Travels with my Mother

Phuket was a haven and getting to Bangkok after some quiet time was a bit of a shock to the system. We didn't exactly get on to a great start and arrived late, grumpy and rather bothered to the hotel.

Mamma and me at Jim Thompson's house

We got ourselves a cab from the airport (the luxury of having someone to share the travel costs with - I tell you!!) which felt like the most sensible thing to do. The taxi driver seemed confident enough, but as we all know appearances can be decieving.

As we headed in to town he kindly put on a tape of Tom Jones, my mother reckoned it was for her pleasure as she is of the age group which remembers Mr Welshy from first time around (pre cringe-worthy Sexbome phase). The drive should have taken 40 minutes. More than two hours later we had the map out in the backseat, the taxi driver had asked for directions ('a man asking for directions?' I hear you all say) and we now know all the words to 'Delilah' and 'Green Green Grass of Home'. Should we stumble upon a karaoke bar at some point and feel the urge to grab the microphone that may not be a bad thing, but in the heat of the moment we were not amused.

Mamma and me by Reclining Buddha

The hotel was ok'ish. I suppose unless we'd stayed somewhere ultra posh like the Peninsula or the Oriental it wasn't going to surpass where we'd been. We went for a walk to mentally cool off and ended up having an unexpectadly brilliant dinner. We found a place where you cook your own food on the table. There's a electrical pot on the table with water and ginger inside, you order what you want and then you make yourself a soup. Tofu, Thai fish cakes, lemon grass and Thai super-spicy-green-chilli are now things my mother has eaten with chopsticks. Not being hugely familiar with chopsticks beforehand I dare say my mother is a natural, not dropping any of her food.

Bangkok is a funky place, not at all what I expected. Mum was the first to notice how young everyone seemed to be, then today we read that half of the city's population is under 30. Also did you know that Bangkok is the city in the world with the smallest percentage of green space per person? 0.4 square metre per person to be precice - in comparison London has 30.4. (I love reading the Rough Guides and passing off the information as if I gathered it myself..)

Pollued? Bangkok? Nah..

It's hot in Bangkok, a little too hot for my mother's liking. As it reached 33 degrees when we were wandering around the Grand Palace yesterday she sighed 'Are we done yet?' We had to giggle, suddenly our roles seemed to have been reversed. We've tuk-tuke'ed, Skytrain'ed and boat'ed our way around town and of course walked a lot. 3 days is not a lot of time in this place, so we didn't set ourselves an itinerary. And what we wanted to do - we've done. I reckon if you want to come back to a place you should leave it not having seen it all. That way you have to come back. We've avoided Khao San Road (I know!! I don't deserve the title 'backpacker' do I??)- so I have to come back for that eh?

Reclining Buddha

As usual there have been massages. I've just come now from a particularly vigorous one. To be kind, shall we say my masseuse was no Carlsita Flockhart? With her hair fiercly tied back and a stern look in her face, she did remind me a little of a sumo wrestler. And I was her pyjama clad opponent. It was evident from the first whistle this was going to be a onesided battle. After a short fight she had my head in her hands and somehow managed to shove it between my knees. Afterwards when she sat on top of me and dug her elbow into my spine, I did think for one split second that three ribs were going to snap and a lung or two were going to collaps. Seconds later she had me flipped over and when she procceeded to toss me on top of her digging her knees into my lower back and my head fell into her ample bossom, the word 'ragdoll' did sping to mind. But as I lay there on top of my masseuse and listening to her stern 'lelax, lelax' I did feel divinely stretched and after a while managed to relax, a little. And as usual after my massages I did float out of there feeling ever so good. Though I must admit with this one my face got an involentary massage from being contortet all the time. I did have my opponent in fits of laugther by the end of it though, and when she smiled she looked like a little Buddha. Though I stopped myself from rubbing her belly and wish for luck and prosperity.

Seats on ferry

We're off to Hong Kong tomorrow. Time really is flying. I wish I had much much more time in each place. Actually I do have all the time in the world, but it's the oneway flow of cash that's stopping me. Right now I would gladly pack the rucksack and be away for 5 years (YIKES - how heavy would that bag would be!). I have been offered two jobs here in Thailand - and before you think what you think - NOT THAT KIND OF JOBS!!! I've been offered a teaching post - teaching English (oh dear) and another working in the rice fields.. Tempting - very tempting!!

Shopping for Buddhas