Backpacking Bangkok - A Three-Day Adventure Of A First-Timer (Part 2)

As promised, here is the second part of my trip to Bangkok. :)

As I mentioned on the Part 1 of this story, I asked Anny, a Thai Lander who I met on Twitter and is a fellow Teen Top fan, for directions. I’m more than thankful for her for this. She speaks enough English but is not that confident about it so she’d rather write it or tweet it to me. Yes, even though we’re basically face to face. Hehehehe. It’s cute and really thoughtful. Thank you, Anny! ^0^

Before going to Thailand, I already thought of the things to do there. I asked friends and researched. But the thing that stood out of all the options is… TO RIDE AN ELEPHANT! Haha! Even before the plan to go to Thailand has been made, or even before the opportunity presented itself, I already told myself that I would go to Thailand to ride an elephant. Call me a kid or anything, I WAN TO RIDE AN ELEPHANT!

So, the research mainly focused on this. Where can I ride an elephant in Bangkok? Apparently, there are a lot of places in Bangkok where you can ride an elephant and for cheaps as well. So, that settled, I next searched for “one-day trip in Bangkok”. I found many but the one that stood out from the rest is the one that even included the directions on how to get from one place to the next. My plan polished, I set out.

We woke up at 7am local time (8am in the Philippines) the next morning. I am to set out to my day trip in Bangkok while Aen and Anis are to go to the airport in hopes of finding available tickets back to Malaysia. I asked them to go with me instead and just go back the next day but they couldn’t because they have to make sure that there will be any flights to Malaysia first. Okay. So, I head out alone.

Aen wanted to assist me as much as she can and I really appreciate it. Really! When we checked out, because the room was in her name and that I would have to book another room on my name, she still assisted me. I know I can handle that but yeah, she busies herself with it with her totally hilarious way of conversing with the Thai receptionist who couldn’t speak English at all. Hand gestures and all, it’s really funny! Hahaha! What the receptionist did was to phone someone to translate things for us. Technology is A-Oh-Some!

So there, back to the new room which I have all for myself, we head out. The receptionist hailed a cab for us and we thanked her in the language she will understand.

I just want to say that I feel proud about this. Although it’s a simple, Kop Khun Kha, I like the delight I see in their eyes when I speak this to them. Thai Landers have specific way of speaking for men and women. Men use “Khap” to finish their sentences when they want to be polite. Women, on the other hand, use “Kha” for the same purpose. So when I get back to the hotel that night and thanked the taxi driver with the proper way, he was definitely happy. He probably thought that I would just mimic what he said when he thanked me using the local tongue. So the happiness in his face is infectious and contagious! I alight the taxi and walked up to my room on the second floor, feeling beat but happy. Thai people are so nice. :D

I haven’t even started telling how my day went and there I was talking about creeping up into my room and packing the day up. Hehe.

Okay, so here it goes…

Aen, Anis, and I boarded the taxi towards the train station where they will ride the train to Don Mueang Airport. As for me, since I am to go back to Victory Monument then transfer to BTS at Phaya Thai, I am to ride another taxi to get there. But as we look at the train map in the station, I learned that I can board the train from there too. That makes it easier for me and relatively cheaper. Taxis in Thailand flag down at 35 baht.

I don’t remember the name of the station anymore but I boarded there and alighted in Phaya Thai. So I just took a shortcut. That instead of going to Victory Monument station where I will board the train and alight on Phaya Thai, I made an easy cut which made me happy and giddy. Hah! Finding my way in the public transpo in a foreign land boost my pride. Hehehe.

I hugged Aen and Anis goodbye with the promise that if they don’t find any flight back to Malaysia, they will join me back in the hotel. They didn’t. When they get to the airport, there are no flights to Malaysia for that day and the next day so the option to join me back at the hotel then leave for Malaysia the next day is out of the question. When I was back in Philippines, I found out that they resorted to taking the 22-hour ride train. I feel bad for them. :(

Okay, back on my story. I am now in the train station. I was to go to Bang Wa station where I will ride a taxi to Bangkok Safari World. This is where I will be meeting my elephant friend. Hehe. The train ride was long but very much comfortable.


Here's the coin ticket for this station. It's a different color than that of the Airport Rail Link.

Look at how clean the station is! Woah!

Was so amazed by this. The red lights are stations we already passed. Green are the stations to come. My stop is at the end of those green lights. Sooooo far! Hahahaha!

At Bang Wa station, I approached a security guard to ask where I should exit if I’m going to Safari World. This takes a while because the guard couldn’t speak English and we’d have to wait for the ticket selling officer to entertain us. I like that they really tried to help me even when I know that they’re also having difficulty understanding me. Haha. Apparently, Safari World to them should be like “Safali Woh”. Another small incident that made me laugh as I made my way down the taxi stand.

Now, what comes next almost drained me. I didn’t know that Safari World is too far from Bang Wa station! Ugh! It took almost 4 hours in the taxi and my bill went to 580 baht. Yep! But, again, the taxi driver is really friendly.

I bought a local sim and loaded it with internet. I learned how difficult it is without internet in a foreign country so I decided to avail of it. The thing is, EVERYTHING IS IN THAI!!! So, how did I manage to activate it? Simple. I didn’t. I tried to ask the driver to activate it for me but he also couldn’t do it. Huhuhu. So yeah, money wasted on that.

He keeps saying, “I solly, I solly. No Englit.” With that genuinely apologetic smile. It’s okay, I kept telling him but he would still say the same thing. Bless your kind heart, Kuya! Hehehe.

