Day 4

I finally got to sleep around 9pm (possibly later, not sure, too tired! 😂)

I had a fabulous nights sleep in my enormous and extremely comfy bed 😊 The air conditioning was a little loud, but discovered this morning that I can turn it down a level and it keeps everything cool but doesn’t sound like a 747 taking off in my room! 

Thank you NIKKI for your pregnancy insomnia which enabled us to chat first thing!  Hopefully this mention will stop you nagging for a shout out!! 😂😘

I was downstairs having breakfast by 9am. As some of you know I’m not usually a breakfast person, but I was very hungry this morning, the food looked nice, I’ve paid for it with my room so I figured, what the hell I’ll just go for it. I had some fresh fruit, not sure if I like papaya 🤔then I had a lovely tomato omelette, toast & marmalade and a cup of tea. I could of had vegetable curry and rice with salad but felt that was a step too far. 

After breakfast I’d decided to visit the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew  (the temple of the emerald Buddha). I asked at reception how to get there. She explained that public transport would involve 3 different trains and a boat! The alternative was a taxi, I opted for the taxi!

I checked the approx cost with the hotel before I got in, she said between 100 – 200 Thai baht. ( £2 – £4). The taxi was lovely and cool, it took approximately 25mins to get there, Bangkok seems massive, but isn’t really any bigger than London (apparently) the cost of the Taxi was 140Tbt, so £3 Bargin! 

I started to follow the signs for the Grand Palace and was starting down a narrow road when a nice friendly chap behind a stall asked where I was going I said “To the Gand Palace “ he then told me that it was closed till 1.30 on a Sunday, I asked why, he said it was for the Thai people only. It was only 11 so not sure what I was going to do for 2hrs, He said I could get a Tuk Tuk round the corner to the river, do a cruise, visit a couple of other places and come back later. I had been looking around while he was chatting and couldn’t see many other tourists, so guess he was telling the truth, got in the Tuk Tuk, I thought if it’s going to the river pier and I don’t fancy a boat trip I could look around. 

I got a little suspicious when the Tuk Tuk cost 40tbt for a 5 min journey, and I couldn’t see a pier, or any official looking boat trip places. The group who I was dropped to said the boat would be called when I paid, it was 2000tbt for an hour. I told her I’d think about it and have a wander then come back. I went for a wander straight back they way I’d come and into the nearest large hotel. I asked the receptionist to check if the Grand Palace was closed till 1.30, she did and it wasn’t!! Fuck! I knew it, bloody scammed! Luckily only to the tune of £1 for the Tuk Tuk. 

The hotel called another taxi to take me back, explained where the entrance was, it was indeed where I had been heading. 

The new taxi took me back dropped me in the same place, then asked for 120Tbt. By now I’m hot, thirsty and pissed off about being scammed, so I just looked at him, looked at his meter, which he’d switched off and said No, absofuckingloutley not! I told him He was taking the piss, as I’d paid almost that much for a 25 min journey earlier, he said ok 100tbt, I gave him 40 and got out of the taxi. Wanker.

When I got back to the narrow street the “nice friendly” guy was still there, I went up and told him, in my best cross voice, that he was a liar, that he was unfair and mean and he should be ashamed! 

Not sure if it will do any good, but it made me feel better. 😂

Lesson learned. 

The Grand Palace was stunning, so ornate and beautiful. It was very calming walking around, there weren’t lots of people and everywhere you looked there was something amazing. 

I don’t have a picture of the Emerald Buddha, as it’s one of the most sacred of religious objects in Thailand, so you can’t photograph it.  It’s carved from a single piece of Emerald. 

When I left the Grand Palace I decided to head back to the hotel, it was extremely hot and I didn’t fancy walking around. 

I came back and got straight into the pool……..heaven! I stayed in and around the pool for a few hours, reading, relaxing and having a delicious Mango smoothie! 

Have gone out for a wander and planned to have a drink, eat and write more blog, but made a rookie error and left my glasses at the hotel!!  🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Back now! I walked to another Mall, I know! Why would I do that after yesterday’s experience? Well, I’m slightly less tired and jet lagged, it looks really fancy, it’s air conditioned, it’s not as far as the last one and I need some food!  I did see a couple of good busy looking Thai restaurants on the way, but I was committed to my task! 😄 I’ll give them a go tomorrow. 

The Mall is super fancy!! Designer everything, I had a mooch, found the food court, as an aside, why do the UK not have Food Courts in their shopping Malls? Maybe they do? They are a great idea! 

I had a simple Vegetable rice and some spring rolls. I thought about calling in somewhere on the way back for a drink, but all the bars looked like English pubs with the football on TV, not really my thing, especially on my own. I’m now back in my room having a Pepsi.

So far I’ve been bitten twice, I think only the one on my arm is a mossie bite, as it’s swelled. This is from yesterday late afternoon, no mossie spray! Another lesson learned! 

That’s it for today folks. Have a great day. ❤️❤️
Once again WordPress won’t upload the photos! don’t know why, it did yesterday! Annoying. I’ll add them to FB.