Every time I think about that day and all the other adventures I had since then, I always find myself asking where to go next. In the later months of 2017, I wanted to do backpacking around some parts of Indochina. I wanted to go to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. I wanted to get lost in there, I wanted to see it, and there I was waiting for cheap tickets for my pre-booked annual leave in the office. I think sometimes when I see a cheap ticket, I take it as a sign to really go and visit the country. Heh.
I did not prepare much at all. Except for a list of places I want to go but nothing too detailed as how do I go from point A to point B. I just wanted to go. I packed a few clothes and got lost in a those cities. I was scared. I was excited. I was looking forward to that journey.
It was a Tuesday and I left straight from work to the airport via train. Arrived at the airport and approached the check-in counter. The lady who gave me my boarding passes asked me "backpacking?" and I openly responded, "uhm, first time.". She smiled and mentioned she just came back from a Europe trip with only a backpack and stressed that "...we should travel solo at least once in our lifetime. It's an amazing experience. Have a safe journey and enjoy!" That's when I got more and more excited to fly!
Bangkok, Thailand - I landed around 11 in the morning. I did not have any idea how to go from the airport to my hostel but I managed to find a shuttle bus that goes to Khao San Road. My hostel is not on this road but I know that when I reach there, I can walk two blocks to arrive to my hostel. So it was fine. The plan was to see the city as much as I can therefore I walked a lot during this trip. Thanks to GPS technology - I swear it helped me navigate better as I am really, really bad at directions.
I approached the bus lady to drop me off along Khao San Road but she seemed she did not get what I was trying to say and instead kept nodding her head and pointing to the current location we were in. So, I smiled and went back to my seat. Surprisingly though, I was not scared at all. I went back to my seat and wanted to laugh at myself. "What am I doing with my life? Ha ha ha" A guy approached me and said he is also stopping at the same road so I should get off the bus with him. He introduced himself and mentioned that he just came from backpacking around Russia and Israel and decided to spend some time in Thailand before going back home. He was kind enough to walk me towards my hostel and talked about his inspiring travels along the way until we had to separate ways when we arrived at my hostel.
I took a nap and freshened up and started my journey around Khao San Road, Soi Rambutrri and neighboring alleys with my camera. I wandered around, watched the sunset at Santi Chai Prakan park and found myself eating a Pad Thai for dinner along Soi Rambutrri. A guy approached me and asked if he can interview me regarding some market research. I am aware that I am making myself vulnerable that moment but I am glad I said "sure". Otherwise, I would not know another person who is passionate about travel to the point of developing a travel app for solo travelers. It was a combo to have delicious food, great local music sang by a local artist, and talking to a local whose passion is almost the same as mine. Then, we had to separate ways. I walked towards my hostel and took a different route which was near the Chao Phraya river and saw locals having dinner along the quiet street, a few tuktuks passed by as compared to the opposite alley and most of the local shops are now closed.
The next day was my last day in the city and my first breakfast at a local guest house. It was great to witness the city as it was slowly waking up and the Phra Sumen road was getting busier while the tuktuks are taking over the streets. I had breakfast outdoors and surrounded by potted plants and an almost grey sky hovering above me. However it did not rain that day. I wanted to visit the temples: Grand Palace, Wat Pho, and Wat Arun. I managed to visit all of them by walking and riding a boat. The temples looked amazing. I wish I had read more about them but I have selected some documentaries on the side that I can watch on my free time. Finished my Bangkok trip at the upper class neighbourhood and met up with my high school friend, Dawn.
We spent around an hour in one of the coffee shops in Siam Paragon. As both of us are expats in different countries, we were mostly talking about the challenges and joys of being one. It was great to see her and know her journey which is almost the same as mine. Then headed towards the airport via train and bus.
My time spent in Bangkok was too short but I am glad that I saw the main attractions in the city (at least). From the time I landed to the time I left, never did I felt too scared about getting lost in this city. It was a lovely trip. It was very liberating to see unfamiliar places, talk to strangers, and having conversations about A to Z. I would love to go back soon.
We spent around an hour in one of the coffee shops in Siam Paragon. As both of us are expats in different countries, we were mostly talking about the challenges and joys of being one. It was great to see her and know her journey which is almost the same as mine. Then headed towards the airport via train and bus.
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