Thailand - Recap

So a recap of Thailand. Mixed emotions about this place, some bits I just couldn't get on board with or felt underwhelmed (sorry, but that's just honest) but some bits I absolutely loved!

Bangkok, particularly Khaosan Road was not enough for me but meeting Paul (a family friend), seeing a ping pong show and being with my sister and cousin made it better.

Chiang Mai and the islands further south were fantastic.

So let's crack on:

Chiang Mai - 03rd November - 06th November

Top 5 moments:

1. Deejai Backpackers Hostel - nice, friendly and chilled out.

2. Wat Chedi Luang

3. The Post Office bonanza - couldn't find the bloody place despite walking past it multiple times.

4. The crazy old man trying to set me up with a ladyboy.

5. Hanging off the back of a Tuk Tuk at 50 kph

Bangkok - 06th November - 09th November / 11th November - 12th November

Top 5 moments:

1. Dave pulling bunting out of a woman at the Ping Pong Show.

2. Samsen Skyline Hostel receptionist - bloody brilliant woman!

3. Khaosan Road first night with Kel and Dave. Shocking Pad Thai Kels!

4. The reclining Buddha and Wat Pho.

5. The airport arrival of Kel and Dave and seeing them for the first time in five months - "Yesssssssssssss!!!"

Kanchanaburi - 09th November - 11th November

Top 5 moments -

1. Elephant Sanctuary

 

2. Sugar Cane 2 Guest Huts

3. Death Railway

4. The bar girls beating us at Connect 4

5. The resort and ghost story talk.

Phuket - 13th November - 16th November

Top 5 moments:

1. James Bond Island - another Bond location ticked off.

2. Snorkelling.

3. The Capsule hostel.

4. The bars and nightlife - they provided plenty of laughs.

5. Jet skiing with Dave.

Koh Samui - 16th November /  20th November - 28th November

Top 5 moments:

1. The New Hut Bungalows.

2. 'Chicken and Rice' with Matt - daily, sometimes double daily, ritual.

3. The Mynt Lounge with Joy, Emmi and the gang.

4. The views.

5. Lou Kratong festival.

Koh Tao - 17th November - 18th November

Top 5 moments:

1. Snorkelling.

2. The Sairee Hut Resort.

3. Setting a head tennis record with Dave - a 57 rally and a splitting headache.

4. Our heart to heart talk at the beach side bar.

5. Fire show at The Sunset Bar.

Koh Phangan - 19th November

Top 5 moments:

1. The Half Moon Party.

2. Finding converse and a Superman t-shirt in a second hand store - what a find.

3. The Lime and Soda Hut on the beach.

4. The dodgy face painting.

5. The Thai Massage.

Day 142 - Bangkok goodbyes and night buses to Phuket

Saying goodbye to this little angel behind the Skyline Samsen Hostel.

Day 142 - 12th November

Our final day in Bangkok had us sitting in a cab in rush hour traffic at 12pm. We were heading to Siam, Central Bangkok for lunch and a little shopping.

We found a great buffet restaurant and had some of the tastiest foods going - duck, Australian tri-tip, sushi, pasta, pork stuffed with bacon and coq au vin. For just over six pounds, who could argue? I obviously over indulged but I saw it as stocking up ready for the long night trip ahead.

Kel messing around...

And Dave!

We wandered the markets and picked up elephant trousers, magnets and swim shorts before rushing across town to jump on the night bus to Phuket.

When we boarded, we made it upstairs before the attendant called us back and told us we needed to go downstairs. We entered a cell of an lower deck - it had twelve seats in three rows and the leg room was non existent and the air con and lights switched off. I'd been telling Kel and Dave how these buses weren't as bad as their reputations. That went up in smoke.

I sat next to a Sheffield guy, Matt and tried to grab some sleep. In fifteen hours, we'd be in Phuket.

Day 141 - Day two of Elephant Haven, Death Railway and Ping Pong Shows

Yay, we shovelled shit before breakfast! But it was actually good fun.

Day 141 - 11th November

Day two of the sanctuary began much the same as the first with feeding and walking with the elephants. Those trunks have some real power behind them and those six women can definitely put away a fair amount of fruit, vegetation and rice-banana balls.

So beautiful.

By lunch time, we observed a minute silence for those lost in the wars, a nice tribute I thought from me and my English contingents, 

Yep, we were allowed to walk along the railway track a few minutes after seeing it in use.

