Sunday 25 May 2008

Thailand jaunt begins

Hurrah! We've arrived in Bangkok. The flight from Manila was delayed so we didn't get in til three o'clock this morning and wearily headed straight to the tallest hotel in the cit, the Baiyoke Sky Hotel. We only went because a fellow tourist in Coron recommended it and it was certainly impressive but boy were we stung! It might have been palatial and more like a classy flat than a hotel room but we should never have to pay more than 20 squid for decent rooms in this part of the world no matter how tall the damn thing is! Ah well. I caned it in the gym this morning, in an effort to get my money's worth. I do miss my early morning runs around Brockwell Park!

We've now moved to a sprawling budget hotel, the Rambuttri Village Inn (and paying a fifth of the price we payed last night) in the lively Banglamphu district. It has a huge roof-top pool!

Oh my God - what a lot of long-haired travellers there are here in Bangkok! Far more than any other place we've been to. Some are so brown and sun-bleached and covered in tattoos, not to mention dressed head to toe in their bell-bottomed trousers, 'ethnic' jewellery and linen shirts you'd think they'd been on the road for years! Maybe they have. They look pretty stoned too. A lot of public school space cadet kids here of course. Ric's on the look out for a nice local lass.

The Thais certainly know how to cater for our every want and need (and not just the men!) without it feeling like they're just out to rob us. They are a very pretty people who seem to smile a lot. Not so many beggars in the streets either which naturally makes a big difference to one's experience of a place. Lots of monks everywhere. Most of what the vendors are flogging is pretty good, well appealing at least, if not great quality and most crucially for most, it's cheap. We've already been to the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, the biggest and oldest temple in Bangkok and we've walked around loads of wonderful food, clothes and jewellery markets. And yes, I'm afraid we've already succumbed to some light cotton clothes. Ric looks quite dapper in his new white shirts though he's too emarassed to wear them yet. He is looking very different. So am I I think. I've never been so brown for one thing or worn so little make up! He's also bought some rather crude Buddhist charms. Fertility ones we can only presume. Ahem!

I like this place. Not sure why exactly as it's not so far removed from any other Asian capital we've been to. Perhaps it's because it has a vibe (how hippy) which reminds me of Glastonbury or some other summer festival back home but with better weather, food and toilets! It's lively and densely populated and it is obviously the hub-point for many travelling around S. E. Asia but it's surprisingly easy to get to grips with and somewhat easy-going. It's also clean!

Maybe it's just good for us to been amongst other tourists for a while. It's easier to blend in that's for sure. It's not so humid either. Hot and dry. Just the way I like it. Just shows you should always make your own mind up about a place. So many friends told us KL and Manila would be more fun and interesting than here. Not so me thinks, although there aren't that many landmarks or specific things to see unless you have a special interest in temples.

We've got to decide where to go from here. All this packing and unpacking and moving from A to B with lots of delays and struggling to book things on-line or with bad phone lines is proving quite wearing so I think it's time we stayed in one place for a while. As much as I'd like to defy the traveller trend, I sense Thailand is the place to do it. It'll be a nice place to be for my birthday at least and to collect and send presents for peeps back home! I'm determined to focus on having fun from now on. I've said it before and I can feel gradual shifts but I have spent too much time fretting and worrying about silly things on this trip so far. I must let go a bit.

I do wish I wasn't always clock watching as I write. These internet cafes are draining my pockets of change and in this one you have to feed a metre every 15 mins or it beeps loudly at you. Most unnerving!

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