Bangkok has been lovely, but it's time to move on. We're off to Ayutthaya tomorrow to look at some auld grun and waws (old ruins). I think we've heard enough of the "yeah Buddhism man, totally, like Bob Marley energy man, it's so positive..surfing USA.. peace man..don't nuke the whales..' etc. Some folk actually sell pictures of the buddha with dreadlocks out the back of camper vans. Organic! Hmm. On the other hand you have the folk chasing an authentic Thai experience by wearing the gear, and learning the full Teach Yourself Buddhism code of ettiquete and just being really pretentious in general. These are the very same people who moan about the monsoons and somehow forget to offer their seats to monks. I'm not sure what's worse. Nah, it's not actually that bad, although some folk out here do talk a power of nonsense. However, I prefer the reality of Thai teenagers playing in Celine Dion cover bands, dressed really smartly but a bit like the Sex Pistols (and Bob Marley). It seems much more genuine because, well, it is genuine. The best places to eat and hang around are the cafes and bars that have the karaoke cover bands. ======================== Our first few nights here have been so decadent. The budget won't last at this rate. That's actually the main reason for getting out of Bangkok. On Wednesday we found ourselves out until well after dark getting drunk in a guesthouse offering plastic cups of Chang beer. We obsessed over Freaky Friday starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, before turning up at our Buddhist retreat at 5.45am, staggering, being lary, waving a balloon and holding a bag full of munchies. For some reason we thought it was HILARIOUS to buy a cornetto and take a photo beside a hawker stall. However, we managed to forget about it before the photo opportunity emerged, and found our cornetto in a melted sludge at the bottom of our room the next day. We were thoughoughly upset by this, and rather perplexed at the same time. So, in order to control our budgets, we're on a tuk tuk amnesty and we've been using the river buses a lot. In addition we've moved from our high-end Buddhist retreat at $20 EACH per night, into something a bit more basic. We have cold water, a fan, a floor, and a blacked out window. $5 a night for the ROOM. ====================== Today was good fun. We took a longboat tour of Thonburi, which is on the western side of Bangkok. This is where Bangkok started before the king decided the east bank was to house the new Grand Palace and ambitious temples such as Wat Pho. There's a bit of eastcoast-westcoast rivalry here, with all the big record labels being on the west. Actually, no there isn't. Anyway, on the eastern side people still live in stilt houses by the water. The city was originally carved up into hundreds of canals just like this, however have been filled in for development on the western bank. The area seems to have become a watery yet leafy suburb, but a good number of people still seem to live and work here out of necessity. We actually stumbled across a few folk bathing in the river, and a few young monks diving off the stilts in front of their temple. On da west coast, Wat Pho has a huge gold reclining Buddha which fills an entire pagoda. It was perhaps 20-30 metres long, and so impressed us greatly. Unfortunately the Grand Palace was partially closed today, and so we didn't bother going in. There seemed to be some sort of important Buddhist ceremony happening in the Wat which holds the Emerald Buddha, one of or the most important images in Thailand for Buddhists. It may be something to do with the King's 60 years on the throne. The grounds of the Grand palace, the small park outside, and the surrounding streets were absolutely swarming with monks, which was an impressive site. I think Jenny felt as though she'd done something offensive, as when she walked through them they parted like the Red Sea. We now know exactly what offence was committed - Jenny is a girl. Obviously they aren't allowed to touch women at all, and they take this deadly seriously. We couldn't help but find it amusing. ==================== Tonight we watched some skillful breakdancing on the Khao San Rd. It was quite clear that the US, Australian, European and English lads weren't impressed. One guy even went up to show them who was boss, but wasn't quite on par. Another, a Dutch boy, thought he could be in the gang by going up and saying 'you guysch smoke pot! coool!'. ======================= It's just after 6.30 am here, and we're watching the monks collect the offerings given up to them each morning by the working folk and the families from the surrounding area. What gives this a slightly odd feel is the fact that Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On' is blasting from a nearby cafe. I wonder what the monks really think of that. ====================== Odds and ends: I've managed to hurt my ankle. I was too busy looking at a map and lost my footing on some rather dodgy stairs. The geometry they teach out here must be different. Perhaps it's based on the 36 dimensions of reality, or the 7 stages of enlightenment. Perhaps they build the imperfections in deliberately. Or maybe I'm lacking in depth perception. Jenny has a bit of cold but seems to be fine. I think she's annoyed at my 'overly-cynical' entries in this journal, so I think Jenny will be writing the next one. Anyway, better run, love Colin x x x