48 hours

minibus > bus > tuk tuk > sleeper train > city bus > feet (around Bangkok) > city bus > subway > skytram > flight > flight > tricycle 

Vang Vieng, Laos > Puerto Princesa, Philippines (via 18 hour layover in Bankok) 

Longer than it took us to get to Asia from Chicago! To be fair the sleeper train is one of the more comfortable beds we've had so we got a full night's sleep and were ready to take on BKK all day.....

Bangkok/6 am city bus 53

People everywhere on the streets pushing boxes, pulling carts, cooking curries, frying, eating various grilled meats on sticks, sweeping, making flower garland, sleeping in bushes, washing cars, opening shops, buying produce, selling noodles, cutting fruits, chopping meat, catching the bus, reading the paper, saying hi to friends. 

Everything is sticky. It got to 109 degrees that day.  We filled the day with massages and wifi, planning our trip to the Philippines. 

And after 2 sleepy cross eyed flights we landed on Conde Nast's #1 island of 2014, Palawan.