It's a good town, full of good things and people. But we've just come here too damn much.

Yet it's been worth it. One of my best friends, Jeanette, has just come up from Brisbane, Australia for a holiday, so we've been hanging out last night and today. Today also meant that I FINALLY got to see the Grand Palace... even if I did also forget the camera. Again. 1 out of 2's not bad, I suppose.

Still, this is going to be our last night in Bangkok for a while.

8000+ stalls... Innumerable Fighting Fish... 1 cheese grater

After the Palace and Wat Po, we took the Chao Praya boat down to the Central Pier and the southernmost stop of the Skytrain. The boat ride is relaxing, the BTS air-con and quiet, and we rode to Mo Chit for the Chatuchak weekend market. LP says that there are around 8,762 stalls there. You can get anything you want. For example, a sign in front of one of the 20-some sections advertised "Fighting Cocks, Fighting Fish, Beautiful Chickens." Now where else can you find such a combo?

The only thing I found that I wanted though, was some really yummy coffee (for 30 cents a cup!) and a small cheese grater for 50 cents (20 baht). Go figah. Next time I'm in Thailand though, there will be a weekend devoted to this market.

Change of Plans
The holidays have been great. Over Christmas we got to talk to some of our rellies, and it's had both of us missing home, friends and fam. It's not quite as tough on me as it is on Claudia — I head home in less than 2 weeks, after all, whereas she has 6 months to go.

Tonight Claudia was feeling kinda blah. Tomorrow we were going to go to Erawan Falls, but she's not been as keen on it. She wanted to go mainly so I could see it, as she loved the place when she was here with Stephanie. But we're in this trip together, and need to see both see what we want to see. So Erawan will just have to wait for another time. I wanted to see it mostly because of how much it seemed she wanted me too!

But where to go? And how to have some more adventure, especially to help her get back her travel zip-bang-groove? Thailand is easy, especially after the difficulties and travails of India. But we don't really have enough time to go to, say, Laos or Malaysia (though it's tempting).

So instead we're going to go east, and take our chances on some islands. Ko Chang, Ko Mak — it's close to New Year so accommodation could be tight, but that's no reason not to go. This is travel, this is our trip. If we aren't going to take a few chances, then hell, we might as well be back home.

Besides, it's just time to get out of Bangkok. With every visit or transit day, we're probably been in Bangkok about 10-15 days since coming to Thailand. I like this city, but not that much. I don't even want to see Bangkok again, until it's time to fly out of it.

Here's to lovely beach, blue sky, warm sea, and rum by the bucket for 100 baht.

Now that's a happy bloody new year.