The group of men in their late 60s and early 70s ahead of me on the plane were overzealous with an overdose of libido on their way to the Land of Smiles. Larry, aged 74, had a passport with mostly stamps from Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines. When I told him about some of my travels he was intrigued, and to my surprise knew where Pitcairn Island was. When I asked him if he would ever consider going to Antarctica he said "if there's no women there I ain't going" and I had the pedantic response of "oh, there'll be women on the expedition ship for sure." The longest, most boring AirAsia flight I was on; there's no such thing as in-flight entertainment on an AirAsia flight so it's best to bring a book or an iPad with plenty of music (and battery). Everywhere is far away from Australia. Even a relatively short hop such as to Thailand involves a 9-hour flight from Brisbane. By the time I arrived last night I was buggered. Public transport is very limited from Don Meaung International Airport, especially at night so my only realistic option was a taxi. First I wanted something to eat so I stopped at 7-Eleven and got pork Thai basil that was so spicy I felt like my mouth caught fire. Hailing a taxi from directly in front of the airport is a bad idea because they will almost certainly overcharge. One driver tried to charge both a French guy and myself 900 baht (about $30 US), so we were directed to a rank where you take a number and where taxi drivers will be penalized if they rip you off (there's a hotline to call if they do so). The ride still ended up costing 400 baht with the fare including two tolls but at least my exhausted self was at the English school where I'll be staying and talking to students. Yhumico is my host via Couchsurfing, and is one of the head instructors. The school is almost directly across from Khao San Road: famous for it's hedonistic nightlife. You could easily compare it to Kuta or Tijuana in terms of party, that's for sure. With signs advertising buckets and laughing gas, I'm not up for that. Croc meat sounds somewhat appealing but spiders, cockroaches, and scorpions would never cross my lips.
Pad thai, for less than $3 would be my light tea for the evening. From Norway to Chile, Melbourne to the Maldives, I've had pad thai many places; finally I've had it in Thailand.
This morning I arose early so I could get lost amidst the temples of Bangkok. My own walking tour I started and my first stop was Wat Bowonniwet Vihara with its glowing golden stupa.
My finger will be on my camera an awful lot during this journey I reckon. Shoes will be removed often in Thailand so the best advice is to bring thongs (flip flops) or easily removeable footwear. You'll be removing your shoes at every single temple, holy site, or home. On my way I had an opportunity for my daily good deed: a girl's motorscooter was stuck on a curb and I helped her lift it out, resulting in a few giggles from locals. The second temple I visited was Wat Tri Thotsathep, which wasn't as spectacular but still lovely. Temple #3 today was Wat Intharawihan, home of the Big Buddha.
The statue is so huge I had trouble getting the whole thing in one photo. Bangkok is nearly always hot and humid so a long walk drains your energy quickly. With my fill of temples for now I headed back to the English school. Part of the agreement for staying is that I talk with the students. These students are very motivated and many of them speak English very well. Unlike in Lombok a few years ago, they don't play on their phones as I'm speaking to them. My favourite student was a math major named Jane (Jane is a guy). He speaks English extremely well and we spoke for more than 30 minutes.
After speaking with three different students for awhile I went for another walk. I had hoped to visit the Grand Palace but the entry fee is rather steep (500 baht) and you must wear long pants, but I didn't bring any with me to Thailand. The only stuff I brought with me was my camera and what I could fit in my small backpack; no computer, no drone, no drama. Whilst I passed on the Grand Palace, I visited the Bangkok City Pillar Shrine. I'd imagine you could visit a temple or shrine every day of the year in Bangkok and still not see 'em all, but I managed quite a few today with geocaches leading me to the first three. I wasn't up for a cocktail bucket, laughing gas, or a hooker on Khao San Rd but I was up for some good grub. I plan to do zero cooking whilst in Thailand. When I got chatting to a comedy club manager from Boston I asked "which pad thai stall would you recommend?" and he said "none of them, I recommend Thai Magic on the next street over. The owner is a magician." From there I went for some delicious pad thai and spring rolls. The owner has a trick where he sets his wallet on fire.
My first full day in Bangkok was pretty full on with temples, Buddha statues, honing my language skills, and feasting on delicious Thai food. Khao San Road doesn't strike my fancy but it's worth a wander to have a gander, but be cautious of overzealous vendors, oversexed foreigners, and over-inebriated partiers. The temples are far more interesting any day of the week.
