Thailand - Bangkok & Ayutthaya

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Well a very very hot hello from Thailand,

We have had a very good and very exhausting time in Bangkok, its such a beautiful city, very loud, very fast, very dirty, very smelly we loved it!!. Did the Grand Palace yesterday, oh my god it was just stunning! It didn't feel real, like a movie set or something, incredible. We had a good giggle yesterday after visiting the Grand Palace in Bangkok, we got on the wrong bus to our next destination!! We had another 2 temples planned & a visit to see some Thai dancers at a teak mansion (royal residence) We had a 3 HOUR bus ride heading out of the city in the wrong direction! It was so funny, all we had was this stupid picture tourist map & we had to keep pointing at where we wanted to go but no one understood us!! Luckily some random woman got what we were on about & took us to the bus stop & told the driver where we wanted to go! Bonus of a 3 hour not needed journey though, we didn't pay for any of it (no idea why) and we got so see loads of rural Thailand!! So dint get to see all of what we wanted & will have to do it when we head back down from Chiang Mai. We have seen some spectacular sights and have taken loads of photos.

We left Bangkok on Tuesday and took a train out of the city for 30 baht (60 pence) for 1hr 30 min, had such a sweet Thai lady come & sit next to us & we gave her English lessons!! It was so funny, she is teaching herself & had all this stuff written down & she wanted to know the opposite for everything she had written! Bless her. Have just done a whirl wind tour round 4 temples at a World Heritage site in Ayuatthaya, the former city of Thailand, we literally had no words, our chins hit the floor! Beautiful ruins of temples & all the Buddha heads cut off, something to do with the Burmese?!

We got off the train and found out where to go and what to see, then agreed a price, 1 hour, 4 temples for 200 baht (£4) and we had a young guy and our mode of transport wasn't the usual tuk tuk, it was a bloody Honda Civic, with Alloys and loud exhaust! It was very cool, not the way you would expect to get around, but he was really nice and helped add to the memory and experience. Again loads of photos to show you when we get home. Oh and we need to talk about the food - its just amazing & so so cheap! we have eaten off the streets mostly from meat on sticks (haven't asked what meat) to bags of fresh mango & pineapple for 20p each to full meals for less than a pound LOVE IT!!

Chiang Mai next on the overnight train to see more temples & a day at an Elephant Conservation Centre where we get to feed & wash them - whoo hoo!!

xx

xxx

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Photos

HUGE shopping centre
This place is so big, it even had Porsche, Ferrari, Maserati & Lambo showrooms on the 3rd floor!!! WOW