Ok so this is still Nepal but I was glad that I ended up at the airport check in really early as the nice man gave me the best seat for views over Mount Everest as we flew out.
First stop in Thailand was Bangkok - had flying visit here a couple of years ago for one day but this time I went for the backpacker option and stayed in the infamous Khoa San Road (not sure of correct spelling as it changes depending on where you read it!!). As you can see it is a street full of cheap (but very clean) guest houses, bars, resteraunts and just about everything else - you can even pick up an international driving licence/student card or even a degree from the street vendors - who clearly advertise this right in front of the police!!
Imagine trying to keep your prisoners from escaping this police car in Glasgow - not to count what an easy target you would be for the missiles!!!!
Thai dancers at one of the temples.
A motorised wheel barrow - all the trend here.
Thai people love their dogs - lots of pampered pooches - my mum would love it :-)
A chinese temple near Khoa San Road - no idea what it's called as signs were only in Thai and it wasn't on the map (fell over temples around every corner and most are not on any map/guide book!!
This one reminded me of some of you guys after a night in the pub - I'll let you decide for yourself if you think I'm talking about you!!!!
Phra Sumen Fort in Bangkok (just to show there is a few buildings here that are not temples!)
A Big Buddha - 45m high - glad I don't need to clean him!
Ananta Samakom Throne Hall - couldn't decide if I wanted to actually go inside for a look but decision was made for me as ladies are only allowed in if wearing a skirt/sari - I have neither in my rucksack so enjoyed the views from outside! Don't think equal opportunities has reached the Thai vocabulary yet!!
Was passing over one of Bangkoks many canals when I spotted something move below - initially I assumes a fish or maybe a rat - but no on closer look it was about a 6ft snake (maybe python or boa constrictor) quite happily swimming along just under a few houses where kids were playing!! Glad I didn't take the guest house overlooking the canal - imagine waking up to this as your room mate!"!
One of the gaurdians at the entrance to a temple.
Lots of weird and wonderful statues and ornaments scattered around the temples and palaces.
Fountains and Flowers - just to break up the temple photo's :-)
The Victory Monument - just practicing my night photography (thanks for the tips!).
Found this car on the 4th floor of the very posh Siam Centre shopping centre (how do you get a show room of cars up to the 4th floor!!!). Anyway, was a little out of my budget for souveigners so don't expect it in your xmas stocking!! Also went to cinema here - fantastic seats and air con for 1.40!! (Narnia 2 is quite entertaining if you haven't yet seen it)
Cchandelier made of glass cups in one of the cafes in the Siam Centre. (If you haven't quite worked it out yet I will take photo's of just about anything!!)
Wouldn't want to fight with this angry looking dead king who was gaurding one of the entrances to the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
The Grand Palace & Wat Phra Keow (Temple of the Emerald Buddah) was the one place I remembered visiting the last time I was in Bangkok and it was as good as I remembered - amazing detail and colour in the buildings/statues and art work on the walls - if you haven't been before and visit Bangkok you need to give this place a couple of hours at least - it is massive. And yes I probably took all the same photo's the last time I was here!!
A snakes tale outside one of the temple builidings at Wat Phra Keow
Me and the Gate Gaurdians.
Changing of the guards at the Grand Palace - not unlike Buckingham Palace - just a different colour - though these guys smile!!
The Grand Palace. - No pictures of the Emerald Buddha as not allowed to take them inside the temple - and he is in fact made of Jade and not Emerald - doesn't quite sound the same though!!
A Bangkok Canal.
A Bangkok residential area near the river.
Ryan the Tiger enjoying the view from one of the temples.
The Dawn Temple (Wat Arun)
I know it is blurry but what an action shot - these kids from 8-16 years were cooling down by jumping into the canal from the bridge!! There were plenty of local adults (including some of their parents) happily watching!!
A temple at night.
The Democracy Monument - built to celebrate surprisingly enough Thailans becoming a Democracy!!
A green Temple Guardian.
The Steel Palace.
