Touchdown

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We arrived in Bangkok both a bit bewildered, bleary-eyed, and white-legged (me), with two ridiculously heavy and matching backpacks.

Stayed in a proper hotel to soften the landing, blowing the budget somewhat; 15th floor, polished marble, air-con. They even had a concierge who carried our bags on a trolley up to our room - there were a few embarrassing minutes whilst I tried to find a suitable tip, pulling random belongings out of my bag - pants, some goggles, an umbrella. Paula tried to do her best to make small talk, but his eyes remained on me, probably thinking 'Christ, what's he going to give me?'. Eventually pulled out a crumpled dollar I'd stashed in a sock, which he examined twice before turning and leaving the room. I almost went for a high-five with the guy. Less James Bond, more Alan Partridge.

The idea was for just a couple of days in Bangkok - partly because we knew it would be hot and hectic, and partly because news reports just before we set off suggested tens of thousands of protesters (who had apparently already ground the city to a halt) were now planning to paint government buildings with their own blood. Didn't say that in the brochure. Turns out all we saw was about ten protesters on scooters and blowing kazoos.

We made a couple of tentative forays out on the east of the city, exploring and eating. Me simultaneously trying not to smack my head into road signs, market stalls etc., and not look like a sex tourist. I found both more difficult than expected. First impressions were lots of glass and concrete shopping malls, street sellers with stacks of cheap dvds and designer handbags, fast-food restaurants, traffic, and incredible heat. (The only thing I can compare the heat to is the industrial heaters that are shaped like jet engines - imagine ten of those pointing at your back and following you around all day).

So Bangkok was the jump-off point, after getting over the jet lag, which hit us both pretty bad. I felt like my brain was 12 hours ahead of the rest of my body, and like my internal organs had all been removed and then replaced in a hurry. I had to practically put jump leads on Paula's toes to get her out of bed at midday. Two days later we headed north to Ayuthaya, leaving the hotel-room bin full of things we thought would be a good idea at the time. Who'd have thought that you can buy shower gel in SE Asia, and don't need to buy half a litre in London!

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Comments

[Barry Duncan]

Less James Bond, more Alan Partridge.
Love it... reading this reminds me so much of writing our posts when we were away, have a ball – looking forward to the next installment! B x