I have arrived, which means I have officially embarked upon this adventure. After the longest flight ever – no, really, the *longest* flight – I got into Bangkok at 1 a.m. local time last night. It’s now 4 p.m. and I’ve just finished a fabulous bowl of Tom Yum Gai, and am sweating away in an internet cafe off the Khao San Road.
I’m sure you’re all hoping for erudite descriptions, but my head’s still too chaotic to put such a thing to paper, so to speak. I’ll be here for at least a week, maybe two, before I head off to Laos, and I’m sure in a few days my mind will have settled a bit. A few first impressions:
To try to explain what is different here is fruitless. Everything is different. Even the traffic sounds different. The people are lovely, and their language is music. The food is, as expected, out of this world. The streets are narrow and crowded and chaotic alternated with wide and crowded and chaotic. You go from concrete jungle to golden palace in five feet. Remember how I said I was going in search of culture shock? I feel sure I’ll find it here.
Take care of yourselves and each other. More soon, promise.