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Published: February 9th 2008
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Monument on way into Bangkok
Just gives you an idea of how much they love the King. Nothing compared to what is inside Bangkok! Hello all!
The fact that I am posting this from a Bangkok internet cafe should tell you we have arrived safely, but for those of you still in any doubt, we really did arrive in one piece!
The trip got off to a funny, if slightly ominous start at Heathrow. As we waited in line at security, we were approached by two officials who looked barely older than ourselves. They pulled us out of the queue and told us we had been randomly selected for a full body scan by X-Ray. I question the legitimacy of their random selection process, which probably has more to do with picking the easy targets than ensuring fairness. Anyway, we were also told that we had the right to refuse, but if so would be subjected to a full body hand search. Not particularly wanting to experience the rubber glove treatment, we went ahead with the radiation It was at this point I realised I was carrying my money pouch under my clothes, and that if I didn't reveal it now, the zealous officials would have had me zip-tied up and in a back room for a cavity search quicker than if I
Our Room!
Very clean and comfortable - shame it has no windows! had shouted the infamous (B)omb word! After 5 minutes of standing in ridiculous poses while being pumped full of x-rays, we returned to the normal queue. All eyes were on us, as shoeless and deshevelled we trapsed along. Parents using us as examples to warn their children, and whispers all around. Fortunately we managed to see the funny side!
Waiting for the plane didn't seem to drag, and before we knew it we were boarding. Unfortunately, despite being the first to check in, our failure to ask for certain seats had meant we were stuck with the middle two positions in the middle column of 4 seats. So no window or aisle access for us! The 11 hour flight was uneventful - no doubt a good thing. Boredom was eased by hundreds of movies and TV programs on demand in our own TV sets. We even managed to get a few hours sleep.
Arriving in Bangkok is like a slap in the face to the senses, and call me a sadist, but I like it! Once clearing the (long) queue at immigration, and collecting our baggage, we stepped outside. I had thought the airport had been hot, turns
Below our Guesthouse
This is below our guesthouse. To give you an idea of how busy Khao San Road itself is, our guesthouse is definately away from the crowds! out that was with the air conditioning on! Outside felt like a giant, hot, sticky greenhouse. Certainly hotter than anything I have experienced, although Paul tells me it is much like the conditions that greet holiday makers in Florida. The arrivals hall was awash with touts vying for business, but it didn't take us long to discover the queue for the official taxis. One of the first things to strike you about the place is the sheer brightness of the taxis - from bright greens to blues to pinks! The taxi ride was immensely interesting, giving us our first glimpse of Bangkok. Huge roads 5 lanes wide, populated by every conceivable form of transport, from cars, to motorbikes and tuk-tuks. You also get a sense of the national pride of the Thai's, with flags and monuments to the king everywhere. Prior to leaving I had read that taxi drivers in Bangkok were infamous for not knowing their way around their own city. That was definately a statement strengthened by our own driver, who needed a little encouragement to locate our guesthouse! However after about 40 minutes we arrived in downtown Bangkok, and our accommodation the Thai Cozy House. First impressions suggested the name was accurate, and there has been nothing of yet to suggest otherwise. Our room is comfortable, clean and has a TV. We both remarked at how this was as good a room as we are going to get on the whole trip. Booking a place to stay in Bangkok in advance certainly seems like a wise move.
That is because stepping out onto the Khao San Road area of the city is enough to overwhelm even the most seasoned of traveller. I would love to find the words to describe it, and photos could never do it justice. It is just a maze of bars, shops, stalls and touts. It is the atmosphere of the place, the smells, the people. Perhaps once we have been here a few days it will sink in and I will be able to describe it beeter. It is great to walk the streets of the area, but also the balcony of the guesthouse is an awesome retreat. Looking down on all the mayhem of below. A great place to unwind after a busy day I should imagine.
So far there really are no problems to report. The only thing perhaps being the fact that I am wrote the draft of this report lying in bed at 4am this morning (It is nearly 7pm on Saturday as a type it now). Despite going to bed at 11pm local time feeling tired, both Paul and woke up early and were unable to get back to sleep for a few hours. I guess jet lag will be something we will just have to deal with over the coming months.
Today we have been to the Weekend Market and Grand Palace, a great first full day. I will save the write-up of these places till next time, because this post is long enough, and I have too many photos to upload in one go! What pictures this SLOW connection has managed to upload in the time I have been typing this are on my photo page. Which for those of you who don't know is: www.flickr.com/photos/hingus2000
The best pictures are on Pauls camera which we will upload another time, so for now you are stuck with half of mine!
So for now, keep your messages coming, it is great to read them!
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