We arrived in Bangkok … what excitement! : D our trip has just begun !!!! Our bodies move with the weight of large backpacks, is what you have to carry the house on your back … equally … we have lost weight … will have to throw away ballast if we want to enjoy the displacements … to see how I explain to Mayra has to get rid of her clothes sorters and hair straightener …
For the first two nights we have booked a room for € 20 (night) on Airbnb. The mental image was: everyone in the dining room, sharing a dinner and a few beers with Thai students who would explain everything about Thailand … but the reality was that it was a room in a kind of shabby hotel, so the mistake came out … There are hotel deals with a pool for € 13 / night. However, as good backpackers, the best option is to go to Kao San road and for 300 Baths you have a double room (fan and shared bathroom) in good condition, very correct and cheap.
To go to the first accommodation, we took a train from the airport that took us to the City, once there, we went up to a tuk tuk, which means cheap in Tai … what the hell … after a timid haggling, it cost us 180 Baths … here you have to haggle to death !!!!! or you have the face of pringao. That amount is too much for the distance traveled. In Thailand they are very smart, like everywhere, or else go to take a paella to the Ramblas in Barcelona when you have just arrived, you have no idea of prices and they know it, so if they can they get an extra … you and me, another tactic they use, just when you arrive from another city, for example, by bus, taxi drivers harass you from the first moment so you can not think, go to the same door of the bus to hurry as if you only had that opportunity to say yes or you’re lost !! So you accept its high price before checking that there are cheaper ways to get where you want to go.
Bangkok is an overpopulated city where everything moves fast. The traffic is horrible and there are people everywhere. In addition there are always open businesses, even nightwear markets. At first it may seem like too much … but it has many charms.
The best way to get around the city, without any hurry, is the local bus. It costs between 9 and 15 Baths and everyone, including the driver, will help you as much as possible, they are very nice !! Also, as it is a transport that tourists do not use, people are kinder, and who does not want to practice a bit of English, just looks at you with curiosity. Anyway, at night taxi with a meter (you have to ask for it) are fast and cheap, since there is no traffic.
The devotion for a king is very high, bordering on exaggeration. Due to the duel imposed for a year by the death of the king there are pictures everywhere, even prayer areas for his death, especially in shops, in all! with flowers, incense and candles.
We visited the Patpong Night Market, and what do you want me to tell you, it does not have too much charm, except for finding the best change from Euros to Baths. Everything they sell are souvenirs, imitations of brands and … the famous ping pong show !! ping pong show … ping pong show … ping pong show … What a pain! It is surrounded by brothels with very young girls, who offer their services to drunk tourists, in dark rooms with techno music … quite deplorable, musical and humanly. The best thing was that in that area we had our first massage !!! ooooooh … what a pleasure … After reviewing prices in several places, we finally chose an Oil Massagee for 250 Baths each, Great !!!!
So you can see how the Thais can be, coming back from the Night Market we asked a local girl about the bus, very nice, we talked to her, she liked football and was a Barça fan. As the bus was late, he helped us to take a community taxi, which the locals take, if you do not know Thai you have no idea where it goes … you only see that it follows a route and people go up and down. The price of the taxi was 7 Baths per person that the Tai girl paid, she invited us !! What a nice look the girl …: D
Another must-see is the Budha stretched temple, the Wat Pho, costs 100 Baths the entrance, although it’s worth it. From the chaos of the city, you enter the calm and tranquility of a Buddhist temple. The temple is full of rooms with statue, figures and ornaments. In particular, the stretched Buddha is spectacular, a statue in homage to the Buddha’s teachings when he was over 80 years old and gave his lessons stretched.
The Royal Palace is right next door, but it cost around 15 euros to enter … discarded … we are poor …
Next stop … Chinatown! spectacular!!!! It is a street full of food stalls crowded by many people, a show that we loved, and we took the opportunity to try everything that fit us in the stomach ….
We also went to the floating market, by the way, by local bus, a wonderful transport !! but it was closed that day … pity.
We finally decided to leave Bangkok, by bus at night towards Krabi. To get to the bus station we asked a couple, they told us we had to take the number 40, but since they wanted to practice English they accompanied us to the stop, 4 streets away … but what majetes they are !!!
Our stomachs began to claim their happiness, so we entered the market that we saw just behind the 40th stop. It was full of food !! full of stops, with all kinds of food … in the center there was a square with tables and benches, surrounded by prepared food stalls, there were locals eating, and while on the hung televisions, they saw a Muay Thai combat that It seemed important, so we joined … adding that the market was reasonably clean, and everything was very nice.
And we want to mention Marta, a friend who accompanied us a piece of the way, hallucinating us with her experiences as a singer in Japanese and showing us the two albums she has recorded. An excellent person to whom we wish him the best: Besazos Marta!
Next stop … the Krabi area !!