A letter home

Getting ready to head to the airport to fly down to Phuket. Completely wore ourselves out yesterday walking in the hot sun and sweating like crazy. We drank a lot of water but I swear it was just down the throat and out in sweat before you even knew what happened. We didn't realize how exhausted we were - like a couple of cranky kids we dragged our sorry selves back to the hotel and fell sound asleep at 6pm. Heh. Well, at least the next part of the trip will involve a lot more chances to cool off since we can go swimming and diving several times a day. We've been laughing at these tourist promotion videos they keep showing on the TV here. They show the happy smiling couple touring the grand palace and having a relaxing massage and eating gourmet food.


Curtis says we can make a parody with what you really experience in Bangkok - at least if you are us - walking in the hot sun, fighting off the touts who approach you every time you stop and take out a map (fighting isn't the right word... they are very friendly but annoying), getting a massage in a crowded shopping mall, and mixing with throngs of tourists to see the sights. Street vendors everywhere selling every kind of food - none of which we feel safe to eat - its really hard to find a real sit down restaurant here - so we end up searching everywhere for food when its all around us.

Haven't exactly figured out what the touts are after. Everything we'd read said they would tell you the tourist attraction is closed, but then try to take you somewhere else instead.. they really haven't done that, They usually tell us the place we want to go is closed, then they ask where you are from, then they ask if you have a map, then they start drawing stick figures of all the Budha's you can go see. Only one has gone so far as to try to take use there though. He said it was our lucky day because today is the only day you can see Golden Budha for the whole year! Wow! The tuk-tuk driver kept following us down the street saying "why you no want ride?" but he eventually gave up. At least we feel very safe here - aside from guys wanting to give us a ride in a tuk-tuk, most people hardly pay any notice to tourists. Such an adventure.
Ok - heading out to the airport. Love you all!