Goodbye Phuket, Hello Bangkok

21/06

Oh me and my big mouth.  I was asking everyone yesterday - "Where is the rain? I thought it rained regularly?"  Guess what .........It's flipping hosing with rain!  Hmmmm and we have to go through to Phuket town to catch our bus.
We got a lift to Phuket Town and walked around until 5:00pm.
Oh dear we got caught AGAIN!!!!! We bought our bus tickets from a so called agent!  We paid for the 24 seater VIP bus so we could stretch out and maybe sleep.  Hahaha!  We ended up on a 40 seater which was bloody uncomfortable.  We tried to find our "agent" but of course she had disappeared!
Oh well imagine a 12 hour night journey with your feet wrapped around your ears, and you might be close to what it was like!
22/06
Ok we finally arrive at 5:00am................Pull toes out of ears and try to get some feeling back into them so we can get off bus.
Now you get mobbed by taxi drivers who won't put their meters on 'cos they know they have you over a barrel!  They know you just want to get to where you are going!

Finally we get to Shanti Lodge in Bangkok.  Definitely nowhere as awesome, in any way, as the one in Phuket.

Bangkok is noisy, crowded and stinky!  We are staying near the river so we can catch ferries to different places.  We took a stroll down to the jetty to check it out.  People were buying bread crusts by the bagfuls then throwing them over the side of the jetty.  The amount of catfish fighting for the bread was unbelievable.  They go into an absolute frenzy!

23/06

Caught the river ferry, we were going to the Grand Palace but found out that we were not suitably dressed.  Oh well we won't get to see that as there is no possible way we can put long pants and sleeved shirts on.  We will really die of heatstroke!

We ended up walking around China Town and Thieves Market.  The market is made up of stalls selling sound equipment and electronic components like you won't believe.

We got back to the hotel both dying of the heat!

Ok......ay it is official.........Bangkok is @#%$#^%%*  Frank hates it and I don't think I like it much better.  I think Bangkok is a city you either love or hate!  I don't think there any shades of grey inbetweeen.

I am trying to get us up north for a few days but that is not happening either.  Oh well suffer in silence and try and find some good!

24/06

We decided to go to the island (in the middle of the river) Where the Mong (from Cambodia) came and settled after getting stranded on a sand bank.  Oh dear, Guess what?  That's right! We couldn't find it! One time I had walked away from Frank to try and find out how to get to the island and some older man approached him and started chatting to him. Next minute he takes a photo of a pretty young girl and tells Frank that it is his daughter and asks if he doesn't want to meet her as she gives good "Boom-Boom"! Frank was speechless for once!   We ended up walking around the area where we had landed which wasn't too bad. 

Hooray a CS host in Hau Hin confirmed that we can spend the weekend with him and his family.  Fantastic we both need to get out of Bangkok.  We have informed front desk that we are leaving and will be back on Monday.  They have agreed to keep our Big bag which is going to be a big help.  Yippee!!!!!

25/06

Checked out of the hotel and we were waiting for the river ferry when we got the call cancelling the weekend.  Shit!

Oh well back to the hotel and got our room back.  Now what to do??

We caught a taxi to Phathip Plaza which is a mall dedicated to computers and software.  Good heavens it is just floor after floor. 

Afterwards we went walking around town for a while.  Tammy & Teneka I have found your mall!  This one is dedicated to clothes and accessories, over 2000 shops!  People take empty suitcases or buy BIG bags on wheels and then start shopping.

The taxi going into town cost us 63 Baht (about R26.00), when we tried to get a taxi back home he wanted to charge us 300 Baht (R75.00), they refused to put their meters on.  We ended up walking back the 6 Km to the hotel.  Oooooh legs and backs are sore!!!!

26/06

Ooooops went back to Phathip Plaza - bought me a computer (hence I am able to catch up on the blog) and some memory sticks for Jakes.  Oh dear same problem with taxi so we walked a way down the road then hailed one.  A first for us.........We met an honest taxi driver!  He told us we actually need to waste an hour before taking a cab as the traffic is still very heavy and it will cost a fortune if we try and do it now so we thanked him, climbed out the cab and went and had some supper to waste time.

27/06 & 28/06

I don't believe it we had to go back to the computer place 'cos the idiot hadn't loaded the wi-fi and of course that is why I bought the bloody thing.  Oooooooooh I can scream.  The level of frustration felt in Bangkok is not healthy!

Sat for the most part catching up on things on the computer while Frank got bored!