ChrisJenTravel.com – Honeymoon Trek

We walked about Bangkok, exploring the sights, sounds and flavors, still trying to recover from jet lag. The Royal Palace temples were a mile away and we thought that it would be an easy sight to see. However, as we entered the grounds, tour guides flocked towards us telling us that we would not be allowed in due to our inappropriate attire. I wore a 3&1/2 length sleeved shirt (down to my elbows) and cotton shorts that passed my knee (which was not acceptable) and Chris wore long shorts. In order to enter, I would need a skirt or pants; Chris would need pants. Understandably, we hailed a taxi and headed to Siam Square, a shopping district that we wanted to stroll through. The traffic was overwhelming – 30 lanes of traffic converged to one intersection. Lanes of traffic are a concept in Thailand. Most don’t adhere to the lanes; instead, the millions of scooters, motorbikes and tuk-tuks weave in and out of traffic and create their own lanes. Relaxed and happy to not be driving, we waited for our stop at Siam Square.

Siam Square is a large, expensive shopping square made of 24 streets. Disappointed that it wasn’t more of a simple market, we began to talk to some locals about the area. There are plenty of people who are overly nice simply because they want to steer you in a specific direction for a personal gain. Small-time scams abound here, [read on]

After waking at an excruciating 3:30am, we quietly crept out of the room, the North Shore and Hawaii. Our stomachs churned like rough waters, uncertain if it was due to waking up early or our nerves; today we were leaving for Thailand!!! Either way, the plane smoothly departed with the Schroeder family in tow. Our first Asian meal on an airplane consisted of fried noodles, unrecognizable chicken, smoked salmon, flavorless Barbie pink cake, 2 ounces of red wine and hot tea. We were unsure if this was a good or bad sign, but hoped that the China Airlines food wouldn’t be indicative of Thailand’s cuisine. Thankfully, our wish came true. Nonetheless, China Airlines provided exceptional service, superior comfort and the nicest plane we had ever been on, not to mention the most affordable prices.

We headed across the Pacific, crossing the dateline at some point and landed in Taipei. Successfully connecting after our layover, we were a mere 3 hours away from Bangkok. The landing in Thailand was smooth, the airport brand new, a huge modern structure made from glass and steel. Like something concocted in the Matrix. After negotiating a cab, we were on our way to Kho San Road – the tourist mecca of Bangkok, to get our feet wet and find an in-n-out accommodation. We were 12 hours ahead of home and worlds away. [read on]