Bangkok…….the jury is still out!!!
We arrived in Bangkok in the early evening, tired but happy. We had such a great time in Cambodia that we were on a bit of a holiday high.
Once we landed we were ushered off the plane onto a bus which then took around 5 or so minutes ot get us to an actual terminal. Passport control was a breeze. Line up for a few minutes (I’m sure it wasn’t longer than 10), smile for the camera and watch the guy not really pay much attention to my passport. Once we got through passport control the baggage carousel was right outside. As we had waited already our bags were just coming around as we arrived.
Off to the taxi rank, where we had no waiting,and into the car with a driver that was just as chatty as those at home (although he did also think he was hilarious and he treated us to a song) and after around half an hour we were at the hotel. The bellboys were ready and waiting to get our bags before the car had even come to a stop. We were greeted at the door, ushered into the reception area and given comfortable seats to complete our checkin.
Thanks to the Accor vouchers Adam was able to get before we left we were able to get an upgrade to our room that gave us a deluxe room plus breakfast everyday for what amounts to no extra cost. The room is amazing with a view of the pool which is on the fourth floor. The bathroom is connected to the closet so you can access your clothes either from the actual room or the bathroom. The bed is the most comfortable we have slept in for over a week. Once the hotel staff had left we did what we are good at….spread all of our stuff all over the room and then fell asleep.
Today, Adam woke up at 5am and got ready to go out. I slept until 6 and held up all proceedings. We went downstairs to breakfast which was a huge spread, everything from Yum Cha style dumplings to pikelets and toast. We feasted on what we could (about half a plate each. Both of us haven’t really had much of an appetite – the weather is just too hot) and then we set off in search of Jo and Greg. Off to the BTS (that’s the train station or skyway as it’s called here). Got onto our first train with no problem and away we were. We had to change trains so we did that with ease and started chatting to a local who was (in retrospect we are not too sure) off to work as a school teacher. He was very friendly and we covered all sorts of topics before he casually told us that he would take us to the ferry stop that the local people used. It was very near the tourist stop so we, stupidly, went along. 1500 Baht and an unwanted boat trip later we ended up telling the boat driver to drop us at the nearest pier to where we though Jo and Greg were going to be. Luckly we ended up only two piers away from their hotel. Adam was not happy that we fell for one of the oldest cons in the book. I figured at least we were conned on the first day. Now we know what to look out for.
We met up with Jo and Greg and it was off to the Royal Palace with a very annoyed and cheesed off Adam, a very sick Jo and a Greg. The palace is lovely. Very ornate, full of sparkly bits and lots and lots of people. As Adam and I had seen the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh only yesterday we had something to compare it to. I think we decided (at least I did) that while the Bangkok Royal Palace is an awesome place to see, the Phenom Penh one we much more peaceful.
After the Royal Palace we were off to see Wat Pho. This is the temple with the enormous reclining Bhudda. As we were walking down the street to the temple we were told by on man that the temple was closed today for “Bhudda Day”, another guy that the temple was across the road (which was in fact the Royal Palace that we had just left) and for some inexplicable reason that the Royal Palace was not, in fact, Wat Pho. None of these guys were in earshot of each other so we’re not too sure why we got such conflicting information. Anyway, after I stopped to ask a Navy guard the way, we found the temple quite easily, which surprisingly was not closed for Bhudda Day. What an amazing Wat! The reclining Buddha was a sight to behold. How they have managed to get photos of it all in one is a mystery. There are columns all around it. There are a couple of angles where you can get full length photos of it but nothing like the postcard pictures you see. Jo and I decided to “donate” 20 Baht and ‘make merit’ by adding coins to the long line of pots against the wall. As far as I understand each coin you add to the pots gives you a little bit of goodwill credit in the next life.
After the Wat we headed back to Jo and Greg’s hotel so we could go down to the Khao San Rd markets. We stopped for a drink and then we were off again. We had been warned that Khao San Rd was a pretty seedy place to visit as it is a backpackers haven and can get quite ugly after dark. We got there it was around 6pm and the market was just starting up. After about an hour of hard barginning we had to get back for our ferry as they only run until 7.30pm. After a short wait we were on the ferry headed back to our hotel. The ferry ride was uneventful and we found the stop we SHOULD have gotten our morning ferry on. Onto the train we go without kind strangers chatting to us and then we got off at the Siam stop for dinner. We went to the food court at the massive shopping centre and enjoyed a very nice simple meal before our last leg home. Onto another train for a short trip and then back at the hotel.
Adam is now asleep after what has been a very long, frustrating, exhausting day and I am about to join him. So far our impression of Bangkok is mixed. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.
Posted in: Thailand
