We took our last Emirates flight to Bangkok, Thailand. When we first arrived it was madness. We were being told to get a visa, but yet not being told where to get the visa. But, somehow we figured it out, and got our visas. I still had yet to discover that would be the least of my problems.
We exited the airport and went to get a taxi. We were told by the owners of our accommodation it should be no more then 40 baht. We got in and the driver just so happens to be a psychopath. He starts yelling "WHERE YOU GO, I TAKE YOU." We start driving and his jacked taxi meter is going all over the place. We told him take the highway don't try to rip us off. Shockingly he did take the highway, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to rip us off. We had been driving for an hour and the meter was at 55. So we tell him hey it's only supposed to be 40 baht. "OH NO! I SORRY! OH NO! SO BAD, WOW!" (face palms) "WOW, I TAKE YOU BACK!"
I got up and thought you're not taking us back. So he tells us some story that it's more money for a taxi two feet longer than the sedan. We said, "You didn't tell us that." As if listening to the horrible Thai version of American songs on his CD repeating wasn't bad enough. "I remember when my pa pa used to say I love you then he would tuck me into bed." Imagine that one hundred times over and over again.
When we finally arrived, he tried driving us to the wrong apartment despite us telling him "No the other place, no, (sigh) no." We told him a big hotel to drive to and our apartment would be right next to it. But he didn't understand. After ten minutes of explaining we finally arrived at our apartment. And that was our welcome to Asia. I wasn't surprised.
We didn't do much the first couple of days in Bangkok. We went swimming and pretty much just grabbed dinner. One day we wanted to go look at some market, so we had to take the train. Instead of getting a taxi or walking to the train we had to take a tuk tuk, which is a little motorcycle that tugs you along in a wagon with a roof. After our ten minute argument about how we didn't want a tuk tuk, we got in. It wasn't too bad, but he kept saying I'm going to stop and you're going to look at clothes. We said no we're not. He said 'Yes, I get free gas.' So we said no way and he kept driving. When we got to the train station we got on the train and went to the market. It was the biggest outdoor market in Bangkok. We had lunch there and walked around. We all bought hats to protect ourselves from the sun.
The pool at our place was very large and quiet. It was nice, until we were kicked out for wearing a swim suit that looked like street clothes. We got the death stare from the pervert that reported us a few times. We filed a complaint and the person said it should be fine but we kept getting the stink eye so we left.
A few days later we went on a hop on hop off boat tour of Bangkok. On one of the stops I had the fourth best meal of my life. (I will list the top 5 best meals I've had at the end.) It was a simple fried rice with pork meal, and incredibly delicious. I didn't enjoy the tour at all, because half the time I was being shoved by angry tourists.
We also took a two hour boat ride on the river. I even got to drive the boat. We saw many poor communities along the river. One lady sold us bananas from her little floating market on her boat.
And that was how our time in Bangkok went.
My top 5 meals of all time are:
5. Beef stew with fresh juice and fries, Arusha, Tanzania, Africa
4. Fried rice with pork, Bangkok, Thailand
3. Pineapple burger, Porto, Portugal
2. Potatoes with cream cheese, caramelized onion, lettuce, and tomato burger, Barcelona, Spain
1. ANYTHING IN DUBAI. IT'S DUBAI!!!
