Back to Bangkok - 29 August 2011

Up early despite a late night last night. Continuing the "take advantage of the opportunity for new experiences because they are affordable" theme, Liz, Eleanor and Katherine went for a manicure and pedicure on their way back from the evening meal while Jim took Joseph back to the hotel because as ever he was out on his feet. The result was that they were not back until 11.30pm - to say the pedicure took longer than expected is an understatement.

We really enjoyed Hua Hin, much more than we thought we would on arrival, and the manager of the small hotel we stayed in (Baan Manthana) Hotel) was so fantastically friendly and helpful. Possibly not as good as Koh Chang would have been but enjoyable none the less.

We planned to take a minibus to Bangkok - the total price was going to be 1200 baht,  plus a couple of hundred baht for the transfer from Victory Monument in Bangkok to the hotel. Jim casually enquired about a taxi on the way to the bus. The initial price was 3000 baht, but Jim offered 2000 baht and they accepted. The result was that we had door to door transfer with a very nice taxi driver in a 7 seater vehicle for just 6 or so pounds more than the bus. Another sign of us selling out from our backpacker mentality - or an advantage of economies of scale? Driving back we saw plenty of rice growing in padi fields.

Once checked into the Chatrium Riverside hotel in Bangkok once more and then we went out to explore the Siam Square area of Bangkok (despite Joseph's protestations that he just wanted to swim in the pool. This involved taking the fantastically efficient (and most importantly air conditioned) sky train. It is an amazing feat of engineering - basically a railway built on stilts over the city - sometimes two stories high and often with elevated walkways. From the train you see the gridlocked streets - and wonder how additionally gridlocked they were while they constructed the system.

From Silom square we first stopped off at one of the many modern shopping centres to use their food court, then walked along the packed streets into the Panthum market area - as ever thousands of stall holders selling everything and anything. Jim bought himself a new tie, Liz a hairclip and the girls some nail varnish - so less than £5 or so spent and we remain well within budget today.

Then it was back to the hotel for Joseph's swim. This involved travelling at rush hour, we were shoehorned into the first train we needed to catch so to  say the trains were packed would be an understatement. Thank goodness for air conditioning! As we travelled we looked down on streets that were even more gridlocked (if indeed that's possible!). We need to allow plenty of time to get to the airport!

Joseph and his entire family enjoyed their cooling evening swim.

In Bangkok - by one of the many shrines outside one of the many shopping centres