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Published: November 16th 2006
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Today I’m back on the trail of my giant swing, democracy monument and marble temple. I will not be scammed!!!! I try and memorise my map again, trying to remember the street name I’m looking for so that I don’t have to take out my map at the grand palace. After taking the boat to the pier I start walking, and I see the man (the “teacher”) that had got me the tuk-tuk talking to a couple, map in hand….seems familiar! He obviously recognises me because when he sees me he speeds up his pace with the couple in tow. I think about going after him to speak to the couple, but he’s going at such a pace that I’d have to run after them to catch up. I’m thinking about setting up an alternative scam though. Maybe I could put something on the web giving people an escape route from one of the temples where they could scarper without paying!
I manage to get through the grand palace melee, mainly by walking very quickly and keeping my head down. It helps because I’ve already been to the first place, the city pillar shrine. Once I get there I have a
Tha Chang
Ready to get off the boat quick check of my map and t looks as though I have to stay to the right of the pillar to be on the correct road to take me to Wat Suthat and the giant swing, then from there I can try and find the monks bowl village, and hopefully on from there I can get to the democracy monument. That’s the plan anyway!
I start walking up the road I think I should be on, but it has a different name to what it says on the map, so I go back down again. I’m pretty sure from the map that I should keep the pillar on my left side, so I think that I’ll keep trying each left turning off this main road and I should find the right street. I don’t. and as for thinking I’m far enough away from the grand palace for me to be away from the scam merchants….. It starts innocently enough, I’m stood in the street having a look at my map, (next to a taxi, but I checked that the driver wasn’t in it) and a man is walking towards me with a newspaper under his arm, that I presume he’s just bought. He obviously thinks I’m lost and looking for the grand palace or What Pho, and tells me where they are. I say that I’ve already been. so then he starts chatting to me (nothing unusual in that, just being pleasant), asking about where I’m from, how long I’m here…. Then he starts talking about places to visit, most of which I’ve already been to. I say that I am trying to find this street and show him my map, feeling safe that he’s not going to try and get me to his 2nd cousins silk manufacturing company. He says that the road is down here on the left. Then he says why am I walking, there’s nothing to see down here? I should go and see these places…and he starts drawing on my map!! That’s the 4th map now that has been defaced with men drawing all over them places that I should go and see!!!!!!!!!!!! Then he says that I should go by tuk-tuk (he‘s a taxi driver????) and then I can also see these other places. The tuk-tuk driver will take me here - then wait - take me here - then wait….same old story. Then it’s “have I had any clothes made?” yes, I reply. “well this place is the best “Top Ten Tailors”………. you could call there on the way to this place. No I say, thank you, but I have places I want to go today. “but there’s a tuk-tuk driver here (amazing timing again)…. Do you want me to talk to him for you?” aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! I say no thank you, I don’t have time, I have to meet a friend soon. He asks me what time, so I look at my watch and it’s almost 1.30, so I say 2 - that’s not long enough to go anywhere…or so you’d think. He says that would be plenty of time to call at this temple…and Top Ten Tailors! I end up having to grab my map back off him and walk away, with the tuk-tuk driver still thinking that I’m going with him, just saying no, no, no as I walk away, not knowing where I’m going.
I try each of the roads to the left and still can’t find the one I’m looking for. On the map it looks as though it’s a pretty major road, but all I seem to be finding are small lanes, so I don’t think they’re the right ones. Basically I spend about 4 ½ hours walking round in circles, or squares to be more precise. I keep heading up different roads, then ending up where I started. After a while I think that I’m never going to find it, and I’m getting so confused wondering whether I’ve been on this road yet or not. I decide to call it a day and try another time. I’m tired, thirsty and need the toilet, so I head back to the boat again. Go back to the hotel, shower and start to read the paper….. Then wake up 3 ½ hours later! Still feel really sleepy, but think that I’d better do something or I won’t sleep tonight. I take the boat across to the other side and have a wander around, then back to the hotel for something to eat and read my book. I’ve started reading a book that the F & B manager at Ananda had talked about on the night we went out to dinner. It’s about the flattening of the world in relation to business (e.g. outsourcing to call centres in India by telephone companies and banking) and is mush easier to read then I expected. I keep leaving it upturned on my table so that people can see the title and realise how intellectual and intelligent I am. doesn’t work, I don’t get drawn into any sparkling, interesting conversations, so I go back to my room and watch TV.
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