I will be the first to tell you that I absolutely hated Bangkok on my first trip. I suppose I should back up and tell you exactly why and how I made it there in the first place. Having taken 5 years off after high school, I had traveled to 48 of the 50 states in America. I made it to border towns in Mexico. Then, I took off to Peru and Bolivia for a month. I had a great time traveling with a good group of friends for a month in South America. When I came back to the states, I settled in Washington, D.C. It was time for me to finally go back to school. Hell, I wasn't getting any younger! So, I started at a community college, but I had bitten by some sort of bug while in Peru and Bolivia. In the words of Jimmy Buffet, "once that bug bites you, you live with the sting"!!!
Over that first year of school, I decided to study business. I took mostly general education courses. Surprisingly, I did quite well. I started off part-time, but I quickly found out that I would never finish if I didn't quit working and go back full time. With renewed faith in my scholastic abilities, I did just that. Then, I spent a year in school full time! Again, I did extremely well. My thoughts often turned to when I would be able to experience something new.
Winter break came along about halfway through my first full-time year. I had a month off with no kinds of responsibility whatsoever. It became time to plan my next great adventure. I looked at a map, and my eyes settled upon Thailand and Southeast Asia. I spent countless hours on the internet drinking beer and reading just about everything google could throw my way. I reversed my sleeping schedule and started going to bed after the sun came up. I talked to my friends to try to sell them on the idea that they should go with me. They all seemed optimistic about the idea. Hell, I had traveled with a few of them to South America. I thought they were as enthusiastic about it as I was. Time would tell that they were not nearly as enthusiastic.
I went about researching. I had made up my mind to go with my friends for the 4 month summer break. My heart was set on it. School started again in late January, but I kept reading. I reminded my friends of this often and excitement was building. Then, at just about the end of February, it was about time to book a ticket. I noticed that price volatility in May was beginning to increase. With the support of my friends, I grabbed a round-trip ticket from Washington, D.C. to Bangkok on Korean Air via Seoul.
Now, I was really excited. I was looking for airfare for my friends who live in other cities. I was trying to find any pictures I could find. I got myself a copy of Lonely Planet on a Shoestring and read all of the relevant sections. Time was slipping away, as I was busy with school. Just then, the bomb hit. One by one, the people I thought were just as excited as I was began to drop out. Suddenly, I found myself heading to Thailand and Southeast Asia for 4 months ALONE!!!! So, I spent a good long time thinking about what I should do! Looking back, I laugh at myself, but the prospects of traveling alone for such an extended period of time with nothing but a backpack can be frightening. Although everyone I know thought I was out of my mind, I made the life-changing decision to go alone!
I always tell people that the hardest part of that first trip is just getting on the plane. After that, you really haven't got a choice in the matter. You are going where the plane takes you, and you will be forced to figure it out. This is exactly how I went about it. I figured out a rough itinerary, but I didn't have it all figured out. I thought I would give myself some flexibility! This is often the advice that I still give to people backpacking solo in Thailand or Southeast Asia for the first time.
My flight was out of New York, so I had resolved to grab a bus from Washington, D.C. to the big apple to save money. I chose to take the Chinatown Bus. For those of you that don't know the Chinatown Bus is a cheap way to get around on the east coast of the US. It cost $20 for a one-way trip from Washington, D.C. to New York City. While I have had some experiences in New York, I was in no way aware of how I was going to get from some unknown location out to JFK. I figured that I would just go ahead and sort it out when I got to New York. I looked at a map of the subway and figured I would be able to get myself to the A train when I got there wich would connect me with transportation to the JFK terminals.
The day finally came to leave, so I got a ride to the DC subway near my house from a family member and a close family friend. My new girlfriend happened to be from Indonesia, and she knew I would be just fine. They all took me down the street to the nearest subway station. When I pulled my backpack out of the trunk of the car and threw it on my shoulder, the girls began to cry. I hugged each of them and reassured them that I would be fine. However, I was terribly afraid of what was about to happen in an excited way. Because I couldn't stand the sight of this, I recall simply saying "Bangkok or bust!!!!" as I turned around and headed towards the fare gates.
I made my way to an obscure DC address where the Chinatown bus departs from a bit early. I used the time to call friends and let them know I would email them when I could. The place the bus left from was a bit dodgy. It was located in an area that is well known for drugs and prostitution that has now been cleaned up quite a bit. I only saw 1 other westerner around. Nonetheless, I assured myself I was about to do something that would be a really awesome experience. So, I got on the bus.
I woke up pulling into New York City. I quickly realized that I needed to actually use my brain in a few minutes. The people around me didn't speak any English, so I could not ask them for help. Perhaps this was a small taste of what I was about to encounter, and I took it with a grain of salt! No problem ... I got off the bus and collected my bag at about 6:00 am. I resolved to figure out the subway myself, but that didn't prove to be such a good idea! I guess I am a typical guy in some ways, as I really didn't want to ask for directions. I found myself wandering around the Chinatown area in Manhatten alone, so I called a trusted friend to see if they might be able to help me find my way to the appropriate subway stop. Well, they weren't able to help, so I had to resort to asking for directions. I found my way within about 5 minutes, so I had already learned a good lesson about asking for directions.
As I sat on the subway for about an hour to get to JFK, I found myself wondering what the hell I was doing. Of course, I was nervous and second guessing myself. I was recalling all of the bad stories I had read. I wasn't sure I was doing the right thing, but I figured I would get myself to the airport. The trip was an uneventful subway ride which I cannot say has always been the case in subsequent trips.
I negotiated the rail system they have set up at JFK and found myself at the terminal. Now, I was really filled with anxiety, but it wasn't about the trip itself anymore. I knew about how airlines can be a pain in the ass with boarding if you don't have a proper visa. Truth be told, I didn't have one myself. I had planned accordingly and was there early enough to go book something if I needed to! I walked to the terminal and tried to check-in on the machine. This caused a red flag because of the fact that I didn't have a visa. The agent approached me. I thought to myself "oh god ... what will I do now"! She asked me when I was leaving Thailand. I said I was heading to Cambodia after a week. As easy as that, she went ahead and issued my boarding pass right then and there. Feeling refreshed and relaxed, I then asked for an exit row seat. I pointed out that I am 6'2" tall and it can be problematic. She understood, reissued my boarding pass in an exit row seat, and sent me on my way with a smile.
There I was sitting at JFK with a boarding pass to my flight. I went and had a sausage biscuit at McDonalds and enjoyed a cup of coffee. While I like to drink beer, it was a bit early even for me. I had a great deal of time, so I went outside with my coffee and smoked about a half of a pack of cigarettes. I was now pretty fully committed to this journey. I had no choice in my mind. If I backed out, I would not be happy with myself. At the same time, I was a bit out of it.
I made my way back in to sit at the gate before boarding. I saw other backpacker types around. One of them was even wearing one of those Coca-Cola shirts in Thai script which I hadn't seen before. There were many Asian travelers. I looked around at those who seemed to be in a similar situation, but everyone was as cool as a cucumber. Shit, there was nobody around to talk to. Not a soul seemed to be alone.
At this point, I said fuck it! I just waited my turn and got on the plane. I started drinking beer, and I don't think I really stopped too much along the way. I was already on the way. This is how I got to Thailand for the first time! Details about what happened next will be forthcoming!
