Arriving in Bangkok
Trip Start
Jun 15, 2008
1
2
36
Trip End
Jun 15, 2009
Bangkok,
Thailand
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
We Touchdown in the airport relieved that our luggage has also made it
The Turkey
. Caroline was particularly worried about her "Turkey" (We wrapped her rucksack in cling film to detere thieves and affectionatley called it her "turkey")We pass through immigration fairly easily and head for the exit. Here we agree with a taxi to bring us to our hotel in central Bangkok for 400 Baht or 8 euros. a pretty good deal considering it was a journey of 30km. On the way to our hotel we learn why this is called the wet season. As the skys open and visibility becomes very very poor. Our taxi driver laughs it off as he zips through the traffic. Think Ill have to change my trousers again at the hotel. En route I ask the driver how to say thank you in thai. "Khamp Khun Clap" he says for men an "Khamp khun Kai" for women. Clap for men because they are strong or superior.Kai for women because they are weak. I turn to caroline and say "Damn right" She doesnt look happy.
We eventully get to our hotel and it is really nice. We are pretty wrecked at this stage so we decide to just get dinner in the hotel and have an early night.
Next morning we head out into the city to find the tourist office. The heat and humidity is stiffling
On a long tail boat round Bangkok
. Everywhere you go you get people walking up to you. Asking you Questions but eventually they get around to trying to steer you to a local tourist attraction or to take a trip[ in the friends tuk tuk. Thse people all have various stories "I am a teacher" I am the tourist police" "I am head of security in a hotel" then they whip out a map and try and give you advice on where to go and what to see and before you know it they have herded you over to a tuk tuk and are trying to get you to take a trip in the tuk tuk to all the places they have pointed out on the map. Ver very annoying.We finnaly find the tourist office and armed with our brochures and maps we set off to the train station to book our train tickets north to Chaing Mai. We book a 2nd class sleeper cabin fopr the trip which will take 12 hours. The rest of the day is spent travelling arund the city on the skytrain. We try to make it back to the hotel before it starts to rain (It rains every day for about two hours, starting around 430 in the evening throughout the wet season) But 200yards from our hotel it starts to rain. We take shelter in a pub but after 40 minutes we decide to make a dash for the hotel. BIG MISTAKE. We get soaked to the skin and the road our hotel is on is flooded so we have to wade thought to get to the hotel. The sewers flood when the rain starts so god only knows what we were wading through.
Waiting on the BTS Skytrain in Bangkok
Spend the evening in the pub having food and Beer.
Today (Wednesday) we wanted to get a river taxi up the river, instead we get talked into hiring our own boat to take us on a tour of the river and canal. If the locals spot you looking a little confused at all they pounce on you and talk you into something your not entirely sure you agreed to. The trip round the river and canal passes uneventfully. It took us into some of the rougher areas of Bangkok and it certainly was an eye opener. After this we head to the famous Khao San Road where I am presently writing this in an internet cafe. This place is filled with tourists and certainly seems to have a buzz about it.
Tomorrow we head for Chiang Mai
