Bangkok - Man or Manuela

The study is finished and a new phase of life, including moving and starting a job in Karlsruhe, begins. Being a civil servant... That could be something.😄

But before this seriousness of life begins (what a terrible expression by the way), I (we) wanted to go out and see a bit of the world. For people like us, who are between studies and careers, Thailand and Vietnam are ideal travel destinations. A completely different continent, different nature, foreign culture, great beaches, and not to mention affordable costs. Having my sister as a competent advisor who knows the country rounded it all off. So, 42 days in Southeast Asia.

Once around half the world

On 05.02, it started, my dad drove us to the train station in Karlsruhe, from where we took the train to Frankfurt and from there to Bangkok via Dubai.

But first, our travel group had to come together. All this year's graduates from Kehl. Dennis, the strongman, joined us in Biberach and we met Hannah, one of my best friends, in Karlsruhe. Annabell, in charge of the good vibes, was waiting for us in Mannheim and completed the group. Despite a missed train due to a delay, thanks Deutsche Bahn, we arrived in Frankfurt on time and were able to check in comfortably.

Then the journey really began.

I also noticed something at Frankfurt Airport, but mainly about myself and looking back on previous trips. When traveling together, everyone tries to contribute their knowledge about airport processes and present themselves as well-traveled and knowledgeable. 'No, of course you can take food through security', 'Yes, I bought the rain cover specifically to protect the backpack buckles, they could break otherwise', 'No, you don't have to show your passport during boarding' etc. It can be awkward if someone insists on sharing their acquired knowledge and gets annoying. Luckily, this was not the case this time.

But back to the story. From Frankfurt, we had a 16-hour journey via Dubai to Bangkok. There is not much to say about the flight. The animated Lion King was cute, the food was ok, Coach Esume's new book was great, and dividing the flights into two six-hour sections was relaxing.

Bangkok - Everything for the Infinity Pool

Our time in Bangkok was all about getting the best Insta-worthy picture in the infinity pool. On the first day, many things didn't go as planned. I almost felt sick under my mask at the airport, and we had to search for our driver to the Airbnb for a long time. When we arrived, as expected, we only had a double bed, a small sofa bed, and a mattress. But that's fine, we can manage. We chose the Airbnb mainly because of the infinity pool at the hotel and we were aware of the sleeping arrangements. Unfortunately, we initially didn't have Wi-Fi or access cards for the in-house infinity pool, because in this building, the apartments are not supposed to be rented out as Airbnb and, as guests, we naturally didn't have a card. During dinner, we also ordered dishes that some people are allergic to.

The taxi and tuk-tuk drivers are also not all there and always try to rip you off. But despite some problems on the first day, we were stupid but happy in the end.

The next morning, things became turbulent again. Our Airbnb host offered us a change of buildings, as we would be allowed to use the pool in another one. Said and done, we quickly packed our stuff while she was already standing next to us, and two women took us to our new accommodation. There, too, it seemed to be more like privately owned apartments, and there were big signs stating that no Airbnbs were allowed. But ok, let's trust the coughing corona grandma who drove us. The Thai justice system is probably relaxed. The biggest torture for me would be to listen to the shrill and too loud Thai announcements at the airport longer than necessary. After the semi-criminal move into our second accommodation, we started exploring on the second day.

In the past, I have experienced that you don't always feel well on a trip. Initially, there is always a slight tension that you don't forget anything somewhere (didn't always work for me) and arrive well in the foreign country. Then you can be stressed due to frequent changes of location or have trouble sleeping. Homesickness can also occur. But there are those special moments that outweigh all the difficulties. I had this feeling for the first time on this trip when we sailed on the Chao Phraya, Bangkok's largest river. From the water, you could see Bangkok in all its diversity and exotic foreignness. City as far as the eye can see, the many modern skyscrapers, and in contrast, the historic temples, street food stalls everywhere, and finally, the sun blurred by the smog. Seeing all of this from a swaying boat on the great Chao Phraya was a great moment for me.

In Bangkok, there were also some sights to see. For example, the Wat Arun temple, whose central tower represents the center of the universe and the surrounding smaller towers represent the four oceans.

On the second evening, we had a blast, got a bit tipsy, and it was a fun night. We were on the famous Khaosan Road, a tourist center with many stalls, bars, and clubs. Here, you could really party. But Dennis can tell drinking stories better than I can, so ask him for that.😄

Warning! Spoiler: It got pretty wild and crazy in Bangkok.

In Thailand, I have already found a role model. This dude is called Maha Vajiralongkorn and is the king of Thailand. Unfortunately, we haven't met personally yet, but maybe that will happen in the future. Just google him, a very likable guy. Also, the fact that insulting majesty is considered a serious crime here speaks volumes about him. (For people who need a signal for irony, please imagine one here)

Despite everything, I find our brother Maha and his status funny and will continue to support him.

On the third day, we slept off our hangover and strolled through the city. I took a closer look at everything.

How do I start what I want to write next? 'But Bangkok also has its dark side'? No, that sounds too negative. I just had some thoughts while sightseeing.

But who am I to be a critic of capitalism and point out its losers. I just had some thoughts and reconsidered how small my problems really are. The next picture shows one of my problems.

On the last evening in Bangkok, we finally enjoyed our infinity pool and the view. All's well that ends well.

So that was it for three days in Bangkok, I will report back from northern Thailand.

Long live our good king!

Lukas