Thailand... All of It!

The best trip of my life....... the best place, places, people, despite everything. It offers you so many ecosystems, climates, different environments. From the splendid white beaches, palms and emerald blue-green water to the never-before-seen but beautiful green of the northern jungle, waterfalls (the 7floor waterfall - the seven-storey waterfall) to the chaos of Bangkok and Ko Phangan. To the peace of the senses of the "BEACH". 22 days, 1900 euros travel included. You set off with just the plane ticket (otherwise in Italy they ask you for between 3500 and 5000 euros)

Flight with Thai.... 11 hours without smoking but at least it's direct Bangkok..... hot, too hot, humid.... hard to breathe... it stinks. But it lasts a moment. It's love at first sight, East and West clashing VIOLENTLY. It leaves you speechless. And I fell in love with it. Khao San Road is a street full of smells and stenches... kids, young people with a single desire in mind: ADVENTURE. How I miss it. The night is even better. And the many prostitutes make the PICTURE even more colourful (seeing them is fine.... going there would be very sad instead... but thank God I didn't see child prostitution). 3 days in Bangkok amid chaos, getting used to the food (I rediscovered rice), reclining and standing BUDDHA and wonderful people, TUC TUC and.... Patpong, the market of fakes and pussy. During the trip I deliberately went back twice more. Phuket (by plane, 23 euros but a lot of fear).....

touristy but nothing exceptional. But a stopping point for the wonderful, paradise, wordless PHI PHI ISLAND. It takes your breath away, or for the first time I truly breathe. The first evening, after having a beer with some people I'd met on the trip, I lay down on the little beach of the resort (every resort/hostel has a private little beach given by the shape of the island.... lots of small bays about 20 metres across with spartan bungalows from 8 euros a night - 400 baht) and for the first time in my life I felt a sensation of peace and calm.... I felt part of nature.... everything had its own balance. I can't explain it because it's the first time it's happened to me and I didn't think such a feeling existed..... but since then I've been constantly searching for that sensation. We were supposed to spend 3 days there.... it was 7... with a little tear before leaving.

And I don't get emotional.... but the strength and energy of that island....... Krabi splendid and unusual. We were staying in a place that had two bays.... one to the EAST and one to the WEST.... and we were on the central isthmus, a well-made strip of land amid monkeys and little Jamaica-style shops. Ko Phangan didn't leave me with anything in particular, even though it was hard to find better after Phi Phi Island. It's like watching Benigni's Life Is Beautiful and then Pinocchio right after..... it's true they're different things, but the comparison doesn't hold. Still, it's great fun and ideal for motorbike trips, or rather... great fun among sandy roads and jungle. Anyway, the shuttle trip is worth trying. A two-storey boat; you stay in the hold, where each "customer" gets a mattress 50x200 wide and (often) no more than 5 cm thick on which to put bags and sleep.

12 hours of travel and sleep..... between someone forcing me to read a great pain in the neck and a splendid blonde travelling alone, relaxed and serene, with nobody to answer to.... splendid. The rest of the trip is all by bus... at night, to sleep and not miss anything of this fascinating country. We return to Bangkok to explore the central plains. At Kanchanaburi there's a national park...... with 7 waterfalls set in the jungle, each following the other, each with a sort of.... private little pool where you can bathe (the highest waterfall also lets you go... behind, into the cave. The water is cold but would put the cleanest bottle of real water to shame. A beautiful park. Before leaving we also stop to see the flying MAMA (seen on the MTV show)...... to be avoided..... a big woman floating on the water.

Sukhothai, on the other hand, is the city of temples (a bit of culture is necessary). The charm of the deserted city with temples and buildings and buddhas that leave you breathless. Worth seeing. We arrive at Chiang Mai, a bit of a disappointment but certainly seen too little because of tiredness... here we treat ourselves to an Italian restaurant (we needed cheese) and we visited the city..... a sort of financial capital, a Milan also because it's much tidier and more attentive to detail...... without overdoing it, though. Back to Bangkok, a stop at the fake markets at Patpong and at 00:20 we head home. I RECOMMEND IT TO EVERYONE WHO IS FASCINATED BY THE UNKNOWN.