Right. Hello readers. Are you out there? Hmm... Can't help but feel that this will shortly turn into a Bridget Jones style diary, which no one will actually read. Anyway, I have the arrogance to believe that people WANT to hear about my gap year adventures so here goes!
I am typing this in the amazing city of Chaing Mai, Thailand on the start of my year of deciding what I actually want to do with my life. Those of you who don't know, I am moving out to Melbourne, Australia for a year to work as an au pair for a wonderful sounding family with three children, one on the way (yikes!) Am starting my adventures, as all 'gap yar' twits do, in Thailand.
So, after week one of five, I decided to blog about our adventures in this hot and sweaty country so far. I hope I can help a few people out there who are planning on making the trip themselves, and learn from my mistakes rather than making them their own!
Lesson number 1: always check your visa expiry date.
However, if not, cry a bit at the airport and they may just bump you up to business. Yes, Mum, I didn't quite tell you the truth on this one. You will laugh at my typical 'Groggy moment'. So anyway, we arrived at London Heathrow (yippie!) only to be told at the check in desk that as we did not have proof that we were leaving the country within the required 30 days, there was a chance that we might get deported at Bangkok. OH GOOD GOD. Frantically trying to book train tickets to anywhere, Laos, Cambodia, Timbuktu... to no avail. OK, so we are just going to have to wing it! Both of us were bloody scared and kicking ourselves for being so stupid, arrived at Dubai for our connecting flight only to find we had been upgraded to Business. HURRAH! Couldn't quite believe our luck, and realised that it must have been the poor guy at the check in desk at Heathrow who felt bad for making me cry. SUCCESS! Free Champagne, seats that turn into beds, free stuff... amazing.
Needless to say, arrivals and visa issuing was not a problem, they barely looked at my passport anyway. Can now breath again.
Lesson number two: Do not trust Tourist Information Office (TAT)
The most common stop off point in Thailand for most Western travellers is Kho San Road. Basically, what I imagine Zante or Falaraki to be like but hotter and busier. Ok, so I've never been to either places but its basically horrible and has a disturbing amount of tattoo studios next to clubs. The more adventurous (or perhaps disgusting) travellers may be enticed into going to a 'ping-pong show' - we however, were not. If you don't know, Google it but I take no responsibility for what you may find.
Anyway, I'm rambling. So we decided to go to the train station to book our tickets to Chaing Mai. Got into a tuk-tuk who took us to a TAT office, where he obviously gets commission because he charged us a fifth of the going rate. We decided this seemed a bit dodge so proceeded to make our own way to the train station. Beware: the TAT offices in there are not official either it is a scam!! They sell you over priced tickets and tell you the train is full, so you have to get a private bus which then takes you to a few more TAT offices picking up other unwitting travellers as ourselves, involving a three hour wait before you get to see the bus.
The bus itself was hilarious. The conductor was the most fantastic lady-boy we have seen so far. Pink miniskirt, matching jacket, clashing lipstick and red painted toe nails who insisted on playing TERRIBLE Thai music on the plasma TV the whole 8 hours. Yes, our bus had a plasma. Insane.
Anyway, we finally arrived in Chaing Mai, have had a fantastic day of elephant rides, jungle trekking, waterfalls and white water rafting. Feeling rather pooped now so will update again soon. Oh and if you are going to go to Chaing Mai, it is worth staying on a Sunday as the night market is fantastic
Much love my little Blog-reading followers :-) xxxxx
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