Brave in Bangkok

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After a visa run from Koh phangnan to Kuala Lumpur where I randomly met a yogi several times in the streets of China town (who gave me a few new mantras to chant if I so wished!), it was off to Bangkok. I am now writing this in retrospect after all the political protests and violence erupted and has been the result of a few deaths. Whilst I was in the heart of Bangkok, I decided to venture to the infamous 'koh San Road' during one of these early and then, celebratory protests, I now see how that could have been a decision full of folly. I later learned these kind of protests can turn at any moment from celebratory romp where locals take advantage of the heady atmosphere to sell their wares and make a buck, to full on angry opportunists that clash violently with each other and their government. But let's start at the beginning...

Bangkok was the first place I had felt scared; arriving at night, I wasn't prepared for the giant, noisy, smelly metropolis - ringing around frantically from my well thumbed Lonely Planet guide 11pm at night after landing in the airport whilst trying to navigate my way around several transport systems and make sense of where I was. THIS my friends is what everyone tells you NOT to do and there is a reason why. It leaves you open and vulnerable, weepy and desperate for sleep. Plus its bloody scary! Ha i'm being dramatic - I was just tired and hungry and I ended up in a lovely little hostel, a little way out of town but with super friendly staff who actually lent me money in the trust my new found friend Jenga would pay it back to them on her return.

When travelling in Bangkok, steal yourself with hardiness and positivity, for you can have the best time of your life. Now I'm not a city girl but by god that city showed me a good time. Be prepared for bright lights, fast paced boat journey's, crowded transport, angry bus drivers, stinky but delicious food venues, tacky merchandise, tranquil temples amid loud streets, dicey traffic, shiny gold!!, locals attempting to sell you everything, HEAT, noise and sore feet!! Be prepared for all this and much much more as you enter into the spirit of the place, to be infected with excitement, overwhelmed by the constant buzz in your ears, heart in your mouth as you literally jump on or off a ride that will take you to the next thril. Oh, and it helps to do all this with a friend or two and I had met the best person to take on this beast of a city - Jenga.

Jenga who accepted the whirlwind of Bangkok wholeheartedly and gave it a run for her money! A South African girl, upbeat, fortified, funny and friendly. Oh and who said "rad' a LOT! Now I like to think we balanced each other out a bit - I had just come out of Koh Phangnan's well being bubble of calm and thrown head first into her antithesis. I wasn't swallowed, churned around and spat out like some people's tales of being claimed by the city of Bangkok, no - my experience is testament to the variety wheel you get on when travelling and the characteristics one needs or develops to survive happily...flexiblility, adaptability, good friends and some prescription sunglasses can make a whole lot of difference when experiencing one extreme to the next! So, gregarious Jenga introduced me to my first city tuk tuk and moto taxi rides through hectic Chinatown where someone had thrown up red and gold everywhere and we got lost in a maze of stinky backstreets filled with plastic plunder. Whilst hot tempered Jenga almost lost it with a taxi driver who dropped us in the middle of nowhere on a less than friendly street at night, I remained calm in my residual peace and love acquired on the islands...letting it all pass me by (i've since realised you have to work at retaining this patience and love!).

As the days went by with Jenga, I could feel myself opening up to the hectic pace and took it on with renewed vigor...down pretty side streets filled with magical lights in search of new jewellery made from melted coins. People watching whilst having weird pedicures that ended in Chinese men lifting legs and arms into unknown positions amid gaggles of giggles, visiting tourist sites that made us cry, full of all the glittering colours of history, shiny motifs and patterns that turn your eyes into kalaidescopes until you don't know which direction to turn. Then whirlwinds of crowds, protests, masks, dodgy people in the dark, live music on happy bustling streets, beer, smoggy, frenetic fun, steps to views on temples high, offerings, flowers, gold and Buddhas as large as your house! Hot hot walking around sites unknown, bells ringing in the humid air, monks walking slowly unaffected by the pace around them, burger eaten in a Japanese bar, sweet tea, cold cocktails, dripping air con and foreign voices, feet burning with the story of the night, tattoos drawn in the dark of an alley with other unspoken rituals, cycling in the sunshine of a glorious park surrounded by tall skyscrapers and the occasional monitor lizard...

...I could go on but you get the idea...think of flickering memories jumbled in the confusion of time, wreckless time in a wreckless city. What can I say...??? I bought too much at malls where there is a floor for each area of your body and another, larger one waiting for you right next door. I almost died on the highways attempting to get to these malls, driven by a boy on a bike who was apparently auditioning for the next '2 fast 2 furious' film; picture the scene...dark, early evening race to get to the last shopping malls, two bikes, two girls, traffic lights and suddenly a million other vehicles all jostling for position at all four corners, craziness! Off we go, knees millimetres away from cars and bikes weaving in and out of the thick, smoggy nightmare that are the roads of Bangkok wondering if our shrieks and laughs would be our last. Ha! I loved it! Enough said. Exhilirating madness and lots of fun but a word to the wise:

get a partner in crime to find a metered taxi for you when you feel too dizzy to carry on

haggle your way through everything

wear long trousers to temples

accept the friendly smiles but be wary of everyone!

put tissue paper in your bra where it is easily accessible when you cannot change your hovering/balanced position any longer and don't want to touch anything!!

agree a price beforehand, tell the driver "slowly slowly" and hold on tight!!

be ready to literally jump on and off the taxi boat on the river at your stop

have a good bed - you'll want it at the end of each day/night

wear comfortable shoes

mix touristy stuff in with accidental finds

try something new every day

oh - and get out while you still can!!

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