We made it!

Wee! Ana and I arrived safely in Bangkok yesterday. It had been a while since I spent so much time flying, sleeping uncomfortably, and sitting at airports. We were quite relieved once we claimed our backpacks and made it through customs. Isara provided us with handy cards that explained to the taxi driver where to take us. We were thankful for these. Otherwise, I'm not sure where we would have ended up because everyone speaks to us in Thai. After we couldn't respond to our taxi driver, he attempted to speak to us in English, and sometimes we could understand him, but mostly stared at each other and shared awkward laughter with him.

We're currently in the lobby of the Bangkok Inter Place Hotel, where the first floor amenities are all super nice. Check it out:

 

But things change once you get upstairs... We got a room with 2 twin beds and a "balcony." Watch the video:

Kinda smelled like mildew on account of the humidity and lack of circulation. Luckily, Ana brought tiny sticks of incense. We rested and browsed Thai television stations, and just left it on, and kept listening to language we didn't understand. I said, "I'm gonna take a nap..." around 2:30pm and woke up realizing the following: (1) It was dark. It was actually already almost midnight! Ana fell asleep too... we were tired! (2) It sounded like there was a live band concert and club poppin' outside of our window. (3) My previously flat-ironed hair was now curly, as if I took a shower and let it air dry.

We ventured across the street for a stroll around the block. Street vendors and bars were open in a small square. And there was a live band! Also, miscellaneous stray animals and some rats. We sat down for a small meal and bought some drinks at the convenience store.

Honestly, Ana and I have not felt very adventurous just yet, probably due to the fact that we have no idea where we are. Seriously. We've consulted and compared several maps, trying to figure out our location, and we're only slightly sure... So, we've just been resting up and eating. The furthest we've gone is to 7-11 down the street. We also bought some delicious fried bananas on the way back.

We've decided to try not to eat any American food or snacks while we're here. Too late for the ice cream + waffles below... But following that is my first Thai tea =)

 

We're both ready to get to Isara and become more immersed into the culture and interact more with people so we'll be more prepared for exploring before we leave. Nonetheless, in the day that we've been here, we have both spent less than $30, including our hotel fare and delicious meals. Can't complain about that!

I'm not sure why it doesn't feel more foreign to be here. I'm thinking maybe it's because Thailand reminds me so much of the Philippines.

We're catching a 12 hour train to Nong Khai this evening. Gonna take the taxi to the train station soon!