Journal 8 April - 18 April 2008

18 April 2008 - Day 58, Bangkok

Notes: Trouble finding out about the bus to Cambodia - where from, what time, what number, how much, etc. too many things in the malls for any one thing to stand out and make a purchase, Bangkok is incredible and unique, packing

Today cost = hotel (225) + laundry (50) + MRT (20) + BTS (20) + Japanese lunch (150) + coffee (50) + internet (75) + BTS (60) + gelato (90) + breakfast and snacks for tomorrow (60) + tuk-tuk (50) + internet (20) + dinner & beer (85)

955 baht (AUD$33) - expensive

17 April 2008 - Day 57, Bangkok

Suan Lum Night Bazaar, Bangkok

Note: Joe Louis Puppet show - 'The Birth of Ganesha' - it was fantastic, a few beers in the garden afterwards, Thai performance and culture unique, melting pot of many different cultures but distinct, dodgy software works

Today cost = hotel (225) + taxi (40) + lunch (100) + dodgy software (400) + taxi (40) + puppet show (900) + dinner (100) + beer (85) + tuk-tuk (25)

1915 baht (AUD$66) - expensive

16 April 2008 - Day 56, Bangkok

City loneliness, Bangkok

Tonight the Princess of Thailand happened to be attending the puppet show Adriane and I wanted to see. There were police everywhere. A small boy riding his bicycle was told to slow down. We were told that we could watch the show but we had to be wearing nicer clothes in the presence of royalty. Instead we ate, drank, and walked the thousands of shops of Suan Lum Night Bazaar only to walk away with one CD.

This last week in Bangkok has been great. My friend Nat who I worked with in Phuket came to back to see her family over the Songkran holidays. We hung out a lot together - coffee, haircuts, eating, clubbing, etc. - but the most special occasions were two nights of dinner with her family. Her mother, brothers, sisters, step-family and friends were all incredibly nice and generous to us. I only hope to be able to return the hospitality at some point in the future. Nat is one of a few people that have made our trip so far trully special and she will be missed.

Bangkok. The metropolis has soaked us in water, emptied our wallets, fed us booze, stuffed us with food, and smiled in return of every passing glance. My budget has consistently blown out in exchange for wine, nightclubs, shopping, and tasty food. Adriane has danced the night away in clubs and I have spent hours searching for shoes that seem to exist as a platonic concept only to reveal themselves in near perfect form in the corner of the last shop of a corridor of hundreds. Bangkok malls feel like a forth dimension - time, space, and any other axis of reality feels twisted out of whack amid the enormity of Siam.

Probably the most amazing thing we have experienced here - or perhaps anywhere - was the Songkran festivities in Khao San Road yesterday. For five days from the 10th to the 15th the two-lane 1km strip is home to 100,000 people at any one time blasting each other with water pistols, pouring freezing water down their neighbours backs, rubbing passing faces with watered down powder, or simply drunkardly dancing in the new year. Absolutely incredible. I took my camera in a water proof bag but in the end decided it wasn't worth the risk to bring it out. Everyone was drenched.

In the first four days of the week-long Songkran holiday there was 229 deaths out of over 3000 accidents on the streets of Thailand. Over 80% of the accidents involved motorcycles. Apparently the majority of incidents involve drunk riders in rural areas. Funnily enough I found myself driving around Bangkok on Monday night because Nat was tired and had a bit to drink. Thankfully because everyone has left for their family homes over Songkran the traffic was light in the city and not too much trouble.

Only a couple of days left in Thailand before heading to Cambodia. Spending the last of our time here making sure we have all our shopping done, in otherwords wandering aimlessly around gigantic malls.

Today cost = hotel (225) + taxi to soi 55 (60) + coffee (60) + subway & sky train to Siam Square (40) + lunch (100) + sticky rice, mango and ice cream (65) + coffee (70) + taxi to hotel (30) - refund of dodgy software (800) + rice with duck and soup plus beer (200) + water (15)

65 baht (AUD$2) - very cheap

15 April 2008 - Day 55, Bangkok

Farewell Nat, Bangkok

Notes: sad to say goodbye to Nat, Siam shopping for software, thongs and waterproof camera, software didn't work, Coca-Cola Songkran festival in Khao San Road - insane, tuk-tuk home.

Today cost = hotel (225) + goodbye breakfast with Nat (250) + skytrain (20) + ramen (105) + taxi (45) + dodgy software (800) + snacks (100) + taxi (50) + tuk-tuk from Khao San to Blooms (100) + chicken with rice and Heineken (90)

1785 baht (AUD$62) - expensive

14 April 2008 - Day 54, Bangkok

Adriane dealing with a hangover, Blooms Hotel Bangkok

After dinner Monopoly with Nat's generous family, Bangkok

Today cost = hotel (225) + train (50) + lunch (50) + coffee (60) + bottle of sparkling at V9 wine bar in Sofitel (400)

785 baht (AUD$27) - moderate

13 April 2008 - Day 53, Bangkok

View from Nat's Bangkok apartment

Avoiding Songkran water fights inside Nat's car

New Year's (Songkran) blessings from Nat's mother after dinner with her family

Notes: hungover in the morning, water fights everywhere, invited by Nat to dinner with her family, extremely nice people, drank a few bottles of Australian wine and black label JW whiskey

Today cost = hotel (225) + laundry (30) + lunch (60) + 3 bottles of Australian wine (1750)

