Kidnapped by a Tuk Tuk Driver

Trip Start Jun 09, 2003

169

Trip End Jun 02, 2007

Loading Map

Map your own trip!

Map Options

Show trip route

Hide lines

Flag of Thailand Bangkok, Thailand
Sunday, August 10, 2003

My last night in Hong Kong was spent in the Kings Arms watching Real Madrid play Hong Kong. For someone who doesn't enjoy football it wasn't too bad! I arrived safely in Bangkok last night. I've got the whole dormitory in the hostel to myself which is quite nice. Someone said to me before leaving Hong Kong that Thailand is still pretty quiet - I guess people aren't travelling so much after SARS and with the terriorist bombings in Indonesia. Bangkok is a very interesting city, it's incredibly smelly, something I heard, but until you actually experience it, it's difficult to actually imagine. It's also very hot and full of people, well I suppose it is a city. Today I was heading from my hostel to Khao San Road when I was greeted by a nice Thai man. I've heard all the horror stories of Thai con men so I was quite wary. Turns out he worked for the Tourist Information office so he told me all the places to go - he wrote them on a bit of paper for me and comandeered a tuk tuk for me before I could say a word

Reclining buddha

. On Tuesday it's the Queen's birthday so today was a national holiday. All tuk tuks were only 10 baht wherever you wanted to go. First stop was a temple that is only opened to the public once a year on the Queen's birthday so it was quite an honour to actually go inside. Once inside I met a Thai man, who taught English at the University in Bangkok. He showed me how to approach the buddha. This was a lucky buddha which people pray to for happiness. First of all you kneel down in front of the buddha and put your hands together in prayer, touching your forehead, while making a wish. You then bow your head to the floor, touching the floor with both hands. The man was praying to buddha for future happiness as he was getting married on Wednesday. I'll not say what I wished for. The next stop was a clothes factory outlet where they make made to measure clothes. I wasn't going to buy anything, but they were doing a special offer for the queen's birthday (all fuel was free today - I'm not sure if that was just for the tuk tuks or if that was for everyone, all other shopping and food was tax free, I can't imagine them doing that in the UK on the Queen's birthday). I ordered a lovely pair of cashemere trousers for about 35GBP. After this it was onto another temple and then another. He also took me to a gem store (the tuk tuk drivers get coupons for taking tourists to certain places). They had a beautiful sapphire necklace I would have bought if it hadn't been 360GBP. Ah well, maybe on my next visit! The tuk tuk driver dropped me off at Khao San Road where I spent a while wandering up and down. I'm heading up to Chiang Mai, in the north of Thailand, tomorrow night, where I'll be going on a mountain trek.
Hilary
xxx