Bangkok is sooooooo refreshing after Oman! I'm loving it. I've been here a couple of days, which is more than enough in a concrete metropolis such as this... But I'm enjoying the energy and vibrancy of city life once more... Happy days!

I am sitting in a bar in Banglamphu, not far from Khao San Road, enjoying the sun, eating Pat Thai, and drinking a yummy fruit shake (not a beer for once!)

I have spent most of my time wandering around the night markets and Chinese Bazaars, and have enjoyed it immensely, I've been surprised by how little the Thai people are prepared to haggle though. In China, you normally get the price down to a third of the original asking price. Here, they refuse to budge! Which is a shame... I like haggling!!!

I really enjoyed The Grand Palace, and seeing the Emerald Buddha. The tiny Buddha is a hugely sacred figure and is the most important Buddha in Thailand. I was surprised by just how small it was (in the same way that I was shocked by just how small the Mona Lisa is, I suppose!)

I also absolutely loved the HUGE reclining Buddha at Wat Pho. Wow! The reclining Buddha really is massive. It is forty-five metres long, and its smile alone is five metres wide. Worth seeing!

I made the mistake of going for a haircut today. Not a small mistake... A BIG mistake! I tried to explain that I wanted my hair to be shoulder-length, with layers. Well... It seems that my hairdresser didn't understand that the layers are supposed to be of equal lengths on both sides. In fact... I'm not entirely sure that she knew how to cut hair, or in fact, how to hold scissors. My hair ended up much, much shorter than shoulder-length, and it looked as though I'd been attacked with a hedge-trimmer. Oh dear. Funnily enough, the queue of people waiting for a haircut soon disappeared when they saw the results of mine... I wonder why?!?

Well... I've evened it up a bit with some nail scissors now... So it looks vaguely passable (she says?!?)... Oh the joys of travel!!!

I also booked a diving holiday on the Thai island of Koh Tao today. Yaaayyy!!! I can't wait! I'm going to do my Advanced Open Water Course, drink cocktails, and read my book in the sun,

It's a hard life, but someone's gotta live it! Me! Yaaaayyy!!!

I'll write again soon with updates from Koh Tao.

Massive hugs to you all!

E x