Week 17: Thailand Pt. 1 (Bangkok, Koh Samui)

I was surprised by how organized Bangkok was right off the bat. I had no trouble getting a cab with their automated ticketing system and arrived at Khaosan Road 30 minutes later. The street (pictured above) hosts at least a hundred pubs, hostels, and hotels, popularized in the west by a book titled “The Beach” and film adaptation starring Leo Decaprio. Overwhelming fails to describe just how extreme the difference between the attitudes of Varanasi and this street were. Loud, thumping music from the past (and by past I mean 90s and early 2000’s) and present vibrate through your skeleton as you wade through crowds of drunk people drifting from one bar to the next. A man vomited in front of me without breaking stride and continued towards his destination. I found my hostel near the far end of the street, tucked in a small alleyway far enough away from the commotion that I could get some rest. I wandered around Khao San a bit more after dropping my bags off, getting a feel for the streets and the crowds that roamed them. Food carts whip up pad thai for 1–2 bucks, exotic insects are offered to daring tourists on sticks, workers with signs try frantically to get your attention, hoping to reel you into their establishment. <a href="https://medium.com/current-location/week-17-thailand-pt-1-bangkok-koh-samui-4cb52a6ee174">Website</a>