Toto- I don’t think we are in Kansas anymore!
I finally made it! It took hours, the journey to London seemed to take as long as the flight did, but i’m here! In Bangkok, sweltering in the heat, trying to work out the money and eating scrummy thai curry.
I got the coach to London, no changes direct from Cleethorpes to London Victoria Coach station, dumped my bags in left luggage and finally utilised some of the amazing features on my new all singing, all dancing phone. (I used the map feature to walk to Trafalgar Square) I was going to see the Queen and pop in for a cuppa but she’s away this week, so I went to the national portrait gallery instead, saw some grim paintings of John the Baptist having his head cut off and a couple of Jesus being born, I am probably never going to be an art enthusiast, I was more impressed with the plaster work on the ceiling and architraves than the paintings!
Anyway, after getting stuck in traffic and being an hour late at the airport (you would think National Express would factor in rush hour traffic to the timetable) I rushed through checking in and security and got settled on the plane for a 12 hour journey.
I really don’t like travelling on my own, there is no one there to check with, confer notes or ask opinions, well, there were 400 other people on the flight i suspose i could ask, but I already looked like the nutter on a plane without behaving like one as well! So I arrived at Bangkok airport and worked my way through immigration, passport control, customs and luggage collection to get stumped by finding out how i was getting to the hotel. BTW Bangkok airport is one HUGE tent, with great big centre poles and steel guy ropes, has to be the ultimate marquee ever ;)
The whole point of pre booking the transport to the hotel was to avoid hassle like this. After asking 3 people I eventually found the lady who was organising us, she couldn’t have stationed herself further from the point which we exited the airport if she tried, but eventually we were on our way.
The journey to the hotel passed the Grand palace and many temples, the temples are all shiney and gold with coloured roof tiles and little mirrors all over which reflect the light, alongside the road are Buddas and shrines and the traffic lights are cool as they have a countdown on them so you know exactly when they are about to change.
The hotel was very posh, not really what i was expecting I thought it would be more like a hostel, consequently I did not meet with my fellow travellers until Sunday night and spent two days wondering around Bangkok like Billy no Mates.
The first night I ate in the restaurant, big mistake! After taxes and service charge I had blown my whole budget for one day on one meal, luckily it was night time and I had nowhere else to go! Of course you have to remember my daily budget is £10, but when i eventually got brave and ventured out I found I could eat and drink for about £2 in a restaurant or if feeling particulary kamikaze pick up fried noodles from a street cart for 50p- but more about them later.
I would love to be able to say that I got up early on Saturday morning, and hit the town, saw markets, temples, ect, but truth is my body clock was all over the place and after being wide awake at 2am I overslept till 11am and only woke up because the chambermaid knocked on my door.
I got a street map from reception and headed out, feeling brave and determined to go see something- not sure what- but definitely something!
I think I got as far as walking round the block and was stopped loads of times if i wanted a Tuk Tuk (a very strange Motor bike/ golfcart combo) in the end i agreed a price of 20 baht and headed out to see some temples, but i think i was scammed as i had to go to a jewelers and a tailors on route! But hey ho.
So after seeing temples, tailors and jewellers I headed home and got washed and changed for dinner, feeling brave after being out all day I ventured out into the street to find somewhere to eat. I found a restaurant and had Tom Yum, it was really tasty, spicy, not chilli hot so your can’t taste anything as your tongue goes numb, but lemongrass, ginger, spices, garlic and rice.
By the time I had finished eating it was only 9pm and i was at a loose end, travelling on your own is not so much fun, I had hoped to meet people in the hotel, but it was too big and impersonal. So taking my live in my hands (if you believe the scare mongers) i went to a bar which had live music and had a couple of drinks. The weird thing is it was just like après ski music, a guy with an acoustic guitar, amplifier and all the old classics. The only thing that was missing was the dancing on tables! This was not possible as they were all collapsible picnic tables, otherwise i think it could have happened.
And so that is how my first full day in Bangkok ended.