One last post on Bangkok. Finally found our crispy-fried bugs – at a street vendor outside a 7-11 (in case a Mars bar just isn’t enough). As far as we could tell, you had your choice of mantises, grubs, locusts, crunchy-ant garlic stir-fry, big meaty beetle/cockroaches, and a few more I was too busy retching to catalogue. While we were there, one guy came and bought a big bag for the long walk home. The nice lady was very game and let me snap away, though later on we found one surly critter-dealer on the Khaosan Road who wanted 10B for the privilege.

In theory (and on Fear Factor), it seems imminently doable; I mean: what’s the big deal? In any case, when faced with the six-legged reality I turned and ran like a dog, but am slowly building up my gumption for our return to Bangkok towards the end of January.

So we’ll be escaping the Bangkok bustle tonight: overnight bus to the cooler climes of Chiang Mai. Have our minds set on trying Burma, but no one in Bangkok can provide us with any reliable info on flights and borders. There’s a border crossing north of Chiang Mai that we’re eyeing; will see if it pans out.