We didn't have that much time left, considering the late wake up call - we were on vacation and still quite jetLagged - and the long way between Pratunam, the district where Amari Watergate is located, and Wat Pra Kaew, the temple we wanted to see.
Skytrain, boat and there we were, calming thirst with coconut on the way to the most impressive temple in town. Moment when a too kind Thai guy stopped us in the street, introducing us to the renown: Bangkok Gem Scam.
He stopped, asked where we were going, whether it was our first time in Thailand, asking why didn't we had closed shoes - because my Lonely Planet said that we could borrow proper clothing in the actual temple - and apologizing, as Sunday was Budda Day and therefore, we couldn't possibly get into Wat Pra Kaew, as it was closed to the public for that reason.
He shouted a TukTuk driver and told him to drive us around. To another temple, to a gem store, to the final temple and back home. Just 1€, who could resist? Specially considering that, as the guy explained us, Sunday was the last day to buy very cheap jewelry - as Thailand is extremely rich on gems - to sell, once back in your country:
- Lucky for you my Spanish friends, today is the last day to change your fate!
Naïve us, jumping on such lie. A tukTuk ride away was the first temple, inside of which there was another man, praying. A well-dressed man who could actually speak really good english. Another man praying who was kind enough to share the same story. Buy now, sell later. Earn money, pay your next trip with that. Sounds like magic?
There are no free lunches, man. Nor even in a country as cheap as Thailand.
Back on the tukTuk, we ended up, in Gem Thai Exports. Which unfortunately - lucky for us, for the first time in the day - was closed. So the guy drove us to Chin Jewelry, where we got me a Sapphire ring. They even gave us a Topaz as a present.
It took me quite a while to decide which ring did I wanted. Thus, after the store, it was time to leave to the hotel. However, the tukTuk driver begged us to just come into a suit store, as he would get some money even if we didn't buy anything at all. I got 6m of silk for mummy, though. But believe me, I grew up touching cloth, just as with fur... You cannot cheat on me so easily because I know what I'm touching.
This whole thing is the classic SCAM to us poor tourists... They tell you "the temple is closed" and sell you some motherfucking jewels which are good for nothing. PLEASE AVOID.
This whole thing is the classic SCAM to us poor tourists... They tell you "the temple is closed" and sell you some motherfucking jewels which are good for nothing. PLEASE AVOID.
The night train is the cheapest way to get down to Koh Samui from Bangkok.
It leaves at 19:00 from the big city.
You get a bed and a 13-hour ride, arriving to Surat Thani in the early morning.
A crappy bus will then pick you up in Surat Thani and...
...drive you to a port where to pick the boat to paradise island.
It's not the most comfy way of traveling but somehow nice. Old fashioned, slow, brings you into the Thai way of life, aside from conveying funny stories, like the Irish couple who slept in front of us that we would later meet in the same flight from Koh Samui to Bangkok.
There we were. Tired but happy. Three days away from home, only one night in a proper bed. More than 30 degrees, sunshine, hot wind and welcoming smiles in the wonderful Nora Chaweng.
Almost lunchtime, we went down to the Thai Food Market and got something smoking hot, as personal sawadee-kaaah to the island.
Time for some siesta on the beach, just to wake up when the sun started to set in the magic Chaweng beach.
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