Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Well hello and welcome to my first blog instalment. As you would have gathered I have arrived safely In Bangkok, despite a six hour delay and having to evacuate Gatwick airport due to a suspected fire, resulting in having to go through customs malarkey once again.
My experience of Bangkok airport was not as scary as I thought and I expected to get a lot more hassled by Taxi touts than I did. It is all signposted and easy to follow where you need to go. The only hiccup was at immigration and that was because our flight crew never gave us Brits the correct visa documentation to complete, however it was all completed quickly and easily at the airport.
The taxi to my hostel was straight forward enough and the cost come to what the hostel estimated, so no rip offs there!
I was really impressed with my hostel, it looks like it has just fallen out of an Ikea catalogue, very clean and modern with a nicer social area and great showers.
The first night I was shattered as it was approaching over 30 hours now since I had last slept, so that night I pretty much just went for a little wander and ended up in an Italian restaurant opting for a SAFE Lasagna (I know, I'm ashamed to say now). I justs didn't have the energy to think about what to order in a Thai. After that is was pretty much back to my hostel, (which is called Lub d Bangkok although I have renamed it "Love to Bang-kok" hehehe)
Next day I was still rarely tired but determined to get out there,I was off to see the Grand Palace. I decided to take boat there, but in order to get to the boats I took a 5 minute Tuk Tuk ride..............OH MY GOD, hahahaha I thought I was going to die. Seriously I think we should scrap the Samaritans and anybody who feels suicidal should ride one of these, your whole life flashes before you and you develop this sudden appreciation of your life hahaha. It goes what feels like 90 miles an hour, turns corners in fourth gear and suddenly four wheels goes to two! However all good fun once you arrive safe. I have took photos of all the things mentioned in this blog but as yet I cant upload them.
Anyway the boat along the canal was lovely and it dropped me just near the Grand Palace. Instantly I was taken back by the sheer beauty of the Palace and it's spectacular colours. I really would say to anybody it is a must on your list to see in your lifetime. After a tour all around there, I was on my way again, however on the way out I got approached by some school girls who were interviewing as part of their school project people visiting the palace. They were a bunch of sweethearts, all 20 odd of hem surrounding me. We posed for photos were they insisted we say "SEXXYY" for the camera!
After that another Tuk Tuk took me to the weekend market, which was lovely to wander round a big Bizarre and see the Thais shopping in their home environment as we would, at say maybe Camden, Spitalfields.....or maybe even Widnes market!!! ;-)
I got a large meal there of Thai green curry and this strange but nice Thai Tea, all for a quid!!!
I then jumped on the sky train home. For those that don't know it is a mono rail that goes all over the city. It's great, pisses all over our underground system, and costs 15 Baht (about 30p). It was back then to the hostel for a shower and rest. I then braved Pathong, which funny enough is a 10 minute walk from where m staying, Yes Pathong is that seedy bit of Bangkok, where all the lady boys hangout (not literally hangout, I'm sure they keep that all tucked away hehe), and full of the famous ping pong bars. To be honest I didn't find it that seedy, and as for the lady boys...are they easy to spot, you ask?...........I would say some are, some are just a bit TOO made up and preen themselves like a budgie a bit TOO much, however I'm sure most of who I thought were stunning girls,probably had extra bits, yes!
The thing about Pathong that shocked me more, if anything were the amount of awful, horrid, old, wrinkly men with these young gorgeous Thai girls on their arm. However DAD, don't be getting any ideas, you're not old enough for them and you deffo ain't rich enough!! heheheeh
That night I had a lovely noodle soup which was very filling and flowing with taste. Time was getting on now, so I just then went back to my hostel and had a coffee there and chatted to some of the other guests. I was still really feeling the jet lag.
Yesterday, I had a bit of an easy day, as I have a feeling this travelling lark is going to get hard work as I move on, so I was not going to stress about an other day of full sight seeing. So yesterday I just went and took a look around China town at the Golden Buddha and then made my way up to the MBK centre which is a shopping mecca apparently, it was good but as it is too early in my trip to shop as I cant lug it everywhere with me, it was a bit lost on me. Although not totally lost as I did have the most amazing Dim Sum, although ordered enough to feed the entire Thai army. It did fill me for evening as well though, which was good as I needed an early night, as I was getting collected at 6am to go to the River Kwai, which moving on............... has probably been one of the best things I have ever done.
The journey there was fine, in an air conditioned people carrier, with regular stops along the way, although it only took just over two hours. The group in my car where great fun, all ozzies apart from me and an Irish guy and his girlfriend who now both live in London, Really nice fun chatty bunch of people. Our first stop was a POW cemetery, which was really moving, I think the oldest grave stone I seen in there was a guy of 34 years of age!
We then went to the River Kwai museum, which was good. I then got to walk over the bridge to the what would have been the Burmese side, which was great although very scary as it is soooo high and not much to secure you either side and it is just a 50ft drop down to the murky Kwai river (you could not have done it mum). Anyway that was great. We were then drove another 45 minutes out into the sticks were lunch was laid on at a riverside home, proper Thai food with the Thai family serving you, it was lovely, very relaxing.
Our next stop was an.........ELEPHANT TREK, which I loved, although they are bloody high and not the comfiest way to travel, but I just loved every minute of it, once again I have photos once I can upload them.
Our final stop was at a tiger temple. I was told before I went that I could not wear any pink as it upset the tigers, nor no spaghetti straps....Private Office people, haven't I heard that from someone before (bloody hell is Mela running the tiger temple hahaha). I was a bit worried about the pink rule though as most of my wardrobe is pink haha, however I did manage to find an unpink thing to wear. The tigers are gorgeous, and I got to play with a two month old tiger cub that was more friendly to me than Miss Audrey Hepburn!!hahaha It did cross my mind to steal one and bring it home to teach "The Aud" the meaning of respect hahaha.
So that was my final day in Bangkok. Tonight I'm meant to be going out for my first boozy drink of the holiday so far. I have got chatting to some Italian girls, however I cant have a late one as I once again have to be up at silly o'clock to catch the looonnngggggg bus ride to Cambodia. My bus leaves at 6am!!!
The Thai people incredibky friendly and helpful in exchange for very little more han a chat about, why are you here, where are you from etc.
I hope all is well with you and this gives you a bit of a taste of what I have been up to. Must go now and have a shower. I feel like i used to feel as a kid coming back from the beach tired, hot,sticky and with a tatty head............actually pretty much the same as when I leave the house to go to work each morning! hehehee XX
- comments