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Published: December 19th 2007
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Floating Market
No retirement age here. Is it the measles? Is it bed bugs? Nah, I think it's a simple heat rash. Bangkok is hot and humid and the poor body aint used to it. At least I'm better off than Penny who is flu ridden, the remnants of a bug she picked up way back in Dubai. Bangkok was always going to be difficult to enjoy when your health isn't all rosy.
It is even more difficult to appreciate when a disordinate amount of time is spent running the beurocratic red tape that is the Myanmar visa merry-go-round.
Any more complaints? Well while I'm on a roll, we were both due a hair appointment. The choice of venue was left in Penny's hands, she being a woman and all. Let's follow the script:
Yeatesy - "How about this hairdresser?"
Penny - "No, all the girls working there are too old."
Moving along a block or two.
Yeatesy - "This one?"
Penny - " No, all the girls are too young."
There seems to be a very narrow window of age suitability before Penny considers them worthy of our business. Fortunately, the third one was Juuuuust right. Except - their English was limited, meaning coiffure instructions became
Floating market
The four lane highway. a smidgin convoluted. The results:
I shall now attempt to grow a small moustache to cohabitate with the Hitler's bowl I am now in possession of. Goostepping over to Penny's side of the salon and henceforth, Penny shall be known as Ginger.
Sightseeing wise we ventured up to the floating market, as we did last time we were in Bangkok about 8 or 9 years ago. Still impressive? Sure it's loud, colourful and fun but I couldn't help but notice there wasn't a single Thai customer, only vendors. This market now survives purely on the myriad of tourists that roll up daily. Still enjoyed it though.
Sounds like I'm still whining. I'd better go and jump in the pool, devour some of the world's greatest and best value cuisine then wander through a few atmospheric riverside wats.
One blog to go.
Yeatesy.
11and 1/2 months down, 2 weeks to go. Included in that 2 weeks is Christmas and New Year. We are now in Bangkok, the last leg of our epic year. We have managed to find a fantastic apartment in Bangkok to base ourselves for a few days while we head back and forth to the Burmese consulate
Bangkok
Wat Arun and the star of the show.
trying to speed up our visas. The consulate (like most) doesn't make the process easy, so wth 3 visits over 2 days we should be ready to go to Burma on 20 December.
To occupy ourseles over these days we've walked miles as I have been too stubborn to let another taxi driver take us in the wrong direction just to double his takings for the day. So we skyjet, water taxi and walk wherever possible and have again found plenty of cheap eats dotted everywhere.
I can't wait to kick this flu so I can really taste this food properly.
Gary is finding the heat difficult, given that we have had more cool weather than warm this year so I don't think our bodies know what to do. A swim by our pool this morning has helped us feel a little more in holiday mood, up until now it has felt more like a logistics stop.
Our next blog will be after Burma, which will also be after Xmas and if you can believe everything you read, we may not launch another blog until after Burma as internet connections are limited and unreliable. So think of us on Xmas
Floating market.
Floating haberdashery. day while you're tasting champagne, eating roast turkey, pudding and eating fresh cherries (ah, how nice). We'll be eating rice and drinking Chinese tea.
Merry Christmas.
Penny.
More images at:
www.colvinyeates.zenfolio.com
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