We've arrived in the completely mental city of Bangkok, the start of our trip! In truth, we're not going about this travelling malarky the conventional way...shunning the guesthouses and sea of western travellers on the Khao San, to take up a very generous wedding gift (thank you Sue and Bob) of residence in the 5 star Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel on the river. Its tough mind, I'm forced to pile through two plates of teryaki beef, chicken noodles and american waffles (!) at breakfast (Suze opts for a modest plate of fruit) and the pool towels just aren't soft enough. Saying that, the laundry prices are ridiculous, so we're washing our smalls in the bathroom sink and probably alarming the chamber maids with a washing line every morning. The travelling spirit remains, its just taking a bit longer than expected to get going. Our future accomodation will no doubt bring us back down to earth with a thud.

Saying that, we're both thankful for the luxury as Bangkok is draining on the senses and somewhat an emotional rollercoaster. The daily wage in Thailand is relatively modest in comparison to ours back home, some 200 baht a day. The result in Bangkok being a constant tugging at westerners shirts for business from everyone....Tuk Tuk drivers, market stalls and cafes. You get savvy to bartering very quickly, everyone you meet is out to graba a quick buck but by standing your ground they soon drop their pants on price (so to speak). When we first arrived, a Tuk Tuk experience (hairy and fast and seat of your pants stuff) would set you back 100 baht to get to your destination. We managed to drop it to 20 by this morning.

The aggressive nature of Bangkoks western fleecing individuals does get a little daunting after a while, which does detract some what from the sights we've taken in. The super-paranoid-hotel-computer appears not to like uploading photos so theses will figure at a later date, but for now I'll recall what we've managed to visit. The Grand Palace up river, no longer the dwelling of the Royal family moreso purely used for state events, is a marvel of architecture. Each mosaic tile has been individually set, and there appear to be millions, resulting in such intricate ornate designs. Wat Phra Kaeo next door, the most holy place in Thailand, is also incrediable, purely due to the presence of the Emerald Buddha lying across its internal length...all 50 feet of him (thats an approx guess, being useless at perception of size (!)..lets just say it takes some 10 minutes to walk round him). If Suze says she has trouble finding size 2 shoes, I pity this bloke. Buddhism appears to be a very open religion, and huge groups of Thai folk gather here to burn incense, pray and seek some level of enlightment. Watching them from a afar has become a fascination of ours, moreso as you struggle to understand what they are doing and why.

After getting ripped off by the noodle lady at the Than Sien pier (still irks me!) to the tune of 100 baht (just over a quid, but we're travelling for gods sake!), we took the ferry across to Wat Arun...the most distinctive thai monument in Bangkok. Its bloody steep, and safety is some what wafted aside in this country, so check out the pics when they appear as to the scale I'm talking here. Breathtaking stuff.

Its damn hot in Bangkok, a product of the weather and no doubt industry, so a lazy stroll round Lamphini Park today, well...more shuffle as both already suffering from flip flop fatigue, was the most we could muster today. The sight of a 3 ft Komodo dragon quite happily going about his business doesn't seem to phase anyone here...but we did get rather excited, as you'd expect. The culture shock is something to behold for both of us...which is why we're now retiring to the pool....

Anyway, about to log out but off to Krabi tommorow so more updates from there.

Love to all

Mike & Suze