Finally, we reached Safari World! Or should I say, Safali Woh? Hehehe. In very limited English and a lot of hand gestures, he asked me what I want to do at the zoo. I told him I want to ride the elephant. He doesn’t know what an elephant is so when we reached the gate to the zoo, he parked the taxi first in front of the signboard where the animal shows are listed. There are pictures so I pointed the elephant. That’s when he understood. He was smiling this “Ah-I-Get-It-Now” smile after that. It’s really amusing, I tell you. Didn’t know visiting a non-English speaking country can be both difficult and fun at the same time. Hehe.

This is the wooden elephant right outside the zoo. Kewl!

Now inside the zoo, he told me to wait inside the taxi first as he ask the woman selling tickets. At first, I was confused why he did that but when he came back and told me in a very sad tone and face that there are no elephant shows that day, I smiled at his kindness. He really wanted to assist me as much as he can. Again, thank you, Kuya!

I told him it’s okay and thanked him many many times before we parted. The magic of Kop Khun Kha worked its charm once more and he smiled.

Before purchasing my ticket, I first read the board posted right outside. There are trip options. You can ride the screened bus and go inside the part of the zoo where lions, giraffes, and other land animals are. This is for 15 minutes and for 500 baht, I guess. I don’t remember anymore. Another option is Ocean World where you can walk around the zoo freely, visiting the caged animals. You can also choose the option of both which, of course, is more expensive. I picked the Ocean World and on I walked around the zoo.

From the entrance, I was immediately greeted with dehumidifiers because Thailand is a tropical country. It is even coined one of the hottest due to its position near the equator. Thankfully though, it was near Christmas so the clime is friendlier to me. Much like how it’s like here in the Philippines, actually. Although I know it would've been hotter had I visited it during the summer season.

I was given a map after purchasing the ticket but I folded it and treated as a souvenir. Hehe. Well, you wouldn’t need any maps because everywhere you look, there are direction signs that tell you where the animals are. I roam around for a while before remembering to have a taste of the boat noodles which the site I stumble upon boasted about.

The system in the zoo is that you will exchange your money into these paper money bills to make a purchase while inside the zoo.

Now here is the boat noodles that's one of the most, should I say famous, delicacies in Thailand. It's being sold for 65 baht. And I think it's called boat noodles because it's being sold on a boat in the lake beside the eating area.


I don’t know if my stomach is upset because I haven’t had any for breakfast except for the slice of cake which was the leftover of my quick dinner after the concert, or just that the boat noodles is not to my taste. The noodles feel dry and the flavor is too strong for my liking. The meatballs are good, though. It’s tasty so I ate it and left the rest.

On my way to exchanging my baht to the zoo paper money, I came across this woman who speaks English. She actually translated to me what the lady in the “money exchange” booth is telling me. So after eating, I approached the English speaking lady once again and asked her if she can help me with my mobile internet connection. Thank you! It was easy, actually. I almost got it on my own despite all those Thai characters. You know what stupidity transpired that hindered me from connecting to the internet? I didn’t put it the hashtag/number sign. Yep. This. # hahaha!

Anyway, I thanked her once more before moving along to my trip to the zoo.

At the back of my mind, I’m already getting sullen because the very reason why I came here, which is the elephant, is not here apparently. But since I’ve traveled for hours to get to the zoo and paid the not-so-cheap ticket, I decided to just enjoy what’s in there for me.

I have to say this fact: THIS IS MY FIRST TIME IN A ZOO!

Hahahaha! Yep. So, every animal, I’ve seen them for the first time in Bangkok. So many firsts in Bangkok, no? Soo fun!

Where am I? I’ll just post all of the photos I took while in the zoo.

Was definitely amazed at the huge number of these Koi fish(es). Look! So beautiful!

Now this photo was taken with zoom. Hehe. I'm scared to go near it but like to take a photo, so yeah. :P

The zoo is pretty big but thanks to the signs, I was able to visit every corner without getting lost in the wilderness. Haha! Again, I was convinced that I wouldn’t see, or worse, ride an elephant, right? So you can only imagine my happiness when I read the sign that points to “Elephant”! Kyaaaaa!!! I didn’t let my hopes climb up, though. I was thinking that maybe, at least I can see them up close. But lo and behold! When I entered the den of the elephant, (is that called a den? Hehehe) I saw other tourists riding two elephants! I couldn’t hide my giddiness as I watch them and wait for my turn.

While waiting for my turn, I looked at the walrus freely swimming inside his very own pool. I didn’t know that Walruses create such loud sound. Anyway, he’s a scary huge beast! I got scared of his two large front teeth but still tried to take a photo of it which I failed to accomplish because it keeps submerging and emerging in the water. So yeah.

Dehumidifiers are also placed around the place which I assume is for the benefit of the elephant. Now talking about elephant, the tourists that came before me are now down and leaving! Tentenenen! It’s my turn! Hah!

I was smiling when I approached which made it not so difficult for the care takers to know that I will ride the elephant too. I am such a kid! Haha! I asked how much and they pointed the sign that says “100 baht”. You have to understand that they also pronounce the numbers in their local tongue. Unlike in the Philippines where it’s so common for people to say it in English although we also have local terms for that.

Can you tell by looking at these photos that I greatly enjoy this part? Suuuuper!

What’s not shown in these photos is that I was able to ride two elephants at the price of one! Haha! I don’t know what the caretaker saw in me but he asked (without actually using words but mere body language) if I want to ride their pet another time to which I quickly said yes. I was immediately back on my feet, handing my camera once more to another caretaker.

