Asia for beginners

Inspired by my traveling friends, I thought it would be a good idea to go ahead and book a holiday myself. After carefull consideration I crossed India of my list (for now). Mainly because eating a lot of chicken Korma, drinking mango lassies and watching Bollywood movies is not going to prepare me for the big cultural shock people keep warning me about.

So I booked a return-ticket to Bangkok instead.

After all, Thailand is like Asia for beginners. My friend Leyla went by herself last year, and if she can do it, so can I. And even though I'm very excited and reading in my Nelles guide about Buddistic history and Thai royalty, I think my environment is even more thrilled than I am. My mum for one, really likes that I'm going. My dad, well, he's still stuck on the image of me on a motorbike, but he'll just draw me a Saint Christopher and he'll be fine.

My colleagues love that I'm going to Thailand. They keep throwing tips, information and unpronouncable cities at me. One has started to look online for hooker-free Thai places, which proved more of a challenge than achieving world peace. Apparently Phuket is nothing like the Beach, infested with prostitutes (pun intended) and Ko Chang the place to be. Check, check and double check.

Of course I am worried about al sorts of things. Missing my flight, mosquitos, getting upset by seeing the ugly fat old men with the 12-year old girls, what to pack, what to wear and getting lost. I mean, I don't even know where Naaldwijk is, I thought the 'Afsluitdijk' was a tunnel and for years imagened that Rotterdam was in the geographical place of The Hague (and the other way around).. So how am I supposed to find Ko Samui or know where Chiang Mai and Ko Phangan are? Not to mention the languague-barriere, accidentally insult locals (by wearing flipflops or something) and getting stomachbugs.

But for now, I am going to stop worrying, keep on reading (currently at page 52: the Great Palace in Bangkok) and ask you, fellow-travelers and stay-at-homers for your help; what to do, where to go and what to definitely avoid?