30/03/09 Bangkok

We get up late this morning and pack up some stuff to post home (yes people that does mean presents!) and then we go and grab some breakfast and spend a little time on the internet before we go off to find the post office. On our way back we take a little detour and find that the next street over from Khao San is really nice, shame we're leaving tomorrow! We just spend the rest of the day chilling out, eating, surfing the net and generally just watching the world go by. It's nice to have a day like this as we've been going from place to place over the last few days.

Mattie would also like to add that he bought a headband (he really needs it now) and he thinks it makes him look like a pirate. You'll all see the pictures soon enough so you can judge for yourselves.

31/03/09 Bangkok to Kanchanaburi

We head out of the street in the morning in search of a taxi, not exactly the best thing to do first thing in the morning in Bangkok but needs must, the first guy wants 200baht, we laugh and walk off, the second guy wants to know "where you go after the train station?" Umm let me see you idiot, I'm standing here fully laden down with my pack and all because I want to 'visit' the train station and afterwards we'd just love it if you could take us to one of your scam shops so you can make a lot of commission, no I want to get a bloody train you idiot! Again we walk off and away from the street and hail a cab who semi-jokingly (you never can be too sure) says he will take us all the way to Kanchanaburi...eventually we arrive at the station with just enough time to get a ticket and take our seat on the fan (windows wide open) train which stops every 200metres and is unbearably hot. After 3 1/2 hours we arrive and walk to a guesthouse which has the cutest huts right on the river Kwai, it's very picturesque.

We immediately book a taxi pickup thingy to take us to the Tiger temple, he drives as hard as ever he can and with the breeze whipping around we don't even miss the air con. We've heard a lot about the tiger temples, some good, some bad but we want to see for ourselves. After we sign a disclaimer (in the event of a tiger eating your leg blah blah blah no responsibility...that kind of thing) we walk down to a canyon where there are about 15+ tigers all chained up with a handler, a woman takes you around by the hand whilst another takes your photo with all the tigers. It's really cool being that close to them but in a way it feels so wrong and unnatural, some of the tourists get a bit crazy and go right up in their faces and give them a little pull and stuff even when they're told not to but the tigers barely even notice even when they're being dragged up by their necks or around by their tails. It's hard to know if they really are just that subdued or if there is something else keeping them so docile.

When we return we locate a bookshop and do some swaps, eat, spend some time on the internet and just chill.

01/03/09 Kanchanaburi to Bangkok to Phuket

After breakfast we walk 2km to the Bridge over the river Kwai, it's really impressive and we spend some time there walking from one end to the other and taking some photos. I get really freaked out because there are massive gaps in the bridge and the river below whilst very calm is really wide and looks very deep. We walk back and have some lunch before getting our stuff together and then walk out the end of our road to get a taxi but before you know it a cyclo rider calls across the road, 'where you go?' We say 'bus station', he says 'ok' we say 'how much?' He says '60', We say '50', he says 'ok!' So we cross the road, hang our bags on the back and squeeze both our bums into the seat whilst he pedals us the 2km in the sweltering heat to the bus station, we give him 60! We hop on the bus back to BKK, the bus station is so busy and is set up like an airport. All the 1st class tickets are sold out so we have to settle for 2nd class and so the 13 hour journey to Phuket begins.