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Published: June 17th 2009
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Bangkok
Lakmeuang It doesn’t take long to figure out that in Bangkok it seems that everyone is trying to scam you. Our encounter was the infamous trick of the tuk tuk drivers asking were you are going when sightseeing and telling you that the sight is closed for the day but they can take you to another sight. We fobbed off countless drivers with not so much as a by your leave and did our own sightseeing at our own pace.
First stop, Lakmeuang, the spiritual keystone of Bangkok. This is actually a wooden pillar covered in gold leaf used as a marker of the towns crossroads and a measuring point for distances between towns. Nearby in Wat Pho is the Sleeping Buddha, one of the largest reclining buddhas at 46m long and 15m high. The Buddha is modelled out of plaster around a brick core and finished in glod leaf with mother of pearl inlay ornaments in the feet. It is very impressive and quite daunting at the same time.
Over on the other side of the Chao Phraya river (crossed by river ferry boat) lies Wat Arun. This is a Khmer style temple with an 82m tall tower covered with
Wat Pho
Sleeping Buddha ornate delicate mosaics made from broken Chinese porcelain. Once again we find ourselves climbing up some very very steep steps with little regard for safety...why do we do it? The view from the top is magnificent and gives a real perspective of the old town versus all the new buildings further up the river.
The Grand Palace is the former residence of the monarch and along with Wat Phra Kaew covers 94 hectares of land with more than 100 buildings. We spend ages looking around here (there is even a miniature Angkor Wat...we can compare it to the original) and even get to see the Emerald Buddha which I have to say is a bit of a disappointment as it stands at only 70cm high and you are unable to get up close to it. We sit for a while in the temple watching the proceedings and seeing the offerings that people make (the guards are really strict on their no photography policy and will take cameras from people and delete the pictures taken themselves).
In order to escape the madness (and the rats) of the Banglamphu area (where KS Rd is) we spent some time over in
the Lumphini area - heading to the Banyon Tree hotel and its Moon Bar at Verigo. Yes, its very high up and when you reach the 59th floor their open air bar gives the most amazing views of Bangkok, old and new. Yes its very very posh - we know this because as soon as we sit down we are given free nibbles on our table that is replenished each time we empty it..oh yes and the price list slightly gives it away too (4 x our usual price). Needless to say we sit nursing our one drink whilst watching a lovely sunset over Bangkok. From here we venture down to the night market after stopping to refuel our stomachs on the way and wander around, bartering for goods in true style, exhausting but good fun. It was just a shame about all the girlie bars that line the outside of the market...very in your face and made no bones about trying to pull John in....yes we stuck firmly to the central part of the market!
Trying to book a train ticket proves just as difficult as in China and you have to be majorly on your guard. We
had been warned that you can get seriously scammed if you buy your ticket from an agent so we went down to the train station to buy it directly. As we arrived at the station a woman approached us with an official looking tourist info badge on...seemed genuine and helpful -where did we want to go to etc until it came to buying the ticket at which point she pointed bus across the road to a shop!! Manage to get away (just tell her we want to check the train platforms first) and move into the station quickly. Once inside there is another official looking stand for tourist info. The guy takes us over to the ticket info place, we can see the different trains for the different classes of ticket but when we come to buy them he takes us upstairs to an agency!! God, do they never stop. Again, excususe made that we need an ATM (not the done thing apparently to insult them outright!) and eventually tucked away in the corner we find the official ticket window where we can buy our official tickets. Same problem as China - no tickets available for Ko Samui or Ko
Tan for when we want them. After looking at numerous options we manage to get tickets to take us to Ko Samui on a suitable day and on the train that we want (or so I think!!)
On the day we are travelling out we spend the morning doing last bits of shopping, packing up a parcel to go home, and generally chilling out. For once we had plenty of time, our overnight sleeper train not departing until 7.30pm. Knowing how space for luggage is at a premium we arrive at the station at 6.45pm, determined to get on and get settled. Finding out where our train was departing from we hurry over, get on and find our seats....only to find an old lady sitting in my seat! After discussions taking place a guard arrives and looks at both tickets..yes we both have the same seat number. Much scratching of heads until he points out that our ticket was for the 6.30pm train and not this 7.30pm train! NO!!!!!! We knew we had specifically asked for the 7.30pm train but this is irrelevant at this point...we don’t have tickets for this train! Putting our annoyance aside we run (yes run
with our backpacks on!) back to the ticket window and try to explain our predicament...not having any of it and more importantly as our train has gone no refund for our now defunct tickets! As we stand debating what to do we overhear someone else getting a refund on a train that has left. I ask him about it and he said he had complained to customer services (or its equivalent!) and that they look at each case individually. Bolstered with this we headed over and stated our position but the bottom line (and yes I do have to agree) was that we should have checked our tickets carefully.
Managed to get us onto the 7.30pm train and even though still being able to use the bus and ferry part of our ticket we had to pay for the train part over again....and no more sleepers available only 3rd class hard seats (the most basic and most uncomfortable for 12 hours!!!!! Not impressed but we have no choice. Run back and just about make the train. At first we have a four seat block to ourselves...shortlived as at the next stop the train is filled completely. Our salvation came in
the form of a train guard who asked if we wanted to upgrade to an airconditioned carriage...YES! I go and have a look and, even though still on chairs its half empty so at least we can space out. What follows is the most uncomfortable nights sleep trying to lay down on a bench half your size, and its bucketing down with rain too! Wake up at 6.00am as we should be pulling in at 6.30am....the guard laughs as we start putting on our rucksacks....not getting in until 8.00am.....oh no...ferry leaves at 7.30am and we still have a ½hour bus transfer to get to the ferry. Somehow i think we are not going to make it!!
Obviously the bus waits for delayed trains but there are not enough seats on it. Luckily we had run off the train so managed to secure two seats. Not so for the other 10 people who did not have a seat! No worries...the assistant is just shouting to everyone to get on, stand up it doesn’t matter!! One girl is having none of it and refuses to get on...the problem being though that this is the bus for the only ferry going across today.
The more she protests about not having a seat the more the assistant shouts at her to get onto the bus. Eventually she gets on and we set off, but 20 mins later the bus stops and people going for another ferry are told to get off and wait by the roadside for a different bus to take them (I wonder if that bus ever appeared or how long they had to wait for?)
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