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Published: February 2nd 2010
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Thanks to my good friends I was able to sit in the free luxury lounge at Heathrow while waiting for my flight to board and travel in business class all the way to Bangkok. A three course meal with champagne cocktails was on my menu I also had my own little private area with a chair that converted into a nice comfy bed, all electric of course so fun playing with the buttons. During dinner I met a lovely couple who had been together for 43 years, just reaching retirement they had decided to travel the world together, it was so sweet, I managed to get some good traveling tips off them too.
After my fillet of beef and gorgeous dessert I was given my own PJ's to change into settling down to watch the Time Traveler's Wife, what a cool film I cried most of the way through it.
After a good nights sleep I was awaken with fresh fruit and yogurt soon followed by a full English. What a great way to fly!
I arrived in Bangkok around 4pm local time, immigration/passport control took forever but I finally got to baggage reclaim. I waited for my
Marble temple
Dont forget your shoes on the way out! bag for sometime, once exiting the baggage hall something made me look down, I had taken someone else's bag! I quickly went back to the belt and chucked it back on before anyone noticed, such a Zoe thing to do!
When leaving the airport I hopped into a metered taxi, it took about an hour to get to my hotel, the traffic in Bangkok is crazy it makes London look quite. During the taxi ride I was overwhelmed with all the little tin shacked houses, if you could call them houses, more like sheds! it was like the slums of Bangkok made up of any old material they could find.
I was pleased to get into my hotel room, it was nice and clean and I had a balcony over looking the smelly river, lovely! it was quite pretty though, there were home made lanterns hanging.
My first night in Bangkok was not great felt a little sorry for myself and could not sleep for the life of me, ended up watching MTV till early hours of the morning. I also had decided after carrying my backpack up 2 flights of stairs it was way to heavy.
Inside marble temple
No photo's allowed of this Buddha woops! So for everyone who was wondering how I was getting on carrying all my stuff, I'm not, I'm sending a load back! stop laughing!
My first morning in Bangkok and I needed to find a post office, what a palaver. I grabbed a map off reception and off I trotted, walked along the canel through some ally ways and onto the main street, 30 minutes later and I still could not find it. It was at this point when I discovered the best thing about Bangkok the Tuk Tuk's! I managed to get a lift to the post office, the driver waited for me and then took me to a ATM. I then decided to ask him to drive me round for the afternoon to all the places I wanted to go and visit. Paid 20BH which is just under 50p what a result.
It was great driving around Bangkok, if you dont know what a Tuk Tuk is they are similar to the bicycles in London with the cart on the back apart from in Bangkok their 3 wheeled motorbikes. I visited Wat Po Temple home of the reclining Buddha, this is over 45feet high and gold,
Wat Po Temple
Home of the reclining Buddha quite impressive. I also went to see the lucky Buddha, if you visit it it is supposed to bring you good luck, finger;s crossed. I then went to the marble temple which was cool, it does have another name but I have forgotten. My last stop was a climb to the highest point in Bangkok where you can take good photo's of the city. However they dont tell you before you get up there that there is no point taking a picture of the city unless it is at night, from what ever angle it is pretty ugly. After all those bloody stairs I had to take a photo.
After a smelly and sweety day I went back to the hotel showered and met the tour group at 6pm there were 12 of us in total, all really nice which is lucky as I have 15days with them all. Went to dinner in Khao San road, food was fab. Ater dinner about nine of us went for a strole through the markets soon deciding to grab a quick pedicure and manicure. It seemed quite funny that the first we did as a group was get our nails done, even
Day view of Bangkok
Would not of even taken a photo if it wasnt for all the stairs I climbed getting up there! the boys were excited and seemed very upset when they were not offered coloured vanish? Once finished we all decided to go to Baiyoke hotel which has good scenic views over the city. The journey there was hilarious we were all hanging out the side of our Tuk Tuk's taking photo's of each other swapping camera's when we stopped, Daniel managed to have a go driving ours the driver nearly wet him self because he was all over the place and going over speed bumps like we were being chased by the police. Brittany and I were bouncing off the roof in the back trying to prevent injury. We finally got there in one piece the hotel had beautiful views, reminded me of bar 44 in Dubai but Bangkok styley! After all the effort we couldnt even get a drink, dont ask ! it was pretty difficult getting out of the hotel too once you were in so many different lifts to catch. After that we all decided to head back to our local area and went to a bar near our hotel for a few well deserved strewberry daqieries.
Next day a few of us hopped on
Bangkok at night
A little better1 a longboat down the river, was so lovely, a really good way to see the city, however really made you see the poverty, more shacked up tinned sheds and locals washing their clothes in the river, it makes you see how lucky you are. After getting off the boat we jumped on the sky train which was a good experience. The sky train runs above street level which was cool, a bit of a change to the London underground. We were heading to the Chatuchak weekend market, this is huge and sells absolutely everything to clothes, paintings, dogs, chickens, you name it they had it there for you to buy. Picked up a few bits of clothing soo cheap, why did I bring so much stuff I really do not need half of it.
Left the market around 2pm all 8 of us in Tuk Tuk's, this was pretty far to go in a Tuk Tuk but we guessed we could enjoy the ride until suddenly the heaven's opened and it started to rain buckets! I have never experienced rain like it. All the locals were laughing and touting at us all the way back we were soaked through,
Tuk Tuk's
Another mad ride we were in stitches, it was a sight to see.
After getting back to the hotel we all dried off in the lobby as we had checked out of our rooms as it was our last afternoon in Bangkok. After lunch Jo out guide met us and we all headed to the train station.
I think Bangkok is a little bit like marmite you ever love it or hate it. I was not sure when I first arrived but I can definitely say I left loving it!
Good bye Bangkok, Surat Thani here we come!
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Emma
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Jealous!
Sounds amazing hun, what a good start to your blog! So pleased to hear how well you are getting on, you sound like you're having a fab time. Take it all in and enjoy the experience of a life time! xx