Bangkok

I feel like I'm always going to be a little (okay, a LOT) behind with my posts.  Playing constant catch up.  So much has happened since my last post.  I managed to survive the jungle!  There were definitely a couple of times where I thought "Kira, should you really be doing this?" and learned there is sometimes a difference between an adventure and just plain stupidity.  I hope I chose right!  ::grin::

So Bangkok...It's a huge city and I know I only saw a small section of it.  The tourist parts are a constant barrage of "Tuk tuk? Taxi?  You buy suit!  Where you go?  I tell your fortune!" and so on.  Once you get outside of those, it's mostly just a lot of Thai people staring at you when you go past.  ::chuckles::  The trick I've learned is to smile.  95% of the time, they smile back.  And if you say hello in Thai?  Oh man, that gets a full out grin.  They're probably just laughing at my garbled attempt to mainstream.

I made it to a couple of temples (or Wats).  The amount of detail and sheer scale of things is overwhelming.  One thing to note for anyone going to visit a temple: wear shirts with sleeves and either a knee-length skirt or pants.  Shorts and tank tops/spaghetti straps are considered disrespectful.  I wish I'd realized that before I packed.  ::grimace::  That just means I had an interesting experience when attempting to go to the Grand Palace.  You can actually rent appropriate attire in order to go in.  It's more of a deposit as you get your money back when you return them.  But when you're traveling with a friend and you both realize you have to get clothes and then realize between the two of you, you didn't bring enough money to also actually get into the palace, well...I guess it wasn't meant to be that day.

Photo property of Kira Zebroski

I've definitely made a lot of new friends during my travels thus far.  My first night there I went to Khao San with Leon for a drink and we struck up a conversation with a gal from Costa Rica at the table next to us and then during our people watching stint, we met another couple from Holland.  They'd bought a scorpion and unlike the typical picture-taking session and then tossing of the roasted treat, they actually ate some of it.  I should have realized if we praised them that the "food" would then be offered to us.  ::self-deprecating laugh::  Oh silly Kira.  Wim also offered us a bag of grasshoppers.  I couldn't do a whole one but I'm proud to say I did eat one of the legs.  Let's just say the bristles on its legs leave an interesting feeling in your throat for some time after.  The scorpion was kinda smokey tasting from being roasted and I actually liked that better.  Go figure.  The night ended in a tuk tuk ride to a ::lip popping sound:: show and that's all I'm going to say about that.  ::laughs mysteriously::  The tuk tuk ride was reminiscent of a roller coaster with hairpin turns and waving at fellow hapless tourists.  I survived both the ride there and back again.  ::happy dance and kissing the ground::

Photo property of Kira Zebroski

I highly recommend the hostel I stayed at: Born Free Hostel.  The owner is very knowledgeable, helpful, and just a great guy all around.  He and his girlfriend are both from Switzerland and they just opened up another hostel further up the road so be sure to check them out if you're ever in Bangkok.  I met a lot of cool people there.  A few of us are going to try and met up in Southern Thailand in the next day or so if things work out accordingly.  ::fingers crossed::  And the rooms are air conditioned when you sleep at night.  SCORE!!  

I spent one of my days exploring with a couple of guys from the hostel.  We introduced Mahmoud to new foods beyond his comfort zone (don't worry, Mama K's got your back), I was shown a huge Buddha where I learned people will get small squares of gold foil and put it on statues as an offering, and got horribly lost when we got to the palace where the currently king and queen actually reside.  

Photo property of Kira Zebroski

I was supposed to go on a night bike tour but I was a tired monkey.  I am proud to say I managed to power nap and rallied forth a few hours later.  A group of us went down to Khao San Rd (don't trust people when they say it's just to get food!) and one thing led to another.  Put into the mix: us, buckets, beers, a hookah, more travelers, and an awesome Thai girl's birthday and we greeted the sun that morning.  

Photo property of Kira Zebroski

Well, it's just about time for me to pack up from the hotel and head out to Surin.  I know I still have a lot of catching up to do, but I guess you're all just going to have to wait, breathless with antici..............pation.  ::grin::