NO BANGS IN BANGKOK

Another adventure to share with friends and remind us of the trip when we get back home.   This trip we start in Bangkok for a day and then bus it over the border to Cambodia, 5 days there then on to Vietnam for remainder of trip.

Arrived in Bangkok after 2 days of travelling – with thanks to Joan and Phil for taxi to Oxenholme station and Fiona and Trev for  Dinner, B&B in London on way to Heathrow.  Pretty weary after 12 hr flight to Kuala Lumpur and then on to Bangkok – in some trepidation as FCO advice to travellers (backed up by our even more important contact – Christine our hairdressing friend whose brother lives there and expects the situation to get much worse) is that it is best avoided at present due to protest movement blocking off main intersections – including the streets around our hotel.

However, our reliance on the Explore local guides was well founded  -met at airport, with all latest on situation, along with other vital advice such a do not eat street food or drink local water if you value your stomach!  Straight into Explore local experience mode with local deep fried banana during bus trip to hotel, diversions around blocked streets, half an hour to freshen up and not go to sleep and straight out to action packed afternoon.  If you travelled on your own it would be, get over jet lag for rest of day by pool, eat in hotel, not venturing out, next morning visit tourist office, decide what want to do and start tourist trail – by which time we are in Cambodia with a wealth of Thailand experience behind us.

The afternoon experience over 6 hrs included:-

• Walk through busy streets past interesting shops/markets/street food stalls – mainly cars, tuk-tuks and motor bikes – unlike India/China with preponderance of bicycles
• Canal cruise with echoes of Venice and gondolas (with huge engines)  - shanty houses on stilts, cold water reptiles, temples, feeding catfish, water hyacinths blocking waterways
• Visit to the first temple of many, many expected – so still full of enthusiasm! 
• Local ferry across the main water course (sort of like Venice Grand Canal but not)
• Stop for local stall selling fresh mango slices and exotic fruits to taste - only type of local street food allowed!
• Learn that Government has imposed Special Measures (sounds like Ofsted!) and locals will have to stay of streets after 8pm – we think this starts after we have left and does not apply to tourists – but still a bit worrying!  Anyway, no explosions or bangs to be heard and we get away safely next day
• 2nd temple with huge lying golden Buddha – pretty impressive and take shoes off to walk around – sit for a while and listen to monks chanting in front of golden altar – very atmospheric and calming after a busy day.

• Back to hotel for 10 mins before team meeting and details about tomorrow (4.30 am wake up call – aaaargh!!)
• Walk to nearby outdoor restaurant (passing a Boots store on the way but no time to test out if they would accept my Boots storecard – and anyway I have the entire contents of Boots in my medicine bag – few clothes, but oodles of pills and potions for all eventualities.  As does everyone else on the trip!)  Excellent meal with us all testing out the thai curries, pad thais and stir fries for real.
• Back home for bed by 9 pm and welcome sleeeeeeep!

Temple cat

 

This one is for Phil and Joan – a reminder of Jaspar – and for Niki, our friend in Perth, who is in the wars, with her broken femur and Paul in hospital – we are thinking of you and are just up the road now and nearly in the same time zone!