I Should Have Learned Dutch.

Arrival in Bangkok, Thailand.

Following a long few days of flying, I have arrived in Bangkok! My journey has elapsed 36 hours and a few confusing time changes. LA to Las Vegas to Seoul to Bangkok. All in all, not my worst travel day. Having plenty of doubt about what I was about to undertake, I successfully booked a yoga retreat in the southern Gulf islands of Thailand just to have something to shoot for my second week.

First Meal

Not having a clue what time it was/what it felt like, I needed to get something besides Korean Airlines Bikimbop in my body. The air felt like it had been air-fried, battered, and then air-fried again; I only wanted some Pad Thai and a Thai beer, Singha. This restaurant was called Mama's Kitchen near Khosan Road in Bangkok and was good enough and cheap enough to return to a few more times during my short stay.

A common theme of these blogs will be what I'm eating, drinking, and doing... Probably in that order.

Luckily there are plenty of meals to go around. Food is everywhere and a significant social aspect of Thailand. Markets that stretch on for Miles/Kilometers are in just about every city, with lots of scorpions to eat.

Getting around

Grab. "Just take grab" is the most common saying for Westerners when discussing getting from A -> B. As with most things in Thailand so far, it's cheap! Getting a ride will cost about $2 anywhere in Bangkok. Depending on how you do it, it will take anywhere from 15 to 45 Minutes, and the difference maker is the mode of transport. Grab has a great feature called Grab Bike! Just hop on the back of a scooter that pulls up and flashes a name, and they speed and dive through the madness of Bangkok traffic. My friend, Joe Rodman, recommended this to me as the best way to get around and the most fun, and it lived up to these expectations with a little bit more added danger than initially expected.

The Hostel Life

When people in the reviews say, "Lots of Dutch people," They are not kidding! My first attempt at meeting some friends while solo traveling was quickly shot down from my lack of Dutch and barely knowing the differences between The Netherlands, Holland, and Being Dutch; it turns out there isn't one! Walking by tables full of Dutch-speaking people is hard to find a conversation to jump into. I then learned that Holland has a climate similar to Seattle, where it just rains most of the year, and then it's fantastic! My first of many Dutch sayings was, You aren't made of sugar. You won't melt in the rain. This was useful for the many more Dutch friends I have met throughout my few weeks and the many more downpours I have endured.