Sawadi ka from Bangkok! We love it here!!! Am posting this from a little bar at the far end of Khao San road...we staggered our way down here via a mad reggae moonshine bar that sets up on the forecourt of a shell petrol station...we just about managed to down an interesting mix of Thai moonshine whiskey and coke before moving on to long islan ice tea and vodka red bull. Enjoyed the laid back atmosphere of plastic tables and chairs with candles and buckets of firewater...health and safety be bug*ered! Have been here for five days so far and loving it. Spent the first two nights in a haunted hotel room in the Royal (nicotine palace to it's guests) you could tell it was grand once upon a time with sweeping staircases and a snazzy but worse for wear pool. We were quite glad to be leaving as the room had a strange atmosphere with a well dodgy stain on the carpet and a top of the range special effects rattling wardrobe complete with spooky creaking doors that swung open at will! Had to hump our really heavy packs across the road to a little soi off Khao San to find a quality little guest house with prison cell rooms but a quality bar with tinkling water fountains and some really canny staff who are more than happy to indulge my poor attempts at thai! Visited What Phra Kaew yesterday...amazing gilded temples with a lovely serene atmosphere. Finished off the afternoon ambling along the riverfront only to come across an alternative medicine fair which was packed with thai families. Persuaded Michael to join me in an hour long Thai massage. At first a young Thai guy started on his feet and ankles, but I suppose he felt how mashed up he is from all those years of cycling and promptly called for the 'Mamma San' a teeny tiny old lady with fingers of tempered steel...you should have seen his face (and heard his manly squeaks!) Caught a river taxi to Siam square (main commercial shopping centre) today. The traffic down there is unbelievable!! Went a little off course as Michaels map reading skills are pish and I have all the sense of direction of a homing pigeon on horse tranquilisers, but we muddled our way to the canal boat line in the end! It was an interesting experience as it is mostly used by locals (Michael was tipped off about it by a long term guesthouse resident who has been bumming around here for months) so all the info on stops etc is written in Thai. It was noisy and smelly and we had to communicate with nods n' smiles but it's all part of the fun! Catching a two hour bus to Kanchanuburi tomorrow morning to chill out and see the bridge over the river Kwai. From there we head back to Bangkok to catch an overnight bus to Chang Mai so will catch up with you then. Have some quality photos of our escapades, but so far not organised (or sober enough) to post them...will sort soon we promise! Big love petals K&M xx