Bangkok, Tuesday

0925 On City line train from airport to Phaya Thai. The express service next train is apparently not til 1030; I asked at ticket office. The signs indicate this and also simultaneously that it runs every half hour from 6am. Meh. This is only slightly slower, is running so gets me in earlier and is cheaper.

Immigration queue was very slow at end. Guy behind me kept saying 'for fuck's sake' and things of that ilk. But no problem, even if they have stapled the immigration card into my passport and I had to fold it.

Airport wifi free for an hour but you have to ask for username and password at a desk so didn't bother. So the earlier blog entry is sat in outbox.

Withdrew some cash. First ATM wanted to charge fee of 150 THB, so said no. Second wanted to charge fee of 180. Meh. Went back to first one and increased size of withdrawal slightly to dilute the fee.

Went to bog to stash cash/passport securely before venturing into city, as well as for the obvious reason. No problem, except I thought water level in the one free cubicle suggested an overfilling or blockage, so didn't use it despite cleaner woman gesturing me in. The other one was the same, so evidently that's normal.

Train very clean, not sure if air conditioned but tolerable. [When I got off at Phaya Thai, was evident that it was air conditioned, just not as fiercely as the Skytrain.]

1107 At hotel. Checked in. Thank fuck. Navigated Skytrain successfully. The air conditioning on it temporarily revived me. GPS didn't work, as it happens I walked the right way, but my map had the hotel in wrong place. Was losing the plot, ranting to myself in street, sweating like a bastard into my thick long-sleeved shirt and jacket and lugging the case (even 7kg is something). Fortunately some helpful chap told me unsolicited (on seeing me peruse crappy Google Maps printout) which road I was on - I knew that much - and was able to point at the hotel for me when I asked if he knew it.

Air conditioning on, avoiding the bottled water in the room lest it be a mini-bar style trap [it does say 'with compliments' on the labels, but I have trust issues with hotels] but am boiling up some tap water in a weird kettle type device (I hope). Plan is to have a shower, cool down metaphorically and literally and then go out and buy water, a razor, food and one or more cold beers, not necessarily in that order. Patpong (sp) night market is just down the street, I walked past it on way here. I am not making any plans for the rest of the day yet. If I can stay awake til 8 or 9 will be happy; proper tourism starts tomorrow. Some v tempting street food smells as I cursed my way along the road, may or may not chance them later.

Hotel is slightly slightly overly formal for my tastes, but for about twenty quid a night i can afford it. Room is big, slightly old-fashioned but it has air conditioning and a shower and free wifi and I am very happy now.

They wanted a credit card for deposit (presumably against damage; room is paid for in advance), but I paid THB1000 cash instead. Hope I get it back but I didn't have a credit card handy (all in my bag) and I'd rather not risk a credit card being used fradulently if I can avoid it. Sure it would be fine but it's a bigger deal when I'm away from home.

1137 Showered. Feel much better. Unpacking a bit. Incidentally room not as cheap as I just said; works out about £33/night, but that is still not bad - a private room in a hostel in Tbilisi would have cost about the same, and been nowhere near as nice.

1229 Just about ready to go out again. Not really sure where I'm going, this is complete serendipity with food, beer and basic shopping as the goal, not an attempt to see worthwhile tourist stuff. I am sure the feeling of not being a sweaty bastard will last all of five minutes, but there you go...

Oh, the boiled (I hope - certainly it emitted a little steam) water tastes pretty foul even after chilling it in the room fridge.

1250 Just walked west (I think) along Silom Road. At Lee Cafe having green chicken curry and lemon tea. Been propositioned by a custom tailor who insisted on giving me his card and numerous tuk tuk and taxi drivers. Bit freaked out. Lemon tea is full of ice, what do I do? This is a pseudo-restaurant. Fuck. Not sure. I'm going to risk it this time.

Saw couple of places with beer but one wanted 100 THB for a small beer, the other 150. It's about 50 to the pound. I don't expect to pay pennies, but I resent paying London prices.

