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Published: November 19th 2006
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Shop Much?
I have spent waaayyyy too much money here. Will have to exercise some self disipline from now on. I have made my way from Chiang Mai to Bangkok, and am now staying at the Viengtai hotel. Agurably a much more expensive hotel than I would normally stay at, but that is definately one of the advantages of travelling with a tour. And after the places I have stayed the last few weeks, I deserve this. I deserve it so much, in fact, that I booked a room for when I come back to Bangkok after Cambodia. Get this....it has a bathtub!! And a shower with actual water pressure!!! And it's hot water! It all feels so luxurious.
We arrived in Bangkok at 7am yesterday morning after a long night on the overnight train. I was in the upper bunk this time. It's this little cot like thing that folds down from the ceiling, with no support rails anywhere. With the train rocking and rolling I was way too scared I would fly off the bed to get any sleep. Last time on the train I slept like a baby. I don't know if it was the bottom bunk or the alcohol or a combination of both, but whatever it was I am going to try to repeat it
Reclining Buddha
It is 45m long at 15m high. HUGE. tonight, on our way to Surat Thani. Well, maybe not the alcohol aspect. I think I have had enough of that for a while. Or a couple days, at any rate. Had breakfast at the buffet in the hotel, which is just about one of the best breakfast buffets I have ever had. This hotel is awesome! Really, I almost feel like I am in Canada when I am in the hotel. Except for the gay Thai hotel manager and his bevy of beautiful Thai ladies behind the front desk. Then it's into a longtail boat for a ride down the river, and of course I can't think of the name of the river offhand. Saw a lame floating market that consisted of about 5 boats full of limp and brown fruit. Then it was off to Wat Pho to see the reclining buddha. What I saw most of was hot and sweaty tourists. Hundreds of them, each equally as grumy as the other. So like a herd of cattle we were swept along through the wat snapping photographs where we could, then out into the blistering heat again. The afternoon I spent doing nothing at all. A bath(glorious!), a
massage(wonderful!) and a good curry for lunch(amazing!).
Now's a good time to talk food, I guess. The food here is so unbelievably tasty. Everything is so fresh and flavourful, that when I go home the food is going to seem so bland by comparison. And I have found a love for green curry. Oh my god that is so good! That's what I say everytime I have one. I sweat, no....'glow', lots when I am eating it, but it's well worth it. I couldn't figure out why my pee was so bright yellow all the time. It was as iff I was on mega amounts of vitamin B, but finally figured it must be the curry. What else could it be? Certainly not the crickets.
So anyways, back to yesterday. After my bath I had so much old flaky skin coming off me it looked ast hough I had been sunburned and was peeling. No wonder I felt so disgusting! Looking fresh and human and lovely, I headed down to meet the new group for the second part of the tour. There are four of us from the first part continuing on, then 7 new ones. Some are
old, some young, some ugly, some not....but all very nice it seems. It will be interesting to see what it's like travelling with the older folk (and by older, I mean 50ish) after partying with the young group for the past two weeks. The southern part of the trip sounds divine, with a whole lot of nothing really planned. Really taking it easy compared to the Northern bit, and by now I am ready for some serious R&R. This old body can't take the punishment any more. I can't wait to lie on a beach trying my best not to look like a beached whale and just read my book.
After that it was time for the final dinner with the group. I am sad to see them go. We all got along so well together, and I made some really close friends, I feel (watch I will never hear from any of them again!). I nice dinner and cocktails, then more cocktails, then to a bar for more drinks. Then to a club. I can't believe I went to a freaking club! Last time I did that I think I was 20something. Loooonnng time ago. Had a really
good time, and didn't get in until 3am. Just in time to have a quick nap before I have to get up again to start with the new tour group.
It was another riverboat trip this morning, and another hot sweaty day with masses and masses of people at the Grand Palace, home of the infamous Jade Buddha. It was all very lovely, but to be honest I was really too hot and bothered (and maybe just a little hung over) to really get the most out of it. Also, by this time I have seen so many temples and wats and buddhas that they all are pretty much the same now.
Tonight it's on another night train to down south, where I have already called dibs on a bottom bunk. I will ixnay the alchol though. Water for me.
I will take this moment to give a hearty congratulations to my little sister, who has just recently found out she got accepted to the college of her choice. YYEEEAAA Laura! I did a happy dance for her in the middle of Kao San road, and oddly didn't even look out of place.
Hugs and kisses to you all,
Love,
Cathy
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???
what's a wat?