The Return to Bangkok

So overall, Vietnam certainly left the best until last. Sapa, Cat Ba and Ninh Binh were all fantastic locations, making up for some of the duller places I had earlier visited. On Thursday, however, it was time to leave. I caught my flight and arrived back in Bangkok.

Bangkok seemed different. Maybe it was because it was now the low season rather than the high season, but Bangkok seemed much quieter than when I had landed there back in January. Even when I arrived in Khao San Road the following morning it seemed eerily quiet. The traffic jam of human bodies and constant supply of nagging salesmen had been quartered. It now felt like a relatively regular market street. It almost felt like I wasn't in Bangkok at all, but somewhere completely different.

After scaling the street I entered Boots to re-supply on anti-malaria tablets. I approached the sales assistant and asked her how much the Doxycycline was. "How long you travel for?" came the deep and gruff response. It took me a couple of moments to continue the conversation. Quite clearly I was in Bangkok after all.

In the afternoon I moved over to the east side of the city, an area I never ventured into on my first visit. That evening I got my first taste of Thai Boxing. Under the recommendation of my guide book, I took the cheap standing tickets at the back of the stadium, but I could still see the ring very clearly. As the first fight began, accompanying musicians maintained a beating tempo - very gradually increasing the speed as the round went on. When the round finished though I was unsure how long I would be staying; it all seemed quite dull.

After the second round, however, things started to get confusing. I noticed some of the locals around me sticking their hands in the air, frantically trying to grab someone's attention, but it was unclear who. I looked around but could see nobody selling any food or drink. After the third round the number of people waving increased. Some held up one finger, some waved their entire hand, some flicked their finger and thumb, and others did other peculiar gestures. As the fight went on the excitement of the crowd, their gestures, and their eagerness gradually increased.

It then clicked. The crowd were making bets with each other as the fight went on. The gestures and calls were to each other as they desperately tried to find someone else to accept their bet. By the final round the atmosphere was electric. Each blow by the red participant was responded with cheers from those who were backing him. Each return blow by the blue participant was subsequently roared by his followers too. While the volume increased, even more locals would be screaming and shouting to find someone else to make some money out of.

When the bout was over and the winner was declared, a huge roar would erupt from the victorious punters, and the winners would start to pace around to collect their winnings - sometimes from multiple people. All the losers were instantly in their wallets to pass on their losses. Overall it was a really enjoyable experience - and watching the actual fight itself was pretty fun too!

That evening I went to a bar and met Gina and Alex from Austria. Having spent considerable time with them that night, I subsequently agreed to join them in a journey to Ayutthaya the following day, despite my original plans to head towards Ko Chang. The next morning, however, I felt different. I simply didn't want to go to Ayutthaya; it sounded dull. I also woke up a little late. Before long I made my decision - I was to stand them up. I packed my bags and made my own journey. I felt quite bad for this, we'd got on really well the night before - but the idea of turning up late and then telling them I wasn't going seemed pointlessly unsettling. I've learnt that sometimes while travelling you've just got to do what you want. I had no decent way of contacting them, and I'm sure they'll recover.

After a long bus ride I now find myself in Trat. Tomorrow I sail to Ko Chang.