While I was on the back of the elephant, I was touching its back gently and in my mind, calling it a “gentle giant”. Because that’s what they are. I’m a little scared that it could squish me to my death but it didn’t show any signs that would realize those fears. The skin feels rough, almost scaly, and they have hair around their body that are spaced from one another by half an inch at the least. They wear chains as collars where the tourists are asked to hold on to especially when the elephant did this trick! Look at that! It’s soo fun, I tell you!! Soo soo fun!

When it was time to pay, I didn’t immediately understood what the caretakers were gesturing until I saw the elephant’s nose approaching me. Apparently, the elephant will be receiving it from me through the nose. I got scared, seeing the holes of its nose twerking as it breath and clamp around the money when I let go. A little icky but still fun. Haha!

I waved goodbye to the gentle giant and thanked the caretakers as I go. The thought running inside my head was, “Mission Success!” hahahaha! I was smiling as I make my way out when I saw a few more signs leading to “Giraffe Feeding Terrace” so on I marched towards our giant friends.


Here are some photos I took of and with them. Giraffe feed prices at 100 baht. I didn’t bother. Hhehehe.


And the selfie of the year goes to...

I couldn't bring myself to get any closer than this, scared this friend might bite my head off. Hahahaha.

In front of the pool where the Walrus is earlier, there’s a huge aquarium with huge inhabitants! And on my wandering after seeing the giraffes, I saw these giant fish(es) again! Only this time, they're albino. The elephants' neighbor earlier were of color. Hehehehe.

Huuuuge, right?!

Walking out of the zoo, I saw this eerie yet equally interesting decor (?). 

Look at that pony! First time seeing this baby too! :)

It was 4pm when I decided to leave the zoo and continue on with the itinerary I found on the net and saved on my phone. I am to go to Wat Arun. It is a Buddhist temple that tourists climb to get a good view of the city from. There are taxis waiting outside the zoo so I quickly approached a group of three drivers, sitting idly by while chatting and tell them where I want to go.

They tried to fix a price but I said, “No, meter.” One thing I easily learned in my short stay in Bangkok is to use the simplest English I could to avoid confusion. They didn’t agree so I looked for another. When I found one, we quickly drove away from the zoo.

Now seated inside the taxi, oh, I have to mention this fact.

All taxis in Bangkok have the license of the drivers posted in front of the passenger seat like this.  I like this. Makes me feel safe although in the Philippines, I have this phobia of riding taxis. I’d rather walk than ride one is my motto. So when I heard from Anny that I’ll be taking the taxi frequently although I can take the bus of the tuktuk, the taxi being the most convenient mode of transpo for a tourist like me, I braced myself and swallowed this fear. Thankfully though, I felt safe and at ease in taxis in Bangkok. Kind drivers, although there are still those that will try to get more from you, there are still more of them that are genuinely willing to help a lost soul. ^0^

This time, the driver has zero English. Yep. Not one English word he uttered to me so we were silent. I was reading my itinerary when I saw that Wat Arun is open only until 5:30 p.m. By this time, it’s already 4:30 ish and judging by the distance I needed to travel to get to the zoo, I know that I wouldn’t make it to Wat Arun. Realizing this, I told him, “Wat Arun. No. Wang Lang.” On and on I repeated that until he understands that we’re not going to Wat Arun anymore and that he should instead take me to Wang Lang market. Thankfully, he understood not too long after.

Some 500 baht after, I reached Wang Lang market. This is a market that stretches through a long street where you can find local delicacies, merchandise, and be exposed to Bangkok’s everyday living. I saw students emerging from schools, housewives shopping for their dinner, and a lot of people simply passing by as they head to their rightful destinations.

I looked around and try to buy anything that could snatch my interest and ended up buying this huge kikiam as we call it in the Philippines. I didn’t know what it’s called in Thailand but it looks yummy. That’s been my rule of thumb: Buy anything that looks yummy. And yes, this one’s good. Typical street food. And it’s not spicy so for that, I’m thankful. A serving of this is for 30 baht.

Have you noticed that this is my lunch? Hehehehe. At 5:30 p.m., I’m having my lunch in Wang Lang market in Bangkok. So you see, this isn’t a food blog. Not even close to a food trip. Sorry. :P

I walked around some more and couldn’t keep from my mind that the market looked very much the same with the markets we have in the Philippines. Even the price is not that different, considering that the exchange rate for baht and peso is at 1.30 something for each peso. In the end, I didn’t buy anything else because as I said, even the clothes or anything else, they can be bought in the Philippines. Plus it’s getting dark already and I know that I’m still wandering far from my hotel. But this, I didn’t mind at all. This time, I’ve memorized how to go back to my hotel so I walked around some more.

When I saw that I've reached the end of the street where the docks are, I know I have to go home. Still following my itinerary, I walked towards the ticket booth and purchased ticket for the boat.


Since I am in the Wang Lang Market, it's only rational that I will be embarking from the Wang Lang Station, right? Heh.


Still munching on my giant kikiam, I stood on the ramp, waiting for the boat to arrive. When it does, on we went to a more than half an hour boat ride.

I always love boat rides and I enjoyed this one as much. This trip to the market and now this boat ride allowed me to see Bangkok in her everyday busy-ness. I saw locals going about their normal lives, oblivious of a foreigner among them since I look just like them. They never stop to wonder whether I can understand them or not. Well, maybe I was blending in so well, following the crowd and mimicking what they do so as not to stand out.

I also got to see monks in the boat with me. They aboard maybe three stations from Wang Lang and it's so cool to see real life monks in their monk garbs and shaved heads. It's soooo cool! :)

This photo revealed that I was standing at the farthest end of the boat and closest to the water. I just had to. :)) Oh, the boat could accommodate maybe a little less than a hundred people? I'm not sure. But yeah, it's pretty spacious, especially with most passengers standing up (just like me. :P).

