Bangkok Thailand

I have arrived safe and sound in Bangkok. I left on Monday out of Christchurch airport in New Zealand to arrive in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia to then carry on to Bangkok. Luckily I met a girl at the airport who I took the train and a cab with to the city centre. Khao San Road is basically the hub of Bangkok where all the backpackers stay. We stayed in a not-so-nice hostel but it was a bed to sleep in. My first impression of Bangkok is just mass chaos. There are so many people. The amount of cars and motor bikes is overwhelming. Their driving is insane! When traffic isn't moving fast enough, the motor bikes drive up on to the sidewalk! You have to be careful and keep your eyes open. Also, the 'smells' (yes, plural) are pretty disgusting. It's everything from curry to dirty people. Oh and did I mention it is soooooooo hot! I mean, HOT and humid. I'm a Texas girl though, I can handle it. Aside from all of that, Bangkok is an amazing city! There is so much character and life. You see all types of people and there is never a dull moment.

My friend, Taylor arrived on Tuesday. I was incredibly happy to see her. I haven't seen anyone from home since last May. Thanks to Taylor's mom, we are staying in a really nice hotel. I immediately made myself at home. Took a nice long shower in a fancy bathroom, put on the robe and made some coffee. I haven't stayed in a nice place in ages!

Taylor and I walked to the Grand Palace, but not before a million different people told us wrong information. It's impossible to get a straight answer from anyone here. They all have an agenda to get you to buy something. We ended up just finding it ourselves by following the tourists. The Palace is pretty extravagant. It is the royal residence and also has a number of government offices. You have to cover your legs and shoulders, but they give you clothes to wear for a small deposit.

We leave Bangkok today to head up to Chiang Mai which is in the northern part of Thailand. It is Thai New Year so there is so much going on making it a bit difficult to travel around. We couldn't take a bus, so we are flying. Chiang Mai is supposed to be great for the New Year. We're also taking an elephant trek! I'm so excited. After Chiang Mai, we're flying down to Phuket to go to Phi Phi. Phi Phi is where the movie, The Beach was filmed.

That is all I know for now. We don't have a plan for afterwards. I'm staying safe and being cautious. Will update when I know more!