Back in Thailand

Well after a fantastic British Airways flight out of London we arrived in Bangkok without a hitch. We were thinking of getting on another flight north without leaving the airport but curiosity got the best of us and we decided to spend a few days in Bangkok to check out the flood situation. The main part of the city was for the most part saved from flooding at the expense of the suburban districts. The main tourist area is close to the river and we saw temporary cement walls, about 2 feet high, across the front of many businesses. There was also sand bagging along the walkways to the river boats and taxis. The park on the river where we escape the heat was half covered with water.People did seem somewhat disspirited and less agressive in their sales pitches for anything from a hand tailored clothing to souvenirs.
We left Bangkok after two nights to go north to a wonderful small city called Chaing Mai. When you buy a bus ticket here you never know what you are getting. Mostly people do it through a travel agent because by the time you figure out what bus station to go to and then get there the day before to get a ticket it ends up costing the same with a lot less hassle.
The agent we use showed us pictures in a book but when we got there the bus was completely different. Rather than a single story smaller bus it was a large air con double deckler complete with a beautifully coifed and dressed hostess rather like what we used to call a stewardess on airlines when I was younger.We were seated on the upper level with about ten seats, a toilet and baggage underneath us. I don't really enjoy these buses because they sway and rock a lot but if you're upstairs you can see very well. The hostess is there to dispense snacks, blankets and generally keep things in order. She also keeps you from getting left behind if you're in the toilet or have wandered off to stretch your legs. There was an Aussie guy who missed his bus at one of the stops so I guess they aren't all on the ball like ours was. Imagine being left behind while everthing you own goes on without you!

The interior of the buses can be quite garish and this one was no exception. Flashy flowered patterned plush seats and plenty of chrome. There's always a tv blaring in the front with speakers all along the sides. The entertainment this trip was one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies with a short break for some Thai pop music and then on to the Transformer movie both subtitled in Thai. Interesting thing though, we were the only foreigners on the bus so this was programming for the Thai passengers. There was only one stop on the way with a free lunch and it was an 11 hour bus ride. We usually like to take shorter rides and on local type buses with regular people. This way we often get to be the only foreigners and have a very differnt experience.

This was the sad part of the ride.. For 4-5 hours heading north out of Bangkok there was flooding. People camped on the shoulder of the highway because of the higher elevation. Huge fancy businesses and vehicles sitting in water and all manner of homes and other buildings. The domestic airport had airplanes sitting in water at least halfway up their tires and that's with the water receded somewhat. In Chaing Mai where we are now there was flooding in one area of about a metre of water but it only lasted a few days so the damage wasn't too extensive. Bad enough though I'm sure.
This is a great place to get over jet lag. We've been pampering ourselves with massages, herbal steam baths and good food. For the time being we're eating in a Thai run 'health food' type restaurant which serves fresh local organic foods and freshly made juices including wheat grass juice. We are both tired after a busy summer and we're trying to have a bit of a detox. It's all so yummy though that it's no hardship!