Bangkok

The stop over was an excellent idea. It always makes the enormous flight from one hemisphere to another go so much smoother if you get the opportunity to stop and rest along the way. Obviously you also get the opportunity to explore somewhere interesting and for me this was my introduction to Asia.

Bangkok is a very busy, husseling, busseling city with a huge population who live in what seems to be relative poverty. It felt very strange to go on the river barge cruise to see where the locals of the city lived to be told that the metal shaks on the water were owned by the educated middle classes.

Shopping is obviously one of the things that Bangkok is most famous for and the boys made for the tailors straight away. We all ended up having something made and it was good fun to choose the fabrics and be measured for suits, tuxes, dresses and shirts.
LOF walked away with 2 suits and four shirts, LOM with a suit, a tux and 4 shirts, Span a beautiful dress and a lovely Cashmere coat and I came away a pretty blouse Conscious of the price of an impending wedding dress I tried to keep my share of the cost down. Having said that I have been assured that the £2000 dress that I really like (I haven't tried it on yet - it's too expensive!!) can be made for £200 by Harry and the gang at Thai Square so that's exciting and will lead to a very interesting trip to a bridal shop :)

The hotel we stayed in was absolutely stunning. It was a resort and spa and of course we had to have a Thai massage. When you realise that the woman is holding you feet up in the air and then you feel pressure from 2 more limbs it is amusing to discover that you are in fact being walked upon. A Thai massage HURTS but it's all worth it. I know that LOM may feel differently having walked away with some rather large red marks on his back and having experience more pain than one man can muster. Both Span and I enjoyed our Thai experience very much and were amused at LOF who took the easy option of a Swedish massage.

We also enjoyed a tour around the Grand Palace and Temple (where the Jade Buddha lives. He's tiny (30cm!))Everything really is paved with gold! Amazing. There were also some brilliant tapestry style paintings. A story in art of a giant monkey who helps battle the underground demons to rescue the first king's queen. Anyone in the painting who is wearing gold armour is actually painted in 18 carat gold!! Opulence at it's best - whilst the locals live in shacks along the river. :S

Needless to say that Bangkok was a lovely stop over and although it's a little smoggy and very humid it was a valuable experience that was well worth adding to the list of things LOF and I have discovered on our year long adventure.