Bangkok - So far...

Early Evening All (well it is for us anyway),

Decided to come back and write another blog before we head out into the city to get some dinner.

Our first full day (yesterday) in Bangkok started with a McDonalds - eventually. Having been harrassed by numerous legit, and decidedly unlegit, people who wanted to give us directions or taxis to who knows where we decided to hide and read the map. So into McDonalds - the safe haven of any westerner - allowed us to take stock and decide which landmark we were gonna see first.

We decided to head out to some massive shopping centres in Siam by Scooter Taxi (yeah we dared one of those - pretty funny experience mixed with some fear at times) and got there in time to explore a bit and then get some lunch.

These shopping centres are all really spanking new (see my note in the last blog about industrialisation) and so have big digital screens and are air-conditioned. We stopped for lunch in a 'Black Canyon Coffee' store which isn't as American as it sounds. All of us had some traditional food before more exploring of the more upper-class stores of Bangkok.

The big daddy store was the Siam Paragon which is just immense. Full of designer brands (Armani, D&G etc) and an amazing food hall this wouldn't have looked out of place in any city in the world - although what city can boast having a aquarium with shark swimming in the basement - Bangkok can!

We strolled over to Siam square afterwards which is a bit Leicester Square-ish and very much full of youth culture here. The quote at the top is from the window of their Hard Rock cafe which amused us.

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In the late afternoon we went to a temple to try and get some culture but unfortunately it was closed (as they all do at about 4) so we went to relax in the park before getting some dinner. The park was a bit of a culture shock - not for the way it looked but the activities going on. We must have been had thousands of people jog past us as we sat and around us people did exercise and Ti Chi. Then at 6pm a radio speaker came on a played the National Anthem, which everyone stopped for and stood up to observe (which we did too). Then after that about a thousand people took part in aerobics with the most energetic man in the world leading from a big stage at the front.

Having mixed up the forms of transport (up to now we have been on Sky Train, underground Metro and scooter taxi) - we got the skytrain out to the end of the line and got a normal taxi to take us to the biggest Chinese restaurant in the world at some 8 hectares or something (should have brought the book then I could stick in more facts). Anyway, it was massive and the food was very generously portioned. A good start to our first proper night.

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Today we've done the proper sight-seeing stuff - in the morning we took the riverboat down to the Wat Po Temple of the Reclining Buddha which was a massive golden Buddha on his side stretch out a full temple.

The Great Palace took up most of our afternoon - its a massive huge collection of temples and holy buildings (including the temple home to Green Emerald Buddha - again pretty spectacular and so important we couldn't photo it) displaying a huge amount of amazing architecture, jewels and gold.

After an ice cream we got the boat home, then relaxed and came here!

Just realised I've ranted on a bit - so I'm gonna stop now.

Hope this latest blog brings you up to date - cheers for the comments - keep them coming!

Next up for us - a few more days in Bangkok then down to Ko Tao for diving (stopping somewhere on the way - more when we know where!)

Love to all,

Woodie and Laura (Locky is making himself beautiful).