Bangkok

I think Jan started his apprentership here!!

Hi all this is my first diary entry to cover the first couple of days. On arrival of Bangkok I was very impressed with the airport it was very effient, clean and organised. The queue for passport control as you can imagine was long and drawn out but still all good!

I got the express bus into Khaosan and it dropped me right out side the hotel, all planned (oh yeah) of course! The diggs where lets say basic but clean for a 3* what we might call suffient. It was however bang in the centre of the party area. The smell was the other thing that hit me just like Cuba, a mixture of strret food and crude oil! People so far are very helpful and pleasent if not a little impatient at times.

Bel arrived yesterday and she made her first impressions are similar to mine but was impressed with our compact and bejouir bathroom facilities. She can also recomment malaria tablets for weight loss as so far she has been sick for the first day and eaten v.little and also now she can eat her stomach is filled by the time she has had 3 mouth fulls.

I stumbled across this new hostel yesterday called RefillNOW which is awesome!! its about 30mins between airport and city centre but is pure luxary for 22pounds a night. The only flaws to this hostal are that Annabel was a little concerned about the mixed see trough shower and toilet facilities and she she did not want to bear her bottom to everybody. The place is quiet and relaxing however I would defo recommend this place to anyone. We went into the main Siam square in the afternoon and we had to endure the local directions and the longest 1km walk ever!!! it was about 5 bloody miles. We decided to sample some local transport and took a water taxi to town and it was mega. 18baht for a white knuckle journey down a stinky river. Still when in Bangkok!! The shopping however was top and we did manage to buy a couple of items. The journey back was even more eventfull as I cursed the weather by mentioniong that concidering its rainy season its not rained yet, well you guessed it Bloody rained and thundered and lightening like a good'un (it pissed it down!!!) so we got the sky train back to within 1km of the hostal (yeah right) but because of the bad weather we could not get a taxi so we ended up trying to walk. Well after about 2 miles and 3/4 of hour we gave up and got a tuk tuk. funny though!!!

We fly to Phuket this afternoon to try to catch some rays and sample the beach life for a week or so. up date you all again soon.

Phil and Bel x