You'll remember me mentioning seeing the red shirts around town in my last blog. Apparently at some point yesterday they stormed parliament, forcing MP's to take for the hills, and the PM declared a state of emergency in Bangkok.Ironic that I was mincing around in a city in a state of emergency without even noticing, only concerned with haggling the tuk tuk driver down to a sensible price for my journey!
Yus yus, Becki has done her first hagglement! Ok, so I only haggled him down from 200 baht to 140 baht, but not bad for a first go methinks, I'll be an expert by the time I come home.
Mind you, he turned out to be a right nutcase. The other two drivers I'd had had lulled me into a false sense of security. I have no idea what was written on his Thai drivers license, but I feel sure that it must have been something along the lines of 'Graduated from the Evil Knievel School of Motoring'. I just held on for dear life and hoped I would survive. For those of you who don't know what the view is like from inside a tuk tuk, here it is...this is one from my more sedate tuk tuk driver.
Anywhoo! I eventually made it to the station, in one piece, where he tried to take my 150baht without giving me change. Whereupon I grinned, made a 'give it here' gesture and said 'change!!', he just smiled and handed it over. I made it onto the train after a free-for all in the toilets...what's queuing?? The train was mad, check this out.
The 2 chairs slide together to make the bottom bunk, and the top bunk descends from above, curtains maintain our privacy. We ended up on this train for 18 hours!! Luckily we were asleep for much of it. It was supposed to be 15 hours, but we're running on Thai time people.
Chiang Mai is lovely, we made it to the SpicyThai hostel which lives up to its great name, free interwebs, free cable telly, free breakfast and the most helpful staff ever!
Sara and I (the Spanish girl I randomly met on the train who was heading for the Spicy Backpackers too) went temple wandering this afternoon, and I ate some wonderful food. Red snapper stir-fried with garlic and pepper, nom nom nom!!
These young monks were the first to the icecream man when he turned up...if Id know this is how they lived I'd have become a nun years ago!
Gorgeous dragons inlaid with stained glass guard the gates to the temple
Excellent Haggling...Just a bit worried about the ten baht you glowered at him for... Don't tuk tuk drivers get tips? I know he shouldn't just expect the tip, after driving like a maniac... but blimey. How much was that 10 baht worth? Also, maybe the more you haggle, the faster they drive. Time is Money love...
ReplyDeleteSounds like the trip is progressingly very well and this post in particular gave me a sad and a jealous :(
Oh sorry, you didn't glower, you smiled... as you took your ten baht back.
ReplyDeleteDon't you give me your rubbishy guilt trip Ogden!! :o)
ReplyDeleteThere's no need to worry about that tuk tuk driver,I'd already given him at least a 40 baht tip seeing as I agreed to be shafted on a 100 baht trip.
They see us coming a mile off, and they certainly won't go hungry.
It's the pics...they make the jealous!! :D
I must have missed that it was only meant to cost 100 baht. Soz. I'll take my guilt back :) xx
ReplyDeleteHey gurl, you're going good. More of the food piccies please, brings back fond memories. The train reminds me of the restaurant we ended up in after one of the Posse crawls. Wilerf
ReplyDeleteJo - Daz cos I didn't mention it ;) It's an unwritten rule that tuk tuks always overcharge farang!
ReplyDeleteWilerf - Nom nom indian bunkbed food! I'll try and remember to take more food piccies, it's just so delicious that my first response it to eat it!
you go girl, barter away! Pictures look amazing. You enjoy yourself, missing you, luv mum
ReplyDeleteTell that tiny Thai man where he can stick is 200 Baht! I aint no pushover maaaaan! Food does indeedings look lovely; I shall momentarily be heading in the direction of two glorious golden arches! NOM NOM!
ReplyDeleteRemember; you must go to McDonalds in every country to see what different flavour pies they have!
There is a McDonalds here, we drove past it, but I won't have time to visit it now :(
ReplyDeleteThank you mamay :D xxx
If they say 200 baht its probably supposed to be 50, I kid you not - I took a taxi at the suggestion of a friend, the driver at first quoted me 200, after some arguing he started the meter. The journey cost 50 baht and that was whilst sitting in Bangkok gridlock traffic!
ReplyDeleteNow I get charging the tourist extra cos they can afford it – but three times the correct amount, is that really necessary??
So you haggle away, it’s expected and if you don’t no one will have any qualms about ripping you off.