So today was the day where I joined my tour group. I was up at 6.30am so I could catch a taxi and drive across to the tour office where I picked up the bus. Checking out was fine, and I walked down to the Main Street to find a taxi. The lady at reception had told me that it was easy to find a taxi and there would be no problem. So I walked to the bottom of the hostel road and waited by the side of the road. The first three taxis refused to take me...didn't tell me why so I was beginning to think I wouldn't get there. Then the fourth taxi said ok, he knew which area I needed to be but as it became clear he didn't know where the hotel/office was at all! He stopped for directions three times, took me down a gridlocked street, tried to get me to get out on a street that wasn't right and in the end I ended up using my map and phone to direct him to the hotel! I still had to pay him full fare tho, but to be fair it was £2 and he took me on a 35 minute taxi journey so I shouldn't complain!

So I arrived at the hotel at 7.40am for my bus that was supposed to leave at 8am. when I arrived there were about 20 school children in the lobby and a group of boys were trying to take my photo without me noticing, although they didn't realise there was a big mirror behind then and I could see everything....random! So as I was waiting I met Mel who was on the same tour and when it got to 8.20am and no bus we went to the office who told us the bus doesn't leave until 9.30am! So I got up an hour and a half early for no reason!

We left our bags in the office and went for breakfast and then when we went back to the office we met Ed, Harry and Bryony who were on our tour as well (they are only going as far as Laos though). There was supposed to be a sixth girl but she didn't turn up! So the five of us left with our tour guide to Ayutthaya (I have to look the name up every time I spell it). The journey took just under 2 hours and I think I slept for quite a bit of it so it was easy.

I haven't read my guide book section on Ayutthya as I was too busy watching batman last night so I wasn't sure what to expect but it is an ancient city and used to be the capital of Thailand. A lot of the temples are ruins and it was quite a big place to explore.

We left our bags in a restaurant and had lunch (sweet and sour chicken) and then all hired bikes for the afternoon (80p for the afternoon). We were given a a map and set off to the temples. We went to 5 temples in total and they were pretty impressive. I will attach some photos. We only got lost once so we did well. It was boiling and humid tho, so most of the pictures with us in we are all sweaty messes! It was cooler cycling as at least we had a breeze! So on our way back to the restaurant we were cycling down a road and came face to face with elephants! There were some in a show being made to dance which I didn't like and some giving elephant rides. We stopped to take a couple of photos and the man on top of one of the elephants made its trunk come right in my face, I thought it was going to hit me. Haha. The elephants did seem well looked after and the y did give them lots of water so I felt a bit better after id seen that. There was even an albino looking elephant who was huuuuuge. Never seen one of those before.

We went back to the restaurant, drank our 10th bottle of coke of the day, played cards (I taught everyone cabbage :) ) and then had tea (prawn and vegetable rice) and it was ready to leave to catch the night train to Chaing Mai in Northern Thailand. We stopped off to get drinks and Harry just bought a bag of ice to keep cool. We mocked him to start with but then quickly all grabbed it when we were melting again in the station! So I'm on the train now as I write this, in my little bunk bed. The bed has my backpack and day bag at the end so it's nice and cosy. Just as an aside, my backpack ways a ton, not sure what's happened after leaving oz but someone in Bangkok has it rocks in it!!! Anyway the train is not as bad as I was thinking, the beds comfortable, there is air con (yay!!!) and it's quiet. Although there is only a seatbelt going from the ceiling of the train to my bunk bed preventing me from falling 5 feet so fingers crossed I don't roll too far over to the right. So that's me for 12 hours until we arrive in Chaing Mai tomorrow morning at 8pm....11 hours to go!