Brothers in Bangkok
We've just had three action packed nights in Bangkok, but the big news is that my brother Matthew has flown out to meet us. He had his final exam of his degree at Bournemouth University only a few days ago and is ready to celebrate his freedom from studying.
Rewind a few days and we left Vientianne, the capital of Laos, on a bus bound for Udon Thani, a Northern Thai City two hours from the border. We had an unremarkable night in Udon Thani before catching yet another AirAsia flight to Bangkok. We had a day and night in Bangkok before Matthew landed the following morning. We were both in need of an appointment with a hairdresser so this was the perfect opportunity. We found a smart looking salon in the backpacker area surrounding the infamous Khao San Road. However, it was't to be. Nilgun sat down with the hairdresser, I would be seen second, so I got my laptop out and plugged it in. The incredibly rude receptionist demanded we pay 30 Baht (60p) for using the electricity. Considering we had just handed over 3000 Baht (£60) - yes, they wanted us to pay up front - we could not accept. The damn receptionist would not budge though. "So you are prepared to lose 3000 Baht for the sake of 30?" I asked, "yes sir, it's policy" she replied. Can you believe it? We demanded our money back and stormed out. As I had been in Bangkok before I knew where the mega shopping malls were and thought we could try there.
Despite getting a taxi that morning with a friendly and honest driver, who used the meter, we quickly found that getting a taxi in Bangkok as a tourist was extortionate. Drivers were quoting prices of 300-400 Baht for a short journey and wouldn't budge. We knew the meter price should be about 100 but nobody would take us on meter. There are dozens of taxis waiting around without a fare. When we asked one driver for the meter to be turned on he honestly replied "the meter is for Thais". Our first impressions of Bangkok were leaving a bitter taste in the mouth. Out of frustration and refusal to be ripped off we walked all the way to Siam Square, about a hour and 20 minutes away. It was hot and sticky, but on the plus side we got to see parts of Bangkok one normally speeds by in a Tuk-tuk or taxi.
Eventually we found a nice salon in the shopping mall. The hairdressers were fantastic, in fact I received one of the best cuts ever. We weren't asked to pay up front, had compilmentary drinks and they didn't mind me pugging my laptop in!
After dinner we had a few beers to soak up the craziness of Khao San Road before a relatatively early night as we had to be up early to meet Matthew at Bangkok airport at 7am.
Seeing Matthew after nearly seven months was fantastic. Big hugs all round! We had plenty to catch up on and were nattering the whole way back to the hotel. We spent the rest of the morning catching up in the rooftop swimming pool. Matthew had lots to tell us about home, including his new girlfriend, but inevitably the conversation switched to cars so Nilgun resumed her normal position with Kindle in hand. For lunch we had our first taste of an authentic Thai curry (the Thai curries in Laos were actually better, hopefully this isn't true for all of Thailand) washed down with plenty of Beer Chang. Dinner was a far better affair, so good that Matthew and I ordered the same curry twice.
After calling the folks and having a hilarious FaceTime call with Jonny (my other brother, who will be joining us in a week) we moved on to Khao San Road. Matthew was a bit taken aback and confused with the lady boys at first, but he had been awake for around 48 hours so we will forgive him. After a dodgy cocktail bucket (don't ask) we jumped in a tuk-tuk for a hair-raising ride to a ping-pong show (also don't ask). I might add, this was Nilgun's suggestion. The show was, errm, interesting, but nonetheless an essential part of the Bangkok experience.
Our final day was a little more subdued. After getting some accommodation and flights booked we jumped on the Chao Praya Express river boat for a ride down to the magnificent Wat Pho complex. Unfortunately I couldn't join Nilgun and Matthew as I had to locate an internet cafe for a telephone interview; returning to the real world is now fast approaching! The guys had a great time snapping away at the temples and the famous Reclining Buddha. Feeling cultured and rather tired from our late night exploits, we decided upon an chilled evening of watching "Hangover 2", filmed in Bangkok. The megatropolis of Bangkok done, time to see a bit more of Thailand!
