March 14th
Touch down into Suvarnabhumi Airport in March and you’re instantly slapped round the chops with Thailand’s intense humidity. After checking in, the ‘Places’ app told I’d covered just over 10,000km so far.
A 30 min taxi ride got me to my hostel in central Bangkok, just off the infamous Khao San road. If anyone reading this is ever looking for a hostel in Bangkok, i can’t recommend the Nap Park highly enough. At 440 baht a night (roughly £11) it isn’t that cheap, but the rooms are well air conditioned, showers are powerful and clean, staff are friendly and the social area downstairs is pretty damn cosy.
I met a couple of guys who were also experiencing Bangkok for the first time in the hostel, so we went out to see what Khao San Road had to offer. Stunning home made green Thai curry and a large Chang set me back a whole £3, while we sat and planned what to do with our first full day. 5hr cycle tour. That’s what to do!
Joe & Tim – the new recruits!
March 15th
The tour started at 7am so we got a relatively early night to make the most of it. 6am start was pretty tough, but it was well worth it to see the city before most people could be arsed to peel themselves out of bed.
eeriely quiet 6am Bangkok
Co van kessel bike tours – 5hr option is well worth the £35!
Our tour guide introduced herself as ‘bang bang’, and she made me realise just how useful it is to have local knowledge when you arrive somewhere new. We dipped in and out of tiny backstreets, floated past traffic on high streets and wandered through sprawling markets which were already rammed with locals at 8am. In one of these nutty markets, nestled between the bananas and the fresh fish, was a group of Thai ladies doing a morning exercise class. They were absolutely going for it, smiling away and loving the happy hardcore tunes. Only in Thailand!
Ornate detail in the temple of good health
Bustling indoor markets
Happy hardcore ravers
Bang bang giving us the low down
We caught a boat out to West Bangkok and cruised around rice fields, mango trees and banana plantations – a serene contrast from the bustling central streets.
Boat engines? Nah, just pinch one from that turbo diesel truck and stick a propeller on it
Spirit decorations to bless each boat with good fortune
Bopping around the jungle
Cycling around in 30 degree heat is sweaty business
The highlight for me was an incredible Thai lunch by the river, all cooked by a humble old lady who has been working with the tour company for over 15 years. I can usually demolish any amount of food put in front of me, but even I was beaten by this one!
There were only 12 of us…
This was for four people!
Back to the hostel for a well earned Chang, packed my bags and got to the airport nice and early for the flight to Chiang Mai. Jake has already booked me a place in the Baan Khun hostel for the next two nights. Time to go and check it out!
vagabond15 