Day 3 - Wat Pho

The next stop of the day was the nearby Wat Pho, the home of the gigantic reclining Buddha. Another reason to visit this temple was that it has a renowned teaching centre for the traditional Thai massage. Might be just the ticket for my weary limbs after hours of walking the streets of Bangkok.

Sitting Buddha in one of the many temples inside Wat Pho.

Wat Pho boasts the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand within the various buildings in the complex. Again a small entry fee is required and a tour guide is available. We decided to do our own thing again. Immediately we lost our bearings and became lost in the maze of buildings. A number of temples are home to impressive Buddha images but undoubtedly the most famous is the 46 metre long, 15 metre high reclining Buddha, or the recycling Buddha as Monica constantly referred to it.

Standing Buddha.

The temple featuring the reclining Buddha is barely big enough to cover this monstrous sculpture. The many supporting columns makes it difficult to get a good shot of the entire Buddha. The image represents the Buddha’s death, the passing into nirvana, the ultimate goal of all Buddhists.

The head of the Reclining Buddha.

Having taken in all the sights the body could take no more. It was time for some relaxation Thai style. The national headquarters for the teaching and preservation of Thai Medicine and Massage was created here during the time of King Rama III, to ensure the survival of the traditional techniques that were in danger of being lost forever. For the bargain price of 360 Baht you can enjoy an hours massage in one of the two air conditioned chambers.

The Reclining Buddha.

The Reclining Buddha's feet.

A little nervous and not having a clue what to expect, I was led to one of the large rooms by my masseur and told to change into some baggy shorts. Once changed I was told to lie down on one of the 3 large beds in the last row. The massage started with the feet and legs. First the masseur would use her hands, then she would lie down and begin to stretch you with her feet. After the initial soreness it became really relaxing. So much so that the lady had to tap me a several times on the arm to ask me to turn over.

Several of the Prangs in the courtyard.

It seemed like the best part was over. The massage on the back was a little more uncomfortable, especially around the neck when the pint-sized lady seemed to have incredible strength and forced my head into the mattress. The last part was the worst. Sat on the edge of the bed, the lady seemed intent on torturing me. I was wondering if she was trying to tear my limbs out at one point. Still, my hour was soon up and I have to admit that I felt wonderfully re-invigorated afterwards. So much so that I didn’t mind when Monica suggested that we would walk back to the hotel rather than get a taxi, a thought unthinkable just over an hour ago.

Day 3 - The Grand Palace

So with proper attire it was a repeat walk towards the Grand Palace. We passed by the Museum and our friend gave us a wave. The crowd of tourists began to thicken as we approached the main gates to the palace. We were mightily relieved to have changed into our own trousers. The unfortunate souls who turned up with shorts had to borrow ghastly, pyjama type pants that even MC Hammer would be too embarrassed to wear.

Outside view of the Grand Palace.

Walking through the main gates and our first close up glimpses of the Grand Palace on the left. A number of different architectural spires calling for your attention. It is easier to see already why this place was included in the "Unforgettable places to see before you die" book.

After purchasing the entrance ticket we went through the turnstiles towards the main palaces. You are instantly confronted with an amazing array of colour and sights. Your senses are overwhelmed, not knowing where to look first. Its an incredible place. Each entrance is guarded by massive giant statues with multi-coloured ceramic tiles and glass. Without a guide we drifted around in a daze, not knowing where to go next, trying to take in all the sights.

Amazing sights within the Grand Palace.

The Grand Palace was built in 1792 to be the royal residence and government offices of King Rama I. Within the walls of the Grand Palace are many buildings, the most famous being Wat Phra Kaew, home of the fabled Emerald Buddha. The statue has a colourful history and has been the trophy of many wars. It stands only 75cm tall on an elevated altar, deep inside the chamber making it hard to see. It is made from Jade not emerald and was just another normal Buddha image until the 15th Century. Apparently it was covered in plaster to hide the Jade interior and was housed in Chaing Rai. The image fell to the ground and part of the plaster chipped away revealing its hidden beauty. After being displayed in various temples in Northern Thailand it was then taken by an army from Laos in the mid 16th century. King Taskin of Thailand fought against the Laotians some 200 years later and recaptured the Buddha. It remained in the then capital Thornburi before it was moved permanently to its present location, the fabulous Wat Phra Kaew.

The Emerald Buddha.

