Bangkok

Asian foot etiquette has some quaint variations. When visiting a mosque, you take off your shoes, but can leave your socks on. In the Hindu temple at Amber Fort they ask you to remove your shoes and socks, as well as leather belts. And in Thai temples you're expected to sit with your feet facing backwards. A sign says "Do not point your toes at the Buddha."

I'm happy to go along with these practices. I'll even rub a bronze elephant's head for luck, jump high to ring the bell at the entrance to the Delhi's Birla Temple or ring a whole series of bells on the way up Bangkok's Golden Mount.

Beyond these superstitious rituals the one thing all these religions share is uncompromising devotion. Bahai appears to be the only faith that acknolwedges this common ground. I admired their magnificent temple in Delhi, shaped like a giant lotus blossom. The most lavish temple complex here in Bangkok is Wat Phra Kaeo, a kind of spiritual Disneyland with it stunning array of colourful pagodas and statues.

Today I took a train trip to Ayutthaya to see the poignant ruins of the ancient city, a pleasant contrast to the hectic bustle of modern Bangkok.