Bangkok

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So im not going to lie, I was not looking forward to the prospect of spending time in Bangkok.....My image of a big crazy city just felt like it would need far too much energy from me which I no longer have! However, upon I arriving I was pleasantly surprised and ended up getting caught up in the place like everyone else!

My first mission was to prepare for my beach holiday (hehe!) and buy myself a new bikini! People had warned me that Bangkok was the place for shopping but I dont think I fully appreciated what they meant......I now do! The shopping malls are MENTAL! They are never ending corridors of little boutiques divided into sections.....clothes, shoes, bags. Its a wonder how anyone can choose which one they want when going shopping, the choice is phenomenal! So after I got my bikini I also found myself walking away with four other items which accumulated to my daily budget! So lunch and dinner were going to have to be bread and water for me! And supposedly I should have to sleep on the street too, but luckily I had already paid for my accomodation!

It was then time to get out and explore the city. Up and out early I headed off to the Grand Palace via the metro (much nicer than Londons underground, and much cheaper!) and local buses. I think going around the Grand Palace could be one of my more harrowing experiences.....and seeing as you can not take pictures in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha I should have just saved my 400B and bought a postcard! There were WAY too many tourits in there and it was WAY to hot. I literally took my pictures and then left, there was no way I was lingering around in that place, fighting my way through the crowds! The buildings were very pretty though...very glam!

Next up was the much more pleasant Wat Pho. The oldest and biggest temple in Bangkok it is famous for its reclining Buddha statue (43m long, 15m high) and is also home to the Thai school of massage! The only place that was busy here was around the Buddha, eslewhere in the complex it was much more peaceful to wander round.

I then got on a boat to cross over the river to check Wat Arun which towers up to 82m tall. From a distance it looks like its carved from stone but up close it is very intricately decorated by broken porcelain mosaic. You can climb up the VERY steep steps which then also provides a nice panoramic view of the river and city, again much fewer tourists here!

After this, I was ready to head back and recover from the sun. So I jumped on a river boat which then took me to the skytrain and back to my hostel.

This then meant that I had almost ran out of time in Bangkok and money. With the time I did have left I went for a few short walks around my hostel to check out the local street food (a particular favourite was the street food takeaway breakfast for the city workers.....fried egg, noodles and veggies in a polysterene box, unfortunately I dont think it will catch on in London??) and take in the city life. I also had a chance to sort through my rucksack and donate all my unwanted belongings to the Thai Red Cross who were very grateful (as was my back as I can once again lift my rucksack without too much strain!) .

So my final stop is Ko Lanta, a Thai Island not far from Krabi. I intend on spending 2 weeks 'recovering' and tanning myself silly before I fly home. Therefore this could be my penultimate blog before I say may farewell to you and return home. You will then all have to endure my stunning tan (fingers crossed!!!) and my millions of photos and stories for the forseable future! Haha!

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Photos

Temple of the Emerald Buddha
The glitzy outside

Me at Wat Pho
Rocking out in my Cambodian trousers I might just add! I particularly love the statue of the dude just behind me, He's awesome!