In the afternoon, we visited Death Railway used to transport prisoners of war. It was a beauty view and it was hard to picture so many prisoners coming via that route. Nonetheless, we walked a eight hundred metres down the track until we reached an opening and sat in quiet reflection for 10 minutes or so.

Lead and thou shall follow

On the way back we visited a cave and I went into a confined space and found it took my breath away - literally, not metaphorically.

She loves rolling in the mud.

In the afternoon, we watched the elephants bathe in the mud bath again before going to watch them swim again. For their size, they sure are mobile. It was great to see them wandering freely and enjoying their time walking the forest in search of food. It was a shame to leave them behind.

I'd definitely recommend this sanctuary - there is no riding or anything untowards going on. It's all about the animal's welfare.

After an hour in a mini van back to Kanchanaburi bus station, we teamed up with Winnie and Bow and took another mini van back to Bangkok. It was a bumpy, swerving and sharp braking experience but we made it back alive and well.

We then met up with Paul, a family friend of Dave's who kindly showed us around Central Bangkok and treated us to drinks in a beer and ale specialist bar. A special thanks to Paul for his generosity.

The Hangover hotel.

We made our way over to Lebau, the hotel where The Hangover 2 was found but I was somewhat disappointed. Sure the view was spectacular but that was soured by the pretentiousness and lack of manners from a senior bartender. I came away feeling underwhelmed, a feeling I think the other four guys felt too.

Good photo on top of the Lebau Hotel

So we headed back to Khaosan Road for cheap beer and fun. After umming and ahhring, we decided to go see a ping pong show. It was a very interesting experience. There were ping pong balls, bunting, and even coke coming out of orafices. It was surreal but we all had a great laugh at the experience so it was worth the trip.

More beers back at Khaosan and we were then ready to crash. So going from observing and interacting nature's finest to observing and interacting with Bangkok's finest was quite a movement up and down the scale. What a day, aye?

Day 139 - Temples and buses to Kanchanaburi

The reclining Buddha

Day 139 - 09th November

So waking up with Kel and Dave in my dorm room was kind of strange but after five minutes of Dave singing out loud, I felt like I was back to normality with a home comfort.

Temple in Wat Pho

Love this shot

We were sharing a room with Nikki, a girl from the U.S. and she joined us on our walking trip down to the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, home of the giant reclining Buddha. As in true form with my travels, Buddha's feet were covered in scaffolding, ruining the devine feeling it was suppose to give you. Nevertheless, it was an impressive structure and temple site overall.

We took a casual pace down to the riverside to see the giant stupa on opposite side of the river and that was also covered in scaffolding. Laughing our way along, we stopped for a fancy kebab on the waterfront shopping promenade before heading through a few markets and trying fresh fruit and shakes. Seriously, the fruit options and flavours here are fantastic.

I took the guys down to the political monument and Queen's shrine before we headed back to Khaosan Road for a well earned beer. We covered some heavy issues - the Pol Pot Regime and the British use of the 'C' word - before Kel, Dave and I had to head off to get our bus to the bus station.

I had a little bit of banter with the hotel receptionist who had been great since I arrived in Bangkok and we boarded the 516 to Sai Tai bus station in the south west of the city, over the river. The bus was packed and we were squashed in like sardines. Thankfully it was only a twenty minute or so journey.

At the bus station, which Kel said resembled an airport terminal with its check in desks and shops, we made our way down to platform ten to buy our tickets. Two drunk men were arguing near the exit and one pushed the other down into a massage chair in frustration. It was one of the more awkward fights I've witness in my twenty seven years.

The bus rolled up at five and we jumped on, settling at the back. It had great leg room, welcomed air con and despite a drip from the roof onto me and Kel every so often, it was a pleasant journey.

Kanchanaburi was thriving at night when we arrived in the bus station and we grabbed some street soup before being whisked away to our hostel, The Sugar Cane in a Tuk Tuk. 

Despite what the photo shows, Kel did not like these noodles

Dave eats anything

The huts were nicely situated on the riverbank and after a quick beer, we walked fifteen minutes back down the strip to have a few beers. 

The connect four kids. Love that shirt!

In the second bar, we ended up playing pool and Connect Four with the bar staff - some women, some lady boys - and we selected our choices of Aviici on the music system, much to their delight.

The walk back was interrupted by the customary stop at a 7 Eleven before we retreated to our huts ready for the early start in the morning. We were heading to the Elephant Haven Sanctuary. To say I was excited would be putting it mildly.

