Bangkok

Leaving Ko Panang in the afternoon I arrived in Bangkok a little too early in the morning, but wide awake and ready to hit the big city! My friend Mikey, being a true gentleman, had offered me a spare room in his house while I was in town, so my first adventure was conveying his address to a Thai taxi friver and pray that I'd get to the reight part of town... With my first taxi experience in Bangkok in mind, I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself getting to the right door in no time, with no hassle and for a lot less money than expected. My second meeting with Bangkok was all the muvh better than the first in most ways, particularly as I actually had time to see the city this time! I have spent my days in Bangkok walking around the older parts of the centre, looking at the Grand Palace and the temple of the Emerald Buddha, seeing the Wat Poh where Thai massage apparently originated and they have a giant reclining golden Buddha, some 15 m long and 11 m high; eaten Pad Thai off the street vendors in Khosan road; braved the Chatachut weekend market--supposedly one of the biggest outdoor markets in the world with some 10'000 stalls, helped Mikey sorting out stuff as his wallet was stolen from his pocket, posted 11 kilos of stuff that I hope reaches home before Christmas (or you'll all be waiting for your Christmas presents!); gone back to Khosan road to browse the endless amounts of CDs, dresses, bikinis, slacks, t-shirts and what-nots they sell there; eaten lovely food with Mikey; taken taxis across town and had drivers try and explain the street layout to me while I marvelled at the endless mix of old and new, modern and ancient, worn-down and fancy that Bangkok comprises of. My most fascinating moment though, was my meeting with Thailand post: Having shipped originally 10 kilos of stuff back home from the branch at Chatachut market I wandered back into the myriad of stall for some food quick food--and spotted something I needed, but had not known of until I found it there (Karianne's Christmas present, actually). I pondered the matter and need for a short while and realised it was genuine, I had to bring this thing home, and sighed with the thought of carrying it all the way through Cambodia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Korea and China ... Passing Thailand Post on the way out of the market I had little hope but nothing to lose, and so I walked back into the office wondering if I could add this little something to my parcel. It took me two attempts to ask (the first time I ended up getting change for a big note, which I also needed)--but to my utter surprise, the guy that had helped me wrap the package in the first place smiled widely, as Thai people do, and said of course, why not? Somehow my faith in helpful Thai people seemed restored as we re-wrapped my box and he asked me to please fill in a new form for the parcel; better to have it correct, otherwise someone might make trouble for it, that's no good you know, miss.