Flight-weary we shared a room for the night having found a guesthouse that seemed alright. That is, if you call three beds crammed into one tiny room and questionable everything 'alright'. The next morning I woke to find my self-imported sheet covered in miniscule spots of blood - an army of bed bugs had apparently been trying to get to me and had gotten squashed in the process! Remarkably, I was unbitten. The sarong I had bought in Indonesia inherited the title of 'bedsheet' for the remainder of my trip. The Israeli girl was leaving Bangkok, so the Aussie guy and I decided to share a room somewhere else. Incredibly, we found one of the quieter places actually on the road and one of the few that does not have a TV relentlessly blaring out movies.

I took those few days to soak up and explore the city. I found my way to Chinatown (Sampeng) and the Indian district (Pahurat) - where I was intent on finding a shoulder bag. I wandered through the seemingly never-ending lanes of the Indian bazaar. The bag proved elusive and, growing increasingly frustrated competing for walking space in the puddle-ridden lanes with motorbikes and throngs of people, I headed back on foot to Banglamphu. I wandered down by the river, a hive of activity with stalls selling mostly food (huge pots and bowls of cooked vegetables, meat, dried and cooked fish, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables). Full of life and interesting smells, very old and shabby-looking - it was also almost devoid of other westerners. I enjoyed a simple meal of rice and vegetables, with a table of local college students eating next to me and a view of the murky river, with the long tail river taxis passing by.

I visited the Grand Palace, the adjoining Wat Phra Kaew (temple) and the surrounding buildings, which are only a ten-minute walk from Khao San Road. These buildings amaze with vibrant colours against whitewashed walls. There is elaborate trim and decoration in gold leaf, mosaic decorated pillars and tiled roofs. Equally striking is the lovely Wat Pho (Wat Phra Chetuphon), on separate grounds next to the palace and also enclosed within whitewashed walls. The largest and oldest wat in Bangkok is within grounds that also include the wihaa (chapel) that houses the Reclining Buddha - a stunning figure of immense proportions (15m high by 46 meters long) and entirely covered in gold leaf.

These buildings have many whimsical features: pink elephants, mythological figures elaborately adorned with mosaics and tiles (sometimes as a part of the exterior of buildings or in plain stone within small gardens of trees), large decoratively painted pots with lily pads and flowers floating in the water that fills them, and wonderfully painted tiles all over. Despite the numbers of people, there is a sense of serenity that contrasts starkly with the chaos and congestion beyond the walls. A fine example of the diversity that makes Bangkok so interesting.

The Weekend Market was a highlight. About a half-hour bus ride from Banglumphu, it offers almost everything from casual clothing to local designer clothes, an amazing array of food (the fruit displays were particularly striking), second hand jeans, accessories, t-shirts, traditional Thai items, and household goods. There are places to eat everywhere. I chose one with long wooden tables, huge bowls of fresh greens, wonderful fresh food, and the usual condiments (red and green chillies in fish oil, dried chilli flakes, even hotter chillies, and sugar). It was on a subsequent visit to the market that I finally found a beautifully made shoulder bag, which has been well used, but now has a place on one of my walls.

Back around Khao San Road the people watching is good and even as a new arrival, it was easy to spot the seasoned travellers. You see it in the well-tanned skin, the requisite Thai fishermen's trousers (combination of a sarong and trousers), tank tops/singlets (likely bought in India), the walking sandals and often, lots of accessories and dreadlocked or bead-woven hair. You hear it in the snippets of conversations - they've just come from Nepal, are heading to Vietnam, maybe back to India - going north, heading south. Have you been there? You should go there. Stay at such and such place. Don't stay at another place. Did do a trek, didn't do a trek. Went on a trek with elephants, or didn't. Interesting at times, but after a matter of weeks you begin to feel like a broken record when answering the usual questions. Just a few weeks later I ended up handing out a page of notes full of such information to a fellow traveller. How the tables turn. I now have many pairs of fishermen's trousers.

Five years later (Spring 2002)

I still felt a little apprehensive, but it was certainly a far cry from the last time. I wanted to return to Khao San Road, partly just for the ease of finding accommodation late at night, but also because I wanted to book a trip to the islands, and I knew many companies operated from there. Rather than my previous two-month adventure this was only a two week holiday. Time was of the essence.

I looked around for some fellow backpackers and spotting two young guys, approached them to see if they would like to share a taxi. No sticky bus rides for me this time! It was their first time in Bangkok and, like me five years before, they really had no idea of what to do, so took me up on my offer. I was relieved when I recognized the intersection near to Khao San Road and knew where to get dropped off. I did know what I was doing!

The heat and humidity strikes as soon as you leave the comfort of the air-conditioned airport and the taxi ride offers only brief respite. The second the car door opens the heat sticks to you and zaps the energy out of you (and no, having a backpack on doesn't help). I suggested the guys follow me as I was going to try and find a place friends had recommended. Unfortunately, this meant making our way to the opposite end of Khao San Road, through the throngs of people, cars, taxis, scooters, tuktuks, food, jewellery and clothing stalls. We walked along the side of the road, and at times in the middle of the road (it was hopeless to try navigating the sidewalk). Fighting your way along the road is a trying experience at the best of times, but our backpacks made it much more so.

We found the place, but there were only doubles - one of which they took. In my sort-of-on-a-shoestring mode I didn't want to jump at a double so I headed to a place I'd stayed before. I questioned my reasoning a little when I took their last room, which unfortunately was facing the street - that is looking right down on Khao San Road, with music blasting and overlapping from the restaurant/bars, and the roar of the scooters, tuktuks and cars. The room was just big enough for a single bed, a little table with a fan on it, and my backpack. It was certainly nothing special. Still, I was glad to set my bag down for the night. It was noisy, hot and stifling so I decided to take a walk down the road and once again soak up the atmosphere.

