Sawadtee (hello)
We've been here for 2 days.
The hostel we are in is a perfect starting place and the owner has been a great help. But it's funny how no matter how much great advise we get, the power of suggestion along the way can over come one's better judjment. Dave (the owner of the hostel) told us to go and see the Emerald Palace, "stay on the boats in the canals" he said "and Do Not listen anyone that tells you that the Palace is not open" or any other detour. In the morning we walk down to the canals, one thing Dave did not tell us is about getting on a boat in the canal. It's not a morning activity! It's the kind of thing you should go to the drawing board for the game plan, then strech and finally get in the huddle, pray and Break! When we get to the canal I thought Dave seriously had sent us to the wrong place. We watched 5 boats PACKED with people fly up to the dock, thwn a kid would jump onto the pier, wrap a rope around a pole, pull the boat close, then people would jump out and others would jump in and off the boat went. It was insanity!
We made it to the end of the first canal and went up to the street to get our barrings. There we where approached by a random Thai man who asked where we were going, we said, "the Emerald Palace." He informed us that it would not be open until after 1:00pm because it was "Lucky Day" but until then we should take a tuktuk (small buggie type thing) and see the 40ft Buddah and some other stuff. I'm not really sure why we fell for his lie, it's so easy to be a sheep. Anyway, we never made it to the Emerald Palace, instead we were dropped off at the nearest thing that looked like a palace when we told our tuk tuk driver we didn't want him taking us all over town anymore. It took us about 1/2 hour to figure out we weren't at the Emerald Palace. *%#@*.. #?$% tuktuk ...
Today we made the big step and ate street vender food. We ate all day for close to 3 dollars, but it is so hard to look past the fact that our cooked food was being prepared on the same counter that uncooked bloody chicken and pork was just cut up on. When in Rome... But we aren't sick, and I dont think we'll be. We also made our way to an upclass grocery store in a huge huge mall and ate as many free samples as we could find- premium Thai food!
Tomorrow we leave for the Island of Samiu, it is supposed to be relaxing and more quiet. Right now it's like "Anything but Bangkok." Its so busy here!
Until then, check our the pics and post your thoughts, if you'd like.
E&D
