Well we were here in Bangkok. We were staying at the Grand Mercure soi 22 off suckmawhatsit.
We had because of the earlier flight arrived an hour early I said this would be no problem as I was still slow and damn that new airport is big. Dave then set off like a gazelle on speed and me and Suze struggled behind. I was silently simmering. I find that if I am upset instead of being able to say this I get mad.
Anyway we went to find out if we could get our transport earlier and after a lot of misinterpretation we did. Our guide was Eddie and he was as camp as a row of pink chiffon tents. He talked about some of the tours and I only half listened as this was our 5th time in Bangkok. Suze was interested in the Grand palace and we agreed to go as well. Would you believe we had never been? We tried to get in once and were not properly attired and since then never tried again. So we paid 800 bt each and arranged this for Thursday.
We arrived at the hotel and the check in staff were pleasant and I wish I could say check in was swift but it never is anywhere you go. We asked for a non smoking room and Suze wanted a smoking. Both Dave and I stopped smoking 6 years ago and we were very heavy smokers 2 packs a day each. Since then I have turned into one of those people that I did not want to be. I hate it and can smell it at 10,000 paces. Especially after the pneumonia the mere thought of it made me cough.
We went up to our room on the 17th floor and as soon as I opened the door the smell of smoke hit me. I threw a hissy fit and rand reception. To be fair they acted quickly. I was saying the room is very small, smells of smoke I am not happy.
They showed us to a room on the 16th floor that was a disabled room and the door opened out. There was no bath and a wet room. This suited me but I could just imagine the girl wanting to say ‘Is this big enough for yer fat a$$e *****'. This was all in mind as it was smiles and kop kum khas all round.
We decided to walk through the queen’s park to the Emporium.
Oh this place did not do Dave’s blood pressure any good. Whilst me a Suze flitted from expensive bag to bag Dave took on the expression of someone waiting in the dentist. I went into one shop and asked the price of one bag to be told it was 81,000 bht. You have heard of the expression fight or flight well Dave nearly ran suppose it was a good job ‘cos the other alternative was to smack her one !!!
We had something to eat in here and a coffee later in the wanderings. We then went back to the hotel and arranged to meet at 7. We had tried on 2 other occasions to go to Cabbages and condoms and not been able to find it. You are getting the picture now we are bloody useless. The receptionist said oh it’s only 10 minutes…………. Famous last words.
“ should we get a taxi Dave”, ‘ no, she said it was 10 minutes”. Stepping out of the hotel into the sauna that is Bangkok in May takes your breath away not that I had much anyway ! I shuffled along the road and walked along side the lanes and lanes of traffic belching out fumes. Looking at the cockeroaches running out of the drains and wishing I had a saddle to put on them. We got to the crossroads and by this time I was leaving a puddle round me wherever I stood. We asked a young Thai girl who in typical Thai style rang her relatives probably living in England !
We got the general idea that we needed to go further down. We found it and by the time we got there I just wanted to sit inside in the aircon. It was not anyones fault. We had been told it was 10 minutes. Oh well we were here. The tension was pliable. We had the meal and it was fine. We then set off back the intention was to go slowly and have a few drinks on the way back. This all went wrong when we crossed the road to go into Robinsons. I still don’t know how we got across the road and then back again. Why didn’t we just get a taxi ???? we crawled back and then turned into our road. What we did not realize until we were half way down was that it was the road before and there was no cutting through no going back and we did not know where we were going. Dave did his usual marching on ahead without even a look round to see if I was alright. I was getting madder and madder but it was taking me all my time just to keep upright. We eventually got back to the hotel. Nothing much was said I did not trust myself to say anything or I would have exploded. We arranged to meet to go to MBK the morning after at 10am.
I was looking forward to going to MBK and we were going to eat there in the food hall. We were not in the hotel for breakfast so we went to a little place down the road um….ok it can’t always be good.
We went back to the hotel to get a taxi. The chef on the door….don’t ask…… said oh you must take the sky train. I am glad that we went for the Taxi option the sky train from there is quite a way and those stairs are a killer. I also know that you have to change trains and it is about 30bht each. When we got into the taxi I said to the driver if you take us straight to MBK you may get a tip. If you take us to some stupid shop you may get a smack! He understood this and got us to the MBK within 20 minutes the fare 55 bht and I gave him 100. Nice man.
Into MBK and stress level went up by 200%. I really don’t know why Dave came he hates shopping although he manages to buy himself enough…… I do love him really you know I am trying to convey my feelings at the time.
Bags, shoes, bags, shoes oh where to look first. Dave bought a pair of black shoes I got a fake chloe bag he got some white linen pants I got some more crocs.
Then I saw a beautiful large leather weekend bag………….This is where it started to go wrong Dave said why do you want another one you have one…..I have one…..I have one carrier bag but it does not mean to say that I don’t want another. And by the way if I want it………. I seriously thought of buying 3. I did not I left it to go and simmer some more. Hey I had to blame someone I had had a sh+t time and typing this out has made me realize that. We moved on…those escalators oh the vertigo….don’t look down look at my bag, don’t look down.
I am going to continue this later. Reliving it is stressing me out.
