Tuk tuk?

Hey all, wanted to post some Bangkok pictures but this computer isn't recognizing my camera for some reason, so nest time. My foot is feeling so much better, though I still walk really slow and only for short periods of time, so we'll see what happens. Yesterday Stef and I moved to Kao San, the main backpacker area of Bangkok and it's crazy, backpackers everywhere, shops selling identical stuff and lots of bars. I have happily bought my everybody-buys-them-in-Thailand, backpacker-chic pants, and they are fabulously comfy. The first day here we just shopped around a bit, got a massage, and didn't do too much which was good, and we actually ran into Andrea (one of my German travel buddies) which was cool.

Today we went to the Grand Palace and Wat Pho. Right after we got to the palace a torrential downpour like I've never seen started up, and of course we didn't have an umbrella, so we darted from shelter to shelter for awhile until finally it cleared up. The palace grounds are huge and very bright with all the gold and small mirrors on the outer walls. So different from Japanese buildings in every way! (Speaking of Japan I really miss eating with chopsticks- I'm so sick of this fork and spoon crap, how am I supposed to eat noodles with those?) We finally felt like we are in Thailand after our hospital day and backpackery day. Wat Pho has the famous reclining Buddha which is so much bigger than I'd imagined, and it is stunning, gold and bright and amazing. I think it might be bigger than the one at Todaiji, hard to say cause its in a different position. We got another massage today, because why not really, at the school that's attached to the temple, and it was fantastic! Made the muscles of my legs feel so much better after walking slow everywhere, it was great. On the way back to Kao San it started pouring again, but luckily I'd bought a long umbrella to use as a walking stick so we were kind of OK, but Stef still got soaked anyway. We refused to take a taxi cause we'd taken one there even though its really close to Kao San to save my foot a bit, and the taxi driver took us in a ridiculous loop and it was at least 3 times as much as it should have been. We expected him to take a bit of a detour but it was really uncalled for, so we were displeased. But the awesomeness of the sights made us forget it, so it was all good.

Tomorrow we are going to Pattaya, a beach a few hours from Bangkok. It's not the best, but it is a beach at least, and what with Stef's flight getting cancled and my foot problems thats all we have time for. But just give me a few days on they beach and I'll be good to go! Going back to the doctor on Sunday, hopefully he'll give me a good verdict. Fingers crossed.