12th July - Bangkok to Kanchanaburi

The area around Khao San road is a nightmare for someone with my navigational issues. Each street is not only lined with shops, but the shops are lined with markets. Trapped between shop-fronts and market stalls, most of my concentration is going into not tripping over or barging into anyone or anything with just a tiny bit spare for the pretty things that might catch my eye. Thankfully Matt is much more talented than me and so somehow, the last minute dash to buy the few bits and bobs that caught my eye during our short time in Bangkok was actually very successful. I managed to collect the trousers that I'd had adjusted and get a few other things that fit while we were still in a city that caters for the anyone bigger than 4'10"  or 8st.

We'd been told that best way to Thon Buri train station was by taxi and so splashed out (or got ripped off) on an actual car for once. It turned out to be quite a short trip and so arrived in plenty of time to drop our bags at the 1920's style station and go for a wander around a big outdoor market complex which was empty apart from a few giant rats and the occasional sleeping worker.

We stopped for lunch at a popular street restaurant and got a whole fish, some chicken, rice and papaya salad for about 2 quid. I loved Laos but it is nice to be back somewhere where there is a little bit more variety in the food. Although Thais do have a bit of a thing for processed meat on sticks or in balls so my favourite noodle soup is pretty much off the menu now.

Back at the station, we bought a coconut,  pineapple and a weird but delicious bright green fruit with a white foamy middle and chatted to an Australian guy called Dave.

The train was really basic and very loud but there were clean loos and it was nice to be able to get up and wander (or stumble) around for a change.

We arrived at Kanchanaburi just as a big rain hit so we took the first songtheow and ended up at Sugarcane guesthouse. The rain showed no sign of slowing and so we spent several hours in the restaurant over the river just chatting to Dave. Fortunately, I was in the bungalow when a giant lizard fell off the roof and splattered on to the table next to Matt. It was a bit stunned and so just sat there for a while before scurrying off.

Eventually we took a short walk to the main street and it somehow turned into a long night. Which is I guess what happens when you stumble across a 10 baht bar in a street which is pretty much nothing but bars.

Across the way was a bar which had an attached tattoo studio where a girl was having the whole of her forearm tattooed. We (or rather, Dave) got chatting to some Swiss girls and we all moved across the road. After the band (who were occasionally dreadful) finished playing and competing with the musicians next door, I spent the evening chatting to Soropan, who was clearly a local figure, and a funny English guy called Harry George Martin Hobson (the third) before finally crawling into bed somewhere around 5am.