Bangkok

The Thais call their capital Krung Thep, or City of Angels.  It's an interesting choice of words given the hedonist atmosphere that pervades much of the city - the busy red light districts, the uber-malls that put Singapore to shame, the overwhelming number of massage parlors, the heavenly smell of curry boiling on the sidewalks, the x-rated t-shirts that would make a New Yorker blush, the 'wily strangers' on every block looking to con a quick buck (or "bhat").....

The cabs are colored like Tropical Skittles; the street markets are serenely hassle-free (are you listening, Vietnam?); the Thai boxing matches, with sweat, and occasionally blood, spraying in all directions, are thrilling and brutal; the rivers are filthy and god help you if you fall in, but they're the best way to navigate the city (I read somewhere that some consider Bangkok to be the "Venice of Asia," hmnnn); the Buddhist temples ("wats") are bathed in gold, jewels and colored glass that literally glow in mid-day sun.....

The locals will come up to you and pretend they're police, trying to con you; they will approach you 20x a day with brochures filled with naked women and say, "body massage?;" they will bow their heads, with their hands together to greet you and thank you each day; they will construct a soccer goal out of anything available; they will say "America" with an exclamation point; they will use their umbrellas on a clear day to block the sun (I did too); they will tell you their king is a "very good man" even if you didn't ask; mostly, they will just make you miss Bangkok.....