Alive and not so kicking (yet...)

Yes, I arrived!!! About 13 hours ago at Bangkok airport. I had a very pleasant flight, due to my nice neighbours Robin and Tina from Belgium. Am still hanging around with them. Besides that, the flight sucked... I had to give back my emergency exit seat for a isle one (but hey, that's how I met Robin and Tina), but worse was, that I slept for just 20 minutes but was tired the whole flight....
At this moment I'm already awake for 37 hours on a row and desperately trying to stay awake for another 2 hours or so.

After arrival I noticed that my bag was damaged, the hip lock was not closing anymore, a part broke down, despite the fact that I closed them. One of the most important things for backpacking... Anyway, I already found a shop (luckily), bought the new lock and repaired it this afternoon, so no problem anymore. With Robin and Tina I went into town by cab, we had a great breakfast (the best rice, chicken, pineapple and nuts I ever ate) and afterwards we went on a search for a place to stay. We crossed complete Khao San Road (the backpackers place in BKK) and found a wonderful hotel 3 streets away from this lively place. It is a good hotel, more expensive, but we thought that it would be quite important to sleep well the first night. For tomorrow we found a real basic hostal with bathroom to share. The rest of today we walked around the neighourhood, trying not to sit down, otherwhise we would fall asleep. However, at about 16 o'clock we were not able to walk anymore, so went back to our hotel. There I had no company anymore, so had to try to keep myself awake on my own. So I did, although very difficult because the only thing I could think about was sleep... I repaired the bag, re-packed the bag for tomorrow, did my finances, wrote in my diary, did my nails (yes Ingrid, I didn't listen... forgot to cut them and now I broke them...), read in a book, made a Sudoku and then I simply couldn't hold it anymore.... A quarter to six, awake for almost 35 hours... And just when I allowed myself to rest a little, there was a knock on my door from Tina, if I was ready for a new walk around. Saved.... :-D

Anyway, until now I'm trying to adjust. It's a strange world overhere. One street you are in Asia, then you walk around the corner and it seems that you're in Europe again... Very big differences! At some moments I like the smells on the street of all the food that they are preparing in front of you, one second later, I almost have to puge of the same smell.... Headaches of the smog... It is a lot to handle without any sleep ;-)

Anyway tomorrow is a new day. We are going to visit the National Palace and the Wat Pra, and in the evening I will meet the 'friends' of the forum with whom I'll be celebrating New Years Eve. After tomorrow Tina and Robin will leave for the south of Asia. I'm so happy that I met them! For me it is so convenient to share these first impressions of a complete different trip and continent than I'm used to. Now I have company, can adjust slowly to the life here before I'll continue on my own.

Will leave you with these first impressions now. Thank you for all your messages, textmessages and phonecalls before I left. Very sweet!

Big hug form dirty & smelly Bangkok!
Marije