Bangkok - day II
Trip Start
Feb 20, 2006
1
3
19
Trip End
Mar 24, 2006
Bangkok,
Thailand
Friday, February 24, 2006
Before you all think I'm spending all my time emailing instead of enjoying the holiday...Let me explain. It's so hot here that in the middle of the day you have to find a place to cool off and get out of the crowds.
Yesterday's email was cut short because of time restraints in the cafe, so I'll finish it off today. Oh yeah, please excuse my spelling/grammar...These are the weirdest keyboards. They are set up to accommodate the 35 letter Thai language and I'm hardly fluent with a keyboard to begin with.
So where was I...
This is a city of such diversity. In some ways its completely filthy or decrepit. Every sidewalk is uneven and heaving as if the country suffered from heavy frost. Chunks of pavement and odd paving blocks jut out and catch a klutzy foot unaware at every step. Yet there is very little litter on most streets. Legions of elderly women sweep errant rubbish with ancient looking stick brooms. Garbage bins are large baskets piled up or small plastic bags placed in the most unusual places on streets and sidewalks. Garbage collectors search through the helter skelter in order to gather their quarry and they must find it because there is very little to be found in the morning.
This is a city of smells. Incense perfumes the air, wafting from shrines in homes, yards, workplaces, Wats and other odd places. Fish sauce and durian compete with rubbish and petrol fumes causing many residents to wear surgical masks or pinch their noses as they walk or drive around the city. There are no buskers, none. No music at all, except for the ubiquitous American pop and rap. The few beggars I've seen are mostly women with tiny children draped across their laps seated on walkways.Very, very sad. I believe most are victims of Aids. The vast majority are gainfully employed. Selling something, everything and everywhere after the city comes alive after 10 am. Every shop competes with street vendors perched on their thresholds but street vendors are not promised a place. They seem to set up where ever they can. Sometimes moving several times a day. Great big massage chairs are set up and then torn down daily, hourly and then someone else comes along and sets up a different shop.
In certain ways Bangkok reminds me of the soviet union. There is a ministry for everything. Every ministry has an enormous building and aside from the Royal real estate and consulates,the only naked sidewalks exist in front of these buildings. It seems all the nations of earth have set up a consulate here (even the Irish???). I guess everyone wants to be in a paradise of sorts.
Romeo is happy. Ecstatic actually. We have left the "Best" Bangkok backpack shanties behind us and moved to classier digs. A four star hotel with a pool, a real unadvertised luxurious carpet and the biggest . We now overlook the entire city. Actually, even from our new lofty view you still can't see the outskirts of the city. Not just because of the haze or pollution either. It's a gigantic city. It goes on forever...But at night you'd never really know it. Most building turn off the electricity at night. No lights, no wasting power, no A/C!!! So malls and office towers are boiling by morning. In fact, hotel rooms have no power until the hotel room card is placed into an in room slot. So hotel rooms and hallways are sweltering for several minutes after returning or arriving.
Thai people are very devout. There are multitudes of Wats (temples) and shrines. You see people praying at all times of the day. Flower wreaths made of marigolds and other colourful flowers are placed along with water, beer, juice, fruit and other assorted goodies as offering to Buddha and Ganesh shrines. They are also incredibly loyal to their king. His image adorn bridges, building and parks to name a few. Politicians do not hold the same love apparently. It wasn't till late last night we found out about the 50,000 protesters at the democracy monument. Quite a surprise really. Talk about being out of the loop.
This morning we awoke to the news that Bush will be joining us in India. I can't say I'm a happy camper. In fact I'm a little choked. It's already difficult to blend in, I glow like neon snow for gods sake! So now the man who made it virtually impossible for westerners to travel safety around the world is going to screw up our vacation. Yeah.
Well, we weren't going for boring. I'm just going to have to wear a burka and hide if I see a Muslim militia crossing the Pakistani border. As if there weren't enough problems in this world, now we may have to contend with an angry anti-bush crowd.
We are headed in that direction Wednesday, so keep you're fingers crossed.
