Today is my birthday, and it was slightly disappointing to spend the first part of it on a bus. I can normally sleep anywhere, and although I slept for much of the journey, I never became comfortable. Eventually, I arrived in Bangkok and made my way to Khaosan Road, a popular area for backpackers. I find my companion’s fascination with night markets and bazaars highly entertaining. To borrow a line from Karl Marx, if religion is the opiate of the masses, then markets must be hers. Even supermarkets qualify.