160kph and no seat belt - Welcome to Bangkok

Street Scape
see all photos »

Bangkok is a city of extremes. In this bustling metropolis you can find approx 13 million people carrying on their daily lives. Multi level freeways and thousands of taxi's will take you across the city supported by a new train system, ferries, busses, 3 wheeled tiny open sided taxis called 'tuk tuk's' and all controlled by traffic officers or traffic lights- some of which count down the seconds until the lights will change! ( we need that!) Just be warned. There are no apparent road rules- no apparent speed limits in most places - and if you think you can fit or make it thru the gap seems to be the only rule. By the end of the 2nd day I was starting to wonder if i too could drive on the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic to save time and get down the street faster. As long as it wasn't a truck coming in the other direction it was put ur foot flat and go! 

In a Tuk Tuk
see all photos »

You will find a massive, modern, fresh shopping complex boasting the most exclusive brands opposite a run down, dirty apartment block with a push trolley stand selling some food cooked fresh on the spot out the front. Dogs laze in streets as incense burns in the cracks of pavements or in one of the many mini Buddha shrines sprinkled every few kilometers along the main streets. You can walk down the street smelling the most tantalising freshly cooked traditional food and seconds later be smacked in the face with a stench strong enough to take your eyebrows off. All this within a couple of streets.

No speed limits, crazy driving and 13 million people!

Night Markets
see all photos »

It is at night when Bangkok comes alive! (Which suits me just fine as like this city i am NOT a morning person). Shopping stalls (similar in style to a side show alley) start to spring up mid-late afternoon and then the city lights up! Food, shopping, drinking, food again, strip clubs, food again, more strip clubs and other forms of entertainment take over. There is a crazy rush of excitement and bargaining as you jostle your way down the crowded streets lined with the locals and their stalls saying "look look, look here look here, you like you like?" And if you look hard enough you will find that elusive gift of island styled drinking pub to relax in. And you can even stop to get your hair cut on the way home as long as you do so before 11pm or so. The hard part is trying to tell them exactly what you want when you cant speak the same language. I spiked up hair up and walked out with a mohawk! But it actually turned out to be one of my best hair cuts after i washed it!

Thai's reputation for friendliness is understated. And politeness is the key here. If passing you on a crowded hall way and ur talking to ur friends they will apologise and slightly bow their head in passing. Even more obvious example is when Chi (Sam's uncle's friend) would refill our bundy's when they got low and even apologised if we refilled ourselves before he noticed! On the other Xtreme you can get totally jipped by Tuk Tuk drivers who will tell you (at midday) the old grand palace (where we wanted to go) will not be opening for another 3 hours and they try to drive you all over town at exorbitant prices. The Grand palace opens from 8:30 AM daily!