So after leaving the house in England at 7.30am, we finally arrived in Bangkok at 6pm the following day. Instantly we picked up our bags and had a well deserved Chang beer at the bar. It soon occurred to us that we still needed to find somewhere to stay but with little time and luck, the nicer and cleaner places were full. Being somewhat desperate, we stayed in a room called The Place Inn for 150 baht or £3 per night. It promised to make it "feel like home", however, it was anything but. With a cockroach in the shower and a half cracked sink, we were well on our way early the next morning. I suppose we should have listened to previous guests advice written on the whiteboard by the reception, one notably but jokingly saying "I caught rabies from here!".
The next day we stayed at Mango Lagoon a few doors down, at £7 a night but a far cleaner room - it was well worth it! With spirits lifted we took a wonder around the local markets, particularly the infamous Khao San Road. After some looking around, and a lot of hassle to buy a suit (god knows why, its too hot to start wearing a suit!), we took a tour around a few temples in a tuk tuk. Our driver Shelly was kind enough to chauffeur us around asking only £3 for the whole trip - bargain. However, tuk tuk drivers get free fuel for taking tourists to certain places, this meant a trip to the silk shop, a pretty awkward experience as we didnt want a shirt or dress made. Highly unnecessary! Once back near the guesthouse, a quick shower, some drinks and some street food, we were out on Khao San Road to hit a few bars and meet fellow travellers. Soon enough the booze was flowing and grilled scorpion was being passed around like candy. Unfortunately, it's tastes nothing like candy. The scorpion had been barbequed to death that rather it tasted like munching on a bit of old charcoal. By 3am we were back at the guesthouse ready to catch some sleep for the 8am bus to Koh Chang. It was going to be a long day...
A little advice:
- Get a taxi from the airport, its cheap and is quicker, just what's needed after a long flight.
- Try looking around for somewhere half decent to rest your head, the Place Inn is definitely to be avoided.
- Tuk tuks are a great and cheap way of getting around Bangkok.
- Eat street food as its cheaper and nicer than restaurant food.
- However, this does not mean that you buy grilled scorpion even when drunk. It is not a kebab. It is to be avoided at all costs.
Ayden
