Su-wah dee krap

After 22 hour of travel time, our plane touched down at Bangkok International at 11:30 P.M. local time Tuesday evening. We left O'hare just after 1 PM Monday CST on a 777 with a layover of a couple of hours in Tokyo. Not a bad 12 hour flight, but I must say that the movies available (though we watched a bunch of them) sucked. Anyone seen the new Hulk? Really?
I had expected the Tokyo airport to be a little bit more futuristic I guess. No cyborg security agents. No teleportation devices. Just a succession of more and more complicated plumbing fixtures. I'm pretty sure the bidet had a buff and wax setting, which made me wish I had bowel pressure and a lot more time.
We stopped and had a beer in a bar at the airport and started chatting up the young American next to us. Turns out he's running the new outpost of Restaurant Daniel in Beijing. We even knew some of the same people. What a small world. He gave me his contact info and is going to get back to me on some friends he has here in Bangkok. Also, delicious bowl of Japanese noodles.
When the nice Japanese flight attendant woke me during the flight to Thailand to ask if I wanted food, I was utterly lost. Between the fatigue, disorientation, and accent issues our exchange must have taken two minutes before I managed to tell her that I wasn't hungry. Domo arigato anyway.
Bangkok is truly a beautiful city to drive into, at least at night. The skyline is very modern with multiple color accents and much to catch the eye. At street level, however, you encounter the age and lack of monetary resources. It is evident that new money has come in and literally risen above the ramshackle. Skyscrapers are jammed between apartments arranged piecemeal which sit atop garage door covered shops.
Leaving our hostel (which has me doubting the merits of any Best Western), we ventured into Pat Pong. Here vendors compete with food carts for sidewalk space. The street is filled with taxi cabs, trucks, and Tuk Tuks, while motorbikes weave through it all. Garbage literally piles up all around. Cockroaches scuttle about and packs of dogs languish and prowl.
Despite all of this, the atmosphere is dense with a life affirming energy. Prostitutes entice, cab drivers harangue, and people crowd, but what was conspicuously absent were horns and arguments. My earnest attempts at communicating in Thai are returned with smiles so genuine they warm me to the core. All this on a Wednesday morning after 1 A.M.
While passively appraising, we were actively foraging. Grilled meats on a stick are 5-10 Baht. A bag of fried meat cakes with cucumber slices and sweet/hot sauce around 20 Baht. Fresh mango, guava, and pineapple run from 10-30 Baht, while a hearty bowl of noodles in broth and a plate of chicken with rice can be had for 90 Baht combined. A bag of what looked to be fried silk worms cost me 20 baht and was actually rather disappointing. I shall endeavor to find bugs to love.
The time difference is taking a toll on me. It is after 7 A.M. and I must retire in order to explore tomorrow and try to sync with the schedule here. Tomorrow (or rather today) we will tackle the sky tram and river guides in furthering our exploration. I love it here already.


*Currently the exchange rate is $1 U.S.~32 Baht