I learned to slow down in Bangkok

Welly welly well then. After a tearful if not a little surreal farewell, an epic 12 hour flight from Auckland brings me to an entirely new country. Thailand is amazing. I am about a week and a half into my travels here, and every day I fall in love with the place a little bit more.

I flew in over Bangkok at about 10pm and the view from the plane was breathtaking. Bright orange lights below are snaking in organic patterns and pulsating to a strange rhythm. The lights seemed to go on and on forever - Bangkok is a huge place. Definately a "not in Kansas anymore" moment. It might sound strange but it was quite a profound feeling that I was now in Asia..

Had a transfer from the airport to my hotel room at the Indra Regent which was pleasant enough 4 star with tyical Western amenities. A bit of an awkward moment with the bellboy who stood in my room waiting for a tip, which unfortunately I could not supply as all I had was 1000 bhat notes (roughly NZ$43.00, which goes a looong way in Thailand, trust me). There was a moment where I was afraid he might come into my room in the middle of the night to tape me to the bed and steal all my belongings.

Thankfully my paranoia was unwarranted. The next day I took a taxi to Ko San Rd and had a good chat with the driver - he was a warm, good humoured man, like many of the other thai people I have met so far. The drive however was definately an eye-opener - the driver he say "you ready?", then proceeds to cut across two lanes of traffic and onto the motorway offramp. I said "Wow! You're a real professional!". He laughed as he queued 3 cars deep - strangely not a car horn to be heard.

So this is the "legendary" Ko San Rd. Centered in the Bangphanglu district of Bangkok it is the most popular hang-out for backpackers (or so I am told). Stalls and shops for days, bro. People wanting falung (foreigner) money all over the place - "Come my shop!", "No thank you", "Why not you say you come my shop yesterday!". Common starters are "Heelllloooo where you from", or "Where you going?" from the tuk tuk drivers. Some of them are very pushy but this is not actually typical of Thailand, only in some parts of Bangkok.

Ko San comes alive at night and there are so many falung that the traffic is mostly blocked off except for some tuktuks. The thai have a way of adapting technology to a achieve specific tasks in a very haphazard but supremely effective fashion. Amidst the cries of "Ping pong!?", you find heavily modified scooters everywhere which have been converted into mobile food stalls. In my extremely limited experience, this is where the best food in Bangkok is to be found. Skewers of meat and noodles, and fresh chopped ice-cold fruit are the standard fare.

750 bhat will get you a standard double room with airconditioning at the D&D Inn, which I would recommend to anybody. On the top floor is a bar, pool table, pool, a beauty salon if you are so inclined, and thai massage to die for.

The sightseeing around Bangkok I have to say is pretty darn cool. Best way is by tuk tuk, but you must agree to a destination and a price before the journey. They will try to take you all over the place, which is often fine but just be sure of where you are going and go for the tuk tuks with white number plates (not yellow). These ones are government affiliated and work to regulated pricing constraints.

I am running out of time so I will now entertain you with some pictures of some of the places during my 3 day sojourn in Bangkok.

Golden Mount.

View from Golden Mount.

Wat Pho.

At Wat Pho.

I really liked Wat Pho.

So ladies and gentleman that is it for now. I have way more photos I will get online at some point. Since Bangkok I have flown to Phuket where I stayed, riden by coach to Surat Thani, caught a ferry to Ko Samui where I again spent some time, then went onto Ko Pang Nang. I am currently staying at a place that I have to say, is quite literally paradise on earth in a little cove named Hat Thien. Many more stories to tell but you will need to stay tuned. Please give me your comments and suggestions.

Until then, it's only fitting I bid you farewell in pigeon-thai. Lah gawn, pob kun mai krow nha!