Into Bangkok

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Into Bangkok

Looking in the reflective glass of the door as we stepped into Central Bangkok, I thought, 'not bad, but I'm a little worried'. There was me in my (not strictly mine) maxi dress, about to break my Asian virginity. But, as I said, I was a little worried. I was in a long dress, in Central, humid, hot, fume- drenched Bangkok. With clothes on! In Bangkok! Melted ice-cream was the least of my worries. But, as protocol and cultural sensitivity called for it... When in Rome...

I needn't have worried. Bangkok had me so intrigued I gave not one thought to my sweaty counterpart. So we began our journey turning left down an odourous back alley, dodging creative piles of waste; the faces of the poverty-stricken juxtaposed with the grand exterior of the city hotel. We walked. Arriving at the nearby harbour, we avoided the salesmen asking, "Where you go to, Madam?", of which there were many, all as determined as his predecessor. Respite came in the form of an open 'boat' (for lack of any technical nautical language) drifting the length of the river.

The stunning diamond- like deception of a skyscrapers reflection lit up the river as the boat pushed through it with such gentility. Lining the sides of the river was the dull brown of man-made houses to one side, a livelihood of markets on the other. Tiptoeing precariously off of the swaying boat (they had clearly forgotten that they were supposed to sail (i)up to(/i) the harbour), I felt overdressed as I stepped into a realm of bustle and stench. Sidling through dusty corners, avoiding the gaze of wizened market veterans, the heat finally groped at me. I was in Bangkok...

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Comments

[Heather]

I enjoyed your Bangkok post, and I felt very similar when I first arrived there, solo. Such a great city though! My blog is looking for travel reviews, photos, etc, to share. If you have the time, check it out at dirty-hippies.blogspot.com, or email me at [e-mail]. Continued fun on your travels! Heather :)