Wow, what a weekend. I just arrived in Sukhothai after four days in Bangkok and a 7-hour bus ride. So far I've been to Chatuchak - one of the largest weekend markets in the world, to the Sky Bar on the top of one of the tallest buildings in Bangkok, got drunk on the party street of Kao Sarn (pronounced "Ko Sahn"), ate and shopped in Chinatown, and met so many new people.
I met Koen (pronounced kind of like "koon") from Amsterdam almost right away. His bunk was next to mine in the hostel. Very cool and laid back guy who decided to travel after not being able to find work back home. I've spent most of my time exploring Bangkok with him and will be continuing onward with him for at least another week or two.
Dave is French-Canadian and 20 years old. He's originally from around Quebec and is traveling before he really decides what he's doing in life. Also a very cool guy, he was supposed to go with Koen and I up north but we couldn't find him before we left. He has been battling jet lag pretty hard so he likely overslept. Hopefully we'll see him here soon.
Other people I've met include, but are definitely not limited to: Bastion, also from Holland; Rich from england but who's teaching in Japan and on break; Sarah from England; Lauren and Hannah from Scotland; Joe who lived in Santa Barbara for a few years and is trying to clean up his life; a girl from Iowa (I can't recall her name, sorry!) Who is volunteering with the Peace Corps; a mother and her two children from Colorado; a local Thai girl named Mimi; a trio of girls from England - Lauren P, Lauren G, and Maude... Everyone has their own stories, reasons for traveling, and experiences. It's so amazing meeting such varied individuals.
I stayed at a hostel in Bangkok named Saphai Pae which means "backpacker" in Thai. Very nice place with all of the amenities you'd need. Almost too nice, though, since most people I see have their faces buried in a screen of some kind. I'm guessing the ones that are more active don't typically hang around the hostel. Here in Sukhothai I'm at the 4T guesthouse - it was closest to the bus terminal but is a little more expensive.
Dave, Koen and I will heading to Chiang Mai and then onto Laos. Koen plans to go to Vietnam, but neither Dave nor I have a visa for entry and we're not sure we'll be in one place long enough to get one.
There really isn't enough time or space to describe the all of the things that I have seen and learned in only three days that have made this an experience of a lifetime so far. It feels like it has been so much longer. I'll try to post plenty of pictures!