30 minutes after, I actually thought that I missed my stop because the boat ride was really cheap and the thought that I would be alighting the boat real quick came automatically in my mind when I purchased the ticket. But yeah, here it is! Saphan Taksin Station. This is the station where the boat and the train meet, so this is my stop. :)

Again, I found myself in a train in Bangkok. And again, I will say that navigating in Bangkok is fairly easy because almost everything has an English translation right below the Thai name just like what you see in the photo above. :)

And now, we are back to Victory Monument. Here it is at night. It looks like the photo was taken in the Philippines, right? 

It's past 8pm when I get back to the hotel. After packing my things, I showered and slept -- my second night in Bangkok just ended.

Before sleeping, I took a photo of these bank notes, I'll be exchanging them for dollars at the airport before leaving the country, so this is the best opportunity I have to do this. Here they are. :) Except for the writings, it doesn't look too different from Philippine notes.

All my bags are packed. I'm ready to go! :)

But before leaving, I have to have a photo of my room with its red wall and that huge and comfy bed. Is it huge or am I just small? Hehe. The room's for 700 Baht a night. Cheap! :)

I set an alarm for 7am local time. My boarding time is scheduled at 1:05 pm and departure time at 1:50 pm. I got ready early to make sure I have plenty of time to do some more things before flying back to the Philippines.

I left the hotel at around 8 am (?) and as what's been my usual routine, I hailed another cab and asked that they drive me to Victory Monument. If you remembered on the part 1 of this blog entry, I failed to remember the Thai name of Victory Monument, so all taxi drivers shook their heads no when I gave them my preferred destination.

I stopped to think by this time. Then I remembered that I can ask them to drive me to Phaya Thai instead. This is the station where I will alight after taking the train on Victory Monument. Phaya Thai is the station that connects to the Airport Rail. So, changing plans, I tell the next taxi driver, "Phya Thai", making it sound as local as I could. He nodded and I thanked goodness. :))

Since I won't be going to the Victory Monument now, the driver took a different route than what I got used to for the past hours that I've been commuting around Bangkok. Since he couldn't speak English and I can't speak Thai, I just pointed him the highway that my other taxi drivers took. He shook his head no and pointed towards the direction we were heading at. I sat silently and observed the road.

I wonder if I've said this enough but Bangkok doesn't differ much from the Philippines. The infrastructures look the same, the road constructions look the same. Well, even the people look the same. Hehe. What sets Bangkok apart from the Philippines though is that the city is soo clean! Soo clean!

I enjoyed garbage-free and beggar-free streets as well as the sidewalk vendor-free footbridges. I observed this when Aen and I walked out to hunt for food the night after the concert, I noticed this too while I was out on my one-day adventure in Bangkok. Yup! Even when I visited their main market, I didn't see garbage littering the walkways, even the sidewalks. Everything is so clean. The vendors, I noticed their absence in Victory Monument. You see, this place is like the equivalent of Cubao. With its interconnected footbridges and walkways, public transportation depot, commercial buildings, and shops all around. It actually seems like being back in the Philippines minus the garbage and the stench.

Another thing I've observed in the streets of Bangkok is that their drivers are much more disciplined, respectful, and humane than our drivers here. On my way to and back from the zoo, since it took me hours on the road, I was able to observe how Thai drivers behave: They give way to other drivers. They don't attempt to drive past you when you're trying to take the U-Turn slots. When you signal left or right, they will let you pass and again, not drive past you as what's the general custom here in the Philippines. I also didn't see much jay walkers. Actually, I only saw one. This was on my way to Phaya Thai on my last day in Bangkok.

Now, back to the taxi ride to Phaya Thai. Upon reaching the station, I first ate my breakfast and lunch in one at a fast food. Nothing fancy. Food done, up I go to the station. Again, the easy to follow signboards made it easy for me to locate the platform, purchase my ticket, and board the train. 

Phaya Thai Station.

My breakfast/early lunch. This one's called R2. Kidding. I can't read the name. Thankfully they have those meal codes to make life easier. Hehehehe.

Now here's something funny. Upon reaching the platform, I saw that the Airport Rail is on the other side of the station and at first glance, it seems to me that I couldn't get to the other side without getting past the e-ticket port. I told the guard, "Airport Rail" as clearly as I could and with matching hand gestures towards the Airport Rail to best convey my meaning. She motioned for me to go down the stairs on my left, out on the street, then go up from there to the platform of the Airport Rail. I nodded in understanding and thanked her.

The thing is, when I was on the street, I couldn't see where I could climb up to the Airport Rail platform. With my heavy backpack, I don't have the patience to search for it, so what I did was climb back up to the station, purchase a ticket, then just went to the e-ticket port and onto the platform to the Airport Rail. Now, I know I spent some baht for that but at that time, that was the best option for me. (I later realized that the stair was on the right side of the station. I walked to the left when I went down to search for it. Hehehehe)

I boarded the train and soon found myself in the airport. I still got some 3 hours before my flight but I decided to check-in right then. But that was after taking this photo. There are at least 4 of these statues in the departure area. Cool, right? :)

I didn't had a hard time locating the right check in counter where I need to check-in and soon fall in line. Now, here's another misadventure. As I approach the check in counter, I quickly joined the then short line. In my head, I was thinking that it's a good thing that I decided to check in earlier because the line is still short and I could finish early and have some more time to go around.


