Reunited....

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Right, lots has happened since last blog, so we'll try and keep this brief so as not to bore everyone to tears! (For full details of our trip and shortcomings send a self-addressed envelope to 'Dodgy Thai Hotel, Thailand')

Firstly, we decided not to go straight to the Islands as we are cutting out China completely and going to take our time a bit more around SE Asia. We popped into the Tourist information place near our hotel (Lamphu Tree House if anyone fancies looking it up online... far too nice for a couple of ragamuffins like us!) who told us that there was a festival called Loi Krathong occuring on the 12th Nov up in Chiang Mai. Thousands of candle-powered paper lanterns are released into the night sky and boats float away down the river carrying candles to float away ill fortune and to express apologies to Khongkha, the river goddess (Mum - take note - goddess!) As you can imagine this is something we weren't prepared to miss!

So, we figured we'd stay in the Bangkok area and travel the 2 hour bus-ride to Kanchanaburi and then up to Chiang Mai after that.

We checked out of the rather nice Lamphu Tree House and into the cheaper Rambuttri Village Inn, after being reunited with our bags. (See photos on facebook). That day we took a cab to the Vietnamese embassy to sort out our visas (they took away our passports which Barney was NOT happy about... not to mention 5000Baht!) We then walked about a mile through cosmopolitan Bangkok to the MBK centre which we'd been told was well worth a look.

The MBK centre was NUTS! (please see photo of men absailing down the 'MBK with 'Long live the King'emblazoned above... they really do love their King here!) If you can imagine a shopping centre with a full-on market inside as well as shops lining the walls, thats pretty much what it's like. Having had enough consumerism for one day, we headed back to Rambuttri...where um... people were trying to sell us stuff.

Whilst having lunch, we met up with a couple of nice guys Rob and Craig (think Tom Bettany after after several years of travelling! (love you Tom!)) They invited us out for a drink that evening with another group of girls they had met earlier in the day at a bar called Gullivers on Khao San road. We accepted their offer and later, after a shower and change of clothes went out to meet them.

We met in Gullivers as arranged (life without mobile phones must have been tricky but also liberating) and by now there was a group of about ten of us at different stages of our travelling adventures. (Jen - The guy singing in the bar (see pics on facebook) sounded exactly like Brandon from Incubus... I kid ye not!))After a few buckets and a few clubs me and Barney were ready to hit the hay and so ended our last Bangkok day!

More to follow from Kanchanaburi once our internet connection allows it... at the moment it's so slow it hurts!

xxx

ps. Mouse would like to add that humidity is no friend to curly hair.

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Comments

[The Beefness aka Fluff]

9 million bicycles in Bejjing
Hey lovelies, So happy to read how much fun you're having! It sounds amazing, I have decided that the Fish and I must do something similar. Its a shame you wont have time to explore China, I was going to ask you to count whether they're really are 9 million bicycles in Bejjing. Love you both lots xx xx