For my first day in Bangkok, I decided to explore the streets by leaving the Backpacker’s guide at the hotel. The hotel in which I booked for six days is called the Four Monkeys. I didn’t find the reason.

I chose this hotel a little at random on Booking, sorting the hotels from the cheapest to the most expensive, while trying to keep a certain quality.

I didn’t read too much before about the neighbourhoods of Bangkok, about what there was to see, because I prefer to be surprised. It turns out that my hotel is in the Khao San Road neighbourhood, one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Bangkok, where most of the temples are located, but also the Grand Palace, and many universities. It is not really the most popular neighbourhood for tourists who come to Bangkok to have fun even if there are a few streets here that are intended for the animation of foreigners especially and nightlife.

In this neighbourhood the Europeans have rather the backpacker profile we see more with backpacks and sneakers on their feet than in luxury clothes.

My first day, Wednesday the seventh, I spend it walking the streets at random observing the Thais, the many small food stalls that punctuate the sidewalk,

The Tuktuks that I would not take, not only because I have doubts about the quality of their conduct, but above all because I want to be able to pass in small streets, small alleys where I risk making more authentic encounters.

And it’s successful. From the first day I am amazed by everything there is to see in Bangkok, the incredible flower markets,

young people who go out of school in uniform, police officers who are everywhere but who are not seen because they do not intervene, but also the homeless everywhere on the sidewalks.

Extreme poverty is visible, but everyone is smiling and not just because they have something to sell to tourists.

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I return to the hotel only in the evening, exhausted from having walked so much but my eyes and head full of novelties.