Still waiting for my turn, I was looking around when I noticed this loooooong line of people on my right. I wondered then why they're staying there when in my line, there are really few people. That's when it hit me: I was standing in line on the Business Class. Apparently, the electronic board in front of us clearly labels the ticket classes. And, could you guess? The long line was for Economy class. So that's why there is virtually no line where I was standing. Only luggage being checked in one after the other by one man. So what I did was pedal back and join the continuously growing line on the Economy class. He he he. Here, folks, is a back-to-back account of my misadventures. Hahaha.


Check-in done, I went to exchange currencies from baht to dollar. Every processes done, I found myself in the departure area and was satisfied with what I saw. There are shops, plenty of them, and currency exchange too!


Thinking about how I was not able to withdraw money and exchange currencies before leaving the airport in the Philippines made me think how awesome the airport in Bangkok is. Really! Having shops for souvenirs, ATMs, and money exchange depots, for me, is a must with every departure terminal.


I bought some locally-prepared and packed products then headed to my departure gate. Now here's another misadventure. Hehe. I read my ticket wrong and went to the wrong gate! Hahahah! Good thing I ran well and was able to reach the right gate right on time! People are asked to board the plane systematically and based on their seat. I reached the gate right when the stewardess is calling my seat aisle! Haha. Talk about a fine stroke of luck! Happiness!


I left Bangkok with a happy heart. An excited, giddy, ecstatic, and proud-of-myself heart. Hehehehe.


There have been so many firsts for me on this trip and I'm just glad that I took the leap and went on the trip even with a little over a month's preparation. I love the spontaneity of it and I love that I got to have this wonderful experience, exploring alone in a foreign land.


Here's to looking forward to more adventures! Cheers!

Backpacking Bangkok - A Three-Day Adventure Of A First-Timer (Part 1)

Let me begin by discussing the weight of this trip.

1. This is my first trip abroad.

2. This is my first trip abroad. Alone.

3. This is my first time to ride an airplane.

4. This is the trip that marked the first stamp on my passport.

5. This is the first overseas trip I went to to attend a concert. Yep. That’s everything about this trip: To Attend A Concert. Now, on to the story. ^0^

WARNING!

This is a loooooooooooooooong post! You okay with that? Go on then. Hehe!

Nothing was planned. Everything was done on a whim. When I saw the schedule of the concert, the idea went inside my head: “Why not? Bangkok is so near. Just three hours on the plane, plane tickets are cheap, and so is the concert ticket.

I searched for seat sales for November 23, 2014 – the date of the concert. I want to fly in on the day of the concert itself, use the following day to tour around, and then fly back home on the third day. And so, that’s what I did.

This is an adventure for me. Everything is a first. First time to book a ticket, first time to do all those grown up things like navigating on my own inside the airport, asking for directions and information from security guards, one after the other. The back packer in me loves everything about it. It’s so fun!

The day I saw the schedule of the concert and the ticket prices of the concert and that of the plane as well, I asked my mom about her opinion. By this time, my mind is already set that I will go. But even so, I want to hear what my mom has to say. One part of my mind prays that she’d say no. I don’t know. I sorta wanted someone to tell me that I’m being reckless or something. But I know my mom. She’s always been supportive in everything I do. I really love her for this.

And so, as I expected, my mom said yes. I asked my brothers as well. They know how crazy I am over Teen Top. Yep. My family knows this and supports me greatly. During those times when I would whine about my money going out to Teen Top’s albums and other merchandise, they would tell me, “Eh masaya ka naman eh.” For that, I love them more and more. ^0^

I saw a lot of real cheap seat sales for my trip to Bangkok but didn’t booked until I’ve secured my concert tickets which was all thanks to a generous Thai Angel, Mild (Angel is the name of the members of the fan club of Teen Top) and a Singaporean Angel, Joyce, who was coordinating with Mild through Twitter. Once our tickets were secured, there are no more seat sales from Cebu Pacific so I went through another search of flights to Bangkok for November 23. I ended up booking with PAL which is the best deal I could find that time.

That done, on we march to The Day! Haha!

Originally, my flight is at 9:30 a.m. but it was delayed to 11:05 am. You have to keep in mind that all of these are new to me so I kept on asking my mom since she’s a pro in flying because she’s been working overseas for almost 15 years now. Her words to me were, “Wag ka mahiyang magtanong.” That, and I’m off to my first trip abroad. She told me that I have to be at the airport 3 hours before my scheduled flight. Check. I was in the airport before 7am so I am REALLY early.

The thing is, I went to the wrong terminal. I thought I was to embark from Terminal 2 which, I learned, only assists domestic flights. Ugh! Having a few knowledge about the airport, I know that there is a shuttle service that takes passengers from one terminal to the other but that day, I was told to take a cab. I didn’t ask if I can take the shuttle. I don’t know why. Maybe because at the back of my mind, I’m thinking that if that option is available, then the airport official could’ve told me so. So, on I marched towards the exit and to the taxi hub right outside the terminal.

I was only carrying two bags. 1 backpack and one travelling bag. I originally planned to carry just one bag because I’ll only be in Bangkok for 3 days but because I was carrying the shirts I made for my Angel friends, an additional bag was needed. I also used that bag to carry the few I managed to buy and bring with me for my family on my way back. *wink wink*

I know that this story will stretch on for few more pages because well, my fingers can really talk a lot sometimes. This is also the reason why this has been long overdue. It’s September 2015 and I’m only writing this now! Talk about procrastination. So anyway, getting back to the story.

My flight got delayed but PAL has informed me of this through text message and email. That night, I also secured my online booking and chosen my seat. Of course, I picked the window seat! I wanna see the clouds! Boy, were they beautiful! It’s one thing to see them while you’re on the ground. Seeing them so close while you’re up there though you still can’t touch them is another. I spent most of our flight time staring out the window.

