Bangkok 29/06/11-01/07/11

The flight to Bangkok wasn't terrible at all. In fact, at the Malaysia airport while waiting in line at immigration a man taped me on the shoulder and told me that I had a sticker on my back. His accent was familair. Turns out he was from Ohio on an amazing business trip. 13 countries in 2 weeks. He stayed by me and insisted on buying me breakfast. I felt weird so I declined but he insisted that he really didn't mind and expected nothing in return other than just someone to chat to. So over breakfast he told me how he worked his ass off to get to a successful as he is now. He grew up in a poor family from West Virgina and went to night class while working 3 jobs. I told him that I have to work my ass off too and told him everything I do. He said I am on the right track and wished his kids would be that way, although from the sounds of it, they seem to be pretty successful too. Finally it was time to board the plane which was delayed due to rainy weather. The flight was only an hour and a half. Immigration was easy when we got there and I took a cab into Bangkok. I was too hot and tired to do the cheaper option which was the train. 200 BHT wasn't bad at all though.

I arrived to my lovely hotel in China Town: Shanghai Mansion about 45 minutes later. It was even dreamier than the photos online portrayed it. It smelled heavenly: like lemongrass and green tea.  My room was purpple with chinese style furniture, my bathroom was green and purple with hanging lanterns and a bird cage hanging above the shower. I had a flat screen tv and a lovely makeup table and mirror. The bed: massive! with silk sheets and pillows. I think I pay about 80 US for the two nights here. Amazing. There was a reading library on my floor, a delicious restaurant called Cotton which I ate delicious Thai food at every night. There is a gorgeous winding Titiantic looking staircase when you first walk in the first floor with chandeliers. There is also a water garden filled with gold fish and hanging lanterns on the highest building above.

The first day I decided to see the temples. So I took a tuk-tuk to the Grand Palace before it closed at 3:30. It was so hot but out of respect everyone had to wear long pants and covered shoulders. It was worth the sweating. Countless gorgeous temples around the Grand Palace. With gold and little pieces of shiny coloured glass. It boggled my mind how these things were built way before our times. After exploring I took a walk across the street and explored the pier markets. Countless types of food were everywhere. Some smelled delicious and others smelled foul. Whole fish (skin and bones) were fried and set out in a pan for those brave enough to buy them. I saw a few monks in their orange garb walking through. I followed the markets onto the street where there were countless tables selling food, buddas and even dentures!

I began walking towards another temple that I wanted to see and got stopped by a thai man who was trying to sell me a boat trip to another temple. I told him no but a younger thai boy said he would drive me to the temple i was walking to for 10BHT. which was nothing. I agreed. The boy was so nice and asking lots of questions but when we ended up at a pier with boats I scolded and said that that was not what I wanted. So he took me to the temple and didn't make me pay a dime.

This temple housed  a giant Budda! so big that it had to lay on its side! I met a nice Swedish couple who were planning to come to Australia to live and work for a bit so I talked to them for a while and gave them advice on where to go. Then I left and I was famished. So I went to a little Thai cafe and ate delicious veggies in an oyster and soy sauce with coconut rice. Then I made my way back to the hotel.
Today, I was woken by a phone call from the front desk that the tour I had booked arrived early. I scrambled to get everything together and went downstairs to meet a nice Thai man with grey hair who somewhat resembled my family doctor. I found it strange at first when we got into a taxi instead of a bus but he explained that we were meeting with the others because my hotel was not near theirs. We waited at a traffic station, in which the guide: Thong,,suggested I sit inside to avoid the heat. So I sat inside this little station or tower with the traffic controler who didn't speak but kept cleaning his toilet in the back room. I watched Thai tv and remained patient. The rest of the tour eventually arrived and we drove two hours to the war cemetary and war museum which housed history and the remains of those prisioners from WWII that were taken by the Japanese to build a railroad from Bangkok to Burma. Then we took a boat through the shanty towns on the water and ended up at one of the famous bridges built by the soildiers. It was incredibly hot walking across that bridge. Then we continued driving along a dirt road in the middle of nowhere with beautiful scenery. Thong and I got out of the van while the others continued on to the Tiger Temple. I was the only one who planned to do elephant riding. There we were in the middle of nowhere waiting for the famous train that runs over the 'Bridge of Death' (another one built by the prisoners of war...I think you could assume why it got its name) which runs over River Kwai. Thong said we had a half hour and told me to follow him and to give him my camera and he'll take nice photos. He took nice photos of me since the tour began. So he took countless photos of me walking over the train tracks and then it came time to walk over the bridge. I started to but then I felt funny about it especially because the wood was wobbly. So Thong said ok and continued to take photos on the walk back. We sat waiting for the train and met some monks who were walking along the tracks. Then I followed Thong down by the river where he got emotional and told me it is his dream to live there. A small cabin and a horse, that is all he needs. Then he started doing yoga and breathing exercises. I told him that I had done yoga and he taught me a new breathing exercise in which you breath in and lift your arms and when you breath out you throw your arms back. So we did that for a while and took photos of each of us doing those exercises. Finally the train came and we hopped on. Thong took more photos of me hanging my head outside the window, inside the cabin, by the door..it never ended. Then we got to our stop and walked through a bit of jungle to a buffet where we would eat lunch. It was delicious and there were some other tourists there, mostly Aussie. The fried bananas were my absolute favourite!

After lunch we went on to the elephant camp where I rode my elephant through the jungle. Amazing experience and thankfully the elephant was treated better than I thought. Afterwards, we picked up the others and made our 3 hour trip back to Bangkok. We were dropped off at a hotel and said goodbye to our new friends. Then we each hopped into our appointed shuttles that would take us back to the hotel. Thong told me to wait and wrote down the name of the breathing exercise book in Thai and told me to take it into a book store and they will know and if not to call him and wrote his number. He gave me a massive hug and said a prayer and wished me 'health and happiness for a beautiful girl' several times and was still waving to me as the shuttle drove away.

These are the experiences that I live for.

Anyway, I am writing this update when I have a few hours to sleep before I fly to Vietnam!

Thailand I loved you and your beauty and your people. I will be back!

photos will be up as soon as I can upload them. this internet access won't let me.


Music: every teardrop is a waterfall- coldplay