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Arrival into Bangkok Airport was both daunting and exciting.As soon as we made our way into the arrivals area the words "Taxi!' …. 'Hotel!' ….. 'Tour!' were heavy in the air.After consulting our rough guide book we made our way through the airport to the bus stop for our ride to the backpacker haven of Khao San Rd.The usual routine of Tuk Tuk drivers and hotel touts vying for business as soon as we stepped off the bus.Sidestepping the crowds Dal sought out some tourists who looked like they were already well established and sought advice on a place to stay….. 15 minutes later walking through the smog filled streets we arrived at the Nakorn Pink Hotel which was to be our home for the next few days….but also our home away from home whilst we explored the rest of Thailand.As much as we liked Bangkok, offering the most delicious sidewalk stirfries, healthy shakes and purely squeezed orange juice, we were in need of some respite, meaning a little shanti. We made our way North West to a placed called Kanchanaburi, which has a cooler climate and some of the most stunning waterfalls.We also discovered whilst staying there that it was also known for its railway built during the second world war. The Japanese used prisoners of war (POW's) to construct the tracks, making them work 24/7 and as a result, thousands died due to the brutal treatment, hence the name Death Railway. We also explored the river Kwai, built through the mountains and the painstaking work that must have gone into its formation. The Japanese were building a route from Thailand through Burma, attempting to conquer India.Brinder was our traveling companion whilst in Kanchanaburi, meeting us on the second day, from her beachside hut in Ko Tao. Upon her arrival we promptly organized a day trip to explore the beautiful Erawan waterfalls and Death Railway. It began with an Elephant ride, Brinder eventually shuffling to its neck and leading it home….well, we think the elephant was leading brinder, rather than the other way roundJ followed by a gentle bamboo raft ride down a nearby river and then onto the Railway.Elephants are a huge tourist attraction in Thailand, where as before they were purely used for forest logging. The current King, who has been in power for around 60years, banned the use of elephants in logging, where upon they descended into Bangkok city, promptly causing another ban, forcing them to move to the outskirts. With little food, and poor treatment a solution was needed and it came in the form of tourists, who would pay for elephant rides, ensuring, therefore, elephants were well feed and looked after. After a relaxing stay in Kanchanaburi we accompanied Brinder back into Bangkok to book our onward journey down south.The same day we caught an overnight bus down to Krabi, known for its limestone cliffs and beaches.The bus journey was difficult due to the fact that we were seated at the back of the bus getting the full effect of the air conditioning, losing a few calories in the process!Luckily a few people were getting off before us so we were able to steal a few extra blankets affording us a few winks before changing buses for the last leg of the journey.The first night we stayed at a remote beach resort, so remote that you couldn't get anywhere without a set of wheels and the beach was too rocky to do any swimming or snorkeling so the 2nd day we headed back into the city and booked into a quaint wooden guesthouse.Krabi is also well known for its tiger temple monastery so the following day we paid it a visit.Set in a mountain cliff it was very different to the usual temples.A lady monk greeted us on entering with wrapping a red ribbon around our wrists for good luck J After looking around we cautiously made our way outside where a troop of hungry monkeys were harassing tourists for food.We hastily decided to climbthe 1,200 steep steps to the top of the mountain where we were told we would be rewarded with spectacular views aswell as a giant sitting Buddha.Considering it was the heat of the day we did really well, making it to the top in just under an hour and as promised the views were breathtaking, allowing us to see all the way out to sea.(as well as a huge Tesco's!!Yep, they have it in Thailand also!)Needless to say the climb down seemed a lot quicker but our legs were like jelly once we reached the bottom.From Krabi we decided to visit the Island of Ko Phi Phi, which only became a tourist mecca after 'The Beach' was filmed there.Some of you may know it from the huge Tsunami disaster that hit there killing 100's of tourists and local people.Unfortunately tourism has completely consumed this once untouched island.It had very much a party vibe with bars blasting music from midday well into the early hours, encouraging tourists with cheap drink buckets.Diving is also hugely popular here due to its coral and huge array of aquatic life.After talking to Goose, a diving instructor from the UK, we decided to do a discovery dive as he really made us feel at ease.We were met the following morning by a south African guy who was to be our instructor during the 2 dives.After filling out medical forms and signing to say we take all responsibility for anything that may happen to us we suddenly began to feel the butterflies setting in!A longboat took us out to our first dive spot where