Bangkok!
Wow! It’s my first day here and it’s been amazing! It’s much better than I expected. Bangkok itself is very modern, relatively speaking. And the best is that some of the comforts I’ve been lacking or paying extra for are here and are cheap! I’ve got a pretty decent double room with A/C a clean bathroom, shower and hot water for 450 Baht (~$11). That’s expensive here! If I would have gotten the hotel I wanted (all booked up) I would have even gotten a TV for the same price or less. A single room with a fan and no A/C is 250 Baht (~$6)! This is in Bangkok! The most expensive city in Thailand!
Surprisingly there is a 7-11 on every corner, which is actually nice. I enjoy being able to buy the simple comforts when in places that are a little scary. 
There is nothing that makes you feel right at home more than being able to by a bag of M&Ms without having to buy a pound from the Duty Free store.
I’m sure some of you are thinking “Oh that sucks! I want to be immersed in the culture!” To that I say BAH!! It gets tiresome eating the same food day in and day out. Not being able to satisfy those simply cravings once in a while can drive you insane. Toilet paper is a godsent and a proper toilet a throne when you’ve been squating in a hole and using the questionable water in a bucket to wash yourself. All that is not to mention that THIS IS THE CULTURE! When in Thailand do as the Thai’s do….go to 7-11! Buy toilet paper, buy M&Ms, buy Pepsi and buy it for a fraction of what it would cost you back home!
All that being said, the Pad Thai here is AMAZINGLY GOOD! I bought it from some street vendor lady and she cooked it up right there in front of me. I ordered the Special. It was 25 Baht (~$0.62) and I was full when I was finished. It had 4 different kinds of noodles, egg and sprouts (my favorite!). You can customize it as she cooks it buy throwing in some of the varied spices and oils available.
This place already is one of my favorite places I’ve visited and I’ve only been here for a few hours! It makes me terribly excited to visit Hong Kong or Tokyo! I’m also excited to see more of the rural areas of Thailand and the islands which are supposed to be incredibly beautiful.
I’m here for 21 days or so and I’ll be styaing in Bangkok for a few days. Then I’ll head up to Chaing Mai for a few days before I head back to Bangkok on my way down to some of the more rural towns and villages. Then I’ll visit the island of Ko Samui and/or Ko Pangan. Then from there I’ll probably head thru Malaysia on my way to Singapore, where I catch a flight to Melbourne, Australia to meet two lovely ladies who have graciously welcomed me into their homes.