I can't believe it either! I've missed my blogging time! So- I realize in my last entry I left you in Melbourne in the airport on my way to New Zealand, but seeing as it has been over a month since I was there I figured you could wait a little longer for my NZ stories. I want to tell you all about where I have been for the last month while it is fresh on my mind. Trust me I won't forget about NZ -I am just saving the best for last!
SURPRISE! I'm in Thailand! Yeah, that's right...Thailand, SE Asia! A place I had briefly thought about visiting, but struggled with whether it was worth giving up more time in Australia for. Great Barrier Reef- Thailand- Great Barrier Reef- Thailand...SUCH a tough decision. BUT alas, all the unknowns of SE Asia captured my interest and here I am, sipping juice out of a young coconut and taking in the smells of fish sauce.
Previous Thailand travelers had mentioned how cheap everything would be here, and I have to admit that looking at my bank account and hearing this news certainly played a role in my decision to discover this side of the world. They weren't kidding either! I, a deal seeking, budget stricken, almost broke backpacker, am living like a queen...sort of!
The adventure begins...
With less than 10 kilograms (22lbs) of a month's worth of belongings in my backpack (more than 10 kilos meant paying a lot more money for my budget flight), we made our way through customs and then out to hail a taxi. Turns out we would be the ones getting hailed. The abundance of taxi drivers all stood outside their cars waving at us "Taxi Ladies? Taxi Ladies?". With that we made a random selection. Unfortunately our selection refused to turn his meter on- which was a big no no we had been warned about. Fortunately he agreed on the price we had expected to be charged so we accepted his ride anyway. I had booked accommodation online- so I handed over the address and off to Soi 1 Backpackers we went. We drove down what appeared to be a random alleyway that was somewhat deserted and offered very few lights. Upon arrival at 9pm the building was dark and seemingly abandoned. I was concerned. The doorway, however, was open so we curiously walked up the stairs and thankfully began to hear voices and catch some light. We were greeted by a room of smoke and the American owner who was dressed like Jimmy Buffet. The interesting man from Georgia showed us to our room. We were content with the place until we discovered the less than desirable bathrooms. It was then that we decided we would only be staying for one night!
By recommendation we discovered our first authentic Thai meal just down the street. Dessert was a Thai beer. Both dinner and dessert were fantastic and with that we considered our first night in Bangkok a success!
We woke up early and purchased fresh pineapple and papaya off the street for a buck! We stared at a map for a bit trying to find the river and taxi boat that our hostel owner suggested we try. It took a little instinctual trust and some guts to follow his directions down the filthy street clad with diseased dogs, run down shacks, and a variety of unwelcomed scents. The language barrier between us and the people in the streets meant pointing was the easiest and only way to determine whether or not we were headed in the right direction. A few points later and we had made it to the boat dock. This was far less glamorous than the boat dock you may be picturing! The litter filled river flowed around us and we found ourselves reveling in the fact that we were the only Westerners on the boat. The scenery was a bit shocking as we floated past a level of poverty I had never been exposed to before.
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| Eventually we ended up at the King's Palace and wondered around in our required garb of long sleeves and pants wishing we knew a bit more about what exactly it was that we were looking at. Too cheap to hire a tour guide we agreed to just take pictures and do research at a later date (still working on that!). The architecture was quite impressive- pictures don't do it justice. |
We bowed to the Buddha and blessed ourselves with who knows what before setting out for a canal tour.
We stocked up on some beer, booked a private boat and set sail. Sound glamorous? Fun yes, but glamorous it wasn't. It only cost us $12 each for this private boat! We motored through some Thai neighborhoods, saw more poverty- this time mixed in with a bit of wealth, and we learned how easy it is to get scammed! We bought a beer for the driver from a Thai lady on a boat. She had insisted he deserved one and we bought into her plea. With us in the front of the boat and the driver in the back she offered to deliver the beer to him. Only problem- she took our money and then instructed him to carry on...without ever giving him the beer.
He obviously couldn't hear our conversation with her and she was well aware. Lesson learned!
The rest of the day was spent walking around town. We stopped by a market, an internet cafe, and then worked our way towards a new place of residence for the next two nights. The Wendy House was the name of our new guest house and it was a delightful upgrade. For only $5 more a night (total of $15 per night) we had a very clean room, our own bathroom, air conditioning, TV, fridge, plus internet and breakfast were included! Not bad! We were excited to freshen up in our new home before heading out for some grub. We decided to forgo Thai food for a night and ordered a pizza. Let me tell you- the pizza in Thailand is better than any pizza I had in Australia, not to mention 1/3 of the price!
The next morning I found myself, in a sleepy haze, feeling a bit shocked when the realization that I was actually in Thailand came over me! It was only a week prior that I had decided to visit the country and book a flight! Crazy!
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| My trendy massage outfit |
To top the day off we hit up a German beer garden and sipped on a liter of beer to accompany our spicy Thai lunch. The thinking juice had Lisa and I discussing our future and where we thought we would be in a year. Not too far into this conversation we both realized we didn't even know where we would be in a month's time!
This whole experience has offered a lot of time to think about my future and has been quite thought provoking. I am feeling very blessed to have been given this time to reflect, and I am becoming very excited about getting back to the US and taking advantage of the opportunities it has to offer.
My Fav- Tom Yum Soup
Yummy Street Food
These Thai people are funny!
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