Moves to an old part of town and the Grand Palace in Bangkok

Moved to a much better hostel yesterday. I had booked into a quiet, cheap place off of Khao San road, as Jeroen had recommended the area for easy access to internet cafes, travel centres, et c. Cost was B200 (baht) per night which is outrageously cheap (6 bucks or so) but the bed was nearly the size of the room, and the location near to Khao San road [KSR] (backpackers' supposed haven...uck!) was not what I would call 'fun'...non-stop being shouted at to get a tuk-tuk ride/ buy something/ eat somewhere/ have a massage; I didn't like KSR at all; the Thais working there were completely jaded by tourists and it was all one big money grab - not my scene, by a long shot.

I had to move and found a GEM of a hostel called Villa, which was only 50 baht more expensive per night (i.e. $1.50) but it is a colonial, teak-wooden house on a quiet alley with a garden! The room is furnished with antiques, has a huge window and a fan from the 1930s (I'm not kidding!!! the fan works a treat - smoother and quieter than the other piece of modern crap in KSR)...I am in heaven! It has made me realise that the aesthetics of my surroundings are very important to me. Had my first good night's sleep since I arrived here, and I fully attribute it to the 'energy' or atmosphere of the place. Couldn't stop beaming for near to an hour when I found it and moved in! I love this place and already am making plans to use this as my hub when travelling north and south in Thailand. I can't believe they charge so little to stay at this living relic of history. It doesn't have A/C or hot water or a TV or internet, but who the hell needs all that crap anyway? I'm not here to watch an electric box flash marketing messages at me (that's called hell-o-vision), nor do I need A/C; it's typically 28 C most days so far and then the afternoon monsoon cools everything back down again.

So much more to say - could go on for hours about so many details I've noticed since I got here, like the profusion of old, white, wrinkled, grey-haired men and their (20-year old) Thai 'dates' (ahem) - most of them women(!). Had my first Thai massage and went for another today - got an even better woman today, who was amazed that she couldn't twist my body by 180 degrees (I don't know the Thai words for 'endometriotic lesions' or 'organs cemented together by internal bleeding each month' so I just smiled at her). I'll go back to her again.

Haven't made any friends yet but its kind of hard given that most travellers I have so far crossed paths with have another traveller attached to their hip (couples mostly...BORING!!). Yawn, so yes, do tell me more about your boyfriend/ girlfriend....how fascinating...no, please, I insist you tickle each others tonsils in front of me - that's most thoughtful of you to include me in this adorable public display of mutual ownership......

Paid a visit to the Grand Palace (or 'palais' en Francais...) today which is not possible to describe in mere words...even as I snapped photos left, right, centre, above and below me of all the mind-blowing, colourful, ornate works of craftsmanship on every surface around me, I realised the futility of my attempts to capture even a whisper of the beauty, devotion and love that is embodied in these incredible buildings. The Emerald Buddha was tiny - 3 feet high (for some reason I thought it would be huge, but then how big can one emerald be, I guess...?!) but perched atop a 40 -foot pyramid of a cast of gold, supporting bodhisattvas, enlightened beings and creatures. The whole room was pure gold, so I turned to the walls to rest my eyes only to be assaulted by even more artistry (damn them!) - murals of minute, intricate detail on every square inch of the 100 foot high walls...Michaelangelo, eat your wimpy Italian heart out!