The flight from Dublin was just a taster of what was to come. We had a few hours to pass in Heathrow. I saw Viv Anderson and Norman Whiteside at the Airport. I would have loved to get a photo with Norm as he was my schoolboy hero, after scoring the winning goal in the 1985 FA Cup Final, but the camera was in our luggage.
At 9.20pm we boarded the 747 that would be home for the next 12 hours. The fella sitting next to us worked for Boston Scientific. Claire slept for a good bit of the journey, but I just watched the tele. I watched "What every woman wants" and "Walt Disney's Dinosaur". I also watched the classic episode of Only Fool and Horses where Del Boy falls through the bar hatch. Brilliant!!! I eventually fell asleep somewhere over Turkey and woke over India!
Thurs 24.5.01
After 12 hours arrived in Bangkok. We arrived 9.15am Irish time, 3.15pm Thai time. Both our backs were wrecked. Waited half an hour for the taxi that USIT had organised for us. We then walked out of the air-conditioned airport to the clamly, smoggy air that is Bangkok. The taxi to the Asia Hotel took about 35 mins. The roads were great (Bertie take note!) but very busy.
The Asia hotel room was very good. There was a rooftop pool. The views were fantastic. (I'll have pictures soon).
We caught a taxi to Khao San Road, the real backpacker area, mad, smelly, noisy and fill of people. We had a beer and sat people watching. We then experienced a Tuk Tuk for the first time. The 3 wheel taxi. They are zippy little contraptions and the drivers are all crazy maniacs. They ripped us off, charging 200 bahts (4 pound) from Khao San Road to Asia Hotel. We think the Tuk Tuk drivers will try charge more if youre staying in a nice hotel. They think youre loaded!!
Fri 25.5.01
We had breakfast in the hotel (included in the price on the room). The cornflakes tasted weird, the milk tasted weird and the fried stuff also tasted weird but we ate as much as we could.
Our first port of call was the Grand Palace. It was simply amazing. The photos do not do it justice . It was amazing. (To see photos click here). We then got a tuk tuk and he gave us a tour of 3 buddhist temples for 40 bahts (about 80p), which was more our price range. He would only take us for that price if we went into a Diamond shop. (He gets Petrol vouchers from the shop owners). We agreed. We first of all went to the Standing Buddha. 42 metres tall. Very impressive. Then it was on to the Happy Buddha. We were walking about like lost tourists, when a local man, Chey, spoke to us in very good English. We was a contruction foreman who had been working for the last six months on the relaying of 3,000,000 bahts worth of gold leaf on the Royal Room where King Rama IV's body lay in state. Rama IV had been a buddhist monk at this Temple for years before he was called upon to become King.