I'm here!!! Bangkok and Ayuthaya

Hello hello! Or more appropriately sa-wat-dee-ka!!

I am happy to say that after a gruelling 12 hour + 7 hour flight, Claire and I arrived safely in thailand... more specificaly the grand city of  Bangkok! We arrived at the airport to find our taxi driver "uncle tim," waiting for us... we walk over to his taxi and I decided to ride shotgun. Tired and disoriented, I got in the car and shortly thereafter realized I had a stearing wheel in front of me. Haaa, I forgot they drive on the other side of the road...but at least uncle tim got a good laugh then went on to tell me that I was the second person to do it that day, sooo I didnt feel so bad ;)
Our first day we stayed on Khao San Road, a crazy busy street, full of nightlife, and considered to be the 'backpakers ghetto' of Bangkok. We didn't get to experience much of the nightlife, as we were adjusting to the time change and didn't make it past 9pm our first two nights, but the street food was great and everything is so CHEAP! We checked out the Grand Palace, the formar royal residence. We recieved longer clothing because you have to be completely covered and frolicked through the temples. Then out of nowhere it started pouring so everyone ran into a temple for cover. After the downpour most people had left so Claire and I ran around taking pictures, saw the emerald buddha, and spashed around in what used to be a sidewalk now covered by an inch of rain water. Then we walked over to Wat Pho, the oldest and largest temple in Bangkok, dating from the 16th century. It is the largest reclining Buddha in the country! At this point, our sweaty sticky, wet clothes were uunbearable so we took our first Tuk tuk ( semi-crazy drivers, but a must at least once in Bangkok) back to Khoa San Road. Then to end the day we walked over to the river to participate in the Loi Krathong Festival (11/28), a festival where Thais launch banana-leaf boats decorated with candles in honor of the river goddess. You make a wish, and let it float away. I launched a boat in memory of my might as well been sister Laurie.
Made sure there was pink on it and it even had glitter, which I know she would have loved...We then listened to the Thai band playing and admired all the pretty lights in the trees before we walked back to our hostel and went to bed.
On our second day in Bangkok, Claire and I decided to check out Chinatown... which was not too entirely different from the Chinatown in San Francisco, except for the fact that I don't think I have ever seen a grocery store with cats sleeping on the food, haha! We then continued over to Siam Square (shopping) and found a stand with REALLY COOL self made sunglasses! They were a highlight of our day and Claire ended up getting a pair.

The next day we decided we wanted to leave the big city so we checked out of the hostel and were directed to the bus station. However, every Thai person that we asked for directions said it was a 3 minute walk away... "3 minutes" followed by another "3 minutes" and long story short, we walked for 30 until we finally jumped in a cab to learn that the bus station was another 30 minute drive away... Ahhhh! But hey, it worked out and before we knew it we were on a bus to Ayuthaya (a 2 hour drive north of Bangkok). Once we arrived we decided we were going to chill for a bit, and maybe wash some sweaty clothes ;) We checked into a guesthouse, then got a drink next door at a place called 'Street Lamp.' We ended up staying at 'Street Lamp' all night and chatted about how many couples are backpacking throughout Southeast Asia, and how we haven't really made any backpacking friends : / Little did we know, that was all about to change.
Day 4 in Ayuthaya, Claire and I went back to 'Street Lamp' for breakfast, and as we were trying to figure out how to see all the temples we met Marina from Argentina! The three of us ended up getting a deal with a Tuk tuk driver and for 450 Baht (not even $5 each) we got a 3 hour tour of all the temples! It was great, and stress free which was nice. Plus we didn't have to trek around in the heat! We checked out Wat Chai Wattanaram and Wat Phanan Choeng to name a few. And yes, we did take some super touristy jumping picture at the 'most photogenic' Wat :) After the tour, we headed back to "Street Lamp' where we finally met... quote unquote... 'our friend!' His name is Clay and he happened to be sitting two rows in front of us on the flight over, we saw him again in Bangkok on our Tuk tuk ride, and then AGAIN in Ayuthaya! So we figured by this point it was meant to be, and we just had to be friends. So Clay, Marina, Claire and I had dinner, hung out, cooled off, and chatted while we waited until 9pm to hop on our sleeper train to Chiang Mai (a 12 hour train ride to the north of Thailand).
Well that's all the time I have for now! Off to Chiang Mai and super excited to get out in some nature!
Cultural tip of the day: Public bathrooms in Thailand do not supply toilet paper.