"You you where you go?"." I just walk and lookee". ''you take tuktuk 10 baht anywhere". " I no want 10 baht tuk tuk I like walk" ..........

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........and so the conversation goes day after day. Bangkok is pretty 'full on' and you get approached on every corner by hustlers trying to make a quick buck or two. These hustlers also take any opportunity to lie and tell you things are closed so that they can take you on their own select tour of the city, where they earn commision at various shops they drop you off at. My response to this: outlie them, don't believe a word they say, and use their knowledge to your advantage!

It happened this morning; I was off to see the 'golden buddha' - the worlds largest solid gold buddha worth an estimated 14 million dollars. The inevitable tuk tuk approached with the famous opening line " tuktuk- where you go?". "I go to golden buddha I no take tuk tuk', was my grammatically superb reply.'' Golden buddha closed today I take you anywhere 10 baht" replied my conman . "So where is golden buddha?"- I asked. "Straight down straight down but closed today". " Thank you, I go anyway".

Of course the golden buddha was as open as anyday and I felt smug that I had stuck to my guns and was becoming truly wise to this city! From day 1 I have been telling these guys I've been here 2 weeks, it's the only way to get them off your back.........

Lots happening over here, both good and bad. Bad= 3 hospital visits and loss of bank card. Good= exciting, vibrant Bangkok, fried cockroaches and scorpions.

I've accepted my fate that bad things come in threes, and having had a potential allergic reaction to my antimalarials a few days ago, an open wound licked by a random stray dog which just ran up and licked me ( rabies alert!) and then losing my bank card tonight, I'm still managing a slight grin ( or should that be grimace!). Loving Bangkok- they say you either love it or hate it - despite the hassles and the heat. Loads to tell and will hopefully burn off some photies tomorrow and post more then!!

BFN XXX

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Comments

[THE BRUMMIES]

Yum, yum
Yum, yum and we thought that you were vegetarian. Why no photo of the scorpions - have you eaten them all?