The lead up to the departure date came around slowly for the first couple of months, but when we got into September it suddenly flew. We said the goodbyes to our old jobs and were getting ready to go. I probably repacked my rucksack around twenty times? Maybe more? Do I actually need this? Do I really want that? I have learnt so much from what I did and didn’t take away with me. The main thing to remember is to make sure you have the important stuff with you. The things you think you may need ask yourself this: is this something you can buy whilst you are out there, if you do end up needing it? You’ll find that this question will help you make the decision about whether you need that big or small bottle of shampoo. Or that extra jumper.
The day came for the airport and as mums always do, she started tearing up. “I will be back you know” I kept saying. They know though don’t they? They know you’ll be returning but it still hurts them. It’s a horrid feeling of leaving them behind but an adventure awaits you. You can’t keep us here any longer.
The journey was a long one, the furthest I have flown before on my own (without the family). I remember feeling extremely sick to my stomach. I couldn’t even eat the food. We flew with Jet2 airways, (an Indian airline that no longer exists), which meant the food was a curry! A CURRY! And I couldn’t eat it! It’s quite shocking.
We landed in Bangkok and immediately got ripped off by a taxi driver, standard, we were new of course and at this time we didn’t know any better. Just you wait in the next eight months we become pros at haggling.
We thought as we were landing in at eleven pm at night it would be best to book the first hotel. So booking.com recommended a four-star hotel, it was about fifteen pounds for the night with five-star reviews. Wonderful, I was looking forward to that first night sleep.
The cab driver drove to the hotel, which was in the business district. We had no idea where we should be located at the time. We got to the hotel and it was black everything. As in, the walls of the reception, the furniture, and the front desk. I’m talking about the colour of the paint not the fact it was dark either. Oh my god. What have we done?
“It’s ok, it’s just one night”. We climbed the 6 floors needed to get to our room as the elevator wasn’t working, much to everyone’s surprise, and then we opened the door to the room. I am not joking when I say it felt like something out of a horror movie. Black walls, no window, just big enough to fit the double bed and no space around it. We looked at each other and that was the last time we just winged somewhere based on the “reviews”, we needed recommendations from actual people. First lesson learnt. We decided to head to bed as this was the only thing we could do, and then it happened. My first, and only, ever panic attack.
Maybe it was the room, or the long flight, or leaving mum, but it was an overwhelming feeling that I just couldn’t shake. It was horrid. Nia did an excellent job of calming be doing to the point that I think I exhausted myself out before finally getting to sleep three hours later.
The next morning, we couldn’t get out of there quick enough. We grabbed another bottle of water from the shop across the street, seven/eleven, I know you know what they are. They crop up quite a lot in this series which probably comes as no surprise. We hopped in a taxi and headed to the crème de la crème for backpackers. Bangkok’s delightful playground. Khao San Road.
Now for those of you who have been to Khao San Road you will have read that as either hugely sarcastic or you just laughed. Most young backpackers gravitate to this street. Why? Cause it is just a street of nightlife. That’s it, nightlife. Once the sun goes down havoc breaks loose. All the bars open on the street, loud music from all angles and lady-boys getting ready to pounce on their next pray.
We found a hostel which was about three pounds a night, perfect for what we wanted just off the street about five minutes walking distance away. It all looked different in the day light and I instantly felt like we could relax. “This is it; this is the start of it now”. No more panic attacks from now on. We dumped our bags and headed out for our first Pad-Thai and beer Chiang, we felt right at home.
We stayed a total of 5 nights in Bangkok. Took in the sites of the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Floating Markets by day and by night we let our hair down like all the other travellers starting or even ending their journeys. Just to have fun and begin the adventure off with a bang and that’s exactly what we did.
This was what we had been waiting for.
LEAH HANCOX 