The first thing that I noticed when we arrived in Bangkok was the heat. Coming from a chilly 10 degree days in London, walking out of the airconditioned airport into 38 degrees with crazy hudmidity was a shock to the system.

We checked into our hostel Khaosan Baan Thai (after walking around for an hour lost) in the Banglamphu distrcit after spending about an hour wandering around in the heat with out backpacks on traying to find it. After that expedition we were in need of a drink and so we head straight out into a busy Bangkok evening to find sustanence. We were happy to find a great place just down the road from our hostel and soon enough we were devuring fresh authentic Thai food and a nice cold Chang – meaning we were offically on holiday!

As much as we were looking forward to expoloring Bangkok, it was also a bit of an administration stop for as we needed to get a tourist visa for our next stop Myanmar. Unfortunately when we got there we found it was closed due to a public holiday. This was slightly frustrating as we had just cabbed for 40 minutes in the wrong direction and were not close to any of the main sights. What made it even more frustrating is we would have to come back the following day which was the only day it was open between two public holidays.

We quickly re-grouped and decided to head over to Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace. Since we weren’t planning on the visit we weren’t dressed modestly enough and were showing our elbows and knees. Luckily for us we ignored the touts outside trying to sell us long pants and shawls and we borrowed some clothes from the palace itself. A pair of long pants for James and a wrap around skirt for me, all for a deposit of 200 Bhat.

Once we were appropriately dressed we entered the main grounds of the Wat Prah Kaew and were instantly amazed by the decorative temples and also instantly crowded by about a million tour groups waving their umbrellas and selfie sticks around. Trying to navigate our way around without losing an eye was a challenge but we managed to make our way through to explore different temples, or Phra’s, looking at their intricate decorations and mosaics, mirrors and statues.

One of the main sights to see at the Wat Prah Kaew is the Emerald Buddha (which is actually made from jade) and fighting our way through the crowds was worth it. Sitting high up on a gold covered decorative stand the Buddha might not have been the biggest (it was tiny!) but it was certainly the prettiest I have ever seen. From there we wandered through the gruonds to visit the outside of the Grand Palace and its gardens but it wasn’t too long before we were too hot and crowded and decided to call it a day. We found a cafe blasting their fans and sat and had some Pad Thai (first of many) and drinks while we cooled down.

Our next day in Bangkok we were right back at the Myanmar Embassy to get our visas. We had been told to get there early and expect crowds since it would be extra busy due to being closed. We arrived an hour before it opened and we were still 80th in the queue. We patiently waited as they called the numbers out but they were only managing to process about 20 people an hour. As the deadline to closing time of 12pm loomed people started to get antsy. People were pushing in, going up as massive groups of 7 or more and even offering to buy other peoples earlier numbers off them. Thankfully for us they decided to stay open longer and we were finally processed about 12:30pm. Nearly 5 hours after arriving to the embassy.

The waiting didn’t stop there, we had to get them processed the same day as we were planning on travelling soon after so we waited around to collect them in the evening. Usually they do pick ups between 3:30 and 4:30pm but since there was so many to process and so many people waiting the first tourist visa got handed out at 7pm. We finally managed to get ours around 8:30pm – 12 and a half hours after we had arrived. It was worth it as it meant our administration was finished and we were able to fly when we had planned but I would recommend anyone planning on visiting Myanmar to get their visa’s online

Our final day in Bangkok was a lazy one – we slept in, hoping to kick our jet lag, the head out for a long lazy lunch. Some more pad thai (still not sick of it yet!) later we tuk-tuked down to Wat Pho, another temple well worth visiting. The Wat Pho has many Buddha statues representing various aspects of the faith, however the most impressive was the Reclicing Buddha. Laying 46 meters long and 15 metres high the Buddha is quite a sight to see.

The grounds of the Wat Pho were less crowded than the palace and since we were there at sunset it was gorgeous to see the roofs of the temples glisten in the fading sunlight. It was an interesting place to visit – especially as we got to see many Buddhist monks wandering through and getting ready for prayer.

To finish off our stay in Bangkok we thought we would head down to Khao San Road – the main tourist strip for backpackers in Bangkok. The street is lined with fluorescent lights and market stalls. Its hustle and bustle could give Oxford Street a run for its money. You could stock up on fake raybans and havianas to your hearts content – you can even buy a fake ID if you want one. I resisted the urge to go on a shopping spree and only bought myself a Chang t-shirt – just to cememnt myself as a tourist in Thailand.

Our first stop in Bangkok was a patience trying, hot, sweaty and busy one. While I was glad to have seen this famous city I am even happier we are moving on to another place a little off the beaten track.