Bangkok / Gay District Familiarization
Trip Start
Oct 12, 2006
1
18
22
Trip End
Oct 31, 2006
Bangkok,
Thailand
Friday, October 27, 2006
Bangkok / Gay District Familiarization
Dear Readers:
We say farewell to Cambodia this morning and catch a flight to Bangkok, Thailand. There are no overage charges for anybody's baggage, and I am a little surprised at that. All soon becomes clear after we have checked in and are hanging out in the boarding lounge.
The man who checked us in approaches me and waves a paper that says our group was far over our limit, but that he was successful in transferring the overage to another group. I am somewhat taken aback and not really sure what to do, so I reach for my wallet and say "Let me show my appreciation for what you have done for us." He gets all flustered and says "You can't do that here!" casting glances about in every direction
01 Bangkok Hotel
. I invite him to step into the smoking lounge with me, and quickly pass him a $20. He is grateful and makes a quick exit. So that's how things are done in Cambodia!Arriving in Bangkok's new airport, I hustle out to see if our guide is there. I am delighted to see Pipop, who was our guide for the tour last December. We quickly catch up, then I rejoin the group to transfer our baggage to the motorcoach.
The ride to the city is uneventful, and Pipop tells us what it was like during the recent Military Coup. Everything seems quite normal, and we reach our hotel in good time. Several of us upgrade our rooms to the executive floors, and the rest of the day is free.
I volunteer to lead an excursion to the nearby gay district this evening, and we set out around 6:00pm. We're all ravenous, so one of our first stops is at a gay café named "Telephone," where we enjoy a great Thai meal with a small price, and stock up on literature that tells what is happening in the area while we are here. We just happen to be here at the beginning of "Pride" week, but the big parade isn't planned until the end of the week so we'll miss it. We do a leisurely walk through the Patpong area after dinner, after which we go our own way until tomorrow.
Hugs,
Dan
