Dalama Adventures Tale of two corporate types ditching their jobs and traveling the world for 14 months... check out all photos, blogs & interesting tid bits at http://www.dalama.net

The day and age of real time travel planning from the comfort of your computer makes life so easy, and spontaneous.  The well wired airport of Hong Kong is the bom; having run out of time to get a place to stay our first night in Bangkok, we had no worries...  checking into the wireless mecca, we quickly cleared through security and tapped into the free airport wide wifi service, over a Starbuck's coffee & chai.  Real time confirmation of a guest house in the Kao San backpacker district, with good reviews on Trip Advisor allowed us to hit the ground running in Bangkok.  

Our last trip to Bangkok was 2005, over Christmas, and this trip brings us in through their shiny new airport.  A marked improvement over the old flight arena, we were super impressed.  Kiosks near the baggage claim area allowed for quick assessment of transportation options, and got us expediently to our public express bus.  A little less than an hour later we arrived the main drag that leads to the Democracy Monument and Grand Palace.  Our walk from the bus stop to the hotel required us to stand, face forward and one hand salute the road as the King drove through in his security procession.   The streets were lined with police men keeping a vigilant outlook for suspicious onlookers or potential violence, and it was the only time we've seen the streets completely silent.  The next moment, streams of police security vehicles streamed by, lights flashing; and the King cruised through in an Ambassador type looking vehicle.  Lucky us - I guess timing is everything.  

Bangkok's environment is a bit like that of most developing countries in Asia... a burning orange sun sets through the city smog, creating that eire sunset that you often find in very polluted cities.  There are tons of black fume spewing cars, trucks, busses, and tuk tuks.  Our lungs, which had a nice reprieve in Hong Kong from filthy air, are now black again.  The humidity is stifling, and we're soaking wet just making our way from the airport to the bus.  The bus ride, and open windows assured us that we've got a layer of grime coated on us, that will remain with us for our time in Bangkok.  Despite numerous showers, you just can't seem to get the stuff out of your pores.

We're staying in the heart of the cultural district, and our hotel- Boonsiri Place Hotel, is secure, clean, and super comfortable.  We feel like our 2 star hotel is a 5 star after the nasty hole we stayed at in India.  For only $35/night, we're out of the loud, backpacker main street Khao San, and tucked away into a local residential neighborhood.