I did not have a good nights sleep. I probably woke up at around 2AM local time and it took me hours to get back to sleep. After waking up for good, Rachelle and I headed for StrayAsia - the bus company who are transporting us around Thailand and Laos. We get there at about 11AM and a very friendly Thai woman helps us sort out our first departure from Bangkok, despite us asking to depart the next day the next day when you need to book a week in advance when leaving Bangkok - this is because the first leg of the journey is all by train and they have to book the tickets. Sorting this out takes a while, but we were in no rush to leave because monsoon season showed it's face and it poured very heavily. The internet in the place was free for 'Stray Travelers' so we used that.
After everything was sorted out and we were bored of sitting there, we headed back to the hotel through the pouring rain. Above us thunder tore through the sky. It was louder than in English storms, or at least it seemed that way.
I was feeling ill. I don't know if it was due to the jet lag, malaria pills or lack of sleep, but I needed rest. I couldn't help but fall asleep. I felt guilty because we had planned to see some temples scattered around Bangkok.
When I woke up I felt much better. We headed out to see if we could find some temples before dark. After walking around and obviously not looking like we know where we were going, a local started talking to us. He asked us where we were from etc and then advised us to see a few places including the tall (40 foot) Buddha and the Lucky Buddha. He told us to take a Tuk-Tuk and surprise, surprise one pulled up next to us (I say 'surprise surprise' because they are everywhere and don't stop harassing us!). We are told by the local that it is free entry to these places and Tuk-Tuk's are cheap because it's a Government holiday today. The Tuk-Tuk driver says he will take us to the places the local has written on a scrap piece of paper from his wallet and back all for 10 Baht. Alarm bells start to ring as I've read these are exactly the sorts of things said to tourists to get you into a Tuk-Tuk and they end up conning you in some way. After much debate we accept the offer.
We enjoy the ride. Tuk-Tuk's are a novel way of travel for us. He takes us to the 40 foot Buddha and it's nice. We then go to the lucky Buddha which is just a small temple with a Buddha in the meditating position. From the back a local comes out and asks us where we are from He says he is a teacher at the school teaching English.He ends up showing us how to pray to the Lucky Buddha:
- Get down on your knees
- Hands together above your head
- Bow down putting both hands flat on the ground
- Repeat three times
- Make a wish
- Repeat the prayer sequence again three more times
Strangely the local then tells us about a suit shop called 'Top Ten'. We leave and the driver is sat reading in the back of the Tuk-Tuk waiting for us, get back in.
At this point the Tuk-Tuk driver says something about gasoline, but I don't quite understand. We politely nod and he drives us. We end up at a suit shop. It's called 'Top Ten' and my initial sceptical thoughts from when we first ran into the local and the Tuk-Tuk drover seem realised. We sit down in the shop, say we aren't interesed and leave.
Now something strange happens. The Tuk-Tuk driver explains again about the gasoline and I finally understand: The suit shops pay for his gasoline if customers sit down, look through brochures and spend at least ten minutes in the shop. He begs that we go to another suit shop he has this deal with and that we fulfill these requests. He says we don't need to buy, we just need to pretend to be interested. Now, the Tuk-Tuk driver is actually a very nice Thai guy and I sympathise. We agree and I feel part of the con. The conned becoming the conning. We go to the suit shop, fulfill our duties and leave. I saw it as a chance to practice my acting skills.
The Tuk-Tuk driver is so grateful that he thanks us, touching my leg and bowing at if I've really done him a huge favour. He asks where we want to go, we say a temple and e takes us to one. We find ourselves at something called the Golden Mount. It has a lot of steps spiraling around a hill. Three quarters of the way a local comes down the stairs saying it's closed. This was a shame, but we had seen some nice water features and a giant centipede on the way up. The local asks us where we're from.
He tells us that the Golden Mount is a man made hill, it has 344 steps going to the top and it is closed because it is time for the monks to pray. He asks us about our Tuk-Tuk and laughs when he hears that we went to two suit shops - slightly embarrassing. He takes us down the steps and tells us to hit a gong three times each for good luck - three seems to be a lucky number here. He then takes us around a Buddhist place next to the Golden Mount and tells us about it, showing us what is good to take photos of. He is genuine and the nicest person we have met here. We see lots of Buddha statues and even get a peek at some money praying. We then say our thanks and goodbyes as we head back to our Tuk-Tuk.
On the way a local Thai woman asks if we are the two people going back to Khaosan road. We are. She explains that the Tuk-Tuk driver had to go back. We hadn't paid him yet so we didn't mind, but how would we get home? As it turns out the woman's dad is a Tuk-Tuk driver. She says for 10 Baht her dad will take us home, but we have to visit a suit shop. I explain we don't want to so she says she will take us back for free if we do it. Again we would have to sit down, look through their brochures and stay for ten minutes. We agree and again we con another suit shop into giving another Tuk-Tuk driver free gasoline. In a way it's nice helping the poorer Thais and it got us a free trip to three places.
I think back to the first Tuk-Tuk ride and can't figure out if the local Thai who suggested a Tuk-Tuk was part ofthe initial con, or if the teacher in the Lucky Buddha temple was too, but I do find it strange that I became a part of it all, conning suit shops.
We go back to the hotel for cold showers, go out to eat and have a few drinks before bed.
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