https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beM6kcu4hys
12/3
Well, we have learned a lot about what not to do so far. Before we came to Thailand, we read up on how to travel safely, how to not get ripped off, and where to get the best food for your baht. We asked countless friends about their experiences here, any tricks and tips to get around. I felt pretty prepared for how to get around. But then Bangkok. What a city! Traffic every hour of the day. Tuk Tuks making kissing noises, like you are calling your cat, to get you to take a ride. Motor bikes cutting off cars, weaving in and out of traffic on the highways…and sidewalk! After we threw our bags down at a nice spot in city center, We (being Austin and I plus our friends from Wilderness Courtney, Michelle and Joe) walked our jet lagged selves onto the streets to find some authentic Thai food. Michelle had a place in mind, about 3 miles away. We figured we could walk but, after a wrong turn that lead us to a dead end a Tuk-tuk was in order. Now, i’m not sure how it happened but 5 very delirious people, with no firm plan, trying to explain to a driver where they wanted to go ended with us agreeing to go to a place our driver highly recommended. This is an example of what people told us not to do. So after a roller coaster ride through traffic and a few less baht in our pockets, we ended up about a block over from where we started, down some alley, at a fish market. After a quick look at our options we decided to walk back to where we had started. Before our driver was done peeing in the bushes beside the “restaurant”, we were back on the streets walking and dodging cars and motor bikes. For the next hour, we tried to find the perfect place to eat. We walked past shacks, food vendors, Hooters, Irish Pubs and finally found ourselves in the “Adult Playground” area which was like a modest Vegas. Young escorts with older men were seen in every bar front and even walking about in the streets. Long story short we finally found some awesome food that was only a block or so from where we began the whole journey. We experienced what Thai hot meant and enjoyed a few beers to wash the pain away. After a walk in the rain we ended up back at our place where we enjoyed one last view of the city sky line and fell asleep at 7 pm.
12/4
The next day, Austin and I hopped on a plane to Krabi but not before grabbing some street food and coffee. Now street food… it’s darn good. Coffee is more expensive than some meals off the street, which makes it a challenge to understand the relative value of a baht. Once in Krabi, we dove into the street markets. The most interesting thing I saw today was a plate of perfectly cooked qual eggs. The best thing I tried was coconut pancakes. Two more buddies of ours, Cayleigh and Kevin, joined the mix. Oh and may I say the rock spires are something to write home about.
