I am finally in Bangkok, the most infamous city on the banana pancake trail. This place is legendary among backpackers, so I've been hearing about it since the beginning of my trip. Being one of the few that did not begin here, I am something of an oddity, and now that I am here, I realize that I am even more odd amongst backpackers because I actually LIKE Bangkok. The teva-wearing crowd tends to hate it - they come to SE Asia to find beaches and rainforests, and Bangkok is a big polluted noisy metropolis.

But it's so much more than that!

I was lucky to have Raj show me around for a day and a half before he left for India. He is in love with Bangkok and has been here for awhile, so he knew the good places that are not that obvious to the average tourist. Mainly the ultra-modern shopping malls actually. But I was surprised to learn that Bangkok is not JUST a filthy seedy place, it is also really modern, functional, and international. Like Seoul in some ways, only better.

I'll be here for a few days, then moving South to the islands.

Happy New Year!