Justine and I had breakfast in a kitschy Indian cafeteria downtown. We had a good brunch actually, some roti and curry dip with the local thai veggie salad. She wanted to check Chatuchak market and I opted to stroll in one of the local parks near our hostel.
Our hostel is actually quite good because it's conveniently located in the town center which is near the old temples and the ever famous (thanks to Leo Di Caprio and the movie The Beach) Khao San Rd. I had some time reflecting in the local park called Phrasumeru. It's actually a fortress. Phra Sumeru Fortress (also spelled Phra Sumen) is located on the corner where Phra Athit Road and Phra Sumeru Road meet. This fortress was constructed in the reign of King Rama I in 1783 along with 14 other fortresses and battlements surrounding the capital.
The fortress is beautiful, beside it are notebook shops which sell one of a kind handmade notebooks. I got myself a journal with a camouflage cover, and it really looks great. I was trying to write an entry when a young caucasian guy approached me and asked for direction. I said I'm totally not familiar for I am a tourist myself. He told me that I looked liked I was Thai. That kinda felt good, from the start I was trying my very best to blend in just so that the people will not try to pull a scam on me or so for being a tourist.
We kinda had a chat for a bit. The guy's name was Ole' (Ula) and he is from Helsinki, Finland. I learned that he's been travelling for two months now and he left Finland exactly Christmas eve. He arrived in Bangkok, stayed for two days then he went to Chang Mai for two weeks, then off to the borders of Laos where he stayed for three weeks, then to Cambodia - Siam Reap for two weeks and another week in Angkor, then to Ayutthaya then back to Bangkok.
Over-all, he has been travelling for more than two thousand miles around the South East Asian region. He's just 22. That was my dream when I was his age. TO just roam around and see different things and not to keep track of time. I kinda felt envious of him that he was able to do that on his own. What's amazing is that he went travelling because he wanted some time off before he finishes his law school in his country. He's one year short of finishing. He left everything because he wanted to be clear with his decisions in life.
We had a good chat. He told me that he went travelling to get more motivated. To realize his dreams, to continue his passion. And that was a good realization for me. That people will never be able to go somewhere until they're still hanging in with their comfort zones. Ole' will be staying for two more days in Bangkok then he's going down to Koh Samui and Phuket, then from there he'll go and ride the train going to Singapore to get his flight back, but that will always just be a plan. He tells me that it can always change anytime.
With that, I wished him luck. He wished me luck to whatever I am doing and wherever I'm heading too. It was a great Sunday. The weather was good for strolling... and I had a very good realization to myself.
The world is a cultural yarn shop. Travellers weave the ultimate tapestry.
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