One Night In Bangkok

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I sit here at Bangkok Airport awating my connecting flighto to Krabi and I wonder where the past twenty four hours have gone. All I recall now is one final kiss goodbye from my sister and then racing into the customs area. The preceding hours were full of high drama, from oversized luggage, footing the massive bill to have the bag go directly to London rather than incur more oversized fees in Bangkok, to leaving one of my bags with my sister (and walking through the gates none the wiser) and then walking back out of the gates (while everyone else was walking in!).
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I look back and I wish I hadnt gotten so upset at the airport because my bags were nearly 17 kilos over (okay, so I played ignorant and hoped they'd let me through). Rather, I wish I had remained calm and savoured the last few moments with my family. I feel like I didnt get long enough to say a proper goodbye to them, but then, what is "a proper goodbye?".
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The sadness of leaving my family remained for the length of the flight to Thailand. A whole 9 hours of looking at photos and shedding the odd tear - oh, actually, I did watch "Jarhead" - so make that 7 hours of tears. The flight did not go without its own dramas - no airconditioning for the first half hour, a completely packed airplane due to a cancellation of a previous flight, a poor landing by Captain Whathisname, and a late arrival in the terminal due to "Air Traffic" - however, I was the only lucky fella in the entire plane to have a spare seat next to me! Woohoo!
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However, once arriving at Thailand, my outlook changed.
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Suddenly, the traveller was back with a vengance. The girl that finds joy out of walking around somewhere completely unfamiliar and finding her way through it. Even though it was about 2am australian time, and my eyelids were dropping, I still felt that rush of excitment that I only can ever get when I am travelling. Its freedom. Its independence, and its a learning experience that cannot be beaten. I know that I have that Travellers Glow when I am driving through the smokey, polluted metropolis of Bangkok in the airport transfer bus with a smile on my face.
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Yes, I am truly happy.
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I have never met a place as dirty and as polluted as Bangkok. It lacks even the slightest of urban planning, and it seems as though it takes about three times as long as it should to get anywhere. Instead of driving directly to the hotel last night, we found ourselves travelling in the completely wrong direction on a one way road in order to get to a road which went back the other way in the direction of the hotel. It would seem that this was the perfect case for traffic lights, however, I am beginning to realise that nothing makes sense in Bangkok. That said, despite its lack of urban planning, over population, and frenetic pace, I love Bangkok and I am sad that I have only gotten the chance to spend five hours in a hotel and about half an hour of traffic negotiation here. I am sure to come back and experience the real Bangkok in time. The Koh San Road, the backpacker scene.... yes, I shall return. The real star of Thailand are its people. I have yet to meet a more friendlier race.
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I am now off to Krabi where I hope golden sands great me and the sun can shine warmly upon my face. I am yet to call my mother, so if anyone reads this and can get in touch with her, please let her know that i am okay. My vodafone isnt working for some god unknown reason but access to phones and internet etc is easy around here, so I dont feel too "incommunicado."
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Anyway, I need to go and catch a flight.
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Tally so far: Three mosquito bites, one conversation with a hot guy, no lost luggage. Doing well.
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Cheerio from Bangkok!

K