Thailand!

So finally back from Thailand.. be prepared this will be a long one!


Saturday
Set off to the airport at 5.30 and got there early than I thought, so had lots of time to kill around Incheon Airport, which is a pretty nice airport, so I didn't mind too much.
On the flight to China, I was sitting next to a British guy who had been working in Korea but not liked it and was moving to China to work there. It was nice to chat to an English person for a few hours. I then had a 5 hour lay over at Beijing, and then about 4 hours to Bangkok.


Sommer's flight was due to get in at exactly the same time as mine - 12.45pm.


I rushed through departures to find Sommer in a movie like reunion in slow motion and background music but couldn't find her flight. I then found out that her plane had broken, the flight cancelled and she was still in Japan! They didn't know when she would arrive and gave me a number to call after 9am the next day. The hotel was booked in her name so I jumped in a taxi and hoped that they would let me check in.

Managed to check into the hotel and conked out! It was a really nice hotel called the Lamphu Tree Hotel.

Monday


The Internet was down at the hotel so I couldn't check if Sommer had sent me an email or not. I ventured out for a walk round to find an internet cafe and then started chatting to a tuk tuk driver who took me around for a bit.


I saw the Giant standing Buddha

I also looked at Wat Benchamabophit

I then headed to The Queens Gallery which had some really nice pieces of art.

Headed back to the hotel and managed to call the airline to find out that Sommer would not be getting in to Bangkok until 12.45 on Monday night!!!

So realising that I would have 2 full days but myself, I set about on a sightseeing frenzy!

I headed back out in the afternoon and checked out the Golden Mount or 'Wat Saket'

and the King Rama III Monument and the Democracy Monument.


Monday

I had booked a trip through the hotel to Damnoen Saduak floating market. It was pretty interesting to see but definitely a tourist trap.

Then Sommer finally arrived at 12.45 in the morning!!!!

Tuesday
We got picked up at 6am to go and do some Ziplining.

It was sooooo much fun!!

We then got dropped off in Pattaya and checked into our super swanky hotel The Avalon. Because Sommer had been so delayed and the hotel was so nice we decide to stay an extra night here and not head out to the island.

Pattaya itself is a pretty touristy beach resort. It is really well known for its sex industry so there were A LOT of old men by themselves or with young Thai girls. So some parts seemed pretty sleazy.

Wednesday

We went on an Elephant trek!

Thursday

We hung around at the hotel, sat by the pool, went into Pattaya to do some shopping and then headed back to Bangkok. We decided to stay in a super cheap and very basic hotel right on Kosan Road. We did some shopping in the area. I went slightly crazy as to find clothes that fitted me in none boring colours. (Most of the clothes in Korea are pretty dull) and also found sandals to fit me as well!


Friday
We checked out the Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew.

We then found this amazing vegan/vegetarian place called Ethos. That had ammmmmazing food so we sat and ate A LOT there! We waddled back to the hotel to try and back up all our goodies!

I had booked a min bus to take me to the airport. I had wanted to book it for 9 but as my flight did not leave until 1am, the lady said 10 should be fine. So at 10.30 when the mini bus still had not arrived I started to panic. A little Japanese man ran back to the woman to get our money back and we were going to share a taxi. They both came back and she hailed a taxi and gave the driver our money. We then got stuck in some serious traffic and I didn't get to the airport until 11.45, the fight was supposed to start boarding at 12.15 so I was slightly panicking. Of course the check in desk was the furthest one away, there were massive queues at immigration and then the gate was at the other end of the airport! However the flight was delayed but about 30 minuted so actually made the flight.

I arrived in China to -3c temperature and snow. The airport was in Emergency weather alert and I wasn't sure if I was going to get out. After about an hour delay while they deiced the plane we finally took off. Got back to Seoul and just managed to catch a bus back to Gunsan to get stuck in holiday traffic as it was Independence Day in Korea on Monday!

So finally got back into The Goon at 6.30pm on Saturday evening!

Over all it was a pretty good trip but I am so not used to the touristy thing. I am used to 'Volunteer Vacations' where you are integrated in the local community on programmes with Cross-Cultural Solutions and being part of the community. I hated being a tourist and the fact there were so many scams to try and get money out of you. Some of the taxi and tuk tuk drivers would not take us where we wanted to go unless they took us to gem stores as they got 'free gasoline' If you did that they would charge you 10baht, if not it was about 500 baht or they wouldn't take you at all. Bearing in mind it cost us 300 baht for the 45 minute drive from ther airport and they were asking for 500 baht for a 5 minute drive!

But it was a good trip and great to see Sommer and get some sun!

All the pictures here!