DAY 1: BANGKOK

Chaotic. The most appropriate adjective for Bangkok. Second is life-changing. If you can consider that an adjective- as a English student I should probably know. The place is incredible. A paradise of kind-hearted souls, non-existent road rules and yummy street food- with the extra ingredient of potential death. 

Our trip did not start off how I expected; definitely not cultural in the traditional sense. Yet I wouldn't change a single second of it. On the first night I stayed at Bangkok Centre Hotel, for those who haven't booked a tour I recommend this hotel as it is in a perfect location for seeing the city. I met my roommate G who is possibly the funniest girl I have ever met, I was truly blessed to have had her by my side through the whole trip. We then met the rest of our travel family and instantly became inseparable. From that day I think we all knew we had made friends for life. Together we met our CEO M who was our guide for the tour and by the end we all agreed there was no one better suited. 

As a group, we visited a small restaurant lit by dozens of lanterns next to our hotel (through the underground). I had my first pad thai (!!!), which rather than having peanut butter in had peanuts on the side- unlike Wagamamas. Kinda like a noodle omelette, but delicious all the same. Accompanied by a Chang beer obviously- 'when in rome'. 

Back at the hotel, M ordered us some Tuk Tuks to take us to Ko San road (where I think I left myself rather than the expected 'found myself'). If you're in the city centre already, Tuk Tuks should be no more than 50baht (£1) and can be as little as 20baht (40p) for one trip. Yes they will try to squeeze 7 into a 2 seater space, yes they will ignore red lights, yes they will go over 60km an hour and yes you will see your life flash before your eyes. By the end of the trip, we refused to travel anywhere if it wasn't by Tuk Tuk (within reason). Drivers will try and get as much money as possible from backpackers so taxis are sometimes cheaper. But you can't stick your head out of a taxi whilst screaming 'go faster' to beat the other vehicle you're racing.

Arriving at Ko San road was exactly like stepping into a scene from Hangover II. The street has shockingly little shame and yet you find yourself both disgusted and in admiration as you watch the drunken backpackers and locals unite through gross amounts of alcohol, sleezy sex shows (involving animals, sports equipment- anything goes) and tainted street food. 

We first went to the Hub to kick off our night; I ordered a Mai Thai at 150baht (£3). The bars are very generous with their measures and like to publicise this fact to their customers. For 700baht you can buy essentially a tower of beer, which dispenses several pints. As bars fill up, merchants roam the streets selling everything from bracelets with the most hilariously offensive words stitched across them to giant hammocks. All at prices so low they're practically giving them away. Whether it was the alcohol or my enthusiasm to experience the Thai culture, I convinced my newly acquired friends to share a scorpion with me. Easily found on Ko San, they coast 50baht (£1) for a small one on a stick and taste a bit like crispy chicken. Although it’s safe to say I won’t be incorporating them in my diet.

After several cocktails and a few obligatory Changs as we bar crawled our way down Ko San, the night took a turn. A complete stranger convinced us to hop on his Tuk Tuk to one of Bangkok’s famous Ping Pong shows for 500baht (£10 and one free drink). On reflection, not my smartest move- most likely several health and safety issues with our decision. Although I continue to justify it with that old 'life's too short'. Expecting a real cultural and fulfilling experience when I arrived in Thailand the first night kinda stepped all over that as I was carted off through Bangkok’s seedy back alleys to essentially someone’s grim basement. Its a night I will never forget, both because I don’t want to and more importantly because I’m probably scarred for life (I certainly can never look at a banana in the same way, or a coke bottle, or a dart…). A bonding experience none the less.

A whole community (of all ages/nationalities) joined together that night like some sort of dysfunctional family and disregarded every sense of responsibility or normality. It’s a place where everyone looses their inhibitions, their identities and their dignities- and its beautiful (although not for the faint hearted. We even met a guy who’d went backpacking in 1995 and has never left Bangkok since. Ko San will always have a place in my heart, mostly because I think its tainted my soul- but for the better. Even after rolling home at 3am and setting my alarm for checkout at 6am I can honestly say the madness of our very first night left me overwhelmed with excitement for the next 4 weeks ahead. Turns out it only takes a group trip to a live sex show to leave you feeling as though you've know everyone your whole life.