Bangkok... ladyboys
Trip Start
Jun 11, 2008
1
55
62
Trip End
Aug 07, 2008
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Bangkok,
Thailand
Sunday, August 3, 2008
After I fixed that and went back to sleep, I was woken up at 5 am by the Thai grandma (who was on the top bunk to my lower) to get up and let the porters fix the beds back into sitting chairs. Funny thing--the waiter/porter who took my dinner order remembered me from the week prior, when I went the other way on the route, and he even remembered what I had ordered. We got in to BKK around 5:30am and I had a frustrating taxi ride that eventually culminated in landing me at Ruen Mok guesthouse, where Liz was staying.
I lugged my awful heavy bag up three flights of stairs, knocked on Liz's door at 6:30am, said hello, and then promptly fell asleep on the lower bunk. The room is super tiny and has bunk beds, but is gloriously air conditioned.
In Bangkok later that day, we:
-ran into Sophie and Joe, two UK 18 year olds who had volunteerd with us for a short time at the animal sanctuary.
Head of reclining Buddha
They were getting a suit made for Joe and we were using the internet, and yes, these things do happen in the same establishment in Thailand.-walked a very, very long way to Wat Po and saw the famous, largest, reclining Buddha. Then we walked more to the Grand Palace and saw the famous, though quite small, Emerald Buddha. Things were pretty, but it was quite hot.
-Rested for a bit, then found a taxi to take us to the Sukhumvit part of Bangkok, where we were to eat and then go out. Something weird happened with my health--the traffic, the pollution, food?--and I had to lean out the window of the taxi and vomit. Three times. In my fancy dress, too. It was unpleasant but the taxi driver was really nice about it! I felt better afterwards.
-However, immediately following, my mobile phone disappeared. Either it fell out of my bag in the taxi--though we didn't see anything left in the car when we exited..... or someone stole it out of my bag right after getting out--but we didn't see anyone getting close enough to us. It's sort of a mystery, but the phone definitely is gone. Sad, but at least it happened at the very end of the trip. And if it was stolen, I'm glad it was the phone and not the camera or wallet. Frankly, in 4 days time I was going to give the phone away or try to sell it back somewhere anyway. So, worse things have happened.
-After a brief respite, we did still go to dinner (Little Italy--the fanciest place I've been in all of Thailand) and our night plans. The plans included going to Mambo Cabaret, a 'ladyboy' cabaret show with pop music as well as Asian ballads. Think Destiny's Child and Pussycat Dolls... but then also randoms like Blues Brothers "Everybody Needs Somebody." All dancing and lip-syncing was done by ladyboys, or men who are pre-op or post-op transgendered (male to female). Thailand has a much more open and tolerant attitude towards them than most other countries I've been in, and they're all around, not only working in cabarets, but the guest houses I've stayed in, restaurants, etc. Link here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladyboys . Really, really interesting, check the article out!
-Had some wine at a bar to top off the night. A very interesting day, indeed. Today we're going to try to make it to the huuuuuge weekend market... and then tomorrow is actually Liz's last day! Everything really is wrapping up quite soon.
