01.12.20
That was the plan: 30 days.
We arrived in Southeast Asia on New Year’s Day after catching a great flight from Athens, GR to Singapore. Singapore has a rep for being expensive and we decided to stay for just a few days, then head to Bangkok, TH for 30 days and use that as a “base” for other treks. We will be returning to the US for a bit come March 4, so we had about 63 days to explore this part of the world and get a sense of whether we liked it enough to return.
Speaking of return, Thai immigration rules are pretty strict, so they would not allow us to board our Singapore> Bangkok flight without a return ticket OUT! Staying for 30 days is not an issue, and that can be extended for very cheap, but regardless, they make sure you do not overstay their welcome; we bought a return ticket on the spot to complete the transaction. Whatever! Immigration rules are specific to each country and some are easier to work with than others.
After we arrived to a very hot, humid and busy Bangkok, we weren’t quite sure how long we wanted to stay here. We had an amazing condo, 36 floors up, in a newer high rise with a gym, lounge, and infinity pool, so this was not roughing it in the least! This unit also required us to stay for 30 days, but it was less than $400 US per month. One of our options was to stay here and extend another 30 days, which we did, and our initial plans continue, which is, side trips to Chiang Mai (coming up), then to Ha Long, Vietnam (immediately after), then two more jaunts to Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Phuket here in Thailand. BTW, the distances are quite close and the costs to fly and to stay are so inexpensive compared to most places in the world. Our room in Ha Long Bay, with an amazing view, is about $25 a night.
Back to Bangkok
This is an amazing city and the most visited city in the world (22.7M annually) per Forbes, easily surpassing Paris, London, etc… Add in 9.5 million residents and an infrastructure that is outdated, and you get an overwhelming, amazing and different experience from the “Western” world.
It is a city of contradictions with beautiful spiritual temples and monuments combined with horrible living conditions; modern technology, malls and restaurants with electrical wiring hanging like a spider web on poles and buildings. Yes, their diet is much different, including bugs and interesting types of seafood, but some of these unfamiliar tastes are quite good! Prices are very cheap, from restaurants and food court eateries, to housing and taxis.
In our almost 11 months of travel, this is as different as anything we had experienced and Kathleen was a trooper here- and patient- while I had to work through some uncomfortable surroundings for a few days. But now, one week in, we’re venturing out, exploring farther areas and enjoying the night, which is loud and very colorful.
Travel Younger was started to encourage and teach non-Millennials how to travel like a Millennial. To get the 50 and 60-year olds out of their comfort zones and realize that you can explore and live like a Traveler (vs a Tourist), and travel with less stress and less money. But I must give the Millennials the props they deserve! We meet many and by comparison they are MUCH better at dealing with some of the “discomforts” of life on the road, like hostel beds, long uncomfortable bus and train rides, and eating food that I, personally, have a hard time with! I respect the “younger generation” and remember when I, too, had that same laisse faire attitude.
Age changes us and there is a comfort level for everyone. But, you do not need to abandon all in the US (or wherever you live) and live like permanent Normads. This was our personal choice, but now that 2020 is here, I hope that you evaluate what is important to you at whatever stage of life you are in. There will come a time when we put on less miles and find more places to settle for longer periods. My stats for 2019 include 18 countries, 197 cities and 88,415 km (about 55,000 miles) so we’ll see if we can maintain that pace in 2020.
As to whether we will return to this part of the world, the answer is YES. Kathleen and I have concluded that we like Mediterranean climate more than Tropical or any other, so that will be our focus.