Now I’m at the correct terminal. I asked around, as my mother instructed. I passed the immigration and was now inside the terminal, waiting for my flight which is still in 3 hours’ time. Good thing though, there are computers with internet in the terminal so I logged on to Facebook and Twitter and talked to people. I posted about me being in the airport already and just waiting for my flight on Facebook. This is for my mother, who’s in the US to know and for my brothers and our grandmother at home to know. I posted on Twitter and talked to my fellow Angels who I will be meeting in Bangkok as well. I don’t have mobile internet so I’m resting my fate on wi-fi connection in Bangkok to communicate with them when I land, which, I learned, is not available for me. Ugh!

Two hours before my flight, I realized that I’ve been soo stupid! I didn’t get to withdraw the money Mama gave me for this trip! Now, I told her multiple times that I have funds for this trip but she insisted on giving me so I accepted. Hah! Who would say no to $500? Hehehehe. So there I was, walking from one end to the other of the terminal, looking for ATMs and/or Money Exchange AND I FOUND NONE!!! WHAT KIND OF AIRPORT TERMINAL DOESN’T HAVE ATMS AND MONEY CHANGER??!!! COME ON! PEOPLE ARE ENTERING AND LEAVING DIFFERENT COUNTRIES FROM HERE! YOU SHOULD HAVE THAT HERE!!

I asked a man in uniform and he told me the news. Brace yourselves because I didn’t and the news shook me! He told me that ATMs and Money Exchange are all situated OUTSIDE!! So, can I go out? No! Once you’re in, you’re in. Immigration won’t let you out unless it’s an emergency. ME NOT HAVING MONEY TO BRING WITH ME IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY IS NOT AN EMERGENCY?? Sadly, no. It’s not. Dammit!

By this time, I was sulking and blaming everyone. Hahahaha. Why hasn’t anyone told me about this? Ugh! So yeah. I tried talking to other airport officials but they parroted the same speech. Defeated, I accepted my fate that I am to enter Thailand without any money. Yep. I only have a few peso in my purse and that’s all. I planned to withdraw and exchange currency in NAIA which, clearly didn’t happen.

It’s 10:30 am and it’s boarding time. Despite my disappointment, I am giddy with the thought of walking towards the airplane and actually boarding one! Woah! I am such a kid, I know. Haha. Now seated by the window, I couldn’t wait until take off. And when it did, well, can you imagine the smile that spread wide on my face? It feels the same as riding a roller coaster with the tracks designed to go up. Yup, just like that. Although I felt it when we left the ground, I didn’t experience the ringing in the ear but I surely marveled at the thought that WE WERE PIERCING THE CLOUDS as we ascend. It’s SOOO COOL!!! Hahahaha!

For almost two hours, we fly above the fluffy white clouds and blue and vast ocean. I looked at the map through the magazine available right there in front of me and saw that I will be seeing nothing but water until we reach Thailand. So when I started seeing land, I knew that I am in another country! I am in Thailand! And that the time here is late by an hour. Giddy little girl once more. Bow.

I want to mention that the food in the plane is good. I always hear people saying otherwise but for me it’s good. It’s filling and with just the right flavor. ^0^

It was past 2 in the afternoon when we landed in Suvarnabhumi (pronounced as Suwanaphum) Airport. I always had difficulty pronouncing Suvarnabhumi when it’s Suwanaphum! Ugh! Hahahaha!

Upon arrival, one airport personnel asked me to remove my CAP which I immediately obliged. I don’t know why, but yeah. On to immigration. But before that, I just wanna mention that I did two trips with filing out the arrival form before being allowed in. Hehe.

Oh oh! Before I forgot! I enjoyed the walkalator and didn’t miss the chance to take a photo while on it! Hahaha. The airport is expertly labeled with directions in Thai and in English so it’s really easy to navigate. And might I add that Thai Landers greatly resemble Filipinos! I got a little weirded out yet amazed at the same time when I hear them speak in a foreign tongue. Well, shouldn’t I say local? Because in there, mine is the foreign tongue. So anyway, back on track.

Immigration is okay. Thankfully, they didn’t ask any questions because although they can speak English, their pronunciation is a little different so I had a little difficulty understanding them. Like, they pronounce English as Englit. Yes, with a  ‘T’! And BTS, (the train line) as bee-tee-et. Takes some getting used to but I managed. ;)

Getting passed the immigration, I walked and search for the belt where our luggage is at. I immediately found it thanks to the LED board that states which belt contains our bags and upon getting there, I immediately found my bag. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN WHEN I GET BACK IN THE PHILIPPINES! We waited for almost an hour, widening our eyes for the sight of our bag on the belt but either the same unclaimed bag would go on and on or nothing at all! We waited, staring at the empty belt. So yeah, what a great welcome greeting. Way to go, NAIA!

When I decided to go to Thailand for the concert, I already asked a lot of help from a Thai Angel, her name is Anny. I asked her directions on how to get to my hotel and to the concert venue as well. I owe her big time because if not for her, I wouldn’t know how to navigate around Bangkok at all! Haha. So yeah, I decided to commute around Bangkok which is SOO MUCH FUN!

From the arrival area, I asked where the Airport Rail is and they directed me to the ground floor. The airport is so neat and clean. From the polished floors to the well-maintained escalators, direction signs, and even their Airport Rail Link. Boy was that soo convenient! Their airport is just a train away! Wow!

