Author: carminamasoliver

We returned to Bangkok in the middle of the day, and thankfully it’s only about an hour long journey as I mixed up the departure and arrival time. We wanted to get the train back from the airport, but there was a lack of signage there, so by the time we arrived there, we had missed the train and there wasn’t another one for two hours. Again, perhaps we should have prioritised food, but instead we got a taxi that took about an hour and charged way too much despite being on the metre, probably because he got lost, and didn’t take the highway, where there is a fee.
This was the day I spotted that there was in fact a 7-11 and a Family Mart basically outside our hostel, when we thought the nearest was 10-15 minutes away. We had got out at around 4pm, so I was really hungry. After a few hours of chilling, we went back to this place that does street food with seats, near to the other 7-11 that we had been going to prior to that. We met a German guy and saw and spoke to him. It was 8 o’clock and the place was buzzing, packed with people, who were mostly locals. I had the same grilled chicken with rice, and it was great. 
We did our washing the next morning, and went for a walk whilst it was in the machine. There was a really unusual park there, that was part-cemetery, part-gym, and part-outdoor karaoke, not forgetting there were also places of worship around in the similar grand-fashion of glittering colours. We were welcomed by a small group of Thai people to join their karaoke. They gave us a strange sweetcorn thing that I let my boyfriend eat for the most part, and a couple of tea. My boyfriend sang in his own at first (Robbie Williams — Better Man) and then we did a duet of The Beatles’ Come Together. In our neatly-five-years together, we’d been meaning to do karaoke together for ages, but hadn’t until that day!

We chilled out most of the day, and then in the afternoon went to see a Muay Thai boxing match. We were early, so went somewhere to eat. There were hardly any cool places to go, but the place we found also had karaoke! The food was average, and somehow I got a beer, which was refreshing. That said, there was a weird vibe in there, perhaps because there were a lot of young girls in there wearing short skirts and very high heels. It was just so different from what a majority of Thai women seemed to wear — jeans, polo top or t-shirt and flat shoes. It was funny then that my boyfriend said to me afterwards, as if it was so obvious, that the place was a brothel. So, I’m still not sure, maybe it served food as a kind of cover, or was a place where women solicited with clients. Who knows?!
There was a kind of pre-match game, before the start at 6.30pm. It was interesting to see the atmosphere and hear the noise of the crowds — we had been shooed away during the first fight to sit away from where the betting was taking place. It was cool to hear the live music that was played throughout it too, and along with it the kind of stretching routine of the boxers, where it seemed almost like a dance. That said, I couldn’t follow the game at all and didn’t have a clue as to what was going on, who was winning etc. Perhaps it would have been clearer with better seats — we were in the cheapest seats available to foreigners, who’d are charged way more than Thai people. A few games would have been bearable, but we watched 8 out of 9 fights, each lasting about 30 minutes, and I was quite bored by it, if I’m honest. But then I went for my boyfriend, and he enjoyed it, so that was the main thing. I tried to get through it with popcorn and water, but the seats were also really uncomfortable after a while, sitting on big concrete steps. During one fight a guy had his shoulder broken, and during another, we didn’t see what happened, but it looked like he was knocked out unconscious, and my boyfriend even thought it might have died! That must be really rare, but I had no idea that happened. It struck me suddenly as bizarre, and I wondered why the crowd, mostly men, we’re so fascinated by the idea of two men fighting so violently. The pain endured by those fighting was incomprehensible. How was this entertaining? 

Reluctantly, my boyfriend agreed to go to one of the bars I had wanted to go to. It was coming up to 11pm and I was tired as well, but I wanted to experience some of Bangkok’s nightlife. Perhaps we needed to be there earlier, or to go on a weekend, or simply to walk about more, but it wasn’t the wildness I had imagined. It was hard to know what part to go to — everything seemed so far away. But the place we went, called WTF (Wonderful Thai Friendship), I’d seen in the Lonely Planet guide and it was right up my street. There was design work available in the gallery, with an emphasis on words, equality and feminism. I’d ordered a very strong and expensive cocktail, whilst my boyfriend had an expensive water, and it played music I liked such as Courtney Bartlett, and the walls were decorated with paintings. However, there weren’t really any other people around, and the guy who managed it talked to us a lot, rather than meeting other travellers. After that, the other place we’d heard live music coming from, when we arrived by taxi, seemed to be winding down, and we started walking the streets, but my boyfriend wanted to head back, and I was pretty exhausted from the boxing too. Once back, I ate toast half-drunk in my underwear, in the cool of the air-con room, and munched on my last chocolate wafer, before going to sleep around 1am.

