Bangkok

We arrived to Bangkok, after being treated royally in first class (thanks to the free upgrade from Air India!)at 5:30 am on February 5th. From the moment we stepped off the plane, we realized that Thailand is a very different place to our previous home of one month, India. We were greeted and assisted at every turn, by smiling Thais who were happy to see us and welcome us to their country. The airport was clean, the metro was clean, the streets were clean, and there was no beeping or honking in the busy Bangkok streets. Paradise!

We found our airbnb accomodation and had a power nap, as I was plagued by a stomach bug and Paul opted for the movie selection during our overnight flight. After some quick shut eye, we made a metro-sky rail-river boat trek to Khao San Road, the main touristic street in Bangkok where most of the backpackers hang out. We met our Croatian friends Tomo and Jenny for lunch, as they were spending their last day in Thailand the same day we arrived! It is so funny how many people we have reconnected with while traveling. Tomo and Jenny told us all about their farmstay, where they worked and built huts out of bamboo while learning about Buddhism, which sounded pretty awesome. There is a website called workaway.info where you can hook up with various hosts around the world and volunteer to help in exchange for a place to stay or food, etc. I will definitely look into this for our future, possibly in South America.

Tomo and Jenny also told us about some cool places to visit during our 2 week stay in Thailand, and gave us some tips about what to do and see. They had 5 weeks to spend here, so they made their way up north and down to the islands for some beach time. I'm now wishing we had more than 2 weeks here, as I already love Thailand so much!

In Bangkok, there was a "state of emergency" declared by the government due to protests that had taken over parts of the city. Now I am no expert on the Thai language or politics,but from what I could see it was more like an "Occupy Wall Street" style operation that actually packed some muscle.. There were entire roads closed down and lined with stands selling street food, jewelry, clothes, sunglasses, etc. There were 2 huge stages at different major intersections that pumped out cover bands and political speeches while protestors cheered and waved their flags. We even saw a "Guns n Roses" band play a pretty good rendition of "Sweet Child of Mine" when we stumbled upon the protest. It was more like a street festival than anything, and it was peaceful yet full of energy.

The last picture is Lumpini Park, a huge place smack in the middle of the city with a nice running route (score! So nice to run in a safe, non polluted place!) and other workout related equipment. This  is where tons of protestors called home.. There were entire mini villages of tents all around the park. There were also mobile toilets and showers, as well as free medical care, free food, and water for the protestors. It was pretty incredible to see the support and solidarity of the Thai people.. I am sure there are people who want to cast their vote because it's their right, but you have to respect these people for standing up for reform.. Apparently, from what I've been told by a few locals, the reason they are protesting voting is because the government is very corrupt (suprise suprise) and before they hold a vote to elect leaders into power, they want the constitution to be reformed and the corruption dealt with.. More power to 'em for demanding change.. It will be interesting to see what happens into fe uture for Thailand. All I know is they LOVE LOVE LOVE the king.

We had a good time exploring the city, using the super efficient and nice transit systems, and browsing the gigantic shopping malls. We took a "tourist boat" that cost 40 baht per person (just over $1) down the river to the royal palace and other temples, and it was very different from the 15 baht per person boat we took on the way back.. This boat was the one locals use, and it was mad. They speed up and down the river, stopping at each pier, and people pack like sardines inside the boat. You have to basically jump on and jump off because the captain does not play around.. He drives from stop to stop with quickness and accuracy, and tries to get as many passengers as possible. It was very similar to our bus ride in India.. Personal space goes out the window when you use public transport in Asia. Please don't try to catch the metro with a huge backpack at 8 in the morning... You will wait, as we did, until 9:15 on the platform, while thousands of people enter and exit the trains and you wait because there is absolutely no space for you and your stupid backpack. Grab a coffee instead and wait until the rush has died down... We hated being "those backpackers" but when you're exhausted and need to get to your accomodation it's a necessary evil.

We also had the pleasure of meeting up with a fellow ashram-er, Raúl during out stay in Bangkok. We walked up and down Silom road, sampling all kinds of street food. In Thailand, it is very clean to eat off the street, and the food is incredible, and super super cheap. You can grab one of the best pad thai dishes you have ever tasted for under a dollar.. Take that dollar menu. Paul tried all kinds of strange meat Popsicles, sausages, and other meaty delicacies while I opted for some bomb grilled corn and fresh summer rolls. You could eat yourself silly in Bangkok, there are so many cheap and good options right on the street. 

Many people we have met have mixed feelings toward Bangkok, but we absolutely loved the city... Most people use it as a stopover point to head to the islands, up north, or to other SEAsiaN countries..There is so much to do and see, and we barely saw the main downtown area. I just read an article in Backpacker SEAsia that you can surf in Bangkok, inside a gigantic shopping mall, and was told there is a restaurant where the wait staff are robots. Nuts! Of course, you can spend your days at touristy Kao San Road or visit the dubious side streets lined with ladyboy, ping pong, and other weird shows, if that's what you want to see.. But we stayed away from those places and found that Bangkok had tons to offer, it's very walkable, and has some of the nicest locals we have met.. Everyone is smiling! 

After 3 nights in Bangkok, we took a taxi to the airport and told the driver we were heading to Chiang Mai, another large city in the north of Thailand.. He burst out laughing when we told him where we were headed, and that, my friends, is the next post to come.

We love Thailand!