We Travel World

Photo 1
Another riverside temple.Wow. This is the kind of thing that happens to “this one guy who knew this other guy”, but it really did go down just like in a movie.

Arnthor is missing.

Last night, we met some Danish guys who were keen to hit all the seediest bars in Bangkok. I had a couple drinks with them at the hostel bar before hand, but was falling asleep in my drink. Sheepishly, I went to bed instead of going out with the boys. Arnthor, however, wasn’t slowing down at all.

10 am, one of the Danish guys stumbles down the stairs, looking greener than a seasick crocodile. He had clearly had a wild night. Good for him… but where was Arnthor? He thought he was with me. I thought he was with him. Eyebrows were raised. He couldn’t even remember where they had all gone, or he got home. He seemed to remember some bar upstairs… making out with some Thai girls… a ping pong show…? That’s ok, raucous nights out often take all morning to shake themselves out. I decided to wait.

Noon. It was checkout time, and I hastily packed both mine and Arnthor’s stuff and
Photo 2
…and another.checked out of our room before we got charged a late fee. Apparently, one of the other Danish guys was also missing. Also strange, but perhaps they had gone somewhere together. Safety in numbers, and all that. Still waiting.

1 pm. The missing Danish guy shows up, having just spent the night sleeping it off in some girl’s bed. He hasn’t seen Arnthor either. Now the check-in girls are starting to get worried too.

2 pm. I can’t wait here all day. The train tickets are scheduled to leave tonight, non-refundable. I decide to give it until 3 pm, then check the police station. I’m both laughing and pacing, the situation is pretty hilarious but I feel torn about what I should be doing.

Finally, around 2:30 a pink taxi containing a very hungover Arnthor rolls up. I laugh with relief, and so does he. I lend him the cash for taxi fare. Over hangover-breakfast/lunch, he explains his adventures with some of the locals, eventually being driven to some girl’s house in a distant part of the city, blind drunk and totally lost. He sleeps until 1:30 pm, only to be stranded without taxi fare, and eventually
Photo 3
The crowded markets are a human zoo, really entertaining.convincing a driver to let him pay upon arrival… a rare thing in Bangkok.

So all’s well that ends well, they say. Nobody went to Thai prison, and we made the train to Chiang Mai. I even actually wish I had gone out with those guys. Oh well, I’m just glad everything worked out.

The overnight train to Chiang Mai was actually pretty tolerable. An upper bunk in a rocking train is really kind of soothing, and the next morning I got to see hours of jungle roll by while sitting on the uncovered train hitch. CCR is the greatest train music EVER, as it turns out.

The trek through the jungle begins tomorrow. Assuming all goes well, I’m about to spend 3 days in the rainforest, ride elephants through the jungle, raft down the river on bamboo, and stay the night with the small tribes who have lived in the wilderness for thousands of years. It will be a different challenge than the streets of Bangkok, but still awesome.

The markets in Chaing Mai are great to wander through. I wish I could transmit the smells of this place. Incense and curries mix with the
Photo 4
Arnthor is still walking it off. I’m still giving him shit.smell of the street and the people to create a totally indescribable atmosphere. And, as usual, there are temples on every corner. It’s a real show.

Thailand, even Bangkok, is much more laid-back than Hong Kong. I needed that.

In 3 days, I’ll have plenty more pictures and stories. Out.
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Photo 5
The train ride to Chaing Mai was almost entirely jungle greenery.
Photo 6
Good ol’ 7-Eleven has been a beacon through the night in every city, HK, Bangkok, and even Chiang Mai. I expect to see them in every country I visit.
Photo 7
Pimp my Buddha.
Photo 8
This thing looks about as old as the saying ‘old as dirt’.