Bangkok

Trip Start Sep 05, 2008
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Trip End Ongoing


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Tuesday, November 25, 2008

We booked the hotel that we're staying in with Annie last time we were in Bangkok, about six weeks ago. We'd seen its reviews on tripadvisor.com and had walked over to reserve a room. It's a nice mid-sized hotel, 40 rooms in all, in a residential area about 5 minutes walk from Khao San Road (where we'd stayed last time). It's friendly, comfortable and clean. We're in a large "Superior Room", the three of us, with a double and a single bed. The hotel overlooks a canal and immediately opposite the hotel entrance a dodgy looking "bridge" made of wood and concrete joists crosses the water. Signs in the hotel advise against using the bridge, but most ignore them. The signs weren't there when we came here to reserve our room six weeks ago. I wonder if anyone's fallen in since? Landing in the rancid canal water would be a fate worse than, and probably followed by, death.

Catherine was feeling a little ropey this evening, so myself and Annie went out to do a bit of shopping on Khao San Road. Like Blackpool on steroids, this place is, as I described last time we were here, full of freaks, dropouts and winos. Men in the street try to entice you to see "Ping Pong Show", others hold boards advertising "Strong Cocktail 50 Baht - we do not check ID". I wonder how many people can honestly say that they've walked down here accompanied by their mother-in-law?

I was buying a T-shirt from a Thai lady who looked perplexed and asked whether I was with Annie.
"Mother-in-law" I answered. I think the latter part of this sentence was lost on her.
"Ahhh, you look same" she replied. We don't. But why protest?

Annie received a crash course in haggling and took to it like a duck to water. Catherine and I were concerned that she may feel guilty to haggle from people who realistically weren't making a great deal of cash. But no, she operated with a calculated stoney coldness.
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