The title of this post is the sentence we have used so often when something crazy happens, when we see something awesome, when the rain is torrential or basically for anything that we find that is new and exciting. It symbolizes our sense of wonder, our bond as friends and travelling partners and our like mindedness. We first used it whilst exiting the airport in Bangkok and at least once or twice a day after that.

I find it slightly difficult to blog often as there are so many things to see and do here and all until the wee hours of the morning. That being said this post will be about our first five days here (we have been here ten but writing that much at once would be a long read for you guys). I am hoping to find more time as we go, perhaps during more relaxing sections of the trip.

Our story begins in Bangkok on October 29th at 3:00am. Stepping off the plane we were immediately hit with a heavy amount of humidity and heat. The kind that makes you sticky almost instantly. As we were running on adrenaline, excitement and wanderlust about being in the place we both wanted to be in the weather hardly actually mattered. Our hostel’s front desk was not accepting guests until 7am and seeing as how we had approximately four hours to kill we took a cab there anyway and wandered around the streets of Bangkok until check in. Staying within a two block radius we found late night eateries, street food vendors starting their days and a twenty four hour bar attached to a hotel near us. We took the opportunity to have a few beers and wait out the night.

After the night passed and check in took place at “Siamaze Hostel” we got up to our private room which was quite comfortable and had great air conditioning. We chose a private room for the first night of our adventure because we just wanted some initial peace and quiet after a very long thirty six hours of travel. There wasn’t much interaction between guests at this particular hostel due to what I can only describe as severe language barriers. This hostel would be our home for four nights, mainly because of the appointments we made to have Sak Yant tattoos administered by a Buddhist monk.

During these first days much of our time was spent eating, exploring various malls, walking the streets and seeing sights. The city is massive, the traffic horrendous but the food, amazing. Below you will see the empty bowls of the fantastic boat noodles we had at Boat Noodle Alley and the street food we procured one evening. The little blue and white balls were and are one of my favorite things I have had so far. They consist of smashed peanuts, rolled with a sweet substance and surrounded by a rice based paste. It is sweet and savory and so very, very addictive.

The days came and went, time feeling both as slow as falling sap along a tree and as fast as a speeding tuk-tuk. Senses of wonder melding together to create one large, lasting impression for both Neil and myself.

Then the day came, the day I’ve wanted to happen since my late teens. The day I get tattooed by a monk and have blessings placed upon me. The tattoo I received is called Tong Maharat, or the Great Flag. It signifies mercy, kindness, compassion and good luck in love. These are qualities that I attempt to adhere to as best I can and it meant a lot to me to have placed on my body. The monk providing me with the tattoo in the picture below is named Ajarn Bpom, or Master Bpom in English.

This experience was more than I could have hoped for. If I only came to Thailand to have the tattoo done I could have left a happy man. The way I felt after it was complete was indescribable. It was just amazing to be able to fulfill a dream I created so long ago.

The day after the tattoos we were on a train to Ayutthaya in the morning to delve into the giant river prawns that the area is famous for as well as temple sightseeing. My next post will begin there. For now I am off to get some more of that street food I’ve started to crave.

Keep your eyes on the horizon,

Terry