Buzzing Around Bangkok

*sorry to anyone wh’os been regularly checking the blog. I haven’t been able to post due to the lack of interent in Myanmar but will try to get everything updated over the next week or so.

I arrived in Bangkok at midnight but luckily had no issues getting to Brad’s apartment and Sophit, who lives next door was able to give me the key as soon as I got in.

The first day I made a trip to the Myanmar Embassy to drop off my visa forms, my whole reason for coming to Thailand in the first place. The rest of my day was spent hanging out and taking advantage of the western comforts along the infamous backpacker ghetto, Khao San Road. It was pretty overwhelming being that I hadn’t seen so many western faces since leaving home. I think that if there is a place that most clearly represents mass tourism on a developing country and its sometimes ugly reality, this is it.

Exhausted from beating away the suit sales man and tuk tuk drivers, I figured I may just lose my mind if I spent anymore time on Khao San and since my visa would take another two days, I headed up country for Ayutthaya. The old capital of the Siam Empire, Ayutthaya was a nice break from the chaos of Bangkok and I spent the later part of the afternoon cycling around the most famous pagodas and monuments now falling into ruins. The experience was pleasant, although the busy streets throughout the temple grounds took away any sense of tranquility. I lingered a little too long after sunset and spent an hour or so getting hopelessly lost until completely by accident, I ended up back at my hotel.

I only spent a single night in Ayutthaya as I was due to collect my visa the following day. A shiny new visa in my passport and I had just a few last errands to take of before i was set to depart. The biggest problem in traveling to Myanmar is the money issue. After the boycott was announced all foreign banks simply packed up and left the country isolating it from investment leaving Myanmar without a single ATM. Travelers would be stupid to change money before arriving as the Junta over-inflates the value of its currency and the official worth is almost double. Changing money on the black market is the only realistic option. With no US treasury backing the country up, money changers will only accept absolutely PRISTINE condition notes with certain serial numbers not applicable. After a full day spent trying to obtain these perfect US dollars I was horrified to find out on close inspection that the notes I had gotten were all punctured with two tiny holes similar to a staples. It took another two trips to the foreign exchange office, it was closed the first time, before I finally was able to resolve the issue.

Maddie and George finished their teaching contracts and were set to head out on their own Asian adventure and luckily we crossed paths for a single night in Bangkok before I was due to fly out to Myanmar the next day. We had a short city tour with myself acting as tour guide and after almost getting killed when I was run over my a motor cycle, luckily only my flip flop went flying, we ended up at the Golden Palace, Bangkok’s most iconic site. We left disappointed as it had already closed, what an awful tour guide, but were able to enter Wat Po, home of the largest reclining buddha which is next store.

Afterwards we headed towards Khao San Road passing through the mob of tense Red Shirt Protesters. A street meal of pad thai, spring rolls and mango sticky rice for under a dollar each and we relocated to a bar with some live music. The ended early as George and Maddie were up early and I needed to leave for the airport at 5am the next day.