Day 29 22nd July 2009

Soft cotton sheets wrapped around me, I gently stirred from a delicious sleep in my luxury hotel in the heart of Khao San road, Bangkok. The cold had woken me up in the night as I’d managed to turn the air conditioning up too high.

A bit of shopping and a street breakfast later I was ready to move on. Not to a different city but to a different area of town. My budget does not cover more than 1 night at expensive hotels at a time. Before I left I had a dip in the hotel pool. It was a mixed experience, sure, I enjoyed the comforts of swimming in clean fresh water however the company in the hotel wasn’t one I’d like to keep in contact with. The couple crushing the chairs next to me were possibly the fattest people I’d seen in my 5 weeks here. I watched her eat chocolate bars before focusing my attention on the more attractive but spoilt girls in the pool. Wow I’m pretty critical today! The company you meet in hostels is (usually) much better than the people found in hotels but I guess this is expected. As I lie on the sun-bed I recount last nights weird experience. Before heading out into the street a woman standing near reception starts asking me questions. As well as the normal questions of  “where are you from?” etc…she finalises off with “Are you going out to get really drunk?” and then “You should!”. I hope I didn’t look that depressed. When I came back from the streets later that night I noticed a sign in my hotel room:

Bangkok Hotel

so had to tell the 5 prostitutes I’d brought back to my room that unfortunately the party was cancelled. Turns out one of them was a man anyway…

Took a taxi to my next abode the Refill Inn. I had no intentions of being “Re-filled” so will have to keep my guard up. Upon arrival it was incredibly well decorated and featured better service and decoration than the “posh” hotel. At check, a glass of water was brought for me with ice while I filled in the forms. I felt like a celebrity.

Clearly, things were starting to catch up on me, the tiredness I felt was overwhelming. Went out for a walk to discover the hood before going home to get some shut eye. I found an internet cafe nearby and went in to check my e-mails. Low and behold my university had published our results. Bit disappointing really…but I’m looking on the plus sides. Maybe exams aren’t my thing? One thing is certain I’m going to go for it and whether or not I nail this degree. It doesn’t matter as I’m going to fight my way to where I want to be. I still have 2 years left and I’m going to take as much out of the remaining experience as I can. That’s one of the things this trip has “filled” into me.

Walkiing round the nearby markets it felt like I was in photographer paradise. As my hotel is in the “outskirts” of Bangkok, I was the only foreigner around. I’ve seen a lot of markets in my travels but this was the most interesting. I still am overwhelmed by the freshness of the foods on sale.

The fish at the market, still alive, gasping for air

The prices at the market are “real” Thai prices and are therefore MUCH more inclined to my budget. Splashed out a bit and managed to eat 3 of the fish in the picture above. Just kidding, ate some watery noodles instead.

Trying to sleep at the hotel wasn’t the easiest. First of all, my results will still circling round my head not allowing me to relax. Secondly, the other people started heading to the dorm room. The walls separating us was in fact a curtain about 5mm thick and I could hear everything. However, they couldn’t see me so as far as they were aware, they were alone. At about 3am the guy in the cubicle next to me  got a phone call. For those of you familiar with Trigger Happy TV, a famous English comedy show, I was convinced I had Dom Joly next door. Dom’s phone rang with the very same ringtone from the program

“HELLO?”

“HELLO?” ”

WHAT?

“I’m in REFILL HOSTEL!”

…….

“NO ITS RUBBISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Ok maybe I exaggerate the last bit….but it was pretty close.

For my International Readers picture (or English people who live in a hole/the North of England):

Eventually I managed to get to sleep and was then haunted by dreams about forgetting my Malaria Malarone pill. Will have to take extra tomorrow….