Riverview

Sorry for the delay in sharing this with you by a day, but the cold knocked me out yesterday. But we’ll do this like in the thriller movies:

“One day earlier”

Just under 10 hours of flight separate us from Bangkok. The vibrant capital of Thailand.

Before the trip, we decided to spend some money on seats with more legroom. But as is often the case with us, the aircraft was changed, and therefore our seats too. Anyone who knows Schahaatz knows that this was debated immediately, resulting in the claim that we had booked not more legroom but faster service instead. Honestly, who pays for faster service – we certainly don’t.

The flight itself was uneventful. The so-called best service in the world, Turkish Airlines, has been awarded for that, and it was no better or worse than with other airlines.

I could hardly sleep, as always, the air in the plane was dry, and I constantly had this irritation in my throat that made me cough. Do you know that feeling? Like there’s a little thorn in your throat that keeps making you want to cough. So I had to keep sucking on a candy and couldn’t really sleep because of that. Watching movies was also not an option, as there were only 4 films in German. Schahaatz had no problems as usual. The plane had barely taken off before he disappeared into dreamland. Envious.

Bangkok Airport, a well-structured airport, releases us into the oppressive humidity after a short time. 32 degrees - 90% humidity, but no rain. Every pore of our bodies opens up, and just like that, we’re up to our necks in our own juices.

We decide to take a Grab (like Uber) to get from the airport to the hotel. I wasn’t in the mood for public transport today, and cab rides require haggling – which we also had no desire to do. The price for Grab is fixed upfront, and for the equivalent of 12 €, for an almost hour-long transfer, we can’t complain.

Our hotel is great, and we unexpectedly get a room upgrade. Our room is awesome, with a view of the Chao Phraya River and two huge beds.

Facts: Bangkok, the vibrant capital of Thailand, is a fascinating mix of

tradition and modernity. Bangkok covers an area of about 1,568 square kilometers, making it the largest city in Thailand. The population is around 8 million people in the city itself, while the Bangkok metropolitan region, the larger surrounding area, has over 14 million inhabitants – making it one of the largest metropolitan areas in Southeast Asia.

The biggest source of income for Bangkok is tourism. Over 20 million tourists visit the city each year to experience the temples, palaces, markets, and vibrant city life.

This city will have to wait for me, as I’m hiding in bed.

On the other hand, Schahaatz is driven outside by hunger and boredom:

I make my way to “Asiatique The Waterfront,” which is a 10-minute walk from the hotel. An entertainment district with a collection of small vendors and restaurants right by the river. A bit touristy, featuring a giant Ferris wheel and a horror roller coaster.

and a beautiful sailing ship at the pier.

I scout out the restaurants (maybe we’ll eat here again) and then I buy some water, beer, chips, and noodle cups so that Schatzi has something to eat.

On the way back, I take a TukTuk and let myself be fooled by the price, 3.75€ for 1.5 km. I had misinterpreted the “One fifty”... and when I wanted to give the driver 1.5 Baht plus 5 Baht tip, he was quite confused. It meant 150 Baht.

Well, I really didn’t want to drag the full backpack back to the hotel on foot.

Back in the room, Schatzi was actually delighted with the noodle cups, but wow, they were so spicy….🌶️