BKK (!)

After much deliberation, I finally left Bangkok on March 2. I spent five nights in three different guesthouses and skimmed this city from East to West, seeing a little bit of a lot of things. As I think a chronological account of my Bangkok experience would be tedious and unhelpful, I will lay out this post thematically with thoughts on various BKK topics. First and foremost:

Food

Food, like many things here, is cheap. The way to eat is on the street, as long as there seem to be some reputable locals eating there (they know better what's clean and what's not). The standard plate of rice and curry is about 30 baht, or 1 USD. And Thai fare is beautiful; light and delicious.

I've only been averaging two meals a day due to my suppressed SE Asia appetite. I think this is due to a combination of the heat, and the basic survival instinct that kicks in when you are in a strange place. I don't think humans would have come very far if we were crippled by hunger during stressful circumstances. There must be something about being out of your element that leads you to eat less.

Lodging

Also cheap, of course. During my first two nights I steered clear of the backpacker's Mecca that is the Banglamphu neighborhood and opted to stay at a smaller place near the train station and metro that I happened to stumble upon after getting off the train. Only 180 baht/$6 per night. Complete with a floor fan, a stiff bed and a grimy shared bathroom, it wasn't the best place but easily accessed by the metro train, allowing me to explore the modern eastern part of the city. Even after I switched to the Baglamphu area and paid slightly more, the amenities were similar. Plain white walls and paper-thin drywall between the tiny rooms.

Also, no sheets are provided, nor is there any need for them. The best way to sleep I have found is to late flat on my back with all my limbs extended, the fan blowing across my face. I can't say it is the best sleep I've ever had.

Transport

When it comes to traveling, walking is my most frequent mode of transport. It allows me to wander aimlessly without having to pay, and see life on the ground. Sometimes you have to get across the city though. The first couple of days I relied on the metro system, which is as modern as your average American commuter train. The fun started when I took my first tuktuk ride, aptly-named for the sound that the engine makes. These are basically motor trikes with a small carriage for passengers on the back, painted in whatever colors and designs suit the owner.

Taking it up a notch, one day I decided to take my first motorcycle ride with a moto-taxi. I climbed on the back and held on to the rear bar, and tried not to let my awkwardly long legs get in the way of the driver or his lane-splitting maneuvers. At first this was terribly frightful, but I quickly began to feel this sensation of flying.

I upped the ante even further on a day trip to the town of Ayutthaya, which is a river island housing the ruins of the old Siamese capital. At the beginning of the two hour ride on the bumpy third-class train, I met a Chinese traveler who went by the english name of 'Chris'. Chris was bandaged up from a recent motor wipe-out he had in Phuket a few days prior. When we arrived in Ayutthaya we decided to join forces. I was going to rent a bicycle to get around the island, but he insisted that we could split a motorbike. I hesitate for a moment, looking at his bandages, before signing on to the endeavor. What a story this would make. I couldn't wait to describe to all my friends the image of me on the back of a motorbike with a petite Chinese guy driving, sporadically bandaged from head to toe, and me giving directions on the back. This leads me to my next idea:

Risk

My risk threshold increases substantially when traveling. I think this goes with the saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." As I previously experienced in Latin America, people in SE Asia are much less obsessed with risk-aversion than we are in America. In the States we are very orderly. Stop signs mean 'stop'. We drive on one side of the road and only one side. Red lights mean 'do not go'. Here it is different though. The rules of the road are more like guidelines to be followed, and only as they are useful. There seems to be less of a fear and a constant playful obstinacy towards life's dangers.

I will say for the record that I most certainly wore a helmet on the motos, and my prior statements do not reflect any sort of advocacy for motorcycling. Ok kids?

Homesickness and Westerners

I must admit that at times, traveling alone in a strange place takes its toll on my morale. Sometimes I feel as if this trip is some sort of self-imposed penance rather than pleasure. I thought a couple of days spent in the relative comforts of the Banglamphu neighborhood might help. I was wrong.

On my third day in BKK I decide to uproot myself and set up base in the part of the city overrun by westerners. From here I could enjoy cheap drinks, lots of fellow travelers, and some of the historic sights of the city. Upon setting foot in this part of town you are bombarded by sensory input. Loud music, white people in beachwear (where's the beach, I thought), cheap goods for sale, and lots of people eating and drinking in street-side restaurants. I checked into a guesthouse in the area and set about on foot. I thought that being surrounded by fellow travelers would make it easy to interact with people, but I was mistaken. For the most part, people seemed to be in their own cliques. In areas less-traveled by your fellow westerners, I am usually happy to see someone from "home", but here we were the rule rather than the exception.

I cannot say that I did not partake at least a bit in the party atmosphere, but for the most part I felt like sitting on the sidelines and watching the parade of inebriation and traveler stereotypes.

Another way to deal with homesickness that I have often enjoyed is going to see a movie in a western-style cinema. Not only does it allow me to escape into the air-conditioned darkness, providing comfort and anonymity, but, if watching an American movie, it also transports me home for a couple hours. In this case, the only English language movie was No Strings Attached, starring the beautiful Ashton Kutcher, and also Natalie Portman. I was not amazed, but nor was I disappointed. An added bonus: Right before the movie started, some corny music came on with a picture slideshow of Thai people. Suddenly everyone in the theatre shot to their feet as if to leave. Quickly I realized that they were playing the Thai national anthem..... in a movie theatre. Not to feel left out, I also stood in observance. That brings me to my last point:

The Thai

The Thai seem to be very proud of their monarchy. The King's image is plastered all around and he is held in high esteem. One other time, at the train staion in Ayutthaya, they played the 6:00 p.m. national anthem. The two fellow travelers I was with were confused, as I and everyone else in the station stood up. "Don't worry," I explained. "This is just the national anthem. I saw this happen in a movie theatre one time.... just stand up."

Six days in Thailand isn't nearly enough to gain a real sense of the nation. I can say that the Thai seem to be a very happy and courteous people, and from what I have noticed in my few hours in Cambodia, much more soft-spoken. Really though, I wouldn't hazard to try to sum up this nation based on a week of experiences. I will say that I enjoyed Bangkok.