Am walking as slowly as I can - which is extremely uncomfortable in itself, for me - and I am not working up a huge sweat. Weather forecast says heavy rain shower so have brought jacket out in day pack. Have camera, wallet and phone shoved in trouser pockets which probably looks uber-muggable and is a touch uncomfortable but what can you do?

Food here, looks good anyway.

1305 Yes, was pretty good. I doubtless ate it wrong but who cares? Just hope I don't regret that lemon tea.

THB 160 (I think), not sure about tip but paying with 1000 so will leave some change. I cut my nails back in London and somehow I have managed to leave several fingers hurting, presumably due to cutting too short. Ah, THB 176 as they added 10%, so will just leave tiny change to make it 180.

1400 Done a bit of a circuit not far from Silom Road. Jewellers up the wazoo. Quite a few restaurants, none of which gave off a bar vibe. I don't want to go trekking off today. So help me, I'm in Jamesons Irish pub on Silom Road. Not quite deserted, but nearly. THB165 for a pint of Chang (joint cheapest with Carlsberg), but because the barman gave me my change in a wallet I felt compelled to leave what I think was 15 in change, making this THB180 a pint for that perfect London pub price. I'm not having a second here, I will wander up past the hotel in the opposite direction.

Feel not just enormously touristy but enormously victimisable. (On the street, not in this pub. At these prices I feel victimised in here. :-) ) I'm sure this is mostly just because I'm not used to the place yet. I am also hoping I will get used to the heat.

Imagine I can feel stirrings in my guts after consuming that iced lemon tea. I don't think it comes on that quick. :-) I fucking hate my imagination.

To give this bar its due, it is at least air conditioned. They do also have Hoegaarden on tap, though I dread to think what it must cost.

1415 Feeling a bit tired, trying to spin this beer out.

I think this place has the largest time difference from home than anywhere else I've been, at 7 hours.

1430 Don't know if the 2/3 pint I've consumed is doing it or it's just coincidence but I keep wanting to close my eyes. I think I'll hang on here as long as I can then see if I can get a coffee, then go to a shop for water and if possible a razor and back to the hotel. If I end up going to bed at 4pm it's still better than midday.

I could probably have got a (perhaps overpriced) coffee in some of the places I walked past earlier, but I'm not going back at this stage. If I can see somewhere suitably interesting I will go there, otherwise I think I passed a Starbucks on Silom Road earlier when trying to find the hotel.

1448 Nearly finished this beer. Tempted to not even bother with the coffee, but if it keeps me awake just an extra hour it might make all the difference between waking up so early tomorrow I go back to sleep all afternoon and waking up relatively refreshed at a time I could actually get up. Sitting here in this bar feels amazingly un-Bangkok-y, I could be in London. Not a problem as such, as I said today is not about doing proper touristy stuff but about trying to get over the time zone and lack of sleep issues.

1452 OK, I can't drag this out any more. Let's go.

Outside it says Heineken, Tiger, Carlsberg and Chang are 105 THB during happy hour 4-7pm. I really can't see myself bothering, but FWIW. (Doesn't say if that's for a pint, but I would assume so.) Yawning badly.

1508 At "Silom Village Restaurant", where it is 110/140/230 for Singha. I think it is on the edge of a shopping mall kind of place. Having a coffee for 70 plus tip probably. Figured this can't be any more naff or expensive than the Starbucks I passed earlier (but didn't check prices).

This place is basically outside with fans, but it's OK sitting here. I stopped off in a small 7-Eleven on way here to buy a bottle of water (about THB 13 for cheapest 1.5 litre could find) and a disposable razor (pack two, THB 25). I would have preferred to buy a semi-decent razor, but it was basically either that own-brand pack of two disposables or an extra 10 THB for a pack of two Gillette disposables, and I didn't see the point - it's not as if either had a guard on the blade, or anything like that. Just have to be careful when shaving I guess.

