Hippie-dodging in Bangkok

After leaving Australia last Friday I arrived in Hong Kong for the weekend. Now, of course, HK is under the rule of Beijing, and despite being overwhelmingly Cantonese, still has lots of ex-pats and many ties with Blighty. HK is split into two main parts - Hong Kong island, a thin strip of land surrounded by forested hills on which every cubic centimetre has been used to build neck-ache skyscrapers - and Kowloon, which stretches up to the Chinese border in an area that used to be known as the 'New Territories' of Britain. I stayed in cheaper Kowloon, in a massive block of flats called Chungking Mansions, with over 200 guest houses. I have never seen such a cosmopolitan mix of people. As well as western travellers and Chinese visitors (a lot of Chinese people from nearby Guangzou and other richer cities come over to HK to see how westerners live) there are a huge share of Indians, Pakistanis, Japanese, west Africans, and lord knows how many other nationalities.

Had a fun weekend with a few English guys I met - but an expensive one. It is around six quid for a pint in HK. Had a look around the Mong Kok neighbourhood in Kowloon, where there is a huge Chinese market; caught a tram up to The Peak, with its superior vista of the island; and took a peek at Chris Patten's old pad, the Governor's House. But by far the most amazing HK experience was the night-time ferry ride from Kowloon to the island. It only takes a few minutes to cross, but you get to see the kaleidoscopic HK skyline in all its towering neon glory. If cities is your thing, then you will find the view nothing short of breathtaking. It makes the skyline of Manhattan look a bit parochial in comparison. The photos do not do it justice!

So from HK I caught a flight over to Bangkok on Sunday. I'm staying on the Khao San Road, which I had heard a lot of things about, most of them unsavoury. Although it is a relatively handy place to be for the first couple of days in Thailand, I won't be staying here when I come back. It is a road dedicated to the appetites of western travellers, crammed full with guest houses, English pubs, hippie markets, food stalls, suit hawkers and Thai hookers. It is like tropical Camden, and crawling with loathsome hippie wannabes; cityboys and secretaries who decide to 'lose themselves' in Thailand and get themselves dreadlocks. A bit depressing. Bangkok is apparently at its hottest, too - with humidity you can almost see. Away from Khao San and the area of Banglamphu there is plenty to see and do. On Monday I went to Chinatown, where all the stories you hear about the traffic in Bangkok are swiftly realised. Chinatown is a rabbit warren of tiny streets (sois) with food markets and gold shops, with bikes, rickshaws and tuk-tuks breathing down your neck at every moment. Every sense you own is assaulted by something very close to you - but escaping alive you realise it has been an experience. The level of Chinese ornamental tat for sale on its own is staggering enough - they truly are the masters of tasteless kitch (if that isn't tautological) and leave even the Roman Catholics in their wake.

The best part of the day was the river taxi back to Khao San, up the Mae Nam Chao Praya river. It is a superior mode of transport in Bangkok as you escape the suffocating heat and the cloying exhaust fumes, and speed past temples, palaces and houses on stilts that look like they are not far off being swallowed by the river. And it is full of Thais too, commuting back from work in the city to their distant suburbs. You can't move for saffron-robed monks, either. For those who have never been to Thailand, monks occupy a privileged position in Thailand in exchange for a lifetime devoted to Buddha and a dose of chastity. They can claim free food from locals, have back seats reserved for them on public transport, and women are not allowed to touch them in any way, give them anything personally, or even sit next to them (Other big no-no's in Thailand - don't walk into temples or houses without first removing your shoes or sandals, and bad-mouthing the royal family. The latter can get you arrested).

Yesterday I went to look around the area of Ko Ratanakosin, where many of the major Bangkok tourist attractions can be found. Of chief interest is Wat Pho, a cluster of temples with Thailand's largest collection of Buddhas. The star attraction is a 46-metre long reclining golden Buddha. My fear before arriving in Southeast Asia was that having seen a just a few of the millions of Buddha images and temples I might tire of them... and that when you have seen one, you have seen them all. I'm afraid to report that this has already happened - but I'm sure I will persevere with them! Also had a look around the Grand Palace, which is the former residence of the King of Thailand.

Interesting though Bangkok is, I am getting out of here today to spend a couple of weeks in the southern islands. I feel tired of big cities - and in the last few weeks I have barely been out of one. Santiago, Auckland, Wellington, Melbourne, Perth, Hong Kong... time for the beach! I plan on spending most of my time on Ko Pha Ngan, home of the legendary Full Moon Party, which, by luck, is on this Saturday. Also plan on finding the secret paradie of 'Mat's Beach' - only a meaningful expression to a few friends and the man himself!

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