Happy in Hong Kong!

We have arrived in Hong Kong and despite the trouble finding a place to stay, managed to find two guest houses for four nights. Besides the fact that I can literally touch both walls with my arms bent, they are clean and in a good location. More on Hong Kong to follow, but in the meantime, here is a post we wrote on Bangkok and waited to put up to make sure we were ok with it.

We must confess that we did not like Bangkok that much and don't really see a reason to return. It was not the traffic, crowds or the pollution that deter us from returning (as we handled New Delhi, India quite fine), it was the general atmosphere/moral of the city that got to us. We were just plain tired of the harassement.

Having said that, Bangkok is a major hub in Southeastern Asia and everyone should experience it once. Here are some tips we found useful during our time there.

- Do not buy souviners at the major tourist destinations such as Khoasan road as the price skyrockets. Shop a few streets away.

- Never ride in a Tuk Tuk vehicle. I know travellers always hear this, but here they really are more expensive than a cab and they will always make extra stops plus you never really know if you will get dropped off at your requsted destination.

-The Grand Palace does NOT close at lunch time despite what locals will tell you. It is a scam for them to get you in a Tuk Tuk and shipped off to local sovenier shops to "kill" time. Even the police told us that it was closed.

-Only take a taxi that uses the meter. It is illegal for taxi drivers not to use one in Bangkok, and they will use the meter if you point to it.

-Dress appropriately at all Buddist Temples (no caps, arms and legs covered, and closed toe-shoes) You can get away with sandals and some shorts, but really isn't the whole point of visiting to show respect towards different beliefs and cultures.

-Don't point your feet at any Buddist statue as this position is considered extremely offensive.

If you visit Bangkok with an open mind and a sense of humour, you can enjoy it. Just make sure you don't stay too long!