Walking down Khao San Road, even more than in the rest of Bangkok, is less soaking up the atmosphere and more being assaulted by it. The splash of western culture is mixed with tacky tourist Thai culture - there to satisfy and nullify the shock for those arriving for the first time, or those taking a break from their travels. This almost obscures the authentic, urban Thai culture that peeks through here and there amid the smoke, fumes, exhaust, noise, neon signs, the people. Most of it was familiar; the 10 Baht Pad Thai; the stalls selling satay, dried fish, corn on the cob, and the always delicious banana, chocolate and sweet milk pancakes; the clothes; the jewellery; the loud music; and the TV screens showing Hollywood movies at almost every restaurant.

I tried to identify what had changed in five years. There was more; more food, more clothes, more Thais - tourists and locals coming to have a look (at us?). Internet cafés - once impossible to find - were now everywhere. There were a few stalls selling various kinds of insects (cockroaches and scorpions for example), cooked in a wok and looking pretty disgusting as far as I was concerned. I'll generally try almost any kind of food but these little delicacies did not tempt me in the least. I didn't recall from my last visit the make-shift bars set up in VW vans, with young Thai girls and strangely beautiful 'Ladyboys' dancing and calling out to all the passers by. It wasn't long before I decided to retreat back to my hovel, put in my earplugs, and try to get some sleep.

The next morning I checked out, and then went around comparing prices and options for getting to the islands. Last time I had gone from the bus station, which was a hassle, but now every place offered an air-conditioned, 'VIP' double-decker bus service with a direct transfer to the boat, and notably, they left from Khao San Road. The prices varied from 350 to 500 Baht, with very little difference in what was on offer, so I based my decision on who had been the friendliest and most helpful. I booked for a 6.30pm departure and, leaving my bags at the booking office, went in search of food.

I went one street over from Khao San Road to Rambutri Road and found a great place with a good selection of fresh food. Set up on the street corner it was in the same spot as a place I'd gone to years ago and I'm sure it was the same family running it. Unlike many of the food stalls around, this family arrives early in the morning with their freshly made food, unloads it from a pick-up truck, and then packs up a few hours later (leaving room for another vendor to move into the space). I happily people-watched as I ate my vegetables and rice, liberally sprinkling fresh chilies soaked in fish oil and dried chili flakes from the jars on the table onto my plate of food.

I walked down by the river, through the many stalls and small shops selling food, clothes and even, in one section, saw an astonishing array of old coins being traded. After waiting out a downpour I went to find a place to eat dinner - eating is never far down my to-do list! On the way, near the tourist office, a tuktuk driver approached me. As usual he offered to take me (for just 30 Baht) to the palace, to the Lucky Buddha and, although he didn't tell me, I knew there would likely be a 'Jewellery Exhibition' included. This is a set-up whereby the driver gets a commission for anything you buy. The same situation goes on in Indonesia with batik shops. You get taken where they want you to go. In a friendly manner I told him I had been before and seen it all. Of course, in Bangkok this could never be true. However, with his continued insistence and price-cutting I decided to hop in.

I could have walked faster. Tuktuks are much like golf carts and in order to see more than the bottom half of the surrounding vehicles I hunkered down in the blue vinyl seat behind the driver and spent much of the ride holding my breath to avoid inhaling exhaust fumes as much as possible. At the small run-down looking wat that houses the Lucky Buddha I hopped off of the tuktuk and went in. It was closed for the day! This just made the whole situation even funnier. I'd lost my patience at this point and told him I would walk back. He insisted on giving me a ride to near the palace and I went on my way from there - fending off this same offer over and over again. In a ploy to try and get me to take a ride several tuktuk drivers pulled over, shook my hand and welcomed me to Bangkok, asking me where I was from and how long I was planning to stay.

Another day I took a 45-minute bus ride to the Siam Square area. This is home to the World Trade Center, the Hilton and other hotels, and multi-level indoor shopping malls with American, Australian and UK retailers as well as their Asian counterparts. This is the place to shop for electronic goods and cameras and higher quality clothing. It is also where you will see more affluent Thai people shopping right alongside you.

I planned to get a massage at Wat Pho - the national centre of massage in Thailand - where you can not only get a massage but actually take a massage training course. Unfortunately, I chose a morning when there was a Thais-only Buddhist celebration at the wat. Every tuktuk driver trying to lure me in for a 'tour' of the city, sold me a different story as to when it would re-open, but I was finally able to enter by late afternoon. After washing my feet I was given paper-like baggy trousers to put on and directed towards one of the beds. For the next hour my whole body (including my fingers and toes) was kneaded, pulled, stretched and twisted more than I thought possible. It was partly relaxing, but mostly invigorating. Afterwards I went to one of the chapels and was fortunate to witness a large group of young boys in their beautiful, bright orange monks' robes, kneeling in prayer.

Later, I collected my bags at the booking office and was led, along with two others, to where our 'VIP' bus was parked. With a typically unclear and chaotic procedure we were directed aboard the rather nice double decker bus (blankets were even provided). I found a seat up top by a window and settled in as I left the city sprawl of Bangkok far behind. Five years had passed, but the impact of the city was still as powerful as it had been; except this time I felt I had been more aware, and in control. But once again, I left with a fresh list of things to do the next time I came.