Hello from Thailand!
Yes, this was set up as a travel blog, but this is my first true travel post. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera to the internet cafe, so you'll have to wait on those, I'll try to get them up before I leave bangkok. Also, this keyboard can stick sometimes, so there might be a few typos in here that I'm too lazy to fix.
Okay, here we go.
Flight was really boring and not much to report. I did get pulled over by the cops on my way to dropping off my car. I'm on the freeway and he makes me get off at the next exit. I'm on my way to the airport after I drop off the car so I'm a bit on edge. The cop pulls me over and says, "The reason I pulled you over is becuase you've been following that car in front of you too closely." I kind of have to laugh and I'm like, "well, actually that's my boyfriend. he has the directions to where we're going." I go on with my spiel of leaving for four months, yada yada. Anyway, he takes my license and registration, but brings them back like a minute later. It was odd, but then we were off.
Flight: long. sfo-hong kong-singapore-bangkok. Left late friday night, go in evening sunday. 15 hours later here. The airports in singapore and hong kong were both pretty awesome with free wifi and stuff.
Sunday, the hotel that I had gotten online worked out great as did the car that I requested. Yes, I paid way more than needed, but it gave me peace of mind.
Sunday night roamed the streets of khao san- the backpacker mecca. I'm seriuos. I've never sen anything like it. Everything is for sale. Cheap street food. $5 massage places. Truly crazy.
Monday: started out fine. My hotel came with breakfast so that was a bonus. Then I went out i search of a new hotel bc mine was too close to the action and I couldn't sleep there. Found one. got a massage. all was going well. I moved to my new spot, after the downpour which occured right as I was trying to leave with all my stuff. Then I decided to do some of the tourist stuff. Made my way to the grand palace, which included trying to take the boat and not finding the right spot. Walking way the wrong way down a pretty poor street, although no one really seemed to notice me, happening upon some cute little thai girls doing a dance on a big stage with all of their parents standing around taking pictures-soemthings are the same around the world. I finally found the palace- 300baht, about $10. I thought that was a bit steep, but you know, what can you do? The palace was pretty incredible, including an "emerald" buddha, who is really jade, but still pretty cool. Lots of gold, huge, many temples, etc.
Then I set off in search a visa for vietnam. Well, I should have sprung for the real map earlier in the day. But, I took the boat, got off a stop to early. Wound my way through the garment and jem district until I finally found the sky train. Took the sky train but then realized it didn't go where I was trying to go. Got off, tried to walk, the pollution is crazy and all of the streets are incredibly loud. Blah. Walk for a while, finally realize that I can take the subway one stop and would be almost there. I look at the map and a guy who works at the subway asks me where I'm going. I tell him, he says, no no. It is over there but you can't go there in the afternoon, they won't help you. You need to take this tuk tuk, 20 baht, and go to the tourist office. they can do it. So he bargains with the tuk tuk for me, and it was basically the most terrifying thing I've experienced in quite some time. Bascially, I'm on the back of somewhere between a motorcycle and a bicycle, with a fabric top. We're on this fast street with cars whizing by. I think I'm going to die. My knuckles are white. Thankfully, he drops me off pretty quickly and I pay him. No hassle. All okay. I go in, they tell me it will cost about $75. I'm like, what, the book said it should cost $35. He's like, yeah, you are paying for our service. I say forget it, I'll go to the embassy in the morning. He's like ok. As I'm walking out I ask, "do you have a map of bangkok?" No, of course not. why would the tourist office have a map of bangkok. So, here it is like 3 hours later, I've got no visa. I've spent hours walking and taking all of this public transit. I'm dirty and sticky. And, really far from my hotel. So I decided to take a real taxi home, figuring that would be easier than retracing my steps. Uh, no. Madeningly slow. Bascially, gridlock, as many people have warned me. And the taxi driver has these times of like 5 minutes where the traffic just isn't moving. So he uses that time to pluck the hairs out of a mole in his chin. Over and over, every time we stop. A beautiful sight, let me tell you.
So I finally make it home, shower, spend a little time in my air con room, then go out in hopes of meeting some people, which was not successful. But I ate some street food and listened to a thai guy play music at a bar. He played all the classics-Bob Dylan, etc.
Anyway, today Tuesday was a better day. I met a nice Brit at breakfast and he helped me get to the Vietnam embassy since his friend lives in bangkok and he's spent a bunch of time here. We finally get ther around 11:15 and it closes at 11:30. Except that I need 2 passport pics. Well, this guy mark is like, "what I've learned about Thailand is that anytime you need something like passport pics, you can pretty much bet someone will be selling it next door or around the corner." Well, that was pretty much true. we jet over to this store that does them and make it back at 1:28. I manage to get it in, but in order to get it back by thurs it will cost $75. after all that it is the same price as the damn tourist office. so I elect for monday which is $58, but it kinda means I'm a bit stuck until then. I'm gonna do some day trips and come back to bangkok around the weekend.
Okay, just a couple more minutes so here are my thoughts and highlights of thailand so far:
lasers-they are trying to sell you these weird lasers tha don't do anything.
hippie-frat-travelers galore
fake ids-any id you might need you can get on the street
drag queens as your waitresses often
$5 massage all over the place
gas station that turns into classy bar at night with tables by the pumps
t-shirts that say everything stupid you could ever think of
like 5 or 6 different public transportation options that don't really conect to each other well
Thais like order-very orderly society. Arrows for in and out. Lines, etc. Different than some other places I've travelled.
Okay, my money is running out here.
xoxo
Dina
Yes, this was set up as a travel blog, but this is my first true travel post. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera to the internet cafe, so you'll have to wait on those, I'll try to get them up before I leave bangkok. Also, this keyboard can stick sometimes, so there might be a few typos in here that I'm too lazy to fix.
