Challenges are what make life itneresting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful. – Joshua J. Marine
Friday, August 23, 2013 (DAY 536)
My first day in Bangkok, and I can’t help taking in everything around me–the sights, the smells, the sounds, the complete opposite culture of what I have been used to in Latin America as well as growing up in the States. It’s incredible. This afternoon a small group of us decide to explore the city. I am still recovering from my massive jet lag, but I think the endorphins I’m feeling is keeping me going. We start out by taking the BTS train line to the MRT and get off at Pier 1 where we take the local river boat for less than .50 cents to Pier 8 to visit our first stop, Wat Po, a buddhist monastery. After fighting the heat we decide to have lunch at the Chibad House, which is nearby the infamous Khaosan Road.
My first day in Bangkok, and I can’t help taking in everything around me–the sights, the smells, the sounds, the complete opposite culture of what I have been used to in Latin America as well as growing up in the States. It’s incredible. This afternoon a small group of us decide to explore the city. I am still recovering from my massive jet lag, but I think the endorphins I’m feeling is keeping me going. We start out by taking the BTS train line to the MRT and get off at Pier 1 where we take the local river boat for less than .50 cents to Pier 8 to visit our first stop, Wat Po, a buddhist monastery. After fighting the heat we decide to have lunch at the Chibad House, which is nearby the infamous Khaosan Road.
Prior to arriving in Bangkok, I had emailed on several HelpX volunteer places both to save some money and to take my time in getting accustomed to an entirely new region of the world. Thankfully I found a place called Siam Journey Guesthouse and primarily had communication with their manager Shane, an American from Alabama that has spent time in Thailand on and off for several years and knows the city unbelievably well. At the beginning the hostel was a nice change as it is only a 14-bed place with a homey feeling. I did notice however, that the owner was a bit absent from understanding his own business and since Shane had been managing the hostel for nine months he was the one that trained me. Having previous hostel experience in Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Panama I was quite familiar with most booking systems and just the overall atmosphere you want to try to create for the guests, which are of course backpackers. When I first accepted their offer to volunteer for accommodation it was great because Shane did such a good job training and we were only required to work one day a week and do some very minor chores. Since I am still catching up from my writings there will be things to come, and it’s unfortunate that I am writing this from another hostel instead of the place that I was promised to volunteer at until I left for South Korea. I absolutely do not want to seem malicious, but as backpackers we rely on honest opinions about so much information including places to stay and the types of businesses you want to support or volunteer for. Anyways, my second day in Bangkok is still a harsh adjustment to the heat and humidity of Southeast Asia. I already knew it was going to be relatively brutal but wow it smacks you in the face from the moment you step outside the airport, especially when I’ve come from LA where the evenings cooled down to the low 70s, but as usual I am taking things in stride and know that eventually my body will adjust to this new climate.
RSS Feed
