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Cooking up a few frogs
Maybe they were toads... I don't know - about the size of my hands.Tuesday morning and I a have been in Bangkok for six days. I am finally getting over the jet lag and a bit of a stomach bug. For those of you thinking about coming here, I recommend that you don't have ice in your drinks, because I am pretty sure that's what caused me to get sick. Another thing to watch out for is where and what you eat. The choices are plentiful, although I am having a bit of hard time in finding a good salad. Apparently Thais see salad as a bit of a waste of time and prefer any greens to be cooked. Unfortunately after my gallbladder surgery, I have to watch what I eat in order to avoid pain and discomfort. Street vendors cooking up all kinds of food are literally everywhere in this city. If you really want to get adventurous, there is a variety of bugs that include things that look like crickets, locusts and huge cockroaches... eemmm yummy! I have also seen frogs, snakes and scorpions, all of which I guess are a delicacy. I am told that a lot of the food being cooked on the street rivals anything you can find at
a fine restaurant, but so far I've only tried a Kabob - which by the way was the best thing I have eaten so far.
Day two - I was inches away from ending up in hospital. It was pouring with rain and I need to go to the bank across the street. The road looked clear as I stepped of the curb, but out of nowhere came a guy thundering towards me on a scooter. He slammed on his brakes and fishtailed, just missing me and barely staying on. My life flashed before me as he looked back and then just continued on his way without saying a word. Since then, I've had several other close calls by trying to do what the Thais do - just walk out into traffic when you want to cross the street. I can't believe I have not seen a accident yet in this chaos.
I just got a Lonely Planet guide for Thailand yesterday. This is highly recommended and after reading a little last night, I became enlightened and got a good chuckle. The day before yesterday I visited a Buddhist temple down the street. I wasn't sure if I
The Tuk Tuk
3 wheeled taxi...noisey, smelly, but fun! was allowed in or what the rules were and no one seemed to speak English or bother me. I decided to go into the temple and did as everyone else was doing - took off my shoes and left them at the door. There was huge alter with people worshiping on the floor in front of it, so I also sat down and pretended to ask Buddha to bring me luck. I was getting into it a bit and almost felt spiritual for a brief moment. The heavens suddenly started opening outside and I got up concerned about my tennis shoes on the steps. Some drunk black Rasta was grabbed his shoes from outside and sat on a chair to put them on. He was slurring his words and cussing about the Thias not being real Buddhists, but no one seemed to even notice. After he left I put my shoes on and walked outside where a monk sternly waved his finger at me. Last night I learned of all my inappropriate behavior after reading "what not to do when entering a temple" in the guide.
1. Make sure your legs are covered - I was wearing shorts!
2.
Out door market.
These are absolutely everywhere Wear shirts with sleeves - I was wearing a tee shirt
3. Wear closed toed shoes when visiting a temple - I was wearing flip flops
4. When in front of the alter, sit with your legs behind you. It is a highly offensive pose to sit with your toes pointing towards the revered one! I was sitting in the lotus position, looking cool I thought, all ten toes pointing to the revered one!
5. Always leave a donation - Oops... missed that one too.
6. Never put your shoes on or take them off inside... even if it's pouring down with rain - I was admonished for that one!
Anyway after reading my Lonely Planet Guide, I am now less of an ignoramous and will act accordingly next time.
After the temple I was walking along the street when a very well dressed older gentleman came up to me and asked if I needed help. It was the second time in two days this happened and quite surprising that a perfect stranger, for no reason would be concerned about my well being. We got talking and he told me he was a professor a Bangkok University teaching
Organic Chemistry. We chatted about America and the UK and he was persistent in finding out where I was going and tried to offer advice on what to do in Bangkok. He suggested that I visit the Grand Palace where the king lives and that go there by Tuk Tuk (a small three wheeled taxi - see photos). I had read somewhere that you can get ripped off by the Tuk Tuk drivers, but he told me that I could get a ride to the Palace for 100 baht (about $3.50), a little cheaper than a taxi ride would cost. I also told him that I wanted to find a backpack and he suggested that I go to the Thai Center where I should be able to find one. Out of nowhere he summons a Tuk Tuk, explained to the driver where I wanted to go and I was on my way. Over the course of the next 3 hours the driver proceeded to cart me all over the city taking me to tailors, tour stores and gem dealers, none of which I was interested in, but went anyway. My resolve to not buy anything remained bullet proof and before
Starbucks - Khao San Road
.. a little bit of home!!! long I realized that the Tuk Tuk driver must get some sort of commission for taking me to all these locations. Had I seriously needed to get somewhere in a rush, I might of got mad, but under the circumstances, it was actually quite fun. The driver also kept saying "Pink Ponk Shaw" (Ping Pong Show), "shopinggg" and "Thai Massarrr" ever few minutes, to which I continually motioned that I was broke. As hard as it might be to believe, I have no desire to see a lady shoot ping pong balls out of her vagina and am determined never to have to pay for sex (he was talking about a Thai massage with a happy ending). Once again I learn by reading the Lonely Planet Guide that the professor was probably a scammer who also gets paid a commission for steering tourists to the various places I visited. Now I think about it he was about 70 and kept going on about getting a massage. I told him I wasn't interested and he said he went at least once a month! Finally... I never did get to see the palace of go looking a backpacks!
Yesterday morning I
Man sleeping suspended in mid air!
Where every you go there a people asleep in the streets at all times. This just looked really funny to me. went to Khao San Road, the backpacker and bohemian area of Bangkok. I planned on looking for some cheaper accommodation and this area is known for having a variety of basic guest houses and hostels for $7 -20 a day. Once again I got caught in a rain storm (it's been everyday so far) and headed for shelter in a Subway. I met a beautiful young girl from Columbia who was staying in area and told me that the accommodations were really poor - far less than she had expected. We ended up having a great conversation about Columbia, Thailand and traveling. She had been all over the world and had some great stories. In the afternoon I went to Starbucks! Had to do it!!! I met a girl from Virginia who was a missionary living in Bangkok, trying to save girls from a life in prostitution. She was a convinced that I was a sex tourist and told me that in three years, she had never met a man that wasn't in Bangkok to get laid. The missionary she works for takes women off the streets by providing them work at manufacturing jewelry, which is then sold in the
They like pink here.
Pink taxis, pink motor cycles, lot of people wearing pink and of course a pink mobil ATM. Imagine that in LA... I would get jacked and robbed every 10 minutes! US. This and donations supplement the cost of being there and continuing the work. She told me that there was a bar across the street where men could get anything sexually they desired. She assured me this included 12 year old girls and perhaps even younger. I have no problem with prostitution. I actually think that it might stop a lot of sexual crime, but I do have a problem with little children being used as sex slaves and the men that would even think of that. I am not about to get converted to Jesus but did offer to help. Unfortunately they don't want men and I guess I can understand why.
All in all it's been a very interesting week and I am sure I have left out tons of things that have slipped my mind. With only a few days left in this hotel I am not sure of where I am heading next. I wanted to go and sit on a beach for a few days, but the weather is pretty bad at this time of the year. If i am going to travel, I have to lighten my load and get a small backpack.
Thai Police dog
This was funny because the dog took a run and jump on the scooter as the cop was driving down the alley. Many people told me not to bring a lot of cloths but I didn't listen. I don't think you need more that two pair of shorts a few tee shirts, a pair of jeans, flip flops, a pair of tennis shoes and a leopard skin thong!
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