Praise again to the boys for how well they handled the 7 hour journey to Bangkok. Most obvious difference once across the Thai border was that cars drive on the left and the roads instantly transform from dusty pot-holed adventures to smooth four lane highways.
Bangkok seems remarkably less chaotic than we remember from 19 years ago. The Khao San back-packers ghetto is now a sprawling Camden Market style shopping/dining area, and the stall holders don't hound you like they used to either. In fact, it's quite pleasant. There's even a swanky new overhead rail service and Metro system (though thankfully the tuk-tuk's and river taxi's are still in service).
We weren't expecting it to be so expensive here either: £24 for a room compared to the £5-£10 we've paid in Vietnam and Cambodia. It doesn't sound like much, but we've failed to keep within budget so far, so now we've no chance. Food's not as cheap either, and we're struggling to convince the boys that the street-side stalls are not only cheaper, but fresher and tastier too.
Talking of taste, we finally tried fresh durian just before leaving Cambodia: the flesh has a thick custard like texture, and it has a rich sweet flavour, but with an aftertaste of raw onions!? Hmmmm
No comments:
Post a Comment