The longer I'm in Bangkok, the happier I am that I'm only pausing in Bangkok as part of my travels. There are definitely things to see and do here, like the Emerald Buddha or visiting the Palace, but you really don't need to be here more than a couple of days.

I've been meeting a ton of other travelers, listening to their stories about trekking throught Burma (now that's REAL adventure traveling; apparently you can buy anything with shampoo and lipstick) visiting Laos, etc. I definitely want to come back to Thailand and go trekking up north in Chiang Mai. I was talking to this one woman from California, whom had been traveling throughout Thailand for the past month or so. She had gone diving and kayaking in the beaches in the south (which she claimed beat the Caribbean hands down) and trekking (real trekking, riding elephants and bamboo rafts through the jungle) up in Chiang Mai in the north. When am I going to get to go trekking on elephants? Guess the grass is always greener.

Visited Khao San Road, a world famous backpacker street since the 60s. More than any other place, it reminds me of Times Square. Flashing neon lights, loud obnoxious American music, people trying to sell you things at all hours of the night, etc. We went out for dinner here the other night (bad idea). I ordered Pad Thai, and if I had been in America, I would've said that this was the most Americanized Pad Thai I've ever had. I find it funny that though backpackers are reputed to be so anti-touristy, Khao San Road, is the most touristy part of Bangkok I've been in.

Getting around Bangkok has been pretty easy because of the predominant use of English in signs and other things. Which made me think of the people back at home, who complain about certain areas of places where all the signs are in Spanish and not being able to understand things in their own town, or walking into a Pakistani grocery store and having all the signs in Urdu. Like they should really be complaining. What about people in countries like Thailand or China, where there is advertising, not just in one part of a city or a town, but everywhere, in a language completely foreign to you. Don't get me wrong; I'm totally grateful that there is so much signage in English, and that so many people speak it. It makes things alot easier for me. With the spread of American culture and globalization, this seems to be more and more common. I just think people back at home shouldn't complain so much about signs and advertising only in one language.