The inside walls of the palace are home to the numerous murals that depict the Ramakian. This is an epic story (the Thai version of the Indian epic Ramayana apparently) that details the many wars, starting with Rama of Ayodthaya waging war to rescue his wife who had been abducted by Thotsakan (Ravana), King of Longka. The detail is incredible and would probably take you a week to admire all the scenes of the entire story.

Giant Guards.


Murals that cover the walls.

The visit finished with a look at some of the outer buildings. Many tourists seemed fascinated with the armed guards standing stationary in there posts whilst visitors stood next to them for their souvenir photo. There seemed to be a lot of activity just a few 100 metres away. Hundreds of Thai people dressed in black were making there way to a series of buildings behind a metal barrier. On approaching it became clear that this was not open to tourists. A sign stating "Lying in State" was attached to the barrier. We had no idea who it was that many of the Thai people where coming to pay their last respects to.

Day 3 - The first temples

Our friendly guide had marked three "must see" Wats on our map. The first stop was Wat Mai Amataros. This was up a typical Thai street, non of the tourist places that litter the famous Khaosan road. The first thing that strikes you is the attention to detail on the outer buildings. There are several buildings within the complex, each ornately decorated and its difficult to tell which is the main temple at first glance. Then the tranquillity of the place amazes you. Not 2 minutes down the road you couldn’t hear yourself think for the endless traffic noise. Walking in through the gates and you are greeted with a waft of burning incense. The only people about are a lone Thai man knelt in prayer and a monk dressed in traditional orange garb arranging the flower offerings.


Monk statue at Wat Mai Amataros.

We walked around to the main temple room. Our first glimpse of the Buddha. It was in the sitting position, sat on top of a throne which was decorated with smaller Buddha figures, candles and flowers. An equally impressive statue of a monk sat at the entrance to the temple.

Our next Wat was the impressively named Makutkasatriyaram, some 30 minute walk away. More tuk tuk and taxi drivers and assorted street hawkers to get past. This complex had a number of temple buildings. It seems that each building was the main prayer chamber for different groups. The main chamber with the Buddha statue was unfortunately closed. So we quickly headed off for the next stop.


Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall.

Crossing one of the many canals that shoot off from the main Chao Phraya river we walked along a large carriage way that was strangely devoid of any traffic. It looked like they were preparing for some event, maybe a feria, or maybe it was closed due to the demonstrations that have been taking place against the government. We walked along to be greeted by a lady who appeared to be setting up a drinks stall. She called us over and gave us two bottles of drinking water. The Thai people are really great. The wide empty carriage way lead to an impressive palace at the end, the Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall. Before approaching this palace we turned right heading for our intended target the Wat Benchambophit, also known as the Marble Temple.


Outside the Wat Benchambophit, the Marble Temple.

Here you pay a small entrance fee and for another small fee of 100 Baht (£2) we hired the services of a guide to take us around. We soon found out that our guide’s English was very poor and we had great trouble understanding him. Basically, he was trying to explain the materials that made up the buildings, the various Buddha poses and their significance, and that his son was a Thai kick boxer. Still, he was a very amiable chap who kept wanting to take photos of us.


Sitting Buddha at Wat Benchambophit.

The outside of the building is being restored and scaffolding is in place. The main chamber hosts the most impressive Buddha statue seen so far, another sitting Buddha. We took our shoes off before entering the temple, a required custom for visiting all temples in Thailand. After a quick look around we then sat down in front of the Buddha in a mermaid pose, feet pointing behind us to ensure we didn’t break another golden rule. Never point your feet towards the Buddha.


Guide tries to explain the significance of each Buddha stance.

The outside quadrangle is filled with different Buddha statues from all over the world in various poses and styles. Sitting, standing, walking, fat, skinny but never running our guide informed us. We thanked our guide and went to explore the gardens on our own. The heat and humidity were beginning to take their toll. We would have a quick look at the palace and then get a lift back to the Hotel.


We must go on a diet!

Taxi or tuk tuk? Well we wanted to get in as many forms of public transport as possible on our trip so it was to be our first tuk tuk ride. We soon flagged one down and negotiated the fee of 100 Baht. I felt this was a bit steep before Monica pointed out it was only 2 quid and we couldn’t walk another step. The experience of weaving in and out of the traffic as our driver plotted his course through the city was unique. The smog fills your lungs, you grip on for your life and the only sights you see are the fellow cars, buses and tuk tuks that are way too close to you for your liking. We managed to get to our hotel in one piece. Time for a quick bite and a lie down for 10 minutes before putting on a pair of trousers and doing it all again.


