Upon our arrival in Bangkok, Fede and I bought tickets for the shuttle bus that would take us into the city. As we approached downtown Bangkok, the traffic slowed, adding an edge of eagerness to our imminent arrival in what has become known as the Backpacker’s Mecca of Southeast Asia- the infamous Khao San Road district in the northern part of the city center. We had read about it in all of the guidebooks, had researched hostels, restaurants, and booking agents in the area, and had heard tales from other travelers about what to expect, but nothing can prepare one for the cacophony of sights, sounds, and smells of the craziness that is Khao San Road… It really is incredible- a bit overwhelming, even- and an abrupt introduction to the ‘Backpacker’s Life’ in SE Asia.
We arrived mid-afternoon- backpacks slung on shoulders, flip-flops on foot- ready to seek out our first night’s accommodation. I was instantly surprised by how many other backpackers there were- they were EVERYWHERE. Guys with dreads rolling their own cigarettes, walking down the street in hippie pants; girls chatting away in every language, crowded around small tables in open-air cafes that lined the streets; couples bargaining with the vendors in the t-shirt and jewelry stalls along the alleys, trying to save a few baht; hungry patrons haggling with the local street chefs who were cooking up pad thai noodles and vegetarian spring rolls in the woks on their street carts; groups of revelers already getting a bit boisterous in the early evening hours, huddled around the small street bars that slowly but surely take over the scene as the sun goes down. All these people, in the same place, doing the same thing- traveling SE Asia on the cheap, at the same time both creating and experiencing the ‘backpacker’s culture’ that permeates that part of the world. I had experienced this culture to a degree while living in Queenstown and traveling in New Zealand, but this- this was taking backpacking to a whole new level.
We wandered through the streets, taking it all in, trying to absorb our surroundings and get a feel for our surroundings. We hadn’t booked a hostel- everything we read and all the people we talked to said to wait until you arrived in Bangkok, thus allowing you to bargain on the price of the room. This was our first introduction to the fact that everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is negotiable in Southeast Asia. Rooms, souvenirs, tours, t-shirts, food, even drinks in bars can all be negotiated- it really is amazing, and forces one to hone their bargaining skills in a hurry. We stopped in a few different hostels, comparing prices, availability, etc., and ended up bargaining a double room for something like $5USD- our first introduction to the fact that Southeast Asia is CHEAP, at least when compared to New Zealand. We dropped our bags in our room, and headed out to get a better look at what was happening on Khao San Road that afternoon.
Khao San Road is an amazing place- you can literally buy anything there. Backpacking supplies? There are multiple shops filled with backpacks, flashlights, head torches, combination locks, toiletry essentials- anything and everything. Want a souvenir to commemorate your stay? Countless t-shirt and trinket shops line the street, selling everything from Thai flags to patches you can iron on to your travel gear. Hungry? Stop at one of the numerous street carts for some fresh pad thai noodles, or try any of the cafes for food from everywhere in the world (pizza, pasta, hamburgers, sandwiches, noodle and rice dishes- they have it all…). And if you’re just in the mood for some Western food, pop in the Subway, the McDonald’s, the KFC, or the Burger King- they’re all right there. Amazing. Mix in Thai tattoo parlors, dance clubs, street bars, more guesthouses, travel agencies and booking offices, knock-off clothing stalls, countless ‘designer’ sunglasses kiosks (“Same same, but different” is the sales slogan common to all street hawkers throughout SE Asia- same as the real deal, just slightly ‘different’), a thousand backpackers and more local Thais crowding the streets, and you begin to get a feel for what Khao San Road is really like. And this is in mid-afternoon. Once the sun goes down, it transforms into a whole new place- same same, but different…
At night, Khao San Road turns into what can best be accurately described as a Southeast Asian Block Party. The street bars spread their tables and stools around their section of the road, slinging cold beers and bucket cocktails to the revelers. The music pumps out of boom boxes and battery powered stereos- everything from American hip-hop to hard-core Euro techno. Random dance parties break out in the open-air cafes that have somehow morphed into pumping bars, and mosh pits form in the middle of the street. Bouncers guard the doors of dance clubs that were once quiet restaurants during the day, and the tuk-tuk drivers swarm amongst the crowds in search of patrons looking to explore other parts of the city at night. The Thai prostitutes show up on the scene, the seedy side of Bangkok having waited just long enough for the libations to have taken their effect on the masses. With them come the infamous Thai lady-boys- Thai boys that have either had sex change operations or simply dress and act like females. The scene is set, and the night unfolds accordingly. The bars and clubs stay open all night, the music thumping until the last patrons leave or the sun comes up- whichever happens first…
The next morning, blurry-eyed backpackers stumble out of the guesthouses, back into the quiet cafes that mere hours ago were the scenes and sources of their demise. Espresso coffees, lattes, smoothies, and lassies take the edge off, followed by bacon and eggs, omelets, Thai oatmeal, or any number of fresh foreign fruits. The street vendors once again set up their stalls, laying out their t-shirts, their CDs and DVDs, their jewelry. Music can be heard drifting out of a few cafes, but now it’s quiet music, peaceful music, almost a background soundtrack for the morning’s rituals. Khao San Road has transformed itself once again, and is now just a quiet traveler’s district in the city Bangkok. So it goes on Khao San Road…
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