Sorry for the late post, the internet here is atrocious! So yesterday we allowed ourselves a proper lie in as we were shattered! Once we were up and dressed we went downstairs to the hotel lobby to ask for a map and ask what was best to do. The staff spoke almost zero english which was so unhelpful but google suggested we go see the Siam Niramit show and so we decided on that. But first we had to go to the train station to get our tickets for the overnight train to Koh Samui for next week. When we got outsidr a woman with an information badge started talking to us about the train times for our journey, but then started to say the train station only sold tickets to Surathani and not onwards to KS and started taking us to the travel agents instead. She seemed friendly enough and helpful but when she started taking us away from the station we got uncomfortable about the whole situation and slipped away back to the station. When we spoke to the ticket office in the station they said they did in fact sell the tickets the whole way, so I think we just avoided our first scam! Anyway, once we got our tickets we then went downstairs into the MRT (the subway- not to be confused with Hong Kong' subway, the MTR) and hopped on a train to Thailand Cultural Centre station, where we caught the free shuttle bus to the show. The journey cost us 35 baht, which is approximately 70p!!!! So cheap! (Take note London!) We arrived at the Siam Niramit theatre and bought our tickets. We weren't going to get dinner there as the internet had said the buffet was terrible, but there didn't seem to be any other restaurants around and I hadn't eaten in like 22 hours so we decided to go for both. As we entered, we were amazed- right in front of us was a REAL LIFE ELEPHANT! Elephants are both mine and Abi's favourite animal, so there was a lot of squealing and stroking, and Abi paid 30baht to feed him a bowl of fruit! It was amazing, you could choose which nostril inside his trunk to put it in and he would just suck it right up! There was an option to ride him but we decided against and it and I was getting HELLA hungry, so we went up to this so called terrible buffet, which actually turned out to be AMAZING. There was a range of foods from all over the world: i had a vegetable jalfrezi with chips, some bread, some spring rolls and some egg fried noodles. SO SO YUMMY. Don't know what that guy was on about! And for dinner we had coconut ice cream with melon and watermelon slices. Absolutely fab. Whilst we were sitting eating, a huge crowd of people dressed in costumes came through the dining hall in a line all banging drums and chanting something in thai, and a woman held up a sign saying a pre-show show was about to start outside. So out we wondered to watch this show. There were so manh dancers, doing strange displays with people with giant paper mache like heads on, and others teaching the crowd how to dance in the traditonal thai way and it was all very cool! But suddenly I felt really strange, and I started sweating and was so hot, and I had a fizzy feeling rushing to my head and thought I was gonna be sick. I called to Abi who was taking photos of the show and we legged it to the toilets where the nice ladies in the queue let me cut the line because I looked so atrocious! Just being in the toilet made me feel less stressed, knowing I wasn't going to puke in the middle of this show! After 5 mins I started to cool down and felt more normal again. I think it was because I went so long without eating (and if you know me, I don't handle that well! Must be well fed at all times!) and then ate a huge meal and my body just freaked out. So I sat down outside drinking water and waited for the doors to open for the real show, which thankfully was in only about 5 mins time, whilst Abi caught the last of the show (which apparently consisted of a fat man dressed as a geisha being chased around by a dude in a dragon costume. I was very much enjoying the sounds of the audience who were highly vocal with their oooh and aaahs and AGHHHHH!!s.) We were in the queue to get in when we realised they were taking away people's cameras and searching through bags for any recording devices. In a panic to not let them take our phones Abi and I turned to each other and hid them in weird places upon our person. I shoved mine in my bar, resulting in a rectangular tit which must have been so obvious, and Abi shoved hers into the top half of her high-waisted shorts. We somehow got anyway with it and gleefully snuck into the theatre. When we sat down for the show we realised we accidentally had amazing seats, slap bang in the middle of this huge auditorium and had the entire row to ourselves! The show itself was fantastic. Just the set designs and costumes alone were brilliant, with bright colours and intricate detail, and the actual show was about Thailand's history. There were no words, just lots of dancing and silent acting and music, and it doesn't sound that great from my description but it really was! We didn't understand it at all times but it was enjoyable nonetheless. When it was over we wandered