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THE CAPITAL. Bangkok.

So we finally got there! Very excited about the whole thing, getting a nice rest after hectic India trip - that's what we were heading for. And indeed, once we got to the airport in Bangkok everything seemed to take much less time than it did in India, no more crowds and horns outside (!). Getting a sim card? Easy, in 5 minutes we had both cards set up and ready to use, without any tricky expertise to be done. Getting a ticket from the ticket-machine (everything in Thai..)? Not a problem at all, there's a guy helping foreigners out without any suspicious attempts of ripping you off of money or waiting for a tip (thanks god!). Blissful country! ;)

Anyways, we took it easy after arrival and had some time on top, so after getting a tube to the city-centre we decided to walk in chase for the right bus which could take us to Khao San Rd, the most famous/common spot for travelers/backpackers. We would have failed, briefly speaking, if not very friendly and helpful Thais who were, collectively, trying to point out the right bus which turned out to be a free bus taking us exactly where we wanted :) We found the guest house recommended us by a guy on fb Nomads site and we kept along with it nicely for the following 5 nights.  
Bangkok, as any other capital, also had a lot of this common atmosphere of people from all over the world hanging out among different, fancy bars, Thai massage parlors, night/day busy bazaars, floating markets and wandering around the city with cups of ice-teas/coffees with a plastic bag alike handles. 
We made some attempts of visiting the Grand Palace, one of the major attractions in Bangkok, but in the end didn't go. Too crowded, you couldn't squeeze a needle in, and definitely too hot, even just after the opening. We went to see the Reclining Buddha - an amazingly huge and golden statue, hardly fitting the shelter for the size it has, and overheard it was actually much better (the whole complex) than the Gr.Palace, and at the same time - fivefold less expensive for the admission ;) We also climbed up on the Golden Mountain and enjoyed the view over the whole, vast city. 

We went to one of the floating markets, ate some new stuff and had a chance to see a group of local volunteers playing traditional, Thai instruments; beautiful! We also took a 3 hrs trip, on a long-boat, along the canals, visiting an Orchid Farm and a Buddhist temple on a way. 

 In pictures:

our first stroll in B., and what do we see?!
Ugly, HUGE monitor lizard. O_o
indoors market
one of the temples in the centre
uff, we found some vegetarian restaurant, success! ;)
yummm!
movable nightbar
floating market!
blah..
public ferry


fish graft
on a market
The Lumphini park in central Bangkok


Orchid Farm







Reclining Buddha complex





giant, golden (reclining) Buddha
the biggest collection of Buddha statues in Thailand
big Chinese statues served as a load on the trade-ships back in the past, 
then used as a decorative part of the temples 
? :D

The Golden Mountain





Khao San Rd,
a congregation of night bars is just overwhelming



Our next destination : Chiang Mai (where we decided to go by train),
;)
and after by minibus to the nearby lying village, wherein we were about to join Mindful Farmers, for a week or so!
Staples:
Such a cliched trend, primarily: BRIGHTENS! Welcome to Asia o/

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