Awake and dreaming in - Balamphuri, Bangkok

So after a 20 hour trip, 45 min taxi ride and a couple hours of trekking around the city, I finally arrived at my present destination: Khao San Road in central Bangkok. This is THE backpacker mecca here, its possible the tourists even outnumber the Thais in many locations. The city is of a scope that is beyond anything I've seen outside of sci-fi movies. Every trip trip no matter how small is an adventure so far, whether its walking across the street dodging cars or in a motorcycle cab (Tuk Tuk) careening through alleyways.

There's an infinite number of choices for everything here, its consumerism at its purist, but its also the perfect example of paralysis through analysis. I found myself growing very hungry and tired just trying to settle on a local food joint and place to sleep; everything literally yelled come in, have a seat! So I went for the place that was a little more subtle on the outskirts of the madness. A small organic, vegetarian Thai cafe with outdoor seating, and a cute Thai waitress/cook that had a neverending smile and an emanating, joyous personality made the choice easy. After she scooted the local dog away from my table, I sat sheltered outside as the first downpour came through, enjoying a fresh tantalizing meal that she made sure I knew she cooked herself. I think I could get used to this...

There are really some spectacular sights in this fast-paced city. There are temples everywhere, so I set my sights on the biggest of them all and made my way towards it.
Well, I didn't make it, as I was detoured by a Thai University teacher that pointed me in the direction of some of the ones the locals go to, for a more unique experience. I'm glad I went with it though, as the temples he recommended were particularly stunning. The attention to detail, size and presence of the gold accented buildings and statues were humbling. Not to mention the 80 foot Golden Buddha that Godzilla might not even dare mess with. All the physical and spiritual energy that people have dedicated to these areas truly shined forth. These places of peace were also quite a releif amidst the craziness of the megacity.

I'm looking at grabbing some fresh air in the small western town of Kanchanaburi on Friday, and then start the trip north towards Chiang Mai with a few stops along the way. In the meantime I'm going to pack in the sites I missed here, and try to catch a Muay Thai kick-boxing tournament.

I'm spent, and have been sleeping well. I think its a good sign when you wakeup in the morning laughing from a good dream, then to find that you are suddenly in another...