I envisioned the stretches of white sand, the clear waters and beautiful coral, the underwater world I’ve craved since diving in the Red Sea, The Sanctuary in Koh Phi Phi that a yogi recommended to me as I was passing through Roma Termini stazioni, the hiking, the mountains, Buddhism, temples, meditation, yoga, and spiritual heaven. I had this grand plan of starting in Bangkok and working my way up to Chiang Mai, visiting the temples along the way (the actual route is in the Thailand Lonely Planet guide), then making a quick return to Bangkok before heading down the coast, visiting the beaches and coastal areas whilst trying to avoid the manic drug fuelled, lust filled, alcohol driven antics on the beaches in the evenings. I don’t want to seem like I’m stereotyping, everybody loves a good party, but drinking whiskey, coke, and Thailand’s answer to Red Bull doesn’t seem like a good idea to me. Plus, knowing my luck, I’d end up banged up in one of their finest prisons in true Bridget Jones’ style (minus the large knickers… although…)
This crazy trip to Thailand would’ve been utterly perfect had I not been jetting off to Australia afterwards, but since I need to budget myself for a YEAR of living in a new country (and a huge one at that) I just can’t afford to be frivolous with my money, especially since the flights are looking to set me back £800-1200 (some one-way, some aren’t). It never really occurred to me to split the Thailand trip up into two parts, do one half on the way out to Australia (probably the cheaper and more light-hearted bit), and then if money permits do the more expensive half on the way back. Whilst SCUBA diving is probably going to cost me an arm and a leg, I would really like to do that whilst I’m out there (and potentially get some experience whilst I’m out there on the reefs) so I think that’ll be something I need to do on the way out, and then just hover around Bangkok.
The city itself doesn’t really appeal to me all that much (I want to say it’s too touristy for my liking but at the end of the day, this is my first big trip alone and I’ll probably find a lot of comfort in that fact!), but I have to see the Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho and the Golden Buddha or “Phra Phuttha Maha Suwan Patimakon” as it is officially named at Wat Traimit. I also want to go to Wat Phra Kaeo (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn), Wat Benchamabophit (Marble Temple), and of course the floating market amongst other things. Now looking at that, flicking through the Lonely Planet guide, and getting a little bit excited again, just sticking to Bangkok and doing the odd spot of diving if I can doesn’t sound too bad at all.
Nothing is set in stone, it never is and I never want it to be. Setting things in stone gives it the chance to go wrong and heck, if it goes wrong when you have everything depending on it then you’ve got very little chance in bouncing back (unless you’re one of those super resilient people who I envy so much). I guess I need to step back and just accept that I can’t do everything in one trip, it isn’t physically possible. I don’t have the money, I don’t have the time, and I don’t feel I have the life experience to truly enjoy it. Plus, I think it’d be a pretty nice place to return to at some point in the future, maybe with a travelling buddy – either an age-long friend or one I’ve bonded with along the way – or a boyfriend. After all, I’m only 23. I have my whole life to revisit places close to my heart, to explore the little nooks and crannies of places I never got to see before. It's a life long adventure.
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