This story is not based on a true story, it is a true story, it is my story.
It all starts typical, I had just broken up and during my self-pity phase where I was crying a lot while listening to an insane amount of new age music and inhaled too much incense I booked a flight to Bangkok.
Preparations began, I told everyone I was going backpacking, but not really. I booked flights and hotels upfront, told myself the only backpacking thing about me would be the backpack. I come from a wealthy family and when we would travel it was never less than a 5 star resort or hotel and everything was arranged. I remember as a kid once being scared when we we're staying in a 3 star hotel thinking we would get mugged. So this trip I promised myself I would travel in style. The day before I left I picked the backpack up for the first time, I tipped back and could only imagine this is what a beetle on his back would feel like.
The day had come and I was ready for my six week holiday all on my own, or I pretended to be. I was nervous and my best friend had given me valium to ensure me of sleep during the flight. My parents picked me up and brought me to the airport, in line for the baggage check in my mom came up to me and told me she would give me an upgrade to business class. As I had to keep up my appearance of independent world traveller I told her I didn't want it and was frankly embarrassed, she on the other hand was offended that I didn't accept her offer. Some final good old parent advise "don't go out after dark" and "wear your important belongings on your body, cause you will get robbed" plus handing me a pocket knife definitely didn't calm me down before my 12 hour flight.
The flight was a total nightmare, the valium didn't calm me down and I was awake all the way. All I could think of was what had gotten into me to leave home to spend six weeks on my own on the other side of the world.
Exhausted I arrived, I picked up the backpack, hating the bag already, and walked to the taxis. As I stepped out of the airport the heat slapped me in the face and I was taking a shower in my own sweat. I started searching for a taxi that would take me to my hotel on Khao San Road, when I had found one the taxi driver asked me the standard questions 'first time in Bangkok?' and 'are you married? Why not?' but to be honest I was too tired to pay attention to him, I was staring out of the window and looking at the banana tree's, slums and condos. From the airport to Bangkok takes about 45 minutes and the further we got into the city the more hectic it got. Tuktuks, taxi's, busses and trucks with at least 30 workers in the back surrounded us. What really struck me is the minimal use of the horn, this would make more sense to me later in my trip. When we got to the hotel the driver told me I had to pay some extra things and as I just wanted a bed I had experienced my first scam.
After a little nap, which basically meant laying in bed in starfish position and try to survive the heat even with aircon, I wanted to explore Khao San Road. My oldest brother had told me many stories about it so I was eager to find out what all the fuss was about. I walked around and got offered fried insects, tailored suits, hand readings and occasionally told that I was a 'lucky lady'. Then there were the tourists, or travelers as they are preferred to be called, hippy's, big groups of british guys with a big Chang in their hand, couples, a lost family and even more lost me. What was I doing in this city?
The big bars with their pounding music and ladyboys invited me to come in, but still in shock I figured it would be best to eat first. I sat down in a restaurant and order something random on the menu, back at home we never really ate asian food so it all sounded the same to me. The waitress, not sure male or female, brought me something what smelled like old fish and the biggest noodles I had ever seen: Pad Thai. If this was Asian cuisine, I wasn't loving it.
I continued strolling down Khao San Road, but as it all was too much for me I went back to my room where my jetlag kept me up all night.
After breakfast I decided I wanted to see more of Bangkok and, cause one of my favorite things to do when I travel is visiting food markets, this was the first thing I wanted to do. I was walking down Khao San looking for a taxi when a tuktuk driver started to scrape his throat and without looking spitted his lugi out, on my arm. I pretended nothing happened and continued my walk while cleaning my arm with disinfect sanitizer trying not to cry.
As I left Khao San, which in the morning is deserted, a tuktuk driver named Jim came up to me and told me for 60 bath (1,50 euro) he would take me to the food market, but only after we had visited a temple. I agreed and Jim, a 20 something year old Thai with tiny mustache drove me around in his colorful tuktuk and, I am pretty sure, used christmas lights as decoration.
When we got to the first temple I was surprised I was the only tourist, however I went in and the doorman came up to talk to me. It was government day and if I would purchase any art today, I would get 20 percent discount. I sat down, looked at the Buddha statues, smelled the incense and went back to Jim.
Jim smiled and told me before we would go to the market we had to make one more stop, as I had time I was ok with this. We drove to an arts and crafts shop, total coincidence, where the sales man was already waiting for me. I stepped in and, yes he too, offered tailored suits. He showed me pictures of Thai girls in suits which we would call vintage. The salesman was very persistent, and I was weak, in the end I bought a 'silk' scarf for 1000 bath (about 25 euro).
My friend for the day was waiting for me and informed that it was too late to go to the market, he would bring me back to Khao San.
Back at Khao San I freshened up at my hotel, and went to the massage shop I saw the day before were they had a fish tank. The ones were you stick your feet, or face for the true rebels, in and eat the dead skin. As I tried not to laugh out loud when the fish start to eat the dead skin, a blonde guy sat down opposite me. We looked at each other and it was an old friend, the world is not big enough.
He had traveled here before and knew a nice place for dinner, I followed him and expected him to sit down in one of the fancy restaurants but he went into a small alley. I saw people cooking on the street, with ramshackle tables and plastic stools. We got a menu with pictures, I was happy because now I could sort of see what I would get, even tho the pictures were obviously from internet. I liked the look of the green curry and picked it, I should mention I never ate spicy food.
The green curry arrived and it smelled amazing, this must be the Thai cuisine everyone was talking about, I took a bite and it was delicious. After 3-5 seconds it started to burn in my mouth and tears came, as well a slip and fly on my back. It was so spicy! I think I used the entire toilet paper roll that was hanging above the table and tried to act cool.
We walked back to Khao San and all the craziness had started, shops on the middle of the street where you could get tattoos, braid your hair, and most of all drink cheap boose from buckets. We ordered buckets, beertowers and shots, in no time the table was filled with all kind of travelers sharing their stories. The ladyboys dancing wild, trying to get as many tourists in their bar, competing with the ladyboys from the opposite bar. I had never seen anything like this and we drank till the bar closed.
The next day I met up with my old friend and we would do some actual sightseeing, not Jim's kind of sightseeing. He took me to MBK where we saw all the latest gadgets, took the boat across Choa Phraya for 3 bath (12 euro cent) to be amazed by the beauty of Wat Arun, a temple for which I still can't find words to describe it and walked around, a lot.
At night my friend suggested to go to Lebua at State Tower, the one were they filmed The Hangover 2. We had to get all fancy dressed, which was no problem for me as I brought make-up, jewelry and posh dresses. We arrived and this was more what I was used to, the doorman opened the taxi door and we were escorted to the elevator, this took us to the top floor. As I stepped out on the roof terrace I could see all of Bangkok and it was breathtaking.
On the way back from Lebua we drove by Patpong and my friend asked the driver to pull over, this was something I had to see he told me. Patpong is besides it's night market (viagra and dildo's are widely available) as well known for it's strip clubs with ping pong shows. I felt at this point I had seen all of Bangkok and it was time to pack my bag and get ready for my flight to Phuket the next day.
