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Published: March 19th 2011
Well, actually it was four. This is my third visit here and the only time I have actually had to find warmer clothes as the curse of "La Nina" has struck this infamous city. Rain, a drop in temperature and perpetually cloudy days have made me almost fail to recognize so many of the sites I remembered visiting 15 years ago.
Bangkok seems to have really become quite industrialized with all of their Starbucks a-plenty, cell phone deals and streets littered with every type of moving vehicle imaginable. Still, it is very economical to travel here with $5.00 meals, $3.00 taxi rides and $1.00 beers.
Of course, if you really want to stretch your wallet, you need only to wander to the "Patpong" district where you literally can get a "bang" for your "buck". With club names like "Pink Panther" ,"Badabing!"and the irresistable "Super Pussys", you have to wonder what lurks behind the doors of these establishments. Apparently, one of these establishments offers pre-Olympic viewing of something involving ping pong balls!Thank goodness I'm not much of a sports enthusiast!!! The faces of the women "hostessing" these bars was harsh...the loads of pancaked makeup could not hide their bitterness. As
some bar doors swung open I saw an endless stream of pretty Thai girls swaying mindlessly around a bevy of poles as the clouds of smoke in the room swirled around. My tuk-tuk driver offered me everything under the sun before we reached the appointed location..."you want girl?.....ladyboy?....boy?....smoke-smoke?"...my persistent "no thank you" was really getting me nowhere. Had the ride been any longer I'm sure he would have offered up the family pet!
And that is what perplexes me so much about this mad city. Graced with scores of intricately detailed and ornate temples, Buddhist monks walking to and fro, their saffron robes fluttering in the wind and lovely, warm smiles to greet you as you enter a restaurant or a shop...it amazes me that "heart of darkness" in Bangkok is so prevalent as well. But is is a small section of the city that unfortunately does not represent every treasure to be found. All the same, it confuses me and confounds me at the same time.
Are the foreigners to blame for providing the business? Are some of the Thais involved to blame for literally selling their souls (and in some cases their children) and making this
such a lucrative trade? The saddest thing about the whole situation is it makes you suspicious of people when they do approach you. I never feel flattered in the bars when droves of young people come running to me and through broken English, try to tell me how handsome I am and that they love Canadians. And when I see the older foreigners parading through the streets with their new "catch", often a young, overly made up young girl with a mini skirt so short you can almost see her "spring roll"...well, it just makes me sick. Everyone seems to want a piece of me...sadly enough, it's not the piece that counts the most.
So, as I wander through this confusing city...I just internalize the temples and the warm smiles and remember that this is the mystical land of "Siam"...inspiration for my favourite romantic film, "The King and I"...I only hope to find my emperor here who will ask me for that special dance as the temples of Wat Po are lit up in the background and the palm trees sway gently to the sounds of Strauss.
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alexandre
non-member comment
One night in Bangkok
I think there was a song... the most burning question for me is how far does your dong go in Bangkok? Is one's dog there as plentiful and in demand as in Vietnam? [hey what do you want, I am back in manhattan, it was 74 on friday and THEY are forecasting 40 for the end of the week, i am losing IT - not my dong, but IT, that transcendental je ne sais quoi that some of us call 'avoir du chien' but never eating the chien of course. ENJOY YOUR TRAVELS KEVIN, i love your postings]