What the heck, I'll just go ahead and order the over priced American breakfast. It really did hit the spot, right down to the white bread and cheese single.
Feeling pretty confident, I talked Cynthia into going with me to the travel clinic (because the truth is that I'm never that confident). Trying out the technology of Google maps rather than the old paper map method, we headed down the road to get bus #171 which would take us right to the clinic near Victory Monument. Long story short, while looping around to go to a different bus stop, this super nice and very eager to help man shuffled us onto to his bus. "Free, free!" "Um, ok. You sure? You go Victory Monument?"
He had so much fun pointing things out like the temple and Democracy Monument. "You take photo." "No thanks." We went in just about every direction except that toward Victory Monument and somehow kept ending up on the main road we started on, passing by the lovely peacock statutes situated around a giant portrait of the queen. It started getting pretty funny.
We'll since he was so sure the tourists must want to go to Wat Pho, that's where we ended up. Not even remotely correct. "You go inside." "No. We go Victory Monument." After a look of confusion and some consulting with a police officer, our driver told us to get off here. We had a laugh and headed past the throngs of giant tours along with their giant tour buses to go get bus 59 which of course, passed by the peacocks and Democracy Monument.
Made it to the Center for Tropical Diseases for some vaccines before heading into Burma. I figured why not. I don't normally do that sort of thing but the price is reasonable here, and Cyn got hers so I figured I would too. A nice modem clean place, but slow slow slow if you don't have an appointment (which I would have missed anyway due to our extended bus tour). After waiting probably 2 hours, the doctor told me that he just spent a month in Myanmar (backpacking and staying in hostels! ) And said the risk of disease is low and he said I did not need any vaccines. Ha ha!
Headed to the bus stop. Hmm, surprise 171 is not listed on the sign. Hot pink (like nail-polish-pink) taxi it is. We hopped out early because the traffic was so stopped up and found our way along the river to the amulet market. But not before happening on this dark walkway behind the market that was home to little riverfront restaurants with lots of delicious smelling Thai food. Mmmm. A nice plate of (vegetarian) pad thai, a boiling hot bowl of Tom Yum, a couple of Thai iced teas (one with green tea; the pistachio gelato of Thailand for Cynthia)(50B, $1.50 each), and a view of the boats going by on the brownish grey Chao Phraya. Awesome.
Closed it out by dropping off my pawn shop Gucci sunglasses at an optical shop to get some prescription lenses put in ($16), and a ride home on the ferry. Not a bad day!
