One night in Bangkok

Even before hopping on the turboprop jet off the Tarmac at YXU London, I had a strong feeling that Thailand was somewhere I wanted to go, somewhere far different than the western ways in Canada and Europe.

While in Africa watching the news about floods in Bangkok, I had feared the chances of adding a Thailand stamp to my passport were being washed away. Luckily, the water receded enough, just in time.




"So what else do you need to know?
Stuff about my family or where I am from? None of that matters.
Not once you have crossed the ocean and cut yourself lose;
looking for something more beautiful; more exciting.
And yes I admit something more dangerous.
So after 18 hours in the back of an airplane;
three dumb movies; two plastic meals; six beers and absolutely no sleep.
I finally touched dowm; in Bangkok

…So never refuse an invitation; never resist the unfamiliar;
 never fail to be polite; never over stay your welcome.
 Just keep your mind open and suck in the experience:
and if it hurts it’s probably worth it.

....and as for traveling alone; f*ck it. 
If that’s the way it has to be; then that’s the way it is.” - The Beach




Why Thailand?
Read on I guess....

To start, the service and food on Thai airways alone was comparable to nothing I have experience before. For example, I literally just ate smoked salmon as a starter to my braised pork and sautéed vegetable main dish. Take that Air Canada, and your rice and lentil vegan meal....


Landing in Bangkok the only knowledge of where to go and what to do next came from the Lonely Planet book Ben lent me, and some fantastic information I obtained from a really interesting guy I shared a room with in Rome. He owned a bar and diving school in Thailand for 3 years, and consequently had some priceless knowledge.

Scooters, Scooters everywhere

After reading some of the warnings in the lonely planet book, it only took two nicely dressed men asking me to follow them to a tourist information shop (which just happened to be on their way home from there work) to confirm the books suspicions.

"So whew yew fwum?"
"Canada...."
"Oh Canada, I have fwiend fwum tha..... Justin Beebah!!!"

Thanks Beebs.....

Local food market around the corner

What else is there to do on your first night as a tourist in Thailand? Get a massage and go try all the random food from the hundreds of food stalls along the streets, despite not knowing what exactly you may be eating.
Conclusion: the massage hurt like hell and the food was cheap and delicious. It felt like she was literally standing on my back and shoulders and leaning back to dig her heals in... Wait a second, yep that's exactly what the 90 pound Thai woman with strength like a gorilla was doing.




I still hadn't decided which party of the country I wanted to visit even by the time I arrived in Bangkok. Either head south to the most beautiful white sand beaches in the world for some rest and relaxation, or head north to Chiang Mai and that area for some more cultural experiences.
I can enjoy picture perfect beaches when I'm older, so I figured it was better to do the adventurous stuff up north while I'm ripe and ready for it.

How cheap is Thailand?
For the same price of a cab ride home from a bar in Rome I:

• Took a Tuk Tuk ride 20 mins to the bus station
• Paid for a VIP overnight bus to take me 800km north
• Took a Taxi back to the guesthouse
• Had Pad Thai made right infront of me, and had a bottle of coke later on.

Bada boom bada bing, I can get used to this place.