Well what can I say about Bangkok?
Everything has to be fought and haggled for, which gets a bit tiring after a while.
We arrived in the evening so by the time we had checked in and sorted ourselves out, didn't feel like dinner. We also had to be up early in the morning.
We were picked up at 6.30am which was not good, especially as the next people were picked up over an hour later as the driver had no idea where he was going! But we did get to see a lot of the city, more than once!
We stopped at a local Market, which wasn't great, a markets a Market.
Then we went off to a national park, we left the mini bus and took an ox cart through some pretty rough terrain, but it was fun.
After that, we went walking to see a waterfall, that was pretty amazing , there were barriers all around it, not for our protection, but because elephants keep falling in!!' there were millions of steep steps to climb which is hard work in the baking sun.
After that we went stopped for lunch, this was quite welcome as it was about 26 hours since we had last eaten!
After lunch it was the elephant ride. They say that you don't choose your anals, they choose you' this is so true. Our elephant was a bit of a character, he kept wandering off the track so that we were nearly wiped out by branches. He he then took us for a bit of a swim in the river. His keeper started shouting at him and the next minute we were soaked! But that's what elephants do isn't it? Squirt water with their trunks! He did that a few times, we thought it was funny but his keeper wasn't too impressed! The elephant also wandered off into the middle of the river where he couldn't stand up, just so that the water would get as far as us sitting on his back. When he had finished playing his keeper got off his neck and we both had a turn sitting there, not the most comfortable mode of transport and again he took the opportunity to try and tip us off with his ears. When we finished our track, we fed our elephant bananas to say thanks. He loved that! All of the elephants were well looked after and happy with what they were doing.
We continued our journey through the park, this time back on the mini bus. We had to stop for a while because a group of monkeys seemed to be staging a protest in the middle of the road. It gave us the opportunity to take pictures though. Some of the babies are so cute. On the way back, we saw several different types of deer, some buffalo, ostrich and a rather too large crocodile!
On the way back to Bangkok, a huge storm struck, the heavens opened and it was thundering and lightening. We only had time for a quick shower and changes ad we were meeting an old school friend of mine in china town for dinner. We had to don our rain ponchos over our going out clothes which was rather attractive, and for some reason decided to get a tuk tuk to china town! So there we were in the middle of a storm on the back of a motorbike in ourbrain ponchos heading through Bangkok! We looked a bit of a bedraggled mess when we arrived at sally 's hotel, but she wouldn't expect anything less! We had a drink and a meal and some more drinks together, it was really nice to catch up, these things are left way too long!
Next day, we did a bit of shopping and headed forth khaosan road, I have to say, we were almost spent out before we got there and it's only 5 mins from our hotel, we even had to buy another suitcase each to put it all in!
In the afternoon we headed forth grand palace, but it was closed by the time we got there. So it was just pictures from the outside for Victoria. We then got a longboat and had a trip down the river which was fun.
We went Bach to the hotel and got changed for dinner and headed up the khoasan road again, I have to say this is the point when things started to go horribly wrong!
We stopped at a bar and had a bucket between us, which is exactly whatnot says it is! Full of alcohol And red bull. We then got talking to very nice couple, he is from Ireland, and her fr Canada. We had another bucket, and then another! We then got talking-to another nice couple from Australia, then decided to go forbad foot massage and then for a few more drinks at which point we had also gathered up a german man! I really don't know what made decide to do it apart from the gallons of vodka and red bull, but before we knew it, we were all crammed onto a tuk tuk heading across the city to go and see what everyone in Bangkok talks about!!! The tuk tuk ride in itself was an adventure, and I will say no more about what we saw, my mother might read this!!!!!
We headed back to khoasan and had a few more buckets!! Said our goodbyes and staggered home. Luckily our flight to hong kong the next day was an afternoon one , but it was still a bit of a challenge!! It always seems like such a good idea at the time!