Hello bangkok!

Mon 30 Dec 2013

Our shared dorm in Kolkata had been bright and noisy, and sleep had been minimal, but the 5:30 alarm cared not and pulled us out of beds.

We found a cab easily and headed straight for the airport.

Kolkata was full of life in the early morning. We drove past a road full of chickens waiting to be slaughtered. Around the corner, the next was full of dead chickens, and the third road we passed was where they were getting skinned. The stench of death filled the air and was quite overwhelming. All of the city's poorest were out on the streets preparing market stalls, pulling veg on rickshaws, or bathing on corners.

We vowed to come back and spend more time in Kolkata... it's a city that just takes your breath away. There's so much diversity here and chaos so unique it's almost calming. It was a real taste of what the north may offer and a complete contrast to the slow pace of life in the hot south.

The airport offered nothing more than a teeny coffee shop that 'specialised' in pizza, a book stall, and a few bottles of 'duty free' booze (the most expensive alcohol in India... by about 500%).

We opted for pizza breakfast. At least the coffee shop was advertising themselves as pizza pros, so it would be safe and tasty.

Their claims were empty, and their pizza tasted like cardboard, but Thailand would offer much more in terms of its culinary diversity.

Don't get me wrong, Indian food has been fantastic, and I will truly miss curry breakfast dearly, but the Indians don't do continental well.

From a few thousand feet up, we waved goodbye to our Indian summer. It had delivered everything and more than we could have ever expected. A truly life-changing three months. Like several people we met along the way, who can't seem to keep away, India will no doubt come calling for us again, and we will return eager to embrace her.

All of our sentimentality was shattered by the clanking of the trolley and the prospect of free alcoholic beverages, something which delighted Jamie.

He justified this early morning consumption by ordering screwdrivers. I obviously couldn't let him drink alone, and somewhere along the way, we ended up with two each.

At Bangkok airport, we cruised immigration and got our 30-day entry stamp. Having failed miserably at pre-arranging any kind of accommodation, we utilised the FREE Wi-Fi that was available and fast in every bit of the airport and booked a place there and then.

Thailand would be a whole new thing. We'd be connected again!

We found a lovely hotel right in the cool part of town called Sukumvit.

The airport offered a shuttle train service into central Bangkok, where we were able to hop on the sky train and cruise down to Asok station. Our hotel was a short walk and well worth it. We were in a huge suite with two double beds, a big bathroom... complete with a bath and hot shower. It was heaven!

We rested up and went out for dinner at Soi 11. This busy street bustled with vendors selling everything from sausage to vodka. People spilled in and out of bars, and the city was warming up for NYE celebrations.

Our first taste of Thailand's cuisine was delightful: beef satay, sticky rice, and green Thai curry. We then enjoyed one of the roadside street bars for a bucket of cocktail and soaked up the atmosphere amidst the heavy bassline pumping from this pimped-out mobile pickup truck/bar.

Read on only if you're not shy...

Ready to party, we made the walk down to Soi Cowboy... a tame red-light part of town, or so we'd read.

The entrance to the small road was like Vegas. The whole street was lit up with neon signs and flashing lights. A little uncomfortable and unsure of the etiquette, we perched awkwardly on a bar, ordered some drinks, and tried to get to grips with the state of play.

People-watching here is an absolute must... there is nothing quite as entertaining as watching an overweight, old white guy trying to chat up a beautiful Thai girl (who's mastered the art of making her subject feel like the only person in the world) and watching his face as he thinks he's really genuinely winning this gal over.

We eventually plucked up the courage to go into one of these bars... we appropriately picked Suzie Wong. The doors opened, and there were girls in the nude everywhere. Completely starkers. We were escorted to a table and given a menu.

We picked out drinks and watched the madness unfold. The old girls waitressing looked tough but were having a good laugh with everyone, and on stage, there was pole dancing, beer fights, and ping-ponging galore.

It sounds really sleazy, but it’s not at all. The atmosphere is one big party, and everyone looks happy and part of it.

We left after a few drinks, keen to get some sleep in so we could explore the city tomorrow.