Thailand is one of the 3 countries (US and Canada don’t count) on this trip that I’m seeing for the second time, and its the last of the three.
I arrived in Bangkok, from Kathmandu, and immediately felt different about the city than I did on my first visit. At first, it felt crowded, busy, loud, and dirty…to be honest, I didn’t really like it, and didn’t have any desire to come back. Arriving this time, with a different perspective, it feels much more calm and comfortable.

While here, most of my time has been spent dealing with the bike…getting it through customs (which was a breeze, relative to what I experienced in Mumbai) and lining up a new rear tire.

Clearing customs was easy and everyone was really helpful throughout the process (I even got a guy to hold the bike up with a forklift while I installed the front wheel!). Paperwork took a few hours, and I took an hour or so to get the bike back together and loaded up.

The day after I got the bike from the airport, I dropped it off at BKK motorcycle, where I got a new rear tire (Metzeler Tourance), air filter (India is DUSTY!), rear brake pads, and brake fluid.

As I’d been here before, I wasn’t really worried about doing too many touristy things (explaining the lack of photos), which allowed me to spend the rest of my time hanging out with other travelers from my hostel, and maybe drinking a little too much Chang.

It was nice to see a longtail boat, which I had a slight obsession with last time I was here…there’s something raw and beautiful about a motor (from something between a motorcycle and semi, sized to fit the boat), completely exposed, with a prop attached to it. Each one seems to be custom made, pieced together with random parts and pieces of steel that some mechanic found in the back of his shop.

Friday was Chinese New Years, so I went to Chinatown with a few folks.

           

           



              
       

Tomorrow is my first long day of riding in two weeks and I can’t wait…I’m jonesing to get back on the bike and put on some miles!