I might hope to do a bit of laundry back at hotel just to stop it building up, if I can stay awake long enough. I may even splurge on a beer here before I go. (Oh, at the 7-Eleven there was a sign saying alcohol sold between xxx-1400 and 1700-xxx, and the section was shut off, so I couldn't have bought one to take away even if I'd wanted to, which I didn't anyway, just an observation. I was toying with getting a big bottle of diet coke to shove in the fridge, but they didn't have anything over 500ml AFAICS.)

I am no connosieur but the coffee is not bad.

Couple of Indian restaurants on this road, may check them out at some point. Not dined hugely today but I did kind of eat a modest amount during the flights and don't see any point going nuts; I also want to minimise uncertainty as to where it came from if I do get ill. (Main suspects would be the iced tea or the 'boiled' water in the hotel.)

Major roads here can be intimidating to cross but it is doable, so better than the worst roads in Georgia. I use a human shield wherever possible. Rules of the road seem to be that if you're on a moped anything goes; you can ride on the pavement, turn across it, go whenever you like at a junction. To be fair I haven't really had any near misses yet, they seem to adopt an "I have right of way but will go slowly" style of driving when crossing pavements or entrances to little car park type bits off the main road.

Need to read guide book tonight or more likely tomorrow and see what there is to be seen and where I can/should go. Chubbard also made a couple of recommendations which I need to check with guide book. Need to see if I can trust taxis off the street here...

I probably shouldn't have another beer - and I despise the Bridget Jones' Diary quality of all this - but it's hardly as if two is a major binge. Also since I haven't paid for the coffee yet any rounding or other pseudo-tip wankery should be diluted by the large combined bill. ;-)

It is sort of cool to be here but I don't have anything like that jaunty feeling I had earlier (was it today or yesterday?). I am not too worried, I put it down to tiredness and the related fact I am deliberately not exerting myself to see or do 'cool stuff', just taking it easy and seeing the bit round the hotel as a matter of convenience while I work through the tiredness/jet lag.

I am shamelessly (though starting to feel a little shame) speaking English to people here, without even the little phrases I tried to use in Georgia. Most people do seem to speak at least (very) basic English, but this is Bangkok. Still, tourism here is presumably an order of magnitude at least more developed than in Georgia, so I would guess just about anywhere I go will be similar. Time will tell, I guess. Bernadetta said Thailand didn't really interest her, having been once, as there was no 'challenge'. (I doubtless paraphrase and mangle her words.) Wonder if I will agree with her. Or if I will feel lack of challenge means it isn't worth coming back.

1534 Fuck it, getting a draught Singha. I didn't specify a size and she didn't ask, it looks smallish but may be a half litre.

Oh, no sign of that heavy rain shower yet. Though the sky is overcast and as far as I can recall has been all day.

1555 Nearly finished beer. Might get another coffee before go back to hotel. I don't feel too tired and the later I go to bed the better (within reason) and while it's not exactly fascinating sitting here there is something strangely decadent about passing my first afternoon in Bangkok in such a prosaic, if relatively relaxing, manner, instead of haring off to see some temple or what have you.

Might also help me acclimatise, you never know. Hands feel very sticky at the moment.

1601 Yeah, getting a coffee. I would guess by time I drink it and pay will be 1630. Hotel is probably 5 mins away. Another shower and a bit of laundry will probably take me to 5pm, and then I can maybe do a bit of web surfing (*not* going to try to do any of the study I have gone on about, I'm tired, that is a reasonable excuse for today) if I don't feel super tired. If I sleep ten hours starting at 5pm I'd be up at 3am, which would suck a bit. I might manage more than ten hours, you never know. But if I could hold on til 7pm-ish I just might be in with a chance of getting up when I wake up. Meh, I always struggle. Just have to see how it goes.

