Two men were sitting at the bar of The Oriental. “One more round”. The two men observed a couple entering the dining room. They took a table near the arches that led to The Verandah. “Who’s that?” asked Bill. “Travellers’ said Leonowens. “There are more and more of them coming nowadays. People travel.” Bill shook his head.
Franklin Bill Hurst and Louise Thomas Leonowens, 1893, The Oriental, Bangkok.
Europe was almost 40 days away by steamer. Saigon, Hanoi, Hong Kong to the east and Singapore to the south were the ports of call. Not many travellers came to Bangkok. It was a sleepy, little city.
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