One Night In Bangkok...

...makes a hard man humble, as they say, and this city is definitely humbling. It's huge - about 12 million people, loud, and the traffic makes DC look like South Dakota.

I got here early in the morning Thursday and figured out the Public Bus system and got into town. Traffic is scary - the best way to get around is on the back of a motobike as it weaves between the lanes of stuck cars and buses. Pedestrians be wary - they even hop onto the sidewalk sometimes and traffic signals are only considered "suggestions," it's hilarious to watch the group psychology at work as first one, then two, then a flood of scooters decide a red-light is too long and just gun it across! It works, but it's quite exciting. My hostel is fine, not 5-star, but then again it's $8 a night with full American Breakfast! Walked all over town all day, and realized just how big it is! Finally gave in and took their elevated Metro home, it's better than DC Metro - no surprise there.

I had found a website which recommends places and routes for runners in cities all over the world and went for a run in Lumphini Park, it's pretty with some lakes and lots of runners. I talked to an expat running alongside and it's the only place in town that won't destroy your lungs. When I went back in the afternoon and took some pictures, there was a uniformed class of girls singing their lessons and I sat and listened for awhile. When the class broke up to head back to school, I got some fun posed shots. Around dinner time I met a girl staying at the hostel named Sofia (from Woodbridge, VA, of course. That's my second small world story - I met a girl on Magnetic Island from Herndon!) and we went to dinner then grabbed some others and went to the infamous Khao San Road for a night out. It's a really big scene, with mostly backpackers packing into hostels and lots of bars and nightlife.

The next day I played tourist with Javier, (from Mexico and Texas,) taking a city bus across town to see the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, and Wat Phra Kaeo. Then I took a longtailboat up the Chao Phrya River the throughout the canals of the Thonburi neighborhood. These boats are long skinny things with car engines balanced and mounted on a long pole that angles down to the water about ten feet behind the boat. On the way home, we took some time to shop around the Siam Square shopping warren, and that night we grabbed Sofia and it was back to Khao San again. On the way home very late at night, we also took a spin through the Soi Cowboy redlight district. And to all who warned me about the "girlie boy" hookers, so far they've been pretty obvious and easy to avoid. All in all, it was a very busy day!

Some Thailand observations and sweeping and probably inaccurate generalizations...
Thais are some of the happiest, smiliest people I've seen - willing to stop and help, patient with language difficulties and very understanding. Case in point - Bourne Ultimatum - I bought a ticket and soon found that the despite being advertised as being in English that it wasn't, whoops! No worries, got a refund and a written list of other theatres and times I could find the version I needed. Can you imagine that kind of help from the sullen teen at the local mega-plex?
Thais are also proud of their culture, and are so very willing to share it with you. I've been exploring the food, (I'm in heaven here,) gotten a massage and taken in some traditional street performers.
Sometimes they are too helpful - constantly bugging you to get a taxi, steering you into shops and offering all kinds of tours and, ummm, services. When I was walking out of the Grand Palace on my way to Wat Pho and the famous reclining Buddha, I was advised that it was closed for "Buddha Day" and that I should go see the Lucky Buddha instead. It sounded fishy so I checked out Wat Pho anyway and it was open as normal. So much for my planned "Buddha Day" celebrations...
My favorite thing is all the street food vendors and sidewalk portable restaurants, (imagine if the local hot dog cart carried around a bunch of plastic outdoor tables and chairs...) It's all ridiculously cheap and very good, though they are serious about the spice here as I've painfully learned. I've been trying all kinds of weird things and found lots of great new tastes.
My favorite funny thing is that instead of chemical cakes in urinals, they just toss in a handful of lime slices. Cheap, effective, and good for the enviroment!

Saturday I ran errands, got a traditional Thai massage, and got set to go south to the islands for some much anticipated scuba diving!!! Took an overnight bus, then a ferry and arrived bright and early in the morning. I'll post about Koh Tao and Koh Phangan later, now I'm off to catch a dive boat!

Stay Wet,
C