Arriving in Bangkok was surreal because not only had I just arrived in the city where I would begin my travels for three months, but I was also dying from lack of sleep and anxiety. I got off the plane and began walking towards the visa upon arrival area in immigration and the lady working there kept pointing for me to leave, but I was confused because I knew that since I'm an American citizen I was able to get a free visa when I arrived. My biggest fear at that moment was deportation. I was thinking to myself, "Ugh please don't make me get on another twenty hour flight back home just because I messed up the visa process!" She was, however, just telling me to go straight through and I didn't even need to apply for a visa. While this confusion was happening I heard her say "Canada" and from behind me pops up a girl who was also trying to figure out the visa. I turned around and heard her speaking English and we became buddies straight off the plane. Her name is Tharmita and she was also doing a big backpacking trip in Southeast Asia for a few months. Immediately off the plane I began meeting people who were traveling around, and not only that but a solo traveler too! We decided to split a taxi together and make our way into Bangkok, but we were at different hostels so once she got dropped off I was on my own again to get to my hostel.
I stayed at the Nappark Hostel and that was a great choice on my part because as I soon came to realize nearly everyone there was a solo backpacker. I chatted with some of the guys in my 22 person dorm room, some coming from Holland, London, and the U.S. Knowing that there are a bunch of other solo travelers made me feel so much more comfortable and reassured that this was a good decision. I began making friends INSTANTLY and everyone was so kind and full of adventure. Some people were just beginning their journey like me and some others were just ending their journey so we were able to swap ideas and figure out an itinerary, because just like me nobody else had any plans and was just going with the flow.
When I got all my bags situated I decided it was time to find some good food and do some exploring. Some of the guys in my dorm room, Lars, Marcel, and Kieran all invited me to go see some temples. We got a tuk-tuk to take us to a few temples but as soon as the driver found out we didn't want to buy any tours he just left us when we went inside the second temple! I didn't mind because we got a free ride! We went to this one temple on top of a hill and you could see all of Bangkok, which was amazing. I was at the top of the temple and there were Buddhist monks walking around everywhere and I knew that Thailand was very Buddhist but I didn't really realize how much. There are temples and buddhas literally everywhere.
After a couple temples we decided it was time to go back to the hostel and grab some food. We got a good serving for 100 baht, which is about 3 dollars. I am in love with how cheap things are. I can actually eat! Even though things are relatively inexpensive it is easy to go overboard, especially when it comes to drinking. That's why everyone goes to 7/11 to get beer and snacks, so that we can save money and still have a good time.
A perfect afternoon snack was necessary before I took my nap so that I could rally and see what the nightlife is like in Bangkok. Everyone at the hostel was hanging out in the common room, sharing stores, enjoying a laugh and it was so nice and refreshing to meet new people. I cant even begin to explain how awesome everyone was. So open and genuine people. The fact that we were all there and backpacking solo was the one common ground that we all agreed on, because we understand the value of it. The vibe was perfect and exactly what I though it would be, which set us up for a great evening out in the town! One thing I can tell you is that Bangkok is WILD. Almost too wild for me. We all went to Khao San Road and got drinks and I ended up eating a scorpion! Although it was a blast to go out in Bangkok I knew that I wouldn't need much time there.
Since I was still pretty jet lagged waking up in the morning wasn't too bad and I was ready to really do some exploring and walk around the city. I packed up my day bag and decided to just walk around and get lost. Smelling all the delicious food and walking through the markets was so great and I was able to just go at my own pace and look at all the trinkets. While I was stumbling around I found this ferry to go to Wat Arun, which was a temple across the river. It was only 4 baht so I decided to just go for it. Behind me there was a group of young people speaking English and I could tell they were American, so I thought to myself that I should just talk with them and hang out with them. A simple "Where are you guys from?" Was the start of an awesome day. This group of 5 was from Seattle, Washington and they were so friendly and welcoming to me. I just explored temples and got some food with them for the rest of the day and I was so proud of myself for reaching out. Thanks for adopting me guys! It really did make me feel so good that I decided to say hello to them because it just shows how you decide your experience. I could've just stayed alone and continued to walk and explore by myself, but I chose to share these experiences with other people that I just met. It definitely was a great introduction to solo backpacking, and although we parted our ways at the end of the day we still will always have that experience.
I went back to the hostel after a long day of walking and I was so exhausted. I had to relax for a little bit before chatting with people and going out, but I felt like I had accomplished so much in that day that I didn't really even want to stay in Bangkok anymore so I decided to try and figure out my next move. The morning after my second night in Bangkok I just hung out in the common room and was chatting with people to see what their plans were so that maybe I could join them. I started getting nervous because people started booking flights and ferries and I felt like I was getting left behind. All I knew is that I wanted to get to the islands ASAP so I was proposing ideas to everyone to make our way to the beach and then I found a travel buddy! Stephanie is from Mexico and has been traveling around since January in Europe and now Southeast Asia. We both wanted to get to the beach and were throwing around ideas, and we quickly came up with the plan to go to Koh Tao then Koh Phagnan for the full moon party and then possibly to Phuket. I'm telling you that this decision happened within 20 minutes and in 30 minutes we had our overnight bus and ferry to Koh Tao! Just like that I had a travel buddy and I was going to the islands in Southern Thailand.
We said our goodbyes to all our amazing new friends that we could possibly meet up with in other parts of Southeast Asia, and then we proceeded to grab a beer while we waited for our bus. When we were walking down Khao San Road I literally felt like I was in a movie, it was so surreal. I had just spontaneously got a ticket to an island with a person I barely know and I was beyond excited, because I thought stuff like this only happens in the movies! But no, this was my reality for the next few months and I'm so ready to see what's next. I have about one more hour on this overnight bus until we get on the ferry to Koh Tao, and I can't wait to see what Southern Thailand has in store for me. Thank you Bangkok for a warm welcome, I'm ready to start exploring!
