Bangkok stop-over

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Two days in Bangkok is a long time and three days seems like an eternity. Although i hadn't been to this busy, gritty, testing and did-i-mention-hot & humid capital before, it's enough time to have a look at the interesting areas away from Khao San Road to sample the capital. I'm looking forward to returning to Thailand in early December to spend time in the south for a bit of climbing and sitting on the beach but for now i'm simply transitting to get to my intended destination - Mongolia.

The dodgy Gem scam is still alive and kicking in Bangkok and although i was well-prepared for the possibility, my two attempts to catch a tuk tuk to the Grand Palace ended up in an hour wasted on dodgy gems/silk suits opportunities. Gotta give it to these guys for their persistence.

The area around Khao San Rd is ok for those that want to be around other backpackers and a squillion locals trying to make a living out of them but next time i think i'll stay at a guesthouse closer to other modes of transport like the skytrain and subway. Easier for transport to/from the airport as well. But it's good to check out this area for myself to see what all the hype is about.

In the three days i've been here i've seen a handfull of uniformed soldiers near the palace and around official complexes but if i hadn't read about it in the news i would never have known that there's been a military coup recently. It seems business as usual in the capital and i hope the same can be said for the area down south around Krabi. Vinnie assures me that it is safe in that area.

Tomorrow i fly to Beijing for an overnight stop-over before i jump on the Trans-Mongolian train to take me to Ulaanbaatar, the Mongolian Capital. I will arrive in UB on 29th Oct and have not yet booked a return train ticket to Beijing but i intend to return to the Chinese capital by 13th Nov. Not sure what internet acces is like over there but i will endeavour to keep in touch.

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