(Must say the various mornings recently when I have needed to be up at arse o'clock I have - I think - actually woken up on my own a few minutes before the alarm. There may be some subtle brain-deception going on here, of course. Still, it *feels* a little better than be hoiked out of a deep sleep by the alarm.)

Just got bill. 211.86 - beer was 110, two coffees at 70 each, plus 10% service charge and 7% tax. So taken all the change. Bit odd that 7% tax not explicit on earlier bill for food, anyway. Just over four quid for two coffees and a small-ish beer is not fantastic but not bad, and probably better value than Jameson's on the beer.

At least sitting here does feel a bit different to sitting having a coffee or a beer in London. The oppressive heat/humidity, for one thing. ;-) (No idea if there's any truth in the heat-humidity comfort distinction, or indeed if it is humid here, but if forced to guess I would say it is. Weather forecast said it was about 32C this afternoon IIRC, so it's plenty hot enough to feel uncomfortable. I am guessing it's humid since it lacks the sauna-like quality I correctly or otherwise associate with low humidity.)

London wasn't sufficiently cold and miserable when I left (modulo the transport difficulties) that I can look on this oppressive heat as a kind of desirable thing. ;-)

Be it second/third/fourth wind or the coffee or alcohol, I have lost the 'eyes want to close' feeling I was getting at Jamesons, but I do still feel sort of tired. No doubt however that whatever the cause the joint contenders for worst moments of today have to be that last bit of the flight in when I dozed fitfully and uncomfortably and the sweaty unpleasantness of not finding the hotel. (The sweaty unpleasantness of getting to the approximate area of the hotel was OK, it felt necessary, directed and successful, and was further ameliorated by the joy of the air conditioning on the Skytrain (not the platforms). I couldn't stop smiling as the air conditioning took its effect on me.)

Have snapped a few rather nondescript and guilty photos as I wandered around today, but nothing particularly special or iconic.

Bear Grylls has been on TV here for last hour or whatever. Don't recognise him as such, but his name came up on a caption.

Just reassuring myself I have paid before I leave. ;-)

1628 OK, let's go.

1638 Back at hotel. Receipt for 1000 THB key deposit shoved under door, as promised.

Ooh, e-mail from the Jet Airways notification service telling me my flight departed Heathrow at 1009!

Should have said earlier in addition to jewellers a plentiful supply of tailors and massage places. Youngish woman sitting outside a shop shouted 'massage' at me as I came back to the hotel. I am going to assume there is nothing 'dodgy' about these places. It would be kind of interesting to have a massage, but the idea of removing most of my clothes in a place where I'd fear for the safety of my belongings is rather distressing. Also the idea of requiring anyone to touch my rather sweaty, rank body doesn't quite seem like cricket. ;-)

To be fair, while I'm hardly feeling fresh as a daisy after being out for just a few hours, with the slightly more practical clothing and walking around slowly I don't feel so awful as I did this morning when looking for the hotel. It is bearable like this, and I am sure I will get used to it. However, unless I acclimatise dramatically, I don't think I will be taking the advice of the guide book to do a cycling tour round the city.

I am really not feeling that tired and half wondering if I should try to 'do something' tonight. Let's not push it. I think if I feel up for it one of the two 'must do' high-up bars (recommended by Chubbard, also my kind of thing anyway and saw in guide book) is just down the road from here. That would be expensive enough I wouldn't want to stay long, so if it is walkable maybe I will try heading over that way after dark. Failing that hotel has a bar on 20th (top) floor (my room is on 8th) and if I'm allowed in that might be an acceptably low-effort-but-something-rather-than-nothing alternative to just going to bed.

1708 Done laundry; apart from badly-cut-induced pain in one finger on right hand when squeezing, positively a luxurious experience with the large sink with own integrated plug and a small enough quantity of clothes to just hang over the shower rail to dry.

1726 OK, going to go out and try to go to Sky Bar, which I probably walked past earlier. Can't believe I will be allowed in, but WTF. Oddly scared so going to send this now so it's not lost if I do get mugged...