Welcome To Bangkok or How To Feel Amazed And Disappointed At The Same Time

Amazed and disappointed. Sounds contradictory, doesn't it? However that is exactly how I felt when I arrived to my hotel in Kaoshan Rd last Thursday. My ride from the airport to the city was like waking up from one of those super sweet dreams that one happens to come across very few times in his life. Mine was called Nepal and it was over. It was massive buildings that scraped the sky now instead of mountains. The rivers had turned into super modern sky-train tracks and the donkeys had evolved into shinny cabs. Quite impressive but not the same.

Worst of all, the kind of travelers that populate this city. Lots and lots of couples in all sizes and colours, party animal (post-)teenagers, all-inclusive regulars and shopping addicts top the list. I understand them, I've been or I will become one of them someday, but it is just not the case at the moment. And this is what has disappointed me, the lack of adventurous travelers. Luckily I found some nice people like Chris (mid-aged, American) and Korn (20ish, Thai) who showed me some amazing spots of this city. One example is Siam Centre, a huge complex of shopping centers where you can find anything, from cheap electronics shops to luxirious spas, 3D movie theaters or Lamborginis.

I'm not the kind of guy who can be bought off with that kind of amenities, at least not at this point of my trip. I have a plan to meet real Thailand and it starts tonight. Don't expect news for a while.

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Mi viaje desde el aeropuerto hasta mi hotel en Bangkok fue como el despertar de un sueno. Mi sueno se llamaba Nepal, y se habia acabado. Montanas, rios y burros dejaban paso a rascacielos, trenes y taxis deportivos. Bastante impresionantes pero nada que ver con lo que tanto me gusto en Nepal. Lo peor es que durante mis primeros dias en la ciudad no encontre ningun companero de viajes de mi estilo (activo/aventurero), en su lugar encontre miles de parejas (de todo tipo y condicion), hordas de adolescentes buscando alcohol barato y domingueros. No les culpo, esta ciudad esta hecha a su medida, yo mismo volvere aqui convertido en uno de ellos algun dia, quien sabe, pero desde luego no es lo que mas me llama en este momento. En fin, soy un tipo de recursos. Tengo un plan para reconciliarme con la verdadera Tailandia, empieza esta noche. No espereis noticias de mi por unos dias.