Can't believe I've been on the road for over a month. Feels like a week or less.
I thought the extreme laziness I developed on the islands would dissipate upon returning to the main land, but has it heck. In Bangkok at the mo which is mental!!! Came here via Chumpon (transit hub and nothing special) and Nakohn pathom which claims to be the oldest city in Thailand. It's famous for it's massive Chedi (Stupa) which at approx. 120 m is the tallest Buddhist monument in the world. It was mental. I arrived there at 3:30 in the morning as I wanted to travel by train as was fed up with getting buses and ferries everywhere.so wandered around to find pretty much everywhwere closed. Then the market opened and at 4:30 it was fairly busy. A really cool market and no tourists what so ever so pretty cool in that respect. Then loads of people came out to start exercising/stretching around the Chedi. Very cooll to watch! Saw laods of monks collecting alms as well which was very good. A few Thai's think i'm a monk as well so maximum respect to the moinster ;-)
Went to Kanchanaburi for 4 days. Booked into a floating bungalow on the river Kwai which was very serene apart from the occassional buzz of baots and floating discos at evening/early nighttime. A wildlife haven as well. Everyday I'd see a monitor lizard which was roughly 2m long swimming in the river. I crapped myself when i first saw it as i thought it was a massive python or something. Saw bats at night time and loads of fish, frogs, dragonflies, etc...Again it was a place where you can become very lazy chilling on a hammock watching the sun go down.
The main tourist strip is mental and befriended loads of bar owners. In one bar the staff thought my name was Moi, which is Thai for pubic hair. They thought it was hilarious and would start laughing everytime they saw me......which was nice, but it was all good banter.
Went to the tiger temple and stroked some tigers which was very cool, but I don't know whether the tigers are drugged or whether the claims of the monks who run the temple are correct and that the tigers are just exhausted from the heat. It was an experience none the less.
Went to Erawan national park which is nice, loads of pretty waterfalls and wildlife again. You can swim in the pools under/above the waterfalls too.
Unfortunately, the town is tinged with sadness and is famous for the Bridge on the River Kwai. totally different from the film. My 3rd day on Kanchanaburi was very sad. First of all Hakan, the guesthouse owner informed me that the reason he was in Thailand was because most of his family had perished in an earthquake in Turkey. Then I went to the allied war cemetary which nearly had me in tears. It all made me realise how lucky I am!!!!
In Bangkok now which is mental. Haven't seen that much of it yesterday but partied a bit yesterday and that was fun. Am getting fed up with all the hookers in Thailand. They kept pinching my bum and everything last night. May have to start wearing an orange robe as you're not allowed to touch a monk.
Have seen so many wonderful Wats (temple monasteries) and have already forgotten many of their names....time to reference my lonely planet guide ;-)
Wat Pho is superb with a massive reclininng buddha. The best temple I've been to yet.
Wat Phra Keaw in the grounds of the grand palace is also impressive and has a model of the main temple at Angkor Wat which looks even more immense. The grans palace grounds on the whole are excellent, but full of tourits and are the roads around this area are full of rickshaw drivers trying and I have to admit succeeding in ripping you off for short trips. You live you learn and I'm much wiser after yesterdays experience.
Wat Traimit is good due to the 5.5 tonne solid gold Buddha. The statue was once covered in stucco (Whatever that is) but during transport it fell revealing the solid gold beneath....I wonder how much that is worth. Wat Arun is impressive too. The Grand palace grounds are amazing too.
Wnet to the Teak mansion, which is the laregst teak building in the world and one of the largest wooden buildings. Also toured the grounds as there's loads of other regal buildings which are very grand! Then went to Wat Benchamabophit, which isn't as old as some of the other temples, but made of white carrera marble, so is still very ornate and beautiful and has a massive buddha collection showing different buddha styles from around the world. I though it was interesting anyway ;-)
Boring myself and probably you with all this temple talk so till next time.