View over Bangkok from the Golden Mountain (big gold coloured temple) - as you can see the old and new sit around each other.
One of the paintings from inside a Chinese style temple.
After Bangkok I moved onto Ayuthaya about an 11/2 hours train north of Bangkok. Another city but the 'old city' is an Island cut off from the mainland by three different rivers. This was one of the street stalls preparing food at the market.
Ayuthaya was once a capital city in the Siam era and has lots of old temples and ruins scattered about as well as the hundreds of new Wat's (Temples).
Me at Wat Phra Mahathat.
One of the newer temples.
Whilst this lady was clearing up the rubbish I was trying desperately to cool down with an Ice Lolly! It is nice being somewhere where it is safe to eat icecream/lollies again (well from main shops!)
A angry looking Temple Guardian!
Ryan wanted to join the rooster army - he didn't think anyone would notice that he wasn't one of them!! I have not yet worked out the significance of the roosters - there were hundreds of them surrounding a monument to the King????
Phu Khao Thong (Golden Mountain Chedi) - got a slow puncture on the bike I had hired on the way back from here - cost me an extra 30Bhatt (45p!!) but at least I made it back before it went completely flat!!
A very colourful lizard - too quick for me though couldn't get close enough to see the rest of him.
Some local kids who wanted there photo taken.
Cooling off in the shade.
Ryan the Tiger felt a little insignificant next to this giant reclining Buddha - he can't believe it's toe nail is bigger than him :-)
The gardens of the temples are kept immaculate by the monks - I liked this hedge thing!
Then a little later I came accross the Elephant camp near the Ancient Palace ruins - where they train the elephants!! Look familiar??
And just for a change (and some air con) I visited the Contemporary Art Gallery this afternoon - there were some really good pictures.As sad as I was to leave Nepal, Thailand has certainly been keeping me busy. Lots of Temples - have lost count of how many I have visited and I've only been here a week!! I have been trying to walk everywhere for a number of reasons - to keep fit (far too hot for proper exercise), to save money, do my bit for the environment (well Bangkok is polluted enough) and also the Tuc Tuc's (especially in Bangkok) constantly try and take you to over priced shops - one I did get into who tried this soon realised it wasn't going to work when I got out handed him half the fare we had agreed on (they keep fare very low and get commission from the shops!). Well he'd only taken me to half the places we'd arranged and kept stopping trying to get me to go into shops where the cheapest piece of jewellery cost 600 pounds - my whole jewellery collection isn't worth that much!! Need to wear dirtier and torn clothes in future!!
I have to say though that the sacredness of the temples is a bit harder to appreciate when the monks are wandering about on their mobile phones with a fag hanging out there mouths!!
Although Bangkok is pretty polluted it was actually much less so than I remembered from my last trip and much cleaner with hardly any litter. Either it's getting cleaner or after Delhi nothing seems that bad!!
I am still in Ayuthaya at a nice little guest house which is costing me less than 2.00 per night and that includes free internet access - can't really ask for much more - it even has live music but it's ok Bon Jovi & Bryan Adams are pretty safe - I'll still be buying the originals for now!!
Have a few more stops planned over the next week mainly historical cities - no shortage of them here - before I reach Chaing Mai in the north and then I still have to work out my route over to Laos!! This travelling stuff takes a lot of energy!!
Of course my timing is spot on yet again and I have reached Thailand in rainy season (and will travel the rest of South East Asia during the same monsoons!!). But it is ok don't feel too sorry for me - generally it rains for about an hour or so most days (not the last 2 though) and it is so hot that if you do get soaked you are dry again within half an hour or so - though 3/4 inches of rain in an hour does cause some traffic problems!! Not quite the same as the rain in Scotland!!
I can't believe it is nearly 4months ago that I left home - seems like yesterday in some ways and years ago in others!! And there still isn't enough time to see all the places I'd like. "my 'must visit" list has doubled since I started travelling!! Shame my bank balance hasn't :-)
Hope your enjoying a good British Summer at home and have some good holidays planned.
Bye for now......
Jack xx
