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Sawat dee! Greetings from Thailand!
We last left you in KL where we spent our last day eating and browsing the Central Market and Petaling street we avoided buying anymore fakery.
Then on to Thailand! We flew to Bangkok on Sunday after landing we navigated our way to our hotel to the chorus of 'Hey you, where you going?' from the hoardes of tuk-tuk drivers and taxis. Past that gang, just around our hotel we had the 'Excuse me suit?' boys from the cheapie tailors, I imagine there must be a big market for backpackers in suits. The other element to Bangkoks soundtrack is the constant whine of mopeds, taxis, tuk-tuks and more mopeds, they're are good at swerving around us in the road though thankfully.
Our hotel was on Rambuttri Thanon, just across the road from the famous Khao San Road, and had its own laid back traveller vibe with people lining the streets either having their feet massaged or eaten by fish or knocking back a cocktail. That afternoon we explored both Rambuttri and KSR, we have never seen so many other travellers in one place gives the place a real laid back charm. KSR is manic filled with stalls selling more fakery, food stalls selling fried insects and lots of bars offering crazy cheap deals on whisky buckets. Needless to say we loved it! Had a few beers watching Nadal get beat on the jumbo tron.
Next day we headed to explore the rest of Bangkok, our target destination was the train station to buy a ticket but on the way we went through Chinatown, which is the most hectic, noisy and sweaty basically a maze of little alleys withe the smells of little one wok kitchen stalls wafting out of every crevice. This taught us well for the rest of Bangkok as we learned that no alley is too small for a car to squeeze down, followed by a tuk-tuk or motorbike with 5 people clinging to the driver. Getting to the train station in one piece we got our tickets to Koh Samui very easily without being scammed (hurrah) sadly we couldn't get a first class sleeper (which is obviously our natural minimum requirement on anyy journey!) so second class it was. From there we headed to Siam Square past the National Stadium. Scaling the mall which is not like any other mall we've encountered more like a street market we finally found what we've come to Asia to find...... for 5 of your English pounds we are now the proud owners of a knock off Everton FC football shirt! The jubilation carried us back to our hotel via some sights and temples, all very regal and impressive. By the way there are pictures of the King everywhere in huge gold frames its illegal to insult him and later on before getting the train to Koh Samui we had to join the crowd and stand for the national anthem. That evening another round of beers around KSR and dinner at a place called 'O, hungry' nearly as good as 'Oh my Cod'!
Next day we explored the area around the Grand Palace, although we were not dressed correctly to enter the Palace itself so will visit when we return to Bangkok, but its huge and very impressive. As it was too hot to wander around we headed back and spent the afternoon at the pool on the roof of our hotel. Again that night our for dinner and beers around KSR and Rambuttri, we had a delicious Indian curry overlooking the conveyor belt of people passing below. We had a few drinks in the street and finally succombed to the endless hassle of the street sellers, we bought a couple of bracelets for a few baht, managed to avoid the weird frog drum type thing she was really pushing.
Next day we were getting the train in the evening so we shopped and ate around KSR and then headed to the station.
17 hours later, 12 hours tucked up in our 2nd class upper sleepers (quite cool), 2 hours on a bus, 2 hours on the ferry and a short taxi ride (haggled to a slightly more reasonable fare) we arrived at our resort, thats right we said resort, in Koh Samui! After a freebie cocktail at reception, they hit us with the news....... we had been upgraded to an air-con bungalow by the pool which is lovely.
Naturally surrounded by the pool, the beach, we have spent the afternoon sleeping off our journey in our bungalow. Going to head out and explore now, excited that we have nothing to do but chill out for the next 10 days!
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