Tom's Regular Travel Update #1

Click on photos for bigger photos

It’s been a wee while so I thought I would drop a line to let people know what I’ve been doing and stuff. Also to put an end to the rumours. Vicious vicious rumours. Finally, Eurovision is on the telly and that’s enough to drive most people to write rambling travel diaries. Look out for Norway’s “Wig Wam”, they are show-stoppers. Anyway.

Index

1. Thailand
2. London Mk I
3. Spain
4. London Mk 2

Thailand

So I left New Zealand, seated next to some girl who fell asleep straight away and didn’t even wake up when we bumped down violently in Brisbane a couple of hours later. I had to prod her on the arm until she woke up, else who knows where she would now be? I like to think I saved a life that day.

My one photo of Brisbane

Then on to Bangkok. I was seated next to two middle-aged aussies, who said they travel to Thailand all the time. All well and good. But as we were approaching the runway in Bangkok, the wife leaned over and whispered to me, “Do you believe that we were flying on the wings of angels?” And I said, finding myself instantly in an extremely uncomfortable situation, “Sure, why not?” in a semi-joking sort of way. To which the woman explained that they had prayed before the flight and had specifically requested angels under the wings and I didn't have to believe if I didn't want to. Things were a little awkward after that.

Artist's impression of the plane as described by Australians

Then I was in Bangkok, Thailand for 5 days. It was nice. I had my ol' work buddy Bo to show me around. She's from Bangkok originally.

Bo and friend (Bo on right)

The view from my hotel room -
a dead tree with some plastic bags in it

We went to quite a few temples, and some shops and things. I saw a giant three-headed elephant, and I stood inside it for a bit.

Giant three-headed elephant, running amok

To illustrate how big the elephant is, here are Bo and her Scottish friend standing in
front of it (at bottom left of image, Bo wavin' hands)

I got some holy water from the elephant as well. You see, there was a shrine inside it with little vials of holy water, and it was so cheap (about 50c I think, a bargain considering the same would cost about £5 in the UK, not that I see a lot of holy water around here) that I had to get some. You know, for those random vampire attacks that happen occasionally. Apparently there is a slide down the elephant's tail, but it is reserved for emergencies. I thought this was strange, chiefly because the tail ends about 50 metres above the ground. Perhaps it is aimed at a pond or something.

They had a nice garden around the elephant.

A random tree from the garden around the elephant.

Other things I saw in Thailand -

• I went to the Medical Museum in some hospital, where they have this collection of about 30 pickled siamese twins in jars. When in Siam, look at Siamese twins, as they say. In some circles.

Photography was banned in the Medical Museum, but this photo
proves how I devilishly flaunted the rules

• I went to Khosan Road, which most of you who are familiar with Thailand will recognise as the setting for that awesome nightclub fight in Thai Martial Arts Extravaganza movie ‘Ong-Bak’. It is also backpacker central, so you can see lots of kiwis, aussies, saffies and Europeans getting their hair braided or put in dreadlocks. It’s also a good place to get fake documentation – I was looking at getting a degree in Rocket Science but I couldn’t figure out what the school would be (rocket engineering? Rocketry? Bachelor of Science Majoring in Rocket Scientology?) so I didn’t. But next time, I will be Prepared.

Khosan Road. Can you hear the bones breaking?

• I went to an Irish pub, where I met some of Bo's multicultural friends - two Japanese people, a Canadian, a fiesty Irish lass and a Scotsman. I think they were all musicians. Lots of people hang out in Bangkok not actually doing anything, as far as I can tell. Not a bad life, really. Not that I am saying that musicians don't do anything. It was cool anyway.
• I saw this dog spa in a caravan -

Dog spa. Not takeaway chain as some people have suggested.

• And this policeman under a wacky oversized helmet -

Thai Policeman under wacky oversized helmet

It was overall a very enjoyable experience. Plenty to do in Thailand. Here are some other random photos that didn't fit in elsewhere -

Then it was off to London.

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