I forgot to add that yesterday we decided to take a look at the top of one of the towers that serves food and drink looking out over the city. We took one look at the menu and when we saw we'd be paying about £3 for a glass of coke we decided against it! So we went to dairy queen instead and Liam had a slushy with a dollop of ice cream in and I had an ice cream cone that was dipped in chocolate do the chocolate went hard around it with hundreds and thousands ...delicious and both for half the price we'd have spent on one coke up at the top! We also went down to the Siam ocean centre to check it out as there are a lot of adverts around for it. It looked great but it was going to cost about £20 each to get in and we just couldn't justify spending that much on a sealife centre so just left it.
We saw a cafe along our strip of road called 'yolo' so we just had to go check it out on the way past this morning. The prices were steep enough for us to think oh we're being a bit naughty here but the pictures and descriptions looked good so we did it anyway. We ordered an 'American breakfast' which turned out to be some egg, a hot dog sausage and one bit of bacon marginally better than yesterday's, this time with a side salad and more toast. It said it came with a drink but at the end they decided to charge us for our drinks too which was annoying! We took the decision to attempt to walk to our destination despite it being far away to save some money from our breakfast ripoff. We took the sky train as far as it would go, then took to walking through the streets with a map. We didn't get lost, despite various men coming up to us and trying to convince us we were going the wrong way. The walk was really hot and sweaty and took about 45 minutes, the time went quickly though as there was always something to look at and you have to keep very alert with all of the traffic.
We got to the grand palace at about 11.30 despite trying to be tricked that it was closed. It cost 400 baht each to get in which is probably around £8 so we took it easy and took our time. It's called the grand palace for a reason, it's very shiny and glittery with lots of big statues and temples. We sat in the shade often, chatted and people watched and spent about a couple of hours in there. Then we walked to the reclining Buddha, which liam decided he wasn't that bothered about seeing once we got through the gates to find we needed to pay. If I hadn't seen it before I'd have insisted but I've seen it so I didn't push him to go in. We could have gone to wat arun but it was so so hot and there are loads of steps, plus ive been, so from there we decided to slowly make our way to china town. We came across hundreds of food stalls, watched the activity on the river such as elope fishing and boat trips, and generally had a great time just watching things going on. The thing we liked was its different enough to be interesting and foreign but with enough other tourists dotted about and modern influences to not feel too overwhelmed.
We stopped at a cafe for lunch, we need to learn to not be so drawn in by pictures and descriptions because we're learning that what's advertised isn't what you get! Still, it was food and drink, somewhere cool to sit for half an hour so we were happy. About 20 minutes after we started walking again, things became distinctly less touristy, with no signs in English and some rather dodgy looking people. To add insult to a pair already beginning to feel slightly on edge and a bit lost, Liam decided his bottom needed to go to the toilet again like yesterday. It was the art gallery all over again.
By some stroke of luck we managed to find a hotel that we could pop in to. After 10 minutes of waiting, liam emerged looking a bit better and ready to continue the search for china town. We walked down a couple of very busy streets with all kinds of stalls. The colours and smells were amazing, plus there was some kind of street parade going on with lots of people dressed up and big chinese dragons dancing around in the road. We assumed we'd seen it all when we reached the end of one street, but then we saw another sign saying 'china town'....we hadn't even been there we'd just been in a very Chinese looking area with lots going on! So we kept walking and suddenly were met with lots of more official looking stalls with all kinds of goodies! We spent some cash on buying some random looking food, including some sticky rice in a hollow bamboo shoot that had to be cracked open. Its put into the bamboo and steamed, then you eat it from the cracked bamboo stick. It was really nice, with some kind of nutty bean mixed into it. We tried some spidy soup stuff, bought something very similar to pork scratching but nicer with a bag of choi to dip it into. We had something called 'dragons beard candy' which I got simply for the name, it's sort of a syrup based desert that they make all stretchy and stringy, kind of like dough in a way, then they dip it in corn starch or something similar. They have like a nutty thing that they roll up in the 'dragon hair' and serve a few of them to you in a little box. It's nice but not as amazing as I wished it to be considering the name!
We spent a long time looking at all the food; soups, stews, rice, noodles of pink, green, orange, thick and thin, jelly noodles, glass noodles, jelly gloops, jelly sweets, doughs and pastries, pancakes and baked goods, vegetables, shredded meats, skewed meats, fresh juice and much much more.We were going to go to koah San road for the evening but we'd already walked a lot and we'd be going back on selves to do it. Considering I'd already been, and china town had been good we decided to leave it. So we walked about 15 mins to the train station, then Liam decided he really was going to get a new camera. So we went the opposite direction in search for a Nikon shop. I was happy enough to be back at the paragon, I love it there. I told Liam that I was having nothing to do with being a product of consumerism and buying a new camera when we have one, even it it is a bit scratched! So it was decided I would go look around the store whilst Liam talked business. I loved that half hour! I went around all of the music bits of the shop and stood listening to the tracks with the headphones turned right up. I watched about 10 minutes of that Abraham Lincoln vampire film and it looked positively gruesome, I'll be watching it at some point! By the time I made my way over Liam had bought our new baby. It's an absolute beast. I told him I'm never touching it for fear of breaking it.
After being naughty and having a mcdonalds burger (yeah yeah whatever to all those grumps who moan that we could dare to eat anything western whilst not in the west),we went to 7 eleven and got snacks for our planned picnic tomorrow. We also found a tesco earlier in the day which was good because it was cheap and familiar but still sold asian stuff. We got back to the hotel very hot, tired and sweaty. After having showers we decided we would actually go out for a massage. It was 9pm! We found one and decided on a deal which took 2 hours each. We both went for 1 hour thai massage and 1 hour heated oil massage, all coming to the grand price of no more than £9 or £10 each. It was very nice, we had our feet scrubbed and cleaned, some lovely hot water kind of rose petal tasting, then we were led upstairs 2 floors. The place is massive! We both got changed into weird net pants, and went into our separate cubicles. I was comfortable as although I may had nets on I was covered by a towel so it was no different to an ordinary massage. I knew Liam was just the other side of the wall so I closed my eyes and enjoyed it. They're quite rough here, they really get into your muscles so it kind of hurts but feels great at the same time. I was just drifting off when suddenly the towel was moved down and hot oil was drizzled on chest. I was a little bit shocked! Then the rubbing began, stomach chest and all. I can't say I was relaxed but I have to admit it was a good massage! I couldn't help but wonder what on earth they were doing with Liam in there from that moment on, and could hardly stop myself from laughing out loud! After being rubbed, pressed, stretched and cracked for 2 hours we both emerged looking a but disheveled. Liam enjoyed it which was great because he was a bit worried about the thai massage. He didn't get a rub down of his trouser snake, I don't know if he's happy about that or not, and in a weird way I don't know if I am either, it would have made a good story that's for sure.
We got back to the hotel at 12am, Liam played with his new camera and I sorted bags out a bit before bed. It's been a long day so off to sleep now, it's about 2am so very tired!
