So after getting off the mini bus back from Pai I was directed into an office to wait for my next mode of transport which would take me to the bus station.
Initially I get called outside by one man who seems to be looking for a taxi, another man then points to the back of his moped, so his idea is that me, and my two backpacks and him ride on one scooter to the bus station. This was not going to happen! Once he had realised this then guy number one points to a car, on which guy number two joins. So here I am getting into the back of a car with two strangers, but because they seem like they have some authority it seems okay! Crazy, but thankfully they took me safely to the bus station. I asked an assistant for directions to my bus drop, this was a he/she. Very funny indeed! At the bus stop these two ladies who can hardly speak a word of English (which is allowed considering I am in their country) gesture for me to leave my big bag with them. Again because they seem like they have some authority I leave my big pack with them. It is funny what we would do when someone directs you who seems like they are in charge! An hour later I return (after ordering some dinner and having no clue what I had ordered) to find that my bag is gone but they assured me that it's on the bus! And so I clamber on the bus for my night trip to Bangkok!
Well I obviously slept more than I thought I did because I wake up (what feels like only a few hours later) in a bus park and get told to leave the bus. After looking really stupid I understand that I am in Bangkok! So it is now 4am and I am getting accosted left, right and centre by taxi drivers suggesting stupid prices for my taxi ride, I find one driver who agrees on 200baht. Well this driver doesn't actually know where he is going, at several points in the journey he has to refer back to the address which makes me wonder whether he did really look at it in the first place! Finally we arrive at the hostel after the driver tried to charge me 300baht which I do not agree too, he also then tries to short change me by 100baht....I was not having any of it!
So an hour later (after a dose of coffee) I left the hostel ready for a day of sightseeing. I jumped on the ferry to the grand palace and had a walk around. A man approaches me and suggests some sights for me to see. It soon becomes clear that he is a tuk tuk driver. After agreeing on £1 to be driven round for 2 hours we are driving through the streets of Bangkok. First stop golden mount. And this is when I realise the good price is to good to be true. The tuk tuk driver tries to take me to a shop to 'look' at. I have heard bad stories about this so I firmly said no, after a few minutes of him trying to persuade and me flatly saying no he tells me to get out of his tuk tuk, happily!!
So two taxi drivers have not given me the best impression of Bangkok. Later I am standing on the street with a lonely planet guide book trying to figure out where I was (for those of you that know me well you will know that for me this is a great challenge) and yes I was lost. A friendly Thai man approaches me and makes conversation asking me how my day has been. He tells me about some sights and suggests that I take a tuk tuk, I explain my horrid story of the previous tuk tuk driver but he assures me that this tuk tuk will not take me 'shopping'. So obviously (being the sucker I am) I get in, he takes me around to the corner to the black Buddha which apparently is lucky. I am walking up the steps and feel a cold draft against my bottom, to my horror when I place my hand on this area I can feel flesh! My trousers had completely fallen apart! So i return to the tuk tuk in a hurry asking to be taken back to my hostel. To my horror he refuses because first he wants to take me 'shopping'!!! Hrrr! So here I am walking the streets of Bangkok with my butt cheeks on show, hidden only slightly my a t-shirt that I am yanking down! First taxi driver refuses to take me....now he didn't even see the bum so I don't know what his problem is! Next taxi driver takes me, phew!! So my first impresson of taxi drivers in Bangkok was not fab! But it has given me a story to laugh at!