Jan 4, 2010 | Bangkok

Bangkok is a good hub for travels throughout Southeast Asia, which is mighty faint praise for Bangkok itself. This is where I learned to distrust every tuk-tuk driver who opened his mouth, where I figured out the difference between a genuine smile and a commercial smile, and where my most satisfying day was at an air-conditioned shopping mall eating McDonald's, drinking Starbucks, and buying reasonably priced camera equipment.