This time, we decided not to book any accomodation in advance and just turned up, doing a tour of guesthouses until we found a room. We eventually managed to find a double room with a private bathroom for 350 baht (just over £7), which didn't seem to bad, despite the dirty concrete floor, lack of light and the smell of cooking coming from the kitchen directly beneath. Things took a turn for the worse during the night, however, when Hannah woke me up and complained that she was being bitten by bed bugs. We left the light on for the rest of the night to scare away any bugs and promptly checked out the next morning. We're now paying a king's ransom (£17 per night) for a much nicer room down the street.
Walking down the street round here is rather a draining experience, with tuk-tuk drivers and tailors touting for business. Unfortunately for them, the guidebooks are pretty clear, advising travellers that both are either a rip-off or a scam. We still managed to fall for a scam, though. When we first arrived in Bangkok, when the first few locals noticed that we were clearly new in town and approached us, we asked where the tourist information office was. Little did we know but the tourist information office was mere feet away at that point. We were instead led in completely the opposite direction by a friendly chap who dropped us off at a travel agent who promptly offered to plan our entire time in Thailand in axchange for £800. Thankfully, we didn't go with that offer.
At night, this area becomes even more manic, with a million backpackers coming out to play.
A million biting insects also come out to play and we have learned that insect repellant is essential, even in the centre of Bangkok.
Today is, of course, Valentine's Day. We're off out for a swanky and expensive meal. We're off to a pizza restaurant round the corner where a pizza will cost all of 300 Baht. That's £6 per pizza. Good job Valentine's Day only happens once a year.
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