Songkran and sightseeing in Bangkok

River view, Bangkok
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Friday 13 April

I arrived in Bangkok just as Songkran (Thai New Year) was beginning.  The main passtime during this festival is good-natured street water-fights and the daubing oif water & flour paste on the faces of passers-by (or throwing/splashing/spraying water over them).  All good clean fun, although trying to move in certain areas of the city was impossible due to the sher numbers of locals and tourists engaged in street water-fiughts and general frivolity.

Entrance to Khao San at Thai New Year
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My first day was spent attempting to visit Khao San (the main backpacker area) but I didn't bother trying to get in through the checkpoint as the road at either end were so full of people I realised it wasn't really my scene! I had reached the area by Skytrain from my downtown residence and then took the ferry up the river to Baglamphoo area of town. A nice introduction to the city on my first morning.

The afternoon was spent in the scary big shopping mall enjoying  Thai massage  and a much needed haircut. I'm allowed a bit of pampering after five months of the simple life!  In the evening I watched some Thai dancing, put on outside one of the malls to celebrate Songkran.

Thai Dancers in costume at Siam Square, downtown Bangkok.
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Saturday 14 April

Spent the morning perusing a few of the 8000 or so stalls at the Chatuchak weekend market.  Very laid back atmosphere with tourists and lots of locals as well generally browsing and buying.

Visited Jim Thompson's House in the afternoon.  A Pleasant enough way to send an hour or so and some interesting Thai art and craft on display there.

Sunday 15 April

Floating markets
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Went to Damnoen Saduak floating markets about an hour or so from Bangkok.  Another pleasant market witha good mix of locals as well as tourists. The canals were rather congested, but it was still a good way to spend a few hours browsing tourist goods and fresh produce all displatyed beautifully on boats or indoors in the 'land' market.

In the afternoon, back in Bangkok, I took the ferry up river again to Wat Pho, Bangkok's oldest temple. Lots of elaborate and ornate architecture and inside was the famous reclining Buddha. Very big, very gold!

Floating markets
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Monday 16 April

Sightseeing morning.  Back upriver to Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn.I really liked this place. It had a lovely atmosphere and the architecture and shape of the temple is so different to anything I've seen anywhere else (although I know it's not untypical in the part of the world!) I had sen it from the river but it was so much more impressive standing beneath it as the temple is so high and steeply stepped.

After Wat Arun I crossed the river again and visited the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo. Lots and lots of people, probably more than normal as it was still public holiday time for Songkran. Like Wat Pho nearby, lots of ornate roofing and gold embellishments on the various buildings.  The emerald Buddha is absolutely tiny and I felt a little out of place walking through Wat Phra Kaeo to see it as it is a highly sacred sight in which a huge number of Thais were praying.

Shoppers and fruit sellers
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Spent the afternoon wandering around the local markets and then through Chinatown for several hours seeing the quieter, more local side of central Bangkok.

Tuesday 17 April

Decided to see Khao San as it normally is - as Songkran was over after four days of fun and frolics.  Very Pleasant it was too, with a laid-back atmosphere, shops, stalls, street vendors, cafes, bars etc etc.... Spent several hours wandering and drinking water, browsing, internetting and having another massage - it's a tough life.  I then spent an enjoyable evening with a couple of other solo European travellers.

Reclining Buddha
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Wednesday 18 April

Morning spent at a clinic and then a huge, posh private hospital finding out that I have an ear infection and perforated eardrum. My first experience of private healthcare; the hospital felt more like a shopping centre or hotel than anything I've been in at home!

The afternoon was spent doing a final bit of shopping before leaving Bangkok ont he overnight bus south.....

I had really enjoyed Bangkok - amazing relaxed despite being a busy bustling city. Obviously I haven't really seen much of it and only really the touristy areas, but what I saw, I liked!