around the little traditional village they had made outside which we had missed earlier due to the whole fainting incidence. It was lovely in the dark, with tradional thai houses from both the north and the south, and little pretend rice paddies and a fake lake which you could ride around on in a traditional boat. After seeing everything this place had to offer we hopped on the shuttle back to the MRT. There was a night market right by the station so Abi had a look around for some elephant pants but they didn't have any as it seemed to be more for locals than for tourists, so we got back on the tube and headed back to our hotel. However, earlier in the day, we had met a guy on one of the G Adventures tour, who had told us about Khao San Road, which is apparently where all the backpackers hang out, so instead of going home, we got in a taxi and headed there! The driver was laughing at us singing Usher on the way there (ugh, sorry, it was a TUNE) and then I quickly popped into a 7/11 for a banana and off we went to the road. It was bloody amazing! Absolutely buzzing atmosphere with plenty of backpackers and locals, and bars galore! A night market weaved itself through the middle of the street and men kept offering us tickets to go see a pingpong show (and making a popping sound with their mouths, just so we really understood what they were selling (gross!)). The first bar we went to was quiet but nice. The second bar was much more lively! (But some half naked white guy was swinging round his wet tshirt and it splashed me and I think it was sweat- sooo grim!) We tried to get into another bar but it was so absolutely packed we couldnt even physically get in! So we headed to another lively bar (opposite the second place we stayed in!) The street was awesome. Music was blaring and people were selling scorpions on sticks! (No bloody thank you!) At this bar we befriended a few people, a Thai local, who then proceeded to throw up by our feet (and it splashed on Abi's leg! *cries*) and a guy named Lee from Wales, and then a group of guys from Liverpooool (one of whom was called Casper) who were friendly and who are also heading to the full moon party later this month. It was very fun, but right as we went to leave I had gone from tipsy to suddenly too drunk out of nowhere! Apparently we were singing very loudly in the taxi (to the taxi driver's amusement) and then we got up to the hotel room and the horror began. I spent most of the night throwing up, and most of the day today too. Abi had a splitting headache. We were absolute messes today. At about 5pm we realised we would actually have to get out of bed to go to our welcome meeting with our tour group. It was terrible. We both groaned and whinged and whined as we struggled to shower and get vaguely decent. I litetally couldn't stand up straight, and was bent double like Quasimodo. It was so bad. Half the problem was that again we hadn't eaten in nearly 24 hours, so Abi went off in search of food, and the glorious woman came back with a big bag of cheetos and barbecue crisps. It was amazing. So we headed downstairs (still bent double, still very VERY sick) and waited in the lobby for our group. We found our tour guide Sek San and he seems soooo lovely and friendly (not sure I gave the same impression of myself!). Then we found out that the rest of the group, usually a minimum of 12 people, up to a max of 18, was for some reason only 3 people big! Including Abi and I! So we awaited the arrival of our new friend! His name is Ashley, he is from Bristol and he also seems super nice (and very understanding about my hangover!). After filling in a few forms, Sek San began discussing the tour. It sounds so incredibly fun! But whilst also trying to be excited, I was also dying, and the headache had kicked in, so I didn't listen to everything he said - I'm sure I will get it as I go! After we were filled in we headed off for dinner at a traditional thai restaurant. I'm sure it would have been lovely, but the second my vegetable sweet and sour arrived I knew I wasn't going to be able to eat it. I tried but my stomach wasn't having any of it! So instead I had plain rice (which was presented in the shape of a turtle!) and some coke, and I finally started to feel more human. Abi had the sweet and sour chicken and thoroughly enjoyed it, having completely recovered from her hangover (the bitch!). We sat around discussing Ashley and Sek San's travels (and our's in fact) and then we went home. I stopped off again at a 7/11 for more crispy snacks before getting into the hotel room. Abi skyped her family for a while but I stayed up in bed! And now we are both sat on the floor by the door because that is the only way to get wifi round here! We have little pillows as seats and everything! So that was the last 2 days! Tomorrow consists of sightseeing before an overnight train to Chiang Mai! I still haven't posted the last few photos from HK, which I shall try and do now if the internet allows, and then I will put up the pics from yesterday (there were no pictures of today. Today was a bad day.) So you're all caught up!
