First taste of ASIA!

New continent, new way of travel, new accommodation types, and a brand new level of grunge. Everything about this backpacking trip is completely unfamiliar, but transitioning has been easier than expected. I think the job has really prepped me for any type of culture shock; however, every second of every day is filled with new sights and surprises, keeping all of my senses continually active.

I am currently sitting on the deck of our beach bungalow in Ko Chang, Thailand, about 500 km south of Bangkok. Meaning “Elephant Island”, this jungle-clad escape is exactly what I imagine a Thai island to look like. Perfectly yellow beaches and light blue waters are enough to satisfy any beach bum, but the lush jungle background adds to the beauty of it. It’s a cloudy morning so I’m taking advantage to fill you guys in, then hopefully the sun will come out (Abbie and I are planning to ride some elephants today!)

Where to start? Bangkok was my first stop, where I would meet Abbie and get my first taste of SE Asia. After 2 days of travel, I showed up in Thailand, but my backpack did not. I tried to make light of it – backpacking without a backpack! – but I was just plain miserable in the hot, sticky, smoky city wearing the same clothes. I HAD to take advantage of the day however, and trekked to the ornate Golden Palace of Bangkok to hit the sights straight away while I waited for Abbie. The Golden Palace is simply spectacular. It really gave me a feel for the grandeur of Asian culture and religion, and I loved walking through the palaces and temples at my own pace, snapping pictures and sweating in my borrowed sarong (no leggings allowed once in the palace, so many have to “rent” sarongs to wear!) The most phenomenal sight was the emerald Buddha inside the great temple. You enter the temple without shoes, and are not allowed to point your feet directly at the Buddha. The peacefulness inside the temple was a stark contrast to the overly-excited tourists outside, and sitting there in silence was somewhat of a perfect welcoming to this new region which I knew nothing about and which I was so eager to explore.

One small section of the Golden Palace!

Finally Abbie arrived that night, and we forgot all about our jetlag (and stupidly all about our bug spray) and headed out for our first dinner and drinks of the trip. We talked and talked and talked (and if you know Abbie, you know this is true beyond description). We enjoyed some pad thai with the locals – aka the rats – on the streets of Bangkok near our hostel. Street food is supposedly some of the best in the world in Thailand, and the beer isn’t so bad either! “Chang” is the most well-known (again meaning “Elephant”) and we have found ourselves consuming this the most as import taxes make wine and spirits somewhat off-limits for us budget travelers.

The next day we headed via tuk-tuk (how everyone gets around here) to the main shopping district of Bangkok. A HUGE mall, MBK, and square after square of markets left us overwhelmed and excited. We saw so many cute, cheap items (I’m talking $5 dresses…max) we vowed to come back at the end of our trip, as we are flying out of Bangkok, and are going to buy another luggage to bring some of those goodies home! When in Thailand…

That night we ventured to Khao San Road, a crazy, touristy, gritty area of Bangkok, with restaurant and bar owners calling to you every second, not to mention the sketchy pimps also urging you to come to their “shows”. Just watching the tourists is fun in itself…Abbie and I have vowed that we won’t turn into those backpackers who turn extremely hippy on their travels just to fit it. It’s funny to pick up on the clichés of the whole experience. Most young people backpacking all look exactly the same: greasy hair covered with a bandana, a “Chang” beer tank top, those baggy genie pants, and dirt-clad feet (complete with a slouchy canvas bag). I don’t mean to sound judgmental, just very perceptive. :) SE Asia is the “new” backpacking trail, so the number of hotels and guesthouses is overwhelming, as are the tuk-tuk drivers and bar owners ready to rip you off. You must haggle for everything, and fight until the very last cent, because these businessmen have been at the game for years.

Yummy snacks in Bangkok...

We were only in Bangkok two nights, as we will be stopping over a couple more times before our trip is through. All in all, it was the perfect first taste of the chaotic Asian culture, and prepped me to be ready for just about anything. I am already used to being smelly and itchy (although now I use bug spray a little bit obsessively – these mosquitoes are ruthless). I am used to no hot water and taking a shower in the entire bathroom (rarely are there separate shower stalls) and sleeping in my silk “cocoon” that serves as a sleeping bag over the hostel beds. Although this all doesn’t exactly sound like paradise, the experience so far has been unforgettable and amazing. We are truly making the most out of it and I have already seen and done so many new, wild things in only one week. More to come on our first venture out of Thailand to Cambodia!