February 23, 2004

In the morning, after a Thai Railways breakfast ("Oh, don't those fried eggs look soo attractive wrapped in clingfilm?") we watched the Thai coast and countryside slide past as we headed further north. Although we're only a few hundred miles north of Malaysia, the outlook is quite different – especially the architecture and the ornate Thai temples dotted around the landscape. The closer we got the Bangkok, the more built-up it became, and the more advertising hoardings stood out on the landscape. Eventually, in the suburbs we passed the new raised up expressways, choked up with traffic. Mmm, now I remember why I didn't enjoy exploring Bangkok.

We hopped off the train at the station before the final stop, and got ourselves a metered taxi to the Khao San road area. This is the main area where backpackers head to, and has a wide range of budget accommodation. We got the taxi to drop us at one likely place (at least, according to the Lonely Planet), but it didn't have triple rooms, so we went on a bit further – to a guest house with dark, dingy and windowless rooms. Mmm, 2 down, 1,000 more to go. So we found a café, and Sarah went off to check out some places while I sat with the girls and the bags. Then Sarah came back, having a drawn a blank, and it was my turn to go off.

Eventually we found a great place – the New Siam II Guest House – down a small alleyway behind a temple. It is much more like a hotel than a guest house, and even has a swimming pool (How to become a popular Dad!). The cheapest rooms we'd seen would have cost us 400 Baht for a triple (around £6), and this one cost a mighty 960 Baht (£14), but it was worth the difference. Not only do we have air-conditioning, a bathroom and a spotless white tiled bedroom, but we also have Louis Vuitton sheets on the bed!!! Sarah has decided that this is what she's been waiting for since we left home. Finding this guest house has put me into everybody's good books.