The next day we tried to pack everything back, which was not inky stressful, but impossible. I ended up with a packing-block not packed and am having to carry it to Chiang Mai (I’m currently on the sleeper train now, and it’s coming up to midnight as I write this.) We then went down a random road, as we had down for a bit the day before. This lead us to a lot of places with street food, but walking so far in the heat, I just wanted a nice restaurant with air-con. I didn’t get that, so really I should have taken up the opportunity to eat earlier,rather than hoping something would turn up around each random corner. In the end my lunch was a freshly baked cake from a lovely street bakery, and a packet of crisps. When we eventually got back (by taxi), we had a all around the park again. However, I was feeling ill, perhaps due to the sun again, and just needing cool. There were lots of different karaoke bits in the park, which seem like a great idea! The guy the day before had said there’s no other place like it in the world, and I believe him! I’d love to have more time in Bangkok just to go there again! On our wanderings we also came across another temple, a church, and a golf course where you just hit the balls out on the spot. I got mine the furthest, near the hundred mark, so I was pretty chuffed. At the same time, I was very hungry by that point, and have also hurt my finger from holding the club too tightly! 

When we were back, we had an hour before our venture to the train station again. I drank some pineapple juice and ate the most delicious kiwi, an apple, and two ice cream lollies! I felt much better then haha! We walked to a main road (15 minutes with our heavy bags) and got a taxi. I picked up the tickets and then saw there was a food court! I was worried I wouldn’t be having a proper meal all day, so seeing that made me very happy. We had a pad Thai and water for a total of 50 baht each. Bargain. It was with tofu and tasted great! We then boarded the train, and happened to be seated with two Spanish guys. I’ve been writing this and reading my book on the lexical approach in teaching (two chapters to go!) and so it was interesting trying to listen to their conversations, purely to see what words I could pick up. I could have tried to say a bit more in Spanish, but I was panicking a bit, knowing that I don’t know whether my boyfriend will be joining me on not, it’s kind of a bittersweet subject. The only words I said in Spanish were “September” and “south”. Turned out they were from Andalusia, which is where I will be working! Anyway, I better get some rest now and go to sleep — I have a breakfast coming at 7.30am!

The next part of the trip was much more laid back, with much less travelling around. We were based in Nai Yang beach, at a hotel called Seapines Villa Liberg. It was pure luxury. There was an ensuite bathroom, which had sliding doors, a lot of it seemed to be made of teak wood again, and a bed the size of two twins, but without the divide you sometimes get. Everyday, it was cleaned, and we were replenished with two bottles of water in the fridge. The air-con could get so cold that sometimes we needed to put on extra blankets (or turn it off!)
We had arrived in the evening and were introduced to a completely different taxi system, and quoted with 300 baht for the 10-minute drive to our hotel, or given the option of a metered taxi plus the 100 baht airport surcharge (we chose the latter after saying 300 baht was too much). It was partly the cost of taxis that kept us on Nai Yang beach most of the time, but also by the end of the time in that part of Thailand, it had been the all-round best beach. We spent two days on the beach and in the pool. The only downside to the pool was the smell of pyrotechnic lights that were lit each night — the pool itself was small, but there were never more than two other people there at a time, and this once provided opportunity to chat to other guests, and we met a South African couple, who happen to have lived in the same county as me (Surrey). 

We tried to go to Sirinat National Park, and paid 100 baht to get in, but after an hour of walking around we accidentally went in a circle, couldn’t find any park life, and ended up in a school grounds. When we asked some people at the information centre, where lots of construction work appeared to be taking place, they basically said there was nothing there, and to go over to the beach side. We tried to get our money back, but the woman refused, and kept laughing, perhaps out of awkwardness. We could have just walked up the beach with it paying, so didn’t quite understand what we were missing. We got some street food and tried to walk along the beach, but all we saw was a dead water-snake, and more frequent little crab creatures. 

We booked a tour of the Phi Phi islands for the next day. I had been worried about the weather, as the threat of storms persisted, but we were really lucky. To be safe, I wanted to opt for a reputable company, and so we probably paid a but extra for that security, but our transfer was included, which would have been at least 1000 baht if bought separately. We also wanted an early-bird option, which meant an extra expense, but it was probably worth it. We went with “Phuket Let’s Go!” but it seemed that the tour operator was actually Siam Adventure World Tours, or something like that. I’d seen positive reviews for both. It was mostly a good experience, but would have been nice to include the photos, which we ended up buying but somehow forgot to watch at our hostel in Bangkok upon returning!

