Travel

I’m just back from a 4-day road trip around Iceland with Simon, which couldn’t have been more needed as I was starting to run myself into the ground. In order to fully feel the benefit of the time away we both agreed to disconnect 3G/WiFi and just be completely present in the incredible surroundings we were visiting.

Hidden behind a floor-length curtain in the most unexpected of places, Le Parker Meridien Hotel on 56th St, is a bijou spot called Burger Joint. You can very easily miss it if you’re not certain it’s there (and I wasn’t when I went looking for it way back in 2010).

“You must try Franklin Barbecue whilst you’re in Austin”, my host Lisa advised. “Sounds good, I’ll swing by at lunchtime.” I replied. Her response confused me, “You’ll need to be in the queue by 8am”. “I’ll what?”

After surviving an evening on the Khaosan Road, I feel ready to tackle exploring further afield. A friend from home had recommended visiting the Emerald Buddha in the morning before the heat of the day and when I’d checked out its position on Google maps, it looked like it was just 14 minutes walk from my hotel.

There’s only so much poolside lounging you can do before you begin to get itchy feet, so this evening I decided it was time to go explore Bangkok by night. If I’m honest, initially the thought of the Khaosan Road on my own at night was intimidating.

After a 14-hour flight I touched down in Bangkok at 8am. From there I took a metered cab (as advised) to my hotel. If only it was that simple.