Day 138 - Bangkok Reunion

A morning beer before the big arrival

Day 138 - 08th November

So the day had finally arrived. Yes, I was going to have the first stages of a sex change! I'm pleased to report the surgery went well and I'm now the proud owner of hair extensions. It's what I've always wanted!

No, I'm joking. My sister, Kelly and cousin, Dave were flying in from the UK to visit me for two weeks. To say I was excited would be an understatement. All the planning and discussing were over and we were now just hours away from a reunion.

I spent the morning wandering around the city again before jumping on the pretty swish Skytrain to the airport. I was two hours early. So I went to a Chinese place on the third floor for a spot of lunch. I met a couple from LA who were travelling around for a few weeks. 

I had a cheeky beer at a bar before heading down to arrivals. Fifteen minutes later, Kelly and Dave were subjected to my chants of 'yesssssssssssss!' in the middle of the terminal. They looked well, despite the flight and we headed back into the city and onwards to Khaosan to check them in.

The Pad Thai double act

After a quick change around, we headed down to Khaosan Road for street Pad Thai and tubes of beer. It was great catching up with them and swapping stories of the last five months. It's all gone by so fast.

The scorpion snacks

Shortly after, Dave and I picked up some new sunglasses and we ate scorpions whilst drinking more beer. An impulse buy of 10 cigars followed and we puffed away on them until we realised it was a stupid thing to do.

We headed back via 7 Eleven to crash out for the evening. It was great to see Kelly again and be bantering with Dave. The next two weeks are sure to be crackers!

Day 137 - Walkabout in Bangkok

Market place beneath a bridge

Day 137 - 07th November

After a slip in the shower, I felt like I had managed to get away with one. From that point on, I knew it was going to be a good day.

I headed downstairs and had a quick coffee before making my way further outside of the Khaosan area  towards Central Bangkok. A short Tuk Tuk ride took me to Hua Lamphong train station and from there I took the metro to Siam.

Spectre pre-warm up

The shopping mall here was a dizzying seven storeys of brands and restaurants. My hatred of shopping was surfacing again. As I reached the top floor, I stood in the foyer of the of the giant SFX cinema. It was something. I grabbed a 1:30pm ticket for Spectre, a bucket of popcorn and a coke and went inside.

Spectre, as with Skyfall, was a great film to watch but so many parts left me coming away with a feeling that it wasn't quite James Bond in the tradition sense. Daniel Craig and the supporting cast were awesome but I wasn't overawed, shall we say.

The Hangover Hotel in the distance

I walked back to my hostel from Siam, passing the National Stadium on the way. It was an hour and a half to get from point A to B in the afternoon heat but I saw a great market under a canal side and some of downtown Bangkok. Only then did I realise just how big the city was.

Night time down at Khaosan Road

Khaosan was heaving by the time night fell but I had dinner in a new local place. Again more ladyboys came out doing their thing and I spenjoyed a couple of giant beers before heading back to Samsen Skyline. The receptionist there was teaching me Thai and and was extremely helpful in helping me arrange rooms for my sister and cousin's arrival the following afternoon.

I was still undecided about Bangkok, perhaps a few more days would help change my feeling of being underwhelmed. Maybe not.

Day 136 - Bangkok or Bust

Kinda smoggy here

Day 136 - 06th November

Arriving in Bangkok at 6am was a treat. It was stifling hot for such an early time of the day and I was instantly set upon by a cabbie wanting to get my custom. To be fair he was a decent bloke who took me to my hostel after I confused him and we ended up at the Grand Palace.

I checked into Samsen Skyline Hostel whilst disturbing the owner's sleep. My dorm was pretty nice and I had a few hours kip before I headed out to explore.

My first port of call was Khaosan Road, the strip of bars and market stalls aimed at travellers and tourists alike. My brother had told me about it before but from the way he described it, I was expecting a whole lot more. The food stalls were pretty good but there wasn't much more to write home about.

The political monument

After a few beers here I wandered around, finding the Queen's shrine and political monument, a lot of traffic, a few temples and too many 7 Elevens (far too many).

In the evening, the lure of trying Khaosan out again was too strong and I settled in a local place for dinner. A lady boy was waving at me from behind the bar which was nice, I suppose. I think I was more disturbed by the Australian couple in their fifties sitting beside me. The husband was telling her she lost a few hundred Baht and she was telling him that he held all the money. At one point I felt her turn, possibly looking to me for help, but I stared straight ahead ladyboy who waved again.

Back in my room, I had no roommates so I had a night of good sleep, undisturbed and peaceful!