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Published: June 27th 2006
17.06.06
After breakie we got on a saamlaw (a guy on his bike with a place for us to sit in the back, same as a trishaw) to the bus station where we were straight on the 11.15 bus to Bangkok.
We arrived just before 2pm expecting a complete hounding from touts and taxi drivers and tuk tuk brivers, but it was ok, just a couple of taxis.
Now, everyone we have spoken to has always used taxis in Bangkok, they said they weren't able to find the buses.
As ever Andy was determined to do it our own way and get a public bus to Banglamphu, the area we wanted to stay in. Not on Khoa San road (a mecca for travellers) but just behind it, cheaper and not so noisey!
After trudging about with our bags, for what felt like an eternity, and locals pointing us in opposite directions (as they want you to take a taxi, more money for them) we found the correct bus and was on our way. I think more luck than judgement we stopped the bus at the correct location.
We checked out a couple of places to live and chose one that had
been recommended to us and appealed as it has a roof top pool.
Settled in we went to Subway!! for lunch and then a walk down the infamous Khoa San Road. It was busy with hundreds of taxis and tuk tuks that shout to you every 2 minutes asking you if you want one or "where you going?" we now answer with "this way" and point forward.
There are lots of travellers there, bars, shops, market stalls and restaraunts.
We popped back to our room to relax before going out for dinner and checking out Khoa san road at night. It was crazy busy and loud, really cool.
18.06.06
We planned our trip to Bangkok so it would fall on a weekend for the weekend market (Chatuchak market). So up early to, yes, catch a local bus to the market. We went to the cash machine so we could pay for our room for that night and to take loadsa spending money. The machine spat our card out without giving us any money, so we tried another one, same thing. We tried both of our cards with varying amounts of money in several machines. NOT GOOD NOT HAPPY!
We went on the internet to look at our accounts online, the nationwide site was down! (You may remember this happened to us in New Zealand too, but we were able to use our credit card to get money out, not this time.)
So we called the Nationwide phone number to see what the deal was. She told us the whole system had been shut down from 3am to 7am UK time! She was sorry! Not good if you are in a forgein place with no money!
Luckily, being the clever sensible people that we are, we still had some travellers cheques for emergencies. Unfortunately not having spending money for the market was not an emergency but paying for our room was. We cashed a couple then decided to go in the roof top pool until the cashpoints would give us money at around 1pm our time.
Come 12 ish we went to try again and yes they were working! Heading for a local bus we went to the market.
This market was huge!!! over 10,000 stalls selling everything from pets (that we didn't actually see, probably a good thing as the pets for sale that we have seen are
Anybody for a snack?
There were fried cockroaches, grass hoppers, scorpians and other things.a little upsetting), antiques, clothes, kitchenware and handicrafts.
Whilst we were the the heavens opened and it peed down for a few hours.
We were a little disappointed with the market as we couldn't find anything we wanted! However we did both get a pair of trainers each, puma and nike. For v cheap and of course we haggled them down too. Back on the bus to Banglamphu to relax before heading out for some dinner.
Whilst we were out we phoned home and checked out about getting our visas for Cambodia and Vietnam. After a little more research we have found that we can now get the Cambodian visa on the land crossing and we will get our Vietnam visa in Cambodia (as that is one you have to have before you arrive.)
19.06.06
On the Monday we awoke to no water in the morning, so we headed of upstairs to our rooftop pool for a wash (no soap though) We later found out that there was a burst pipe outside! On our way out for the day, Andy spotted a couple who we had first met in New Zealand (just when we were looking around the car
market) and then again in Sydney on New Years Eve day! So we chatted for about haf an hour and exchanged stories.
Then on our way again to the river to catch a ferry from Tha Phra Athit Pier to Tha Tien. Whilst on the boat the ticket man didn't come up to us for our money, free trip!!
Off the boat we first went to Wat Phra Chetuphon, known as Wat Pho, where it houses the biggest reclining Buddha in Bangkok. (this was recommended to us by Marcia and aunty Anne).
The Buddah was really quite spectatular, and beautiful (in a goldie tacky sort of way). It's 46m long 15m high made of brick with plaster over the top and painted in gold leaf.
His feet have pictures on them made from mother of pearl.
Just so you know we shall tell you a little RE. The reclining Buddha is him reaching Nirvana (not the band) so passing away. His long ears symbolise long life, long nose is intelligence, curly hair for enlightened and the spike on the top of his head is enlightenment. So there you go. We heard this when we stood earwigging to a guide
that someone else had paid for!
The wall and the ceiling of the temple is all painted with various pictures, quite grand.
We then spent a good hour or so walking around the grounds looking at all the decrotive buildings and chedis.
From here we walked to the Grand Palace. This is where we encountered a scam that we have read about in the Lonely Planet. Very funny.
We stroll up to the gates and a guy in a suit comes up to us: "the grand palace closed at 2pm, but I have free tickets for ..... and this tuk tuk can take you for just 10B"
We say: "No, no, we can see people in there, plus the sign that says it closes at 4pm!"
So he then points us in the direction of the entrance. You wouldn't think people would be so gullable, but just as we were leaving a couple got in his tuktuk! How stupid! We are not sure how the scam works?, but we knew it was one!!
So we went into the Grand Palace, 250B! What a rip off! Especially when there is a cue with a sign that says 'Thai Free'!
The king is everywhere!
Check me out in my sexy poncho!!
Yes I look like a geek but it works!
This is after the weekend market. That could have least not had the translation under it so we didn't feel completely discriminated.
In the Grand Palace complex there were lots of halls and chedis, all very fancy and decorative with gold and half animal, half thing statues.
We went into Wat Phra Kaew (if you haven't already guessed, Wat is the name for a temple) to see the Emerald Buddah, which wasn't all that impressive, I, Andy never actually saw it because it was that small.
All in all the grounds around were very nice, there were loads of different buildings scattered around, probably all with a different significance that we don't know about, we just like looking at them and hope some of our pictures give you a little idea of how they looked.
We never saw the Grand Palace until we were about to leave, it was your typical looking royal building again the grounds were very nice and well kept. Near here we went into a weapons room containing loads of old spears swords and clubs with nails in that looked as though they would have done a lot of damage if one was to connect with your face!!
On our way back to our hotel, which would have only been a twenty minutes walk, we were stopped by what first appeared to be just an ordinary helpful lady, but what we were about to encounter was our second Bangkok scam.
We had just passed another Wat (Wat Marahat) I think, the lady asked us if we were looking for it and that she would take us to see it. OK!! Nothing wrong with that,
As we all sat in front of Buddha, making sure not to point our feet towards the dude, she started to ask us if we had seen the "Standing Buddha" (sounds good we thought, see it on wednesday), the Happy Buddha (also sounds good) and the golden mountain (all sounds great, we will have to see them all on wednesday we thought and said to her) NO, NO she replied as she was pointing to all these landmarks and telling us that they were all free today and that a tuk tuk would cost us 40 baht (each? were not sure). As we began to become even more suspicious of here (We were the minute we met here anyway) The more insistent she was
for us to go that day!!! Why??
Anyway we hung around a few minutes looking around the Wat and managed to give here the slip!!! We're not sure where she went, but we bet it was funny when she realised we had got away. Hahaha
We later found out from Kris, a guy in a restaraunt whom was as camp as they come!, that it WAS ALL A CON. Well done us!!
Later that night we had a bit of internet time. Melissa phoned her grandma and I, Andy called my mum.
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