We've found heaven!

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Imagine...... a great hour long massage every day for just about no money. Well ifyou know me (or Brnedon) thats just about the closet to heaven you can get.

It's day 2 of our honeymoon & we love Bangkok.

Well so far we're finding Bangkok great! It was really sad saying
goodbye to everyone at the airport - we shed a tear or two when we
passed through customs & I did again on the plane. But we're really
excited and so far loving Bangkok.

We flew in at about 3am NZ time, getting to our hotel at about 4.30 / 5am (I'd been up at 5.30 am that morning to go to my final Les Mills class), and although we were shattered, we wanted to stretch our legs after the plane flight, so we went for a walk along the road our hotel was on (Sukumvit Soi 22). On the walk we passed a therapeutic (no not naughty!!) massage place & both had a half hour neck & shoulder massage for just just a couple of dollars! I've found heavan! I can have a massage every day here! We finally got to bed at 6am NZ time.

After a few hours sleep & a huge (free - or at least included in our room rate) breakfast (Brendon had fruit, pancakes, bacon and omlette & cereal!) we went to explore. It was Wed morning on the 18th Jan 2006. We went on the sky train, subway, river boat (all very easy & cheap to use) a tuk tuk and of course shank's pony. We had planned to see the Emerald Buddha & Grand Palace but it took longer than expected to get there & it was closing shortly after we arrived. Unfortunatley, although we had got the best of most con artists around the Grand Palace we got suckered in at the end. If you don't know their scam, read on. Basically they're well dressed & act like they're helping you. They tell you that the palace is shut for the day & then get out your map & suggest where you go instead, then flag down a tuk tuk to take uyou there. They always send you to the 'Lucky Buddha' first, then off to shops where you have to pay extortionist prices for cthings you don't want & they get a cut.
Well we were at a bit of a loss at what to do (as we weren't meetingour friends until 8.30 that night so we finally hopped in & were taken to the Lucky Buddha & the Golden Mount. The Mount had beautiful views over Bangkok & was a peaceful interlude - so al was not lost. We then told the guy (about 100 times that wewere not going to go to the shoping place & he had to take us to meet our friends near Khao San. After a lot of argument a very pised off driver took us where we wanted.

We wandered along Khao San Rd & found our way to our friend's apartment. We sat & had dinner, chilling out for a few hours until it was time to met at 8.30. We met up with Matt Gilfoyle from Auckland, his Argentinian friend Ivan (who we'd met in Auckland) & this really lovely Israeli (tv ad) producer, Gelit. We chilled out at Sawasdee restaurant (no, not as nice as te one at home), sitting on the pavement & watching the world (who in this area were all tourists) go by. Very relaxing until the police turned up. I was kind of worried - thinking of all recent incidents in the news about their harshnes - espicillay when they came over to our table. It was't until they started pulling apart the table next to us & putting it into their truck that we worked out the restaurant owners were the ones in trouble for having tables on the sidewalk,. We moved inside & continued drinking, cathching wup with more of att's friends - 3 French girls on their last night. Tired after a big few days, Brendon & I left about half an hour after midnight. The rest staye don until 6am.

Today (Thursday 19th Jan) wewere on a mission. Brendon & I managed to polish off the Grand Palace, Emerald (really Jade) Buddha (both a bit underwhelming in the heat), the reclining buddha (huge and really cool), Chinatown (wow!), travelled through Little India & bartered our way down Khao San Rd. Who said Bangkok was expensive? Dinner costs us just a few bucks NZ a night, water about 20 cents, and a dress, really cool sunnies (I finally have some!!!), 2 tops & a pair of 'Birkenstocks' were all about NZ$5 to $7 each - and we suck at bartering.

Anyway, have to go, we're in the middle of dinner (Indian - yummy chiken tikka Masala) with Matt, Ian, Gelit, Ivan's 'girl' (2nd date) Amreen, & three Canadian's - all who are leaving tomorrow. And we're off to Pat Pong - the red light district.

Bangkok is awesome and doesn't appear to sleep.

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Comments

[Matt]

I miss my Singha beer.... was good catching up with you guys in Bangkok. Keep up the good work with the blog entries.