I Offically Feel Like I Live in Bangkok.

On January 16th I violently woke up from my horribly-uncomfortable sleep to an old lady shaking my leg... we had arrived from Chang Rai at the main bus terminal in Bangkok, and it was time to get my sleeping butt off the bus... it was 5:03 am... and I was back in Bangkok, my least favorite place in all of Thailand.

But instead of me being a lost and confused little Joey (baby kangaroo) arriving in the dark, at a big bus terminal... I knew exactly where to go, what taxi drivers to ignore, and how much I should be expecting to pay for my motorbike taxi.

As I whizzed around in the dark city of Bangkok, there were surprisingly thousands of other people up and functioning at 5:15 am... I saw lots of street vendors selling food, families on motorbikes, street sweepers, loose dogs, people sitting around talking, and kids walking around in school uniforms...

The same kinds of things I see at 5:15 PM in Bangkok. Interesting.


Unexpectedly, I have spent more time in Bangkok (on separate occasions) then anywhere else in Thailand. For some reason it is just the HUB of everything, all flights, main buses, and information...

After spending over five days or so with Claire and Bonnie in Bangkok (over a month ago) doing all kinds of touristy stuff... I'm pretty much OVER Bangkok. Since then I have spent 6 more days here.

I have seen thousands of travelers wearing CROCS (those crazy plastic shoes w/holes in them, that make me want to throw-up), all kinds of people, young and old, getting FAKE dread locks braided and woven into their hair (also makes me want to throw-up), and pretty much anything else that equates to a psycho tourist hot-spot.

Ohhhh- And my favorite: Seeing tourist (usually the young dumb ones my age) walking around with various bandages on their wrists, fingers, ankles, knees, one eye etc. etc. HAHAHhaaa I don't know why it's so funny to me... it just is. I know that most of them are from drunkin nights, and it obvious that some sketch Thai doctor sloppily bandaged em up. Wish I had pictures of em... there's too many too count! :)

With all that said, Bangkok isn't all that bad. What's nice about it, is that it's HUGE. And while having to run various errands to get my VISA for India I was able to cruise all across the city seeing areas where there were no tourists, and lots of graffiti :)

Like every major city, it has HORRIBLE traffic, and pollution. And after discovering that motorbike taxi's (scooters) are 5X cheaper then taking a Tuk Tuk, and 10X cheaper then if I jumped into a normal taxi... and 100X more fun... they are the only way I choose to get around!

There is a feeling of closeness with the community of Bangkok when you are on the back of a motorbike... the crazy high speed weaving in and out of cars, and other motorbikes, running red lights, using the sidewalks to avoid street traffic, never standing still, and constantly maneuvering around cars and other motorbikes, carrying huge packages, lives animals, and up to 6 or more people...

Its absolutely crazy. There are no rules... or at least none are followed.

At this point in my traveling, I feel like a permanent resident in Bangkok. I know exactly what places have the cheapest and fastest internet, the best street Phat Thai, my favorite old lady to buy sticky rice and mango from, the fresh fruit smoothie guy whom I go to every morning (the same one that Claire, Bonnie and I went to over a month ago), where I can get motorbike taxi's from, where the loose dogs hang out, my favorite place to get smoked fish, the 711 that has the friendliest workers, and the list goes on....

Since LIVING in Bangkok, I have also developed a strong passion for THE KING of Thailand. I have spend many many hours in bus terminals waiting for my bus... and the only thing to do, was to watch the huge TV's... that were playing documentaries on no other then The King, himself. From watching these (all in Thai) I have really begun to really like the guy. He seems awesome and like a really cool person :) Hahahaa. This is the excellent brain washing talking of course... but hey. I like the guy. And so does EVERY SINGLE other person in Thailand. It's really something.... Well I'm sure they are those who don't like him... but you get my point.

I have yet to walk up to a home, business, school, restaurant, street cart etc. that did not have some kind of picture of him hanging up.

I'd like to do more research on him and learn about the good or bad things he has done for his country.

Luckily, I will be leaving Bangkok January 19th and flying into South India! Thus ending my residency in Bangkok, Thailand :)

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