Today was an adventure! After a fitful nights sleep I let myself get out of bed at 5:30 am. A couple more days should shake off this annoying jet lag. I went to the hotel's coffee shop for a croissant and coffee before checking out around 8.
Using the hotel's free ferry to Central Pier was great, as there was a breeze out on the river. From there I figured out how to buy a ticket (which I discovered later I was overcharged for!) for the orange express boat to Tha Thewet pier. These boats are really cool to travel on...really cheap, only 13 baht or about 30 cents....and are a main way of transport for locals and tourists alike.
After I found the correct stop I had a bit of a hike to my destination, the highly recommended Shanti Lodge. I got a bed in the dorm room for 200baht a night. There's room for 10 people in this small room with no windows. It's like living in a submarine. Apparently there's A/C from 8pm till 9am, which will be a godsend as this city is hot as hell.
After checking in I decided to walk around and explore the area. Madness...that's the best way to describe the streets of Bangkok between here and Khao San Road (the famous backpacker's ghetto). After hours of sweating and walking around I just wanted to shower and lay down. This city is exhausting and crowded.
There's nothing like being uncomfortable with a heat headache and jetlag that makes you miss home more! Tomorrow will be a better day...I hope.
