We arrived in Bangkok on tha night bus, which was very comfortable - infinitely more so than the one from Luang Prabang. That was the day before yesterday. Fortunately the hotel we decided to stay at let us check in early (4am) so we were able to get to sleep and not waste the whole of that day. We got up later and Claire went to visit the Royal Palace (I've seen it 3 times - didn't really want to do it again) and I went to a very nice hospital to get my arm x-rayed and checked by a doctor. He wasn't very impressed with my cast, since it was pretty loose (I was quite glad it was loose - it meant I could do a lot with the arm!). So I had the smelly cast removed and a nice new, clean and not smelly blue one put on. On reflection, I think I should have chosen green because I don't really have any blue clothes with me, and green would have gone a lot better with the stuff I do have. Anyway - the new cast is much tighter so now I can do practically nothing with the arm and hand, which is just great. My wrist has stopped clicking though, which is good. The doctor said that the sound was the fracture slipping - made me feel quite sick when he said that - so i'm glad it's not doing that any more.

Claire and i had a lovely dinner - Claire had steak pie - something she's been craving for ages! Yesterday we got a Thai tuk tuk to Jim Thompsons house, which was interesting, had lunch at MBK - I love that place! did some shopping, went on the sky train, saw the people doing aerobics in Lumphini Park, had dinner near Patpong, Went shopping in Patpong and then went to the Cinema to watch The Prestige - good film. We even saluted on time to the King before the film (I remebered from my last experience at a Thai cinema!) But we did make a small blunder in Lumphini park - we were walking through, chatting away when all of a sudden it became aparent that everyone in the park, which was full of people, had stopped moving and were silent. Then we realised that the national anthem was playing - everyone was paying respect to the king - a nightly exercise in Lumphini! Took us a while to realise (actually Claire noticed - I would have just carried on blissfully unaware!!) only a few people were staring daggers at us!

Today we got up late. Claire got her ears pierced. That was funny!! We went to a tattoo parlour - full of all these fat men getting horrid tattoos everywhere and claire sat down to have her ears done. They didn't even use a gun! The man just got the stud and sharpened it with a nail file!! Then pushed it through her ear - claire and i thought that we could have done that oursleves!! Especially since i have a nice selection of sterile needles that probably would have done a much better job! claire is now complaining about sore ears - but really - what would you expect after you'd just had a metal prong pushed through them!

Claire's having a hard time at the moment. Yesterday we moved to a guest house (which I think is perfectly nice) Claire hates it. we don't have a bathroom - just a communal one, but it is very clean. Obviously it's pretty basic, but it's got everything we need and it's safe. I think Claire was hoping for more, but you get much less for your money in Thailand - we've been spoilt in Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. No more towels, hot showers or bed linen for us!! Not sure how she'll cope on the beach - from my experience, you get even less for your money and accommodation is much more basic!! Claire is using lots of expletives to describe our current accommodation!! Makes me laugh lots!

We leave tomorrow morning to go to Ko Chang for 14 days - feeling quite excited!! We've been shopping today for beach stuff - feels like we're going on holiday!! Got loads of books!! Feels strange that the next time we'll be back is just before we leave to come home.