Well, it took a while but we got here! Arrived in Bangkok around 7 pm last night (about 1 pm in Argyll!) and couldn’t believe it – it was raining!! Exactly what I came here to get away from! It’s the weirdest rain too as it’s so smoggy and dirty so you’ve really got to try and keep out of it. We got a taxi straight away and were catapulted in to the culture shock that is Bangkok! I was a bit nervous about it all at first as I was expecting to really not like the city but within minutes of being here I was loving it! Everyone is so friendly and can’t do enough to help and there’s just so much to take in! I was expecting the smell to be really bad too but I think the fact that it was raining cleared it a bit so it was fine, it’s been sunny all day today though so the smells are really coming through now, and it’s not pleasant!

We went to a couple of Temples today (pics hopefully attached) which were amazing, I think they were called Wat Pho and Golden Mount, I’ll need to check that though! There’s a Massage School at Wat Pho so we treated ourselves to a proper Thai massage, for an hour I was kneaded, pulled and cracked and it felt great! I would have one every week if I could! After that we just wandered around the city, we got a couple of Tuk Tuks (see pic!) which are lots of fun but pretty hair raising too! There’s something not quite right about being in a rickety wee doorless vehicle on a 6 lane motorway! The only thing with them is you really have to haggle, we had one guy today take us quite a distance for 50 Baht (about 75p I think) but took us via a tailor where Zim had to go in and explain that he didn’t want a suit and 3 shirts! The driver then gets a fuel token, apparently even if the ‘farang’ (tourist) doesn’t buy anything, but people constantly trying to sell you things you don’t want gets a bit tiring after a while!

I’m just about to head back to the hostel to get a good wash and an early night! The hostel has been good so far, I’d met lots of people within minutes of being there and they all have stories and so it’s great to get chatting!

Thanks everyone who has read the blog and posted comments! Hopefully this one will be better, with pictures!

Until next time! Emma x

PS. Emma’s photostream is here.

Hello everyone,

I’m sitting in Heathrow airport waiting for Zim (my travelling companion) and so thought I would write my first blog! The first part of the journey has been fine, Dad took me through to the airport this morning (Mum would have been too upset!) and everything was straight forward, no delays (fingers crossed it stays that way!) and no problems. We took some pictures in Glasgow and I was planning to get them put on here but am unable to do that on the pc I’m using just now, they will come!…

This is the first time I’ve been in Heathrow, it’s huge!! And there are so many people! I’ll be glad when Zim gets here!

I still can’t believe I’m on my way to Thailand, I don’t feel at all excited or nervous which is weird as the past few weeks have been an emotional rollercoaster! Last week I had decided I didn’t want to go anymore, then the next day I couldn’t wait! It’s the most exciting yet scary thing I’ve ever done and I’m so glad now that the nerves and irrational thoughts (thinking too much about all the bad things that could, but AREN’T going to, happen!) are gone and I’m left just really looking forward to my adventure, even though it hasn’t really sunk in yet!

It’s strange to think that this time tomorrow I’ll be in Bangkok! It’s also so hard to imagine what it’ll be like, I’ve heard all about it, read about and seen pictures but that’s nothing! I will keep you posted!

Anyway, I’ll sign off just now but will be back, hopefully with some pics!

Thank you so much to everyone who has checked this out, I hope you’ll come back!

Speak soon, Emma xxx