We started off at Maya Bay and Losa Ma Bay on Ko Phi Phi Don, and were given around an hour there, which was enough time for a look around and a swim. We then did some snorkelling, and this was the start of my annoyance with the German-language tour guide (all the other staff were great). He asked if I wanted a life jacket and made a comment about my face, like I looked worried. It’s like, no, that’s just my face. It’s so rude to comment on people’s faces like that, I don’t know why people do it. At other points during the trip he also kind of seemed disgusted that I was sandy… after being on a beach… and just the way he spoke seemed quite arrogant. But anyway, as I tried to explain to him, at that point I couldn’t see anything as I had taken off my prescription-sunglasses. Snorkelling with the lifejacket was infuriating, and I ended up just using it as a float and handing it back, though it turned out that I had just done it up incorrectly. As it happens, snorkelling as a whole is completely pointless when you can’t see more than a metre ahead. I saw some small fish in front of my face and that was it. 

Next we passed by Monkey Island and took some pictures of some cute gibbons hanging off the edges. Though I would have liked more information about how the gibbons came to be there. After that we stopped for some more snorkelling, and at some point were given bananas. I tried to snorkel again, but left the flippers and took my sunglasses, making sure to step in as carefully as possible, rather than jump in as I had done before. I didn’t stay in long after I realised it was completely pointless, as of course, I couldn’t see anything, I forget the order of things, but we also swam in a lagoon for a while, and were handed slices of pineapple whilst doing so. We also saw a Viking cave whilst on our way to the final stop, which was on Bamboo Island. Here there was a small buffet, which was tasty, as well as more fruit. This beach, like the others, was made of beautiful near-white sand and turquoise water. There was a large area to walk around here, and we were given ample time to swim too. The only downside to the swimming, which I normally love and could do endlessly, was that we kept getting stung by what we were told were sea-lice. In the end, the stings were unbearable and I had to get out. 

That night I had my first alcoholic drink in Thailand, opting for their Chang beer. After another day of chilling and having our first traditional Thai massages, I moved on to cocktails. The rain was coming now, and although it had only been in the evenings, it happened when we had our massages, which was perfect timing really, so can’t complain! That night there was a dog that lay next to me whilst I ate. Although I was fine with it then, I think I’m becoming more cautious with them now. We listened to some live music, played darts and then pool (where I won by default rather than potting balls). Phuket was more expensive than Bangkok, so you really do pay for the sunny beach location, and this section very much felt like a holiday. 

The next day we got up relatively early and tried to get a taxi to the Gibbon centre. I didn’t realise that the taxi number we got from the driver who dropped us off had a note to book the day before. So, in the end we had to pay the 500 baht for a 20 minute drive. The gibbons were nice to see and learn about, and they were very loud, sounding like police sirens. It was also sad to see one of them sucking its thumb, another with missing limbs, and others that for various reasons couldn’t be let out back into the wild, which is the main aim for most of the gibbons there. We walked for a bit at Bang Pae Waterfalls, but it was very hot. We then walked for 40 minutes to the pier, which was a challenge. I joked that I felt like the character in the book I’m reading — “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed. At the pier, there were families of gibbons bathing in puddles, and eating on top of cars. I worried that the nightmare I once had about being chased by a monkey was a premonition. Luckily not, but when I reached into my waterproof bag to try to take a cheeky picture, the sound of the Velcro made the one on the roof of a car’s head turn and so I didn’t! We nearly go scammed again to get into a private boat — understood properly when talking to another couple that when the guy had repeated something about being the pirate/captain, that he meant “private” not “pirate”. 

We took a public longboat to Ko Yao Noi, once we had said no to the other guy, and his partner in crime who tried to sell us some sort of pre-boarding ticket. My boyfriend wanted to ride a bike, and I wanted to try it out. However, because there were no helmets I was wary. I guess part of me didn’t want to be the one to always spoil the fun, but just because the people selling it don’t care about your health and safety, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t either. Without having had any lessons to drive, and not even being that great at riding a normal bicycle, I thought I’d go in the back. My boyfriend did a couple of laps, and was then told that he couldn’t do it and that he would have to pay for everything if there was an accident, and how difficult it would be on the road with cars etc. So, we managed to get our money back, and this guy said he would drop us off and pick us up in time for the last boat back, for 300 baht in total.