2065 baht (AUD$71) - expensive

12 April 2008 - Day 52, Bangkok

Cacti in Nat's Bangkok apartment

Initially we tried a style-cut but then "Just shave it off", Bangkok Barbershop

Notes: met with Nat and Dai, haircuts for Adriane and I, Suki at MK, coffee, Bed Supperclub in Sukhumvit, Lucky discotheque in Patpong Rd, avoiding the water fights of Songkran

Today cost = hotel (225) + tuk-tuk (20) + suki (160) + coffee (100) + Bed entry (700) + beer (260) + Lucky entry (150)

1615 baht (AUD$56) - expensive

10 & 11 April 2008 - Day 50 & 51, Chiang Mai to Bangkok

Adriane Hayward, train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok

Myself, train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok

It feels like we've been away from home for much longer than 51 days. Time has certainly warped through our journey. Not having an end point or final destination seems to slow the weeks... progressing towards nowhere. We do have intermittent goals but no ultimate time frame or purpose. We're not climbing a mountain.

The last time I wrote Adriane was a bit sick. She is ok now but still has a fragile stomach. At the moment my own health is very good.

It was a tiring night on the train. We left Chiang Mai yesterday at 2:50pm and arrived in Bangkok at 6:30am this morning. Thankfully we were able to check in to the hotel early. Adriane is catching up on sleep while I put up some photos and write. Glad to be back in Bangkok.

This week we're catching up with some friends from Phuket and also plan to arrange Visas for Cambodia and Vietnam. As I've mentioned before its also Songkran - Thai new year celebrations - from the 10th to the 15th.

BBC World runs the same news grabs over and over again interspersed with the weather and programe scheduling. Polygamous pedophiles in Texas, U.S. troops to remain in Iraq, two Russian men charged with the murder of 40 women, Beijing Olympics boycott, Zimbabwe non-elections, AUD 0.9323. The air conditioner is humming confidently with a slight rattle every ten seconds. The light is dim and the bed is warm. We might go see a movie later on.

Our trip is getting quieter. Travelling is becoming familiar. I expect crossing the border into Cambodia next week will reignite the flame. We're both really looking forward to Angkor Wat. Although travelling can be frustrating for many reasons - internally and externally - I do find it therapeutic in regards to values maintenance, diminishing ego, and for the priveladged reassessment of 'me in the world'. Fragile identities are wiped clean while stubborn ones cling to their anchors. If you travel with a familiar group it is difficult to reach a foreign place. Travelling in a pair works well because you can lift your partner up if too much is wiped away. With a partner you also have a testing ground. You can let go of something and see if perhaps you really did need it.

I'm tired and being vague. Time to join Adriane in slumber.

Passengers on train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok

Delicate rain on the train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok

Guards quarters in train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok

Dawn arrival into Bangkok

Bangkok train station

Today cost = ham & cheese croissant with coffee (120) + taxi (80) + hotel (275) + Cambodia Visa (1050) + taxis (100) + skytrain (50) + mango drink (55) + movie ticket to 'My Blueberry Nights' (100) + dinner (80) + taxi home (75)

1985 baht (AUD$69) - expensive

Yesterday cost = breakfast (110) + tuk-tuk (30) + pineapple frappe (25) + basil & chilli seafood with rice and coke (75) + tuk-tuk (30) + water and snacks for train (70)

340 baht (AUD$12) - cheap

8 & 9 April 2008 - Day 48 & 49, Chiang Mai

Freeing a bird at Wat Chet Yod, Chiang Mai

Wat Suan Dok, Chiang Mai

Wat U-mong, Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai traffic from the back of a sawngthaew

Preparations at Wat Phra Singh for Songkran festival, Chiang Mai

Not feeling very well, Sri Pat Guesthouse, Chiang Mai

Today cost = guesthouse (200) + rice soup with coffee (50) + tuk-tuk to museum (40) + museum entry (30) + drink (10) + sawngthaew (25) + noodle soup, fruit shake, coffee (50) + sawngthaew (25) + tuk-tuk (30) + chilli & basil chicken with rice (50) + four t-shirts (500)

1010 baht (AUD$35) - expensive

Yesterday cost = omelette with coffee (70) + bus to Chiang Mai (160) + guesthouse (200) + crepe (10) + tuk-tuk (30) + noodle soup, satay skewers, drink (100) + tuk-tuk (30)

600 baht (AUD$20) - moderate

14 February - 6 March 2008 (Phuket)

7 March - 16 March 2008 (Phuket/Phi Phi Island)

17 March - 28 March 2008 (Phuket)

29 March - 7 April 2008 (Phuket/Bangkok/Chiang Mai/Pai)

8 April - 18 April 2008 (Chiang Mai/Bangkok)

19 April - 28 April 2008 (Siem Reap/Phnom Penh)

29 April - 5 May 2008 (Phnom Penh/Saigon)

6 May - 15 May 2008 (Hanoi/Ninh Binh/Sapa)

16 May - 27 May 2008 (Sapa/Hanoi/Ha Long Bay/Hué/Hoi An/Doc Let/Mui Ne)

28 May - 7 June 2008 (Saigon/Phnom Penh/Siem Reap)

8 June - 15 June 2008 (Siem Reap)

16 June - 24 June (Siem Reap/KL/Austinmer)