First tuk tuk ride.

Day 3 - The Bangkok Pedestrian

Our first full day in Bangkok didn’t start well. I had a banging headache. It couldn’t have been the beers could it? I only had 3 bottles! Today’s plan was a walking tour from the lonely planet guide that would take in the Grand Palace, Wat Po and other attractions along the river.

After the most basic of breakfasts at the hotel it was off in search of the tourist information office. This was a short 5 minute walk from the hotel judging by the guide. However it took more like 20 minutes, not because of the distance but more due to the problems associated with being a pedestrian in Bangkok. Basically, you are not encouraged to walk anywhere. The first problem is you attract the attention of the taxi cabs and tuk tuk drivers. A couple of blasts of the horn followed by a "Halooo! Where you goinnnggg" as the driver pulls over, oblivious to any traffic behind him or our continued "No Thanks we are walking".

The next problem is trying to cross the road. Bangkok doesn’t do single lane roads. There at least 3 lanes if not more, filled with traffic weaving in and out of the lanes to get any 0.01 second advantage that a skilled formula one driver would be proud of. Crossing points? You can largely forget about these. It took us 10 minutes to cross one stretch. A mind boggling 8 lanes of traffic to cross with only a traffic island in the middle to shield us from the raging traffic, whose drivers don’t appear to know how to apply the brakes. Not one crossing point, subway or any other visible means of getting to the other side except for a high risk game of frogger.

Where's the crossing?

If you are lucky enough to find a zebra crossing, mostly it comes without the helpful traffic lights that stop the traffic. Patiently standing by waiting for them to stop for you does not work. A leap of faith is required as you jump on to the crossing whenever there is a millimetre of a break between the traffic. You then discover that the vehicles heading directly for you do indeed have brakes but the seasoned driver will simply switch lanes and cut across you without missing a rev. Each step forward requires real nerve and what starts with a first tentative step finishes with a sprint finish that would beat Linford Christie.

A crossing but will it stop the traffic?

With all nerves shot to pieces we headed for the shelter of the tourist information office. A huge impressive building filled with Thai employees eager to serve. It seems they relish the chance to practice their English. We were only to pleased to help although motivated more by being safely away from the Bangkok traffic than any sense of helping with the staffs learning. Armed with several guides and a map of Bangkok it was time to brave the streets once again.

Walking to our first attraction we passed by the National Museum of Bangkok. Here we met the first helpful soul. He informed us that the museum was closed today. No problem, we are heading for the Grand Palace. 30 Metres further down and we are stopped by the second helpful soul. He too informs us that the museum is shut and enquires where we are going. He then tells us that we wouldn’t be allowed into the Grand Palace as we were wearing shorts and anyway it is closed until this afternoon. We then chatted with him for the next 10 minutes as he took our map and marked several temples where we could visit and see the various Buddha’s, most of them for free.

Monument at North end of Sanam Luang.

I have to admit that at first I was wary. The Lonely Planet guide even warns you about the dangers of speaking to strangers and highlights the one classic sign of a con, being told that the place you are going to visit is closed. However, this guy was obviously employed by the museum (he was wearing his employee badge) and was being nothing but helpful and probably enjoying the chance to practice is English. No money was asked for. No sales pitch about visiting a tailor or a guided city tour by tuk tuk. In fact he was the embodiment of the happy, smiling Thai who is visibly proud of his country’s heritage and landmarks and wanted to ensure that us tourists saw as many of them as was possible.

Having said goodbye to our helpful friend we changed our plans and headed for the Wats (Thai for Temple) that had been marked on our maps to see the different Buddha’s. We would return to see the Grand Palace properly dressed later this afternoon.

Day 2 - Arrival in Bangkok

We arrived at Abu Dhabi International Airport the following day on schedule. Now it was a near two hour wait for the connecting flight to Bangkok. Time to check out the duty free.


Abu Dhabi International Airport.

