Day 2 Bangkok – Dead bodies, boat trips, prisoners, hippies, rain, beaten by chillies – all an average day in Bangkok!

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We started off the day with a boat trip up to the forensic medical museum. It was graduation day which was really interesting as there were amazing flowers and kitsch toys everywhere in honour of the graduates. The museum itself was unusual to say the least. It consisted of preserved bodies of murderers, rapists and dead children, along with clothing from murder victims and various bodily parts. An odd combo! It was a bit gruesome at times. The saddest bit was the head of an unidentified man who had been decapitated during a car crash, we had visions of his family one day visiting the museum and accidently finding him there staring at them!



After museum we had a wander around a local market and then got another boat to a Northern suburb where the notorious Bang Kwang prison (AKA the Bangkok Hilton) is situated. We found the prison and had a few issues finding where you go for visits and then a confusing time filling in the forms needed to be allowed inside, we could only imagine how scary it would be if it were your family that you were visiting. The guard was not all that friendly. After quite a long wait in the hot sun we were allowed in. We both went in in the end. Tom had to put on some attractive blue trousers over his shorts, which was all a bit pointless as Thai people were allowed in in their shorts. Anyway after handing over all our belongings and being searched we were eventually allowed in. It was nothing like we expected. You talk to the prisoner by telephone and are separated by bars, then glass, then a space, then more glass and more bars! Not quite sure why we were searched so much as smuggling something over would have been impossible! Sarah spoke to Andrew for about an hour, which was a really interesting experience, hearing all about life in a Bangkok prison. It was also good to get a glimpse of the prison itself inside, although what we saw was limited.



After the prison visit we got a boat to the Banglumphi area and hit Khoa San road and other traditional backpacker areas, which were filled with a mix of aging hippies and young travellers. We had a few beers in various bars, sampled some street food and then it rained! After have a lie down and diet coke (in a bar with day beds) we decided to brave the rain and started to try and make our way back to our hotel. Unfortunately all the taxis were now in demand and no-one would put on their meter and they were requesting extortionate amounts to get us back to the hotel. In the end we had a tuk tuk back to the hotel, which was quite an experience!



Back at the hotel we showered and then went out for the night. We went for a wander and again stopped for a beer or two. We then stopped for some food, which started off lovely, until Sarah ate the hottest chilli ever and nearly cried! A diet coke and bottle of water later she was able to pick out the prawns and eat a little of the rice, but was well and truly beaten by her food! A quick stop at Burger King (of all places) for an ice cream was needed to cool down the heat from the chilli!



We’re now totally worn out and have an early start in the morning – cookery lesson for the birthday girl.

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Comments

[Judith]

Sounds fab
Hi really great to follow your trip so far. Glad you didn't have to use your Thai vocabulary "help" to get you out of the jail! Have a fantastic birthday. Jude x