COCKTAILS IN BANGKOK

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Stepping off the plane the first thing that hits you is the intense heat. We had spent a long time in the humidity of Queensland which helped, but the last week or so in Victoria had been chilly and we had started to get used to it.

After checking into our hotel we wasted no time in showering and setting off to check out our surroundings. We didn't get far because just down the road we found a street vendor selling pad Thai for 40bht (80p). Cooked while you wait with a choice of unknown spice mixes and frightening looking chillies for you to add yourself it tasted amazing. A little further down the road we found a bar which consisted of a small stall on wheels with tables and chairs in the busy main road. With a backdrop of a building site its was right in the middle of the madness. This looked a prefect spot for our first drink in Asia. Two beers and one cocktail came to grand total of £2.50 - now this we could get used to.

After a couple of rounds we took a walk down the famous Khao San road. it’s a lot for your senses to take in at once. Stalls, food, people, and loud music all fight for your attention. The pace is fast with a constant stream of people either pushing you forward or walking towards you. If you allow yourself to be swept away with it you could easily find yourself at the other end of the road having made no stops and wondering what the hell just happened. After a night cap at the hotel we were finally done. It was nearly 2am but to our body clock it was almost 6am. It had been a long day.

After a late night we had quite a lay in. We went to reception to try and upgrade our room. We had originally booked the cheapest room with a shared bathroom but we were a long way from the shared facilities making our night time trips to the loo inconvenient. £6 extra a night to have our own bathroom was hardly going to break the bank!

We had to go to the Vietnamese embassy to arrange our visas. After picking up some bbq pork in chilli sauce from a street vendor we negotiated a price with a tuk tuk driver. They are more expensive than a taxi, but an experience not to be missed. The driver weaved expertly through the crazy traffic, breaking just in time to narrowly miss an accident or two - It was certainly an exhilarating journey!

When we arrived we found that the embassy was closed for a very long lunch. We wasted some time wandering around a busy local market and bought a very refreshing ice smoothie which hit the spot on a very humid day.

Back at the embassy there was a rather large queue forming outside. We hoped that this wasn't going to turn into a long afternoon. Only one clerk was working, the other three appeared to be observing - this is something that is seen al lot in Bangkok, I suspected that we would see this across all of Asia. We have also seen 5 people changing a light bulb - one up the ladder, one holding the ladder, one with a spare ladder and two watching! After a good while queuing we finally paid our fee and were told to come back tomorrow. We had been told to expect a 3-5 day wait so this was a pleasant surprised but maybe this was also why it cost more than expected. Still at £40 it would be well worth it.

The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring the many shopping centres. Floor upon floor of shops selling almost anything you could imagine. Each floor so huge that you could get lost without a map, or if your like us get lost whilst looking for the map. Travelling for a long time means that you have to be very restrained. We have to be prepared to either lug stuff about for months or post it home. We resisted temptation and left empty handed.

We negotiated with another tuk tuk driver for the return journey, but on the way back he tried to up the price. When we disagreed he tried to take us on a "special trip" which would mean a visit to his friends shop or restaurant where he would get commission. We stood our ground and told him if didn't take us straight back for the agreed price he could stop and let us out. Eventually we made it back for the agreed price and managed to get out of being measured up for a new suit on the way.

Since it was valentines day Andy said he wanted to take me to a restaurant for dinner - not that we normally celebrate but eating in a restaurant in Bangkok need not be an expensive affair. We found somewhere local to us where we enjoyed beer, cocktails, chicken and cashew nuts and yellow noodle soup for just £15. A slight difference to last valentines weekend when Andy took me away for the weekend and proposed - he said I’m a cheap date!

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