We ate at a beachside restaurant, and chatted with a couple who had met backpacking. Then we squeezed in a swim, but despite its pretty appearance, with fantastic landscape views, the water was very shallow, and there were loads of rocks at the bottom. So, although the water didn’t sting, it wasn’t a patch on Nai Yang beach. I had picked up a shell and a little Thai boy came up and gave me a shell, and so I exchange with him. He handed me more and more, and then it appeared that some of them had claws! There were lots of tiny crabs in shells as the water ran in small streams through the sand. 

When 4.10pm came, and the driver didn’t show up, I started to worry. We couldn’t quite get our heads around this scam, but thankfully the lovely staff at the restaurant called someone and he drove us there just in time to board the boat and to get a seat each! We thought maybe he wanted us to get stuck and have to stay somewhere, or maybe he had a private boat he wanted us to go on, or maybe he simply forgot! Anyway, thankfully it became a story to tell, rather than a nightmare to live out. I don’t know if it’s me, but this is definitely not helping me become more chilled and cool, but moments like these are testing, and I was in the verge of tears and meltdown, when really we would have been okay either way, and maybe I need to learn from that at least. We even managed to share a taxi back as an American couple happened to need to go to the airport, and our place is on the way there, so they stopped off to have some food there. We really needed a wash and change, but being out at 7pm was about the earliest we had done before. It rained whilst we were eating on the beachfront.

The next day, we started off with a massage. This time I got one focused on my back, but it felt so bruised the next day, so I guess it was a bit too rough for me! We spent all day in the beach, had a quick dip in the pool, and finally made it out before sunset, at around 6.15-30pm. It felt sad to leave Phuket, wishing I could take the sea with us. That said, it turned out we were conned again, as the journey back from the hotel to the airport took at least half the time it had done on the way there. It was funny that after nearly two weeks in Thailand, and one being in the beach the whole time, a guy came up to us thinking we had just arrived because of our white skin. We have been quite careful, have minimal burns, and always use factor 50, but I do have a little watch-mark on my wrist, so we are a bit less pale than we arrived! 

Travelling to Ayutthaya, we opted for the cheaper train seats this time, but being in the middle of the day, and buying just before boarding, it was more crowded than our early morning ride to Pak Chong. We had been recommended a hostel called Baan Are Gong, which was also in the Lonely Planet guide. Luckily they and just one double room left at around 570 baht all together. In the guide it said that the building was over 100-years-old and it felt incredible to be able to stay there. It was made of a dark teak wood and was decorated in a Thai-Chinese style. The door to the room had a small wall that you had to step over, and the big double bed was covered in a mosquito net (though it had a couple of holes in, and a wide entrance, I had got lots of mosquito bites already from the park, and had more to come). We soon left, after some of the great food served at the attached estuary at, opting for the 4pm boat tour, thinking it would be more restful.
Though Ayutthaya seemed calmer and fresher than Bangkok, walking in the heat was still a challenge, even with the breeze from the boat. This time it was a proper public boat that stopped off at various hotels and hostels. That said, the wooden flooring wasn’t perfect and on one stop, when trying to get back on the boat, my leg went right through the floor and I fell face-down on the deck. I’m the kind of person who would normally jump up from embarrassment and try to pretend that it didn’t happen, but for some reason my brain didn’t quite kick into action and my body remained there for an inordinately long time, and when I got to my seat, I rubbed my bruised ankle in attempt to soothe it. 

If I remember correctly, on the boat tour we visited Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon, Wat Chai Wattanaram, and Wat Phanan Choeng. Ayutthaya is an island as it is surrounded by water, and all these locations were off the island. It used to be the capital of Thailand, and much of the sites include ruins from this period, after an attack from Burma (what is now Myanmar). The highlight of this trip for me, along with the fish-feeding at the latter destination, was seeing the sunset over Wattanaram. The difficult thing about boat tours is that the twenty minutes you’re given is never really enough, so we ended up being the last ones on the boat as we tried to soak up the glorious sunset and feel a pocket of calm in another Thai city. 