we would be looking for turtles, our instructor kitted us out and made us do a backwards gambol off the side of the boat 'James Bond Style'haha!Maz went first, giving the ok sign as soon as she surfaced with a huge grin, Dal wasn't so confident but once she was in the water she was like a fish J After a quick explanation about how to use the equipment it was time to go down, slowly we were taken down until we reached the seabed.Once both the ok signs were given we set off turtle watching!It was a both a fascinating and scary experience, having to rely on a tank for breath was pretty unnerving….to have to think about something that comes so naturally, that you hardly give a 2nd thought to (except when doing yoga!).10 minutes into our dive and we found what we were looking for, a huge, graceful turtle curiously gliding a meter away from us, a truly memorable experience.After taking lunch in the lagoon where the beach was filmed it was time for our 2nd dive, this time in a different spot and looking for leopard sharks, I think it safe to say we were both feeling a little nervous!Again we found what we were looking for, a leopard shark which was fast asleep on the seabed and completely unaware of our presence.Both the coral and huge array of fish was amazing, we saw lots of nemo's, beautifully colored fishes aswell as some very ugly looking creatures!A unforgettable experience.Once we arrived back to the dive shop to pick up our certificates and baggage it was time to make our way to the pier to catch the ferry back to Krabi where we would rest the night before moving onwards to Ranong.Ranong is famous for its hot springs as well as a gateway to some of the islands.We stopped overnight in a hotel near to the hot springs, hoping to enjoy some of the therapeutic properties.Once we got there we realized it wasn't at all like the hot springs in Peru where you could hire your own private pool and bathe in a costume. They were open air springs full of local Thai people, bathing fully dressed!The following day we caught a longboat to the largest island in the Andaman Sea called Ko Chang (which means elephant in Thai).An island with no electricity or cars, boats and feet being the only methods of transport around the island.We stayed at a resort called 'mama's' where the bungalows were set elevated on a shady Cliffside.We soon realized we were the only English people staying there as everyone else was German.Feeling a little out of place we explored the island and soon discovered some great places to eat.Our favorite being Croc rock run by an intriguing Thai artist who made the tastiest veggie thai curries we had tasted with a great view of the ocean.4 days were spent lazing on the beach, reading, swimming in the crystal clear waters and eating whilst enjoying the sunset, it was pure relaxation.On our last day we met a girl from Canada who took us through the jungle to a hidden treasure that you would never find unless you knew it was there, a Bakery!!!Run by an American guy who met a Burmese girl, fell in love and decided to build a home there in the heart of the jungle (such a sweet story).We sat and enjoyed our found gem with ice coffee & chocolate brownies before walking back to civilization along the beach enjoying our final sunset before heading back to Ranong the following morning.A 1 ½ hour longtail boat ride and we were back in Ranong, after breakfast we caught a coach to a place called Ban Sapan, popular with Thai People and untouched by foreigners.The coach dropped us on the highway, not sure which way to go and feeling slightly lost dal went and brought 2 icecreams, so there we were sat in the middle of a highway with all our baggage, eating our icecream and getting tooted at by occasional passing motorists, it was quite a comical sight, a bit of a hamlet moment I guess you could say.Finally we were approached by a motorcycle taxi driver who said she could call another one to take us to where we needed to get to, not quite sure how with all our baggage we waited for the other cycle to arrive.Amazingly they fitted both us and our luggage and took us to a guesthouse on the beachfront.We checked in and went to find somewhere to eat, it became quickly apparent that all the restaurants only did seafood and vegetarians weren't catered for.Luckily there was a mini mart where we got bread, crisps and soymilk drinks to keep us going.The guesthouse manager ordered a vegetable dish for us the following day after complaining that we hadn't been able to eat properly and them being unable to secure us a train ticket forcing us to stay an extra day.There really wasn't a great deal to do here and everywhere was prettymuch dead as it only gets frequented on weekends by Bangkoker's needed some respite from city life.Luckily the guesthouse has cable tv and free wifi to keep us entertained.Both of us were glad to be on the train on our way to the more tourist catered beach town of Hua Hin, although popular with tourists because of its close proximity to Bangkok it is equally popular with the Thais so still has a Thai feel to the place.The king also has his own private home here where him and his family visit regularly.The train station is very much like an olde English station with its painted wooden fence, doors and signs.We stayed in a beautiful authentic teak house, a 5 minute walk from the beach.The streets were