| Bizarre Bangkok Our Home Away From Home |
| The Smells, Sights and Sounds are overwhelming and our heads were spinning around trying to catch it all in. People around us trying to sell disco balls, scary Halloween masks, speakers, knives, jewelry, purple liquid that you drink out of a plastic bag, backpacks, water carriers, curry, music, sarongs, pot, towels, Red Bull t-shirts, rubber disks to clog your sink, pad thai, ninja stars, Chang beer, lighters, porn, banana pancakes, water, bathing suits...the list goes on and on. The next step of our adventure has begun...Khao San Road, Bangkok, Thailand. It was difficult for us to leave the tranquility of Sulawesi, Indonesia....the sense of comfort we had developed with the people and culture of Indo was dashed with the chaos of Bangkok. This huge city is the entrance way to most of South East Asia and Khao San Road is where it all begins. There's a wild sense of energy. Besides the Thai hawking junk, there are people with fresh haircuts and sparkling new backpacks beginning their adventure while passing people with deep tanned skin that are heading home or possibly their next adventure. We went from being among a handful of Westerners in Manado (Sulawesi) to being surrounded by backpackers. After getting accustomed to the chaos, there is a certain comfortable feeling of Bangkok and the Khao San Road area. Because you come and go through Bangkok so many times while traveling in SE Asia, it becomes a home away from home. You find out which vendors have the best Pad Thai, who has the best happy hour specials for Chang Beer, and which places show the best movies. There is also a sense of "belonging" in a weird kind of way. Everyone is here for there own reasons, everyone here dropped everything at home in search of something and ended up in this hot and humid capital city. One of the toughest parts of traveling, was that you really never have any friends. Sure, you meet people on the road but for only a few days before you jump on a bus or train heading one way and they take off the other. But, Bangkok is where you will most likely see them again. Even the hand full of people that you met the last time you passed through town (there seems to be a certain number of people who are always there). It's a big reunion. Anyway, there are plenty of things to do here other than get a haircut, get the clothes washed, calling home and stocking up on bathroom supplies. We did many of the "must-dos" while in Bangkok. Not far from where we always stayed (Peachy's Guesthouse) is the Chao Phraya River and, although really dirty and nasty from all the waste that has been dumped into it over the years, it does provide an excellent way to see the city. For just pennies you can jump aboard and watch simple, yet hectic, life on the river (earning it the nickname "Venice of the east"). It is a great way to get around and you avoid the notorious Bangkok traffic. Another big stop is Pat Pong. Made famous by all the western movies, this is where you can get "Anythang You Want". Your only limitations are how much your ATM lets you withdraw and how far you are willing to push your Moral boundaries. There are touts everywhere trying to get you to come into their dodgy bars with names like "Pussy Galore" and "Super Pussy". The touts stand outside with menus promising all types of strange and trully bizarre sex acts (yes, we did see the infamous Ping Pong show). On a more wholesome side there are countless temples to visit and even the Grand Palace with The Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Lights glimmer off the gold spires and the shiny buildings that make up these impressive temples. Inside there are always monks wandering aimlessly around. They wish to practice their Engilsh when ever possible so if you have the time and an open ear you will always find a friend to converse with. Bangkok really is a neat place and home for many of the travelers out there. This city will always be special to us and we look forward to visiting it again before starting the secound part of our adventure. Next Adventure: Anything Goes in Cambodia |