We returned to get changed and met up quite late with the two girls from Amsterdam. We ate a place they had found and chatted. It was quite cool as we had stuff in common, and interestingly neither of them drank alcohol (neither does my boyfriend). The restaurant served us water, but it was in glass bottles, and after at first thinking it was fancy, my suspicions were confirmed at another place — it was tap water, bottled up and made to look new with the metallic caps. Still, water in Bangkok is safe to drink, provide it is filtered, which I’m sure it was at this place. Less busy than Bangkok, it wasn’t as easy getting back, especially being on the other side of the water (the 5 baht ferry across having stopped at 8 o’clock), but we made it. In Ayutthaya, as in other areas of Thailand, there are a lot of dogs. I’m not the best with dogs as it is, but it’s important to be aware of rabies, even having been vaccinated, and that it can be passed on through licking, as well as through biting. Whether it’s a stray or owned, whether it looks rabid or not, there is a possibility there.
The next day we were due to go back to Bangkok, but not before an early rise, a hearty breakfast and a look around the sights inside the island. We started off at Wat Phra Mahathat, where we searched amongst the ruins to find the sandstone head of a Buddha tangled in the roots of a tree. The site dated back to 1374, and gave a taste for what else was to come. We walked through the greenery, over bridges and by lakes and rivers. We passed through other temples and made it to the large bronze 17 metre high Buddha at Wihaan Phra Mongkhon Bophit. After resting in the shade with some water, we explore Wat Phra Si Sanphet, built in the late 15th century. 

It connected to the Old Royal Palace, at which point we walked too far out into the green, and were trapped by a barbed wire fencing and large roads. Not to mention stretches of river with no way over. We backtracked: hot, tired, and running out of water. Eventually we made it out and got a ride to the ferry port. We then probably should have eaten, but it would mean a two-hour wait for the next train, so we powered through and got the next train with just minutes to spare. This train was really cheap compared to the others, but we haven’t quite figured out why. It was very difficult travelling at that time (around 1.30pm), being so dehydrated and hungry. The railway in Thailand is also something to get used to — instead of bridges, you walk directly over certain sections of the track to different platforms. Everyone has been really helpful to us there, making sure we get on the right train. 

Back in Bangkok, we needed to cool down and drink water. So, it wasn’t until get late that we got to eat something. It’s now our third time in Bangkok as I write this and I only just spotted the 7-11 right outside the hostel! We had been walking 10-15 minutes to get one. And it looked like they did the SIM cards we needed at the start after all. I think this might have been the night where we ate at a local place that was like street-food but you could sit down inside. I had grilled chicken and rice, which was great! My boyfriend had duck’s mouth, and that was… well, that’s what happens sometimes when you order unusual things! The following day we due to fly to Phuket, and we couldn’t have been more ready for a beach to plonk ourselves onto!

We arrived at the site of Bobby’s Jungle Tour and were shown to our little green house, amongst different colours cabins. At this point I’d met one of the tour guides and the guy who runs the place (a Mike, not a Bobby) and I was also reminded of what I had forgotten to pack – my swimming costume! My mood plummeted at the thought of missing out on swimming in a waterfall, but rose again when told there was a “Tesco Lotus” that would probably have something. It was interesting to see the fresh fish and meats available in a market-style way that we wouldn’t get in the UK, but there was no swimwear whatsoever. I had to make do with a sports bra and a pair of pink shorts. I picked the largest size, knowing they only go up to a UK 10 or 12. 
The sports bra came in handy, as in such hot and sticky weather it’s far more comfortable than a regular bra. However, the purchase ended up being useless. Our first stop was meant to be a small waterfall, with a natural spring that we could swim in. The dry weather coupled with the fact that it had rained for an hour — stopping just seconds before the start of our tour journey — meant that the water in the spring was very murky. We were told we could instead swim where lots of Thai locals were swimming, but to get there it looked like you had to go down a wet, muddy bank and swing from nearly-breaking tree branches to get there. My boyfriend impulsively decided to join a group of young Thai boys in jumping from some rocks. The group was generally slippy just walking to the view point, and my heart was in my mouth as I watched him speed over to the side where the rocks were. It looked too dangerous, though part of me wished that I took the risk in the moment. Instead, I became camera-woman. I have a very rubbish camera, plus my iPhone, but for these I took my boyfriend’s DSLR (I think that’s what they call them… the ones with the big lenses). 

I could see from the distance that he had become unsure of his actions, but was being encouraged by the Thai boys to do it. I don’t know whether there’s a kind of recklessness in Thai culture (see the parents hanging their children of the tree here, or piled on motorbikes without helmets), or whether it’s due to something I heard about the brain’s development meaning people under 25 take more risks. I’m about to turn 27 and the biggest risk have taken is quitting my job for a short-term contract in Vietnam, and since securing a year’s contract in Spain. Anyway, after a short half-run up to the edge of the rocks, my boyfriend did it. He jumped off and plunged sideways into the water (leaving a big red mark on his pale skin). Seeing his head bob up again in the water stopped my nerves, and it was a lovely sight to see him with the Thai boys, who them helped him back up. He returned muddy as the rest of the group went back to the songthaew.

