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Published: August 26th 2007
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So we arrived in Bangkok...after we left Auckland and had a 3 n a half hour flight to Sydney (which was delayed for an hour on the tarmac)...we had to run straight thru the terminal at Sydney to catch our connection flight to Bangkok! Then after over 9hours and 4 films later we landed!
It was midnight when we jumped into a very bright pink taxi to take us to the notorious Khao San Road...aka backpacker central. the cab dropped us off 'near' our hotel and we reluctantly got our bags and walked down this crazy street...walked past a Boots pharmacy (they are everywhere here) and asked for directions.... then eventually found our hotel after walking past every bar with the Newcastle match playing (to remind me of home!)...our hotle wasn't the Ritz but was better than a 14 bed dorm room in Australia with a small bathroom which was also the shower?strange eh? Finally got to bed around 3/4am which was morning in New Zealand time.
So we had 5 days in Bangkok...
Our first day was mostly sleeping off our jet lag of 5hours difference from NZ...so we are 6 hours in front here. then we
wandered around the Khao San Road area and saw fab temples and a million market stalls, and when your not being hassled by tuk tuk drivers to take a "tour of the city" (which means they take you to all of the places for conning tourists out of their money- luckily we were pre warned by the Lonely Plant) you can really appreciate the vibrance and character of Bangkok. it was then we realised that somehow our camers had broken while travelling from NZ.typical! most people are really friendly...even if they haven't got a clue what you are saying! our first night was spent in a very busy restaurant (that is the key to go to busy places) then after wards we went to a real petrol station by day/ bar restaurant by night for a drink and to watch Man Utd get beat off Man City!
On our second day we got up for breakie at the hotel and Ant had chicken soup...while i had banana pancakes yum yum... then walked down to the riverside and caught the chaotic public express boat over to one of the main temples called Wat Pho? Wat For i hear you asking...cos
we wanted to!haha (sorry) we had a really nice walk around the incredible buildings and even managed to take some pictures..even though we couldn't see the screen! and we got a cocanut with a straw (very interesting)!...then we were walking to the Grand Palace and fell victim to a big tourist trap of talking to a friendly smartly dressed person who looks you in the eye and tells you something isn't open...when it is! but he taught us how to speak some Thai and got us a tour from a tuk tuk for the day for 40Baht (less than 50p). The tuk tuk driver was really nice and took took us everywhere (seriously bad jokes today).. from the Happy Budda and Standing Budda to suit shop (which was probably one of the tourist traps but we got a really cheap deal so we wone in the end getting them down to half what the originally asked)... then the heavens opened and we experienced what its like to be on a tuk tuk in a tropical monsoon storm...one word DAMP!
So day 3 we had a good idea of how not to getr conned and wanted to go shopping so
we booked all our trips...the train and boat down to Ko Tao and then our Tiger Temple day trip...then we tried to get a taxi to put their metres on so we wont get ripped off however they flatly refuse when you ask because they know theere weill be another tourist who will pay more... so after asking a million taxis and getting quoted double the normal price we finally got the the major shopping centre in Bangkok the MKB. We had a really good day there wandering around., and both got some designer jeans andf Ant got some fab shoes for a fraction of the price you would pay at home! then we spent most of the next few hours trying to find a real copy of the new Nam Utd shirt...but it seems Bangkok has sold out! so we went to the notorious food court in the MKB...it is like nothing we have seen before, literally like a 5 star restaurant you go and pick your food...we had amazing indian curries and huge waffles for dessert! lush and soooo posh! then headed back to KhaoSan Road sharing a taxi with another 3 brits to save all of us
getting ripped off from taxis! did a little bit more night shopping on the road, where we invested in a Super Duper camera to take on our day trip tomorrow...couldn't help ourselves!!!
Day 4 was a very early start with us taking the day trip we were picked up and whisked off in minibuses to the famous floating market..(where the Walkers Thai Bites advert was filmed). we started off getting what the thais call James Bond 007 boat into the central market (very interesting experience, and our driver had a Newcastle top on!) then got off and soaked in the heat and the atmosphere of the incredible place. we got a paddle boat (our paddler was a really old woman who looked about 80!...surprisingly she didn't have a Newcastle top on!) and went through the centre of the market...its so surreal people in boats trying to sell you things...plus being in boat traffic jams in the heat of the day...phew!
We then got whisked off to a Cobra Show...didn't really know what to expect and when Anty ddecided to sit in the first row i was slightly apprehensive it has to be said...put it this way the show would
never be allowed in Britain but it was very good... men playingand taunting cabras and pythons... to the less entertaining mongoose vs snake in a glass box...dodgey... to the finalie of one man and three snakes...he catches them all...one in each hand and yes one in his mouth!! unbelievable!
Then we went the the Bridge on the River Kwai where we had lunch literally on a floating restaurant and walked across the bridge which was famously made by prisioners of war forced to build it by the Japenese during WW2. After the bridge we hjeaded to the Tiger Temple...basically you buy a ticket dont wear bright colours and then you walk into a temple...and there is and enclosure with about 10 fully grown tigers who live 'in harmony' with the monks they take you in by the hand and let you lye down with the tigers and touch them and obviously have your picture taken with them! incredible and even though it started to rain when we were there it was an amazing experience...just the sheer size of the animals was class! After the temple slightly damp we got on the bus for 2 and a half hours back to
Bangkok. where we got a bite to eat and got some seriously bargins from the markets!
Day five...we got up had lush breakkie and packed. shoved our bags in storage and fought for a taxi to our suit shop to get our final fittings before they are made. thank god the shop was still open and our suits fit perfectly we really looked important lol! certainly ready for any job interviews now!
Then got a taxi with the metre on!! to the Grand Palace and walked around there for a few hours just gob smacked by the buildings the detail and the beauty of the place....how many times did we say WOW walking around there?! then got the river express back to Khao San Road and had a nice cold beer before our long overnight train journey tonight...we are still intact, and good news neither of us have had "a bad stomach" yet...so for now we say Bye Bye to Bangkok...see you in a couple of weeks!
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Mum and Dad S
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Were those tigers for real??!!!!
Unbelievable blogg - how fantastic must your visit to the Tiger Temple have been - were those tigers real/drugged or just really tame? Pictures were brilliant but when we tried to print them off the quality wasn't as good so we'll have to wait until you come home with the disc. (Can't believe you'll be home in a couple of weeks!!!!!!!!!) Your description of Bangkok was just as we imagined Bangkok to be - very colourful, very exciting and very, very busy. We spotted the NUFC shirt straight away - obviously they chose the best team shirt to wear as there wasn't a MUFC shirt in sight - sold out - I don't think!! lol....... The Bridge over the River Kwai was one of the classic films ever - it looks a lot narrower than in the film but how brilliant to see it. I think one word will sum up this blogg WOW!!!!!!!! Keep them going. Lots of love to you both Take care and stay together. Mum, Dad, Andrew, Adam, Paws and Oscar xxxxxxxxxx