Leaving, on a JET plane!

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Since our previous blog, where we told you all about the delights of Darjeeling, much, you'll be pleased to hear has changed.
Calcutta, although in the early throes of the monsoon, was completely brilliant. Although we weren't there for very long, terrible tales from people we'd met on our trip and prior to going, told of indescribable filth oozing out of every paving slab and a constant pestering from street children and limbless beggars, proved exagerated. Staying on Suddon St, the accomodation could have been better (Hotel Marias, I think I have fleas!), but the surrounding restaurants were delicious and extremely affordable. Everyone we met was smiley, in only that Indian way, and we spent three excellent days there. I guess we ate a lot, Park Street had superb restaurants (beans on toast, with green chilli and onion), Lychees and Mango fruit are in season at the moment and we have been eating the fattest juiciest fruit salads, smoothies and lassies. Our last meal in India, prior to the briefest of returns after Thailand consisted of an exquisite spicy chicken kebab with chips, salad and chapatti. (Chris/Fuggy/Cash, you are so right about my gastro blogs - apologies!) AND I was even indulged in beer and the FA cup final at an uber trendy bar called Someplace Else, (it was the first time I have ever felt completely under dressed in India) followed by a egg and vegetable parotha (fried chapatti) roll, it was a great night. Having read back, I do need to say that both of us have lost a considerable yet healthy amount of weight over the course of our travels!
So we were buoyed by our Calcutta experience, and then absolutely blown away by our journey to Bangkok. Yes, wait for it... we were upgraded to Club Class!! God knows why, but having waited for our gate to open, we were stopped at the plane entrance, our boarding cards were taken away from us, seat numbers were re-written, and as we taxied to runway, Becks was struggling to touch the seat in front of her with her toes, I was desperately trying to open Jet Airways goody bag of socks, smelling oils (?) and eye mask, whilst simultaneously trying to read the four page food and wine menu. Tucking into sesame prawns salad, delicately spiced chicken do piaza (there I go again!), throwing back glasses of ice cold champagne, chateau neuf du pape and johnny walker black label, watching a silly Hugh Grant film on a touch screen fold away monitor with enormous head phones and trying to work out which of the eight buttons actually reclined our oh-so-comfortable seats, we couldn't have been happier! For those used to the creature comforts of first class, that must seem terribly sad, but as a frequent flier from Standsted, I was on cloud 9!
Bangkok hasn't disappointed, and it couldn't be more of a change to Bombay, Delhi or Calcutta. The brand spanking new airport opened under six months ago and was so squeeky clean, we felt we'd landed on the Mir Space station. Our cab ride to the Ko San Road, (we unintentionally paid well over the odds, probably because we couldn't get out of Club Class mode!) was in a modified silver Humvee, with a flip screen DVD player in the dash, with which we were treated to Thailand's answer to Ricky Martin ('Bird' is his name) with spectacular dance routines covers of 80's disco classics! Due to the nature of the new airport the roads out were also space age and as we approached central Bangkok, the sun was setting and the skies opened.
We're been on the famous Ko San Road for a couple of nights, and are heading down to Ko Pangan tonight. We spent the first evening getting used to the crowded bars and I ate a street vendored Pad Thai noodle that was completely out of this world. Yesterday, we got up early and hunted for a tailors. Becks has been carrying some fabric that she bought in Mysore for four months and has been waiting for the less consevative tailors of Bangkok to whip her up a few designer dresses with it. Once inside the store we were hooked and I have a been measured for a lovely blue jacket, a beautiful cashmere overcoat, Becks has got two dresses, a skirt, a jacket and an over coat on the go. The tailors are extremely nice, very competent (it would seem!) and the prices are incredible. As if this wasn't enough, we then spent the afternoon in the MBK and Sina shopping plazas. 7 humungous floors of department stores, food courts, cinemas, designer shops, linked by sky trains, skywalks, hundreds of escalators, decorated with chrome, glass and neon. Perhaps Beck's should really be writing about this bit (sadly she is away shopping would you believe!) but I am sure you can all imagine the effect on her (she was like a blood hound with a boot, when she saw Zara and Mango shopping bags). I found the food hall on the fifth floor and was blown away by the eighteen counters of different international cuisine, produced by top restaurants from all over the world! For those that care I had a classic chicken Thai green curry and sesame fried chicken wings with a chilli dip. Oh yeah, let the good times role!
Some very cheesy looking Mark Wahlberg movie is about to start in this internet cafe and it's getting very busy so I need to dash. Oh and last night for supper I had a beef, cashewnut and potato masaman curry! (AHA crew, it was as good as a Leckys, if you can believe it!).

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