A trip we had before Children

Written in Oct 2013 By Julie Rayner

At the window of our tiny backpacker room looking down at the hectic buzz of people walking through the mazes of alleyways and tiny streets in all directions, stopping to haggle at one of the hundreds of stall’s selling everything from fake watches, sarongs, knock off designer wear, pirate cd’s, all types of souvenirs to intricate and colourful handmade items, there are sweaty & excited travelers carrying their heavy backpacks looking for cheap accommodation, just as we did the night before, nervous tourists holding tight to their bags, amateur photographers trying to get that perfect photo, restaurant staff enticing people to sit down to eat at one of the many tables along the street, the smells lingering upwards of mouth-watering spices from the restaurants, the aroma of street side cooking, the heady scent of incense, mixed with the subtle smell of the humid heat and sewage, smells that are only in Asia and make me wonder whether I want to be inhaling it all up or blocking my nose.

All I want is to be part of it, it’s like a roller-coaster ride for your senses, as we walk through the masses of people,  I feel thrilled and slightly scared, a man laying on a wheeled wooden plank with no legs pushes himself along with his arms, tugs at my trousers begging for money, when not with me my boyfriend gets passed invites to strip clubs and brothels, the locals smile, street vendors walk around selling cooked cockroaches and scorpions! The heat raising up from the ground, the sun tingling my skin, the sounds loud, the booming bass beats from the nightclubs and bars, the pop music trying to compete from the pirated CD Stalls, dozens of young tanned backpackers who look like they belong on a beach rather than in the middle of the City, languages heard all around,  French, Dutch, Thai, we pass by English speaking people and smile at them with a look that says isn’t this crazy, isn’t this awesome, like I know what each of them are thinking and feeling, we have an almost bond.

The sun starts to set more life is thrown into the scene, backpackers and tourists now dressed up slightly, ready for their evening , the lights in the markets come on and colour’s look even more vibrant than they did during the day, it’s busier, the life and excitement all around me makes me slightly dizzy with love for this place, the smells amplify and are now intoxicating, the food cooking gets me excited, curry smells now drifting my way enticing me to come and sit down and eat.. I want to eat everywhere and worry that the one we pick will not be as good as the one we don’t, too much choice!.

The Red Curry is hot I taste the ginger and chilli and perfumed flavour of the lemon grass, the food is divine and I already can’t wait for tomorrows dinner..

Tourists are now everywhere some rushing most taking their time, looking for the perfect restaurants, club, bar….neon lights all around,the music gets louder, the smells get stronger, some drunk lads stagger by…

We find a bar, to people watch to talk about how to make the world a better place, we look through the lonely planet and pick out the Temples that we must see,  the bourbon and coke hits me with a wonderful light headed zing and leaves a taste of warm caramel in my throat, the knowledge of where I am makes me smile, we drink more bourbons and chat away, that fuzzy tipsy feeling hits, we are laughing and loving this being on holiday being free, experiencing a new culture a new adventure.