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Bangkok wasn't as bad as I'd expected (it was like a walk in the park compared to Jakarta!) - we got around town by using the public transport, MRT subway or BTS Skytrain. These were air-con (amazing) and quite efficient, cheap, easy to navigate and not too busy.
Our first night there (21/01/2013), we stayed in the rather plush Eastin Hotel to try and get a good nights sleep and beat jet-lag but it didn't quite work out that way! We ended up being awake from 2am to 6am, still being on UK time, then slept solidly from 6am to 12pm which would have been the night time in the UK! Hah! Typical isn't it so jet-lag ended up beating us! After just missing check-out of the plush hotel and getting away with it, we got completely mugged off by a taxi man by mishearing his quote for a taxi and agreeing to the 'misheard' price - even after I was nice and gave him some fruit that I'd bought - some 'mankout', some people are just mean!
Our second night (22/01/2013) in Bangkok was spent at a hostel called @Hua Lamphong - is isn't in the area where every other backpacker stays down Khao San Road but we chose this one because it was close to Bangkoks main train station. Really nice hostel, I left it a sparkling review on hostelworld. It just had everything we wanted/ needed plus the location was perfect for exploring Bangkok.
After we'd checked in, we spent the day in malls trying to find a thai adapter so we coud charge our laptops etc but ended in failure - we couldnt find one anywhere. All was not pants though, we still had a nice milkshake from one shop and Nathan toyed with the idea of buying an i-pad in the many techy shops they had there. Also got to see the high street at 'Silom' which was really cool and bustling. Then we went to sit in Lumphini Park where we sat and relaxed with nature for a short while. During our time there, the Thai national anthem was played and everyone in the park stopped what they were doing, playing badminton, jogging, aerobics - to stand to attention and sing the national anthem..... we found this very bizarre. Nath discovered later that night that this happens before every film is played in cinemas too.
We had some nice English girls in our hostel who we chatted to for a bit. We both had a rubbish nights sleep again due to jet-lag so ended up watching TV in the common room area from 2am till 6am which was when we had arranged a tour to a local 'floating market'. That morning (23/01/2013) we bought BBQ pork on a stick from a lady selling outside the 7/11 shop - yum. The floating market was cool, we had a really interesting Brazillian couple and German guy in our minivan who we got chatting to. The floating market was only really for tourists but I still found the concept pleasing.
Played fuseball and was online all day before we caught our train to Chumphon that night at 10:50pm.
Saw a dog going for a poo in the middle of the tracks at Bangkok train station - this would never happen in London!
Written by Stacey :)
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