My expectations before reaching the airport were of finding a super hi-tech terminal with masses of glitzy duty free stores dripping with designer logos and filthy rich Arabs splashing the cash. What I was confronted with was a small, cramped terminal with a centre piece of a ceramic apple core. There were terminals available offering free Internet access but all were broken. All prices in the duty free were displayed in United Arab Emirates dollars or whatever currency they have. The stores were just as packed as all the other areas of the terminal. Our flight to Bangkok couldn’t come quick enough.

Bizarrely, we had to go through another security check before reaching our gate. The security guards were humourless and bordered on being aggressive towards the passengers as they jostled us through the metal detectors into a small waiting area at the gate.

The Etihad flight to Bangkok was nearly 6 hours. My body clock was shot to pieces so I ended up sleeping for most of the flight. I woke up with just under 2 hour flying time left. Time to watch Batman the dark knight on the excellent entertainment system. Excellent film but alas, not enough time to see it all as the system was switched off for our descent into Bangkok. It’s a long film.

We arrived around 6:30pm at the modern international airport with the funny name, Suvarnabhumi. Apparently named after a golden kingdom located in south east Asia according to ancient texts. The one thing that took me by surprise was that it was already dark. I was expecting the sun still to be up. Although it is the high season in Thailand, its still winter with the sun setting around 6pm.


Monica at Immigration.

On arrival you need to negotiate the immigration security check point. On the plane you are given a form to fill in basically relating to your flight in and more importantly when and how you are leaving. The Thai’s don’t want you to overstay your welcome it seems. The queues were long and everyone arriving has there photo taken. The "departing" section of the form is stapled to your passport and acts as your tourist visa.

Having collected our backpacks the next step was to find our way to the hotel. The plan as far as I was aware was to take a taxi. The lonely planet guide had informed us of the expected costs at around 350 to 450 Baht, between £7 and £9. An attempted last minute change of plan was sprung on me by Monica. "We can catch the bus". Oh no we can’t as after traipsing up and down the arrivals hall 3 times we couldn’t find out where the bus stop was. On enquiring at the information point the nice lady informed us it was better to get the taxi.

We quickly found the taxi rank which was well organised. You tell the lady behind the stand where your going who then completes a form in Thai that is handed to your driver. Apparently, Bangkok addresses are confusing and its easy for foreigners to say the wrong thing and end up at the opposite side of the city. After paying the tolls on the expressway (totalling around 95 Baht) the driver asked for 500 baht for the fare. A bit much as the meter was 350 and you are supposed to give them an extra 50 for being picked up at the airport. "My Tip" was the drivers explanation. Cheeky sod.


On Khaosan Road.

The hotel we had booked over the Internet was called Erawan House and was located near the backpackers haven, Khaosan Road. It looked really nice on the Internet. Its in a great location but what a shithole. And we were on the 4th floor with no lift.


Pad Thai from Street Vendor.

After dumping our bags it was time for our first walkabout in Bangkok. This had to be down the famous Khaosan Road. Very touristy place with plenty of street eat vendors and outside bars, complete with local girls sat down to entice the punters. Time for my introduction to Thai food with "Pad Thai", noodles Thai-style at a ridiculously low price of 25 Baht, about 50p. This was followed by Thai Green curry with prawn fried rice for 70 Baht.


Tiger or Chang?

The low food prices were soon outweighed by the relatively high beer prices. We decided to try the local brew but which one? I opted for the Chang beer whilst Monica went with Tiger, at around 130 Baht for a large bottle at the Wild Orchid travel bar opposite our hotel. Cheers!

Day 1 - Manchester to Abu Dhabi

At last, the day had finally arrived. Our two week holiday to Thailand starts today. Monica had spent hours meticulously planning the trip, pouring over the Lonely Planet guide. I was going to be converted from a typical suitcase carrying sun, sea and pool tourist to a backpacker.

First beer of the trip.

Our flight to Thailand was with Etihad from Manchester airport. We arrived at 6pm for our 8:20pm flight to Abu Dhabi. Manchester Airport terminal 1 was eerily quiet with only 4 flights remaining to depart. Check-in was quick and easy and we were soon through the security checks. After changing our money and looking around the shops it was time for our first beer.

First panic moment of the holiday quickly followed. The green "Go to Gate" sign on the monitor quickly changed to a red "Gate now closing". Whatever happened to the boarding call? No time to finish our beer and a quick dash down the corridors to the gate. Predictably, the moving walkways were broken and our gate was at the end of the corridor. Still, we managed to get there on time and were soon settled down in our seats.

