| 24 hours | | | | of the locals, there are street vendors everywhere |
| Find out what it’s like to experience Bangkok, | | | | and they can be very persistent, with an emphasis on |
| Thailand when you’ve only got 24 hours to do it. | | | | very. It’s a little intimidating at first but after a |
| There’s no time for mucking about so diving | | | | good 5 hours of shopping I was a pro. |
| head first is the only way to go. The crowded city | | | | The Pantip Plaza was the first real building I stumbled |
| streets and colorful characters you meet along the | | | | into, it was full of cheap gadgets and huge amounts of |
| way are all part of the fun and excitement of this | | | | DVD’s (all no doubt perfectly legal). I moved |
| favorite tourist destination. | | | | onto Siam Square next and watched a game of |
| After arriving in Bangkok at around 3am, I found that | | | | street football which was cool. The temperature was |
| my room was unavailable due to it being flooded, not | | | | edging 35 degrees at this stage and this seemed even |
| the best way to start my 24 hour adventure but not | | | | more surprising when I looked up and spotted a huge |
| enough to slow me down. After a power cut and a | | | | dark cloud forming right above me. |
| couple of hours waiting I finally got my room, I | | | | It didn’t take long for the rain to come and what |
| didn’t really have enough time to sleep much | | | | a display it was. I’ve never encountered such a |
| after the delay, so I had to settle for just a couple of | | | | massive display of thunder and lightening in my life. |
| hours. | | | | Everyone scurried through the shop awnings and |
| I got up at 8.30am and felt surprisingly refreshed, | | | | backstreets to take cover, it was impressive watching |
| it’s not often you have to survive on only 2 | | | | the speed at which the street vendors set up |
| hours sleep but at the same time it’s not often | | | | protection from the rain, this was obviously something |
| you get the opportunity to explore an environment and | | | | they had learned to put up with. It felt like I was wading |
| culture that’s completely new to you. I took a | | | | through millions of people as I made my way back to |
| look out the window and just gazed at the concrete | | | | the hotel, it was cramped before the rain arrived but |
| jungle that is Bangkok. | | | | now it was just crazy. |
| For the troubles of the night before, the hotel | | | | After a nice dinner, I did some more looking around. I |
| graciously gave me a free breakfast and a few other | | | | found some cool t-shirts and plenty of great presents |
| nice treats. I enjoyed a few fruits that I’d never | | | | for when I eventually got back home to New Zealand. |
| had before; I’m quite the food lover so even | | | | While haggling over prices was new definitely new to |
| simple things like that were interesting to me. It’s | | | | me, I ended up enjoying it. It’s not something I |
| amazingly humid and very hot, 30 degrees at just 9am | | | | could really be bothered with all the time but for that |
| in the morning. Luckily for me and the other Hotel | | | | one day it was really fun. |
| guests having breakfast, there are half a dozen huge | | | | My 24 hours in Bangkok was nearly over. I had to get |
| fans cooling the area. | | | | some sleep before my early flight to London, especially |
| After finishing up my breakfast I head out into the | | | | after missing out the night before. It was a shame I |
| unknown. I have no idea where I’m going or | | | | had to leave so soon but I’m looking forward to |
| what I want to do which is part of the fun, it’s | | | | coming back another time and exploring more of |
| sometimes nice to have no plans or schedule, just the | | | | Bangkok, especially their many beautiful temples and |
| freedom to do whatever crosses your path. | | | | other tourist attractions. |
| It doesn’t take much time for me to meet some | | | | |