We made our next stop to a bat cave, where we were equipped with torches to look at the hundred of bats hanging and flying around the enclaves within it. At this sight there was also a monk resting nearby, and a tower with drums and bells. You could still see the thick hair still on the animal skin of the drum. My boyfriend climbed up the bell tower as we were given complimentary watermelon (Thailand has officially the most flavoursome watermelon I’ve ever tasted). He banged the drum and a bell or two, and then started to get into a rhythm. Again, it was great to see the smile on his face, that he was really making the most of it. I wished I hadn’t felt as self-conscious, and wary of any time-constraints or what other people wanted, that I had given the bells a ring myself as this was one of high highlights from the tour.

My highlight came next as we saw millions of bats, quite literally millions, migrating from the top of a mountain, flying in a thick flurry, as if it was a swarm of bees. They moved in unity, in waves across the sky, and we stared up for about 20 minutes. The stream of bats kept coming, and would do so for around 45-60 minutes. In this time we also ate some really sour mango, which was quite an unusual taste combination, and different to the mango we had eaten of the train ride to Pak Chong, which had a sachet of what seemed like a mixture of salt, sugar and chilli. The train journey had been pleasant, viewing the landscape from the windows, the wind cooling us from the heat of the morning sun — but it had been long, and so after the tour we were ready for food, and for bed. The food was some of the best we had eaten so far, and we enjoyed it every night we were there.

The weather had a welcome freshness, compared to Bangkok, perhaps due to the rain storm, perhaps also due to all the greenery, making it easier to breathe (plus, less pollution). The next morning we were up bright and early for the full-day tour. This day wasn’t as much fun as the previous, but there were definitely a lot of great things about it, and both tour guides we had were fault-less. They had amazing knowledge of all the animals and plant-life, a great sense of humour, and incredible enthusiasm, which kept our energy up. The only downside was that there was a lot of travelling between places, plus no waterfalls to swim in for me as the one we went to was too dry, and the only elephants we saw were apparently not wild, but ones for riding. My boyfriend keeps wanting to ride elephants, but I’m hoping we’ll find out more about why we shouldn’t do that at the Elephant Sanctuary in Chiang Mai. 

It was cool that our tour guide was able to take us off the trail to parts he knew that were good to find Gibbons and other creatures, so we spent lots of time looking up at the tree tops to spot these, as well as trekking through the jungle and seeing other interesting things like a tangled tree that you could go inside. We had started the tour at about 7am and finished around 7pm, so we were certainly tired. I didn’t mind too much about not seeing elephants, but I guess it was a bit of an anticlimax not seeing them, purely because our guide seemed so determined to drive around to look for them… They need some kind of elephant tracking device, because the Khao Yai National Park is so massive! We climbed down a steep bank to see a crocodile, but they don’t move much, so after a quick look, I began to become tired and irritable due to the insects following me around. The monkeys are always my favourite bit when it comes to animals, and we got to see some up close as they gathered near at lunchtime, as well as spotting some deer. 

There was then some confusion after eating dinner about where we could go the next day, I’d been told we could enter the park for free the next day, and after thinking we might go to see what Pak Chong had to offer, we were told that there was nothing to do there without transport. So, it begged the question as to why I wasn’t advised against booking an extra night, but it wasn’t a big deal as, thanks to a German girl helping with communication, we were able to cancel our last night there, and instead took an impromptu trip to Ayuthaya the next day, joining a couple of others from the tour!

A week ago I left for Thailand with my boyfriend, and this is the first day we have had a moment’s pause to reflect. We travelled with EVA Air and the were lots of spare seats, so plenty of space for the 11.5 hour flight (although you did walk through the better class of seats, which looked even more comfortable). There was plenty of choice of entertainment, and I chose the film Spotlight. I should have gone to sleep, but come midnight, I was straining to keep my eyes open because I’m stubborn and wanted to finish watching the film. This meant I got no sleep whatsoever. But I did get two of the best tasting aeroplane food I have ever had in my whole life. I usually don’t even bother now, but we opted for “Vegetarian Oriental” and it meant we were served first with lovely rice and noodle dishes packed with vegetables, plus containers of fruit and salad. 

On arrival in Bangkok, it was clear we had been transported somewhere else. Luckily, being English, there were plenty of signs we could understand to guide us to collect our baggage and Visas on arrival, but as we walked through the airport there were flower displays and incredible murals that hinted at what was to come. So far, we have mainly witnessed incredibly intricate designs of so many temples. A taxi to our hostel – Fab, in Sathon – cost twice the price than expected, but the communication barrier meant we just accepted it. I had forgotten the handy bit of paper with the hostel address I’m Thai that the owners had provided. 

