I left from home at noon Finnish time on a Sunday 16th of June and my first flight was to Amsterdam. The 2.5 hours went really fast and all of a sudden I was already enjoying my morning latte at this huge airport in Netherlands. The smell of an airport, people in a hurry or just waiting, kids excited, happy people going to vacations, last calls to flights, excitement etc. Those are some of the small things that airport always reminds me of. The second and final flight to the destination took 10 hours and it was plain torture the whole time. Next to me was sitting this weird Norwegian man who reminded me of Mr. Bean..
Arriving to Bangkok I was a bit nervous since I basically hadn't slept at all.. I was supposed to find to my friend Marie's office somewhere in Bangkok.. My first impression at the airport from local people was that they all smiled a lot! They loved kids when they saw a family walking past. Also they were happy to help you even though they didn't have a clue about the thing you asked about.. When I was waiting in the line to go to the passport check up this guy working there to manage the lines asked me where I was headed cause in the arrival card you needed to have an address on it which, of course, i didn't have. So he just wrote there Khao San Road which is the most famous backpackers street. While waiting my stuff I actually noticed how many backpacks there was..
Well anyway, I got my backpack pretty soon and headed to find this red line which is the airport rail link. Somehow I managed to buy a ticket after changing money first. The ticket was like a casino chip. When you went into the metro, train or skytrain you showed it to the machine and you got in. When you left the area you dropped it into this hole and the gate opened up. That way everybody needed to pay every single trip. Also, when I bought it I had to select where I d be getting off. I guess the price depended on about that too. I got of at Makkasaan station and changed into a dark blue line, MRT route. One local woman told me that she is impressed to see me traveling alone and wished me a great holiday when I got of at Lumphini station. I walked around 20-30 minutes sweating like a pig (a finnish saying translated. :D ) trying to find the office! It was so hot all though it was only around +32..
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| Bangkok and it's huge skyscrapers |
I found the place pretty easily after all when I was patient. I waited Marie for a while and headed to eat with her at this cozy small restaurant in between the huge skyscrapers! Marie went back to work and it was now time for me to find her apartment in Silom. I took a pink taxi and it cost me around 1,5euros for 5 to 10 min ride.. Not bad. I also ate soup, chicken and rice, ice tea and dessert for around 3 euros.. The St. Louis Mansion was a bit more difficult to find but by accident I eventually found it! Big building with 11 floors and a rooftop pool with the view of Bangkok. Not bad either. + they also had a treadmill there, just for me! (click the pics to get them bigger!)
When Marie got of from work I quickly did my packing and got ready to go to a skybar with her. We took a mototaxis to a hotel called Vertigo with this moonbar on the top of the skyscraper. It was beautiful! To get there we had to walk through this amazing hotel lobby and halls..
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| 59 floors.. + you needed to walk couple of floors to the bar.. :D |
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After having expensive drinks there we started to head towards the bus station by taxi.. And it took a lot longer than expected but we finally got there. At the bus station we had a quick snack and I bought water from 7eleven (the most famous supermarket chain). My bus to Chiang Mai was supposed to leave at 10pm but it was a bit late. At the station we met a french girl Emilie who was also traveling alone. She had been living in Australia for the past six months and was traveling for three weeks before heading back to home. The bus was supposed to be this VIP bus with your own tv screens and all. Well it quite wasn't. At least we got blankets and the seats could be turned over like you were almost laying down. Also we got small snacks like water, juice, cookies, bread etc. I can't remember at what time the bus eventually left but I fell asleep pretty soon after.
I rarely make any compliments about myself but now I gotta say that damn I was happy, excited and proud of myself when I didn't get lost once in the huge city wandering all alone trying to find Marie's office! :) The feeling of finding the building was just great! Trust yourselves people! :)