filled with lots of restaurants and cafes catering to Europeans as well as the Thai people so food was never an issue.We enjoyed a couple of days before making our way back to Bangkok to meet Dal's parents who were coming to spend 2 weeks with us.Probably expecting a relaxing holiday but Dal had other ideas…..wanting them to have a cultural experience JWe met them at the airport and took them back to the hotel where they could sleep off some of the jetlag before we told them what we had planned.The first couple of days we did the main sights in Bangkok, aswell as some hard bargaining at the markets, Dal's dad surprisingly being the much more keen shopper!A 1hr flight brought us to Chang Mai where we were to begin our whirlwind tour of the ancient historical cities of Thailand.A 1 day tour was booked for the parents to enjoy an elephant ride, trekking amongst rice fields and visiting some of the nearby tribal villages.As we had already done elephant trekking in Kanchanburi we decided to hire a motorbike for the day and go exploring.Getting out of the city proved challenging, bearing in mind it was Maz's 1st time ever on a bike!Once we got out of the hectic city and onto the highway it was much more easy going.Our first stop was a café (habits die hard) as soon as we walked in they had frank sinatra playing and water mist spraying from the windows to combat the humidity.Sinking into the sofa we ordered iced coffee and biscuits.After a refuel we continued on our journey through the mountains, passing numerous quaint villages.There is definitely a liberating sense of freedom that comes with having your own set of wheels. All 4 of us did the tour the following day to visit the 4most famous hilltribes in Thailand, all living together in a village near to the Burmese border.Sadly the Thai government won't Recognise them as natives due to their customs and traditions, referring to them as 'freaks'.The most fascinating being the long necked tribe.Starting early in childhood the women wear copper rings round their necks, adding to them through the years eventually stretching their necks.Old tales say its for protection from tigers when they are working in the fields but noone really knows for sure.Now it is a big tourist attraction and money maker for them and this is probably the only reason that this tradition still continues to date.They also wear them on their legs and arms but this is to help prevent muscle cramps.Hearing some of the older ladies straining with their speech makes you wonder just how uncomfortable it must be for them. Our next destination was SUkothai, home of historical ruins of the 1st kingdom and capital city of Thailand.We hired a tuk tuk for the day to get us around the huge heritage park, taking in all the major ruins.The Buddha's were in various states of disrepair, some headless, others with missing limbs and very few intact.It's believed that a lot of them were beheaded or destroyed by the invading Khymers.Once the original kingdom had fallen they moved south and built a new kingdom in Ayuttuha.This time we were lucky to find an English speaking tour guide who was able to take us around all the Important ruins, as it was the king's sisters birthday that day we also managed to get free admission into all the ruins, bonus!Whilst visiting one of the major temples we each had a go at shaking a container full of sticks until one fell out, each stick contains a number which you then offer money to the Buddha to read your fortune, an ancient Chinese tradition still widely practiced today.On the evening we did a sunset boat tour, taking in some more temples and ruins, I think we were all ruined out by the end of it J but it was a perfect ending to a perfect day.After an action packed 2 weeks it was time to say goodbye to the parents, we accompanied them to the airport at 6am in the morning, introducing them to their first ever taste of Starbucks!After coffee and blueberry muffins it was time for them to make their way to the departure gate.A teary eyed mom and a reassuring dal, hugs and kisses were given and they were gone leaving a feeling of emptiness in the air. Sometimes you forget how nice and comforting it is to have a familiar face around, it made us both revaluate our plans and both of us realized how much we miss home.Back in our home away from home in the Nakorn Pink Hotel we spent the whole day in our room, chilling out, sleeping and trying to decide what to do next.In truth we both felt a little lost.On Dali's birthday she was treated to a much needed foot scrub and massage, followed by a veggie meal at our fave restaurant.Thailand wasn't what we imagined.After spending 6 weeks trying to integrate into the Thai culture.We found Thailand to have some of the most beautiful beaches and our favourite destination was probably Koh Chang, no haggling over prices, pressure to buy, no sex tourism….just pure bliss.After long discussions we decided it was time to leave Thailand.We swiftly booked 2 cheap last minute flights to Hong Kong with a view to catching a Virgin flight back to the UK.On our final night in Bangkok we booked to go and see a culture show called Siam accompanied by a buffet meal.It far exceeded both our expectations with amazing special effects and beautiful costumes.The perfect ending to our Thailand journey.
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