Home » Thailand » Bangkok, southern islands and beaches

Asia - part I

Bangkok, southern islands and beaches

Hector Yague
2005-10-08 11:15:44

Displayed times (last time: )

Bangkok

The Khao San Road, a 500 meters street in the heart of Bangkok that, for whatever reason, has been elected as the world's Backpacker Central Station. I arrived at Bangkok's international airport the 13th of May, 2004 at 2:00 am. Of course, as the Lonely Planet monger that I am, I headed straight away to this Kao San Road they'd recommend as a starting point for the Thailand do'ers.

I arrived there around 3:00 am, hungry as a wolf, smelly and tired after the 9 hours flight from Cairo, but also jet lagged to hell and back. There are fucktons of cheapy accommodations in the area, but most of them were full. After 30 minutes, I found a decently clean room in a soi (backstreet in Thai) just off Khao San, for 3 euros a night. No air/con, so I cranked up the fan to max position. Heat is something you immediately notice when you arrive to sub-tropical latitudes like a ferocious slap in the face as you step out the airport terminal. Actually, it's not as much the heat itself but the ridiculously high rates of humidity in the air, which makes you sweat 24/7. Just for the records, I will say that I lost 2 kg. within the first 3 days upon arrival due to the constant loss of body liquids. I have never drunk so much water in my life.

Anyway, so there it was, a whole new city to explore. The morning after I decided to do the typical touristic approach so I wandered around the surroundings, all the way down the Mae Nam Chao Phraya river, which servers Bangkok in 2 halves. Anyway, most of the important stuff rests on the east bank. As I was walking by myself, one guy walked up to me and asked me where do I come from. Funnily enough, he was from Puerto Rico and was on a short holidays in Thailand. We started talking in spanish and he recommended me to take the one-hour boat trip down the water channels. You see, some parts of Bangkok are reminiscent of Venetia, with kilometers ...