A year and 2 days ago I began my travels. My first stop was Bangkok, Thailand. I have an uncle who lives there and I stayed with him for a few days while I found my feet and got used to the climate and the language. The view from his apartment was amazing...
We spent my first full day going to some of the tourist sites, such as the Grand Palace, but I preferred the boat ride along the Chao Praya River to get there, as it was really interesting to see the houses along the klong. I admit, I had never seen real poverty in my life, so seeing the dilapidated houses, piled on each other and sagging under the weight was a little bit of a shock. But what I really noticed was the cheerfulness of everyone, and how happy they all were. I also really enjoyed the market atmosphere - chaotic, noisy and fun. One thing I was yet to get used to... the smell of the river!
I couldn't resist going to the Hello Kitty cafe. It was sickeningly cute, and I loved it! The food was so expensive though, so I settled for a pink milk. I could easily have spent all my money in the gift shop.
For sure my favourite experience in Bangkok was the folk bar we went to called Rain Tree. The band played traditional Thai folk songs that everyone sang along to, and I had way too much Spy Wine, which was basically watered down wine with enough of an alcohol content to get me drunk.