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Hello again everyone!,
Well we've arrived in Thailand and we already absolutely love it! It seems so modern and clean and comfortable compared to India! Our hotel in Banglamphu is in a really cool area as well, and we've enjoyed Bangkok a lot more than we were expecting to.
One of our major concerns was to get out and eat meat again. The food doesn't disappoint either. We've had some great spring rolls, pork satay sticks, Thai curries and stir fries and street food in Chinatown. On our first night we went to the cinema, air conditioned to the max (trust us it needed to be - the heat here is incredible. I literally sweat all day. And the fan in our room seems to just pump around hot air). We got VIP, really comfy seats at the back, and watched 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnissus', slightly weird, we both thought, but good nonetheless. We also went to a night flower market and got some cool photos of all the flowers on display up and down the street. We eventually got to bed at sometime near 2 in the morning! It was a flying introduction to the city.
I feel a bit like Charley Boorman in Bangkok, as we've used so many different means of transport already. Taxis are ubiquitous, literally everywhere, and pretty affordable when you can get them to go by the meter! We've also used the motorbike taxi - one pretty interesting journey involved both Jo and I, plus the driver, on one motorbike! Jo was clinging on to me for dear life! The Skytrain is really nice, air-conditioned and really smooth and quick. It beats the traffic jams everywhere on the roads below. We also used the water-taxi service along the city's river arteries. This was good fun, though I was quite worried when it took off with me still standing with one foot on the dock and one on the boat! They used tarpaulin on the sides to stop you from getting a soaking, but every now and then a big wave would get over the top and give you a little shock!
On Tuesday we had a day of culture: this involved visiting three different wats in the city. Wat Saket and the Golden Mount was cool because, being on top of a hill, it commanded brilliant views over the city, and had a nice breeze. On the way up there were loads of bells to ring and a huge cymbal. Next we visited Wat Phraw Kaew, which seemed to glitter in the sun owing to the huge amount of gold all over it. Wat Pho was our third wat of the day, which housed a huge Reclining Buddha inside, 46 metres long and 15 metres high. That evening we visited a Sky Bar, literally a bar on top of a skyscraper. Apparently you don't get these anywhere else in the world. There was a strong breeze and heady views, although it was rather posh and expensive. Then it was on to Chinatown for our street eats.
Today we've had a slightly more relaxing day than yesterday, going to a shopping mall in the city to stock up on some clothes. Jo now has three new tops and a dress, whilst I bought a tshirt and some new boxers (you can never have enough!). After lunch we had a traditional Thai massage, definitely something we had both been waiting for. Well, I have never been twisted into so many strange and painful positions in my life! Apparently the massage is supposed to be equal parts pain and equal parts pleasure, but from someone who can't even cross their legs it was mainly the former! Both Jo and I came out with a feeling of satisfaction and relaxation though! We took a wander around a street market later in the afternoon, before getting ready to leave Bangkok tonight. We are heading for Chiang Mai using the overnight bus system.
Would be great to hear from you all, let us know what you are all up to,
love Ollie and Jo xx
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