Good morning, Thailand!

Sawatnika! (That’s Thai for Hello :))

It’s been a little more than a week since I’ve first set foot in this country and on this continent, and I’m already in love with this side of the world.

Granted, I always knew that I loved the food and looking at pics of Thai beaches online, I figured that I would love those too, but I was never truly convinced until I got here in person and started breathing it all in!

So quick summary: I left Paris and flew to Bangkok through Dubai. Once in Bangkok, I met up with Natalia, who was flying from Norway, at the airport and we both made our way into town. Later that night, Judy, my childhood friend from Egypt, joined us, and we spend the following day together walking and toktok-ing around town before our flight to Phuket the following morning. After 2 days in Bangkok, this was my status on FB:

“Thinking out loud after 48 hours in Bangkok:
1) This city reminds me of more ways than possible of Cairo; the same crazy big city feel, the traffic; the fact that you’ll meet some of the nicest & some of the rudest people just a couple seconds apart & most of all, the fact that you can basically bargain your way through life around here.
2) And yet, at the end of the day, Bangkok could not have been more opposite than Cairo!
3) Toktoks might have become my new favorite mode of transportation.
4) Bangkok definitely has some of the weirdest signs of any city I’ve been to.

5) Thai food continues to be my favorite cuisine.
6) But scorpions will not be included in my daily diet anytime soon.
7) Lastly, when people don’t speak the same language, they always find a way to communicate, and it can be really humbling to watch and participate in the process. At the end of the day a smile goes a long way!
Goodbye Bangkok; until we meet again!”

Once in Phuket, the true island life started. First day was mostly relaxing and walking around, second day Judy and I went diving, and on the third day we went on an island tour before we returned back to the beach on the 4th and 5th day. We even made some new friends along the way and got to celebrate Christmas with some of them 🙂

Below some pictures from our time in Bangkok and Phuket; for now I get to enjoy a couple more days in Krabi & Koh Samui before I head back to rainy cold Europe for my last semester in school!