Finally Here

Day 311
Everything seemed misty when I got off the bus. I don't know if it was misty or if it was the tylonal pm. There were rats in the streets and monks walking around barefoot. It all seemed very surreal. I thought that we were being dropped off at Kao San Road, the infamous backpackers ghetto. In reality we were about a ten minute walk away. I followed the crowd. There hadn't been a single local on the bus and I figured that that must be were everyone was heading.]

Even though it was almost 7 am some of the places were still open and selling beer. The group from the bus dispersed in different directions. I headed down the street to another area that my guidebook said was chock full of guesthouses. I checked several, they were either way to expensive or full. I was tired and complaining to myself. Eventually I found a place that was about US $8.50 a night, but it really bugged me thinking that I could have something for half that. The hotel was like a Holiday Inn backpacker style. I didn't have an outside window and the bathroom was down the hall, but there was warm water and I did have a tv. I might have been temped to get some more bootlegs but when I saw that dvds cost three times what they had in Bali I decided against it.

I collapsed into bed without even bothering to shower. I was simply too tired to move any longer. Around noon I came to and I was famished. I took a shower at this point, I didn't want to be too much of the typical Kao San resident. I had meant to get some street food but there was a Subway, I've been craving a sandwich for some time now and the one's I've been getting havn't quite fit the bill. For example, I once ordered a club sandwich and got scrambled eggs and tomato between to pieces of fried bread. Not quite what I was hoping for.

After lunch I decided to explore the Kao San Road area. There was all sorts of stuff to buy, but I didn't get anything. If I was going home in a week I would have gone crazy. It was very much like a Pier One, only everything cost about two dollars. Browsing kept me busy but it really wasn't a very big area. I was also still on the tired side so I went back to my hotel to read and wait for dinner.

Dinner ended up being bad, small and overpriced. Who knew food could be all of those things at once? This is why the best food on Kao San is found in street carts. Once I had finished eating I went to a bar and wrote for a bit. I really wasn't feeling it though and I didn't feel like chatting so I ended up back at my hotel, very very tired. In no time I was asleep.