14 April, 2005

we are SOAKED. At this exact moment, we are actually dry, but being in Bangkok this week means that if you're not indoors, and even if you are sometimes, you get pelted with water from every angle imaginable, and also from some more that you hadn't imagined as well. On Monday the Songkhran (new year) celebrations began, as I said last time, and we knew it was a big water fight.........but nothing could prepare us. I did buy a water gun before the fights even began, thinking I'd be ready for the onslaught. So we went out into the street, armed with our weapons, and within 5 minutes I went to get money so i could buy a bigger gun. You need to be able to retaliate in style. Oh dear, I sound like Donald Rumsfeld.
So we played! all day! Like summer holidays! It was so much fun, just literally walking up the street, then back down, then up, then down.........for about 4 hours. We could not have been any wetter. And you can buy ice-cold water on the street, so that goes in the pistol, or people just tip it down your back. So you are constantly getting freezing cold water chucked at you - but in this heat, it's actually really gorgeous in a warped kind of way. It's damn hot, nice breeze though, and all this water keeps you lovely and cool.
So, what have we done? Very little. You can't! It's a major mission just going into the main street. Yesterday (Weds) was so busy that it felt like there would be a crush, there were so many people and it was really claustrophobic as you couldn't see anything but the crowd. So I bid a retreat to the guest house. By the way, nights 1&2 we were in a double room, night 3 in a single, sharing a bed (luckily we were drunk that night so slept well), and then yesterday we moved again into a double....but it has a 4-poster and a gold satin quilt! So it's luxury! Tonight is our last night in Bangkok, then tomorrow we'll go down south.
Anyone who's headed to Bangkok (Joy and luke included) - try the SHAMBARA guest house where we are...I can't imagine a more lovely place to stay. It's beautiful - only been open a year, too, so all the beds and linen and decor are nice and new and fresh. You can't book on the phone, for some reason, but we had success booking through the Internet.
And the food.....it's wonderful. We've spent all our time in Khao San Road due to the water and crowds - there's no point trying to get anywhere! - and so have eaten all our meals here too. And it's all been fantastic, even in this most touristy of areas. It's really good at the g'house, too, so that's doing us proud.
We're having so much fun here - it's impossible to avoid it! And to think we were going to hang back and wait till it had died down, and go to a national park near Rishikesh! I'm so glad we came here at this mad time! We'll come back to Bangkok on our way up from the South, so we'll do all the cultural stuff then. So it all works out really well. Thank god for that one-way ticket to Delhi - I'm so glad we're not tied to an itinerary.
There's a dangerous ice cream parlour down the end of the road. last night I was writing my journal in the lounge, and Chris, the guy who joint owns the gueat house, was off on an errand to get some ice cream, and asked if I wanted some. So I said yes, and gave him some cash, and off he went. And he came back with an amazing sundae for me, for about a pound - chocolate ice cream, chunks of choc brownies, sliced bananas, whipped cream, a cocktail cherry (which I adore), fudge chunks, choc sprinkles, and broken pieces of sugar cone (like cornetto). It was heaven. I felt very sick afterwards. :0)
Sarah, I'm so glad you're in touch!
Happy birthday Ange!
Rachel, thanks for the hints on Bangkok, I'll keep your mail and try to do those things when we're back here and the streets aren't awash.
Oh, as well as the water, people have tubs of chalk or flour or something, mixed with water, and they smear a bit on your face and say Happy New Year. So you are gungey as well as dripping wet.
Well, that's all from me this time........will write more soon.