Temples and tuk-tuks: Bangkok

Undeterred by warnings of demonstration and a possible coup we continued our travels to Thailand, starting in the traveller mecca, Bangkok. Hardly an unfrequented destination, the challenge here for Ali would be to achieve the trip in the most thrifty way possible. The journey from the airport by four means of transport was one that Leila will not remember fondly.

We began the essential sightseeing of some of Bangkok's magnificent temples and their many holy statues of Buddha. At the Grand Palace we saw the famous emerald Buddha amongst many ornate temples and golden towers. However, elsewhere the 46m long golden reclining Buddha statue was probably the most impressive!  A bit overwhelmed, we sheltered from the heat and learned a bit more about Thai history and culture at the impressive Museum of Siam.

It seems the traveller scams are alive and well and don't take long to emerge, however these are also well documented and we knew not to believe the friendly locals telling us the temples were closed and that we should go some place else. Unfortunately it leaves you very wary of any offers of help from strangers...  

Ali enthusiastically sought out a few vegetarian restaurants which provided a delicious reassurance of some good food to enjoy in Thailand and we booked up a vegetarian cooking school the next afternoon where we learned to make six dishes including soups, noodles and curries as well as spring rolls and pumpkin hummous. Singing in Thai, hip-shaking dance moves and occasional headdress wearing were compulsory! Back in the throng of partying travellers on Khao San road, where we honed our bargaining skills purchasing a few items of clothing and enjoyed a drink watching revellers sampling local delicacies such as fried scorpions on a stick (yuk).

On our second day we visited the traditional Thai house of the American silk entrepreneur Jim Thompson, getting to which we encountered the large demonstration taking place around Democracy Monument. Thousands of protesters have blockaded the streets calling for democratic reform as they believe the current government is not legitimate. The demonstration has since expanded to other sites as protesters aim to 'shut down' the city, with shots fired and protesters killed. It was entirely peaceful when we passed by but it did wreak havoc with public transport. Partly due to this and partly due to Ali's determination/tightness we ended up walking across the city to our smart night out at the Sirocco Sky Bar (of 'Hangover Part II' fame). It was worth it for the amazing view from the 63rd floor, but the expensive cocktails were a big fail for thriftiness and Leila suspects that none of the other guests will have walked this journey to save 1% of the cost of the drinks!

After two days in Bangkok we boarded the train towards the north of Thailand.