Crossing Borders

Rickety old train

Wednesday was my last day in Thailand so I decided to make a day trip to Ayutthaya, the second capital of Thailand (during approximately the 1300s-1600s), and see all of the old temples and palaces there. It's only a 2-hour train ride from Bangkok and the fares are absurdly cheap, probably because the trains are so old and relatively slow. I paid only 15 baht to travel from Bangkok to Ayutthaya which is about equivalent to 50 cents. Considering that one ride on the Bangkok subway or Skytrain will run you anywhere from 20-40 baht, a 2-hour ride for 15 baht is a freaking steal. Of course, the Bangkok train systems are much newer and nicer; it's kind of awkward actually that Bangkok has essentially 3 different train systems: the MRT, which is an underground subway, the BTS, which is a train elevated above street level, and the Airport Express train. None of these systems are integrated so you have to buy different tickets when you transfer between systems. And none of that takes into account the State Railway trains to cities outside Bangkok. It's a weird public transit situation.

Busy in Bangkok

Bangkok is really a pretty awesome city. I'm not sure what it would be like to live here full-time, but I've found myself fully enjoying the time that I have and appreciating some of the more interesting facets of Thai culture. Sure, there are traffic jams and smog that make Los Angeles look positively glowing by comparison, and crossing any street (or even just strolling on the sidewalk) often makes you feel as though you are playing a particularly dangerous game of human Frogger. And the culture is so laid-back on the whole that "customer service" can be something of a misnomer. But those are things that one just has to take as part of the experience when being introduced to a totally different culture. Overall, Thai people are generous and friendly and cook absolutely amazing food. Consider me sold.

On Sunday I checked into a new hostel in a very central area of Bangkok that is unbelievably massive and clean and yet still so cheap: only about $10 a night, which in Europe would get you a flea-ridden bed in a hellhole somewhere. I ventured out of the hostel to find some dinner and got approached by a random girl who not only happened to be staying at the same hostel as me, but also happens to be a GEPIK teacher on vacation from Korea as well. We're like mosquitoes, we're everywhere. So we joined forces and hunted down the most incredible Indian restaurant in the nearby Muslim district and gorged ourselves on naan, pappadums, lassi, about 8 different types of curry, and some masala tea. We shared a leisurely two-hour meal, good conversation, and then walked 30 minutes down Silom Road to the big gay club in Bangkok for a night of dancing and general fun. It was unexpected and a total blast, which is exactly why I love traveling alone. The random people you meet and stuff you do can never be predicted and are usually so much fun.

Stray Dogs and Full Moons

At long last, it arrived. The day I got to leave the freezing bitter cold behind, say "peace out" to my crappy little village, and leave on a loooong-anticipated 3-week adventure in Southeast Asia. About damn time.

Arriving in Thailand was pleasantly familiar and not at all a culture shock. I was slightly surprised, considering I'd only spent 5 days in Thailand before this trip, back in March 2004, almost 7 years ago now (!!), but I think it helps that Thailand is such a tourist-friendly country, possibly the most tourist-friendly on Earth. It is so incredibly easy to get around, and the Thai people are so incredibly kind and friendly... It is no wonder that people from all over the world flock to this place for a relaxing or exciting, reasonably affordable vacation. In my first week here, I've heard every possible language spoken around me (Thai and English naturally, but also Spanish, French, German, Italian, Finnish, Swedish, Russian, Korean, Chinese, Portuguese, Serbian, and others I completely failed to recognize). In fact, I've only met one or two other Americans on my entire trip. When I joined up with Kevin and David on Koh Samui, we did not meet a single American the whole time we were on the islands. Very unusual having been in Korea, where every foreigner seems to be from the US or Canada. Thailand is so global, it's wonderful.

Une tasse de café viennois

My first day I woke up in Seoul at 3.30 AM Thailand time and did not arrive at my destination in Bangkok for approximately 15 hours, after several buses, trains, and two planes connecting in Shanghai. Suffice to say I was exhausted when I finally met my Couch Surfing host that night and all I was really able to do was eat dinner before passing out. I honestly have never been that dizzy just from being tired (and at the tail end of a cold). My host, Sup, was a really nice Thai guy who is currently halfway through his residency to become an optometrist. He lives in a very nice studio apartment in Sukhumvit, the "nice, trendy" area of Bangkok. His culinary recommendations were outstanding. On Saturday night, he took me out to eat snail curry with beef salad, spicy chicken skewers, and shrimp balls in shrimp paste, topped off with bananas in syrup and coconut milk for dessert, and on Sunday morning we went to a famous creperie run by an actual Frenchman and gorged ourselves on the most incredible crepes and Viennese coffee. The food here is seriously heaven. I've only had one bad meal, and that was because I was on a train... otherwise, literally every meal has been superb. My most vivid memory of my first Thailand trip was how much I loved the food and I have certainly not been disappointed the second time around.