Bangkok Day 1

After 25 hours of flights, 6 hours of layovers, and bouncing from Charlotte to Los Angeles and Tokyo, I finally arrived in Bangkok, Thailand at around midnight. On the flight I was thinking about how lucky I have been to be able to travel so much. Last summer I had the privilege to travel to Africa, and in the past 48 hours I have been in Tokyo, flown over Vancouver, Anchorage, and the Bering Strait (although I still cannot understand why that was the route the plane took). It really is a privilege to be able to experience so many different cultures around the world.

Upon arriving at the airport, I hired a cab to take me to the Population and Community Development Association office. All I had was an address and my taxi driver did not speak any English. He dropped me off in a side street where a sign said PDA, however I could not figure out where I was actually supposed to be. I ended up walking in the rain up and down a side street in Bangkok at 1:30 A.M. for about 30 minutes. I then eventually made it back to a main road with my luggage and found a cab driver who spoke enough English to understand me and agreed to only get paid if and when he dropped me off at my room. We drove around the same block for about 30 minutes asking every security guard possible where I was supposed to be and eventually found it. Quite an adventure for my first night.

My first impressions of Bangkok were largely positive. I was impressed at the substantial infrastructure and advanced technology that was everywhere in Bangkok. There is the Skyrail, skyscrapers, bridges, and tv screens everywhere; quite a contrast from Nairobi. Furthermore, there is such a large Western influence. There is a 7-11 convenience store, McDonalds, KFC, and Starbucks on literally every other block. However, a different side of Bangkok hit me immediately from my cab ride to the airport. We took a turn onto a side street and there were approximately thirty young women, in scantily clad clothing, standing out in the rain. Thailand remains the sex tourism capital of the world, but it also the focal point of sex slavery.

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On my first full day in Bangkok, I hit the city early after a brief meeting with PDA staff. I started off by walking to MBK, a seven story mall in which each level is the size of a smaller U.S. mall. You can literally buy anything you want there. The top three levels are dedicated to food, with hundreds of restaurants serving anything you can imagine. After lunch consisting of passionfruit juice, tom kum kung soup, and a mango waffle, I took a Tuk Tuk (three wheeled hybrid between a car and a motorcycle) to the Grand Palace area. I wasn't dressed properly to enter the Grand Palace but I did enter Wat Pho and saw the Reclining Bhudda. I then caught a boat to China Town and walked around for a long time there. I was planning on eating lunch in China Town but I simply was too full from lunch, so I returned to my area.

I also have a cell phone number here so please feel free to contact me if you are willing to bear a high phone bill. My number is +66870314809 (international) or 0870314809 (domestic in Thailand). I also have uploaded some pictures which you can access by clicking here. There is so much to explore so stay posted for more updates!