So I made it to Bangkok today around lunch time. The fucking airport is a nightmare. Its a lot like any other third world destination with tourism as the main source of income among the population. This tends breed crooks and scam artists. Everyone is trying to make an extra baht to two. So I got tired of bartering with the old turkey's and decided to take a state regulated taxi with a meter. Yet I still feel like I was among and deep inside another scam. I had to pay 50 baht to leave the airport, then another 40 for some tollway, where the driver tried to pocket the remaining 60 baht in change. I nearly took his head off after that one. All said and done I got to my final destination unharmed and for a decent price. The whole cab was around 440 baht. Its like 16 bucks. I then wondered around for about an hour trying to depict the coded drunken map my boy Cole drew me at the bar the night before we left. It didn't work out so well. So I am on Khao San Road with a huge bag wondering around a bustling street with a hand written map in a third world country. Well back and forth I went, until one real cool Tuck Tuck driver saw me and we hit it off. Which is rare most of them are scam artists and out to take you, in more way than one. He suggested a few spots I should stay, I was hesitant and told him where I thought I was gonna meet my peeps. He told me the spot to go and which direction to head. I think its all gonna work out.
The room I got I don't think it has changed since they filmed Apocalypse Now. I thought I was in some war movie and it was my first day off the base. Its small and almost nasty. But they keep it pretty clean. The ceiling fan is a green powder coated industrial three bladed beast. It reminds me of those old desks that most teachers had way back in the day. I am on the top floor they gave me a towel, no sheets and a pillow yet its only a whopping 9 dollars a day.
So I spent all day trying to get my barrings and see what is going on around my new spot. It seems to be a backpackers ghetto, tons of street food and vendors, lots of sit down restaurants, and bars. Every place you can sit down and eat usually has a room to rent as well. The place I decided on is called the New Siam Guest House. I would recommend it to most of my friends that don't need AC and don't have a suit case (aka stupid girls).
Well I am sitting here after a solo dinner waiting to meet up with my buddies. I have yet to wonder to far from Khao San road, although I have found places to buy almost anything you could think of, real and or fake. Even shit I didn't know existed and or what the hell it is. My dinner was 3 dollars I decided on a coke instead of a beer which would have doubled my dinning cost. I am surprised how costly beer is here compared to everything else. Well that's a taste of whats going on in Bangkok and every day is a new adventure..... so till next time.
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