I’m glad to say we’ve arrived safely in Bangkok.  Our flight with EVA Air was pretty decent, they really came through with good leg room, plentiful food and a bathroom stocked with complimentary toothbrushes, eye masks and earplugs.  What more can you ask for in cattle-class?  The flight was long but we managed to get some sleep, the kids more so than us perhaps.  I certainly discovered that a 4 year old’s head is heavier than you might think after it’s been laying on your leg, in one position, for 3 hrs.  Dead-leg city. After a few (not entirely successful) manoeuvers, and after settling Chloe back down when his legs shot out into her face, I managed to get him curled up in his seat.  My leg was free of his head, but my shoulder was not.  You take what you can.

We’d warned the kids that 34C was going to feel hot, but I don’t think you can easily imagine what being hotter than you’ve ever been in your life will feel like until it actually happens.  They’ve taken it pretty well, but are definitely feeling it.  Chloe is rather attached to the AirCon in the room.  She wanted to come back to the room after breakfast, at about 8:30am, to chill in air-conditioned splendour because, and I quote, “It is too hot out”. “Oh Chloe”, I thought, “it’s gonna get a LOT hotter than this today”.  And that’s exactly what I told her.  All in all though, they are doing pretty well, especially considering we dragged them out for a walk around Chinatown during the hottest three hours of the day.  Alex and I suck at forward planning, we need to learn to schedule our day around a midday siesta I think!

I almost forget what it was like to be in Thailand for the first time, to experience a country and culture so different from anywhere I’d ever been before.  I love it, and it still feels different to me, but it’s no longer unexpected.  It’s wonderful to watch the kids experience it for the first time.  Chloe has already said she thinks she likes it better than Edinburgh (even if it is really hot).  Thailand seems to like them too, the kids are pretty popular with the locals who are very friendly towards them.  Pale skin is highly regarded in Asia so our pale, blonde-haired children are noticed.  I’ve seen several of them point the kids out to their friend sitting next to them, and they like to say hello and touch their shoulder, even taking their picture sometimes.  It’s like we’re their tourist attraction.

It is 5:40pm and I’ve no idea what we are going to do later – probably wander around the streets and try to stop Ben having a melt down at every single market stall because he can’t buy everything he sees.  So much to tempt little eyes, that’s for sure.  We’ve already discovered we need to sit Ben away from the street side of the table because the hawkers soon discover he is an easy sell.  He is now the proud owner of an illuminating fidget spinner that we paid waaaay too much for because I hadn’t the energy to barter last night.  C’est la vie!

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