Up the river, Gems & Cabbages and Condoms.

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Geo: 13.7308, 100.521

After breakfast we headed out and saw the taxi driver Nana and Pa use so we booked with him to go to Kanchanaburi and I went back up to the room to get hats but when I was walking back the guy that orders the taxi asked my name so I told him as I was walking through the door the doorman opened for me, well I was meant to walk through it but instead I walked straight into the wall next to it causing everyone around to go into hysterics. Then when I came down again he was like how are you Melissa? What are you doing Melissa? Have a good day Melissa. But the way he was saying my name was like Mmalllissssaaaa. It was so funny.

We then continued walking onto Robinsons but when we went in the shop workers were all standing in front of their products looking at us and holding their hands up like they were praying and as we walked past they would all say hello in Thai. (they were saying their morning prayers for the store and for a good day of trade). It was so intimidating, but really funny. Then we caught the sky train to Saphan Taksin and then walked down to the river to catch a ferry to stop 30. There were plenty of locals there and a few westerners. The trip was long (bit over an hour) but very interesting. Along the way we saw temples of many different religions, sky-rises, tug-boats with massive barges (200m long plus), buildings that were half built and that's how they were staying, the Grand Palace, restaurants and many houses out over the water but my favourite thing we saw was a really old house over the river that would've been a mansion back in its day.

The town itself was quite rural and had a main street which was full of markets at very good prices as they were priced for the locals not tourists. We passed four or five glasses shops but I'm fussy and didn't like any of the glasses there. Before returning home we went to 7-Eleven and got an ice-cream and went to the toilet. 3 Baht for squat toilets that were in horrible condition but anyway. The boat home was a lot better than going up as we were going the way the tide was going so it was faster and we were on a better side so we could see more.

We came back to the hotel and booked a bus from Gems to come pick us up and were told it would be 45 minutes so Nana and Pa decided to go for a swim but 10 minutes later we got a call from reception saying it was here so I had to sprint down to level 3, to the end of the hall, down 3 levels of stairs tell Nana and Pa to get out and run then run back. I was stuffed afterwards! The ride down was long and boring because the roads were all congested but in the end we got there. It was exactly like I remembered, we were greeted at the door by 6 ladies in really nice outfits, then got a soft drink, walked into the bit where they make the jewellery and there I stayed for half an hour while everyone else went on to the showroom. It was fascinating watching them make the jewellery. Some people had gems on little sticks and were making them the right shape, some were making the things the gems sit in and some were doing something to the rings I'm not really sure what but. The showroom is massive and full of very expensive but very pretty jewellery. In the end we walked out with a necklace pendent of an elephant for mum and Nana got a broach stone replaced. The people who served us were very nice and the very short one was only 144cm and they were all shocked when I told them I was only 13. They guessed 19.

Not long after we were back from Gems we headed off to Cabbages and Condoms. It was a nice short walk there and when we arrived we walked through a little entrance garden that was all lit up. Inside everything was made of or decorated with condoms, condom dressed mannequins, condom lamps, condom tables, condom flowers... The food was really nice and there was a lady playing a traditional instrument that was very relaxing and enjoyable. After tea we had our photo taken as condoms. Like the cardboard things with the face cut out, that's normally spider man or something well these ones were condoms.

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Comments

[Peter]

still waiting, hope you got some sunnies

[joan34]

Kate found our favourite dish ?Mountain chicken baked with wild honey? Delicious!

[Gaye]

hi kate and mel flash says meow and is doing well sounds like you are having a great time enjoy your holiday c u soon"