Bangkok

Bangkok is a big noisy metropolitan.

It is much like any other big Asian city except that the drivers do not habitually lean on the horn as they do all over China and India.

Once filled with opium dens and seedy guest houses, now luxury hotels line the city's horizon.

You can have your pick of five star accommodation for about $100 USD including a delicious breakfast.

You do not need to be very observant to notice the overweight "farang" (foreign) men holding hands with the small Thai girls, shopping and talking (mostly in sign language), to understand why some people find Bangkok a heavenly destination.

And yes, there are plenty of sleazy bars with imported beer and drooling horny men, but we did not visit them.

Instead we roamed the markets and the streets to see how the people truly live, taste their food and have a glimpse into life in contemporary Bangkok.

It is a complex place with plenty to see and do.

We had a great time there. We took a vegetarian cooking class and learned to make delicious Thai food, cycled into the countryside and explored the street of the city.