
Fast forward a few years, I met up with Lauren in Thailand! Our first night together was in Bangkok, where we explored Silom. We found a basement bar on Drag Queen Night, and while it was an enjoyable evening both of us decided to call it a night after just one drink. The following day, we headed up to Chiang Mai for further adventures!
The first night, we enjoyed an amazing dinner at the Oxygen Dining Room. The food here was wa focus of French and Thai fusion, and came with things like “foams” and “gelees”. Every bite was decedant, and after that meal, both of us opted for another early night.
Appetizer: Guacamole with a Coconut Gelee 
Main Course: Risotto 
Dessert: Something Fruity and Yummy
What happens in Chiang Mai…
Finally, our last night together, Friday night, as Lauren was off to Cambodia, and I was planning to head up to Pai. We met up at a Mexican Restaurant, along with two of Lauren’s Thai friends, which, I guess that was the only push we needed, Shenanigans ensued, Lauren and I embarked on a bar crawl of Chiang Mai, and had more than a few mojitos. Our next stop was the infamous Zoe in Yellow dance club complex, but just as we were getting up to dance, the place shut down, so of course we had to move to the next club: Spicy.
The first thing you notice about Spicy, is that there are 2 lines, one for foreigners and one for Thais, and they actually check your ID before you enter. The next thing is that there appears to be no one inside, despite the line. There are a second set of bouncers in front of a door that wafts the smell of bad decisions along with the sounds of thumping music. It’s like the place is practically screaming “you made a terrible choice why are you here”. The price of entry through this magical door, is one drink, anything really, and I went for…a vodka soda.
We get our drinks, and start to dance, but this is where time starts to play a weird game, I could’ve sworn we were there for an hour. According to Google, we were there barely 15 minutes before the club spit us out again. The next morning, Lauren made her flight, I woke up in my bed, feeling worse for the wear with one of our friends hugging a trash can. Needless to say, when we meet next, I am sure that we will add another memorable night of questionable decisions to this repertoire.
Useful Links
- Stampen Jazz Bar in Old Town:
A lively Jazz bar with live music and space to dance! There is a cover charge most nights, but its worth it! - Maggie Choo in Bangkok:
We went on Drag Queen Night, it was a blast! cover charge of about $10 gives you a drink ticket - Oxygen Dining Room on the River in Chiang Mai
I went with the vegetarian pre-fixe menu, and the others had the regular, completely decadent and worth it! - Miguel’s Mexican Restaurant near Thaepae Gate in Chiang Mai
The food here was tasty, and the drinks pack a punch! It was also fairly quiet as it is just outside of Old Town Chaing Mai - Zoe in Yellow in Old Town Chiang Mai:
Guaranteed that just about everyone who has gone out in Chiang Mai has ended up here at least one time. It is massive area, with a few different bars that all sort of merge together. I actually recommend the Reggae Bar in the back, as there is live music here and the drink are slightly cheaper.
