This weekend has had it all! It's been amazing, infuriating, so much fun and infuriating all at the same time.
We left for the Ampawa Floating Markets on Friday morning, stopping at a temple and the Sanam Chandra Palace. All together there were around 16 students, most of us from Green Park. There was one guy from Baan Suan which is one of the other MUIC dorms who can best be described as someone who has not yet fully evolved from an ape into a human being. He was a big, hulking, sweaty, stinky... thing. He complained non-stop, smelled like a mix of sweat and stale beer and decided it was ok to lounge around on the furniture at the Palace. Seriously, he just sat his disgusting, slimy ass on royal furniture like nothing was wrong and then couldn't understand why people gave him looks of disgust. Suffice to say, I was less than impressed when I got stuck next to him for a group photo (which take forever on these little field trips because everyone wants a copy of the picture on their camera despite the fact that they will eventually make it to facebook and they can just copy it from there). While you weren't allowed to take photos inside the palace itself (I got yelled at for it), I managed to sneak one in thanks to my mobile (bless the invention of camera phones!) of the royal toilet! I was so excited. Those of you who know me well know about my sanitation thing. For those who aren't aware of it, never mind.
From the palace, it was off to Ampawa via a bus ride that was akin to a roller coaster. I spent much of the ride airborne and what goes up must come down. I have a bruised butt. Our accommodation consisted of fairly basic little bungalows right on the Mae Klong River, each sleeping two people. When it came time to decide who was to sleep where, Half-Evolved Man (from here on known as H.E.M) pipes up "I'll share with one of the girls" and then continued to repeat it, despite the fact that none of us had ever met him before and despite there not being enough tequila in the world to make any sane female want to be remotely close to him in any way, shape or form. I, of course, couldn't help myself by this stage and had to let him know that hell would freeze over before any of us would consider sharing anything with him.
After an amazing lunch we hopped in long tail boats and headed off down the river. It was incredible! Houses built in the water, people bathing, you name it! We stopped at a temple that unfortunately (for me anyway) had a heap of caged animals, including a monkey. It was horrible. Tiny cages, sad looking animals and I was nearly in tears. Of course, several ignorant people in our group found the whole thing to be simply delightful. They poked the monkey, posed for photos and thought it was great. I can't begin to describe how mad I was. It's because of stupid, moronic tourists like us that people continue to cage wild animals for the entertainment of people, despite the fact it is unbearably cruel and inhumane. By this stage, the 2.5 (only some of the Green Parkers will understand who the 2.5 are, if anyone else is interested, email me!) were driving me insane. If I had had a gun, I am certain that one in particular would not be alive now. Especially when said person revealed that they found the monkey in the cage to be cute and funny. For the first time in a long time, I yelled at someone I hardly know. They however are clearly not smart enough to realise I was pissed as hell and they were lucky I hadn't physically forced them into a tiny little cage so we could all laugh and point while they were miserable. As we moved on from the awfulness, H.E.M complained that the 200 metre walk to the temple was too far. I was seething and he too copped a mouthful from me.
We got back into the boat, went onto another temple, back to the boat again and onto another temple... complete with real dead monk. That's right. There was a Madame Tussauds wax type figure and above it, the real thing. A dead body. Right there. Like nothing was wrong. Not covered, not mummified, just... there. After that little shock, we were finally off to the floating markets! The markets were awesome. 1.5 of the 2.5 still hadn't gotten the hint and we couldn't shake them for the night which totally sucked and at one point we actually tried to run away, but other than that, it was great! The markets are built on the water and some vendors literally sit in boats while they sell food, souvenirs, clothing etc. The crowdedness was getting a bit much and we decided to head away from the hustle and bustle while we ate. 1.5 followed. We sat, they followed. As I ate my lovely pineapple, I felt something on my arm. A big something. I jumped up and as I did, the worlds biggest cockroach climbed from my arm and up my torso. This thing was huge. It was a cockroach on steroids. Anna will forever be my hero after getting it off of me using her water bottle. We decided ice cream was in order and 1.5 followed again. We couldn't shake them. Until it was time to get back in the boats. We pulled a maneuver that the CIA would be proud of to lose our persistent shadows and it worked a treat! What followed was my idea of bliss. A nighttime boat ride (slightly scary at times)to see fireflies lighting up the trees like Christmas lights. AMAZING!!! The whole thing was like something from a Disney movie.
After a tiring day, we had a pretty quiet night and some of us were up early (by 7.30) to present gifts to a monk. Which was cool, if intimidating. We had to kneel down, offer him a gift of food, drink and some money and when we were all done, we knelt again as he "blessed" us. After that it was breakfast and back into the boat! Where I was again stuck with either H.E.M or another of the 2.5. One of whom was nearly "accidentally" pushed out of the boat at one point. I showed amazing powers of self-control, especially when the giant snake went swimming by! One push is all I would have needed! Seriously, I am a fairly tolerant person. And I'm not just being a bitch because the general opinion of the so-called 2.5 is unanimous. But after another amazing boat trip, lunch (which was one of the best meals I've had in ages) it was time to head home.
Today (Sunday) Anna, Lisa and I headed into Bangkok to do a bit of shopping and I finally got my tickets to the Michael Jackson movie "This Is It"! **Insert excited happy dance here**. The day was slightly dampened with two particularly uncomfortable staring incidents. I still don't get it. At one point, a grown woman pointed, stared and ran to get a friend so the two of them could point, stare and laugh at me together. Seriously. And all because I am pale with reddish hair. It's infuriating, uncomfortable and embarrassing. And inexplicable because we were in central Bangkok. Tourist central. It's not like these people haven't seen a white person before. Not to mention the serious lack of manners. Call me a typical tourist, I don't care if I'm in your country, that kind of behaviour is just wrong. We didn't stare, point or laugh directly at the Thai Albino we had seen earlier. We had a discreet glance, and then talked about him quietly, once he was totally out of earshot. And then I got stuck next to yet another adult starer on the hour long bus ride back to the dorm. She stared right at me the whole trip. Well, when she wasn't picking her nose and then cleaning her findings out from under her nails.
And on that note... It's time for me to hit the sack.
Hugs & love for you all!
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