The heat is overwhelming. The tiredness is unbearable. The hunger is stabbing. Being tall, I had very little leg space on the 11 hour flight, and the gentleman next to me, being very large, I had very little arm space as well.  But I’ve arrived, in just about in one piece.   

As I look out into the airport, despite my early resentments, my jaw drops. The architecture is incredible. An intricate design of curved steel work lines the massive panes of glass that look out onto the runways. Further on, a sprawling system of escalators and travellators provides an easy journey for all those exhausted from their flights. However, my enthusiasm for the place is soon quelled. We wait 40 minutes for passport and visa checks. I’m asked for my address at which I’d be staying that evening. I can only offer them an email address!

Soon enough though, I make it through, meeting with my transport. Passing yet further elaborate designs of taxi ranks and car parks, I soon find myself racing through the outskirts of Bangkok in a local cab.

As we negotiate the bizarrely complicated motorway system, constructed often of three lanes that rise grandly above the further roads below, the distance I can see the impressive skyline of a city that caters for the millions. Several skyscrapers protrude into the tired yellowing sky. More local roads house beautiful looking restaurants, Tesco Lotus’ and KFCs. An incredible feeling of high spirited energy seems to plague the millions of drivers who gridlock these roads. It is worth noting quite how relaxed the drivers are here. Drivers are quite happy to use their phone without needing to look at the road. Emergency breaking is one of the many manoeuvres that they utilise consistently; all without the use of any car horns!

White knuckled, I arrive 2 hours later at the organisers house to meet her husband, Dennis. Food is bought hastily for me, as Dennis and I discuss politics and philosophy; sadly no cure for sleep deprivation. The house is located just outside greater Bangkok and provided a relaxing stop-over for me to gather myself. 

That is despite another member of the course bursting in drunk when I was asleep in bed, telling me how awful the program is and that I was not going to enjoy any of it. He was hastily removed from the house and possibly the country. I’m not sure.

All in all, it had been an interesting start. I was apprehensive, and slightly scared. But I was keeping an open mind, and was excited.

The next morning I’m alone in the house, except for the housekeeper. I sit waiting for the arrival of someone. Still apprehensive. Still scared. Eventually, after maybe two hours, volunteers arrive with the course organiser, Suvanna. Slowly I’m made to feel very welcome. The others tell me of their placement in the north of Thailand. It sounds amazing. Beautiful. Too good to be true. And then, after a slight envy was growing inside me, I find that this is the placement that I will be going to.

Later on, we’re taken to the bus terminal from where we will make the 11 hour bus journey. Hardly recovered from the previous 11 hour journey, this isn’t the most attractive offer, but one of the volunteers continues to tell me of the incredible time that him, and five other volunteers had over the previous several weeks.

Apart from the incredible tales of all expense paid weekends, fun filled evenings, and hilarious teaching weekdays, which I wont mention here, as I’m sure I’ll be writing about them soon enough, the journey was uneventful travelling through the night. I arrive, once again not having had any sleep, to meet the director of the school. Feeling dazed and exhausted, I struggle to make much coherent conversation. But I can at least take in the local area. We’ve arrived in the outskirts of Chiang Rai, right at the north of Thailand. It is stunning.