We were shown around the place, which is equipped with two shower-rooms/toilets, a kitchen, laundry facilities, living space with films, books and musical instruments, and an our door chill out space with a hammock, comfy seating, fan and even a punchbag! Already sweating, we took some time to settle in, then headed out to find some food. The hostel is away from much of the tourist attractions, so restaurants are minimal. However, there are lots of places serving up street-food. We were a little apprehensive about this, and our first impressions of street-food in Bangkok were that it looked like it had been left out for a while, and was unappetising. So, on our first night we headed down what would become the familiar streets leading up to a main road with a 7-11, and found a place with four walls and fans. I chose something I’d had back in the UK — penang curry — but it had a lot of lemongrass in it (which, unfortunately, I can’t stand) and was a lot spicer than expected, baring no resemblance to what I was used to eating. There was no English translation for drinks, so we pointed at two options. We guessed, after starting, that it was iced coffee and iced tea, but we couldn’t stomach the strange saccharine taste, so had to leave them.

We got an early night and planned the next day. Our first proper day in Bangkok, and we’d planned to get a boat to The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew (my Lonely Planet guide offering me help with all these names). A few paces down the roads, so filled with motorbikes, stalls and at times no pavement at all, we were approached by a tuk-tuk driver. My instinct said to say no; we had got up early specifically so we could walk to the pier. He offered the ride for 30 baht, and my polite, but ever-so naive boyfriend accepted the lift. What had meant to be a short walk, turned into an unusually long distance on the tuk-tuk. I had gone along with it because I thought it would please my boyfriend — being in Thailand, I wanted to relax, not be Miss Health and Safety etc. We arrived at a pier, but it didn’t look how I expected — we were the only ones the. But still, neither of us had ever got a boat in Thailand. 

I kick myself every time I think of the fact that we were then charged 2000 baht for what should have knocked two zeros off. To be fair, my boyfriend managed to get it down to 1800, and I had actually looked at the prices the night before. I should have known this was a complete rip-off. Yet, in my 7am head, I just went with it… I guess it seemed the easier option at the time. I didn’t come here to have to ward off being scammed, yet that was a morsel of what was to come being in Bangkok. The only relief we were able to say to ourselves was that it was a private boat. At one point I kissed my boyfriend in it, just because of this matter. Passing boat upon boat, filled with people, we knew as the events unraveled that we were being conned. At one temple, we paid to get a closer look only to find out it was closed inside, and at two ports, we were charged landing-fees, which we latter learned were another scam. 

Aside from the money lost so quickly, we did get to see Wat Arun from the outside (this is the one that was closed for refurbishment but still happy to charge entry fee), and my boyfriend enjoyed going down the canals, finding interesting scenes to photograph. I found this part, and much of Thailand, somewhat unsettling — the contrast between the ramshackle homes, and grand temples, along with one-off accommodation, with fencing round it. This came with a guilt of being lucky enough to come from the UK and to be able to travel like this, yet combined with amazement a at what we saw, it was an overwhelming place to say the least. At this time, all we could think of to describe it was “real”. For so long we had imagined what it would be like to be in Thailand, probably made up of stock Google images, stories and photos from friends, and our imagination. To be there in the flesh, is just that: real. 

We were dropped at a pier before walking through a market and getting some water from a stall, then entering Wat Pho. For those not familiar with visiting temples in Thailand, generally nationals get free entry, whilst foreigners or “farangs” get charged. A couple of guys who turned out to be Canadian asked for a photo to be taken, and after returning the favour and chatting about what we had experienced so far, they headed in, and we followed behind a while after. It’s also worth noting that to visit temples you should wear items of clothes that cover your shoulders and knees, and always take your shoes off as a matter of respect. If not, you may either be denied entry, or most-likely loaned a garment to cover yourself. I wore my trainers, also thinking toes needed covering, but in hindsight sandals would have been fine. 

In Wat Pho, we felt the welcome relief of the fans throughout the building, but also wonderment at the giant golden Buddha casually reclining before us. You were able to walk around the whole statue, and see the walls covered with visual stories. A thought flickered across my mind — the women in these pictures, and sometimes men, wore garments covering one shoulder, often exposing the fleshy curves of their breasts. I laughed to myself that there were visual depictions of exactly what you were forbidden to wear in the temple. We walked around the grounds, where it was just as beautifully constructed, and contained a man-made waterfall, and pond of fish, as well as places for worship. 

