A Good Place to Wash Up

Susannah: Despite opinions we'd heard to the contrary, we found it easy to fall in love with Bangkok. Granted, we had a lot of help: lucky for us my sister Caroline's good friend Cayla lives there with her boyfriend JJ, and we not only got a beautiful free place to stay overlooking the city, but great company and guidance to boot. (Caroline: Sorry I forgot to take any photos!)

Bangkok is utterly modern, cosmopolitan and fairly expensive. Somehow, though, the city and its inhabitants still seem delightfully exotic. There are high-rise buildings just like a big city anywhere in the world, but often the best way to get to them is by water taxi. Expensive restaurants serving every kind of cuisine abound, but the best food to be had is from the myriad vendors. The women are dressed at the height of global fashion, but have a poise about them that is unique (even when wearing these ubiquitous pink or yellow polo shirts to celebrate the king!).

Among other adventures, we wandered through a flower market in Chinatown,

...and climbed a temple covered entirely in broken china.

Fortunately this won't be the last we see of Bangkok (or Cayla and JJ) on our trip, as we'll pass through there again on our way south to Indonesia and Malaysia.