Hammerhead sharks, ladyboys and a wiff of incense

Well this is rather pleasant! its 3pm in Bangkok and for the last three hours or so i sat outside a cafe situated near the backpacker haven of Khao San road and watched the world go by whilst dipping into a little blogging literature! Travelling here was superb- I must big-up Thai Airways for what has to be one of the most efficient flights ever (despite a slight stomach-lurching encounter with turbulance when we literally dropped out of the sky). Things I like about Thai Airways:
1. no check-in queue-I arrived and had parted with the burden that is my rucksack within minutes
2. flowers in the absolutely spotless on-board toilets (even after 12 hours)
3. free toothbrushes and toothpaste (and no I hadn't accidently stumbled into first class loos)
4. the CONSTANT supply of food, drinks, hot towels, peanuts....(I made the mistake of filling up with a sandwich before getting on board then was fed constantly the whole of the trip)
5. the fact that we arrived 1 HOUR EARLY
6. THE FACT THAT MY FLIGHT WAS 100% FREE :)

Arriving in Bangkok i was expecting the usual chaos with immigration...and guess what... no queue!!! I was through immigration in five minutes; my bags arriving on the conveyor belt minutes after! Because we arrived an hour early at 5.30am i also missed out on the crazy traffic jams that build up heading into the city. So after a pleasent ride to Khao san i have found myself a clean and tidy hotel, off the main street so it's nice and quiet. Doing the math i've worked out that for five nights in a double room with air con and en suite facilities AND breakfast.......i am paying the vast sum of 39 quid! Unbelievable! And that is in one of the more expensive areas of town. Perfect for a skint student.

In case you were wondering about the title of this blog entry...having spent the day wondering around Khao San (i'm going to start touristy stuff tomorrow coz i haven't slept in days and need some kip) i managed to spot my first not-so-subtle ladyboy offering me a thai massage, been knocked senseless by some seriously strong incense attacking my nasal passages and seen market stalls selling baby hammerhead shark skulls....souvenirs anyone ????

more from me in a bit...better publish before my computer crashes :)