Well, we actually have two nights- but only one has happened yet :) So we made it! The airport hotel we stayed in the first night (we arrived about 2am on Sunday) was interesting....but we were only there to catch some sleep and then we made our way into the city and quickly got very comfortable at our amazing hostel in Bangkok, NapPark. This place is fantastic. I don't think many of you are familiar with hostels and I know a lot of people think they are dirty, etc- but the only reason this place is considered a "hostel" is because you sleep in dormers and your bathrooms are shared. However, I wouldn't have it any other way at this point. The culture of using your room only to sleep promotes everyone to chat, learn about each other's travels, make new friends, etc. And the amenities are here great- cleanest bathrooms I've seen in a long time, western toilets, really nice showers (with towels and shampoo!!!). These are big things to be excited about, folks. They have a lounge room on the first floor with a bunch of mattresses laid out if you want to catch a snooze in the middle of the day but still be in the action, and then a row of computers with free internet. There is a great lounging area outside and plenty of English speaking employees who can help you plan where to go. All in all, a great way to start off our trip.
Weather-wise, I feel like I am in the Amazon- but its pretty great coming from all the snow in Chicago. It is about 90 degrees here and 95% humidity....I have given up all hopes on my hair for our time in SE Asia, that's for sure!
So what did we do yesterday? Pretty much just familiarized ourselves with the area, wandered around Khao San Road (backpacker central), went to the famous Chatuchuk (sp?) weekend market, rode on multiple tuk tuks!!, and had a few brewskies with our new Canadian and Irish friends. The area we are staying in is just crawling with backpackers, which I don't wish for the whole trip but is a great way to get our bearings and throw ourselves into the lifestyle. Its a feeling of camaraderie when you have all been sweating all day long and you realize the guy next to you has been wearing his clothes for 3 days and no one gives a you-know-what.
Today our plans are to make our way over to the Grand Palace and see all the famous Buddhas that Bangkok has to offer (and hopefully learn a little bit more about why they are so important!)
Hope all is well with everyone in Chi!!!
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