Around Bangkok

From Khao Lak, we slowly made our way back to the north. In Khao Sok National Park, we went hiking in the jungle and had to defend ourselves against leeches. Luckily, we were safe in our treehouse, except for the rain that gradually flooded the ground. The next day, we decided to explore the jungle by canoe.
During the train ride to Bangkok, we made a few days stopover at Hua Hin Beach, where we stayed in a guesthouse by the sea. Large hotels have already taken over the southern part of the beach.
In Hua Hin, older European men with much younger Thai women dominate the streets. The place also seems to be a popular destination for expatriation. Besides a German restaurant, we also found a Norwegian, Swiss, and even a Russian restaurant. We eagerly went to one of them and enjoyed some Pelmeni and Olivier salad. From Hua Hin, you can also visit vineyards. Grapes are grown here in formerly impossible latitudes under the name "New Latitudes". (It's practically 30 degrees all year round, so there is no winter). We explored the vineyard on mountain bikes and tasted the wines. The red wine was pretty delicious.
Soon after, we continued our journey by train to Bangkok. We stayed in the old town on the infamous Khao San Road, popular among backpackers. The street somehow reminded us of carnival: it's loud, crazy, beer-filled, and everyone is constantly eating out of plastic disposables. The next day, it looks like the morning after carnival.
First, we took care of getting the visa for Myanmar. From our location, we could easily visit temples and the Royal Palace by boat, which is the fastest means of transportation in this part of the city. The Royal Palace is currently the center for mourners of the late King Bhumibol. Black-dressed Thais stand in line for hours at the palace walls to be admitted to the mausoleum. Only in the black-dressed crowds around the palace, one realizes how colorful Thailand is otherwise.
We were also impressed by Bangkok's Chinatown: rows of street food stalls fill entire streets, flanked by Chinese neon signs. On Christmas Eve, we went to a German restaurant for a Christmas buffet and enjoyed ham, roast goose, and, once again, red cabbage and Brussels sprouts, along with singing Thai Christmas elves. We somehow liked this city where nothing seems impossible!
After Christmas, we went to the countryside to Amphawa, where Mami's guide, Chai, had invited us to his homestay. We were warmly welcomed by his friends, Pom and Tor, who showed us around the town. The two seventy-year-olds set a brisk pace! We had a charming house right by the canal all to ourselves! Together, we went shopping at the market and under Pom's guidance, cooked dinner. The next day, we went to the floating market in nearby Damnoeng Saduak. The whole market takes place on boats on the water. You can find absolutely everything from ice cream to grilled meat, hats, and souvenirs. After that, we went to Tor's sister's banana plantation to look for a banana blossom. We needed it to cook Tom Kha Gai (coconut soup) for dinner. With heavy hearts, we said goodbye to the two the next day.
Back in Bangkok, we visited the contemporary art museum and enjoyed the view of Bangkok at night from the Skybar, one of the city's rooftop bars where scenes from Hangover were filmed. The next day, I had to accompany Andrea to the hospital due to a swollen toe caused by a Thai foot massage incident. They immediately put her in a wheelchair. It wasn't that bad, but here, even a minor issue inevitably leads to a hospital visit. Luckily, her toe has recovered by now.
From Bangkok, we continued to the former royal city of Ayutthaya. In this small town, you can comfortably explore numerous temple ruins by bike and ferry. The Wat Phanan Choeng temple was hosting an impressive ceremony where the believers offered long orange fabric pieces to the Buddha, spread them over the crowd, and then pulled them over his shoulder. We also celebrated New Year's Eve in Ayutthaya at a bar with a surprisingly good System of a Down cover band. Who would have expected that in this town! From here, it was just a short hop (a day-long bus ride) to Mae Sot, on the border of Myanmar!