16.01 Day 1 Sydney to Bangkok

Day 1 - Tue 16th Jan - Sydney to Bangkok

And so it begins for these un-intrepid explorers. In the queue for check in at Sydney airport the pragmatic Sienna is trying to turn her tears for Pickles & Dexter into excitement for the year ahead. For the 10pm 7 hour flight to Singapore (on Scoot Airways which, much to the horror of the kids, does not contain TVs in the back of every seat), Kate gets the short straw sitting between the kids whilst I at least manage to snooze a little sitting solo.

At Singapore Airport, with 3 hours to kill, we ride the airtrain to every terminal for no real reason walking as we go through a butterfly enclosure, waterlily garden (a mistake as it's a Smokers’ garden) and also orchid garden.

The second leg is a mere 90 minute hop over to Bangkok. Off plane, through immigration, fingerprints taken and the first stamp in our new passports, luggage collected, all in under 30 minutes.

A fear of unscrupulous taxi drivers meant I had pre booked a car which arrived promptly. We know we’ve overpaid, but $30 for peace of mind and what turned out to be a 90 minute ride because of the notorious Bangkok traffic seemed to be worthwhile. Plus Sienna was happy because she got to choose what video to have on youtube on the screen at the front (Taylor Swift, 1989).

All up, we arrive at Sawatdee Guesthouse The Original (who’s been trying to copy them? Or have they added The Original to add a fake veneer of authority?) at 11am. A narrow 4 storey building on a narrow street full with a low consistent hustle and bustle of locals going about their life including street vendors selling from shop fronts and food carts on the pavement. In stilted English we are told our room isn’t ready so we plonk ourselves in the small Diamond Wit Cafe at the front of our hostel for a banana and honey on toast and Banh Mi roll. 

Knowing there is a ferry wharf we plan to use nearby we wander through Thewet market, over a canal - which I later read as being an area of Bangkok once known as the Venice of Thailand, which if true, only serves to lower my expectations of Venice - along to the wharf.

Whilst the bunches and garlands of flowers for sale on the wharf bring a smile to Sienna’s face, the large plastic pots on the ground of fishes, eels and even turtles for sale wipe that smile off. Seb is more just fascinated by it all. In turn, some locals disembarking from the ferry are fascinated by Seb. Sienna is mildly appeased when we realise the animals are not for eating, but instead to be purchased and released into the river - the different marine creatures representing different fortunes, from strength, to good luck, to defeating your enemies.

By the time we are shown to our room i’m feeling worse for wear from either lack of sleep, lack of coffee, heat, lack of water, humidity or some combination thereof. I opt for a nap whilst the others pop back downstairs to Diamond Wit Cafe for a green tea and first game of Phase 10. On their return my head is pounding so I tap out of the rest of the day. The 3 of them venture out for some early dinner and return with 3 pot noodles from 7/11 across the road. Except Kate’s is more of a stodgy porridge so she makes do with what the kids don’t eat.

“Just eat the street food, it's what Thailand is renowned for” is a fine sentiment when you’re at home or when you’ve got no responsibility for anyone else, but faced for the first time with unknown food in an unknown language with an unknown script, it's a different matter. We’ll ease into it; we’ve got time on our side.

Unbeknown to me in my unconscious state, Kate then takes them for a walk a little further afield and successfully snares some steamed bbq pork buns. To bed for them around 8:30pm in our family room ($45/night), 1 king bed and 2 singles with ensuite - a sizeable, functional and importantly, clean room as we ease into this Grand Adventure. Welcome to Bangkok.