Day 3 - Bangkok
Ahhh waking up to the sound of heavy monsoon rain....Nope, wait, that's the sounds of the two fans that in my room because I'm too stingy to pay for aircon. At least it wasn't raining though.
An early start makes you an easy target to the lovely people of Bangkok. Before 9.30am I had learned:
In fact, all the above is a load of s***, although the Thais are very consistent with their s***. Every day is in fact Budda day. Well, you don't have to pay to go into the temples any day. All buddas are available to visit all through the day. I visited Wat Pho at about 10am, along with hoards of other tourists, many in various colours of matching T-shirts. Yellow tuk-tuks may take you anywhere for 20BHT, but for 10BHT they will take you on a long detour via their friends' or family's tailors, stall, shop etc etc.
There are many beautiful tiles on the roofs of temples. You can write a message on these before they are laid, which is a nice idea. There is also a very nice bridge, but I won't go on about that here. The food is awesome. Lunch was an amazing combination of garlic, pineapple, coconut milk, sugar and chilli. Dinner was more rice and a Tom Yam soup. That was a very spur of the moment decision, but the custom at this particular place was to give you the menu and simultaneously take your order...
The walk back from dinner was less nice. I can see why the locals on scooters wear masks. I also discovered why cats sit on drains covers (which have four 5cm diameter holes at each corner), when a lizard/snake/frog - most likely the former - poked his head out to gawp at my descending foot, prompting a squeal and irrational fear of walking on drain covers. I think the cats like to take a swipe at them, much like the game where you have a hammer and moles appear out of various holes, and you have to bash them. I think I got a top score on that two holidays ago. I hope the cats' skills are as good.
Ahhh waking up to the sound of heavy monsoon rain....Nope, wait, that's the sounds of the two fans that in my room because I'm too stingy to pay for aircon. At least it wasn't raining though.
An early start makes you an easy target to the lovely people of Bangkok. Before 9.30am I had learned:
- Friday was Budda day. Everything free you normally pay for. On the news last night the Thai government announced this.
- Visit the Lucky Budda, Happy Budda, and every other Budda before 1pm.
- Visit the National Palace and Wat Pho after 1pm, before 1pm is Thai monks only.
- Yellow tuk-tuks take you anywhere for 20BHT.
In fact, all the above is a load of s***, although the Thais are very consistent with their s***. Every day is in fact Budda day. Well, you don't have to pay to go into the temples any day. All buddas are available to visit all through the day. I visited Wat Pho at about 10am, along with hoards of other tourists, many in various colours of matching T-shirts. Yellow tuk-tuks may take you anywhere for 20BHT, but for 10BHT they will take you on a long detour via their friends' or family's tailors, stall, shop etc etc.
There are many beautiful tiles on the roofs of temples. You can write a message on these before they are laid, which is a nice idea. There is also a very nice bridge, but I won't go on about that here. The food is awesome. Lunch was an amazing combination of garlic, pineapple, coconut milk, sugar and chilli. Dinner was more rice and a Tom Yam soup. That was a very spur of the moment decision, but the custom at this particular place was to give you the menu and simultaneously take your order...
The walk back from dinner was less nice. I can see why the locals on scooters wear masks. I also discovered why cats sit on drains covers (which have four 5cm diameter holes at each corner), when a lizard/snake/frog - most likely the former - poked his head out to gawp at my descending foot, prompting a squeal and irrational fear of walking on drain covers. I think the cats like to take a swipe at them, much like the game where you have a hammer and moles appear out of various holes, and you have to bash them. I think I got a top score on that two holidays ago. I hope the cats' skills are as good.
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