... Sawasdi klap, Thailand!

Within a few minutes getting out of the taxi in Khao San Road, Bangkok, I realised that without wanting to sound arrogant, India really was in at the deep end for a first time traveller. My week here in Thailand has been wonderful, and very very easy. There were highs and lows in India but I realise now that all the time was emotional and difficult. The thing that has struck me the most about Thailand when compared to India is the young people, I hadn't seen jeans and loose clothing in three months, and seeing couples kissing in public seemed very strange too. There's a lot of happiness here, and no social taboos apart from drugs it seems, which is pretty refreshing too. To be honest, I got slightly too excited by all the sexiness to begin with, the idea of girls running around and laughing out loud really did seem alien. I still love India and will go back all the time, but as far as being a hedonistic tourist goes, Thailand is fantastic.
Spent two days in Bangkok, and kept comparing everything with India, even the dodgy touts and taxi drivers are very honest, and can't imagine having any stress while I'm here. I visited a few temples and saw a very very big Buddha, then went to the Government tourist office and told them my budget and amount of time here and they sorted everything out for me. After thinking I wouldn't able to afford any fun, I was really happy when I discovered that I actually will be able to do a beginners Scuba Diver course, for only fifty quid!
The other activity I signed up for was a two day Jungle Trek, which I finished yesterday. That was brilliant, the group I went with were all very cool and most of us will be meeting up next week for a full moon party. On the first day we walked through lots of jungle, stopping off to meet tribal villages (generally the tribes that we were able to visit have become very modern and sadly the only conversations the locals would have were about us buying their craftwork). I found it hard work at times and have realised that I really want to get into good shape when I settle in New Zealand. I enjoyed the trekking but struggled more than I thought I would due to my unhealty lifestyle.
The next day we visited a waterfall which was a lot of fun and then went on an elephant ride. That was fine, but the lasting memory for most of us was the eldest of the handlers smashing his elephants skull with his driving hammer thingy. The other handlers were using their own hands or the wooden end of the hammer very gently to control the elephant, but this guy would raise his hand high in the air and the impact of the metal on the Elephant's head caused a loud crack and a bit of blood each time. I feel ashamed now that I only glared, I doubt my protests would have made a difference but I really should have said something. After that we went Bamboo rafting, which was fantastic. I was expecting it to be fun, but also very serious and traditional. Instead the guides made sure we all declared war on each other, trying to tip rival rafts and having splashing battles with local students. Once we made it back to civilisation I hooked up with some fellow nerds and closed a major chapter of my childhood by watching Star Wars: Episode III. It was surreal starting my day in a tribal village in the Jungle and ending it in a multiplex cinema. The film was fantastic in my opinion, and seriously dark. Don't let any kids watch it.
Like Anakin Skywalker I too have turned my back on my former mentor, deciding not to use any more Lonely Planet books. It served me well in India, but by the end of my time there I found that I always had a better time by gettig advice from other travellers and locals. Here in Thailand I'm being looked after by organised tour groups so have little need for a guide book anyway, but from now on no matter where I go I'm going to wing it. The worse that could happen is spontaneous combustion, I guess.
Anyway, I'm heading back to Bangkok this afternoon for a few days of chilling before the Diving course. I haven't visited Patpong (Red Light District) yet, will do that on the Weekend so next week I should definitely have some stories. If there are no Patpong stories assume that Ladyboys were involved, they seem to be the unofficial National symbol here.

Namskar India....

Somehow I've grown to quite like Dehli this time around, and managed to get an unofficial city tour from my frantic last minute admin worries today. The air is still dirty and it's now getting seriously hot, but the commotion and craziness doesn't seem as oppressive now.
I left Manali on wednesday, which was the first proper action that requires mental and physical energy I had managed in a fortnight. I should mention that Before I left I composed the original entry on this blog for this week, but the computer was obvious affected by my laziness as it died just as I had sincerely and emotionally summed up my first Indian Experience, so if this version sounds contrived, it's because it is a bit.
Since the last entry I have failed to see Terminator 2, but apart from that achieved a few things in Manali. Although the majority of the time was spent bumming around with new mates and trying Nepali cuisine (the rice wine is nice at the time, but has violent retribution the next morning). The relaxed 'shanti shanti' atmosphere of Manali was just what I needed before heading back to the capital, for the first time in india I had time to think and reflect, and properly get to know people and learn about the various cultures in the Himalayas (I also left knowing a lot more about Harry Potter than I used to). While Jaisalmer buddy Joy was around we did a fair bit of exploring, finding beautiful waterfalls and orchards and visiting a bizarre hindu temple which has been carved into a big tree. On the second week I spent a lot of time with a group of Nepali lads, and a drug addled austrian known only as Musli, who I'll hopefully be seeing at Christmas in Goa, along with their close buddy Nenah Cherry. On that note I acquired another random claim to fame while discovering the obscure little mountain village of Bhang. I met an Indian guy there called Schwell (I think) who claims to be Ricky Martin's secret lovechild. I'll send a photo of him out so you can judge for yourselves, but he was twenty six and although I don't know Ricky Martin's age (I'm not a closet fan, honestly!), and my maths is at Key Stage zero level, I don't think it quite adds up.
Sadly, apart from walking around the hills and meeting people I cou8ldn't take advantage of all the outdoor activities that Manali is known for, mainly because most of them only commence next week, the beginning of the high season. I tried to sort out paragliding and Rafting (snow trekking was possible but too expensive this time around) but there's no demand right now so I generally practised my own favourite activity, bumming around talking rubbish.
It was sad leaving there, but I arrived in the capital feeling healthy and refreshed (but not awake enough to remember to pick up my phone before getting off the bus, I think it is now somewhere in the state of Punjab).
So, tommorrow I'll be flying to Bangkok, it's a five hour flight which is piddly compared to the average bus journey I'm now used to. I think I've got everything sorted and although lack of funds is forcing me to cut the trip short, and I haven't made any plans apart from watching Star Wars, I'm really looking forward to being in Thailand before I have to start working again.
In spite of this, I can't help feeling very sad to be leaving India. After having a wonderful final month in Himachal Pradesh I don't feel too bad apart all the fleeting visits I made to other parts of the country, but it has made me hungry to get back here as soon as possible. Before I came here I knew of several people who always come back to India, and I could never really understand this as there are so many amazing places in the world to see, but now I understand completely. This place is like a continent, every individual state is so diverse and different from it's neighbouring states that I don't think there's enough time in the world to experience it all. While sitting alone on rooftops or wobbling around on long bus journeys I made several different itineraries for my next trip, but I realise that it'll change a thousand times when I get here.
It's going to be very sad leaving tommorrow, but I've got the memories and will always come back to see the family here. I'm going to miss the Indian Sunsets, the crazy people and the weird, unexplainable 'magic' of the place, but to quote the immortal words of the Great Shakin' Stevens: "I'll be Back!"