After some last minute packing on Monday 12th, I set off from Kilcullen rd to catch a 6pm flight to Heathrow and then on to Bangkok. I say my teary goodbyes to the folks at the airport and walk through security with big red eyes and everyone feeling sorry for me! I meet Eleanor on the other side and luckily for me, she is sporting a similar look! After wandering around the shops and bumping into my manager from work(weird!, we board the plane to Heathrow. A short stop-over there and the excitement starts to set in as we board our plane to Bangkok.
Eleanor and I arrived in Bangkok airport in the afternoon on 13th April, I'm not sure what we were expecting but it was lovely; shiny, new and modern. After passing through the arrivals hall with big newbie heads on us (several people asking us if we knew where we were going!) we met El's sister Triona who is on holiday in Thailand.(Much to our parents relief Triona is going to show us around Bangkok!) She went and got our bus tickets for us- wouldn't want to try anything too scary on the first day (!) and we got the bus to Bangkok. I notice what appears to be a Japanese business man in a seat in front of us in full business suit with a laptop case...and long shaped nails with black polish and glittery silver tips, ah let the bizarreness begin!!
Triona gives us the lowdown on Bangkok on the journey. It's Thai new year here or Songkran/Songkarn festival- which typically lasts about 3 days in Bangkok. It has something to do with spiritual cleansing and preparing oneself for the new year ahead, however here it just manifests itself as a giant water fight. As we get closer to the city we can see evidence of Songkran in full swing. Children and teenagers throw water at the bus, the people in the streets are soaked and their faces covered in paste.
The bus cannot go up one of the streets so the driver makes a horrible 3 point (read 25) turn where he backs into a support beam of a building in the middle of it. He then just stops the bus and tells us this is as far as he can bring us. Luckily it was only about a 10minute walk to the hotel. Or so we think... from the moment we step off the bus we are squirted with water pistols, cups and buckets of occasionally icy cold water poured over us, but it is all in good fun and everyone has a smile on their face as they do it! All the same, a sense of humour is required- easily angered people should definitely avoid this one!
Locals also carry little bowls of clay/paste which they rub on your cheek and say Happy new year in English or Thai (sabidee pee mai !)or a random selection of english words like "Thailand", "sorry, sorry" "thank you thank you" or "I love you" by the really enthusiastic ones! We move to the throngs of people and eventually get to our hotel soaked to the skin and our faces covered in paste (some people don't just go for the cheeks!), bringing a whole new meaning to the pasty Irish on the first day of their holiday!
Our hotel (Sleep Withinn) is nice and our room has some great features such as air con,TV, fridge and "see through bathroom", joy- I love it when people watch me pee :( (sarcasm detector: this is a joke!)
The music outside is pumping and we can here the feint noise of tourists squealing as they are soaked with ice water, we change our clothes and go for quick rejuvenation nap before our first night out in Bangkok.
Eleanor and I arrived in Bangkok airport in the afternoon on 13th April, I'm not sure what we were expecting but it was lovely; shiny, new and modern. After passing through the arrivals hall with big newbie heads on us (several people asking us if we knew where we were going!) we met El's sister Triona who is on holiday in Thailand.(Much to our parents relief Triona is going to show us around Bangkok!) She went and got our bus tickets for us- wouldn't want to try anything too scary on the first day (!) and we got the bus to Bangkok. I notice what appears to be a Japanese business man in a seat in front of us in full business suit with a laptop case...and long shaped nails with black polish and glittery silver tips, ah let the bizarreness begin!!
Triona gives us the lowdown on Bangkok on the journey. It's Thai new year here or Songkran/Songkarn festival- which typically lasts about 3 days in Bangkok. It has something to do with spiritual cleansing and preparing oneself for the new year ahead, however here it just manifests itself as a giant water fight. As we get closer to the city we can see evidence of Songkran in full swing. Children and teenagers throw water at the bus, the people in the streets are soaked and their faces covered in paste.
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| From Triphopopotamus |
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| From Triphopopotamus |
The bus cannot go up one of the streets so the driver makes a horrible 3 point (read 25) turn where he backs into a support beam of a building in the middle of it. He then just stops the bus and tells us this is as far as he can bring us. Luckily it was only about a 10minute walk to the hotel. Or so we think... from the moment we step off the bus we are squirted with water pistols, cups and buckets of occasionally icy cold water poured over us, but it is all in good fun and everyone has a smile on their face as they do it! All the same, a sense of humour is required- easily angered people should definitely avoid this one!
Locals also carry little bowls of clay/paste which they rub on your cheek and say Happy new year in English or Thai (sabidee pee mai !)or a random selection of english words like "Thailand", "sorry, sorry" "thank you thank you" or "I love you" by the really enthusiastic ones! We move to the throngs of people and eventually get to our hotel soaked to the skin and our faces covered in paste (some people don't just go for the cheeks!), bringing a whole new meaning to the pasty Irish on the first day of their holiday!
 |
| From Triphopopotamus |
Our hotel (Sleep Withinn) is nice and our room has some great features such as air con,TV, fridge and "see through bathroom", joy- I love it when people watch me pee :( (sarcasm detector: this is a joke!)
The music outside is pumping and we can here the feint noise of tourists squealing as they are soaked with ice water, we change our clothes and go for quick rejuvenation nap before our first night out in Bangkok.
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