greetings from Bangkok!

My lasdt few days of diving were really good, I managed to do 18 dives in total while I was there. On my last dive we found a big fishing net over a rock and there were loads of fish stuck inside including some really rare ones like scorpion fish and a giant moray eel. But we managed to cut the net and free them which was really good! I also did another night dive and we saw some amazing spider crabs. I cant wait to get back to england and do some diving there, apparently there are some really good wrecks!

So yeah anyway, I arrived in Bangkok at about 2.00 am this morning and thought it would be simple to find my way to the hotel, but like everything, it hnever is simple! So I got in a taxi and asked him to take me there and he took me to the place that looked like it was the same name as what I was told to go to, and I went there and the gate was closed and everything! So I rang the doorbell and this thai lady was obviously very annoyed that I had disturbed her sleep! but she found me a room, even though I kept telling her I was looking for my friend! but anyway, she gave me a room and I slept well. And I have just woken up and realised that it is the wrong place! but it doesnt really matter really. I think I know what I am going to do all day and I will meet kate later to go to Chiang Mai.

I am going to the grand palace and then to jim thompsons house. I only have 1 day and these seem to be the most interesting things to do! So i Had better get going!

edit:

Okay, I have about half an hour before my bus leaves for CHiang Mai and its boilling outside, and internet cafes are air conditioned so I am camping out in here for a little while. I have ahad a really good day actually, but I'm not upset about only spending one day here, I think I have pretty much seen everything it has to offer me!

I went and met Kate for breakfast (we had to talk on the phone which probably means a big phone bil again - sorry mum!) and we arranged our bus for tonight and stuff, then I left her and got a tuk tuk to the grand palace and temple of the emerald buddah. It was really good, very nice architecture and so so pretty. there were lots of places that you werent allowed cameras, but i snuck myn in and sneakily left it on videoing things, so I managed to get some good stuff teehee. I took millions of photos, and got an audioguide instead of a real person becuase I thought it would be better. it would have been nice to have someone to take some photos of me too though, even though I have been a sweaty mess all day! you have to wear long trousers and sleeves into temples, and I have been walking around all day wearing these clothes! THen I got a Tuk tuk back to KOh San road and the drama started!as none of the drivers knew where my guesthouse was! apparenbtly there are about 5 places with the same name (hence how I ended up staying at the wrong place in the first place!) and the one I did stay at was the furthest away and noone knew of it! I had this tuk tuk man who kept on taking me to the same place and being like "yes, here" and I was like "nooo, not here" and then he was just like well I dont know so I got out and still had to pay him! then I walked around a bit and found another tuk tuk, and the man took me back to the same place, I was like "nooo, not here" so he took me to another place and I was like "noo not here" and we spent ages going round and asking all the tuk tuk drivers who were sitting on the streets if they knew where it was.... they didnt. And then he started taking me into restaurents and hotels and shops to ask if anyone knew where it was... they didnt! I was literally on the verge of tears! but then we eventually found it totally on the otherside of town! I was so relieved! And I really a rerally good tour of Bangkok! I should be grateful at the end of the day! SO yeah, after that I got out and the driver asked if he could take a photo of me, and then he sat down and started asking me questions about who I was and where from, he was really nice actually! and he only said I had to pay 100 baht, which was a lot less than I would have had to pay for the ammount of time we were driving! must have been longer than an hour! I gave him 200 and he was very grateful! So now I have been doing a bit of shopping and I am meeting Kate in about 20 minutes and we have a 12 hour bus journey up north which should be fun.

yesterday on the bus on the way here there was a thai girl next to me and she spent the whole night on the phone! I could have killed her! And when she wasnt on the phone, her phone was ringing with this thai ballad that was so loud, and she never woke up and heard it unles i sort of "accidently" shoved her! Oh yeah... and I have lost 5000 baht. I got it out of my account in Koh Tao and it was in my money belt that I have been wearing nonstop, so I have no idea how I have lost it and I am so annoyed. my only idea is that the thai girl got it when I was in the loo. if so then grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I will get over it in time