One night in Bangkok

...can indeed make a hard man humble, as the pop prophet Murray Head sang all those years ago. For those of you born before 1950 and after 1980, never mind.

Bangkok is the entry point for our two-month journey (well, my two-month journey and Bob's one-month journey) through Southeast Asia. I had mixed feelings about this city before we landed: On the one hand, it's a modern city with cosmopolitan shopping centers and beautiful temples. On the other hand, it's the epicenter of the sex trade industry and the exploitation of women and young girls. There is a very seedy underbelly to this city that made me wary of it before we even arrived, so we only planned to spend a few days before moving on.

And while it partly lived up (or down?) to my expectations, Bangkok also had some pleasant surprises in store.

First the not so great: This city has some bad, bad smells. Just walking down the street you get regular whiffs of what smells like a combination of rotten fish and raw sewage. And the cleanliness standards are slightly different. People do not pick up after their dogs, and there are many, many street dogs that just do their business all over, so you have to watch your step. There's a definite gritty feeling to the city, and the smog keeps it in a foggy haze even on the sunniest of days. On our first night we accidentally walked into one of the city's most famous red-light districts, Soi Cowboy, which was only blocks from our hotel. It was a very depressing sight. Not such a great impression on our first night.

Bangkok is a study in contradictions: It manages to be both modern and a bit third-worldy at the same time. Its amazingly efficient, clean subway system and sky train exist alongside songthaews, which are basically covered pick-up trucks with benches in the back piled with people, and tuk-tuks, which are primative three-wheeld motorcycle carts that act as taxis (and incidentally, my new favorite mode of transportation). Ancient temples sit next to modern skyscrapers, and glossy shopping centers have food carts outside that sell all manner of meat on a stick and the occasional insect. Beautiful boutique hotels can have views of decrepit housing right out of the worst slums of Bombay. And then there are the squat toilets, which - despite modern plumbing - are essentially holes in the floor with two platforms on which to put your feet as you, well, squat. And toilet paper will cost you extra. It's a fascinating place.

The rush of unfamiliar sounds, smells, and language were almost overwhelming at first. But we quickly grew to really enjoy our neighborhood. Every morning we would stop at street carts to buy fresh young coconuts, which the vendor would hack open with a small machete and stick straws in for us to drink, and bags of fresh mango and papaya slices, all for about $2. Then we would walk to the subway or sky train, located only blocks from us, to explore the city.



Our hotel was wonderful, and we were upgraded to a beautiful suite when our original room's air conditioner broke. It only cost us $63 a night for a four-star hotel, which for out trip is still quite a splurge.


The people of Bangkok are amazing. So friendly, always quick with a warm, genuine smile. That seems to be universal among the Thai people from our experience so far. They are very kind and unfailingly polite. They will go out of their way to help you, even if they don't speak your language. And most do not, which makes things a little more challenging.


The longer we stayed in Bangkok, the more it grew on us. The otherworldly soon became familiar, and even routine. We were soon greeting people with a "Sawasdee ka!" and thanking them with "Kob khun ka."

Even so, we were looking forward to getting out of the city and heading north to the mountains and the city of Chiang Mai, which is where we are now. An update on that will be coming soon...