Flying with Etihad.

Worries over lack of legroom in economy were groundless. A pleasant surprise along with the great entertainment system and the complimentary bar service. Meal was not bad either. The flight was quite uneventful except for a little run in Monica had with the Asian guy sat in front of her. He had the annoying habit of pushing his chair back forcefully prompting Monica to retaliate with a Thai boxing style knee jab in the back of the chair.

The near 8 hour flight was soon over thanks to the free beer, Hancock (average to OK film), half of the latest India Jones movie and sleep (induced by the crap film).

Beach and TOGS

A lazy afternoon on the beach with the Marsh's and a quiz night in Torrox with the golf society was the order of the day for the Friday.

Joe beating me up again.

It started off with a paella at Ayo's. It wasn't long before Joe had tracked us down and demaned his game of footy on the beach. Not the best idea after second helpings and a beer. Still, I managed a good 30 minutes and even survived with both legs in one piece.

Ben's face has shrunk!


Ben & Joe enjoying a ride and Ice Cream.

The TOGS golf quiz was held at the Rib house in Torrox. First challenge was to find the place. Not exactly located on the high street. Next job was to get into a decent team. Job done by getting on to Gordon's team. He does the quiz nights at Dancers bar and his own bar so should compensate for our lack of knowledge.

A great night was had by all and we came second. We contributed with a few gems and Monica was quite pleased that she got the Venice question right.

2nd place!

Night out with the Marsh's

Soft Lad takes a fancy to a fan.

Joachim at work making something with esparto.

Flamenco Dancing at El Molinos.

Málaga v Getafe

The visit of the Marsh's and the first trip would be to la Rosaleda to see Málaga in la liga action against Getafe. Málaga were in good form after a poor start. How would they follow up their 4-0 thrashing of Recreativo?

Monica, Joe and Stevo outside la Rosaleda.

Expecting big crowds now that Málaga are in the big time we parked on the street for a quick getaway. The first sight of the stadium for the Marsh's. Joe was suitably impressed.

Guiri Army!

Rituals must be observed and a pre-match pint is a must. We headed towards the shopping centre. On route I spotted the Guiri Army massed outside the Madrid bar. Maybe a swift pint here? As we got close it felt more like an english type atmosphere. Maybe not the best place for kids so we stuck to the plan and went to the tapas bar in the shopping centre.

Soft lad and Joe bought themselves a scarf before we headed for the fondo end. Big queues outside and we missed the kick off. We had just settled down in our seats when Málaga had a great chance to take the lead. However, 10 seconds later it was Getafe who were in front. Not another defeat? I must be a jinx.

Málaga 2-1 up!

Nothing to fear however as Málaga's "buena racha" would continue with two goals before the break. The second was rather gifted as Pato, the Getafe keeper, strangely went absent and it was the easiest of finishes for Duda.

Malaka Hinchas in full voice.

2-1 at half time. An enjoyable game for the first half. The second half saw a more defensive Málaga sit back on their lead. They started to deploy time wasting tactics after 5 minutes of the restart. Why, I don't know as they were in complete control and looked capable of scoring more. The result was a nervy, boring second half. The only action of note was Pato having a run-in with the ball boy. Still, Málaga survived and took all 3 points. Aupa Málaga!

Pato feels all alone.

Feria de Nerja

Feria time and it looks like the usual feria weather had arrived. Still, a bit of rain doesn't stop the party in Nerja.

Feria lights in Pintada.

The feria seemed a bit quiet to me. The main attraction, the suicidal wheel of death with kids leaping up and being launched high in the air, had been tamed and had lost its appeal. Seems that health and safety has reached Nerja, the kids instructed to stay seated.

The main gate.

So it was off to the annual game of bingo. Its good Spanish practice! However, 2 games later and we didn't get close to a full house. Maybe next year. Off to the "Tutti Frutti" section to see whats happening. Not much, as it was still a bit earlier at 11pm.

Grand Designs.

So we made a stop at the cafe bar near the Parador. Rebbecca was working there and told us about her new cortijo in the campo. Monica, obviously inspired by the series "Esta casa era una ruina", went to work on plans for a refurb. Good stuff!

Boogie nights.

Alcohol began to take effect and it was back to the feria. Time to show off a few moves. Maybe we should have stayed at the cafe bar...


A few too many.