Bangkok: CRAZY!!!

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UntitledDear Everybody,

This is just a quick update as I prepare to catch my next overnight train to Khao Sok (in the middle of the rainforest, so sorry they'll be no activity for the next few days) but I have so much to say and it's all absolutely awesome! Angkor Wat was so incredible it's really impossible to explain; we saw most of the open complex of temples (spread over an area of hundreds of square kilometres) and started with the earliest brick ones, the Roulous group. I've been to Luxor in Egypt, so I was relatively unphased. Then we came to Angkor Wat. Oh dear God I had absolutely no idea of the scale and magnificence! It was built as a monastary but is way bigger and grander than any European palace I've ever seen. I climbed all the way up to the top gallery, which was totally amazing -in fact, I became so engrossed that my intrepid group (who were hungry, hot, tired and irritable) actively abandoned me on top of the ruin. But never fear! - my tour guide was left behind, and when I asked him to show me the ornate carving of the churning of the ocean of milk (Hindu legend) in the temple he gave me a full tour of the beautiful mythical reliefs! Later on we went to Angkor Thom, a totally amazing city with a square perimeter wall of 9km on each side. In the central sanctuary was a fantastic temple with 54 towers, each with four faces of the king (also representing buddha) facing the four points of the compass. It was incredible and something I'll never forget -as the photos attest to!

The next day we toured the remaining temples, including the one used to shoot Tomb Raider (yeah you're excited now) which is the only one which is still overgrown. It was an absolutely incredible experience - it's like discovering the ruins for the first time. Seeing the huge tropical tree roots bursting from the temple walls and even rooves is a totally surreal experience and did much to make me feel intrepid! Later that day we also visited the landmine museum, which was quite sad, and the market, where I picked myself up a Cambodian shadow puppet - can't stop myself! That evening, our last dinner in Cambodia was incredible; and had a rather interesting twist...

The next day was a travel day - boring you would think, yet you would be wrong! The rest of my group didn't fancy the eight hour border crossing by road into Thailand and on to Bangkok (the cowards flew, but had to pay extra so that's OK) so at 8am Friday morning I set off with my intrepid guide in a taxi headed for the Thai-Cambodian border. Despite quite a boring landscape (flat and arid) the trip was certainly not tedious! I love fun and bumpy roads, and this one didn't disappoint (actually it was not so much a road as a dirt track maintained as relatively flat by a tractor being sent over it every night!) But actually it wasn't too bad - the only think that really threw me was the all-too-frequent places where we would suddenly come across a sign saying "DIVERSION"and would have to veer crazily to the right and then back on to the road again. The worst part was the collapsed road surface and bridges that were entirely visible. But even then, with the spirit of intrepid in my I maintained my couragous stance -I was just a little phased though when my guide, sitting in the front, seeing these diversions ahead buckled his seatbelt - something unavailable in the back of the car!

One long but unprobing immgration queue later, I was cruising through Thailand to Bangkok in style with a luxury minibus to myself. Haha, the fools who insisted on flying! But when I got to Bagkok I was in for a little bit of a surprise...

Apparently, April 13-17 is the Thai new year. Wonderful, you may think, street festivals, fireworks etc. No, in fact loads of Thais spend the festival period out on the streets with hoses, buckets and waterguns drenching each other and unsuspecting tourists! But it is the constant application of flour paint to your face that makes it really unique and togther this culminates in a great deal of fun! The first day I arrived at 5pm, so was only partially drenched ( we were also staying in Chinatown, so the full effect was lost on me). After a pleasant wander and a drenching we headed up to the high-rise hotel's skydeck restaurant for a final meal as a group - a spectacular way to end a great trip, and one where I made loads of new Australasian amigos. The next day, though after checking in to my new hotel (to start my thai-malaysian intrepid tour), this time in Bangalumphu (Bangkok's major backpacker's area) I was able to feel the full effect of this extreemely fun and somewhat messy festival. Actually I was rather unprepared for it - I simply wanted to wander down to the Royal Palace, but as I did I passed street festivals and what seemed to be the central congregation park of most of the residents of Bangkok! Anyway, it would be total understaement to say I was well and truly got - Thais love especially to go for farang (foreigners). But nothing prepared me for the soaking I got on the way back from the palace, when I thought "oh, I'll just pop into Boots on Khao San road for some new plasters". For those of you that don't know Bangkok, Khao San road is THE infamous backpacker hangout, made even more famous by its inclusion in the film "The Beach". Pressed into a mass of squirming bodies, with people on either side and in the crowds absolutely going for each other whilst dance music blasted out all the way along the street - some peoples' idea of Hell, but actually a crazy party atmosphere - having been danced, drenched, painted and foamed (there was also a foam machine) I emerged the other side just about conscios but loving every part! Now, it didn't help that this was the busiest part of the day on that road (something I later realised when our group went there at night for an introductory drink) but man was it a crazy experience - one I reccomend every under-90 year old does at least once in their life!

The Grand Palace itself was breathtaking - the splendour of the buildings are absolutely unsurpassed - palaces and temples literally covered with gold attest to its fairytale like glamour. I also saw the Emerald Buddha, the holiest statue and site in Thai buddhism - so many jewels, it's enough to make you wish you were king! Unfortunately, because of the festival, this was the only historical site I was able to see despite my best efforts - loads of the other were closed. But in the evening I met up with my new group (all young, mostly Brits and too numerous to name! Methinks this will be a party fortnight!) and we went out for dinner and a drink - fun, even if I did escape back to the hotel with a few others before everyone got totally smashed. The next day was also pretty cool - a late breakfast, then off to Chatachak weekend market (such a long walk in the blistering heat) and then the incredible MBK shopping centre. However I resisted the temptation to buy anything but necessities, and have returned to my hotel just in time to catch a train to the jungle - should be totally fantastic. I can only hope you guys are having as nice a time as me, but would have trouble believing it!

My love to you all,

Richard

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Comments

[Adela]

Happy New Year Bankok style!
Hi Richard Wish I'd been there for the New Year - can I join you? sounds like my cup of tea! - glad you're keeping well - really looking forward to the photos and even more stories when you return to the centre of the earth that can only be Chipping Norton! Take care.. Love Adela and John