Journal:

Thailand, 01 Apr 2002

It's great to be back in Bangkok. This is the third visit of my trip. At this stage Bangkok almost has that familiar feel of home about it. I am one more staying at the Sawasdee Krungthep Inn behind the temple near the Khoa San Road. I had made a reservation before leaving for Myanmar. Immediately after arriving, I get the wheels in motion for my visa to Cambodia.

Thailand, 02 Apr 2002

Today is spent shopping in the Siam Square and Khoa San Road areas. I did not find the most important item on my shopping list - Chinese language tapes. After visiting a number of bookshops, I could find only language books without tapes. I reckon that I will have to wait until I go to Hong Kong to get the tapes.

This evening I made the unfortunate mistake of conversing with Jeremy - a fellow independent traveler from England. A few friendly words uttered in his direction in our hotel lobby resulted in him clinging onto my companionship for dear life. The vast majority of travelers are sound enough sorts; the kind of people with whom you would gladly share a beer or two. But there is something amiss with Jeremy. After a couple of beers, I had enough of him and made my excused for retiring early.

Thailand, 03 Apr 2002

This morning I got up early and visited the Royal Palace and the Emerald Buddha. Because of the oppressing heat and humidity in Bangkok, the outfit of choice these days consists of sandals, shorts, and tank tops. However, none of these items of clothing are permitted at the Royal Palace. Tourists must wear fully enclosed footwear, long pants, and a t-shirt. Even though I had to wear such heavy clothing in such sweltering conditions, these sights were well worth the effort. I would especially recommend the renting the personal audio guide.

Thailand, 04 Apr 2002

It is time to get organized for the next leg of my trip. Photographs need developing, toiletries need replenishing, journal needs updating, items need posting, and so on. I am delighted to report that I have not seen Jeremy in the past couple of days. Hopefully that is the last I will see of him.

This visit to Bangkok has been relatively low-key. If you come to Bangkok after being on any of the backpacker circuits (Southern Thailand, Northern Thailand, or Laos), you will bump into many of the travelers that you met on the circuit. However, after coming from Myanmar, I had very few acquaintances in Bangkok. This meant that my social life was restricted to conversations with fellow travelers in the hang-out area of my guesthouse.

Spending:

$220 for 4 nights, including:
    - $60 for photo developing and new film
    - $30 for postage
    - $20 for Cambodian visa