We walked outside toward a massive white building, which we assumed to contain The Grand Palace. We followed the direction of monks, and other visitors, and asked a guard where to go. He directed us, and we soon turned a corner to find ourselves in a non-moving crowd, that didn’t seem quite like a queue. In the near-distance, could see the entrance with more crowds of people around it. It seemed you needed to be more assertive with walking here — something I had little trouble with, coming from London. Before we had a chance to walk much further, we were pounced on by a man, saying that it was closed for the public, and monks only, until 1pm. I immediately knew it was a scam; despite him claiming he worked there, I could see he wasn’t at the entrance, nor was he in any uniform. It didn’t add up. Then he started to say that we could go to these other places, hollered at his mate, that he’d charge us something really cheap to go to all these places. It was beginning to grate. My boyfriend again hesitant to be rude, often tried to offer a “maybe later”, but I’d had enough and just said no and walked away. That’s been my attitude since then. It wasn’t even the last time — again and again we rejected offers to go places for 10 baht. This was a clear attempt at the notorious gem scandal, where tourists are taken to places that are most certainly not the attractions they want to see, then offered to buy worthless gems, fooled into believing they can make money back at home. One guy even drew a Buddha on my map to label such a location, and another followed us from a restaurant to a 7-11, and stood suspiciously close to my boyfriend in there.

Alas, when we did eventually come to the entrance, it was not only open but teeming with tourists! This was where my boyfriend’s long shorts didn’t quite cover his knees, and he had to put on these loose draw-string trousers on. All the different parts making up this area was incredibly expansive, and it was a struggle to get through it in the heat. At one point my boyfriend thought he couldn’t go on, as we kept pausing on steps to breathe and drink water. In hindsight, I would have opted to just get a taxi there, as the idea of waking up so early was to get there early early. There was so much to see, so I was determined to go on, despite having my own light-headed moment. A moment of calm, peace and serenity came when sat in The Temple of the Emerald Buddha (also note — make sure to always have your feet pointing away from the Buddha). There was a smell of flowers in the air, and tranquil sounds filled the busy building. Although not religious myself, you couldn’t help but feel a kind of spiritual connectedness. 

Once we had seen everything (we hoped) and were out of the grounds, we walked to the information point to ask about the SIM we hadn’t got from the airport (and probably should have done), only to find they were closed for lunch, with no return time. My boyfriend had just bought some very juicy pineapple sticks, but I wanted some proper food. My friend, who had been travelling for the past three months in South East Asia, had recommend a place on Khao San road, so we walked past what I identified as Sanam Luang Park, but might as well have been anywhere as we came to an impossible junction and finally gave up when a tuk-tuk came along, and we hopped on out of hunger, probably paying too much again.

Khao San road is the epicentre of backpackers — my friend and the two Canadians we had met earlier had stayed/were staying around the area. The string of bars, restaurants and market stalls (plus a handy 7-11 where we got a SIM card fitted into my boyfriend’s phone because mine wasn’t “unlocked”) meant it could be anywhere in the world. It was very touristy, but the food was welcome, we went to a place called “Lucky Beer” out of tiredness, and had a break from the spicier food from the previous night… You can feel the chilli the next day, shall we say! We didn’t have any beer, and once we had eaten a satisfactory meal, we soon found a taxi back to our hostel.

So far, we hadn’t been overly impressed by the food we’d eaten, having heard so many other friends rave about it. We opted for a fine-dining place called Blue Elephant, which turned out to be a chain. So, whilst I enjoyed the food (my boyfriend sadly disappointed again) it didn’t seem quite what we were looking for to go to a global chain, even if it was Thai food. We hadn’t dressed up, so felt a bit out of place with locals dressed to the nines, and my boyfriend even had to wear some more loose trousers, with a fancy trim when turned over and done up. It was funny, especially as there were two American women at the next table in hot pants and vest tops. Still confused about the Wei greeting at this stage (palms touching and head bowing), when the guard saluted me, I didn’t know what to do and half-saluted him back. I had my favourite Thai dishes there, so I was happy — vegetable spring rolls, chicken satay and prawn pad Thai. I was even given a flower on exiting, which I left in the room at the hostel, as we were already moving on to the next stop — Pak Chong.

(Note: I stopped writing this on the third paragraph, and it’s not 10 days into our Thailand trip! Hopefully I’ll get another chance in a couple of days! Also, please excuse any typos when writing these on ipad/iPhone.)