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Published: July 16th 2017
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Geo: 14.8882, 102.255
Wake with alarm at 06:30 and Jai goes out to get breakfast.
As we leave the guest house I stop at reception to pay for our late check-out this evening as usual. Am told that someone wants our room from 12:00 so we have move to another room, and, as we are moving rooms, have to pay the full price of the other room not half price for the extension. Dont think so ... Anyway, we dont have the time to waste standing arguing so we clear our 'old' room and leave bags in a different room and leave.
Take a taxi into the centre of town and to the strangely named Trendy Building on Soi 13 Sukhumvit Road, where the people who process the visa applications, VFS, now reside. We arrive about an hour early as traffic was surprisingly light. When we were here last year we waited in a nice park not far away and I extolled the virtues of the generous chap who had given the park over to public usewhat with it being worth an absolute fortune due to its location. We arrive this year to find that the gates are locked and have been since June
2016 to allow for renovation. Everything looks exactly the same and I guess by this time next year there will be building in progress here ...
At about 09:40 Jai disappears off to floor 28 of Trendy Building and I take up a seat on the steps outside, not even being allowed in the building with her any more. Sit for a while then go for a stroll past Korea Town. Seeing an office marked as Korean Cultural Centre I thought I would stop in to see if I could get some tourist info as we are considering going here later this year. No luck, I would need to visit the tourist office located elsewhere. Back to Trendy Building to resume my wait.
Jai is actually in the office not much more than 1/2 hour and then we try our luck with taxis. No-one ever wants to leave the city and drive us outto the guest house at Banglamphu and today is no exception. After trying four taxiswe walk along to Nana Skytrain station and head towards Saphan Taksin and the river. Train is really busy and everyone pours off in search of a river boat as soon as we arrive. Fortunately
lots of them are going to the tourist boat but being a cheapskate we head for the locals river bus which is still really busy.
Takes about 30mins on the river to get back to Banglamphu and there are boats everywhere, probably busier than I have ever seen it. Pass Wat Prayoon on our way.
When I first spotted a temple with Jai's real name years ago I decided we had to visit. When we got in the area wecouldnt find an alley to the temple and asked quite a few people who were reluctant to give us directions. A chap eventually led us there explaining it was a cremation temple and nobody could understand why a tourist would want to see it. There is a really interesting and kind of spooky graveyard next door to it that is worth a visit, if it is still there.
Getting back to the guest house we discover tey have resolved the issue. We now have another room altogether, but it has a bathroom and aircon as did our original room, and they are only charging me half price for the late check-out as they normally do. Sorted.
With the room taken care off its back
for some more noodles for lunch.
It might be the cool season but temperatures in the afternoon are still mid-30s and surprisingly humid today as well. Stay in the room and watch a movie on TV before going down to eat early at the guest house. I am usually a little careful what I eat before spending the night on a busso it is usually one of their wonderful tuna baguettes.
Check-out about 18:00 and taxi to Mo Chit sitting in the lounge there, amongst thousands of fellow travellers, until our bus arrives just before 20:00. Take up our comfy reclining seats in the small downstairs cubicle and settle in for the night.
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