A bad place to be tall in the rain...the conclusion

So where was i? oh yes we had just been told the devastating news that we wouldnt make the game and we should find a pub.

We just all looked at each other, I said what about the metro, cant we catch one of them and then walk, I had read the ways to get there on the same discussion board (yep geek I am!) that had told me to leave two or three hours early, all the stations mentioned on there that you have to catch taxis from the end point to get to the ground anyway, (yep bangkok has a huge stadium with no public transport to it). The concierge just looked at me and went no way too far about 45 – 60 min walk. Got us a map and showed us where the ground was (which we already knew) and then where the metro was. We all looked at each other and said well we are here we have to try, So we grabbed proper shoes and headed off to the metro (about 15 min away) to get to one of the stations towards the ground and see if we could grab a cab.   Maybe we could get there for half time.

I was feeling so upset cause I had thought of getting the metro and then a cab but had decided on the easy option of a cab straight away thinking we were early enough.

So off we set with me charging away anxious to get onto the metro. We were almost to the station when two guys walked past and then stopped and asked us if we were heading to the game, not that the shirt and our flags gave us away. But turns out they were trying to get there as well.

All their taxi drivers had told them to get a boat. Now we were in the middle of down town bangkok with the river on the other side of town, A boat? Then I remembered the canal boats the lonely planet recommended using. I didnt know they applied for around here though.  I grabbed the map out and fair enough the canel we had just crossed headed towards the ground, we just had to hope we got on a boat  that took the turn the would lead us almost to the ground! That's if there was such a boat…..

So we turned around and headed towards the canal and hopefully the game…I wasn't getting excited yet though, I didn't remember seeing any docks along the canal, fair enough loz and I were looking out at the river, waiting for the guys to catch up,   wondering where to catch it from and if a boat would ever turn up when the guys spotted the docks on the other side of the road.

Off we set, obvious from our get up where we wanted to go the first boatman automatically sent us to the other side of the river. Where it had the stadium written when we got there, oh did I forget to mention it was still raining?

A mass of people were lined up, and they all managed to fit on the first boat, so we were near the front. I asked the security fellow and he didn't understand English but understood the map, we wanted to make sure we got on the right boat. He was lovely made sure we got on the next boat. I was getting excited now. We may actually make it to the game. The others werent that sure yet till we got there but I had a good feeling.

Luckily we got seats, loz and I with our knees up around our ears. They put up tarpaulins so the rain wouldn't get us and everyone piled in. We thought it was full…..after numerous stops we realised our mistake and loz started to fear we would sink. Our massages had been forgotten and all good work from them undone.

Of course we were chugging along a canal in bangkok so you could imagine the stench…let alone our half true jokes of not surviving if we did capsize due to the toxic water.  The rocking of the boat every time more people got on and the fact we couldn't see because of the tarps didn't help!

By this stage, the front of the boat also looked like a peak hour tube, everyone packed in looking at each others armpits as they tried to hang on to what they could find. Seats at the back, standing room only at the front.

More people piled on…by now we had been travelling about 20 min and had asked numerous people to let us know when to get off….we were the only non thai people on the boat. It was an experience. They were all looking at us wondering what we were doing.  

Still we were anxious and counting the bridges as we went along as they were virtually the only things we had to go off the map as to where we were, as they were the only things we could see through the gaps. Three young thai guys got on and let us know that they were heading there and to follow them when they got off.  

Trying to get off was also an experience as by now we were well in the middle of the seated section of the boat, so climbing over everyone scared it would leave without letting us off or I would drop my bag into the river or worse fall in, we finally made it off.

Walking down the street simon and I recognised the road at the end and so left the others while we grabbed some food.   And then raced for the game. Hmm we were a little further away than we thought but it was only 7.30 so we were going to see most of the match!!!!!!

Now it was still raining….we were trying to race along busy footpaths…all of us taller than your average thai…who were all carrying umbrellas…you get the picture? I have trouble with people carrying them normally let alone while running and while they are all at my face height! It was like an obstacle course.

Anyway we survived with minimal wounds and made it to the ground…this then meant a huge walk to the actual stadium, but there were people everywhere…oh I forgot to mention the standstill of traffic out on the road. Not that we really took too much notice dodging the umbrellas.

You could tell the aussies all trying to run along the wet concrete through the puddles in their thongs/flip flops it provided entertainment along the way.

As we approached our entrance (which was around the other side of the stadium by the way)   there were huge roars from the crowd (the game had already kicked off), I was so worried we had already lost and I hadn't even seen a minute of it. We needed to win by three clear goals…not an easy task in soccer!

Finally got to our seats…nil all still! And the Thai's were pumped! The crowd was roaring, two tiny pockets of aussies trying to be heard. It was an awesome game, just for the atmosphere. The crowd didn't give up even as we got to three nil (which mind you Oz waited till after half time before giving us any joy (if I remember rightly)). 

On Mondays in Thailand everyone wears Yellow in support of their King. So it looked like the whole stadium was supporting Australia!

But then even if they had scored then it would have meant they were thru to the quarters and not us. It was a stressful evening even without the trip there. But lots of adventures!

At half time we heard some of the horror trip stories. Two guys arrived at half time having run 4 km. only to have some thai people sitting in their seats and not willing to move.   Two others had got a lift on the back of a scooter…the same scooter and they weren't small guys!

Oz ended the game 4 – nil and the thai were leaving even before it finished not for lack of support for their team but more for the traffic I think!

We had a sedate trip home and were so exhausted from our adventures we were boring and went to bed!