We are in Bangkok!

and so far, only our ankles are swollen. We've walked less than a block away from our hotel when we followed some schoolgirls turning down what looked to be an alley. It's this whole other world off of the street. I didn't realize we'd come so far away from the water, or maybe this is just another peninsula.

The 13 hour flight was unpleasant. The plane was packed and so Dave & I became quite familiar with the poor soul who sat between us. The best part is that it was an overnight flight, so we all slept most of the time. We both swear that sitting on the wooden seats at the bar of Navali River Resort is more comfortable than the EVA Air economy class seats.

So, we get checked in. We have a balcony over-looking both the Chao Phraya river and the bar of the hotel. There's a soft breeze. Luckily for us, we're on the side of the river opposite of where the sun is beating down. We can actually enjoy sitting out on the deck watching the water ferries come in. We're right at the stop of #3 of the Phra Arthit pier. Here's where you can buy tickets for the klong tours, or the long-tailed boat rides.

This Bangkok neighborhood is not lived as much open to the street as we experienced in Hanoi, but the doors are open. The streets are clean. It's not as noisy, but the pollution is really bad. It looks like a grey day even with the sun beating down. But there's gold paint and flourishes to all their finishes here. I'm looking forward to being able to spend more time in the streets. So is Dave, but he's pretending he can do the afternoons in the tropics. I know better.

More later!