The Snake incident in Bangkok

first update...arrived Friday in Bangkok and met the group in the evening, we went for a nice meal and drinks down the famous Koh San road! we were all quite shattered so didn't make it a late one...everyone seems really nice so far...apart from 2 of the guys who aren't conversing with us however much we try, but seem to tag along with us so they can't think that badly of us!!

feels like I've done loads already!! hotel is lovely got our own en-suite rooms which is nice...got up for breakfast saturday morning quite early and headed out at 9am for a guided tour...we went on the river on a traditional narrow boat and toured all around Bangkok, seeing quite poverty stricken areas and stopped off at an orchid farm which was quite interesting. From there we headed to the food markets which were good, although I never understand how you can have 10 stalls next to each other all selling exactly the same things! we were introduced to some fruits we'd never heard of before so that was good. Then we headed to the grand palace and saw the reclining buddha and other temples- the reclining buddha was so big it kind of took your breath away, the pictures don't do it justice!!!

Then we came out of there and all decided we were hot and hungry so would head back to the hotel for some food and a swim in the pool...as we were stood waiting to get into a tuk tuk (small taxi type things) this guy suddenly appeared out of nowhere with a snake wrapped round his neck. We all got our camera's out and he gestured me to stand with him. I thought (maybe naively) that he would just stand next to me with the snake...NO!! he put the thing on me and promptly stood away and I was absolutley pretrified!! all the girls were taking photo's and saying how brave I was but I didn't feel very brave!!!

So then we headed back to the hotel, had some lunch there and went and chilled by the pool for a couple of hours which was nice. Went out again on the saturday evening having met up with another guy, Charles who seems lovely and far more talkative then the other 2 guys!! it was a bit of a nightmare getting a table for 22 of us but it caused much amusement to the waitresses who were moving tables backwards and forwards and then having to guess who had ordered what food!! One of the waitresses laughed uncontrollably and then ran off when I told her I had ordered Phad Thai (maybe it was the way I said it!!) who knows...

We ended up at a rooftop moroccan bar (not very cultural for where I am I know!!) but all the same was a good night and we had a shisha between some of us. Sunday we had to leave the luxury of the air conditioned hotel and the shops, markets and internet cafes just a stones throw away to head to the eco house in Sing-buri a 2 hour journey. Managed to bag the nicest minibus out of the 3; with wide leather seats that reclined almost fully and air conditioning, tinted windows and a large TV. Needless to say most of us dozed but were very excited about arriving at our next destination!!

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