| Bangkok offers a culturally unique blend of | | | | the Grand Palace in central Bangkok, where the |
| Eastern and Western cultures, a kaleidoscope of | | | | 15th century Emerald Buddha, made from a single |
| activity for busy street caf�'s, vibrant | | | | piece of jade, is the most revered. |
| clubs and hedonistic side that one cannot help but | | | | The blend of spirituality, Asian culture and western |
| be distracted by | | | | speed is something that I have been unable to |
| While not recommend to those with high blood | | | | convey in words. Everyone who visits Bangkok |
| pressure, the is something to be said for the | | | | will have heard about its sexy image and every |
| experience of merely driving into Bangkok. With | | | | night thousands of Western tourists are drawn to |
| the sizzling food stalls, the open shop fronts, the | | | | the Patpong area. While some visitors are either |
| omnipresent orchids, the rattle of the | | | | tempted by, or visit Bangkok specifically for the |
| three-wheeled tuk-tuks, the saffron of the | | | | carnal pleasures on offer, many like myself find |
| Buddhist monks, it's one of Asia's biggest cities, | | | | themselves in little more risqu� that |
| population seven million and growing. | | | | haggling over the price of a fake Rolex. |
| Bangkok is truly a melting pot of eastern and | | | | I can't tell you what happens inside the sex clubs, |
| western cultures, with its own unique blend of | | | | because I didn't go into any. But after a quick look |
| spices added for good measure. They like, for | | | | around, I was making my way around out of |
| instance, the fact that our two countries have | | | | Patpong when a smiling Thai tout in a Manchester |
| royal families, our conservative dress, and | | | | United T-shirt emerged from a house of ill repute. |
| understated British manners. But more than that | | | | "Would you like a beautiful young lady, sir?" "No, |
| they love our football, with highlights of | | | | thank you," I replied politely. He hurried after me. |
| Premiership matches to be seen hours before we | | | | "What about a handsome young boy then?" "Don't |
| see them here. From what I knew of Alex | | | | be ridiculous," I said, somewhat taken a back. With |
| Garland's The Beach, Bangkok's Khao San Road, | | | | a philosophical shrug, the tout dropped back, |
| the international back-packers' first stop in Asia, | | | | obviously thinking, "There's no pleasing some folk." |
| was a dangerous, druggy place of sexual sighs | | | | But it was not all hedonistic. Hiring a tuk-tuk I sped |
| behind paper-thin walls, where Western junkies hid | | | | back into the centre of town where earlier I'd |
| from the real world. | | | | spotted my own carnal speciality. Slipping inside a |
| While as with most developed societies that that | | | | doorway down a riverside alley, I prepared |
| scene may well exist, my visit to the Khao San | | | | myself for something really decadent. A beautiful |
| Road provided me with a very different | | | | young woman in a long, white dress padded over. |
| experience. My personal experience of Bangkok | | | | She carefully removed my shoes and gently |
| was one of inexpensive hotels, clubs, restaurants | | | | washed my feet. I had a blissful moment that I |
| and great clubs where one could dance the night | | | | will more than likely never forget. My feet after a |
| away. I was staying in the glistening, towering | | | | day and a half legging it around Bangkok, were |
| new Peninsula Hotel, on the Chao Phraya River, in | | | | screaming with pain. The young masseuse |
| the centre of Bangkok, across from the old city. I | | | | anointed my feet with sweet-smelling oils, |
| was bedazzled by the river. This extremely busy | | | | simultaneously pointing out to me, on a map of a |
| jugular functioning as a highway for speedboats, | | | | foot, how every bone of the foot represented a |
| river taxis, junks and the occasional jet ski for | | | | different organ of the entire body. This, at last, |
| the very brave. I took a riverboat ride upstream | | | | was the exotic East. Later, on the green-canopied |
| from the old port, the Farang Quarter (a | | | | ferry as we made our way back across the river |
| foreigner is called a farang in Thai) with its hotels, | | | | to the Peninsula Hotel, I realised that for what |
| embassies, shops selling antiques, jewels and | | | | seemed the first time for ages I was standing |
| fossilised dinosaur droppings, past the beautiful old, | | | | and my feet weren't hurting. It was all I could do |
| dilapidated European customs house and on to the | | | | to refrain from dancing with joy. |
| Park Khlong flower and vegetable market. | | | | Dialaflight is one of the UK's biggest travel |
| Nowhere in Bangkok is far from a shrine or a | | | | companies, offering flights and holiday deals to |
| statue of the Buddha and, as we pulled upstream | | | | destinations world wide including Thailand. Visit |
| passing slums and temples the spiritual presence | | | | Dialaflight to book your Bangkok Flight. |
| followed. Some of the best Buddha statues are in | | | | |