Goodbye India, hello Thailand

Greetings from Thailand.

After two weeks on the beach in Goa, we flew up to Mumbai on Monday for some Bollywood action.

We checked into our hotel and to say our room was small is an understatement. It was possible to have a shower, sit on the toilet and rest your feet on the bed all at the same time. We know this as Dan actually did it.

The first evening we headed down to Chowpatty beach. We had heard bad reports about it, but we really liked it. It is a strech of sand with stalls selling snacks where the local young Mumbians hang out. But as raw sewage pumps out into the sea we decided against a midnight skinny dip.

The next day we set off to explore the city. Mumbai, or Bombay as used to be known is huge. It is a city with enormous extremes of wealth all mixed in together. One minute your walking through a shanti town, the next past some designer shops, the next in the middle of a bustling market selling everything from clothes, to gifts, to live chickens (one of which I had the delight of seeing having its head chopped off when I turned round at the wrong moment).

We decided to take up the offer of a free audio tour at the museum. Now some people might of said we looked like prize geeks walking round with huge headsets and museum maps but I think they quite suited us. Plus it actually meant we found out about all the different exhibits rare than just guess like we normally have to. I also got very excited when I spotted a lad with the longest legs I have ever seen. It wasn't just that he was tall but his legs actually made up 85% of his body. He was kinda like the effect you get at those trick mirrors at the fair.

On Wednesday we took a ferry across the harbour to Elphanta Island. Bit of a trades descriptions act though because I definitely didnt see any elephants. It did however have about seven amazing anccient caves carved out of the rock face by buddist and hindu monks. It was then signposted up to the next site, so off we trekked up 3.5km up hill, come mountain, slipping and sliding up a dirt track expecting to see some more fantastic historic sites, only to find a big rusty cannon. Dan said that this was "real" travelling, you can only imagine what I said.

On our final afternnon I was gutted to miss out on my chance of stardom when a casting scout approached us about being extras in a Bollywood Film!!!! I'd already started planning my life as the next Shilpa but as we had a plane to catch Dan turned down the offer. He has always held back my singing and dancing career!

That evening we travelled overnight to Bangkok, where we were spending a few days before setting off on an organised tour of Cambodia. Bangkok is an amazing city; a perfect blend of Traditional Oriental and City Life. We were staying a stones throw from the Khao San Road, which for those of you have read "The Beach" is where the lead character receives his vision. The area has an electric atmosphere created through the mix of sounds, smells and bright lights; as well as lots of travellers walking around, chatting or snacking at food stalls. Sometimes you can also hear the chanting of local monks from a nearby temple.

On our first day we got a tuk-tuk tour of the sites by the world's happiest man (Check picture for his big smile). We took in the Lucky Buddha Temple, the Big Buddha Temple, the Golden Mount and the Grand Place. Buddism plays a massive part in the lives of the locals and all men are expected to spend a period of time as a monk. Some how I cant imagine any of my male mates swanning round Birmingham in orange robes: but then again.....

The temples are beatiful, especially Wat Phra Kaeo in the Grand Place which is made of a group of ornately guilded buildings each containing shrines to Budda. We then took a longtail boat trip around the canals where people live along the banks in stilt houses.

That night we jumped in a tuk-tuk and tazzed it across to the not quite so religious area of Patpong. I wont go into too much detail, cause of some of you with weak hearts, but this is where you'll find the local ladyboys and if you go to see a ping-pong show you definitely wont see any tabletennis.

Today we spent the morning ordering suits to be made and Dan has forced me to put half of our stuff into storage here whilst we do our tour. I dont think he understands that high heels and lipgloss are essential items on any trek.

We are just about to head back to the hotel for and pre-tour meeting with our guide and fellow adventurers. Hopefully there will be no nutcases or keen-beens but we'll keep you posted.....

The Next Installment will come after our Cambodia Adventure.
Bye for now
Love

Lucy & Dan xxxxxxxxx

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