Thailand (หัวหิน)

After been spending a year in Sydney and Melbourne, my sister urged me to come visit her in Hua Hin, Thailand. Without hesitation, I booked a ticket from Sydney to Bangkok. Being away from my home in Sweden seems to make it easier to make these rushed and spontaneous decisions.

Like so many others that I have met in my travels, I have always been drawn to travelling alone and figuring out my journey as I go.

I spent a night in Bangkok before I made my way towards Hua Hin. My first impression was the simplicity of the city: the kindness of the people living in it and the lights from the late-night city traffic, spotted from the taxi window I took. 

After bravely spending a night in a hotel room with no lock, I departed early in the morning on an empty stomach. It was a relief to sit down in the air-conditioned bus with a 7-eleven toastie in my hand — nothing less than the dream-breakfast when on the go in Thailand (perhaps anywhere).

The bus ride took six hours, and when I got to Hua Hin I got picked up by my sister on a rented scooter. She had already been in Thailand for two months and would share a third with me.

There is a sense of freedom when making your way around Hua Hun: the traffic rules somehow do not matter as much as they do back home in Sweden. Even though the Thailand traffic almost gave me a heart attack at times, it kind of works out.

What not to miss:

The food

In the mornings, my sister and I would walk to the short distance to the local food market where they sold everything from fresh mangoes, coconuts, jackfruit on a stick, to all kinds of meat being cooked right before your eyes. It’s refreshing to see everything so close to its source rather than packaged or arriving preserved.

For dinner, my sister and I hopped on the scooter and searched the streets for pad thai or tom yum soup. The search was never long as the people of Hua Hin had their food stalls open and cooking in most streets. Afterwards, we would make our way to the shopping centre and get ice cream or roti, a popular dessert in Thailand, with Nutella and sugar. A must.

The landscape

We would fill the days exploring the area. We would never go that far, really, but we also didn’t have to. With the scooter, we could discover new beaches, hidden restaurants, and once made our way to Wat Khao Takiap, the Monkey Temple.

Hua Hin is said to be ‘where the city meets the sea’, and it truly felt like the coastline was following us wherever we went. There is something so tranquil about being only a few steps away from the crash of the waves and the breeze from the sea.

When we climbed the steps to the top of Wat Khao Takiap to see the monkeys that reside in the old temple we got an incredible panoramic view of the city. It’s those moments that you truly appreciate the freedom we are privileged with. A moment where responsibilities or stress does not exist, only absolute bliss.

The people

I must admit my favourite part was the people of Hua Hin. Being surrounded by palm trees, beaches and incredible food is one beauty of travelling, the encounters you have is another. 

There was a time when my sister and I walked up to a small, picturesque food truck, or more appropriately a food scooter where my sister decided to get a Thai tea.  Not only did she receive the tea, but we were also given the story of the man behind the food truck: his journey through the US and his return to his home city. How do you forget such an encounter?

There is so much kindness in Thailand and a willingness to interact and help each other. It seems kindness should be an easy thing to come across, but I find that these days this genuine care for strangers is rare.

Maybe a country’s food, places and ambience would not be the same without its people. Perhaps the people make the culture and it’s the other way around — a symbiosis, a perfect balance that makes Thailand a place worth visiting. 

It fascinates me how feelings like nervousness, confusion and loneliness when leaving your comfort zone can so easily be replaced by joy, excitement and curiosity. Sometimes we forget that you gain the most memorable experiences and unforgettable moments by exploring the narrow streets of a place you never thought of visiting. Putting your life on an edge is not always a bad thing; I would rather say it is a necessary thing.