Day 2 Thailand

Thailand Day 2!!

Yayyyyy...well, another packed day!

We're in an internet cafe in Lop Buri (http://www.thailandguidebook.com/provinces/lop_buri.html) getting some iced Thai coffee and waiting for our third train of the day! It's 7pm on Day 2. Jeff here to talk about yesterday...and Nina's next to me starting on the text for today's INCREDIBLE day's blog! Wow...all I can say is that we played with some cool animals today...one of which is Nina's FAVORITE animal ever! She's been asking for one since she was 3!

So we got up yesterday and had an awesome breakfast, and hit Bangkok. We hopped on the boat behind our hotel, and went to see some temple. We had to go grab some pants for me first, cause my knees were showing...

We went to the "Grand Palace" which was the palace of the first 8 Rama Kings (we think) from 1783 or something like that...to the beginning of the present king's rule. He started his rule in 1942! He's the longest ruling living king. Now the palace is where the visiting dignitaries stay. The grand palace is the home of the Emerald Buddha (http://home.wanadoo.nl/deva.deep/emerald_buddha.htm)

We met Tong at the gate, and he offered his tour guiding expertise, and we accepted. Nina is the official haggler, and she ROCKS at it! She drives the hard bargain, and I step in just before the poor people get taken for their money...we have quite a good system going...kinda a good tourist/bad tourist thing. He told us about the Giant Demon Guards (http://www.thailandlife.com/thai-culture/giant-statues.html). How cool is this! I searched that, and the first thing that came up was pictures of the place we just were! Yeah, ok...well...still...I feel cooler!

A few times along our way people keep telling us that the place we ask them about is closed. It happened outside the Grand Palace, the night before after dinner (we asked about the night market), and the after the Grand Palace. Every time we ask, "where is the blah blah thingy?" they say, "ohhh, that's closed...open in two hours." Then we get informed about a great tailor or gem stone factory or something. We're on to them now...buuuut yeah, you should see the 4 new suits I ordered, and 32 saphires Nina is wearing these days! (luckily, I'm kidding...so far!)

We stopped at 2 tailors on our way back to get picked up for our dinner cruise...didn't totally work out at either, but now I think I'm lookin' for a cool tux type thing for performing in! Between tailors and pick-up, we had some amazing street meat (cold glass noodle salad, with shrimp and some things we're not sure aboot!) and each had an authentic Classic Thai massage! Day 1's massage was more relaxing with oils...yesterday's was in cotton scrub-type clothing, with more stretching and fun stuff. Ok, fun and wonderfully painful at the same time!! Weeeee!! (Juuuuust for the record, why Nina is seen almost always carrying our back pack...is because my shoulder is still having mildly intense nerve pain....oh yeah, and cause I'm a wimp! Wah!!! Yay Nina!!!) It's amazingly inexpensive to get massages here, and they're amazingly amazing massages here, so yeah..."massages daily" is the plan, we're thinking!

We were picked up for the dinner boat, and flew through Bangkok again. Got on the boat, and we were in the FRONT ROW! Yayyyyy!! It would have been so amazing, if it weren't for the fact that we were in the front row for a terrifying musical experience of musak and tag team sax and singers. Then the buffet was signaled...kinda a bumper buffet experience. There were people holding their plates while eating off the buffet, while pushing their way in for more food. It was awesome!

We watched the city drift past the boat, which was beautiful....with temples everywhere too. We had a great time, and the fruity drinks were helpful...

We got off the boat, and went straight back to the hotel, and were asleep in less than a second...wow!

It looks like our daily massage plan isn't going to work for today...no massage today...we're in this internet cafe waiting for train three, which is a 9:55pm overnight train to Chaing Mai...ten hours! Weeeee!! We'll miss seeing the mountains along the way, but we're excited about taking an overnight train.

Ok, time for one more Thai Coffee! Weeeee!!

Love,
Jeff (and Nina)

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