Thailand: Bangkok

After hopping onto the local bus, we travelled across town to the sky train. It is one of the top things to experience in Bangkok, and we can believe why. It’s basically the Gautrain, except much higher up and expansive. We zipped up and over the morning traffic, whilst moving past large skyscrapers on either side. You do see a great deal of Bangkok. Our accommodation for the night was at a homestay, which was decent and full of young and old due to the events the owner hosted.

We arrived very early at the homestay; and eventually got checked in by a very hungover landlady. Being exhausted from the overnight bus and very long journey, we decided to only visit two recommended sights on the city, which are very commercial.
The first stop was the incredible Chatuchak weekend market. We have never seen a market like this before. Imagine 8000 stalls, 27 sections (with actual marked roads and signs), and thousands of people. It’s any shopaholic and bargain hunter’s dream. The best was that the stalls did not all sell kitsch, cheap goods; there was many a stall selling beautiful dresses, elegant jewellery, colourful bath products, and nice home ware.

After this delightful sensory overload, we hopped onto the sky train again and made the journey to Terminal 21, which is a grand mall in Bangkok. We were astounded by the creativity behind it all: every single level was designed with a country in mind, and the effect was both fascinating and appealing. There was Rome, with its painted roofs and cast down pillars for chairs. Paris was pretty and pink, with florals and boutique shops everywhere. London had an underground theme, with two large train cars in the center, and all the shops maintaining the subway signage. San Francisco was the food court, with a massive red

bridge reaching across the gp in the floor. It was really a wonderful thing to see!

Done with our window shopping for the day, we took a long walk around Sumkamvhit and enjoyed the energy and sights of the city. Our evening was very chilled – we had beers at home and supper nearby, whilst chatting to the many people around us.