One night in Bangkok...

This earworm has stuck with Lisa ever since we arrived here in Bangkok. Of course, we are not staying here for only one night, because then we would have too little time to get to know this wonderful city.

So we give up our island life and travel from Koh Chang to Thailand's bustling capital, what a contrast! But we are looking forward to the new impressions and the city that we have heard so much about. Our Happy Monkey Hostel (of course with an air-conditioned double room) is located in the shopping district of Siam. From the old Hua Lampong train station, we take the metro and skytrain to reach our destination. It's getting dark slowly, so from the skytrain we already have an impressive view of the brightly lit metropolis with all its skyscrapers and colorful billboards. The hostel is small but nice and clean - Bangkok, here we are.

After a fairly short break, we set off and have dinner at a restaurant on the large Petchaburi Road. Afterwards, we stroll through the first night market between the huge shopping malls. Some exciting impressions for a start, there will be more tomorrow.

After breakfast, we set off to explore the Khaosan Road and its surroundings, because a visit to this famous street is a must in Bangkok. We travel part of the way by skytrain before changing from land to river route. However, we do not take the tourist boat, but the orange line, which has its stations so perfectly located that you automatically take a sightseeing tour. Great. For example, we stop right next to the Wat Arun temple, which is made of colorful mosaic tiles and looks really great. We also catch a glimpse of the Wat Pho temple and the magnificent Grand Palace from the boat, but they are not on our program for today.

After a week of beach and jungle, the countless skyscrapers here on the riverside probably appear even more gigantic than they already are. From the pier, we are guided through various shops and then take a shortcut to the Khaosan Road. This shortcut initially leads through a strange alley that seems to serve as a dog rescue station and where we get a glimpse of a small Thai boxing arena. The ladies here are pretty fit! Then the path leads through a restaurant - at first we assume that we have gone the wrong way, but no, this is the right way. This is one way to acquire new customers, of course. A few more steps and we are there.

With its large billboards, countless tuk-tuks, and street vendors, the Khao San Road is unmistakable. Barely there, one of the street vendors already holds a scorpion skewer in front of our noses, uhh, thanks, maybe later. Instead, we prefer to have some sticky rice with mango first.

Since Bangkok is home to one of the largest shopping centers in the world, the MBK Center, we definitely want to visit it as well. You could easily get lost inside. We stroll through the shops and realize how much time one can spend in such a huge shopping center. As if the selection here wasn't big enough, there is also the nearby Siam Center. Winning the lottery would be great right now.

Of course, we also visit the Royal Palace, whose roofs we had already spotted from the river. Of course, we are not the only ones with this plan and join the queue at the ticket booth. The palace and the adjacent temple glisten in the hot sun, making the elaborate buildings look even more majestic. I wonder if the king is at home?

We really like Bangkok. You never know what awaits you around the next corner - a new mall, a stylish bar, or a small market. Whether you're a backpacker or a luxury lover (or both...), Bangkok has something for everyone. And even though we can only get to know certain parts of the city, we don't feel lost despite its size.

We also take a trip to the Sukhumvit district, and in the evening, because there are some nice bars here. We choose the bar that belongs to the WTF art gallery and are not disappointed. It's small but nice and has a warm and artistic charm. But it's not just the atmosphere that we like, the selection of old-fashioned cocktails is also great. We toast to our last evening together, as Sebastian will fly back to Germany tomorrow while Lisa continues traveling south. The idea that our joint trip around the world is almost over is still very strange and unreal. So first of all: Cheers!

Before Sebastian drives to the airport in the evening, we naturally want to see the world's largest reclining Buddha statue and go to the Wat Pho temple. The temple itself is also worth seeing, and there is also a huge collection of Buddha statues here. Then we enter a building in the middle of which is something huge and golden. The reclining Buddha! It's really big. It's lying around here in the temple in a very chilled way. After the visit, we have a delicious meal and drink coconut water. Then it's time to pack our backpacks!