Monday 14th April 2008

Same as yesterday, and the day before that, we woke up late and then went for bagels. It was a little more interesting this morning though, because there were people with super-soakers camped at the end of our street. It was just like a military operation - running in and out of traffic, ducking behind cars - just to get some breakfast. We made it - but some of the older folks weren't so lucky. One poor old guy, who was hobbling along on a walking stick, was allowed to pass and then when his back was turned, they started squirting his feet and soaking his socks - the poor old devil couldn't have run away if he tried.

After breakfast, we came back to the guest house and collected our bags. The next mission was to get all our things out, safely onto a bus or into a taxi and then to the bus station, where we'd catch the bus back to Bangkok. Part one was easy - we'd practiced at breakfast. getting on to a bus proved to be no problem, but traveling on it was... everytime we stopped in traffic, we got soaked! We eventually turned up to the bus station, looking like two drowned rats.

The bus back to Bangkok seemed to pass in no time at all. When we got back, we didn't really know where to stay for our last night - but decided that the Rambuttri Village was as good as any... WRONG! We caught the Bangkok Sky Train from the bus station to Siam Square and from there jumped into a taxi. Getting to the guest house proved almost impossible. The streets were packed with people carrying, not only water guns but also some sort of paste made form talcum powder powder and water. We were terrified about getting out, but luckily made it to reception without any hassle. We then discovered that we didn't have any money and one of us would have to go to the cash-point... step forward... ME! Even though it was less than 300m away, I got ABSOLUTELY SOAKED there and back. We put our bags in our room and then went to join in the fun.

The Songkran celebrations in Pattaya are pretty lame compared to the ones here in Bangkok - i've never know anything like it. The streets are PACKED with thousands of people - crammed together like a concert and EVERYONE is soaking wet. We tried to walk around for a few hours and even stopped for some lunch on one of the stalls, which seemed to buy us immunity from the soaking, but in the end we were just too wet and too tired to go on. We came back to the Rambuttri for showers and a change of clothes and then went to the British Café, which is just opposite - and therefore safe - and spent the rest of the evening eating and drinking in there. I even tried some battered Mars Bars, which were surprisingly nice..,

Days To Go Until We Get Home: ONE!