Mucho para contar/So much to tell

Yes, it's been a full 2 weeks since I last wrote on here, so where do I start from...?!?!
Ok, so Bangkok- basically I spent a full week in Khao San Road, I had thought of going up north to Chang Mai for a couple of days but in the end decided against it (it would have been great, but it would have meant an overnight bus/train there and then the same to come back, and then another overnight trip to get to the south to Koh Phangan, so I thought it was too much for 1 week).
So instead I continued with the late nights, partying, barely sleeping, and drinking buckets- they sell you alcohol in small plastic buckets, like the ones kids use to make sand castles, with lots of straws to share around. I met some really nice people, and had lots of crazy random moments. For example the night I went with an English guy, Adam, to watch a ping pong show. Yeah... exactly, a ping pong show in Bangkok has a very different meaning from anywhere else in the world (over 18s only).
So as a result of my late nights I had some short lazy days, but still had some really productive days and got to see plenty of stuff. Bangkok was completely different from what I had imagined it would be like. I had this image of dirty, chaotic, bad traffic, crowded, poor- basically I thought it was gonna be a southeastern asian version of India. But I found it clean, beautiful, civilized, wonderful architecture, beautiful wide streets with boulevards, fountains, statues, amazing temples. Maybe my impression was like this because I just came from India, but I found it so orderly.
I saw a lot of temples and a lot of Buddhas. Reclining Buddha, laughing Buddha, Emerald Buddha, all sorts of Buddhas. I went to Chinatown one day with 2 guys I met, we wondered down the streets, bought Jack fruit (which tasted delicious although very dry, but smelled absolutely disgusting). I saw the Giant Swing- the official story in the temple said that it has to do with some legend and Gods or sonmething (sorry, don't remember properly); the unofficial version I got from some backpacker was that they used to have a celebration where poor people used to sit on the swing and try and reach some gold or money, as in a game, but so many people died from falling off that they stopped doing it. I went to Wat Arun, which is the dawn temple- beautifully ornamented, very steep steps to the top, and beautiful views. I walked along the river banks and crossed the canals. I went up to the Golden Mount- more Buddhas inside, view not so good as Wat Arun.
I also did a day tour to Arathuya, which used to be Thailand's capital about... ?500 years ago. God, that was hard, waking up at 6am, and idiot me walked 200 metres to be picked up, only to remember that the pick up point was 2 doors up from my hotel, so I had to walk back (yeah, my brain doesn't like mornings). We saw lots of temples, ruins, Buddhas, it was very beautiful, it was definitely worth the early start. And after that we went to the King's summer palace- oh my God, one of the most beautiful and peaceful palaces I've ever seen. I take that back, the palace itself was nothing great, it was a series of small buildings so no such palace in itself. But the grounds of the palace were awesome- perfect lawns, lakes, cute little bridges, flowers and trees- it was nice to see a bit of nature again.
So, I'm gonna leave it here for now, this was my first week in Bangkok. After this I took an overnight bus (well, 2 buses and then a ferry, and it was 19 hours long) and went down to Koh Phangan, which is an island in the south.


Si, ya son 2 semanas desde la ultima vez que escribi aca, asi que por donde empiezo ahora...?!?!?
Ok, Bangkok- basicamente me pase una semana entera en Khao San Road, habia pensado ir al norte a Chiang Mai por un par de dias pero al final decidi no hacerlo (me hubiera encantado, pero hubiera tenido que hacer noche en bus/tren para llegar y despues de nuevo de vuelta, y despues de nuevo para llegar al sur a Koh Phangan, asi que me parecio que era demasiado para una semana).
Asi que en cambio segui con la joda, salir de noche, apenas durmiendo, y tomando baldes- te venden el alcohol en baldecitos de plastico, como los que usan los chicos para hacer castillos de arena en la playa, con varias pajitas para compartir los tragos. Conoci gente muy buena onda, y momentos muy locos y divertidos. Por ejemplo la noche que fui con Adanm, un pibe ingles, a ver un show de pong pong. Si... exacto, un show de ping pong en Bangkok tiene un significado muy distinto a cualquier otro lugar del mundo (no apto para menores)
Asi que como resultado de mis noches de joda tuve un par de dias cortos y relajados, pero tambien tuve dias bien productivos y pude hacer y ver varias cosas. Bangkok es totalmente diferente a como me habia imaginado que iba a ser. Yo tenia la imagen de sucia, caotica, trafico malo, lleno de gente, pobre- basicamente pense que iba a ser una version de India del sudeste asiatico. Pero me parecio limpia, hermosa, civilizada, arquitectura increible, con calles lindisimas, anchas, con bulevares, fuentesm estatuas, templos alucinantes. Tal vez esa fue mi impresion porque recien venia de India, pero me parecio tan ordenadita.
Vi un monton de templos y un monton de Budas. Buda reclinado, Buda riendose, Buda de esmeralda, todo tipo de Budas. Un dia fui a Chinatown con 2 chicos que conoci, caminamos por las calles, compramos fruta Jack (que era deliciosa a pesar de ser re seca, pero tenia un olor totalmente inmundo). Vi la Hamaca Gigante- la historia oficial en el templo decia que tenia que ver con una leyenda y con Dioses o algo asi (perdon, no me acuerdo bien); la historia no oficial que me conto un mochilero es que tenian una celebracion ahi y la gente pobre se hamacaba y trataba de agarrar plata o oro, como en un juego, pero tanta gente se murio porque se cayeron que dejaron de hacerlo. Fui a Wat Arun, que es el templo del amanecer- decorado increible, escalones re empinados hasta la cima, y vista lindisima de la ciudad. Camine a lo largo del rio y cruze los canales. Subi al Monte de Oro- mas Budas adentro, la vista no tan linda como desde Wat Arun.
Hice un tour por un dia a Arathuya, que era la capital de Tailandia hace... ?500 anios mas o menos. Por Dios, como me costo, levantarme a las 6 de la manana, y re tarada camine 200 metros para donde pense que me pasaban a buscar, y recien ahi me acorde que el lugar donde me pasaban a buscar quedaba a 2 puertas de mi hotel, asi que tuve que caminar de vuelta (y si, mi cerebro no funciona a la manana). Vimos un monton de templos, ruinas, Budas, lindisimo, definitivamente valio la pena despertarme temprano. Y despues de eso fuimos al palacio de verano del rey- por Dios, uno de los palacios mas lindos y pacificios que vi en mi vida. No, correcion, el palacio en si no era gran cosa, eran varios edificos chicos asi que en si no habia ningun palacio. Pero los jardines eran una masa- cespedes perfectos, lagos, puentecitos divinos, flores y arboles- me gusto ver un poco de naturaleza otra vez.
Bueno, hasta aca llego esta vez, esa fue mi primera semana en Bangkok. Despues de esto me tome un bus durante la noche (bah, en verdad 2 buses y despues un ferry, y duro 19 horas), y fui a Koh Phangan, que es una isla en el sur.