Words From the Silent One

Nene emailed her Ma the other day:

Still in In Bangkok. Nick and I got the Japanese Encephalitis one shot program for $50 each ($700 in NZ, not available yet in Canada) and dentist check up, clean and one filling for $160  - nice.  Really happy with the level of professionalism and the cheap price!

Getting from the airport to the hotel was an ordeal even though public transport was easy.  It reminded me of why it is important to pack light, next time we will get a taxi unless we forget again how painfully it is to haul huge heavy bags up and down stairs and cram them in a taxi for the last kilometer when it all gets too much and can't wait another moment for a cool shower.

We did some sight seeing in old Bangkok yesterday but have decided that temples with crowds of tour groups are not for us, there is a lot more Chinese tourist here than there was last time I came through. Also been to a snake breeding place where they do anti-venom research and saw a demonstration on how they collect the venom.  Within their complex they had a museum which included a large impressive collection of snakes in jar.  No less impressive but much more disturbing was the birth defect babies in jars at the forensic museum, we made a quick exit but there were a number of people poring over the information in the museum, they must have had stronger stomachs than us!

I woke up with a killer sore throat, no doubt from all the public transport we have been taking, so spent this morning making a home made saline sinus wash bottle after hearing about the process from Janna.  It seemed to work a treat once I got the hang of having salt water circulating up one nostril and out the other, but there were a few false starts and some stinging snorting of quadruple strength solution - only afterwards did I remember Janna warning me about this.

Not too much on the cards today.  We have just finished assembling our bikes and packing our panniers.  Next we are going to explore another area for Bangkok city on our way over to recommended Thai massage place, not so keen on getting one close to our hotel as its is on the edge of a red light district.

Off to Chiang Mai tomorrow evening

Puppet Summary:

- we got shots, really cheap

- we went to the dentist. Nene had to get a filling, none for me. [insert gloating here]. Again, really cheap.

- airport to hotel was a pain in the arse

- tourist stuff is shit. Tourists are arse

- snake farm was cool. Actual scientific purpose made it cooler

- forensic museum was a bit much. Murder victim and perp corpses and corpseparts, murder implements, accident victim pieces, deformed babies... it was really sad and upsetting. I wanted to leave but Nene the ghoul wanted to explore more.

- Nene has an abundance of mucus, and is self-medicating by trial-and-error nasal irrigation. Much amusing? Oui.

- bikes assembled and ready to roll

- massage o'clock

- off to Chiang Mai tomorrow evening