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Hello again
Hope everyone is well. We've finally been able to add some pics so frantically trying to catch up!!
Last time we left you we were just leaving Ko Samui...
We had a decent flight into Bangkok, taking only 1.5 hours rather than the 12 hours scheduled for the overnight train. We got the shuttle bus from the airport to our hostel in Bangkok, Lub D, which was in the business district away from the main tourist attractions but still a very busy and fun part of the City. The hostel was brand new and so very clean and up to date plus a special 2 nights for 1 offer! So needless to say we took advantage of that!
The first night we found our bearings and embarrassed to say we ended up in an Irish bar for dinner, having bangers and mash and a steak and guinness pie! Local Cuisine at its best! Afterwards we walked around a small shopping/eatery complex where we were attacked! Quietly walking along something shot out of the bush at us, ali screamed/screeched and I jumped out of my skin only to realise it was a tortoise! Although it was quite a big one! And quite quick on its feet!
The next day we had to walk across town to arrange our Vietnamese visas and then we headed further across town to do more shopping (as we hadn't done any for about 2 days!). We also went dragon hunting in the local park, there were huge lizards running around everywhere! That night we had a HUGE storm, we've never seen anything like it! The sky was pink and there were constant forks of lightening. The rain was coming down so hard that the floor-to-ceiling windows in the newly constructed hostel started to leak, although when I say leak I mean flood which left us to evacuate upstairs!
The following day we returned to being tourists, visiting several of the sights around Bangkok. We got an all day hop-on, hop-off boat ticket for travelling up the river, jumping off at certain sites. Our first stop was Wat Pho, the home of the Reclining Buddha, a massive Buddha laying on its side. You'll have to see the pictures to see how large it was! There were also several temples/buildings/other buddhas on site which were also very impressive. Our next stop was the Grand Palace, a short walk North of Wat Pho. We'd had been warned previously about tuk-tuk (3 wheeled vehicles) drivers and touts around the Palace who would say it was closed and then lead you off on an expensive trip around the City. The Palace grounds are home to the Emerald Buddha, a tiny jade Buddha who is said to have miraculous powers! Plus they change it's clothes according the season! The Palace also had several very impressive statues and towers all around its grounds and again, making for some fantastic photos. From the Palace we walked to Ko Sahn road, quite a trek when it's in the high 30's! For those of you that are unaware, this is the main backpacking area in Bangkok, the street lined with bars, shops and hostels and very busy!
On our final day we picked up our Visas which meant we could leave for Vietnam, a good job considering we'd booked a flight for the following day! Due to time restrictions we decided we had to skip Cambodia and fly straight into Vietnam to ensure we could get into China on time, the one part of the trip where we are restricted! We would of loved to see Cambodia which we've been told is fantastic but I suppose theres always next time...
We also managed to see the Gold Buddha, another amazing sight - $14m worth of solid gold, and experience the thrill of riding in a tuk-tuk, although we were seriously over-charged (something we didn't find out until later!). Overall we really enjoyed Bangkok and it was a good ending to our time in Thailand. As with Cambodia, we had to miss out Chang Mai, another must see in Thailand although we had managed to go to jungle trekking earlier in the trip. So we hopped on the plane and headed for another fascinating destination...Vietnam.
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