Bimbling around Bangkok

We arrived at Granny Bike Bed and I immediately felt like I’d finally been allowed membership to an exclusive club I'd been on a waiting list for since I was born. The kitchen was full of touring cyclists all with perfect English and we got talking straight away. Also there is no feeling like the predoublerestday feeling, luxuriating in not having to go anywhere the next day, and usually we’re in a nice place with access to food. This was the case in Granny bike bed with a 7-11 and loads of street food literally opposite. We stocked up on beer and food and had a really nice evening chatting to the others.

In the morning we woke up bright and early and went to see the Royal Palace. This was tough tourism, with outrageous temperatures and tourists packed into all the areas of shade. It was incredible though, decadent gold leaf everywhere, and lots to see. It was also full of Thai people in mourning, come to view the remains of the dead King. I’m not sure on the exact numbers but I reckon it’s about 3000 a day, and this is 6 months after his death. There were lots of children in this procession, some really young ones who all looked very sombre and serious about what they were about to go and do. 

After visiting the palace we went in search of a bike shop to fix Mum’s broken derailleur. This was a total nightmare in the boiling hot city full of big roads with apparently no traffic laws. Drive on the left? Mostly. One way streets? Whatever. Indicating? I don’t think so. Eventually we found the bike shop and they didn’t have the part and had to order it in and we had to come back tomorrow. On the way back to the hostel we bumped into Louis who had arrived to stay. Having spent three days Thinking On My Sins (as mum wouldn’t talk to me) I was all ready to be a nice person. Unfortunately that proved impossible as he said a lot of things I found incredibly irritating. We told him we’d been to the Palace and he said he wasn’t in to all that “f***ing touristy stuff” which is ridiculous as it was built in 1782 when Thailand was Siam, and it's got a lot of history. He suggested we go shopping instead. 

At this point Alice and Benoit, who we’d met a few days ago arrived. They are French cycle tourists travelling the world on vélo couchés, had been on the road for 20 months and were ending their trip in Bangkok. Their trip had ended in heartbreak as Benoit’s bike had broken 120 kilometres before Bangkok and they’d had to get a lift. They were really really upset about this and so was I, the thought of being robbed of the moment of finishing, without knowing you were going to be robbed of this was terrible. The one silver lining for me was that we got to spend time with them, as they are really really really lovely! Here is their blog. https://entransat.wordpress.com. It's in French which is specially good for those of us who need to practise for Erasmus.

The next morning Mum woke up and went to watch the sunrise at one of the temples. She says it was fun but the effect was slightly ruined by the temple being covered in scaffolding. 

Anyway she could gloat all day and make me feel lazy so that was nice for her. After this we went on a boat trip around the canals. 

This was really nice as there was a nice cool breeze from the water and we got a really interesting view of Bangkok. Our boat was very long and skinny with the engine sticking out the back on a pole. At one point we stopped and the floating market came alongside us and tried to persuade us to buy a beer for our driver. Was she mad? At regular intervals the driver had to climb up to the bow of the boat because the spinnaker (garland of flowers) was dragging in the water. After this boat trip we went and had a very delicious coffee on a waterfront café. This was specially fab for Flopsy (who’d been allowed to come on the boat trip as a treat) because the tap in the bathroom was the first friend she’s had for ages. Look how cute they are. (can you tell we’re going a bit crazy).

After the boat trip I went to find my college friend Rachel who was in Bangkok by some amazing coincidence. We had a great time and I saw a completely different Bangkok, full of bars and beer and youths. I was a bit worried that I’d forgotten how to socialise with groups of youths but it all came flooding back. It was great to see her and hear all about her travels (some pretty hardcore stuff in Nepal) and be young and normal for a bit. I even brushed my hair. 

While I was doing this Mum went and got her bike fixed and then went out for dinner with Wim, a Belgian cyclist who’d arrived at GBB and was the bicycling officer for Bruges. It’s a shame he hadn’t arrived the day before as he was a big classics fan and we could have watched Paris Roubaix. Louis obviously “couldn’t give two hoots” about Paris Roubaix and although the others were less rude as I tried to muster some enthusiasm for a group viewing of the illegal stream, it seems that cycle tourers and cycling fans are a venn diagram with a very tiny middle.

 In the morning we went to catch a train out of Bangkok to the national park. I was really looking forward to the train journey as I thought we’d be able to get some sleep. Famous last words. At the ticket office they only had third class standing tickets left, but I thought it would be like in the UK when you can always get a seat after Exeter. It then turns out that our bikes had to go as cargo, and we had to take them to a different train to be shipped. We also had to take all our bags off and ship them as well. It then turned out that while we would be arriving at 1pm, our bikes would be arriving at 8pm… We got on the train and two soldiers gave up their seats. Great we thought, as we settled down. The train filled up, and filled up, and filled up, and we were feeling very lucky that we’d be given these seats. About 10 minutes later a family arrived and kicked us out. Whether they’d booked the seats or just knew we were weak we’ll never know, but we dutifully moved. Unfortunetly there was nowhere to move. There was no space in-between the bodies. I had no choice but to stand with one foot either side a woman sitting on the ground’s leg. My feet were actually touching her leg in a sort of sandwich. Sadly as touring cyclists we could only maintain a standing position for about half an hour, and after that we just sat down. I was now inbetween the woman’s legs so that was nice for both of us. Eventually we arrived in the national park! Here's a taster for next time on phoebeharrietrtw