The Sad Transition to Touristville

Layers of travels
You've done an excellent job in describing the layers of travel and exploration. As you have said, one does not always fit nicely into one category but floats from one to another at various times. Those comfortable beds, clean sheets, tea and bits of cake are hard to walk away from. Glad you had a vacation from the vacation. We understand completely. Sorry you missed your flight but makes for a good story. Enjoy your quest for temples.

You have succinctly categorized foreigners in a foreign land...
and I thought you had found the perfect spot in between the expat and traveler category...enough time in one place to really get to know the people and culture, and see the sights, and then move on. A month in Bangkok was about right. But I can understand that without cheap available local transportation, you might feel grounded, and thus adopt the tourist approach, which as you found has certain advantages also. I hope you return to your original spot in the spectrum as this provides the best value for money...immersed in the local culture and the sights. I would recommend at least a month in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand...we lived there for 18 months and didn't want to leave. A would also recommend a month in Dalat, Vietnam a former French colonial hilltop resort with pleasant climate known as the garden spot of Vietnam. From there you can take the occasional tourist visits to the beaches of Nhatrang. A month is Luang Prabang, Laos would also be worthwhile to experience life as it was decades ago. I'm looking forward to seeing where you go next...but don't give up on Asia just yet!

The boxes we put ourselves in...
I really enjoyed your reflections of how people live and travel in other countries. I think there is sometimes an underlying superiority in how some people state that the way they travel is the best or most enriching way of seeing a place, and as a result they never seem to allow themselves the freedom to experience other ways of seeing the world. Flexibility is a wonderful 'travelling' quality, and it seems you’ve made the most of your Asian travels regardless of the situations you’ve found yourselves in. Gorgeous photos as always, and that 4pm tea and layer cake sounds divine :)