You Can Run Away from Time

OK, here is the way Bangkok/Tourist Maps work.

Each street that you see on the map is there in reality. And for every street that you see on the map next to the street which you just came off of....there are approx. 10 streets in between which the map does not show.
So, Look at the map and count, say, 10 streets between you and some destination...in reality there are 100 streets between you and the destination.
Amazing how that adds to your time.

If you are in a tuk-tuk, heading to a destination and following the map, you can doze off for nine-tenths of the journey and when you look up from the map to your next street, you always have plenty of time to spot the next designated street.There is a catch to all this, first, you would have to be on hard drugs to nod off on a tuk-tuk as it careens through city traffic. And if one thinks about it, you would have to be on the former just to take a tuk-tuk in Bangkok.
Nevertheless, fueled by caffeine and jet-lag we raced across the city to a recommended hotel for our official "Welcome to Bangkok" dinner. Frankly the whole idea was mine, but I had corporate backers and I thank them.

The map indicated that we could maybe, walk...the reality was that David Livingstone could not have accomplished the journey. We found a tuk-tuk driver stuck in traffic, approached him with our request; bargained for the proper fare. (Realized that there is no way to bargain ANY Tuk-Tuk Driver for the PROPER fare) and we were in the cab and officially stuck in a traffic jam with most of drivers of Indo-China on a Bangkok Saturday night. But like all big-city drivers, he was resourceful, had a fare, and we zipped through some side streets, and a few places that were not side streets, perhaps a court-yard, parking lot and pedestrian foot paths...and we came out ahead of the traffic jam and we were on our way. Or at least until we came to the next major intersection where we were stuck again and the whole process began again.

We dined on the main river of the city. The boat traffic was THE show for the evening as tourist party boats, and across-the-river-taxis and barge traffic and major long-tail boats plied the waters. I even saw what looked like a Bayliner zipping up the river. (A few of you reading this will know what I mean, Perhaps too big for BBL with its cutty cabin. Russ would be apoplectic! And rightfully so!)

There is a fine line between Jet-Lag and complete confusion and we walked that most of today as we were 12 hours ahead or behind and somewhere lost an entire day along the way. For those of you who make a living doing this globe-trotter thing, I tip my hat to you. The meal and the moment with Laura and Josh were quite delightful and we lingered a bit in the exclusive atmosphere of this fine establishment. But just out side, off the courtyards and pools and dining and traffic was a simple little Buddhist Shrine. Not sure why, it had the statue and little figurines delicately placed on this wall. This was just off the taxi, limo drive up portion of the hotel.

I recall a similar little prayer spot in the mountains of Sri Lanka a few years ago. Laura and I were traveling and for that morning we walked the curving mountain road and came upon a little Buddhist shrine at one of the most dangerous curves in the road. It was there for prayers and the safe journeys of all who travelled. The irony was that the shrine placed for the safety of the travelers created a dangerous road side hazard as drivers parked cars and rigs along the side of the road in order to walk to the shrine for traveler safety. Which in an odd way, proved all the more why the travelers-safety-shrine was needed. But I digress.

Anyway, the hotel had a little shrine across the courtyard. We stopped and observed its placement. (You can see it in the first two photos below.)

On the return trip across Bangkok, we passed through its China Town with hundreds of street cafes. This city has more street-food vendors and sidewalk cafes per square inch than any place on earth. (That is not an exaggeration, even the guide books will bear me out on that stat.) It was a warm, balmy (or just plain humid and sticky) evening and folks were enjoying the scene.

Our tuk-tuk driver (I negotiated a great rate, since I am ow a veteran passenger over the past 24 hours. Let me talk to your realtor, car salesperson, lawyer, or Ohio State Alumni Director...I can make it happen....or...not happen) dropped us off a few blocks from our hotel.

How do I put this delicately? Our hotel is a quaint one with some old-world amenities, a good price, a conscientious staff...but the atmosphere on our street on Friday and Saturday nights makes the OSU Frat/Sorority Row during Michigan weekend, look like a funeral procession.

But it makes for great street-theatre. Lots of life and fun. Lots of pounding music and health risks. We checked out the street vendors, grilled and sautéed bugs (see photo below) and I contemplated the meaning of life and existential possibilities for this world and the next.

All between where our tuk-tuk driver dropped us...and the front door of our hotel.

Peace, Bob