The Journey Home, Chapter 1: Bangkok

As the landing gear grazed against the tarmac, and my six-hour flight from Seoul came to a smooth halt,  my venture into Southeast Asia officially began. We began a brief but nonetheless exhilarating taxi ride (complete with at least three near misses), as the lights of suburban Bangkok flew past us on the motor-way. The humidity soaked in like vacuum pack seal, but I would get used to this steambath soon enough. 

After a slight confusion in the taxi that took us through a half-dozen unlit alleyways, my travel buddy Kelli and I checked into Refill Now, our hostel for our first two nights in Bangkok. I must say, this "hostel" exceeded any expectation I could've possibly had for a $10-a-night venue. 

Our bags handled for us, we stepped into the keenly modern-looking, poolside retreat dotted by lush green palms. I'm not used to being called "sir" in a hostel, but I suppose I got used to it after a fancy plate for a bag of late-night noodles I picked up outside was provided and cleaned for me. Yes, street-side noodles were sold by the bag - a cheap, plastic depository for something that tastes way better than it looks or smells.

This...

turns into this

We woke up next morning in time for another round of street noodles, but this time, I was gifted a bowl and spoon by the wonderful hostess who cooked up our delectably thick noodles with chicken and fresh veggies. Hopping on the BTS Skytrain, we cruised over to the Chao Praya Express boat, which plows up and down the murky Chao Praya River with bus-like passenger boats, stopping at various docks along the shoreline.

Our destination was the Grand Palace, surely one of the first touristy destinations in Bangkok for any backpacker - and for good reason. Entering the semi-crowded but walkable courtyard, I was immediately captured by the overwhelming golds and saffrons that literally emanated from every direction.

Winding in and out of the royal corridors, every turn took me to another breath-taking display of ancient regality and Buddhist tradition. It's difficult to take pictures of something so grand and so extensive. Regardless, we carried on snapping shots at every corner and courtyard until we had finally reached the exit.

Completely and utterly ignorant of the area, and local transportation, we hopped in an exhaust-spewing, three-wheeled tuk-tuk and ended up paying an unnecessary $2 for a 100 meter ride. I blame this on the tourist map I received, although I probably could have paid more attention to the map's scale.

Smokey, and prone for rip-offs

Either way, we arrived at Wat Po, our second and equally as an entrancing destination of the day. Made famous by the truly gigantic reclining Buddha sculpture housed within, Wat Po is another sprawling maze of golden stupas, richly decorated Buddha halls, and rows of ancient statues. 

We concluded our self-guided wander with a Thai massaged, offered by the temple's massage therapy school based inside. As my first experience with any kind of professional massage, I may have discovered something amazing. A mix of piercing pains and total tranquility, I felt my back pop in ways I didn't know it could. Man, it was nice. I'll be back for more.

Returning via the Skytrain, we had a quiet night back at Refill Now, with poolside Changs and mellow jazz flowing from the speakers. 

Next morning, we had our breakfast on the flawless patio at Refill Now, checked out, and headed for the canal. The Saen Saep canal is a narrow, dark-brown water corridor that cuts from east to west through the heart of Bangkok. With gridlock paralyzing any attempt to drive a car downtown, we opted for the water route, pretending not to smell what we smelled, and trying to avoid looking at what flowed into that canal. Long, narrow boats cruise up and down the canal for a casual fare of about 40 cents. 

Avoiding the splashes, and successfully crossing the two-foot gap between boat and dock, we hopped off near Khao San Road, the simultaneously famous and infamous backpacker mecca of Bangkok. 

We arrived early enough to our new hostel, Khaosan Immjai, to enjoy a Thai noodle lunch nearby in the shade. Khao San had to be one of the top ten places in the world to people watch. It seemed like every kind of human in the world passed up and down the sidewalks, browsing the street vendors.

Our evening began with strolls up and down the various side streets of Khao San, as well as a nice bowl of green curry and ice cold Chang beer. Sitting at the street-side bars, colors exude from the brightly lit, and chic decor lining each business. It was like backpackers got one block in Bangkok to with it what they wanted to, and this was the result.

To me, Bangkok was in many ways just another enormous, sweaty, crowded Asian city. The cars, smog, and grimy rivers support this, yet, in many ways, Bangkok has its unique flavors, smells and sights that I've yet to experience in any other place. From the golden, incense-laced hallways of its temples, to the vivacity of its street food and night life, Bangkok radiates colors and vibrations from another world.