FRIDAY 12 JUNE
BANGKOK

ARRIVED BACK IN BANGKOK TONIGHT-VERY LONG DAY.ATE AT USUAL STREETCART NEAR KHAOSAN RD-SUPERB-AND CHEAP.BACK IN VIENGTAI HOTEL AND GOT BETTER (AND QUIETER) ROOM THIS TIME.

SATURDAY 13 JUNE

HAD OUR FIRST EXPERIENCE OF A PUBLIC BANGKOK BUS.I THOUGHT THE STANDARD OF DRIVING IN THAILAND MUST OF GOT BETTER THAN MY LAST VISIT 15 YEARS AGO-HOW WRONG I WAS! THE DRIVER,AN ELDERLY MAN DRIVING BAREFOOT,WEARING DARK GLASSES AND SMOKING(POSSIBLY WEED!),PROCEEDED TO CUT UP ANY VEHICLE/THING THAT CAME ANYWHERE NEAR HIS BUS.HE WAS WEAVING AROUND SO FAST I HALF EXPECTED HIM TO PULL OVER FOR A PIT STOP TO CHANGE TYRES.LOOK OUT LEWIS HAMILTON! OH YES,HE DID THIS USING JUST ONE HAND.THINK MY STYLE OF DRIVING WOULD FIT IN WELL HERE! THE TEMP OUTSIDE WAS A HUMID 36 DEGREES BUT ALL THE LOCALS LOOKED FRESH AND NEAT AS THOUGH THEY HAD JUST STEPPED OUT OF THE SHOWER-MIMI AND I WERE SOAKED AND DRIPPING WITH SWEAT-HOW DO THEY NOT SWEAT???

MON 15 JUNE

LEFT VIENGTAI TO GO TO GRANDVILLE HOTEL IN CHINATOWN FOR START OF MONTH LONG INTREPID TOUR.HOTEL IS ENOURMOUS (24 FLOORS) AND WE STRUCK LUCKY WITH A ROOM ON THE 17TH FLOOR-GREAT VIEWS OVER BANGKOK.ROOM VERY LARGE AND NICELY DONE BUT LET DOWN BY GROTTY BATHROOM.ROOFTOP JACUZZI LOOKED NICE ON WEB BUT COLOUR OF WATER WAS GREENER THAN MY POND!
MET OUR 8 OTHER INTREPID TRAVELLERS-SEVEN GIRLS AND JUST ONE OTHER BLOKE! THEY ALL SEEM VERY NICE-INCLUDING OUR TRIP LEADER-MEL.AFTER MEET AND GREET WE ALL WENT OUT FOR A MEAL.MEL TOOK US ON A BUS (ANOTHER NUTTER!) AND IRONICALLY WE ATE AT A RESTAURANT NEARLY OPPOSITE THE VIENGTAI HOTEL.

TUE 16 JUNE

HAD A GREAT RESULT IN THE GRAND VILLE HOTEL-THEY LET US STORE SOME LUGGAGE UNTIL THE END OF OUR TRIP (13 JULY) WE WILL DEFINATELY BE ABLE TO CARRY OUR RUCKSACKS NOW-EXCELLENT!
MORNING CRUISE OF CANALS IN BANGKOK.WATER IS VERY DIRTY BUT AMAZINGLY SUPPORTS LIFE.FED SOME LARGE CATFISH (WANTED TO GET MY FISHING ROD OUT!) AND SAW SEVERAL GIANT LIZARDS-APPARENTLY RELATED TO THE KOMODO DRAGON.NEXT OUR GUIDE,WHO REFFERED TO HIMSELF AS "JAMES BOND" (HE PRONOUNCED IT "JANE BON") TOOK US TO WAT PO TO SEE THE VERY LARGE RECLINING BUDDHA AND THEN ONTO THE GRAND PALACE-EXCELLENT DAY WHICH WAS ROUNDED OFF BACK AT WAT PO FOR MIMI TO HAVE HER PALM READ.VERY AMUSING (FOR ME!),MIMI WAS TOLD AMONGST OTHER THINGS,THAT SHE WAS A DREAMER,WOULD HAVE LOTS OF MONEY AFTER SHE TURNS 30 AND MARRIED THE PERFECT HUSBAND!??? HE SPOOKILY NEW A FEW THINGS ABOUT MIMIS PAST AS WELL.BACK TO HOTEL,MINI BUS TO RAILWAY STATION FOR 14 HOUR OVERNIGHT SLEEPER TRAIN TO CHIANG MAI

JOURNEY ON TRAIN WAS COOL-NICE FOOD.AM WRITING THIS FROM HOTEL IN CHIANG MAI.MORE TO FOLLOW.TROUBLE UPLOADING PICS SO WILL ADD WHEN CAN..BYE!