Week 6 and 7 Thailand

Last I left I had just been in Bangkok a few days. Bangkok is an amazing city and I spent several days walking around exploring. I've taken public transit in most of the major cities I've visited and did the same in Bangkok. Bangkok has every mode of public transit imaginable. It includes, skytrain, subway, train, river boat, and bus. The buses and river boat are about 5 baht (10 cents) and can take you almost anywhere in the city if you know which one to use. There are no transit maps, so its sorta like going to the bus station in Calgary when you only speak french and trying to get somewhere when you have no idea what that somewhere looks like.

I've talked to a lot of people that didn't like Bangkok, but like everywhere you hear good and bad about every place. I find travelers a lot different in Thailand then in Malaysia. Thailand seems to be the starting place for most travelers and I've met a lot of fresh travelers who have only been to Australia before coming to Thailand. You can tell the difference by the way they spend money for Western comforts, and eat in restaurants. Theirs a larger variety of travelers (even in the low season). I've met people of all ages. Strangely the majority of the travelers seem to be women and couples. I have yet to meet a lone male traveler. Some of the highlights of Bangkok was Ko San road, and Street Markets/food. Kho San is the capital of backpacking. The streets are full of overpriced food, clothing, backpackers, and Tuk Tuks (small motorbike street cars). I didn't like shopping or eating on Kho San road but people watching was amazing. It was like an urban zoo with a huge selection of different kinds of human. I had only one meal on kho san road all others were in markets or street vendors off the road. Thai food is amazing and I love buying it in markets where the selection, quality, environment and cost is unbelievable. Every city has a day and night market. Street vendors sell fruit, meat on a stick, soups and a wide selection of none western food, clothing and merchandise.

I'd like to continue but at the place I'm typing in Chiang Mai the internet has gone down once and the power just went down erasing a few minutes of my typing (thunderstorm outside). Its 10:00pm and I'm going to Chiang Rai at 6am so I think I'll pack it up and post more about Bangkok and my travels to north Thailand later.