Arriving at Bangkok airport, I immediately noticed how beautifully clean it was after the dirt of India and it was nothing like the airport I remembered as a naive backpacker 18 years ago. Checking in to my hotel, I felt as though I was in 5 star luxury and the toilet paper in the bathroom was the icing on the cake. Bangkok is such an exciting city and I hit the tourist trail straight away by visiting the Grand Palace, I then took the Chao Phraya Express along the river and found the famous Khao San road which was, as expected, backpacker city. Negotiating the traffic in a tuk-tuk is not dissimilar to the transport in India and I'm sure cramming six of us in was not the best idea. Chatuchak market is supposed to be the best one here but the Thais are much harder to bargain with than the Indians, I still managed to make some good savings. I don't usually make a habit of eating food cooked on the side of the road but I made an exception and tasted some excellent pad thai (with chicken - absolute heaven). Unfortunately the King's sister died while I was in Bangkok so much of the entertainment ceased as a mark of respect - we were disappointed not to experience one of the legendary 'Lady-Boy' shows. However, I did manage to fit in a Thai massage, I don't know where the tiny girls get their strength from but I felt fantastic afterwards.
The backpacker trail continued for me as I caught a bus and a ferry to Koh Phangan - home of the Full Moon Party. Did some amazing diving at Sail Rock just south of Koh Tao, unfortunately the local whale shark didn't put in an appearance but we did see moray eels and stingrays. Thank goodness Thailand allows anyone to dive without evidence of any qualifications - I'm sure my open water certification I attained in 1990 is well out of date now but I need all the practice I can get before I arrive in Ecuador to begin my marine conservation project.
I fell in love with Koh Phangan - not the southern party resort in Haad Rin but the eastern part of the island has some of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen, white sand and completely deserted. Ko Samui is again an island of contrasts, I visted Hat Bo Phut on the north side which was stunning (apart from the occasional jelly fish). We had a slightly hairy moment when we thought we were stranded but luckily managed to wade our way out with backpacks above our heads, much to the amusement of the sun worshippers in the resort behind.
So after travelling the backpacker trail for a week, I am now living in an Eco House in Singburi (two hours north of Bangkok), an area totally unaffacted by tourism. I was prepared for the locals to find us strange and after the initial staring we encountered, we are finding the Thais here extremely friendly with huge smiles.
What an action-packed first week in Thailand it has been, now I am looking forward to the coming week and understanding more about the Buddhist way of life when we live alongside the monks in the temple.
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