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Published: April 2nd 2012
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For our first night in Bangkok we met up with Fon (Gaffney's cousin's friend) who took us straight to Khao San Road! Packed full of backpackers, bars, clubs and stalls selling everything from fried insects to fake ID, it was mental and a great start to Bangkok! Had thai food for dinner and sampled our first bucket in a bar advertised as 'We don't check ID' before going to Gulivars travels night club! Great first night it Bangkok!
Wednesday we spent our first full day in Bangkok, being very cultured. Fon took us to see 3 temples in 38 degree heat and no wind! Massive shock to the system!! First we visited Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace. Was really busy and too hot but still absolutely stunning! The ordination hall is home to the emerald Buddha (Jasper) and the whole place is just packed with loads to see. Next we went to Wat Pho to see the giant Reclining Buddha, literally GIANT (15m high and 46m long)! After a look around the rest of the grounds we jumped on the river boat accross to Wat Arun. Wat Arun was really high and you can climb up it which
would have had amazing views but it was far too hot for our amusingly pale skin! Tired and templed out we went back to our hostel for an early night!
Thursday Fon took us to a shopping mall to find some stuff and we ate in the food court. When you went in they handed you a credit card type thing (like a school dinner swipe card) and then you chose what you wanted from all the different places (literally food from all over the world) then handed your card in when you left to pay your balance! Would never work in Glasgow!! We got our first tuk tuk back to the hostel, rather scary experience! At night we headed to China Town which was very busy (like everywhere in Bangkok!), lights everywhere and people selling all sorts of unusual, suspicious looking food! Dinner was interesting, and if Fon hadn't ordered for us pretty sure we would have ended up with fish stew and chicken feet! After dinner Fon took us to Sukhumvit where we went to what can only be described as Bangkok's red light district! after 5 mins of feeling entirely uncomfortable we headed along the road
a bit to a bar with a band who played us The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and The Who!!
Friday we started our 'journey' to Koh Samui. After only being able to get 3rd class seats on the sleeper train (no air con, no bed) we managed to find our seats and put our bags away before the carriage was crammed full of people. We left an hour late and about 3 hours into the journey (where we kept stopping and starting and going backwards) the train came to a sudden halt! The guards came through and made an announcement in thai and didn't speak english!! Some people started to get of the train! It was midnight and we didn't have a clue what was happening! After eventually figuring out that the train needed a new engine we had to wait 3 hours in the pitch black untill the new engine came along! All the people in the carriage were trying to feed us odd looking food and trying to buy us beer! The train got in to Surat Thani 4 hours late, so we missed our connecting boat! Had to wait around for another 4 hours!! By the time
we reached Koh Samui it felt like we hadn't slept in days!! But still...our first 'travelling' experience and we coped rather well :D.
When we eventually arrived in Koh Samui (saturday) we were sharing a bus to Chaweng with other people heading that way. The driver didn't know where any of the hotels were and as we were sitting in the front helping him find the signs we were kept in the taxi until the end to help him out, passing our hostel 4 times in the process! Trying to find 'The Wave' he pointed and every sign saying 'The ......' announcing that that was 'the wave' when in fact it was 'the tree' 'the frog' or anything else!! Got to our place (Z hotel) after dark, and completely shattered! Went to a Brazillian place for dinner and cocktails, (where they played mambo no. 5!) and then went to discover where everything was before we were completely exhausted and needed sleep!!
On Sunday it was raining!! Couldn't go to the beach but we found an Irish pub showing the celtic game so all was good!! Went to a reggae beach hut, started our backpackers bracelet collection and had
more buckets at night! Seen ladyboys for the first time and went to the Mango Club! The club was really busy, playing dance/r&b/chart (maybe) so not really our scene but still a good night!! Today we planned on lazing about the beach but it's raining again!! Going to be white forever!!
Loving island life, heading to Koh Pha-Ngan in the morning.
You're a Bucket!!
xxx
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