Bangkok. Such a lovely and terrifying mess.
After 3 flights and numerous means of transport we finally reached Bangkok. The first thing that hit us was the smell and the unbearable humidity. I guess we read about it, but nothing could prepare us for what it was.
We landed in Bangkok late at night and immediately took of on a quest for food. Our hostel was on the riverside near China Town and we were sure to find something still open. But after 20 min walking in what seemed like a deserted town, our hopes were slowly starting to fade. The smell and the humidity weren't helping either.
But we were more hungry than desperate, so we kept walking and were soon rewarded with a buzzing street restaurant filled with a mixture of locals and tourists.
The food was cooked from a cart on the street and the tables were placed all over the pavement.
The hot of the night can only be described with our beer going from cold to hot in under 2 minutes.
But we were happy.
We started the next day with a famous tuk tuk drive. A Tuk Tuk is a motorized rickshaw on three wheels and gets its name from the sound that the engine makes.
It took a bit of haggling to put down the exaggerated tourist price, but at the end everyone was happy. This is not the cheapest way to get around town (taxis are cheaper and have AC) but its a fun experience filled with a lot of adrenalin and fumes.
He dropped us off at Chatuchak Market - the mother of all markets. Its so big that you need a map for it. Whatever you want, you can find it here. Its a great intro to Thailand, as you can
A coconut ice cream in coconut? Why not. #coconutinception
This face is saying shop till you drop.
My first Tom Kha Kai in Thailand and the start of a obsession. It might look like we are eating all day long and it might not be far from the truth. But who can resist this?
Bear in mind that the market is open only during the weekend and you will spend many hours in there, especially if you want to see everything.
For dinner, we decided to try the famous Thip Samai. It has started as a small local shop selling Pad Thai, but now its No1 place to try this traditional dish. Don't get put off by the huge queue, because you will be entertained by the show cooking on the pavement. Those skilled cooks can wrap the noodles in a blanket of eggs in just a few seconds and they do it with such grace.
The only thing on the menu is Pad Thai cooked in various ways and for drink there is mandarine juice, stored in huge buckets of ice at the entrance. You can tell the place is very touristy, but the food was yummy and it was fun watching the cooks do their magic.
But what is a touristy day without a bit of Khaosan Road.
For Richard from The Beach, Khaosan is "..a decompression chamber for those about to leave or enter Thailand, a halfway house between East and West."
But I can sum it up in 4 words - prostitutes, drugs, alcohol and fried scorpions. Heaven for the european teenagers who have come here to get laid and buy cheap drugs. If you are not one of those, better avoid the place.
But don't get me wrong, we came for the scorpions. Filip had some balls and decided to test his stomach.
He build a huge fan base of men from all corners of the world saluting him for his bravery.
Or watch our video from Thailand here.
