Reading media coverage of Bangkok’s Khaosan Road in the last few years, you’d imagine it’s gone from slum-level backpacker cred circa Leo’s ‘Beach’ in 2000 to seriously upscale today.

Okay, a week on the road and time to break radio silence.

The first seven days have been a fair mix of exhilarating and exhausting. The travel adrenalin delayed the effects of jet lag and acclimatising from 12C to 37C overnight, but after a couple of days both of us had a major crash. It wasn’t anything 13 hours of sleep couldn’t cure, though, and we’re both feeling fit and well again.