I purchased the coin ticket and I know, by the way I pronounced Phaya Thai, that the ticket officer already know that I’m a foreigner. Hehehe. She told me the amount in English. That’s what confirmed it. It’s 45 baht, if I remember correctly. Now down and waiting for the train to come, a lady guard was saying something in the local dialect but she also tried to say that in English. That’s how I got the message that we need to wait for a minute after the passengers alight because they would be cleaning the train first. How’s that?  *beaming*

Here's the coin ticket. Hehe.

The train ride went for about half an hour. The train looked very much the same as what we have here in the Philippines although it’s easy to spot that theirs is much more well-maintained than ours. I have a lot more to say about the difference between the two countries as this story go along.

After alighting in Phaya Thai (pronounced as Phya Thai), I transferred to BTS train and alighted in Victory Monument station. It really pays to listen to the overhead announcer. I learned how to pronounce the stations though I failed to remember what they call Victory Monument for surely, the locals wouldn’t be calling it in English. No, sir! I learned this when I was asking the taxi driver to take me to Victory Monument station on my way home. More on that later.

Now in Victory Monument, I was instructed to take the taxi to my hotel. Walking along the pathway, I saw something that’s definitely the same in the Philippines: traffic! My mind raced with thoughts that if I board a taxi in this traffic, I will definitely pay more! So what I did was, I approached uniformed men and asked which direction goes to my hotel. They don’t speak English at all! Huhuhu. It’s a good thing that I have the address of the hotel ready. Written in Thai, of course. Anny told me about this and yes, it made everything easier! I showed them and asked “Where?” while pointing in the direction in front of me. They understood and were soon pointing the direction to me. I thanked them in Thai which I made sure to learn before leaving Manila. Kop Khun Kha.

Finding a taxi is another challenge. One, they don’t speak English and two, they know I’m a foreigner so they tried getting more from me. But Anny told me that I should insist on using the meter so I did. Finally, one man agreed and I am now sitting inside the right-hand drive taxi. I find this cute. Haha. Another reminder that I’m in another country.

He speaks some English so we were able to talk during the almost an hour drive. Traffic has been kind to us because, as the taxi driver said, it’s weekend so thankful for that. I reached my hotel with some difficulty because I kept telling him that our landmark would be the Chevrolet business center. So I keep telling him, Chevrolet, Chevrolet. Apparently, they don’t pronounce Chevrolet as Chev-ro-ley but as *drum roll* Cheb-ro-let. I laughed when he told me, “Ah, Chebrolet.” Hahaha. I laughed not at him, but at the silliness of the situation. I remembered this piece of information when we head out in search for midnight snack later that night and had to ask the taxi to take us to the hotel beside Chebrolet.

I’m late. I know I am. I expected to be at the hotel by 3.. 4pm tops. But it’s almost 5 and I’m still on the road! I have no internet connection to contact Aen, the Malaysian Angel who booked our hotel so I couldn’t tell her that I’m on my way. I prayed and prayed that she’ll wait for me because I don’t have the key to the room and I can’t carry my bags in the concert venue now, can I? So I prayed and prayed and alas! My prayer has been answered.

When the taxi pulled over, the driver called out to the first person he saw, probably thinking to ask if we were in the right place which I am certain of by this time because the name of the hotel is clearly signposted outside. But still, I found this such a nice gesture. Thank you, Mr. Taxi Driver!

He greeted that someone in Thai but she answered with “I’m not Thai. I’m Malaysian.” This time, I squealed and asked, “Are you Aen?” The smile on her face confirmed it so the next thing I knew, I was screaming and squealing because SHE WAITED FOR ME!!!! I wanna cry out of too much gratitude. I wonder if I’ve thanked you enough for this, Aen. Have I? Scold me if I haven’t because YOU REALLY SAVED MY ASS!!

So, uhm.. maybe you’re wondering about the setup? I stayed with two Malaysian Angels whom I haven’t met. Yep. They’re basically strangers but it doesn’t feel like that to me, or to them, because we are in the same fandom. Yes, people. Kpop fandoms are this great! Hah!

I feel like I’ve really known her, aside from how she looks like and how does her voice sounded like because I was merely talking to her via Twitter. But the bond was there. Unique and rare, but it’s there. I hugged her and we started talking until we get to our room. I met Anis this time too and I learned that though they’re both Malaysian, they also only met on Twitter and because they are both flying to Bangkok for the concert. How beautiful is that, right?

I gave them their shirts – a personal project of mine for this concert. ^0^ I also changed to my C.A.P shirt and we strutted out of the hotel and onto the concert venue. I wasn’t able to go online and tell my family that I arrived safely in Bangkok until the next morning.

I’m going to cut this story here and write a Part 2 because this story has dragged on for too long! Part 2 would be about my one whole day trip in Bangkok, my adventures commuting in a foreign land that doesn't speak much English, and how much I missed my bed back home. ^0^

Exploring Cavinti Falls and Cave

Another day has been set for my wanderlust and this time, the municipality of Cavinti in Laguna is the set destination. I joined Sanggala this time, yet another travel group I found on Facebook.

Skipping the reservation part and quickly jumping to D-Day, we left Guadalupe aboard a rented jeep around 4AM and found ourselves grabbing our bags and getting ready for the trek a little past 6AM. 

Upon reaching the starting point where we will receive an orientation about the cave, we were greeted by this carefree animal. :) 

After breakfast and orientation, we pushed through our journey to the cave. The trek was good-graciously easy with wide and grass-hewn terrain under our feet. The only challenge was the scorching sun above us that required us to perform nothing less than quick steps to our destination.

I think half an hour or so passed when the terrain started changing from land and rocks to lush greens and cool air. Not long after, we heard the soothing sound of water flowing. With renewed purpose, we marched towards the origin of the sound and we found this.

