Warning- First Time Traveler

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I was in Bangkok for only two nights and wasn't able to do much sightseeing because (1) it was the start of Thai New Year and many temples and sites were closed; and (2) I had to run some errands and prepare for the next month, since I stupidly didn't prepare for anything while back in Seoul except book a flight to Bangkok and buy a copy of Lonely Planet's Southeast Asia on a Shoestring. The first day, I was not impressed with the city, but that didn't have anything to do with the actual city itself... I was totally overwhelmed, tired, scared and confused as it was the first time I had ever traveled alone and it was the first time I was in an "unwesternized" place (Tijuana with my family doesn't count I guess). It was in a total shock from the minute I stepped into the airport terminal, to negotiating for a tuktuk ride from the airport to Khao San Road, to riding a tuktuk across Bangkok. WOWSAS! All my senses were totally rocked out of its orbit because I had never felt of foreign in my life before! This is no pity party; it's just the truth of how everything struck me -- perhaps because of my lack of preparation.

At the airport, a white guy happened to see me confusedly reading my LP guide, so he came over to offer words of wisdom. He suggested I go to Khao San Road, which turned out to have the most backpackers per square meter (possibly in the world!). This place was gross, scary, intimidating and a huge culture shock to a (what I used to think) low-maintenance person like me. It seemed like everyone was out to be the grungiest of the bunch, and my normally chatty self couldn't get myself to talk to anyone, even though I made two attempts to do so.

I originally thought I would stay in the cheapest place, but as I walked down Khao San Road, I checked into a mid-range bare bones hotel. This is embarrassing to admit, but for the three nights I stayed there, I slept with the lights on... I was so scared!

The next few days was spent walking around Khao San Road (or walking away from!) being impressed or surprised by anything I saw, and wandering around this area through local markets, eating at food stalls and stands trying different things, and drinking Thai beer (I don't even like beer!). This was probably the best part of these initial days. Thai food is SO delicious! Stomach heaven! 😊

I went to the ATM at some point to see how I could withdrawal cash, and I quickly found out that I had done something so stupid. Since I had been living and working in Korea before this trip, I had only brought my Korean bank card, leaving behind my Wells Fargo debit card and credit card. Little did I know that my Korean debit card doesn't work outside of Korea. Panic! So I had to quickly find a Western Union solution. Man.. this sucked!

On my second day, I wandered into a travel agency and talked with one of the workers. I showed him on the map of SE Asia all the things I wanted to do (which I naively explained as "as much as I can do in a month!"). Then he helped me plan out an itinerary: Bangkok > Sihanoukville > Phnom Penh > Siem Reap > HCM > Hanoi > Vientiane > Chang Mai > Bangkok (this turned out to be unrealistic if you want to enjoy the places you're visiting, so I didn't end up trying to do this much). Then I paid for a ticket. This *magical ticket* would take care of (1) the transport from Bangkok to the Cambodian border + (2) one night in a border town hotel + (3) transport to Sihanoukville + (4) transport to Phnom Penh. Ok, well, sounds like a plan!

On my third day at Bangkok, I got on a bus that would take me to a Cambodian border town (with the eventual goal being Sihanoukville, a small beach port in southwest Cambodia). However, my plans changed when I met Earth, a really nice Thai local who works for a travel agency, who happened to be sitting in the bus behind me. He was on a short solo vacation, and as we started chatting on the bus ride, he told me that he was headed to Ko Chang, a beautiful local Thai island. He said it was much more beautiful than Sihanoukville. So I told him about my magical ticket and its itinerary, and he said he could look into getting it changed. So he called the travel agent, and then I was cleared to change my plans to cross out Sihanoukville, and replace it with Ko Chang. *shrug*

So then I ended up getting off the bus with Earth at a port in eastern Thailand. He knew some foreigner who was running a bungalow resort near a beach, so I stayed in a cool little hut next to the shore, safeguarded under my mosquito net. Since Earth knew the ins and outs of the area, we rented a motorcycle and he took me to Fisherman's Village, where crab sautéed with coconut milk and fresh fish grilled with lime/cilantro were $2 each! What a treat!!! I was fortunate in meeting Earth as he took me around and we just chilled and hit up some bars. It was a very "local" experience and I'm so grateful for this turn of events!

When I was at Ko Chang, the locals were celebrating Thai New Year and it was a mix of fun and annoyance. The tradition they have with New Years is to throw a bucket full of dirty water on you, as you're walking around, riding a moto (motorcycle), or on a truck taxi. On top of that, they throw baby powder on you, gleefully targeting travelers. When Earth and I rode around town on our rented motorcycle, we were prime targets, which was all in good humor. It's fun when you're hanging out, but not fun when you're on your way (in nice, clean, dry clothes with non-waterproof luggage) to the ferry, to start your boat ride plus a 5 hour drive to the Thai/Cambodia border. This H2O fiasco continued as Cambodia began their New Year celebration once I crossed the border. But, they were a lot nicer, as they opted to throwing just powder, rather than powder mixed in brown water.

I just want to mention something really kind that Earth did. On the morning I was to continue my journey onwards to Cambodia with my *magical ticket*, I didn't have any cash on me and had only travelers checks. I realized this as I was stressfully standing on the road with Earth (he was staying in Ko Chang a few more days) waiting for a cab to pass, so I could get a ride to the port, racing against the clock bc the ferry was departing soon. So Earth unhesitatingly suggested that he would lend me the money (like $10 which was way more than enough for the ride) so I can ride the taxi and have some money on me, and that I can pay him back later. This might seem totally normal in most developed countries, but in a place where you pay $2 for an extravagant meal, this is extremely gracious and kind. WOW. What a beautiful, humbling experience with such a nice guy. I'm so lucky to have met this fella!

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Comments

[earthwalker]

I remember Khao San Road the same way. Plus it smelled like toilet. :)