Back to civi

Oh, it's good to be back. The A/C is powerful, the food is great, the Internet is fast and there are still no rooms in Bangkok. I guess we are still in high season, if not in peak season.

Today I went to whole way from Battambang, Cambodia, to Bangkok, Thailand. I tried to do it myself, without any package, and somehow it all went smoothly. I had to catch a bus in Battambang, without any reserved sit. Throwing the dollars fast at the cashier did the job, but I was lucky there were available seats in the first place. Then I had to stay on the bus until it got to the border (when it says it gets to Poipet, does it actually mean it will bring me to the border in Poipet? Hmmm, good question I forgot to ask). I left Cambodia, walked through loads of casinos to the Thai part and got my visa. Then one tuk-tuk to the bus station, one boiled water made noodles and up on the bus to Bangkok. Bangkok, 19:00, the day is not over yet. I'm at the bus station.
Tauter number 1: "Khao San? 800B"
"No thank you"
Big Taxi driver: "Khao San? 250B"
"No thank you, I'm one"
Tuk tuk driver: "Khao San? 150B"
"No, thank you, how much for a meter taxi?"
"About 140B"
"I'm in" A/C, (fake) leather seat. I'm there.
"How much is it?"
"83B"
"Take a 100B and keep the change"
"Any room available?"
"No"
"Any room available?"
"Yes"
"Oops, shower outside. Hot shower?"
"No"
"Damn! I take it (It's only for one night and I got lucky, it was the last one)"

But, my favorite street food stall is gone. I'm devastated, but no worry, there are others. I tried Singha beer for the first time (made in Thailand). It's good, similar to beer lao (but I can't have any Asian beer being better than beer lao so), but not as good as.
Tomorrow I will start the long journey to the islands. I can't say I'm expecting it (the journey, not the islands). I have to pick between bus, train and a flight. I guess I'll go for the cheaper option (bus), but I'll have to pay with a day of sleep.

First thing first



Today, following doctor's orders to rest when you got a cold, I went visiting the local temples: the shopping malls. I must state that this idea was basically suicidal because today was a weekend day and tomorrow is a holiday (Father's day or King's birthday).

The malls are more Western than American malls. It is amazing, both ways. The MBK (Mall of Bangkok) is a huge place. Each floor (there are seven) is dedicated to a few subjects. Some floors have organized stores and some have sort of stalls, which create hundreds of "stores" in the floor. A bit claustrophobic. You need to use your navigation skills. Good thing I lived in, sorry, next to a mall for five years, so I'm quite an expert. Each American food chain has a store or two. Signs direct you to the food court on the fifth floor, but don't worry, there is one on almost every floor!

I went to the fourth floor to look for some electronics. It seems that the only electronic device people use in Bangkok is a cell phone. Tons of shops providing cellphones, cellphone accessories, memory cards for cellphones, everything! Basically it meant a long walk for me in search for other things. Bottom line: Nothing can compare to shopping on the Internet, even back home. I bought just one of the things I actually intended to buy, before my cold crippled me and forced me to go back.

Israeli stories told me to look for the VIP cinema in the MBK. I actually found it but it screened some horror movie. Casino Royale was on the regular cinema.

From there I went by a bridge to Siam Discovery Center and Siam Center. Both have the "mall" look I am used too.

I went to the malls half walking and half of the way by a local bus. It was a bit harder than Kathmandu to find street names. In Kathmandu a street name appears on every store sign. Here a street name appears at corners but, while walking, I could see only signs in Thai. Many people I met don't seem to know English too well. The bus service, on the other hand, was great. Going back took me about five minutes.

My nose is still running. It is easier and cheaper to find a beer here than a pot of tea. The small difference!

First thing first

I arrived to Bangkok. It is more than thirty degrees and tons of humidity. The first thing I've done was to catch a cold. I'll add that to Lonely Planet's highlights...

One night in Bangkok



This morning I've added one hour and forty five minutes my time, about twenty degrees Celsius and something like 60% humidity. Insane! I was freezing in Nepal, craving for a hot shower, and here my first shower was cold.

We found a place to stay off the main tourist area but went back there as the sun disappeared. It is a madhouse! It looks like some student day festival, but probably every day. Eating in restaurants has just become unnecessary. The food at the stalls is delicious and fast. It is prepared in front of your eyes, so you can see exactly where it comes from. Take rice with sweet and sour vegetables with chicken, prepared in a wok, and it is even healthy. After eating this initial treat, it just became an eat-as-you-walk buffet. Only the night will tell of the consequences.

I am finally starting to feel Asia. The language sounds like what I'm used to from Chinese movies. Very different from Nepali. On the other hand, now I appreciate Nepalis' warmth, compared to what I've met so far (This is just the first day...). This place is also much more touristic, with totally different type of people around, and not for the best.

This post was a bit hasted as I am falling asleep and really wanted to write this down.