We had a couple of false starts in trying to get to the Grand Palace. The first taxi driver wanted to take us on a tour first, so we got out, the second said taxis were not allowed near the site so we left him too and went back to the apartment to ask our host for guidance. Apparently the taxis are allowed but don’t like to go there as it is too busy. Anyway the best way was to take the Skytrain to the river and sail up. This sounded like a bit of a trek but we thought we might as well give it a go. So glad we did as the boat was great fun and very cheap, they are so accustomed to tourists that the process of getting tickets and on and off the boats is very easy. It’s also a very cool (literally) way to travel. When we did arrive at the complex of buildings known as the Grand Palace we were lucky that it was relatively quiet. It was also relatively expensive- about £10 each. However the temples are magnificent,  the Temple of the Emerald Buddah is very important to Buddhists worldwide and the ornate gold of the building demonstrates this clearly. The Grand Palace by contrast was an impressive colonial building but nothing particularly outstanding. After we left the Grand Palace Complex we moved on to Wat Pho also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddah. This was a far more tranquil experience even though it was busy. The Buddah is extraordinary, the sheer size is breathtaking. The temple is still used by monks and there was also a school in the grounds. Wat Pho is also the location for the Thai massage school. This was established many years ago to preserve the skills of massage and many of the buildings have ancient diagrams on the walls as well as yogic statue figures in the gardens. We booked ourselves a massage which came to about £6 for both of us for half an hour and was much appreciated after the hours of walking around! Funniest part of the day was still to come, when eating our meal after we had visited the temples, Ann mistook a green chilli for a green bean and ate it in one go. I’ve never seen someone in such pain, panic and sense of helplessness. It was a good 10 minutes before she could speak other than to gasp that her mouth was on fire and could I do something about it!?