Bangkok - A Settlement

The big day has finally come and our journey begins. The weeks and months of meticulous preparation finally came to an end at Cologne Airport. After just under eleven hours of flight time, filled with a variety of watched movies, we landed in Bangkok without a stopover. Surprisingly, the temperatures on site were about the same as in Germany at the time of our departure. Only the humidity turned out to be a pain in the ass. Clever as we are, we therefore chose one of the better hotels for our first night, where we could expect a functioning air conditioning. Barely unpacked and after a short cool down in the pool, we started our first evening on our tour, which, as it should be, only ended in the early morning hours.

Leaving the hotel the next day and looking for a hostel on Kaosan Road, in retrospect, was not a good decision. This hotspot for all backpackers in Bangkok is a mix of Schinkenstraße and Reeperbahn, which you should see. Unfortunately, we only realized that we were the only guests in our hostel too late. The reason was the construction site in the neighboring building, where work started at 5:30 and the noise robbed us of the sleep we so desperately needed. Of course, we were also not in bed early on this second evening and paid a visit to one or two bars. Accordingly, the morning when we were woken up by the guy with the big drill, who felt like he was in the next room, was unpleasant. Barely on our feet, we didn't want to waste any time and immediately tried to find a new hostel. Having to deal with such things when you have a hangover is really crappy. Having to do all this in Bangkok, where you have to deal with the heat, the noise, and various unpleasant smells, was simply hell.

To make things a little easier for ourselves, we hired a tuk-tuk driver who was supposed to take us to some interesting points. After tough negotiations, we agreed on the proud sum of about 20 cents per person and only one shop visit, where the driver received a fuel coupon for bringing customers. In return, he was supposed to take us to three sights. But since high humidity doesn't seem to be the only asshole in Bangkok, the driver left us at the second temple after the shop visit. Fortunately, this temple was directly on the way to the Grand Palace, which we wanted to explore on foot anyway. So the athletic part of our afternoon was intensified a bit.

In the end, it can be said that Bangkok has a very good nightlife, many large, beautiful and clean temples and palaces, but otherwise complete chaos prevails, the skyline is very jumbled and nothing special, but there is excellent street food on every corner. So if you've never been to Asia before, you should definitely visit this city to get a first and authentic impression of this region. Since Thomas is visiting the continent for the first time, he can't make any comparisons yet, but he already said that, based on the classic by Murray Head, 'One Night in Bangkok' is completely sufficient. Micha is already here in BKK for the fourth time and will surely never become a friend of this city. It should rather be seen as a hub for traveling and as the first stop and hub for further travel in Southeast Asia. In conclusion, we can say that we are really glad that we will be heading to the island of Koh Chang just before the Cambodian border tomorrow morning at 8 o'clock. Finally to the sea!