Successful Hitchhikings Part 1

Steph and I had the entire last week off so we decided to see as much of Thailand as possible. This expedition consisted of 10 days, 3 hostels, 10 awful bus rides, and 3 successful hitchhikes. It was an epic journey that took us to waterfalls and hot springs and even got me into a parade. We got to see hot air balloons and two firework shows that dazzled our eyes. It was rough on us, especially our backs, but we managed to do everything we planned and a little more.

Friday after school we got on the 5pm bus headed to Bangkok and stayed with our friend, Marianne, in Samut Prakan that night. It was nice to sleep in a bed bigger than a twin and get a good nights rest without being awoken by fighting dogs. The next morning we got up early and met some friends at the BTS station and soon we were on our way to Thailand's International Balloon Festival in Nakhon Nayok. Before jumping on the "hour and forty minute" bus ride we hit up K.F.C. for some chicken sandwiches and some greasy salty french fries. And if you were curious if Thais put mayonnaise on their sandwiches, they do. They pour it all over them.

So after the 3 hour journey we finally made it there and decided to go white water rafting. For the small fee of 250฿ we were taken on an interesting aquatic journey through the mildly chaotic river. After the ride we grabbed some quick food and made our way to the fairgrounds and prepared for a spectacle of immense proportions. HOT AIR BALLOONS! We had all seen them before, but for some reason these just seemed much cooler. Maybe because we are in Thailand I dont know. Over half a dozen hot air balloons were blown up and putting on a light show with their massive flames. There was an old English chap on the microphone trying to coordinate the balloons flames by telling the operators to "flicker to the music now!" The music was the score from some Disney movie, which made it even better. After hundreds of pictures we were exhausted and ready to leave, but then came the fireworks.

The next day was the king's 83rd birthday which is a HUGE celebration here. There's nothing like it back home. Everyone here loves the king. Everyone. Me, Steph, and Marianne went into Bangkok and messed around for a few hours and finally met up with Connor, Becca, and Katie at the Big Swing. In Thailand there are certain times everyday when you can buy alcohol. When we met up with them it was 4:40 and we couldn't buy beer until 5:00, so Connor and I just hung out in the local 7-11 for the next 20 minutes patiently waiting to get our fix of booze.

That night we hit the streets of Bangkok to join in on the celebration. Connor and I split up from the girls for awhile and actually became part of the celebration. We went wandering off dipping and dodging through the over-crowded streets trying to find a great spot to view the fireworks and somehow ended up in the king's parade. It was hilarious. Connor and I were the only two people out of thousands that had beer in our hands, which made us feel awkward enough, and we were in the middle of the King of Thailand's birthday parade. We didn't care. We just kept playing the "I'm not from here, so I dont' know what to do" card, and it worked like a charm.

After an elaborate fireworks show we posted up at a place called "Gullivers" on Khao San Rd. We enjoyed each others company and had nice conversation over several rounds of San Miguel Light. It was over these delicious brews that I realized that coming to Thailand was one of the best decisions I had ever made. In only two months I have done some incredible things and met some unforgettable people.