Made it to the Big Bangkok City!

Well after a very longgggg 10 bus/van ride from Siem Reap and Cambodia, I have made it to the big Bangkok city in Thailand. The border crossing about 3 hours into the trip was a very interesting one so let me try and describe it. Firstly, you get dropped off at the border and get off the bus with all your luggage. The bus company is pretty much for tourists and they have about 5 buses a day so this overland route is very common indeed. We go through the Cambodian immigration side and then walk about 300 meters with our luggage passing big flashing neon signed hotels and random roadside stores selling clothes, food etc. On the Thailand side, you fill out your immigration card again and then everybody on the bus got split into different vans. I guess vans are a lot faster than buses on this route and it makes sense, especially when you enter the 7.7 million population city.

We finally arrived and got dropped off very close to the famous Khao San Road where EVERYTHING happens.

I didn't have a guesthouse booked so followed the signs to one that I remember mentioned in the Lonely Planet book. It was offering a basic private room with a fan for $11/night and well I couldn't be bothered looking elsewhere because it was about 6pm by this time...so took it!

After dumping my stuff, I have ventured out onto KS Road and its alive with street food stalls offering of course, the famous PAD thai for about 70 cents:) Lots of fake clothes, watches, hats etc. and now I've found a quiet coffee shop and ordered the cheapest thing on the menu (blueberry muffin for about $1.75) BUT free wi-fi internet and that's great because my hostel does not have free internet! booo!

So, I'm thinking 2 nights will be plenty in this big city and then head up north to Chiang Mai for some trekking and relaxation. People have told me that Chiang Mai is similar to Siem Reap so I like that idea:)

OK, time to head out...maybe try and find some papapa salad food stall since I already ate Chicken Pad Thai at the lunch stop we had right after crossing the border. Everything is a little bit more expensive here that's for sure....I checked, 20 minute foot massages are about $3 here as opposed to $1 in Cambodia.

Thailand is definitely more developed so it will be interesting as I travel through the region.

Time to brave the night market....and learn some Thai now! :)