This one goes out to Annie...Tank fly boss walk jam nitty gritty You're listening to the boy from the big bad city, this is BANGKOK!!

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I'm still working on the NZ blog, 3 weeks to write up from a stream of consciousness and events that me and annie put together so should be up in a few days!! Meanwhile, I'm now in Thailand!!

17-09-12@ 11am
Arrived at 8pm. Slept a lot on the flight. Screwed my body clock over! Arrived at Hostel in Siam Square after negotiating another countries train system! Thai railway is so cheap and easy to use, we've got a lot to answer for in the UK with our ever increasing fares..cost me about £1.20 to get from airport to siam square!! Checked in to Lub D which I found on Hostel World (aka my bible for reviews!), couple of Singha's looking at chaing mai overnight trains. Met an Aussie guy asked if I wanted to join bunch of people to a bar, too tired and crashed in bed reading Hillsborough Report..only to wake at 3am for 2 hours reading papers on phone! Dorm was still empty, think they all got back at 7am!! Up at 9.30, breakfast for £1.60! Off to find a mainline train station to book tix for tonight's sleeper train to chaing mai... 17-09-12 @ 5pmBooked sleeper return to BKK arrive on 21st at 7am then need to work out how best to was south to islands.





From the main station, Hualamphong, got a tuk tuk to The Grand Palace to see The Emerald Buddha. Started haggling at 500bt ended up paying 120bt, bargain!...or so I thought..Palace was amazing, very grand and pretty...400bt in but some guy gave me his borrowed clothes which had his 200bt deposit he wasn't bothered about, nice gesture!
After palace tried following the walking tour from guide book. Solid to navigate when a lot of the street names are Thai squiggles!! Some Thai English teacher came over and talked me through some sights and marked them on my map, then explained difference between government cheap tuk tuk (white n black number plates) and private expensive ones (yellow plates). So he flags me down a govt one and speaks to the driver about taking me to these 4 places and waiting while I go explore at each one...cost me 40bt for almost 2 hours!! Stitched up nicely by the previous guy! Paid him double as he was a nice guy and it's only about 90p originally!





Went to giant standing buddha and reclining Buddha temples which were big grand places all gold and mosaics I've never seen places like it. He took me to the Tailor Expo and asked if I could keep the tailor talking for 20 mins if not buying as he gets free gas for taking me there!! Stayed for 25 mins checking out all the suit materials n that, they keep saying the make clothes for Armani and Versace but pretty sure it's bullshit, nice suits but after having a hand made suite from home I knew what to look for, working buttons on the jacket cuff etc..these didn't have that..plus it would be ready in 1 day..yeah, sure pal!
After tuk tour i walked to Koh San road...nowt special, tourist central, few bars had prem league on...headed to the safe haven of McDonald's - starving and in need of something reliable, some of the scran on koh San looked ropey as..! Huge thunder storm started pissing down real bad as I write..need to get back to collect bag and get to train station in next 2.5 hrs...





18-09-12 @ 12.15
Finally made it to Chaing Mai this morning after a 14 hour night train from Bangkok..train actually left at 6.10pm last night not 7.30pm as I thought..only noticed as I was sorting my money n stuff out in McDonald's when it was pissing it down last night..only had 1 hour to get from koh San road back to Siam square to pick up my bag from hostel and down to Hualamphong Station...had to tab it in as traffic was gridlocked due to rain, got a tuk, argued over the price as he turned engine off to save gas he wanted me to do a sponsored stop so he could get free gas, no time to haggle so chucked him 50bt and ran all the way!! Made it with 1 min to spare and soaked through, conductor laughing at how wet I was so got me a blanket out!! Had a few beers to celebrate and some Thai food for dinner before hitting the lower berth to read about chaing mai...





I woke up at 8am to views of rolling paddy fields, mountains and jungles..awesome way to travel for £16!
Was planning to stay in a guest house from guide book but at the station loads of hustlers bombard you 'taxi taxi, my house..etc' so ended up getting a free lift to some hurt house in the old town..first room they showed me was okay but second was better with ensuite, tv and double bed, there's even a pool! All for a massive 300bt a night...£6!!! Been offered 'Rasta fags' by the woman at reception, think I'm going to like chaing mai!!





Reet, off to Look for some tigers and check out some temples n that...

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