7Back in Bangkok

So here I am back in Bangkok.

Vientiane had it's ups and downs. It was a dusty, kind of crummy town. The City itself was not much to look at. But I enjoy just taking my time, walking through the streets seeing what there is to see. Like their version of the Arch de Triumph, which is a huge concrete monstrosity overlooking the entire city. Even the view from the top simply reveals a rather drab outlook.

The vibe was not great, as were are just too many western men in this town. I try not to jump to conclusions, but it's hard. It seems that they're all there for one reason. It's kind of like Bangkok, without the millions of backpackers, but keeping the dirty old men. There are odd couples everywhere, in bars, cafes and at all the sights. The boys at my hostel were complaining that when they were at bars, the women were all over them. It was just an unhealthy kind of atmosphere.

I had a great adventure traveling out of town to see the Buddha Park. I decided to cut costs and catch public bus. I had no idea where I was going or where to get off, but I eventually made it out there. Situated right on the edge of the Mekong, the Buddha park is a collection of rather bizarre Buddhist images which depict different stories and legends.

While I was there, I met a very lovely boy called add, and his friend who was a monk at the adjoining temple. They were both very helpful in explaining some of the stories behind the statues.

Other than that, most of my time in Vientiane was spent eating. I enjoyed the most fantastic Tom Yam soup by the side of the Mekong, just as the sun was setting. This soup had prawns the size of my hand!

Upon leaving Lao, I decided not to join a regular tourist bus. While the trips organised for tourists are not too expensive, and everything si organised for you and made very easy, I was kind of tired of taking the easy option.

So I took the public bus to the Friendship Bridge, which joins Thailand and Lao. From there I took a shuttle buss over the bridge, and across the border. Then a bus to the train station on the other side, where I booked my own ticket on the train from Nong Khao to Bangkok. All of this probably saved me $10, when I could have been picked up from my hostel and driven from there, straight to Bangkok.

It did give me time to have a look around Nong Khao, which had some of the biggest markets that I've seen yet. Strangely, I ran into a couple, he was South African, and she was Thai, and I spent the afternoon having a drink with them at a cafe by the river. After spending a couple of hours with them, I was given renewed hope in these cross-national matches, and I left that even with a new, less cynical outlook.

The train to Bangkok was even an adventure. Unfortunately, I did not manage to get a sleeping berth for the overnight train, but I found that the seats were remarkably comfortable, and at least half the price. It was a 12 hour journey, and I was the only wester person in the carridge. I actually felt quite chuffed with myself.

Arriving in Bangkok, I caught up with Pete, who I haven't seen in about 6 months, as he's been building stuff for the Tsunami relief in southern Thailand. We stayed in Siam Square, which is a much more pleasane district of the city, as there are way less bars and backpackers.

Siam Square is the shopping capital of Bangkok. There are several huge shopping malls, which rival Westfield Parramatta in size, but totally outclass it with Asian quirkiness. The streets are a contrast of neon lights and great grimey street stalls. And the malls are an air conditioned haven.

Spending the last couple of days in Bangkok has really allowed the city and the people to grown on me. Away from the evil Khao San road, which is the main backpacker strip, I really feel like I'm visiting another city, not just the Gold Coast.

I've been using the Skytrain to get around, which is a very pleasant and cool way to travel, and remarkably clean. There are whistle toting guards that patrol each station and squark at people who dare to even chew gum.

We visited the markets in the north of the city, which were amazing. Once again, these were the biggest markets that I've seen in my life. The sold everything from fish, snakes and spiders to household goods and miles and miles of clothes.

It was also a good opportunity to sample the many different Thai desserts. Strangely, these are often served in a takeaway bowl, with a straw and soup spoon. They range from sticky rice to funny green worm things. Texture is the most important and defining thing here, as everything is just really sweet.

We visited China Town, where we were lucky enough to witness a street parade, that was promoting a new brand of worshipping incense. The had the whole deal with dancing dragons and so on. While the streets here are wide, they seem small and crowded because of the street stalls and the millions and millions of people.

Pete and I also decided to ride the Skytrain to On Nut, which is the end of the line. Disappointingly, all we found there was much of the same, more shops.

I made the effort to visit the Palace and the temple of the emerald Buddha and was not disappointed. They really were very impressive. Streaming with gold, the palace and the temple were magical. But what was really rewarding was wandering the streets in the area surrounding them.

I passed schools and busy cargo/trade areas. I tried many different street foods, encouraged by friendly Thais, who were encouraged by my curiosity. Food has been a gateway to meeting and interacting with many of the locals who are eager to share their favouites and explain their health benefits. I've even had someone try and explain to me that deep fried banana is very good for you and your happiness. I'm sure it's great for my happiness, but it's not doing wonders for my waste line.

Today I am just passing the time, running errands, finalising my shopping and taking one last look around the city. I'm quite sad to leave it, as the longer I spend here the more it grows on me and I come to like the people and places.

But I await with anticipation for the next leg of my journey into India.