Asia - open today only

Firstly, let me assure anyone who is concerned about my whereabouts (all 2 of you) that I am in Cambodia and going about altering my travel plans to Ko Phi Phi island, which is obviously no longer a travel destination for the immediate future.

Now, Bangkok.

Apparently the city of Bangkok is open today only. See, today is a public holiday, so everything that there is to do and see in Bangkok is open TODAY ONLY. And for 20 Baht, I can take you there on my Tuk Tuk.

I wonder how well a business would do in Sydney, if it was only open TODAY. You could call it "Only open TODAY!!!". Of course, the business itself sells nothing of any interest - the money is made in the taxi drivers who take unsuspecting tourists too and from. I suspect it would do OK, as long as you somehow targeted tourists who were coming directly from Bangkok

And thus beginneth my Asian travels.

Actually, my Asian travels began at the airport. Most emails I have read about Bangkok describe the 'hustle and bustle', a 'vibrant city', are amazed at the 'incredible traffic' and that it is buzzing '24 hours a 'day'.

I was most impressed at the smell.

The airport smells like fart. A really tangy fart.

My hotel lobby smelt like a spicy urine

Even the pollution smells like Pad Thai.

Everything has this incredible smell of herbs, spices and chilli, mixed in with the smells on the natural human function.

And the chilli is amazing. Chilli for breakfast is something that needs to start featuring in my daily habit on return to Australia.

So, what are the weird things I saw in my 24 hours in Bangkok?

- A dog urinating inside a travel agent
- An elephant walking down the street
- A woman popping a balloon by shooting a dart out of her nether regions.
- Street sellers barbequing satay sticks at 6am.- A plethora of foreign brands of clothing, at ridiculously cheap prices.
- 5 Westerners (possibly us) piled into the back of a Tuk Tuk (designed to hold 2) zipping through traffic.

This, mind you, within the first 24 hours.

And since then, I have caught a 14 bus trip to Cambodia, where we will spend the next little while, having altered our travel plans due to the tidal waves.

At first glance, Cambodia is an eye opener. It appears to be poorer and less developed that any other country I have ever visited.

I was warned whilst playing frisbee at a stop during our trip that if the frisbee gets thrown off the track, I shouldn't fetch it due to risk of land mines.

More to come as I become more acquainted with this place.