Travel Story «Feels like home....»

Thailand | 0 Comments 22 April 2006 - Last Update 26 May 2006

Ah Bangkok, the place that where it all began and to where we returned after the gruelling-backpacking-roughing-it 2 month extravaganza.  We have returned to civilisation and more importantly the shopping on Khoa san road where we could buy all those things that we forgot to buy first time round. (Can you guess who's writing yet!?!?)
Our (now massive and extremely weighty) backpacks and us arrived back on the Khao san at the crack of dawn and feeling superior to the blatant "newby" travellers, we swaggered down to the Khoa San Palace where we had stayed before. And I mean swaggered.   We are now seasoned back packers - hard core travellers - we knew where we were going without the aid of a map or the lonely planet - how much more proof do you need?!?!  Also, we were no longer as glaringly white as we were the day we arrived which meant we didn't stand out quite as much as we once did. Seasoned I tell you.. seasoned...
After checking in (to more superior rooms than we had stayed in the first time, well, it has been a tough few months don't you know.... I may have exaggerated the roughing it bit..) we zoomed straight over the road to the 24 hour pub to gobble a hearty cooked breakfast (it was about 6:30am at this point) and then be hassled by a glow-in-the-dark-I-might-be-sick-any-second-I'm-so-green-'cos-I've-been-drinking-all-night boy who couldn't have been more that 19.  Declining his very inviting, albeit indecipherable offers, we choose to power nap before the pool opened. 
Ah yes - the pool - hmm.. turns out there is a pool in the Khao San Palace which we didn't know about the last time we stayed there but we are still seasoned travellers, just blind. 
During our few days back in Bangkok before we flew out to Singapore we chillaxed, shopped, ate, drank (a very small and insignificant amount Mum - not really worth mentioning) went to the cinema and did our own, individual things as we were no longer required to venture out into the Foreign Land in 'packs or two or more' seeing as we all seemed to know our way around (even me! Really-didn't get lost at all!!)  Most of us made multiple trips to the post office to send a few things home - items of clothing that we were no longer wearing/fitting in to (I blame the heat and NOT the daily three course meals) and handbags that were just so gorgeous it made sense to buy two and send one home just in case anything happened to the one in the suitcase now - Insurance policy really.
After a few days of solitude we decided a Group Activity was called for. And, well... we thought we would... go check out the... Patpong area - supposed to have some good shopping markets over there - honest!
While there, we experienced the sleazy side of Thailand that the country was once infamous for.  Yes yes, we all know what we are talking about and well... it was an experience that I don' t think any of us will forget for some time.  We all left the place a little shell shocked after witnessing some of the acrobatics that were performed and also a little depressed once the whole scene had really sunk in.  There was also the fact that our wallets were a little lighter on account of our very generously having bought all the 'workers' drinks - we are not sure how that happened but it did and we paid for it because what else can you do....)
The time came when we had to say Goodbye to Thailand and embark on new adventures to Singapore (which we were actually terrified of because we had checked out the price of accommodation and drink - you know, the essentials - and it was not what we were used to, in fact they are astronomical...), so we packed our many possessions into our backpacks (I now had three because - wait, I don't have to justify myself to ye) and jumped on that jet plane.  Goodbye Thailand. Good times were had by all, we'll miss you.

P.S. I have three bags because I brought loads of WORK clothes so I wouldn't have to buy them all when I arrived in Australia - that's forward planning which is a good thing in case you were wondering and it is actually SAVING me money in the long run. 

Emily