11/10/08 Our flight from Calcutta to Bangkok was uneventful. At the airport in Bangkok we asked the private taxi firm how much it would cost to get to our area and they said 1000 baht (about 20 pounds); we went to an express bus stand nearby and got tickets for only 150 baht! Good value, considering the length of the journey was about 45 minutes. Our budget hotel is in a sidestreet off Khaosan Road, which is a lot like Camden Market in atmosphere, only with a Thai twist! It's filled from one end to the other with bars, restaurants, hotels, tattoo parlours, Thai massage parlours, shops which open straight out onto the street, and market stalls in front of them. As well as normal stalls, selling clothes, watches, bags and all sorts of other things, there's lots of stalls selling different sorts of Thai noodles and what looks like spring rolls, corn on the cob, meat skewers, sliced fruits, pancakes - and services such as tarot readings, hair styling and even fake student cards, diploma certificates etc.! Incense and other exotic smells are in the air; like Delhi, Agra and Calcutta, it's very colourful both literally and in atmosphere - but without the sheer poverty in evidence - also everywhere is cleaner and with more neon. It is touristy of course, because a lot of backpackers stay along here, but I still find the whole atmosphere very exciting (though obviously I'm not tempted by the fake cards, licenses and certificates)! There's crowds of people, but not much traffic at all, and in contrast to India, the street traders aren't nearly so persistant. They offer things to you, but if you say 'no thanks' they don't carry on walking with you, talking and ignoring you when you refuse their offer. It makes me more willing to buy things, because in India I was put off doing so because I knew the moment I showed any interest, the guy in charge would stick to me like a limpet, talking and showing me things and then (sometimes) refusing to take no for an answer when I started to turn away. The other nice thing is, you don't get stared at so openly and unnervingly.

We relaxed for the rest of the day, going on the internet and having dinner (pad thai noodles with shrimp - delicious!)

12/10/08 We didn't do much today apart from look round the market on Khaosan Road properly. I bought a book about the history of the Basques, and a t-shirt, but Dave didn't get anything, apart from the noodles we had from one of the roadside stalls.

13/10/08 We went to a temple today which was quite small and notable for having a big gold Buddha inside. We were on our way into Chinatown to have a look around, and came across this on our way. Round the inside of the walls there were black standing Buddhas who we think must have been memorials, because they had metal plaques with Thai writing and the odd photo on. We had to take our shoes off before we went onto the main building with the Buddha in. There were statues in front of the entrance with lots of incense sticks burning next to them. It was beautiful inside, what with the shining golden Buddha and the detailed and colourful decoration on the walls, pillars and shrine itself.

As well as this temple, we passed a public square where there was the formal name of the city inscribed in full, and the explanation behind it. Some people were playing badminton on the square as well. We reached Memorial Bridge, and then walked through Chinatown on our way back. It was a night market which seemed to be mostly flower and food stalls. There were bales and stalls full of a particular yellow sort of flower, and people everywhere holding them. We went out for a couple of drinks on Khaosan Road in the evening.

14/10/08 Most of today was taken up with sorting out our Cambodia trip (we're going for a week, before coming back to Bangkok and then heading south to the Thai islands), but we did go out onto Khaosan Road to do a bit of shopping in the evening. I was dying to buy some of the stuff they have on offer; all sorts of swords, daggers and knives, some with really fancy scabbards and hilts - but I knew they probably wouldn't be allowed out of the country, so I didn't. I was tempted by a lot of the clothes and incense as well, but I didn't get anything. I did get a present for someone though, and a big notebook with a metal elephant on the front to use after I've finished with my present one and the one Roz & Adey gave me.

15/10/08 We went to Wat Pho today, one of the largest Buddhist temple complexes in Bangkok - it's famous for having the Reclining Buddha in it (one of the largest of the Buddhist statues where he isn't sitting.) When we were walking round to find the foreigner's entrance a man told us it was closed; we were suspicious because it was only about 3 o'clock, and sure enough, when we finally got to the entrance it was open! I think he said that because he was going to offer to take us somewhere else instead, where he'd get commisssion for taking us, but we walked off before he could. I've heard about this sort of scam happening to people at the Royal Palace, where men dressed up like royal guards tell people it's closed when it's not really. The Reclining Buddha was fantastic - the scale is massive, and the decorative work on the pillars and walls around it is beautiful and very intricate. On the soles of his feet the decoration is all in mother of pearl. We've got pictures of all of this so you can have a look. Within the complex there was another temple with a Buddha in, this time sitting, other buildings, and a pond/fountain with Koi carp and a couple of turtles/terrapins in (Dave was particularly fond of the turtles.) There are 16 entrances, and each is flanked by two big stone statues of Chinese giants/gods/warriors, I forget which.

16/10/08 We lay in late, before having some lunch and then walking to the National Museum. It was very big, and the galleries were better presented than the ones in the Indian Museum in Calcutta. We went through nearly all of them; our favourites were the coins & banknotes and the old weapons galleries, but I also liked the Thai history, prehistoric and musical instruments ones. It was very interesting, but I have to say, the exhibits could have done with a bit more information attached.