To a Laos

Quick update:

We are still in Bangkok, we leave to go to Laos tonight by overnight train. We are currently sheltering from the horrific rain. The thunder storms here are pretty epic. It rains for one or two hours in the middle of every day.

We haven't done loads during our time in Bangkok, partly because we've had 4 nights here so we haven't had to rush about cramming everything in and partly because we come back in about a week and a half.

On Friday evening after we had arrived we went out for a few drinks on Khaosan Road, which is the main bar/shopping street in the backpacker district of Bangkok. There are loads of neon lights, it is really busy and you are bombarded by people from all angles trying to get your business.

On Saturday morning we took a boat in the morning along the river to China Town. It was amazing. There is street after street and alley after alley of stalls selling literally anything! The alleys are barely wide enough for to people on foot to pass by each other and they still allow motorcycles to fly up and down them! But if you want to buy anything from dried fish to halloween outfits then China Town seems to be the place to go!

In the afternoon Charlotte went for a facial and a foot massage while I wandered around in the rain. She enjoyed it and was very relaxed afterwards and it only cost 15 pounds!

In the evening we went out for a meal in the swanky end of Bangkok. We went to a restaurant called Condoms and Cabbages. It is an NGO which promotes safe sex and sexual health as that is a huge problem in Thailand. It was a little bit more pricey but the food was amazing! Everything in the restaurant is made out of condoms, from flowers to lamp shades and table decorations. They are unused obviously. In the evening everyone went out for a few drinks and some Shisha. It was apple flavoured and very relaxing.

Yesterday we went for some street food for breakfast. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it was super cheap. Unfortunately we won't be going back as when we were sitting eating we witnessed mummy rat carrying baby rat in her mouth and Charlotte wasn't too impressed. We then went shopping to get Charlotte some Aladin pants as she keeps ripping all of her shorts, usually in the crotch or backside region.

After this we went to a tattoo studio. Don't worry it is very clean, it was recommended by our tour leader and we watched the guy set up and get clean needles out. Charlotte got a swastika tattooed on her forehead. Only joking! She got my name on her bum cheek. I got a nautical star on my shoulder and Katrina (dog bite victim, remember) got a Bhuddist symbol that means long life on her wrist. Jess (the other Canadian) got her lip pierced on a whim. It was very productive.

In the evening we went to the Hotel Asia, again in super-posh area to see a Ladyboy show. Charlotte enjoyed it. It was a sort of Cabaret style show with dancing and miming by men dressed as women and men who were men but are now supposedly women. Charlotte assures me the dancing was fantastic. The words mincing and fairy spring to mind. There was a slight wardrobe malfunction as one of the post-oppers boobs fell from his(her) costume. The show had to go on and (s)he just continued as though nothing had happened. Awkward. Still I got a free Gin and Tonic so I suppose I can't complain.

This morning we took another boat down the river, this time to visit Wat Phr Chetuphon, or Wat Pho as it seems to also get called. It is one of many bhuddist temples in the city. Inside they have a massive gold reclining Bhudda. Its about 30 metres long and maybe ten high. It was pretty spectacular. On the walk back I was accosted by a big fat thai woman who seems to sell seeds to tourists to feed the pigeons. As she approached and I tried to avoid her but she used her fatness to block my path and started trying to put bags of bird food in my hands and even just poured one over my hand and onto the ground. As I tried to leave I was surrounded by more thai woman who were shouting at me to pay for the bird food. It was pretty funny. I told them no and walked off. Chancers.

We now have a few hours to kill before our train to Laos this evening.

Hope everyone is well. Love to everyone.

P.S. Charlotte does not agree with the way Euan has written the paragraph referring to the ladyboys! They are shes.