Thailand - Bangkok, Ayuthaya, Sukothai and Chiang Mai

SOMEONE has brought Durian fruit into our hotel. I -bet- it was that fat annoying American in the corner (me, prejudiced? Noooo.). Actually, I can see two of the Thai staff eating it now so maybe that -was- a little pre-emptive. I guess Durian fruit would be a little 'way out' for an American to try. And I can't say I blame them. Who wants to munch on something that smells like hot sun-baked refuse?

So, I am now in THAILAND! C'est tres cool. Or rather, it's very hot. It's nice to be able to access some of the usual Western amenities, like hot water, 24 hour electricity, and tampons. And to not wade through sh*t in the streets. In flip flops. DON'T DO IT.

Our arrival in Bangkok was Fantastic: our friends, Sandra and Claude (from awesome Christmas party bash in Agra, complete with multicoloured turbans), came to the airport to pick us up. 'HEY, IRISH!!' came the cry as we came through customs. I was so glad to see them; not only are they amazing folks, but it's great to see a friendly face every once in a while. Especially when you're new to a country.

So we stayed with the incredibly generous S & C for a few nights to recuperate and enjoy the sights and sounds of Bangkok. My favourite place was Chaddachak market; an absolutely huge place, about 35km big, full of Thai people, and incredibly cheap. I thought I might save a little money when I wasn't paying for accommodation, but, predictably, it was all spent on clothes :D but the bargainous prices!! And the awesome trendiness of the clothes, some very imaginative stuff coming out of Bangkok's small-business scene. I have been chatted up by TWO ladyboys since my arrival here, whereas John has received no offers!! Maybe they're trying to tell me something...

Beyond Bangkok, we worked our way up to Chiang Mai via Ayuthaya and Sukothai. We have seen many 'wats' in the process. Wats are temples, I think. Maybe only Buddhist ones. They are very brightly coloured and have spiky golden roofs. And dragons. And monks, obviously. Lots of those. We attended a 'Monk Chat' the other day. Wandering around yet another wat, we come accross a sign:
'Monk Chat- it's free! Come and talk with us please. We are happy to talk to you about many things, travel, Buddhism, life as a monk, Thai culture. If you only look and then turn away we are very disappointed.'
Well, who could refuse a sign like that? The guidebooks advise women to be very respectful around the monks, e.g. a woman cannot touch a monk, not even to pass a book. I covered myself up a bit (rolled down my shorts and covered my shoulders) and changed gear into Chaste mode (Oh yes, it does exist).

And so, I sat down with Champa, who is 23 and from Laos. This is a summary of his discourse: 'Hello. Where are you from? Oh, England, very lucky you are. Good money. You drink a lot yes? Once I drank a biii-iiig bottle of beer (his hand gestures indicate that it was a rather small bottle) and my skin went all red. I was very scared but the doctor told me it is because I am OB blood type. So it was fine really. You know, I want to find a lady with white skin, I like the pale skin, you know? And the pointy nose. Mine is all flat. Your nose is very cute, may I take a picture? Thanks. '

I shifted, a little uncomfortably, as this Monk Chat seemed to be turning into a blind date. But still, it was all good fun. Being a monk brings great honour to the family, and it's a cheap way of getting a good education, so you can't really blame them for taking it up for a few years before heading out into the big wide world. I wonder how well equipped he will be for reality though...a monastery is hardly an accurate model.

Maybe he'll end up like Michael Jackson.