Bangkok - a tuk tuk town

I arrived in Bangkok and was immediately surprised at how much it reminded me of the Bronx when you're driving into New York from Connecticut. In your immediate surroundings you see poverty - tattered clothes drying on the balconies of rundown apartments, kids in groups on stoops, old women weathering in the sunshine. But in the distance, you see the city and what looks like promise.

Bangkok is insane. I had been warned by many, but I was keen to make my own decisions about the Thai capital. I had the day to myself, so I checked into my hotel, grabbed a shower and set out to see the sites. I realized fairly quickly that Bangkok is not a walking city, it's a tuk tuk city. So I hired a driver for the baht equivalent of a couple US dollars, and I was on my way. My driver, aptly named Chai, spoke decent English and took me around to see his favorite temples. Buddhas are to Thailand what churches are to Rome. Thailand is 90% Buddhist and it would probably take two weeks to get around to every single statue. But I did my damnest and before I realized it, I had seen half the city.

As Chai dropped me into a restaurant to satisfy my growling belly with a lemongrass salad, the rain set in. Rain isn't very conducive to tuk tuks, so off Chai went leaving me to explore on my own. Luckily the rain let up just as I was finishing my lunch, but without a trustworthy driver, I found myself feeling overwhelmed almost immediately.

Bangkok is beautiful, but it's frenetic and aggressive. People drive on both sides of the street, and the sidewalk. Cars and cabs jostle with tuk tuks, scooters and live animals, all trying to navigate their way along the treacherous roads. Thai drivers don't take no for an answer, and I had a few who had no problem following me for blocks. The English map provided by the hotel would have been helpful, if any of the street signs were in English. Needless to say that by 6pm, I was pretty well over Bangkok.

I arrived back to the hotel in time to meet my group, and we headed off to Khaosan Road for dinner and a few drinks. Khaosan Road is as wild as you can imagine - with offerings that include everything from street food to sweatshirts to ping pong (a sex show - use your imagination). We were leaving for Cambodia early the next morning, so I did the right thing and enjoyed a nice dinner and a few Singha's before heading off to bed. Bangkok is many things and I'm happy I was able to experience it for myself, but it's definitely a 24 hour town - 24 hours and I'm out!