Okay, here we go.
Flight was really boring and not much to report. I did get pulled over by the cops on my way to dropping off my car. I'm on the freeway and he makes me get off at the next exit. I'm on my way to the airport after I drop off the car so I'm a bit on edge. The cop pulls me over and says, "The reason I pulled you over is becuase you've been following that car in front of you too closely." I kind of have to laugh and I'm like, "well, actually that's my boyfriend. he has the directions to where we're going." I go on with my spiel of leaving for four months, yada yada. Anyway, he takes my license and registration, but brings them back like a minute later. It was odd, but then we were off.
Flight: long. sfo-hong kong-singapore-bangkok. Left late friday night, go in evening sunday. 15 hours later here. The airports in singapore and hong kong were both pretty awesome with free wifi and stuff.
Sunday, the hotel that I had gotten online worked out great as did the car that I requested. Yes, I paid way more than needed, but it gave me peace of mind.
Sunday night roamed the streets of khao san- the backpacker mecca. I'm seriuos. I've never sen anything like it. Everything is for sale. Cheap street food. $5 massage places. Truly crazy.
Monday: started out fine. My hotel came with breakfast so that was a bonus. Then I went out i search of a new hotel bc mine was too close to the action and I couldn't sleep there. Found one. got a massage. all was going well. I moved to my new spot, after the downpour which occured right as I was trying to leave with all my stuff. Then I decided to do some of the tourist stuff. Made my way to the grand palace, which included trying to take the boat and not finding the right spot. Walking way the wrong way down a pretty poor street, although no one really seemed to notice me, happening upon some cute little thai girls doing a dance on a big stage with all of their parents standing around taking pictures-soemthings are the same around the world. I finally found the palace- 300baht, about $10. I thought that was a bit steep, but you know, what can you do? The palace was pretty incredible, including an "emerald" buddha, who is really jade, but still pretty cool. Lots of gold, huge, many temples, etc.
Then I set off in search a visa for vietnam. Well, I should have sprung for the real map earlier in the day. But, I took the boat, got off a stop to early. Wound my way through the garment and jem district until I finally found the sky train. Took the sky train but then realized it didn't go where I was trying to go. Got off, tried to walk, the pollution is crazy and all of the streets are incredibly loud. Blah. Walk for a while, finally realize that I can take the subway one stop and would be almost there. I look at the map and a guy who works at the subway asks me where I'm going. I tell him, he says, no no. It is over there but you can't go there in the afternoon, they won't help you. You need to take this tuk tuk, 20 baht, and go to the tourist office. they can do it. So he bargains with the tuk tuk for me, and it was basically the most terrifying thing I've experienced in quite some time. Bascially, I'm on the back of somewhere between a motorcycle and a bicycle, with a fabric top. We're on this fast street with cars whizing by. I think I'm going to die. My knuckles are white. Thankfully, he drops me off pretty quickly and I pay him. No hassle. All okay. I go in, they tell me it will cost about $75. I'm like, what, the book said it should cost $35. He's like, yeah, you are paying for our service. I say forget it, I'll go to the embassy in the morning. He's like ok. As I'm walking out I ask, "do you have a map of bangkok?" No, of course not. why would the tourist office have a map of bangkok. So, here it is like 3 hours later, I've got no visa. I've spent hours walking and taking all of this public transit. I'm dirty and sticky. And, really far from my hotel. So I decided to take a real taxi home, figuring that would be easier than retracing my steps. Uh, no. Madeningly slow. Bascially, gridlock, as many people have warned me. And the taxi driver has these times of like 5 minutes where the traffic just isn't moving. So he uses that time to pluck the hairs out of a mole in his chin. Over and over, every time we stop. A beautiful sight, let me tell you.
So I finally make it home, shower, spend a little time in my air con room, then go out in hopes of meeting some people, which was not successful. But I ate some street food and listened to a thai guy play music at a bar. He played all the classics-Bob Dylan, etc.
Anyway, today Tuesday was a better day. I met a nice Brit at breakfast and he helped me get to the Vietnam embassy since his friend lives in bangkok and he's spent a bunch of time here. We finally get ther around 11:15 and it closes at 11:30. Except that I need 2 passport pics. Well, this guy mark is like, "what I've learned about Thailand is that anytime you need something like passport pics, you can pretty much bet someone will be selling it next door or around the corner." Well, that was pretty much true. we jet over to this store that does them and make it back at 1:28. I manage to get it in, but in order to get it back by thurs it will cost $75. after all that it is the same price as the damn tourist office. so I elect for monday which is $58, but it kinda means I'm a bit stuck until then. I'm gonna do some day trips and come back to bangkok around the weekend.
Okay, just a couple more minutes so here are my thoughts and highlights of thailand so far:
lasers-they are trying to sell you these weird lasers tha don't do anything.
hippie-frat-travelers galore
fake ids-any id you might need you can get on the street
drag queens as your waitresses often
$5 massage all over the place
gas station that turns into classy bar at night with tables by the pumps
t-shirts that say everything stupid you could ever think of
like 5 or 6 different public transportation options that don't really conect to each other well
Thais like order-very orderly society. Arrows for in and out. Lines, etc. Different than some other places I've travelled.
Okay, my money is running out here.
xoxo
Dina
sukkhothai = best 2-day trip ever. go now.
ReplyDeleteLOVE THE GAS STATIONS THAT TURN INTO CLASSY BARS AT NIGHT. YOU HAVE TO TAKE A PICTURE OF THAT.
ReplyDeletexoxox