Skank and *Skankles*

As mentioned before, after washing those dirty elephants in the equally dirty river, I came out in a horrible rash of loads of little blistery things all over my legs and feet, which necessitated spending loads of money to see a doctor, for him to tell me what I had originally told the chemist that I needed antihistamine and some hydro-cortisone cream.

Anyway now most of the blisters have burst, I am left with really scabby skanky looking legs and ankles, or skankles as they shall henceforth be known.

(Actually having just arrived in Chiang Mai after a 12 hour overnight train journey, on second class sleeper, there frankly isn't an inch of me that isn't a bit skanky!)

Freakishly I bumped into Josh yesterday having not seen him since our day of drinking and not expecting to see him again as he was going home. I just went onto the pub he took me to, to use their lovely clean toilets, (lying and telling the bar staff i was meeting a friend), when Josh walked in. He was getting a flight to England, leaving at the same time as i was to get my train to Chang mai. Perfect. So we had a few jugs of beer, which led to us both leaving a little late. Just about staggered to the train.

Now, Josh was staying in a right shit hole of a guest house, called "The Place" (tagline: "The place you feel at home") not far from Koah San. I saw it briefly, it was utterly revolting. All shared bathrooms - no loos seats, smelt terrible, no windows in the rooms, absolutely the worst possible place you could ever want to be here, other than prison. I said as much to Josh, and he said he was only paying 300b per night, and it had cable TV so he didn't care. I swear it was the kind of conditions only boys under 25 can bear to live in.

ANYWAY, Josh was using the very same toilet in this horrible hostel, that I had, in great necessity used when we'd met up before (I hovered) . However, this time, as Josh was sitting in ahem...contemplation, the floor groaned, and suddenly the toilet plummeted through the ceiling into the room below.

Josh grabbed the wall, just in time to stop himself also falling arse first onto the now screaming Japanese woman below onto whose bed the aforementioned toilet (and contents) had already dropped.

The hotel owner only gave Josh 100b off his nightly bill, and had done nothing to move or fix the loo, two days later. No idea what happened to the poor Japanese girl.

So there's where NOT to stay in Bangkok.

Whereas I had a lovely hotel, the "at Home" guest house (no telly, but scrupulously clean with lovely bathroom, shower, hot water, comfy clean beds all for 350b a night) and my room had a window with a sort of view (you could see more than the average 2m into someone else's house), and it ws right next door to my favourite cafe, Ethos, which has the free wifi.

Apologies, the reason for all this waffle is that I am sitting in a restaurant, also with free wifi, waiting for my room to become available, as i arrived at about 8.30 and the room's not ready til 10.

Just had cheese on toast.. first meal without noodles or rice in for ages, which was lovely (only with plastic slice cheese though, not nice cheddar or Gorgonzola or anything)

I do miss proper cheese. They don't really do cheese out here. Or Tea (not proper tea). And Wine....there's no decent wine and if there is it's way too expensive. There is Chang (elephant) beer, which i am getting quite a taste for, but a 6.4% you only need two cans and I'm away with the fairies. Tsk! Just not match-fit any more!

Oh! my room is ready!

hurrah!!