Bangkok, Thailand
February 22-26, 2014
Bangkok, what a city. We heard someone say its like being invited to a huge barbecue with six million people that you don’t know. The sun’s out, you can get a beer anytime and anywhere, everyone’s in a good mood, and there's meat grilling everywhere you look. It's indeed an exciting, 24-hour city where there’s always something going on, and it caters to everyone from families to backpackers. We think it does a good job balancing Western style with Thai personality. Bangkok was a planned stop for us to apply for our Indian visa's for our upcoming house sitting assignment and to take care of necessary appointments and stocking up on items we desparately needed. We unfortunately, didn't see many sights the city has to offer but we did have a chance to stroll the famous area known as Khao San Road bustling with activity and tourists. It was certainly a good taste of the Bangkok vibe.
Our Accommodation - O Bangkok and K79 Room Bangkok Traveller House
During the process of applying for our Indian visa's we were in Bangkok twice and stayed in different areas of the city.
In the famous area known as Khao San Road, we stayed down a quiter lane at a place called O Bangkok.
On our return trip, we stayed in the more central area near skytrain services at a place called K79 Room Traveller House.
Of the two, we loved K79 Room because the staff were extremely helpful and knowledgeable and being close to skytrain services made it much easier to traverse the city.
Bangkok: What does it feel like to arrive in Bangkok at 5:30am in the morning?
After a long journey on the bus from Lao, we are stumbling down Bangkok’s famous Khao San Road rubbing the sleep from our eyes while dodging the drunks and avoiding eye contact of ladyboys looking for some company....Though, Doug doesn't completely escape the caresses of a few passing by!
We don't really understand where we've been dropped by our taxi and the small dark streets feel a little intimidating but as we adjust to our surroundings, we see many tourists so this makes us feel better. We stop and talk to a few tourists asking what guesthouses they would recommend but we quickly discover that if we don't have a reservation, check-in won't begin until 1:00pm. A bit deflated by the long wait time, we find a nearby restaurant where some people are still ordering beers and others are ordering breakfast. We drop our backpacks and slump into our seats. We order coffee's and food and as we pause, it feels a bit unreal to be here. Only hours ago, we were on a sleepy little island in southern Lao, now we're in a different country with a new language, new culture and new currency! As we sip our coffee's, we comment how we love the opportunity to grow in this way, to expand our comfort zone and learn to go with the flow.
After our bellies are full and the sun is beginning to rise, we wander the streets, getting our bearings and scoping out a few initial guesthouses while we wait. Six hours later, we are in desparate need of showers and a nap! Finally, we find a room at a hotel called O Bangkok set down a quiter lane off Khao San Road. We drop our bags, get refreshed and feel better prepared to take on Bangkok!
We don't really understand where we've been dropped by our taxi and the small dark streets feel a little intimidating but as we adjust to our surroundings, we see many tourists so this makes us feel better. We stop and talk to a few tourists asking what guesthouses they would recommend but we quickly discover that if we don't have a reservation, check-in won't begin until 1:00pm. A bit deflated by the long wait time, we find a nearby restaurant where some people are still ordering beers and others are ordering breakfast. We drop our backpacks and slump into our seats. We order coffee's and food and as we pause, it feels a bit unreal to be here. Only hours ago, we were on a sleepy little island in southern Lao, now we're in a different country with a new language, new culture and new currency! As we sip our coffee's, we comment how we love the opportunity to grow in this way, to expand our comfort zone and learn to go with the flow.
After our bellies are full and the sun is beginning to rise, we wander the streets, getting our bearings and scoping out a few initial guesthouses while we wait. Six hours later, we are in desparate need of showers and a nap! Finally, we find a room at a hotel called O Bangkok set down a quiter lane off Khao San Road. We drop our bags, get refreshed and feel better prepared to take on Bangkok!
Famous Khao San Road
Khao San Road is one of the cities main tourist areas and its packed with shopping, food stalls and restaurants! There's something for everyone here from a bowl of Pad Thai to a phony degree from medical school.
Haven in the City
Yes, there still is some space where you can feel a bit of peacefullness in this crazy city! We take time out away from the hussle and bustle to sit and relax in this inner city park.