September 11th-September 13th

Ahhhhh Bangkok I've missed you, sweaty, loud, and everyone out to make the most money they can from you. Left London with a marching band playing and funnily enough arrived in Bangkok to the same!!! It wasn't however for Melanie and Declan though, the Thai's were celebrating their paralympians return, many of whom were on our flight. After setting up camp in a quaint little lodge just seconds from the best part of the Bangkok nightlife we went and got very drunk. The Koh San road is the place to be in Bangkok, it's basically everything a city has to offer in one place. There are bars, restaurants, market stalls, taxis, hotels, there's a few night clubs, counterfeit passport sellers, you name it, and the Koh San has it.

The Koh San is exactly how Declan remembers with constant badgering to buy something or get a tuk-tuk, Mel thought it was very busy and a particular great exchange was "hey mister, you want a suit?" "I don't need a suit!" "No" comes the response "but the suit needs you!!!!!!".

Anyway like we were saying we went out to have a bite to eat and a few drinks. Now to say things escalated would be the understatement of the century. Considering we left the lodge at around 5pm we didn't roll in till gone 4am. We don't know how it happened but it took the whole of the following day until we felt human again. At one point we had a 5 litre tower of beer and that emptied out pretty fast. It was a crazy night and all in we only spent like £20.

After recovering from our drinking antics we visited the palace and temples of Bangkok. If there is one must-see sight that no visit to Bangkok would be complete without, it's the dazzling, spectacular Grand Palace, undoubtedly the city's most famous landmark. Built in 1782 - and for 150 years the home of the Thai King, the Royal court and the administrative seat of government - the Grand Palace of Bangkok is a grand old dame indeed, that continues to have visitors in awe with its beautiful architecture and intricate detail, all of which is a proud salute to the creativity and craftsmanship of Thai people. Within its walls were also the Thai war ministry, state departments, and even the mint. Today, the complex remains the spiritual heart of the Thai Kingdom.

Upon entering the complex we found that the exterior walls were intricately painted with the history of the Thai people. We found these paintings to be fascinating and challenging to attempt to understand. Maybe paying the extra £3 to have a tour guide might have been a good option, especially to take photos for us, but hindsight is a great thing.

The complex consists of many beautiful temples constructed over many years. One of our favourite structures was the Wat Phra Kaew (temple of the Emerald Buddha) . This building is home to the Emerald Buddha. This small Buddha carved from solid green jade, dates back to the 14th century. The robes on this famous statue are changed with the seasons and holidays only by the King. Upon entering this Wat (temple) we had to show respect, remain quiet and weren't allowed to snap a picture, according to the sign outside, hand guns were also prohibited.

The Grand Palace Hall was also another breath taking sight. This space is used for coronations and special celebrations. There is a huge golden throne and large ornate mirrors flanking the wings. We also found a small war museum with many weapons collections near the Grand Palace Hall. Somehow we managed to find ourselves in a massive art gallery with traditional Thai dress on. Not entirely sure how this happened but the other tourists milling about seemed to find it hilarious and took many photos of us.

After nearly half a day wondering around the Palace we quickly headed off to find the Lazy Buddha before the doors shut

Wat Pho (the Temple of the Reclining Buddha), is behind the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and a must-do for any first-time visitor in Bangkok. It's one of the largest temple complexes in the city and famed for its giant reclining Buddha that measures 46 metres long and is covered in gold leaf. It's an easy ten minute walk between here and the Grand Palace, and we recommend coming to Wat Pho second, because even though the golden Buddha here is just as popular many people don't take the time to wander around the rest of the complex so the experience tends to be far more relaxing.

Not quite sure when we booked the tickets but that evening we found ourselves about to embark on a trip to the north on a 13hr coach ride- destination Chiang Mai.

Highlights so far.... Sweating no stop since we arrived!!...... Falling down the stairs in a bar......4am visit to KFC........ Dressing in Royal attire at the palace...... Seeing lots of Buddha's.