Of course I wouldn't miss the chance for a photo like this. Hehe.

The first destination was the Cavinti Cave. Another orientation, this time with the local guide, took place, reminding us of what we should and should not do while inside the cave. I would love to tell you about them but I'm afraid I've forgotten because it's been a year. :P

The general thought would be, to leave nothing but foot prints, take nothing but pictures and memories. Hehe. (My travel motto). :P

As this is my first visit to a cave, I am excited and giddy when we started strapping the helmet then secured it with the forehead lamp.

Yup! We got to ride that "balsa" to cross the mini river and get through to the cave. :)

Now we are inside! Woot! I won't say sorry for the low quality pictures and limited lighting. :P

I got entertained by the extent Sir Victor would go just to take pictures. (He's the one lying on his back, if that's not so obvious). Hehe.

More photos of stalactites. :)

Deep within. Wooo!

And stalagmites. :)

Damn, I forgot what it's called when the stalactites and stalagmites grow and meet. Our guide told us about it but I obviously forgot. Google it!

They're beautiful!

Here are some really interesting rock formations inside. :)

The sole plant I get to see inside. It's marvelous. :D

Interesting, right? We were allowed to drink from this. The water doesn't taste any different from the usual drinking water but it's naturally cold and the thought that you're drinking it from the cave made it kewl-er! Hehehehe.

Before we move on to the next phase of the trip and leave the cave behind, I just wanna talk about how is it inside the cave.

1. It's cold inside. Not the chilling type, more like comfortable kind of cold. It's great. 

2. It's also dark inside. (Obviously!) That's why each of us are required to have headlights before coming in.

3. The stench of bats definitely smelled like urine. Or is that their urine that we're smelling?

4. There are also pools of water inside the cave and our guide allowed us to bathe in it. I did. And it's soooooo cold! But feels so good because it's also soooooooo clean! :)

Now here is the view right outside the cave. Isn't nature so wonderful? After the enclosed space of rocks, water, darkness, and damp atmosphere, here we are in the open with the sun shining brightly above us, the wind blowing coolly, the trees and plants all around us. It's just magnificent!

Past the canopy of trees and fresh, cool air, we retrace our steps to where our service jeep is waiting. This means walking under the scorching sun again. This is the part of the trip that I don't like so much.

Another almost an hour ride aboard the jeep and we are now set towards the infamous Pagsanjan Falls. Now here's a little trivia: Although most of us know it as Pagsanjan Falls, the locals call it Cavinti Falls because it rests on the municipality of Cavinti. So there, Cavinti Falls or Pagsanjan Falls, here we come!

The walk to the falls is easy because all we have to do is descend. We had to rappel at one point and then had to walk down this steel bridge all the way down. For acrophobics, the stairs would surely scare the soul out of you. It's too steep and too narrow, I would never call you brave if you tackle it without your full attention to your every step. You'd be stupid then. 

I hope these photos help to show you just how steep these stairs are.

These stairs made our and everybody else's trip to the falls a lot easier. Thank you! :)

My photos end here because I don't have a waterproof camera and honestly, after strapping my life vest and seeing the falls, the only thoughts I have in my head are getting into the water and having fun! Haha!

But here, let me share you how it's like to be in the Pagsanjan Falls.

For one, the water is soooo cool and refreshing. We boarded yet another "balsa" to get close to the falls. You can swim since life vests are so easily available for everyone. If I remembered it correctly, the guide said that the pool of water beneath the falls is at least 70 feet deep. This thought was running in my head while I was lying on the water, life vest on, staring at the clouds framed by the trees on the mountains bordering the falls. 70 feet deep, what if I got sucked in by something? Or a monster suddenly emerged from deep within the water? Hehe. Despite these scary thoughts in my head, I still remained there, floating in the water alone. Isolated from everyone else. :) I love it. :)

But that solitary musings came after we had a great time under the falls itself -- my co-travelers and I. The trip of the balsa ends behind the falls where a cave-like rock formation can accommodate people where they can watch the falls from behind. Some of my travelmates have waterproof cameras, so we were able to take pictures from there. 

The fun thing you can experience in Pagsanjan falls is getting a massage duly taken cared of the falls itself. It's soooo good! All you have to do is lie on your stomach on the bamboo raft (I'll start using this than balsa, hehehehehe), lay straight so others can do the same, then cover your head with the back of your hands. The attack of the falls is brutal on the head with the bamboo on your forehead. But on the back and the thigh area, it was heaven! Thinking about all those walking we did the entire day, we really needed that massage in courtesy of Mother Nature. Awesome!

It's almost dark now. We were told that usually, tourists are not allowed to be in the Falls past 5 because the trek back up would be dangerous. Remember those steep stairs? Yep. Dangerous, indeed.

So, out of the water (bye bye Pagsanjan Falls) we go! 

As I expected while we were descending those never-ending steep stairs, it would be supercalifragilisticexpialidoscious to climb them all on our way back. And it doesn't end there. Since we also rappelled on our way down, we had to climb that length up. I see this as a challenge and yes, I was happy to surpass it. Hoorah!

It's the climb! Haha! (Photo c/o Cherish Liane D. Bolaños)

Past that climb, we are to walk on the part of the mountain where more trees are present. By this time, since we're all tired, all we have in mind is getting to the end of the trek, wash up, change clothes, and retire in the jeep while waiting for everyone to get ready. We are heading back to Manila.

I'd say a one day trip is really exhausting since the group is bent on accomplishing tasks and covering destinations in a day. But I'd also say that it's a day very well spent! I love it!