Bangkok is the capital of Thailand both historical and ultramodern. A sprawling city where everything is possible …
When we arrive in Bangkok, it’s shocking! The airport is brand new, huge and ultramodern. We are looking for a bus to get to the city center. We are offered a direct air-conditioned shuttle to Kao San Road, the backpacker district. Here, everything seems to be organized to the millimeter for tourists. We would almost regret the chickens in the old bumpy buses.
The city makes the same impression. Bangkok was described as a chaotic and noisy city. But after India, we have the opposite impression. The city looks spotlessly clean, modern tall buildings everywhere and not a horn sound. Some red lights even count down the number of seconds remaining before going green. We appreciate the calm, even if it is not very exotic.
We find a guest house a bit away from Kao San road. It is a small all-wood house, fully furnished in colonial style with a small lush garden. We feel really good.
In Kao San, we find ourselves in the middle of a crowd of Anglo-Saxons. We joined the classic backpackers route: Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand. Thousands of English and Australians looking for beaches and parties. In other words, people are quite different from those we met in Nepal or India. At three o’clock in the morning, the street is full of drunk people who play guitar, dance, or think they are birds …
We spend a few days strolling through the beautiful Buddhist temples and do some shopping in the huge shopping centers. We spend an evening with O, the Thai friend of our friend Gillou and friends to her. We have a glimpse of the night in Bangkok. Here prostitution is completely trivialized. There are even menus offering ping pong shows and other exotic shows. A bit strange as an atmosphere.
Next destination: Koh Tao, the Thai paradise of diving. We will finally see the sea!
